———————– ** Fresh Green Beans ** ———————– Grown in Kansas. Eaten Worldwide.

Thanks Simran. Thanks class.

Now I live my life in fear.

I’m afraid that I will melt; that polar bears will turn cannibalistic then start feasting on human flesh; that chemistry will replace farming; that Wal-Mart will become the leader of all that is “green” and take over the world in the name of environmentalism; that the polar ice caps will melt and the only beings that will survive will be Kevin Costner-esque mermen; that America will never get it; that the Texas-sized island of discarded plastic will crash into California, killing everyone in its path; hat my children will never eat a real strawberry; that my children will never grow old; that I will never grow old because I will melt. That we are on the brink of an environmental apocalypse

Pat Marvenko Smith, The Four Horsemen

Thanks a lot guys.

I didn’t even have the option of taking a green pill of a black pill.

Okay so maybe I signed up for the class.

But how was I supposed to know it would actually make me care. Now, when my mind idles, I think of carbon footprints, how wasteful everything is and if i should start training myself to breath underwater.

There is one thing, however, that I’m not afraid of. I’m not afraid that I won’t be heard. I’ve spent the last four years constructing a giant megaphone that I can use to scream to the world.

And, by golly, people will listen.

I can’t promise that I will forever and always preach the gospel of green. But I will do my damnedest to save the world.

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Travis Brown

groovygreen.com

This week I had to write a food review for Natural Home magazine. I was amazed at how difficult it was to find out which food companies were green and which were greenwashed, and which products were organic and which were….organic…washed? I contacted about 25 different companies, asking if they’d send samples. A week later I received an e-mail from Kellogg’s saying that they could not send me their Gardenburger product because they did not have many to spare. But that I should not feel insulted and that our magazine is the most amazing magazine that ever wrote about nature or homes or natural homes.

Ok, so it didn’t go exactly like that. But you get the idea. I didn’t care. I didn’t want their darn burger anyways. But what really irked me was that Gardenburger was not a small blossoming company like I suspected. No-no, they were owned by Big Papa K.

I felt so used and lied to. I needed a shower.

So if I (a well-informed, green-blogging, prudent, brilliant, environmental magazine intern) couldn’t easily tell the difference between the green and that which has been washed green, how is the average consumer supposed to?

The world is in a desperate need of a green consumer report organization. Now I realize that Consumer Reports actually does have a green site called Greener Choice. This site is actually a great place to start, its very informative and helpful. But it is not nearly developed as the Consumer Reports Web site. Or how about a green consumer wiki like Tip the Planet where people can easily log on and write about the greenness or greenwashing behind different products and companies?

Man, I should really get on that.

Or maybe I’ll just leave it to some corporation with a lot of money.

Talk about a vicious cycle…

-Travis Brown

I have a new hero. Granted, I’ve added him to my list of 18.5 other heroes, but he has inspired me nonetheless. Reader, meet Daniel Dermitzel.

Daniel Dermitzel – associate director of Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture

After a stint in broadcast journalism and a bit of world traveling, Dermitzel decided he was tired of reporting on how the world was changing. He decided to start doing his part to change the world. Dermitzel became a part of the David that is battling the Goliath that is giant multinational food corporations.

He started at Trailside Farm, an organic vegetable farm in Calhoun, Mo. Dermitzel had no previous experience in farming, but he stuck with it and taught himself. Years later, he co-founded Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture (KCCUA), where he is now the associate director.

Demitzel and his organization grow things. They grow a lot of things– especially considering it is all done on a 2-acre farm. They have grown about 40 different vegetables and numerous herbs. The KCCUA sells most of their produce through a community-supported agriculture program (CSA). CSA members pay a fee and in return they receive weekly bundles of vegetables and herbs for 21 weeks. The KCCUA also sells their produce at local farmers’ markets. But the KCCUA doesn’t just grow- they teach the gospel of sustainability, they spread the word of urban agriculture! KCCUA has multiple programs that reach out to the community and promote community farming and sustainability.

I got a chance to participate in the inner-workings of KCCUA. It was a particularly cold day and the farmers were getting ready for an evening freeze. I, a mere visitor on a field trip, was enlisted to help. I got dirty, I got sweaty, and I nearly ruined my kicks. But it was a grand old time. I got was able to bond with the soil and some of the people who grow the food. I saw, smelt and felt how absolutely natural of an environment that this food was growing in. I now have a new appreciation for organic food and the work that these farmers put into feeding their community.

Now, I realize that if I buy a Dole organic banana, I can go online and see the farm from whence it came. Whoopdeedoo. That doesn’t compare to actually seeing, smelling, and laboring on the land where your food was created.

So I have a proposal for you, reader.

Visit a local farm. You can log on to SustainableTable.org and find the farms nearest you. It’ll be a dandy experience and you’ll be surprised how much it’ll make you want to bite into nothing buy fresh, organic creations of the earth for the rest of your life

And if you aren’t or aren’t able to go to a farmers market. If you don’t care to see where your veggies come from, you should at least meet the people who grew your food.

-Travis Brown

Who is the greatest environmental photographer in this history of the environment and photography?

Funny you should ask—considering I just spent my morning researching that exact topic.

Ansel Adams would be your man. I know, I never thought of it before now, either. Until now, I just thought he made pretty outdoor pictures that people put in their offices when they didn’t know much about art.

Now, I know you instantly scanned through your mental environmental photographer Rolodex and picked out your favorite modern environmental photog but I seriously doubt they hold a CFL to Adams’ efforts.

After years of photographing nature, Adams became so inspired that he became a full-blown environmental advocate, according to this essay by Peter Barr. He joined the Sierra Club board of directors, he lobbied congress for environmental aid in King’s River Canyon, and he was assigned to photograph national parks by the Department of Interior (however, this project quickly ended because of WWII). Adams personally met with LBJ, Johnson, Ford, and Carter to discuss environmental policy. He was also awarded the Conservation Service Award by the Interior Department and recieved a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his environmental efforts. Thats what I call a hard-working advocate.

And just look at the man’s stuff:

Ansel Adams. Bridveil Fall. Yosemite, 1967

Waterfall: “I am nature. Hear me roar. RAAGH!”

Ansel Adams. Snake River, Grand Tetons, 1942

Mountain: “I see you eyeing me. I will destroy you. Do not screw with me.

“The photographer showed Americans the beauty of nature. But he also put alot of American problems in perspective.

Ansel Adams. Freeway Interchange, Los Angeles, 1967

This photograph was taken in 1967—an era when a lot of people (aka hippies) were complaining about what was wrong with the world, while driving around in psychadelic buses powered by fossil fuels and love.

It is as if Adams was telling us “Hey guys, take a step back and look at all this progress. Maybe we need to slow down and meditate on this for a while. I mean, check this other picture. Goodness, are those some pretty trees or what?”

You know, come to think of it, I’m going to have to get me an Ansel Adams for my office. Maybe it’ll make me feel like I’m working amidst nature

-Travis Brown

Yesterday I took a broad look at America’s shoe problem

Now I’d like to take things down a notch and look at the shoe bid’ness on the local level.

Arensberg’s Shoes has been operating in Lawrence since 1956. The family-owned store sells about 8,000 shoes a year.

I worked as a sales associate at Arensberg’s for 11 months. I have the utmost respect for the store and the management. They are the only shoe store that I have ever been to where the employees genuinely care about the health, comfort and satisfaction of their customers. However, I think the business could make simple changes that would significantly alter their environmental impact.

REDUCE

Almost all purchases are placed in yellow plastic bags. In the olden days, the sales associates at Arensberg’s used to tie boxes with string so that the customer could simply carry the boxes out holding the string. A spool still sits on the front desk in case their is a shortage of bags, but it is rarely used.

Towards the end of my shoe selling career, I started asking customers if they would prefer their boxes tied. To my surprise, many opted out of using a plastic bag. They were fascinated by this archaic technique and appreciated the extra effort.

If employees began asking customers if they would prefer a bag or a tie, I think the store would use far fewer bags - helping the environment and their expenses.

RESOLE

The Sherlock Holmes Society of Canada

I was baffeled by the amount of people who asked me to throw away perfectly good shoes. They would come in to buy new shoes because their sole had worn down, or worse - because a lace had snapped in two. Lordy Mae!

I think the Arensberg’s, as well as all Lawrence shoe stores should put a highly visible sign at the front desk that advertises BKB leather (a local shoe repair shop) and be more open to letting people know that they can easily and inexpensively repair most worn down shoes.

RECYCLE

Each pair of shoes are shipped to Arensberg’s in large cardboard boxes. Each individual shoe box is filled with oodles of packaging and mutltiple wads of paper are stuffed into each shoe to maintain the shape. There’s also usually a cardboard divider between the two shoes and tissue paper wrapped around each shoe. Almost all of this packaging will be taken out of the box and thrown away

This store could greatly lower their impact by recycling the packaging that comes from each opened shoe box.

REVAMP

I must give kudos to Arensberg’s for selling Timberland and Simple brand shoes - two companies that are use eco-frieldy and recycled materials, and are working to change the sustainability of the shoe industry.

I think they could expand their eco-friendly shoe selection and make a special section of the store dedicated to lower impact shoes. In addition to providing customers with the option of going green, it would also raise awareness about the environmental impact of the shoe industry and what to look for when trying to avoid shoes with a large carbon footprint.

-Travis Brown

P.S. Here’s a fun tip: The inside of a banana peal is a great non-toxic alternative to shoe polish.

America has a shoe problem.

2,286,472,000 shoes were purchased in the U.S. in 2005 according to the American Apparel & Footwear Association. 297,821,175 Americans were alive at the end of 2005. That’s 7.67 shoes per person. Now I realize that I am a man and therefore do not understand the true glory of shoes, but this seems a little absurd. Think of all the different materials that go into making shoes and their packaging. Think of all the different places that those materials come from. Then think of where the shoes are made and how far they travel to get to your feet. In 2005, only 1.4% of consumed shoes were manufactured in America. 84.2% of American bought shoes that were:

Just take a gander at this trend throughout the past few decades.

Graph: The American Apparel & Footwear Association

And that’s not the half of it. Read this National Geographic Green Guide article to learn the true horrors behind the shoe industry.

Not only do your shoes affect your footprint, they significantly alter your carbon footprint as well. Oh dear, oh dear.

But many shoe brands are working to become more eco-friendly. Simple now uses sustainable materials such as organic cotton, water based glue, recycled car tires, and recycled plastic bottles when making their shoes.

Timberland is also making great strides to green their company along with the entire shoe industry. In addition to using organic and recycled materials in some of their shoes they also pay workers to complete 40 hours of community service each year. Also, all there shoe boxes now carry a “nutrition label” that tell the environmental impact of each shoe. The labels may not say where each of the materials came from or other important matters pertaining to each pair’s impact, but the intention is still admirable. Chief executive of Timberland, Jeffry B. Swartz says he hopes that other brands will adopt similar labels so that customers will compare eco-impact when shopping for shoes.

Huzzah to those who are trying to establish a firm footing in the fight for sustainability, but for the most part the movement to green the shoe industry is still lacking sole.

Maybe all the shoe biz needs is a little help from the hip-hop world. After all, RUN DMC did wonders for Adidas and The Pack’s song “Vans” boosted the sales of the already successful skateshoe brand.

I’m strutting down the street in my eco-friendly kicks

I don’t like toxic runoff cause it makes the fishies sick.

What do you think?

No?

Fine. I’ll stick to blogging.

Stay tuned for the next installment - Green Footing Part Deux: Local Shoe Subdue.

Happy strutting,

Travis Brown

Giuseppe Arcimboldo was one of the first people who inferred that we are what we eat.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Summer, 1573, oil on canvas, Louvre Museum, Paris

Ah yes, those where the days. Aside from the famines, the plagues, the persecutions, the people of the 16th Century had it pretty easy. Plants were taken out of the ground and eaten - what more could you ask for?

I mean, look at that guy. He seems quite jovial to me. That’s because he is made of healthy, pesticide- and preservative-free vegetable freshly sprung from the earth.

If Mr. Arcimboldo were alive and working today, his art might look a little more like this:

Till Nowak, framebox.de

Dammit Travis, you need to warn me next time. I done wee’d myself.

Yes, I know . It’s quite terrifying what goes into our vegetables. Herbicides, pesticides, preservatives. These are starting to seem much less like healthy snacks and much more like high school science fair projects.

When I moved into my first house away from my parents, I decided to stay away from junk food as much as possible. I filled my refrigerator with as many vegetables as I could tolerate. Whenever I was hungry, I’d grab some raw carrots, radishes or green beans. This led to eating habits similar to that of a rabbit. My roommates often walk in to find me feasting on a bowl of roughage and refer to me as “Bugs” or “Roger.”

But now I’m learning that this doesn’t cut it. These veggies aren’t as healthy as I once thought and they don’t have all the vitamins that organic greens do. To think that I’ve been filling my body with chemicals all this time… while I thought I was just doing a body good. The Horror.

That’s just the vegetables. Think about the food that doesn’t necessarily fit into such a distinct mold. Like moon pies or even ice cream. Polydextrose, sorbitol, cellulose gel, mono and diglycerides, cellulose gum, polysorbate 80, carrageenan, sucralose.It’s all too much for me. Maybe my old buddies, the Animaniacs can help out.

Happy rotting.

-Travis Brown

Environmentalist beware…..

The garbage monster!

Yeup. That’s mine. A whole day of trash. You have to admit, he’s kind of cute from a distance.

But get up close and the story changes. There’s the smelly, rotting onion hiding behind his jug lid-nose. Take a peak inside the treacherous creature’s mouth and the view get’s even worse. Moist coffee grains strewn about, a pile of uneaten beans, a mound of bacon grease.

That’s not even half of the horror behind this monster. Think of how long this trash will be around. His left eye - that bean can - that’ll biodegrade in 50-100 years. His right aluminum eye will take 80 - 100 years. And that OJ jug he’s trying to chomp down - that’s here for the the long haul with a life expectancy of forever.

Two weeks ago I started this exercise of putting my trash out on display. Now I’d by lying to you if I told you this was an eco-conscious decision. Actually, I just don’t have a trash can by my desk at work, and I’m far to lazy to bring one. So I just create a pile next to my computer. Every time I drink a soda or finish a candy bar, I add the remains to the pile. At the end of the day I take the mini-heap to the trash can and recycling bins.

This is good for two reasons. 1) I make sure to recycle and 2) I’m more aware of my waste. Now, when I get my morning coffee, I nix the straw and napkins so that they won’t be staring at me all day.

When I decided to carry this experiment over to my home life, it didn’t go over as well. At work the trash just blends in with my usual clutter, and it only consists of a few remnants of items taken from the break room. At home I create much more waste and my roommates don’t appreciate it being left out in the open… no matter how pretty I make it look.

One of them even had the nerve to put my beautiful creation in the garbage can. Of course, I was forced to dig out and reassemble my new friend.

People don’t like seeing their trash.

No kidding, Travis. Why the hell do you think they invented the trashcan?

But maybe it’s good to see how much waste we produce. And I think I know just the man to help us with this.

Chris Jordan makes works of art that put our consumption in perspective.

Oh how lovely, it’s George Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.

Wait a minute, that’s not a Seurat.

Why, that’s not a Seurat at all!

Artist: Chris Jordan, chrisjordan.com

This piece uses images of 106,000 aluminum cans. That’s how many are used in the U.S. every 30 seconds.

It may not be Neo-impressionism, but it sure makes an impression on me.

So is this mind control? Propaganda? Heresy to good old American capitalism? Does this artwork thrive of the guilty conscious of it’s viewers?

No. It educates us. Numbers just don’t have the impact they used to. We hear so many astronomical statistics on the news that we’ve become desensitized to them.

It’s the difference between these two fellas:

Hmmm…..

Al Gore and Iron Eyes Cody may have strikingly similar facial features. But they used completely different means of communicating their message. While Cody tried to make us feel guilty for destroying mother earth, Mr. Gore has worked to educate us.

So I say bring on the awakening. Bring on the awareness. But it doesn’t hurt to focus on aesthetics. We all like pretty things

-Travis Brown

It’s no secret that Lawrence is known for its radicals, liberals, and hippies. This reputation is one of the many reasons I am proud to call myself a Lawrencian. But there’s one more name I wish they’d bestow upon us: treehuggers.

Artist: Camilla Engman camillaengman.com

Woahohoho there tiger. Becoming a treehugger isn’t going to be that easy.

One way that Lawrence could become a green city is by building eco-communities. This seems right up our alley. The town has a long history of cooperative housing and still offers coop living opportunities . The coop lifestyle is a more sustainable lifestyle. Think abou it: you have a group of people sharing food, utilities, rides, skills. However, a coop house is not neccesarily a green house.

Lawrence has all the ingredients needed to produce green communities. We have environmentally conscious citizens, we have coop housing, we have large-scale interest in buying local and the means to do so. So why aren’t sustainable communes popping up all over the place?

People might be slowed down by the financial fears behind going green. Even though the road to sustainable living may lead to more economical living, many are turned off by the initial investments. It usually costs between $20,000 and $30,000 to install enough solar panels to fit your energy needs. The average Lawrencian’s yearly salary is just under $36,000. It stands to reason that many would be apprehensive about making the big jump. But there are other ways to take on a green lifestyle.

For example, check out the Lincoln-Dameron ecohood in Prescott, Arizona. This neighborhood transformed itself into a green community over time. It did not take heavy funding or a complete renovation. It was just developed by people who either wanted to live simple lives, cared about the environment or just enjoyed the sense of community.

Now, that doesn’t seem too glamorous. But its an economic way to be environmental. And it’s pretty damn cool.

Coop housing in Lawrence

• Ad Astra House
• Delaware Street Commons
• The Farm
• Olive House
• Sunflower House

-Travis Brown

Check out this story in today’s Times about the largest beef recall in history. Apparently they’re mistreating the cows. Who knew?

-Travis Brown