Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Potential benefits to global warming
Some of the potential benefits to global warming: my heating bills will go down here in North Carolina. (It was freezing out this morning. Very unpleasant.) And given that my house is at 2,500 feet in elevation, it could very well become oceanfront property in a decade or two.
Redford is pissed off
He spoke last night on Maddow about how earlier this month the Bushies, under the cover of darkness, opened federally protected lands to oil drilling. (By the way, he's got to be coloring his hair. No one that old is that blond. And if he's doing that, why doesn't he get some of the Botox? The dude needs it.)
Oil tanker pirate update
Kenya is preparing for the possible major oil spill off its coast when forces inevitably raid the Saudi oil supertanker being held by Somali pirates.
Ecological catastrophies, piracy, terrorism fincancing, war--all byproducts of the oil business. Hmmm...I feel like there's some other downside to it that I'm missing. Oh yeah, global warming.
Even so, the New York Times says today that the Economic Meltdown will be deterring countries from breaking their dependence on fossil fuels. If you read the article, though, it shows no real evidence of this.
If ever there was a time for countries to get motivated on starting a new green industrial revolution, it's now.
Ecological catastrophies, piracy, terrorism fincancing, war--all byproducts of the oil business. Hmmm...I feel like there's some other downside to it that I'm missing. Oh yeah, global warming.
Even so, the New York Times says today that the Economic Meltdown will be deterring countries from breaking their dependence on fossil fuels. If you read the article, though, it shows no real evidence of this.
If ever there was a time for countries to get motivated on starting a new green industrial revolution, it's now.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Greasy Rider column is up and running on Outside magazine web site
Head here for the first weekly installment of the Greasy Rider column on Outside magazine's web site. The first question: "Why do you drive a grease-powered car, and should I do it too?"
To find the witty, action-packed answer to this question, click here.
To find the witty, action-packed answer to this question, click here.
Arugula update
I've got a design for my winter garden. I'll build raised beds using 2"X12" boards, and put storm windows atop them.
The government and green technologies
A part of Obama's massive stimulus program that he's going to push in January is to set aside a whole lot of money for the government to create green technologies (to gin up a new "green collar economy" that will usher American industry into the next century). Does that mean he's going to create a "Manhattan Project" for green technologies? I hope not. We're better off providing tax breaks, grants, and incentives for corporations and universities to innovate. That's where all of the exciting stuff is already happening, and these are the people who are going to make the breakthroughs. Let capitalism do its thing, and not get government too involved.
Oil tanker pirates update, part 5
In response to the Saudi oil tanker recently taken hostage, Iran is saying that they're going to start using force against Somali pirates. And ship owners are demanding some sort of UN-backed naval blockade of the Horn of Africa. Meanwhile, the pirates holding the ship are saying they're willing to reduce the ransom. Think they'll get it down to $0?
Greasy Rider group on Facebook
Don't forget to join the Greasy Rider group on Facebook. Type "greasy rider" in the search box and you'll find it.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Spinal Tap on Global Warming
History's greatest band tackles the world's most perilous issue by reuniting for Live Earth.
Greasy Rider goes Prime
My recent book reading at the Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne Vermont will be replayed on C-SPAN2's BookTV this weekend. You can see it at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. (yes, Prime Time) Eastern Time on Saturday, on CSPAN2, or streamed online by clicking here.
Amazon reviews?
If you've read and (hopefully) enjoyed Greasy Rider, feel free to leave a review of your impressions on Amazon. Help get the word out.
Pirate update
No word on any new developments with the oil supertanker taken by Somali pirates. The Indian navy has said they're now going to actively pursue pirate vessels. Middle Eastern countries are meeting to see what they can do. But just when the tide seems to be turning in a positive direction, the UN has threatened to help. Never a good thing.
Solar panels required on malls and big box stores
Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick is aiming to require malls and big box stores to put solar panels atop their buildings--forcing them to become more energy efficient, and save money in the long run. (You'd think companies would want to do this on their own, but they don't.) To see how this system can work well, check out the Google chapter in Greasy Rider. Google recently installed solar panels atop its headquarter buildings. The panels supply 30 percent of the electricity for the campus, and will pay for themselves within eight years. In other words, Google will be getting 30 percent of its electricity for free in eight years.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
House cleaning
Henry Waxman has defeated John Dingell (from Michigan it should be noted) as the leader of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Dingell has been the leading Democrat on this committee since, like, Henry Ford was a boy.
Dingell, though a staunch and important Democrat, was no friend of people who wanted high emissions or fuel efficiency standards. Waxman is.
This is a big deal--and signals where the House is headed. Not that I really know about this stuff.
Dingell, though a staunch and important Democrat, was no friend of people who wanted high emissions or fuel efficiency standards. Waxman is.
This is a big deal--and signals where the House is headed. Not that I really know about this stuff.
Hijacked oil tanker update
In yesterday's chapter of the oil tanker pirate drama, we learned that a destroyer in the Indian navy was forced to fire upon a pirate "mother ship" and sink it. Today, we discover that the oil tanker pirates are demanding $25 million in ransom. (The ship is holding more than $100 million in oil.) They're not gonna get a dime, of course. Stay tuned.
US Mindset Changes on Gas Guzzling
Maybe the plummeting price of gas doesn't ruin my chances of ruling the roads in my grease-powered car. This Financial Times article asserts that Americans are still looking for alternatives to fossil fuels. Here's the section of the article I find the most enlightening:
Greg Melville also exemplifies the changing American mindset. He wanted to prove alternative fuels, such as vegetable oil, were feasible and so drove cross-country in a "French-fry car'' - a 1985 Mercedes station wagon powered on oil collected from restaurant waste en route. He lived to write a book about his adventure in Greasy Rider, which motivates others to turn towards alternatives.
Even though petrol prices are down again, Mr Melville expects Americans will continue to find new ways around fossil fuels because many are motivated by fears of climate change, not just loss of income. It is why he hangs out washing to dry, composts vegetable waste and buys local foods, which do not require packaging and fuel to get to his market.
He expects others to follow the energy-saving route. People will not trade in their hybrids to go back to SUVs, he says. "There is a definite shift in mindset that goes beyond the price of gas.''
Even though petrol prices are down again, Mr Melville expects Americans will continue to find new ways around fossil fuels because many are motivated by fears of climate change, not just loss of income. It is why he hangs out washing to dry, composts vegetable waste and buys local foods, which do not require packaging and fuel to get to his market.
He expects others to follow the energy-saving route. People will not trade in their hybrids to go back to SUVs, he says. "There is a definite shift in mindset that goes beyond the price of gas.''
Midnight Madness
I'm so tired of being angry at these people. But they make it hard to stop...
Just when you think the final nail has been placed in this presidential administration's coffin, it rises from the dead for a few last deeds. This time it's in the form of "midnight regulations," which generally take years for the incoming folks to undo (if they can undo them at all). Apparently, the Bushies have relaxed environmental regulations protecting endangered species, by eliminating THE GOVERNMENT'S OWN SCIENTISTS from giving input when the government is constructing a highway, dam, or building in an area where endangered species live.
In a separate matter, the EPA is using the 11th hour to weaken the Clean Air Act so coal-fired power plants and oil refineries near national parks will be able to send significantly more pollutants into the air. Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park here by me are especially supposed to be hurt.
From the Washington Post:
Don Shepherd, an environmental engineer at the National Park Service's air resources division in Denver noted that the agency determined in the 1980s that every one of its parks was "visually impaired," and "nothing really has changed that." Visitors to Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in the mid-1930s reported seeing the Washington Monument more than 70 miles away; now, on some days, visibility is barely one mile.
Further down:
While limiting pollution in national parks does not have the broad public health implications of federal air-quality rules that govern soot or airborne lead pollution, it has symbolic and ecological importance. The four major pollutants affecting the parks -- sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and mercury -- contribute to degrading once-pristine habitats that Congress sought to preserve for generations when it decided to protect those areas.
Amazing.
Just when you think the final nail has been placed in this presidential administration's coffin, it rises from the dead for a few last deeds. This time it's in the form of "midnight regulations," which generally take years for the incoming folks to undo (if they can undo them at all). Apparently, the Bushies have relaxed environmental regulations protecting endangered species, by eliminating THE GOVERNMENT'S OWN SCIENTISTS from giving input when the government is constructing a highway, dam, or building in an area where endangered species live.
In a separate matter, the EPA is using the 11th hour to weaken the Clean Air Act so coal-fired power plants and oil refineries near national parks will be able to send significantly more pollutants into the air. Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park here by me are especially supposed to be hurt.
From the Washington Post:
Don Shepherd, an environmental engineer at the National Park Service's air resources division in Denver noted that the agency determined in the 1980s that every one of its parks was "visually impaired," and "nothing really has changed that." Visitors to Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in the mid-1930s reported seeing the Washington Monument more than 70 miles away; now, on some days, visibility is barely one mile.
Further down:
While limiting pollution in national parks does not have the broad public health implications of federal air-quality rules that govern soot or airborne lead pollution, it has symbolic and ecological importance. The four major pollutants affecting the parks -- sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and mercury -- contribute to degrading once-pristine habitats that Congress sought to preserve for generations when it decided to protect those areas.
Amazing.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Those pirates
You still following the Somali-pirates-capture-Saudi-mega-oil-tanker story? Yesterday, an Indian naval vessel just happened to get into cross paths with what's believed to be the Somalian pirate "mother ship" and sank it. (Think of how much India is hurt if the world's oil supply is threatened.) Funny, there was no word on any Somali pirates from the sinking mother ship being taken into custody or rescued. The chain of events here is just starting.
Arugula!
Today begins the planning for my organic winter garden. I'm going to get the book "Four-Season Harvest," by Eliot Coleman, and build some cold frames. The plan is to grow arugula. Arugula! I've never eaten it, but I plan to start. I'll also grow carrots, green onions, and other salad greens--with help from the kids. Whether you like it or not, you'll be receiving updates on the garden, and pictures.
According to Michael Pollan in Omnivore's Dilemma, organic food travels 1,500 miles on average before reaching your plate. I'm hoping to reduce that number ot 15 feet--and lower my food costs, too.
A word on "clean coal."
Just to be clear: "clean coal" technology doesn't exist. It won't be around for at least the next decade (using optimistic forecasts), if that's even the route we want to follow. Meanwhile wind, solar, and geothermal do exist.
Basically, the use of the phrase "clean coal" is a pander to Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Basically, the use of the phrase "clean coal" is a pander to Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
From the elitist in chief
A video speech given to today's Governors Global Climate Summit.
"Any governor who's willing to promote clean energy will have a partner in the White House. Any company that's willing to invest in clean energy will have an ally in Washington. And any nation that's willing to join the cause of combating climate change will have an ally in the United States of America." Pithy.
"Any governor who's willing to promote clean energy will have a partner in the White House. Any company that's willing to invest in clean energy will have an ally in Washington. And any nation that's willing to join the cause of combating climate change will have an ally in the United States of America." Pithy.
What a waste
On average, one quarter of every landfill is filled with compostable yard and food waste. Consider not only the incredible amount of space that this stuff takes up, but the energy it takes (and carbon produced) to transport it from your garbage can to the dump. Then think of the money it costs you or your city to take away your trash.
That's why Dr. Wife, MD decided we would compost all plant waste from our kitchen. The photo is of the composting pot we keep by the sink. You'll notice that Dr. Wife, MD is not inlcuded in the picture. That's because she's never seen around it. Somehow she delegated the composting responsibilities to me. (All of her great environmental schemes seem to end up turning into work for me, somehow.) We collect all eggshells and fruit and vegetable scraps, but no meats or dairy, into this pot and then empty it into a composting container in the yard (which I'll show later). We'll use the compost next summer for the organic garden I'm planning to create. (I'm also going to be building a winter garden soon, and I'll be showing pictures of that and providing progress-or lack thereof--reports.)
Weasels do like to burrow
The outgoing presidential administration is reassigning some of its hack political appointees into career civil service positions--especially in the Department of Interior. This act is called "burrowing." In this case, it appears the intent is not only to provide friends plum long-term jobs, but to continue to push their political agenda under the radar after the new administration comes in. (The officials being burrowed have been aggressive partisans during their tenure.) This is scary on so many levels, the least of which being that these people are way less qualified to do the work than the non-partisan experts who rise through the civil service ranks.
From the article: "Environmental advocates, and some rank-and-file Interior officials said the reassignments represent the Bush administration's effort to leave a lasting imprint on environmental policy.
"What's clear is they could have done this during the eight years they were in office. Why are they doing it now?" said Robert Irvin, senior vice president for conservation programs at Defenders of Wildlife, an advocacy group. "It's pretty obvious they're trying to leave in place some of their loyal foot soldiers in their efforts to reduce environmental protection."
Further down: "Alex Bastani, a representative at the Labor Department for the American Federation of Government Employees, said it took months for that agency even to acknowledge that two of its Bush appointees, Carrie Snidar and Brad Mantel, had gotten civil service posts.
"They're trying to burrow into these career jobs, and we're very upset," Bastani said. "Everyone should have an opportunity to apply for these positions. And certainly career people who don't have partisan bent and have 10 or 15 years in their respective fields should have a shot at these positions."
From the article: "Environmental advocates, and some rank-and-file Interior officials said the reassignments represent the Bush administration's effort to leave a lasting imprint on environmental policy.
"What's clear is they could have done this during the eight years they were in office. Why are they doing it now?" said Robert Irvin, senior vice president for conservation programs at Defenders of Wildlife, an advocacy group. "It's pretty obvious they're trying to leave in place some of their loyal foot soldiers in their efforts to reduce environmental protection."
Further down: "Alex Bastani, a representative at the Labor Department for the American Federation of Government Employees, said it took months for that agency even to acknowledge that two of its Bush appointees, Carrie Snidar and Brad Mantel, had gotten civil service posts.
"They're trying to burrow into these career jobs, and we're very upset," Bastani said. "Everyone should have an opportunity to apply for these positions. And certainly career people who don't have partisan bent and have 10 or 15 years in their respective fields should have a shot at these positions."
Monday, November 17, 2008
Gas prices keep falling. Will Putin be rearin' his head less now?
Gas prices have dropped 60 days in a row, now. In that darn liberal media, I keep seeing comparisons being made to the 80s, when people abruptly stopped caring about fuel economy after the price of unleaded plummeted from the gas-crisis highs of the 70s. (Ah, the 70s, a time when Jimmy Carter went so far as to put solar panels atop the White House, and told people to turn down the heat and start wearing sweaters. When misguided folks thought thought that driving a high mileage car meant they had to give up all sense of taste--as they poured into tiny Pintos and Gremlins, and the ever-popular Le Car). Here's the difference: today's heightened awareness of global warming. Even if gas was 2 cents a gallon, that wouldn't change its environmental impact. So drivers still want to use less of the stuff. People also now realize that the country's biggest security threats get weaker with every drop in gas prices. I mean, you have to admit that it kind of warms the cockles of your heart to see the petro-funded despotic Russian government unraveling a bit (Russian oil has now dropped below $50 a barrel), and even becoming more conciliatory to the West on missile defense.
hypothetically speaking
If you happen to be a geeky writer who spends most of his day sitting in front of a computer screen, and whose only cardiovascular exercise comes through his fingers, by typing on the keyboard, then DON'T accept an invitation to go mountain biking with your wife's co-workers. Hypothetically speaking, of course. Especially if you're hyper-competitive. And if you're riding somewhere in the rugged Pisgah National Forest. And if the aforementioned co-workers are hard core riders. Because if you do, you'll practically need to overdose on Vitamin I (also known as Ibuprofin) the next morning. Not that I know from experience.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Purified urine to be astronauts' drinking water.
I'm all for recycling, but this is a bit much, even for me. Apparently, NASA did blind taste tests, with purified urine and regular drinking water, and the astronauts didn't really know the difference. Dr. Wife, MD, believes there's a real future in a cool, tall drink of sewage. And so, apparently, does Orange County, California.
New Outside magazine online column
I'm slated to be writing a new column on Outside magazine's web page, starting next week. I'll send the link when it's up and running. My job is to give snarky yet informative (and potentially life-changing) answers to environmental questions. They'll be running one question per week. From there, the Cult of Greasy Rider is expected to gain millions of new members, until it becomes a movement, or perhaps a religion--kind of a Scientology for people with grease-filled garages.
Testing peanut oil in the car today
When I was in Vermont, Iggy gave me five gallons of peanut oil that someone had thrown out. It's virgin stuff, supposedly never used, according to Iggy. Maybe it was the sly look on his face when he gave it to me, or the fact that he's getting a little pissed off about friends and acquaintances making references to him in the book all the time--but for some reason, I didn't feel comfortable burning the stuff. It's been sitting in the back of the car. Until today. I just poured it into the tank. It was strangely clumpy, and discolored. Very suspicious. I have to take the kids to an appointment about 30 miles down the highway from the house this afternoon, so I figure I'll test it out then. Wish me luck. And if you don't hear from me ever again, blame Iggy.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Insert oil rig here!
In its noble, never-ending effort to wean the country off of foreign fuel sources, the Bush administration has..."expanded its oil and gas lease program in eastern Utah to include tens of thousands of acres on or near the boundaries of three national parks.
And if we don't do this, according to an oil executive with too many consonants in her name, the terrorists win.
'Kathleen Sgamma, the government affairs director of the Independent Petroleum Association of the Mountain States, said of the new lease proposals, “If you can’t develop oil and natural gas in this part of rural Utah, we might as well concede the United States has lost all interest in energy security.” '
I've always thought something was missing from the background in Canyonlands National Park. I was thinking that it was strip malls. (Nothing reminds you that you're snugly embedded in the middle of the US of frickin' A like a good old fashioned Bed Bath & Beyond.) But actually, it was oil rigs...
The brown clouds of Asia
The bad news regarding the giant brown clouds of pollution blotting out the sun over vast swaths of Asia: reduced crop yields, lung-burning air, three-eyed fish turning up in rivers.
The good news: less chance for skin cancer from harmful UV rays, not as much need to buy sunglasses (thus reducing your environmental impact).
Can green jobs end the economic meltdown?
"Moreover, a new rationale for promoting green investments is beginning to emerge. Many luminaries, from the head of the United Nations Environment Programme to Barack Obama, America’s president-elect, tout the industry as a means both to address global warming and stimulate flagging Western economies. Reports enumerating the economic benefits of state support for clean technology, in the form of industries fostered and jobs created, abound. American lawmakers, at any rate, seem convinced: they slipped an extension of all-important subsidies for renewable energy into the recent bail-out for financial services."
Perhaps...
Perhaps...
Gas drops below $2.00 a gallon in Asheville
This is starting to piss me off. OPEC and I are the only ones cursing these gas prices right now. it's taking away my ability to be smug about my free fuel supply. At least I can still lord it over people that the ole Mercedes wagon is still immensely better for the environment.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Booklist starred review
Booklist, the century-old literary journal published by the American Library Association, just gave Greasy Rider a starred review.
Money quote: "From its punny title, to its unique premise (a man decides to drive from coast to coast in a car powered by used french-fry oil), to its serious message (you, too, can be more environmentally conscious), to its easygoing writing style, this is just a splendid book."
Money quote: "From its punny title, to its unique premise (a man decides to drive from coast to coast in a car powered by used french-fry oil), to its serious message (you, too, can be more environmentally conscious), to its easygoing writing style, this is just a splendid book."
Greasy Rider playlist
I wrote the following essay for Largehearted Boy, a popular music blog that features daily downloads, opinions and news. It also includes a dose of conversation on books and literature, including suggested playlists from authors on recent books they've written. Here's mine. It appears on the site today:
Greasy Rider is the rollicking, white-knuckle, knock-you-over-it’s-so-funny (hey, this is my essay, so I can describe the book any way I want) recollection of a road trip I took with my old college buddy Iggy. We drove across the country in a rusty old diesel Mercedes wagon powered by waste french fry grease we begged, borrowed, and, um…begged from restaurants along the way. It’s also an investigation of other sustainable resources—like wind, solar, geothermal—already at our disposal. The gist is that if two mechanically-challenged goobers like us can get across the country in a car powered by the dregs of deep fat fryers, surely there are other easy-to-access ways to reduce our carbon footprint (and by extension, our dependence on foreign oil, and on fossil fuels in general). It’s the most fun you’ll have reading about global warming. I promise. Don’t believe me? Ask the legendary Neil Peart, of Rush. He reviewed it on his blog—something I randomly stumbled across yesterday, during my hourly ritual of obsessively googling the search terms “greasy rider, book, review, good.” Money quote from the greatest drummer (sorry, Ringo) who ever lived: “So the book is part picaresque road story (always a hit with this reader!) and part serious investigation of energy issues—the way it really is, without the wishful thinking, or simply wrong thinking, that is so often expended on these topics.” I’m not sure what picaresque means, but I’m pretty sure it’s a compliment (though I admit that it startles me to know that a rock star has a much better vocabulary than I do). Peart has written a few road trip books himself, by the way.
As you know, every self-respecting road trip must have a soundtrack, and mine was no different—though the sound quality could have been better. The wagon’s stereo system consists of an ancient factory-installed Blaupunkt, which was probably pretty Bitchin’ during the Reagan administration, and three working speakers. Its days of blasting tunes in stereo have also long-since passed. Here’s my playlist of songs—many of which are mentioned in Greasy Rider.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: The Sinister Minister
My wife and I bought our cream-colored 1985 Mercedes 300TD wagon from a young woman an hour south of our Burlington, Vermont home. During our test drive, I hand-cranked open the sun roof, and cranked up the Blaupunkt as I hit the gas pedal and headed down a dirt mountain road. The Sinister Minister crackled through the three working speakers. Perfect. Grooving to the funk-meets-bluegrass sounds of Bela Fleck is the most fun a yuppified Vermont pseudo-hippie can have without a bong nearby.
Willie Nelson: On the Road Again
I had originally planned to read Walt Whitman’s “Song of the Open Road” to kick off my road trip with Iggy—but wisely decided to play “On the Road Again” instead. Our connection to the Red-Headed Stranger was just too great, given that he’s such a huge proponent of vegetable oil and biodiesel power.
“Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway.
We’re the best of friends
Insisting that the world be turnin’ our way
And our way
Is on the road again.”
Now, Iggy and I will never be accused of being best friends, but the words were appropriate enough.
Cindy Lauper: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
To be very, extremely, utterly clear, I’m not recommending this song. But I feel it must be included. We weren’t even 10 miles into the trip before Iggy connected his portable satellite radio to the stereo, and tuned to the 80s station. He told me, “Greg, prepare for a musical education.” Then he turned up the volume to this song. Within less than a second, I had hit the power button and asserted myself as the alpha-DJ for the rest of the trip—though there were some stretches of road when I did cede my power to him. Advice to everyone: if you’re headed on a long drive with a buddy, make sure his or her musical tastes stretch beyond 80s pop. (And don’t get me wrong, I’ve been known to tap the steering wheel to “Hungry Like the Wolf” when I’m alone in the car. But in very limited doses.)
Van Morrison: Crazy Love
When Iggy and I were in college, a buddy of ours who had much more luck with the ladies than me (then again, anyone who had any luck with the ladies had much more than me) would play Van Morrison on his cassette deck to signal that he was entertaining someone in his dorm room. So if we were about to knock on his door but heard “Brown Eyed Girl,” or something, playing, we’d know to walk away. On our drive, this song inevitably stirred memories of college. (And I’m talking the original version, from “Moondance,” and not the lame duet with Ray Charles.) Maybe this makes me cliché, but I still really like Van Morrison. Heck, Crazy Love was my wedding song, too.
Men at Work: Land Down Under
Iggy and I were hating each other by this point in the trip. He was given brief control of the stereo, and this song came on, by the greatest two-hit-wonder band Australia has ever produced. If “Land Down Under” can’t cheer you up on a car ride, you’re not alive (or at least you’re not a nearly-old fogie like me, who fondly remembers rockin’ to it in my basement when it played on Friday Night Videos).
Allison Krauss and Gillian Welch: I’ll Fly Away
To me, bluegrass is white man’s soul music. I could listen to hillbillies pickin’ banjos all day. Now that I live in Asheville, North Carolina, I’m surrounded by it (which is very nice). For Iggy, expanding his musical horizon means listening to the early stuff from Yaz. He’s not a fan of bluegrass. I tried easing him into it by playing the soundtrack to “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Sadly, he wasn’t swayed. Allison Krauss is awesome on this album, including “I’ll Fly Away.” I also like her gospel stuff on other albums. Her version of “When God Dips His Pen of Love in My Heart,” is maybe my favorite iPod song right now. Have you heard Elvis sing it, too? Awesome.
Lucinda Williams: Joy
Driving through the flat dusty stretches of the Midwest, I made sure to play Springsteen’s “Nebraska” album, and Lucinda’s “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.” That gravely voice, those angry poetic lyrics, and the ever-present outlaw-countryish slide guitar make her album a classic. My favorite is “Joy” because of its unbridled hate.
Hot Buttered Rum: Well Oiled Machine
The well-traveled, Grateful Dead-inspired folk-bluegrass string band Hot Buttered Rum travels on a bus powered by fry grease, and wrote a song about it.
“But I’m pickin’ and singing,
Slipping and Sliding,
Rolling in this well oiled machine.
My machine, my machine, machine,Riding a well-oiled machine.
Its gears are worn in by years of steady climbing,
Let’s move like a well-oiled machine.”
By the way, I wish I could say that Rush made the list, but as big of a fan as I am, we didn’t really listen to the band on the trip. Sorry about that Mr. Peart. And thanks again for the plug.
Greasy Rider is the rollicking, white-knuckle, knock-you-over-it’s-so-funny (hey, this is my essay, so I can describe the book any way I want) recollection of a road trip I took with my old college buddy Iggy. We drove across the country in a rusty old diesel Mercedes wagon powered by waste french fry grease we begged, borrowed, and, um…begged from restaurants along the way. It’s also an investigation of other sustainable resources—like wind, solar, geothermal—already at our disposal. The gist is that if two mechanically-challenged goobers like us can get across the country in a car powered by the dregs of deep fat fryers, surely there are other easy-to-access ways to reduce our carbon footprint (and by extension, our dependence on foreign oil, and on fossil fuels in general). It’s the most fun you’ll have reading about global warming. I promise. Don’t believe me? Ask the legendary Neil Peart, of Rush. He reviewed it on his blog—something I randomly stumbled across yesterday, during my hourly ritual of obsessively googling the search terms “greasy rider, book, review, good.” Money quote from the greatest drummer (sorry, Ringo) who ever lived: “So the book is part picaresque road story (always a hit with this reader!) and part serious investigation of energy issues—the way it really is, without the wishful thinking, or simply wrong thinking, that is so often expended on these topics.” I’m not sure what picaresque means, but I’m pretty sure it’s a compliment (though I admit that it startles me to know that a rock star has a much better vocabulary than I do). Peart has written a few road trip books himself, by the way.
As you know, every self-respecting road trip must have a soundtrack, and mine was no different—though the sound quality could have been better. The wagon’s stereo system consists of an ancient factory-installed Blaupunkt, which was probably pretty Bitchin’ during the Reagan administration, and three working speakers. Its days of blasting tunes in stereo have also long-since passed. Here’s my playlist of songs—many of which are mentioned in Greasy Rider.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: The Sinister Minister
My wife and I bought our cream-colored 1985 Mercedes 300TD wagon from a young woman an hour south of our Burlington, Vermont home. During our test drive, I hand-cranked open the sun roof, and cranked up the Blaupunkt as I hit the gas pedal and headed down a dirt mountain road. The Sinister Minister crackled through the three working speakers. Perfect. Grooving to the funk-meets-bluegrass sounds of Bela Fleck is the most fun a yuppified Vermont pseudo-hippie can have without a bong nearby.
Willie Nelson: On the Road Again
I had originally planned to read Walt Whitman’s “Song of the Open Road” to kick off my road trip with Iggy—but wisely decided to play “On the Road Again” instead. Our connection to the Red-Headed Stranger was just too great, given that he’s such a huge proponent of vegetable oil and biodiesel power.
“Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway.
We’re the best of friends
Insisting that the world be turnin’ our way
And our way
Is on the road again.”
Now, Iggy and I will never be accused of being best friends, but the words were appropriate enough.
Cindy Lauper: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
To be very, extremely, utterly clear, I’m not recommending this song. But I feel it must be included. We weren’t even 10 miles into the trip before Iggy connected his portable satellite radio to the stereo, and tuned to the 80s station. He told me, “Greg, prepare for a musical education.” Then he turned up the volume to this song. Within less than a second, I had hit the power button and asserted myself as the alpha-DJ for the rest of the trip—though there were some stretches of road when I did cede my power to him. Advice to everyone: if you’re headed on a long drive with a buddy, make sure his or her musical tastes stretch beyond 80s pop. (And don’t get me wrong, I’ve been known to tap the steering wheel to “Hungry Like the Wolf” when I’m alone in the car. But in very limited doses.)
Van Morrison: Crazy Love
When Iggy and I were in college, a buddy of ours who had much more luck with the ladies than me (then again, anyone who had any luck with the ladies had much more than me) would play Van Morrison on his cassette deck to signal that he was entertaining someone in his dorm room. So if we were about to knock on his door but heard “Brown Eyed Girl,” or something, playing, we’d know to walk away. On our drive, this song inevitably stirred memories of college. (And I’m talking the original version, from “Moondance,” and not the lame duet with Ray Charles.) Maybe this makes me cliché, but I still really like Van Morrison. Heck, Crazy Love was my wedding song, too.
Men at Work: Land Down Under
Iggy and I were hating each other by this point in the trip. He was given brief control of the stereo, and this song came on, by the greatest two-hit-wonder band Australia has ever produced. If “Land Down Under” can’t cheer you up on a car ride, you’re not alive (or at least you’re not a nearly-old fogie like me, who fondly remembers rockin’ to it in my basement when it played on Friday Night Videos).
Allison Krauss and Gillian Welch: I’ll Fly Away
To me, bluegrass is white man’s soul music. I could listen to hillbillies pickin’ banjos all day. Now that I live in Asheville, North Carolina, I’m surrounded by it (which is very nice). For Iggy, expanding his musical horizon means listening to the early stuff from Yaz. He’s not a fan of bluegrass. I tried easing him into it by playing the soundtrack to “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Sadly, he wasn’t swayed. Allison Krauss is awesome on this album, including “I’ll Fly Away.” I also like her gospel stuff on other albums. Her version of “When God Dips His Pen of Love in My Heart,” is maybe my favorite iPod song right now. Have you heard Elvis sing it, too? Awesome.
Lucinda Williams: Joy
Driving through the flat dusty stretches of the Midwest, I made sure to play Springsteen’s “Nebraska” album, and Lucinda’s “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.” That gravely voice, those angry poetic lyrics, and the ever-present outlaw-countryish slide guitar make her album a classic. My favorite is “Joy” because of its unbridled hate.
Hot Buttered Rum: Well Oiled Machine
The well-traveled, Grateful Dead-inspired folk-bluegrass string band Hot Buttered Rum travels on a bus powered by fry grease, and wrote a song about it.
“But I’m pickin’ and singing,
Slipping and Sliding,
Rolling in this well oiled machine.
My machine, my machine, machine,Riding a well-oiled machine.
Its gears are worn in by years of steady climbing,
Let’s move like a well-oiled machine.”
By the way, I wish I could say that Rush made the list, but as big of a fan as I am, we didn’t really listen to the band on the trip. Sorry about that Mr. Peart. And thanks again for the plug.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Culture of life
Catholic Bishops Urged to Challenge Obama. I find it fascinating how different people define the "culture of life." To me, it evokes images of finding cures to chronic and fatal diseases, ending and avoiding war, fighting the spread of AIDs through sensible methods, aiding the orphaned, and--of course--protecting all of creation from ecological destruction. Apparently, I'm on the wrong side of nearly all of these issues. Looks like I need some educating on what real values are.
History repeating itself
Not to hammer the point too much, but I wrote yesterday that we'll need to alter our lifestyles if we plan to halt climate change. In Greasy Rider, I talk to a professor at Dartmouth about this. He mentions that we, as a country, have made sacrifices before for the common good--the most prominent example being World War II. Treehugger.com has put together a collection of posters from the frugal movement of that time, intended to aid the war effort. The themes aren't much different from what are being discussed now. When clearly presented with the problems facing the country, Americans at that time quickly mobilized for the effort.
Monday, November 10, 2008
B.S. One
Al Gore's new double-decker, 100-foot houseboat, known as Bio-Solar One. (Note the Jet-Ski on back.)
The Nobel Peace Prize winner has a new houseboat. It's powered by solar panels on the roof and biodiesel in the tank. (By the way, is that biodiesel from a waste product like grease, or from virgin vegetable oil?) I respect all that Brother Al has done for the environment. But his lifestyle is completely unsustainable for the average person, even with solar panels on his houseboat and 10,000 square-foot mansion in Nashville. I know the word "sacrifice" is an ugly one in today's language, but some alerations to our Super Sized Lifestyles have to be made for the sake of our kids and grandkids. And if our leaders don't set the example, how are we expected to follow? (One conservative commentator recently said, "I'll start acting like there's a climate crisis when Al Gore does." Sadly, he's right.) This is a small point I try to drive home (hopefully in an easy-handed and fun way) in Greasy Rider. Sadly, my criticism of Brother Al probably rules out any invitations for me to Leo DeCaprio's house, or a chance to eat at the cafeteria lunch table every day with the cool kids of the environmental world.
Eco-nomical
Chain retailers and restaurants are waking up to the big bucks they can save by building eco-friendly outlets:
“You get energy savings, and you can tell customers you are greener. That’s a win-win,” said Neil Z. Stern, a retail consultant for McMillanDoolittle in Chicago.
While customers may like the idea of green buildings, Mr. Stern said he was skeptical that it would lure them into stores. “Ultimately, the reason you do it is it’s a better way to run your business,” he said.
Subway unveiled its first “eco-store” last year in Florida and has opened four more. Target, Office Depot and Staples have opened green stores, and Best Buy has announced plans to do the same.
A few chains are even further along. Recently, Kohl’s opened 45 stores that were built using recycled materials, water-saving plumbing fixtures and on-site recycling. Wal-Mart, meanwhile, has taken the most successful techniques from prototype stores and incorporated them into all new stores, and it continues to experiment with “high-efficiency” stores that save 20 to 45 percent in energy costs when compared with more traditional stores. "
“You get energy savings, and you can tell customers you are greener. That’s a win-win,” said Neil Z. Stern, a retail consultant for McMillanDoolittle in Chicago.
While customers may like the idea of green buildings, Mr. Stern said he was skeptical that it would lure them into stores. “Ultimately, the reason you do it is it’s a better way to run your business,” he said.
Subway unveiled its first “eco-store” last year in Florida and has opened four more. Target, Office Depot and Staples have opened green stores, and Best Buy has announced plans to do the same.
A few chains are even further along. Recently, Kohl’s opened 45 stores that were built using recycled materials, water-saving plumbing fixtures and on-site recycling. Wal-Mart, meanwhile, has taken the most successful techniques from prototype stores and incorporated them into all new stores, and it continues to experiment with “high-efficiency” stores that save 20 to 45 percent in energy costs when compared with more traditional stores. "
Friday, November 7, 2008
A fungus among us
This could be huge. A Patagonian fungus has been discovered that actually breathes biodiesel.
It "shares so many of the characteristics of conventional biofuels, that it has the potential to be pumped directly into fuel tanks without prior treatment or processing."
It "shares so many of the characteristics of conventional biofuels, that it has the potential to be pumped directly into fuel tanks without prior treatment or processing."
The Wii, part 2
I've received e-mails from horrified readers asking me if I've really gotten my kids a Wii. To clarify: no I haven't. One of our neighbors owns one, and we let our kids spend most of their waking hours over there. An even better setup for us.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Better than Oprah's book club
Though Greasy Rider may never make Oprah's Book Club, it's on something better: Bubba's Book Club--compiled by Rush lead singer and legendary drummer Neil Peart. He reviews the book here. This may be the greatest day of my life (just don't tell Dr. Wife, MD, I said that). Any guy who was a teenager in the 80s--and whose concert t-shirt collection was even more valuable to him than his hidden stash of, um, adult periodicals--can relate. It didn't get any better than popping the cassette into the Walkman and cranking up "Tom Sawyer."
The Wii
I've concluded that the Wii is humankind's greatest creation. I haven't had to read to, or play with, my kids in 27 days. (But who's counting?) All they want to do is stand in front of the TV during their free time. My daughter and son are 6 and 4, respectively, and I feel like my work as a parent is practically complete! Thank you Nintendo.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Obama gets it on sustainability...partly
From newsweek.com today:
"The debates unnerved both candidates. When he was preparing for them during the Democratic primaries, Obama was recorded saying, "I don't consider this to be a good format for me, which makes me more cautious. I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, 'You know, this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.' So when Brian Williams is asking me about what's a personal thing that you've done [that's green], and I say, you know, 'Well, I planted a bunch of trees.' And he says, 'I'm talking about personal.' What I'm thinking in my head is, 'Well, the truth is, Brian, we can't solve global warming because I f---ing changed light bulbs in my house. It's because of something collective'."
The point made at the end of Greasy Rider is that the greatest change will come from collective efforts, not necessarily from individual ones.
From the book:
"So what can we do? More important than driving a veggie car or screwing in a few compact fluorescent bulbs is to kick the country's collective butt in the right direction...Change toward a sustainable, secure future will only come through a nationwide effort--and the resources are already at our disposal."
Consider that two-thirds of our electricity comes from coal-fired power plants. Or that we produce 25 percent of the world's carbon emissions. We need Big Picture solutions to solve these problems on a mass scale. He's right on this part. Not to get too preachy, but what he doesn't get is that we do have to begin making small sacrifices in our daily lives. Reducing our waste, water consumption, gas consumption, and energy consumption are all vital, though miniscule, components for leading us to greater sustainability--and curbing global warming. We can't keep living the same supersized lives that we have for the past two decades.
"The debates unnerved both candidates. When he was preparing for them during the Democratic primaries, Obama was recorded saying, "I don't consider this to be a good format for me, which makes me more cautious. I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, 'You know, this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.' So when Brian Williams is asking me about what's a personal thing that you've done [that's green], and I say, you know, 'Well, I planted a bunch of trees.' And he says, 'I'm talking about personal.' What I'm thinking in my head is, 'Well, the truth is, Brian, we can't solve global warming because I f---ing changed light bulbs in my house. It's because of something collective'."
The point made at the end of Greasy Rider is that the greatest change will come from collective efforts, not necessarily from individual ones.
From the book:
"So what can we do? More important than driving a veggie car or screwing in a few compact fluorescent bulbs is to kick the country's collective butt in the right direction...Change toward a sustainable, secure future will only come through a nationwide effort--and the resources are already at our disposal."
Consider that two-thirds of our electricity comes from coal-fired power plants. Or that we produce 25 percent of the world's carbon emissions. We need Big Picture solutions to solve these problems on a mass scale. He's right on this part. Not to get too preachy, but what he doesn't get is that we do have to begin making small sacrifices in our daily lives. Reducing our waste, water consumption, gas consumption, and energy consumption are all vital, though miniscule, components for leading us to greater sustainability--and curbing global warming. We can't keep living the same supersized lives that we have for the past two decades.
Now what?
We've got our first hybrid-driving president. What happens now? Well, it was encouraging that he mentioned energy as a top priority last night.
--Here's an article with the title, Under Obama, Dark Days Seen Ahead For Fossil Fuels. We can only hope.
--Then there's this one, which is maybe even more interesting: Obama’s Energy Czar: Could It Still Be Schwarzenegger? The governator does drive a grease-powered car, after all.
--Here's an article with the title, Under Obama, Dark Days Seen Ahead For Fossil Fuels. We can only hope.
--Then there's this one, which is maybe even more interesting: Obama’s Energy Czar: Could It Still Be Schwarzenegger? The governator does drive a grease-powered car, after all.
Bookpage review
Bookpage is a publication distributed at a bunch of libraries and bookstores around the country. In the November issue they review Greasy Rider.
Money quote: "Like every great tale about every great quest, Greasy Rider isn't really the story it pretends to be. What our heroes learn along the journey is far more important than whether they get to California, entertaining though that may be (and, incidentally, it is). At a time when greenhouse gases, global warming, declining petroleum reserves, high gas prices and the size of our individual and collective carbon footprints are the subject of cocktail chatter and election-year rhetoric, Melville deftly taps into America's can-do zeitgeist . . . perhaps the greenest, most renewable energy source of all. "
Money quote: "Like every great tale about every great quest, Greasy Rider isn't really the story it pretends to be. What our heroes learn along the journey is far more important than whether they get to California, entertaining though that may be (and, incidentally, it is). At a time when greenhouse gases, global warming, declining petroleum reserves, high gas prices and the size of our individual and collective carbon footprints are the subject of cocktail chatter and election-year rhetoric, Melville deftly taps into America's can-do zeitgeist . . . perhaps the greenest, most renewable energy source of all. "
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The China Syndrome: not in my back yard!
I got an e-mail yesterday from someone asking me what I thought about nuclear power. He said that wind and solar can only amount to a "tiny fraction of the energy needed to keep the economy going" and that we should consider nuclear power. Being a good journalist, I made stuff up about the dangers of nuclear power in my response, while trying to sound like I had all sorts of facts and figures at my disposal. Now for what I'm not making up: I saw the "China Syndrome" when I was, like, seven years old and it scared the crap out of me. In fact, I think I'm still scarred by it. I also saw "The Day After," which, granted, was about nuclear war and not nuclear power, but all nuclear's created equal, right? Now, I'm no scientist, but Hollywood has been telling me for a very long time to stay away from that stuff, so I can't help but listen. Movies are always right.
By the way, it's not true that solar and wind can only provide a "tiny fraction" of the energy we need. Take the example of Colorado. They recently set a standard that the electric utilities have to generate 20 percent of their power from renewables by the year 2020. Xcel, the big power company there is set to reach that mark five years early. In fact, the company announced yesterday that they're being overwhelmed with competitive project proposals from wind farm and solar developers. Last time I checked, this rapid transformation to renewables didn't hurt the Colorado economy at all. In fact, it has created jobs. What's on the verge of wrecking the economy in Colorado has been the long era of banking deregulation. (And let's just say that pro-environment folks weren't exactly the ones behind that brilliant policy.)
By the way, it's not true that solar and wind can only provide a "tiny fraction" of the energy we need. Take the example of Colorado. They recently set a standard that the electric utilities have to generate 20 percent of their power from renewables by the year 2020. Xcel, the big power company there is set to reach that mark five years early. In fact, the company announced yesterday that they're being overwhelmed with competitive project proposals from wind farm and solar developers. Last time I checked, this rapid transformation to renewables didn't hurt the Colorado economy at all. In fact, it has created jobs. What's on the verge of wrecking the economy in Colorado has been the long era of banking deregulation. (And let's just say that pro-environment folks weren't exactly the ones behind that brilliant policy.)
Voting
I'm voting this morning. Blog entries later today. The lines are expected to be long here in North Carolina, so I could be there a while. Hmmm...who to choose? Obama or Palin?
Friday, October 31, 2008
Don't let the White House door hit you on the way out...
Just before Clinton left office, he went on a mad dash to designate vast tracts of federal lands as national monuments. The intent was to protect the areas from being opened to oil and gas exploration before the W administration took office--and done in a way that would be almost impossible to rescind. Now W is doing something similar, but in opposite, by easing environmental standards on global warming gases, drinking water safety, and mountaintop mining.
From the article:
Those and other regulations would help clear obstacles to some commercial ocean-fishing activities, ease controls on emissions of pollutants that contribute to global warming, relax drinking-water standards and lift a key restriction on mountaintop coal mining.
Once such rules take effect, they typically can be undone only through a laborious new regulatory proceeding, including lengthy periods of public comment, drafting and mandated reanalysis.
"They want these rules to continue to have an impact long after they leave office," said Matthew Madia, a regulatory expert at OMB Watch, a nonprofit group critical of what it calls the Bush administration's penchant for deregulating in areas where industry wants more freedom. He called the coming deluge "a last-minute assault on the public . . . happening on multiple fronts."
From the article:
Those and other regulations would help clear obstacles to some commercial ocean-fishing activities, ease controls on emissions of pollutants that contribute to global warming, relax drinking-water standards and lift a key restriction on mountaintop coal mining.
Once such rules take effect, they typically can be undone only through a laborious new regulatory proceeding, including lengthy periods of public comment, drafting and mandated reanalysis.
"They want these rules to continue to have an impact long after they leave office," said Matthew Madia, a regulatory expert at OMB Watch, a nonprofit group critical of what it calls the Bush administration's penchant for deregulating in areas where industry wants more freedom. He called the coming deluge "a last-minute assault on the public . . . happening on multiple fronts."
Innovate or die
Chrysler and GM will most likely merge sometime within the next several days. The federal government is saying that it wont provide any money to facilitate the merger. In reality, the two companies will need billions of dollars in government aid to make this work. And they'll get it. Since the government won't allow these companies to die--and they shouldn't--we should make sure that the new GM/Chrysler is forced to innovate (namely through high fuel efficiency standards) since there wouldn't be as much incentive otherwise.
State of the car
So the Mercedes survived the trip from Vermont back to North Carolina to end the book tour. The heat definitely works, the air conditioning does not. Even with giant jugs of grease in the back, it gets absolutely no traction in the snow (which I discovered all to well while fishtailing on I-89 in whiteout conditions on Tuesday night). Both headlights are now working, though one is still pointing to the sky. A mysterious rusty piece of the car fell off somewhere in a Massachusetts parking lot, but it doesn't seem to have made a difference in mileage or performance.
Home
So, the book tour is over. I made a mad dash through Seattle, hitting the University Bookstore, in town, and Village Books in Bellingham, Washington over the weekend. Then I flew east, where I hit Phoenix Books in Vermont, and finally St. Michael's College. At the Seattle Store, I totally packed the house with Kenyon friends, and relatives (and Kenyon friends' friends, and relatives' friends and relatives). In Bellingham, a big, random crew of avid book readers showed up. Groups of avid book readers scare me, because they ask deep questions, and take books really seriously. I'm always afraid they're going to say something like, "We've seen David Halberstam speak here many times--and you, sir, are no David Halberstam!" But serious book readers are also known to like a good Dick Cheney joke--so I threw a couple out to them in Bellingham, and that seemed to warm them up to me.
The Phoenix Books stop was filled with familiar faces--largely because I begged nearly all of them to come. It was the perfect place for the final bookstore stop on the tour. It's owned by Mike DeSanto--the northeast's Chi Running guru. I still don't know what the heck Chi Running is, but apparently Mike does.
Then finally, I gave a talk at St. Mike's College, "Your Fries Give Me Gas." Packed auditorium. Expectations were high. One of the student organizers said to me before the event, "Now, you're going to talk about all of the corporate greenwashing that's going on, and really get into stuff on the environment, right?" This took me by surprise, because I was thinking I'd just crack a couple of Dick Cheney jokes (which students also like) and get the hell out of there. So I changed the tone of my talk into an environmental one. The only problem is that I don't know much about the environment. I only know a bit about the people, places, and subjects I researched for Greasy Rider. Hopefully that sufficed for them. Sadly, no cute blond co-eds threw themselves at my feet afterward--as I had kind of hoped--so I'm not sure if I was all that inspiring.
The Phoenix Books stop was filled with familiar faces--largely because I begged nearly all of them to come. It was the perfect place for the final bookstore stop on the tour. It's owned by Mike DeSanto--the northeast's Chi Running guru. I still don't know what the heck Chi Running is, but apparently Mike does.
Then finally, I gave a talk at St. Mike's College, "Your Fries Give Me Gas." Packed auditorium. Expectations were high. One of the student organizers said to me before the event, "Now, you're going to talk about all of the corporate greenwashing that's going on, and really get into stuff on the environment, right?" This took me by surprise, because I was thinking I'd just crack a couple of Dick Cheney jokes (which students also like) and get the hell out of there. So I changed the tone of my talk into an environmental one. The only problem is that I don't know much about the environment. I only know a bit about the people, places, and subjects I researched for Greasy Rider. Hopefully that sufficed for them. Sadly, no cute blond co-eds threw themselves at my feet afterward--as I had kind of hoped--so I'm not sure if I was all that inspiring.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Radio interviews
The challenge with some--but not all--radio interviews about the book is that the interviewer basically introduces me as the wacky guy who drives a grease powered car, and then starts the interview by saying something to the effect of, "Hey wacky guy who drives a grease powered car, say something wacky!" The people listening then say, "Oh, how funny. Listen to that wacky guy. I guess I already know how wacky he is, and he's admitting that he made it across the country in his car--so it looks like I don't need to read the book." It's then my job to steer the conversation toward the real message of Greasy Rider, about sustainability, and tease listeners with tidbits of information about Fort Knox, the Google headquarters, wind power in Minnesota, the Great Green Home, and all of the book's other investigations. If I don't, my radio conversation always stays put on the wacky adventure. Here's the piece that Vermont Public Radio ran today, for instance. It's a thoughtful interview, and I've always been a big fan of the interviewer. He asks some great questions, but it's clear he thinks Greasy Rider is solely about the cross-country trip--and in this case, I do a terrible job steering the conversation.
By the way, VPR is in the middle of its fall fundraising drive. If you live in Vermont, don't forget to contribute.
By the way, VPR is in the middle of its fall fundraising drive. If you live in Vermont, don't forget to contribute.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Drivers driving much less...but will it last?
In August, Americans drove 15 billion miles fewer than during the same month in 2007. That's a 5.6 percent decline. At the same time, the use of public transportation spiked.
But the average price of gas is down a dollar in the past four weeks. So will people still keep riding buses and trains? The answer appears to be yes. For now. Commuters are looking for any way to save money, given the economy, and driving less still saves them money--even with gas prices lower.
But the average price of gas is down a dollar in the past four weeks. So will people still keep riding buses and trains? The answer appears to be yes. For now. Commuters are looking for any way to save money, given the economy, and driving less still saves them money--even with gas prices lower.
Friday, October 24, 2008
As the turbine turns
The US added enough turbines to power 400,000 more American homes in the second quarter of this year. The wind industry in the US is expected to grow 45 percent for 2008.
As far as job creation goes, the article says "eight new wind turbine component manufacturing facilities opened in the U.S. this year, nine were expanded and 19 new facilities were announced."
What the future holds due to the current economic freakout is anyone's guess, though.
As far as job creation goes, the article says "eight new wind turbine component manufacturing facilities opened in the U.S. this year, nine were expanded and 19 new facilities were announced."
What the future holds due to the current economic freakout is anyone's guess, though.
Everything will be Albright
Last night I was in Portland, OR to speak at Powell's Books. The branch of the store I went to is in the Hawthorne district of town, an extremely hip (and hippy dippy) area, where bikes are parked all over the place on the sidewalk, and crowds of people are walking between all of the stores, and sushi restaurants, and the Ben & Jerry's. So I'm thinking, "Perfect. This is totally my spot! These are my peeps! They'll come out in the thousands to listen to me! I'll be the voice of reason! I'll talk about policy and the environment! They'll be enthralled! I bet they're craving a speaker like me to come, and spread the liberal hippy gospel! I mean, what the heck else better do they have to do tonight?"
Then I arrive at the store, and look across the street at the billboard of the Bagdad Theatre. It reads "Madeline Albright. Tonight!" A mass of folks are lined up outside. Need I say any more?
The crowd that did come to Powell's to listen to my talk wasn't too bad, considering, and they asked a lot of good questions. And Powell's is a very impressive store. I enjoyed checking it out and spending some time there.
Then I arrive at the store, and look across the street at the billboard of the Bagdad Theatre. It reads "Madeline Albright. Tonight!" A mass of folks are lined up outside. Need I say any more?
The crowd that did come to Powell's to listen to my talk wasn't too bad, considering, and they asked a lot of good questions. And Powell's is a very impressive store. I enjoyed checking it out and spending some time there.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Guerilla marketing
So I've been thinking of different ways to give the book free publicity. Here's what I've come up with so far:
1) Trash a hotel room during the book tour. The headlines would be something like "Author of 'Greasy Rider' Pulls a Johnny Depp in TravelLodge." Maybe the newspaper would even run my mug shot. I don't know if I should go with the angry-and-disoriented-tousled-hair-Nicholas-Cage-look, or the Tom-Delay-smile-into-the-camera-like-you're-arrested-all-the-time look.
2) Climb the crowd fence and tackle Al Roker, live on the Today show. I'd have to be wearing a big Greasy Rider shirt, or at least yell "Greasy Rider, buy the book!" when I get close enough to his microphone.
3) Start dating Jennifer Aniston. She's available, isn't she? I'm not sure if Dr. Wife, MD, would like this one so much--but she'll benefit from the book's windfall profits. (She should really keep this in mind if she picks up a copy of US Weekly and sees pictures of me cavorting in a Speedo on the beach with Jen. )
4) Start wearing a rainbow colored wig, buy end zone seats for every big NFL game, and unfurl a huge sign for the cameras that says "Book of Greasy Rider" during every field goal try or touchdown.
5) Claim to the national media that I'm Sarah Palin's much-referenced-but-never-identified friend with "alternative lifestyles." (I don't think Dr. Wife, MD, would go for this one, either. Or better yet, I could claim that I WAS Palin's friend with "alternative lifestyles" but got cured after going to a special school. )
Any other suggestions? Feel free to send them to me, or even better, to Lindsey at Algonquin.
1) Trash a hotel room during the book tour. The headlines would be something like "Author of 'Greasy Rider' Pulls a Johnny Depp in TravelLodge." Maybe the newspaper would even run my mug shot. I don't know if I should go with the angry-and-disoriented-tousled-hair-Nicholas-Cage-look, or the Tom-Delay-smile-into-the-camera-like-you're-arrested-all-the-time look.
2) Climb the crowd fence and tackle Al Roker, live on the Today show. I'd have to be wearing a big Greasy Rider shirt, or at least yell "Greasy Rider, buy the book!" when I get close enough to his microphone.
3) Start dating Jennifer Aniston. She's available, isn't she? I'm not sure if Dr. Wife, MD, would like this one so much--but she'll benefit from the book's windfall profits. (She should really keep this in mind if she picks up a copy of US Weekly and sees pictures of me cavorting in a Speedo on the beach with Jen. )
4) Start wearing a rainbow colored wig, buy end zone seats for every big NFL game, and unfurl a huge sign for the cameras that says "Book of Greasy Rider" during every field goal try or touchdown.
5) Claim to the national media that I'm Sarah Palin's much-referenced-but-never-identified friend with "alternative lifestyles." (I don't think Dr. Wife, MD, would go for this one, either. Or better yet, I could claim that I WAS Palin's friend with "alternative lifestyles" but got cured after going to a special school. )
Any other suggestions? Feel free to send them to me, or even better, to Lindsey at Algonquin.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Wal-Mart's environmental conference in Beijing
Wal-Mart announced during an environmental conference it's holding in Beijing that it's going to begin applying higher labor and environmental standards for many of its Chinese suppliers.
The company also announced that "within China, Wal-Mart would aim by 2010 to cut water use in half in all stores, design and open a prototype store that used 40 percent less energy, and reduce energy use in existing stores by 30 percent. “People will judge us,” (CEO Lee Scott) said, “based on the results.”
Wal-Mart gets it. If they reduce water use in half, and reduce energy use by 30 to 40 percent, they'll save millions and millions of dollars. (Consider that in the US, they're the largest private consumer of electricity.) And the move is great for their image. It's a win-win.
Also from the article: “Meeting social and environmental standards is not optional,” Lee Scott, Wal-Mart’s chief executive, plans to say at the Beijing summit, according to his prepared remarks. “I firmly believe that a company that cheats on overtime and on the age of its labor, that dumps its scraps and its chemicals in our rivers, that does not pay its taxes or honor its contracts, will ultimately cheat on the quality of its products. And cheating on the quality of products is the same as cheating on customers.”
Good point. And makes a lot of sense from a PR standpoint. I do find it interesting that nothing is mentioned about the morality of employing 14-year-olds, who have to work in dangerous, unhealthy conditions, or of poisoning the rivers and drinking water of the people who live near these factories. I realize that "the business of business is business," but as Americans, aren't we supposed to be better than that? (Whoops, there I go again, caring about the sanctity of the lives of other humans. I guess that's the liberal hippie in me coming out.)
The company also announced that "within China, Wal-Mart would aim by 2010 to cut water use in half in all stores, design and open a prototype store that used 40 percent less energy, and reduce energy use in existing stores by 30 percent. “People will judge us,” (CEO Lee Scott) said, “based on the results.”
Wal-Mart gets it. If they reduce water use in half, and reduce energy use by 30 to 40 percent, they'll save millions and millions of dollars. (Consider that in the US, they're the largest private consumer of electricity.) And the move is great for their image. It's a win-win.
Also from the article: “Meeting social and environmental standards is not optional,” Lee Scott, Wal-Mart’s chief executive, plans to say at the Beijing summit, according to his prepared remarks. “I firmly believe that a company that cheats on overtime and on the age of its labor, that dumps its scraps and its chemicals in our rivers, that does not pay its taxes or honor its contracts, will ultimately cheat on the quality of its products. And cheating on the quality of products is the same as cheating on customers.”
Good point. And makes a lot of sense from a PR standpoint. I do find it interesting that nothing is mentioned about the morality of employing 14-year-olds, who have to work in dangerous, unhealthy conditions, or of poisoning the rivers and drinking water of the people who live near these factories. I realize that "the business of business is business," but as Americans, aren't we supposed to be better than that? (Whoops, there I go again, caring about the sanctity of the lives of other humans. I guess that's the liberal hippie in me coming out.)
Last night's event
Thank you Kenyon College Alumni Association. You helped a lot in putting people in the seats at Books, Inc., last night in Mountain View, California by spreading word of the event. The first person in the audience to show up was Isaac, who graduated from Kenyon nearly 50 years ago. He's a former professor at Berkeley (I think). Extremely interesting guy--and he laughed at all of my jokes during the talk, which made me like him even more. Books Inc., is the "West's Oldest Independent Bookseller." Their store in Mountain View is in an ideal location for walk-in traffic in the evening (talk about carbon friendly), and a few people who wandered inside during my talk ended up sitting down and listening.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football vs. Greg reading Greasy Rider
So who won the battle for the hearts and minds of Boulder last night? Definitely not me.
As I stood before the crowd at the Boulder Bookstore (and I use the word "crowd" very, very liberally) I kept silently repeating to myself: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!"
The folks at the book store were exceedingly welcoming. The store is right on the Pearl Street pedestrian mall. Really nice place.
As I stood before the crowd at the Boulder Bookstore (and I use the word "crowd" very, very liberally) I kept silently repeating to myself: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!"
The folks at the book store were exceedingly welcoming. The store is right on the Pearl Street pedestrian mall. Really nice place.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Al Gore on 30 Rock
In case you haven't seen it. The drunk David Schwimmer is funny, as is Tina Fey (as always). You have to respect people who can laugh at themselves. Even if they do live in energy-sucking 10,000 square-foot mansions in Nashville.
Interview with Northeast Public Radio
A recent interview on the environment and Greasy Rider on Northeast Public Radio.
Reader comments
Of the billions of e-mails Greasy Rider readers send here, there were two recent ones that were especially notable. One was from a guy who read about the new campus the Business School at Stanford is building. It's set to cost a little over $305 million when complete, and the whole thing will be platinum LEED Certified (which is the highest green building seal of approval). The extra costs to make the place LEED certified will pay for themselves within a decade. Meanwhile, they'll be drastically reducing energy use, water use, and solid waste, and drastically imroving air quality over normal buildings. So the savings they'll reap over the next many decades will be immense.
Another person sent this message: "A number of the things you get into with regards to current design and construction practices, (i.e geothermal heat, LEED accreditation, rainwater collection for irrigation) are items that I have encountered on recent MIT and Harvard projects. It’s great stuff and very effective. MIT has even gone with utilizing gray/rain water in the toilets at the Stata Center (they have had to leave signs above all of the toilets to explain the unappealing, slightly tinged, brown water to the users). The ongoing Harvard Allston Science Facility construction projects are filled with these ideas and implementation of energy saving methods and renewable sources. An interesting note, Harvard has gone with a European architect for the design."
European architect? Are you kidding?
Anyway, universities and colleges get it. They receive awesome PR for going green, but more importantly, they save millions and millions of dollars. They think long-term. Unfortunately, corporations don't have the luxury of thinking long term. That's why we have to provide incentives for them to think that way--and in the long run, they'll be more profitable.
This isn't rocket science.
Another person sent this message: "A number of the things you get into with regards to current design and construction practices, (i.e geothermal heat, LEED accreditation, rainwater collection for irrigation) are items that I have encountered on recent MIT and Harvard projects. It’s great stuff and very effective. MIT has even gone with utilizing gray/rain water in the toilets at the Stata Center (they have had to leave signs above all of the toilets to explain the unappealing, slightly tinged, brown water to the users). The ongoing Harvard Allston Science Facility construction projects are filled with these ideas and implementation of energy saving methods and renewable sources. An interesting note, Harvard has gone with a European architect for the design."
European architect? Are you kidding?
Anyway, universities and colleges get it. They receive awesome PR for going green, but more importantly, they save millions and millions of dollars. They think long-term. Unfortunately, corporations don't have the luxury of thinking long term. That's why we have to provide incentives for them to think that way--and in the long run, they'll be more profitable.
This isn't rocket science.
Proof the sustainable economy works
One of the points made in Greasy Rider is that we need to give innovation on renewable energy and sustainable stuff a kickstart--through government incentivves. Here's an article on how they've done just that in California, creating 1.5 million new jobs, and losing less than 25,000. The result is that it put $44.6 billion in workers' pockets.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Uh-oh
My talk tomorrow night in Boulder, Colorado is going to take place right in the middle of the Denver Broncos game on Monday Night Football. I'm thinking of buying cardboard cutouts of people and putting them in the chairs in front of me. Stay tuned.
Denver book reading
So, I'm bascially being plagued by great weather wherever I go. It's awful. Yesterday in Denver, it was an unseasonably high 80 degrees, with not a cloud in the sky, Not exactly prime weather for people to say, "You know, I can't think of a better way to spend my afternoon than indoors, listening to that wacky guy who drove his grease-powered car across the country." Well all you sun worshippers, you missed a great talk at the Tattered Cover in Denver. Maybe my best yet. Feeling guilty now?
The Tattered Cover, by the way, is amazing. It's huge--housed in Denver's former, ancient Mercantile building, which used to supply goods to all of the settlers and towns in the Front Range. Definitely one of the country's best book stores. At the start of the talk, there were three people sitting in the audience. But after a few minutes, a bunch of others started filtering in. At most of my talks, it's clear that the people in attendance knew something about the book beforehand. Not in this case. When I was finished, I asked a few of the people why they decided to come for the talk. "We were waiting in line to see Chelsea," one of them said. "And some woman told us to come in here, because we'd enjoy listening to you."
Apparently, comedian Chelsea Handler was going to be in the store later in the day, signing her book, "Are you there Vodka? It's me Chelsea." But to be able to see her, you had to wait in line for tickets (because the demand was expected to be so great). Oh the irony! So the woman at the Tattered Cover in charge of the Chelsea event was encouraging the people in line to hear me. Heck, I didn't care why they were there, as long as I could spread the word, and hopefully entertain them. A lot of them bought "Greasy Rider" at the end, and a few took their picture with me, so I figure the event was successful enough. (Although I do have to admit that I now hate Chelsea Handler, whoever she is, because of the massive crowds she attracts and number of books she must sell.)
Hopefully I didn't let the tattered cover down. They were nice folks, who had kind things to say about "Greasy Rider."
The Tattered Cover's efforts on the environment: They've put together a reading series at the store, in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Land Library, dedicated to the Western landscape. It's called the Rocky Mountain Land Series. Authors like Steven Trimble, who wrote the book "Bargaining for Eden," and Audrey DeLella Benedict, author of "The Naturalist's Guide to the Southern Rockies," are among the participants. The next event is Saturday, October 25, when John Thiem and Deborah Dimon will discuss their book, "Rabbit Creek Country: Three ranching lives in the heart of the Mountain West."
The Tattered Cover, by the way, is amazing. It's huge--housed in Denver's former, ancient Mercantile building, which used to supply goods to all of the settlers and towns in the Front Range. Definitely one of the country's best book stores. At the start of the talk, there were three people sitting in the audience. But after a few minutes, a bunch of others started filtering in. At most of my talks, it's clear that the people in attendance knew something about the book beforehand. Not in this case. When I was finished, I asked a few of the people why they decided to come for the talk. "We were waiting in line to see Chelsea," one of them said. "And some woman told us to come in here, because we'd enjoy listening to you."
Apparently, comedian Chelsea Handler was going to be in the store later in the day, signing her book, "Are you there Vodka? It's me Chelsea." But to be able to see her, you had to wait in line for tickets (because the demand was expected to be so great). Oh the irony! So the woman at the Tattered Cover in charge of the Chelsea event was encouraging the people in line to hear me. Heck, I didn't care why they were there, as long as I could spread the word, and hopefully entertain them. A lot of them bought "Greasy Rider" at the end, and a few took their picture with me, so I figure the event was successful enough. (Although I do have to admit that I now hate Chelsea Handler, whoever she is, because of the massive crowds she attracts and number of books she must sell.)
Hopefully I didn't let the tattered cover down. They were nice folks, who had kind things to say about "Greasy Rider."
The Tattered Cover's efforts on the environment: They've put together a reading series at the store, in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Land Library, dedicated to the Western landscape. It's called the Rocky Mountain Land Series. Authors like Steven Trimble, who wrote the book "Bargaining for Eden," and Audrey DeLella Benedict, author of "The Naturalist's Guide to the Southern Rockies," are among the participants. The next event is Saturday, October 25, when John Thiem and Deborah Dimon will discuss their book, "Rabbit Creek Country: Three ranching lives in the heart of the Mountain West."
Friday, October 17, 2008
The future is sunny
Despite the gloomy economic times, the outlook for the solar industry is decidedly bright.
Greasy Rider talk on C-SPAN's BookTV
On Wednesday Night, the Greasy Rider tour stopped at the Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, Vermont, just south of Burlington. It was good to be back and see friends. I've been a fan of the Flying Pig, so it was an honor to talk there. Owners Josie and Elizabeth were extremely gracious. Yet, I felt like I was going to puke before the event started because a crew from C-SPAN was there to film my talk for BookTV. It's supposed to air later this month. I'm just nerdy enough (and enough of an insomniac) to enjoy watching BookTV at random hours, so this was a big deal for me.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Wind Power
When it comes to profiting from wind power, the land owners and government of South Dakota get it.
Northshire Book Store
Two nights ago, I stopped by the Northshire Book Store in Manchester, Vermont to read from Greasy Rider. I was expecting the place to be empty, given that the Red Sox were playing that night, and since I don't know anyone in the area, so I couldn't pad the crowd with friendly faces. Fortunately, Manchester is one of those places where the locals think of author events at the hometown bookstore as a big social event, so a good crowd (for me) appeared. They asked questions. Some drove veggie cars. Some farmers even came--so Vermont. One dairy farmer grows oil crops so that he can press his own oil to power his diesel equipment, and then he uses the byproducts to feed his cows. He also drives a veggie powered diesel Mercedes wagon. Amazing. It's a sustainable setup just like Rudolph Diesel dreamed about when he invented the engine that bears his name.
UPDATE: the Northshire's sustainable efforts include a recent retrofit of lighting fixtures, so that they can use highly energy efficient bulbs throughout the store. They also have plans to add solar panels to the roof.
UPDATE: the Northshire's sustainable efforts include a recent retrofit of lighting fixtures, so that they can use highly energy efficient bulbs throughout the store. They also have plans to add solar panels to the roof.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The car's headlamp
Since I replaced the left headlight on the car the other day, it seems to be working fine. But like I said, I think I didn't aim it properly. Put it this way: cars driving in the opposite direction suddenly swerve when they get near me. I think they might be getting blinded. Is this a safety problem? I'll have Iggy fix it when I get to Burlington this evening.
Harvard Bookstore: Greasapalooza!
There was a packed house at the Harvard Book Store the other night. Since the lights facing me on the podium were so bright, I couldn't tell if the crowd of about 50 people or so was packed with my friends, high school classmates, and relatives who all live in the area (and were begged to come). So I'll just assume that I didn't know a soul. They were definitely a receptive group, laughing at a lot of my jokes as if they were all friends and relatives. But again, I insist, they were all strangers.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Innovate or die? Not in this socialist country.
There's a lot of talk about how the government shouldn't prop up the renewable energy industry, and we should let the free market rule on renewables and sustainability. The thought being that "when we need it, the market will demand innovation, and then products in the renewable energy field will appear to meet that demand." This article in the Houston Chronicle says that because of the economic crisis and the temporary dropping of crude oil prices, investment in renewable energy will be squeezed pretty soon.
Here's my response to allowing the "invisible hand" of the market determine the investment in renewable energy: it's all bunk. The people who make this argument are pretending that we live in a perfect, capitalistic, free-market system. But the last time I checked, we've partly socialized the auto, airline, banking and insurance industries recently. Let's take the auto industry. The theory goes in capitalism that you innovate or die. In the case of the car companies, there's no threat of dying--because they know the government will bail them out. So there's less incentive to innovate. As a result, Toyota (the biggest innovator) is leading the world in sales, and GM is denying bankruptcy rumors. (The same argument could be made for the airline industry.)
There's no doubt in my mind that American engineers and auto workers could make the most innovative cars in the world--if only given the opportunity. Under the conditions of the past decade, they haven't been given that chance. The companies have been resistant to innovation, even lobbying against it (in the form of fuel efficiency standards and emissions), and now--sadly--they're paying the price. (Of course, the credit crunch is compounding the situation exponentially.)
So what are we to do? Since we've already partly socialized the auto companies (thus not allowing them to die), we should set standards that force them to innovate. They've got the smart, skilled people who can do it.
Like Bill Clinton says in Greasy Rider: if we lead the world in renewable energy and sustainable innovation, our country could experience the greatest economic expansion since World War II. What are we waiting for?
Here's my response to allowing the "invisible hand" of the market determine the investment in renewable energy: it's all bunk. The people who make this argument are pretending that we live in a perfect, capitalistic, free-market system. But the last time I checked, we've partly socialized the auto, airline, banking and insurance industries recently. Let's take the auto industry. The theory goes in capitalism that you innovate or die. In the case of the car companies, there's no threat of dying--because they know the government will bail them out. So there's less incentive to innovate. As a result, Toyota (the biggest innovator) is leading the world in sales, and GM is denying bankruptcy rumors. (The same argument could be made for the airline industry.)
There's no doubt in my mind that American engineers and auto workers could make the most innovative cars in the world--if only given the opportunity. Under the conditions of the past decade, they haven't been given that chance. The companies have been resistant to innovation, even lobbying against it (in the form of fuel efficiency standards and emissions), and now--sadly--they're paying the price. (Of course, the credit crunch is compounding the situation exponentially.)
So what are we to do? Since we've already partly socialized the auto companies (thus not allowing them to die), we should set standards that force them to innovate. They've got the smart, skilled people who can do it.
Like Bill Clinton says in Greasy Rider: if we lead the world in renewable energy and sustainable innovation, our country could experience the greatest economic expansion since World War II. What are we waiting for?
Facebook group
If you're a Facebook member, join the Greasy Rider group. Just type "greasy rider" into the search box on your Facebook homepage, and you'll find it.
New England Cable News discovers that grease is the word
New England Cable News ran a story on the car and Greasy Rider yesterday. Here's the video.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Car report
The car seems to be holding up pretty well so far. It's been chugging grease the whole time, and responding fine. The stuff that I got in Georgia must have had some animal fat in it, because I've been storing it in buckets in back, and it's starting to smell really ripe. I'm going to pour it into the tank tomorrow afternoon. The air conditioning officially doesn't work, despite the repairs a few weeks ago, so the trip has been a hot one. I don't wear shorts in the car, for fear that my sweaty legs will stick to the pleather seats. At least the weather should be cooler here in the northeast. The other night, driving from Pennsyvlania to Western Mass., the left headlight went out. I tried to go to a Lowe's to get a new one before I got a ticket, but apparently Lowe's doesn't sell auto parts.
So I drove into Northampon, Mass., passing three police cruisers, without getting pulled over. The next morning (Sunday) I hit the only auto parts store open in town. Surprisingly enough, they don't tend to stock headlights for 1985 Mercedes wagons. The guy behind the counter knew of only one other place I could check: Wal-Mart. Please don't tell Dr. Wife, MD that I went there. I had no choice. My safety was at stake. An lo and behold, they stocked the headlight. I had no choice but to buy it. After a good few hours' of effort, I even managed to install it there in the Wal-Mart parking lot. (I really could have used Iggy.) Unfortunately, I didn't know how to aim the bulb properly, so it's shooting straight up, signaling planes at night, instead of pointing toward the road. But at least I have a working headlamp on the left side!
So I drove into Northampon, Mass., passing three police cruisers, without getting pulled over. The next morning (Sunday) I hit the only auto parts store open in town. Surprisingly enough, they don't tend to stock headlights for 1985 Mercedes wagons. The guy behind the counter knew of only one other place I could check: Wal-Mart. Please don't tell Dr. Wife, MD that I went there. I had no choice. My safety was at stake. An lo and behold, they stocked the headlight. I had no choice but to buy it. After a good few hours' of effort, I even managed to install it there in the Wal-Mart parking lot. (I really could have used Iggy.) Unfortunately, I didn't know how to aim the bulb properly, so it's shooting straight up, signaling planes at night, instead of pointing toward the road. But at least I have a working headlamp on the left side!
Curse you, beautiful weather!
So it was a Rockwellian fall afternoon in Western Massachusetts yesterday. The kind that's so beautiful, my mom probably wouldn't have come inside a bookstore to hear me speak. Even if she lived next door. For the second day in a row, I showed up at a bookstore filled with dread. This time at the Odyssey Bookshop, in South Hadley, MA. It's a great bookstore, right in the postcard-perfect town commons, that gets some amazing authors. On November 6th, they're hosting Richard Russo and Stephen King. Together! That's, like, an event of a lifetime. Let's just say that I didn't quite get a Russo/King-type crowd. The total number in attendance on The Most Glorious Foliage Day in a Decade was six. But they were a dedicated six, who asked a lot of great questions. And the number six happens to be six more than zero, which is what I feared would be the attendance.
Today I'm speaking in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the Harvard Book Store. But the Red Sox are playing a playoff game late this afternoon, so my reading will occur around, oh, the seventh inning or so. I'm not kidding when I say that a few of my siblings might not show. If the first four events are any indication, this one's going to be fun regardless.
Today I'm speaking in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the Harvard Book Store. But the Red Sox are playing a playoff game late this afternoon, so my reading will occur around, oh, the seventh inning or so. I'm not kidding when I say that a few of my siblings might not show. If the first four events are any indication, this one's going to be fun regardless.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Sunny weekend days stink for book tours
So yesterday I headed for the Chester County Book & Music Company, in West Chester, PA. It was a picture-perfect day Saturday. Not a cloud in the sky. Maybe 72 degrees in the Philadelphia area. In other words, the worst possible conditions for expecting anyone to set foot inside a bookstore. I get there early, and I'm automatically freaking out. No one is going to come, I figure. Then I start to wonder: what will I say on the blog? Will I admit that nobody showed up? After a great deal of moral wrestling, I decided that I would lie like a rug. Maybe a freak storm will hit in the next few minutes, and people will get this incredible urge to go book shopping, I thought to myself. The appointed afternoon hour finally arrived. I walked into the bookstore, and one guy was sitting at a chair, ready to listen to my reading. Thea, the extremely nice woman who organized my appearance, apologized to me about the kids raising money for charity outside. "They're selling gas cards," she said. Of all days." I acted insulted. "Well, I think I'm going to take my big crowd here and leave," I said. She laughed. The guy had brought a buddy with him, and the two are grease-heads, so we talked about our cars, and our oil sources, and stuff. We also talked a lot about the different stops I made during my trip, to the Wal-Mart, and the offices of Google, and to Fort Knox. I think I have to do a better job of explaining that the road trip was really a vehicle--for lack of a better term--for getting across a larger point about sustainability. Anyway, as I was speaking to them, other people slowly started to filter in, and listen to the discussion, and add their two cents, and buy the book. So the stop ended up going pretty well. Hopefully the Chester County Bookstore folks were pleased, considering that it was the most glorious day of the year outside. Today I'm speaking at the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, MA. It's supposed to be perfect autumn weather in Western Massachusetts, ideal for gawking at the changing leaves. I'm hoping for a monsoon.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Reviews, mentions, and spreading the word
Publisher's Weekly said in its review that Greasy Rider provides a "thought- and perhaps action-provoking lesson."
Newsweek is running a short review on the book this week. You can see it here (scroll to the bottom of the page). They call it "a hopeful, goodhearted portrait of those he meets—be they Minnesota wind farmers or hippie diesel mechanics—who are getting a head start on building the post-carbon future, a tomorrow fueled by a refreshing optimism, as well as by grease."
Here's where you come in. If you enjoy Greasy Rider, and you think the book is thought provoking or conversation provoking, please don't let it collect dust on the shelf. Pass it on for someone else to read. Tell your friends who are in book clubs to choose it for their book club. I'm happy to do a conference call with any group that reads it. While it's true that my ultimate goal is to make JK Rowling look like a pauper by selling a billion copies of Greasy Rider, my other goal is to create discourse, open eyes, and make real change. You can help me do that.
Newsweek is running a short review on the book this week. You can see it here (scroll to the bottom of the page). They call it "a hopeful, goodhearted portrait of those he meets—be they Minnesota wind farmers or hippie diesel mechanics—who are getting a head start on building the post-carbon future, a tomorrow fueled by a refreshing optimism, as well as by grease."
Here's where you come in. If you enjoy Greasy Rider, and you think the book is thought provoking or conversation provoking, please don't let it collect dust on the shelf. Pass it on for someone else to read. Tell your friends who are in book clubs to choose it for their book club. I'm happy to do a conference call with any group that reads it. While it's true that my ultimate goal is to make JK Rowling look like a pauper by selling a billion copies of Greasy Rider, my other goal is to create discourse, open eyes, and make real change. You can help me do that.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Regulator Bookshop
So the Greasy Rider publicity tour stopped at the Regulator Bookshop, in Durham. The talk was in the basement, where behind the stage hangs hundreds of pictures of authors who visited. There's pretty impressive lineup of people have spoken at the Regulator, which was intimidating. The hero of the evening was Iggy's sister in law, who brought a posse with her. Second place were the Shahadys of Wake Forest, NC, who wore t-shirts that said, "Greasy Groupies." (Don't worry, they're entering some sort of rehab for their problem.) Also, one couple came who have converted an old Chevy pickup, and they're in the process of converting another vehicle. They both have jobs that require them to drive a lot, and they get their grease from a chicken wing place nearby. No one fell asleep during the talk, and I didn't wet my pants this time, so I considered it a victory!
So, what does the Regulator do for the environment? The most notable effort is the emphasis to stock a lot of books that are produced by local publishers. Here's a link to the importance (and benefits) of buying local.
So, what does the Regulator do for the environment? The most notable effort is the emphasis to stock a lot of books that are produced by local publishers. Here's a link to the importance (and benefits) of buying local.
Greasy Rider on WNYC in New York today.
I was interviewed about the book and driving on grease today on WNYC in New York. You can listen to it. It's a few minutes into the clip, after some guy talks about his novel, in which a fictional character can drive across the country without stopping at a fuel pump. Dude, Iggy and I lived it.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Malaprop's visit
So I went to Malaprop's Bookstore in Asheville last night. A huge crowd turned out. (At least huge for me, probably not so much if it was for John Grisham.) Probably about 30 people--and I didn't know a soul (even though two of them looked suspiciously like my parents; another like Dr. Wife, MD; two like my kids; and about 20 like Dr. Wife MD's co-workers and friends).
Lots of books were sold. One guy (who looked suspiciously like my dad) even bought 10 copies, telling the person at the register that he was purchasing them for his book club.
Good times were had by all, although I think the laughs were more at me than with me.
So what does Malaprop's do for the environment?
Quite a bit.
--They're in a great location, in downtown Asheville, so it's easy for people to walk, bike, or take the bus there. (You'll notice that's a common theme for a lot of independent bookstores--a huge environmental advantage.)
--They keep lighting to a minimum when the store is closed, to save on electricity.
--They use all compact fluorescent bulbs.
--They work very hard to reduce their waste in the store.
--They only give customers bags if they ask for them.
--The to-go cups they use in the cafe are biodegradeable.
On to Durham, NC today. And I'm bringin' my camera.
Lots of books were sold. One guy (who looked suspiciously like my dad) even bought 10 copies, telling the person at the register that he was purchasing them for his book club.
Good times were had by all, although I think the laughs were more at me than with me.
So what does Malaprop's do for the environment?
Quite a bit.
--They're in a great location, in downtown Asheville, so it's easy for people to walk, bike, or take the bus there. (You'll notice that's a common theme for a lot of independent bookstores--a huge environmental advantage.)
--They keep lighting to a minimum when the store is closed, to save on electricity.
--They use all compact fluorescent bulbs.
--They work very hard to reduce their waste in the store.
--They only give customers bags if they ask for them.
--The to-go cups they use in the cafe are biodegradeable.
On to Durham, NC today. And I'm bringin' my camera.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Wind baby, wind
New Jersey has announced that it plans to develop offshore wind farms that will provide enough power for 800,000 homes by 2020. I don't understand, I thought the only way we could get energy offshore was to drill for it...
Wordsmith's recap
So I drove down to Decatur, Georgia yesterday for the first stop on the book tour at Wordsmith's Books. Really nice people there--like Russ, who put the event together--and a great store, in an old bank building. They had me park in front, so everyone could see the car through the window. Before the event, I was debating on whether or not to wear a pair of Depend undergarments, in case I wet my pants from nerves. I decided against it, because I was afraid it would look too bulky under my jeans. I brought a posse with me (known as my friend Greg, who lives in Atlanta) so that I would be guaranteed at least a one-person audience. At 7:30, my posse and I practically looked like we were the only ones there--making my whole Depend dilemma moot--and then people just suddenly appeared from behind the stacks and practically filled the seats in front of the stage. Also represented/participating at the event were Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, an amazing group that engages "communities of faith in stewardship of God's Creation as a direct reflection of our faithfulness through worship, education,and the sustainable generation and efficient use of energy," and Rob from Refuel Biodiesel (part of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy), which gave me 10 GALLONS OF WASTE VEGGIE OIL FOR THE TRIP HOME to Asheville! Unfortunately, the presence of the big crowd that Russ managed to wrangle at Wordsmith's meant that I had to try to sound half-articulate. On the upside, the audience was very attentive and went easy on me (and had a million questions at the end).
So what does Wordsmith's do for the environment? Well, for starters they're in an amazing, pedestrian and bike-friendly location in Decatur, surrounded by other shops, bars, and restaurants in the middle of town. That makes a huge (and often overlooked) difference in lessening carbon impact for local shoppers. They have a great display of environmental books at the front of the store. And, they serve as a town hall for groups like Interfaith Power & Light, and Refuel Biodiesel, and people like me, to discuss environmental issues with an engaging and involved audience.
Tonight I'll be at Malaprop's in Asheville. I'll report tomorrow.
So what does Wordsmith's do for the environment? Well, for starters they're in an amazing, pedestrian and bike-friendly location in Decatur, surrounded by other shops, bars, and restaurants in the middle of town. That makes a huge (and often overlooked) difference in lessening carbon impact for local shoppers. They have a great display of environmental books at the front of the store. And, they serve as a town hall for groups like Interfaith Power & Light, and Refuel Biodiesel, and people like me, to discuss environmental issues with an engaging and involved audience.
Tonight I'll be at Malaprop's in Asheville. I'll report tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Book launches today
Greasy Rider officially launches today! Get your copies now!
I'll be speaking at Wordsmith's Books in Decatur, Georgia this evening, and blogging tomorrow about my trip there.
I'll be speaking at Wordsmith's Books in Decatur, Georgia this evening, and blogging tomorrow about my trip there.
Renewable energy tax credits made permanent
Early last week, I mentioned how Congress was about to let all of the tax credits expire for people who invest in solar, wind, or other renewable energy projects for their homes or businesses. This would have been a massive blow to green projects, and green technology companies, across the country. Well, buried deep within the massive $700 billion economic bailout plan, Congress made the tax credits permanent. Problem solved. But still, given that it was a piece of candy added to a huge, deficit-busting, our-kids-and-grandkids-will-be-paying-for-this bill, I'm not sure how to feel about this.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Reviews piling in
Publisher's Weekly says today that Greasy Rider is "a thought-, and perhaps action-provoking lesson in alternative fuel."
Greasy Rider World Tour begins tomorrow
That's right, Greasy Rider officially launches tomorrow. I'll be stopping at these amazing independent bookstores, and colleges and universities on the World Tour!
Tuesday, October 7---DECATUR, GA---Wordsmith’s, 7:30pm
Wednesday, October 8---ASHEVILLE, NC---Malaprop’s, 7:00pm
Thursday, October 9---DURHAM, NC---Regulator, 7:00pm
Saturday, October 11---WEST CHESTER, PA---Chester County, 1:00pm
Sunday, October 12---SOUTH HADLEY, MA---Odyssey Bookstore, 3:00pm
Monday, October 13---BOSTON, MA---Harvard Bookstore, 7:00pm
Tuesday, October 14---MANCHESTER CENTER, VT---Northshire Bookstore, 7:00pm
Wednesday, October 15---SHELBURNE, VT---Flying Pig Bookstore, 7:00pm
Thursday, October 16---BURLINGTON, VT---University of Vermont
Saturday, October 18---DENVER, CO---Tattered Cover, 2:00pm
Monday, October 20---BOULDER, CO---Boulder Bookstore, 7:30pm
Tuesday, October 21---MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA---Books Inc., 7:30pm
Thursday, October 23---PORTLAND, OR---Powell’s, 7:30pm
Friday, October 24---SEATTLE, WA---University Bookstore, 7:00pm
Saturday, October 25---BELLINGHAM, WA---Village Books, 7:00pm
Monday, October 27---ESSEX, VT---Phoenix Bookstore
Tuesday, October 28---COLCHESTER, VT---St. Michael's College
Tuesday, October 7---DECATUR, GA---Wordsmith’s, 7:30pm
Wednesday, October 8---ASHEVILLE, NC---Malaprop’s, 7:00pm
Thursday, October 9---DURHAM, NC---Regulator, 7:00pm
Saturday, October 11---WEST CHESTER, PA---Chester County, 1:00pm
Sunday, October 12---SOUTH HADLEY, MA---Odyssey Bookstore, 3:00pm
Monday, October 13---BOSTON, MA---Harvard Bookstore, 7:00pm
Tuesday, October 14---MANCHESTER CENTER, VT---Northshire Bookstore, 7:00pm
Wednesday, October 15---SHELBURNE, VT---Flying Pig Bookstore, 7:00pm
Thursday, October 16---BURLINGTON, VT---University of Vermont
Saturday, October 18---DENVER, CO---Tattered Cover, 2:00pm
Monday, October 20---BOULDER, CO---Boulder Bookstore, 7:30pm
Tuesday, October 21---MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA---Books Inc., 7:30pm
Thursday, October 23---PORTLAND, OR---Powell’s, 7:30pm
Friday, October 24---SEATTLE, WA---University Bookstore, 7:00pm
Saturday, October 25---BELLINGHAM, WA---Village Books, 7:00pm
Monday, October 27---ESSEX, VT---Phoenix Bookstore
Tuesday, October 28---COLCHESTER, VT---St. Michael's College
New York Post article
In order to tamp down the flamethrowing over yesterday's Post review, and for the sake of fairness, I've taken down the posts and comments regarding it.
Sincerely,
The "cartoon eco-villain."
Sincerely,
The "cartoon eco-villain."
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Google this
Google is proposing an ambitious renewable energy plan in the US that would slash our carbon dioxide emissions in half, kick the oil habit, and--by the way--SAVE us $1 trillion in gas and energy bills by 2030. Have I mentioned how this whole hippy dippy tree-hugging stuff actually makes for sound capitalism? I have? About a million times? Oh yeah.
Early reviews
Two new, positive reviews of the book came out yesterday. One from the Mountain Xpress here in Asheville, and another from Creative Loafing, the alternative weekly in Atlanta.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Edifying digression for Wednesday...from the pages of Greasy Rider
Wal-Mart is the largest private consumer of electricity in the US, and owns the nation's second-largest trucking fleet.
Page 232.
Page 232.
Gas crisis easing
My dreams for a Mad Max world of gasless cars in Western North Carolina has vanished, because the fuel crisis appears to be fading. Although stations are still running dry, the lines are largely gone, and prices are dropping from their astronomical levels of last week. Nothing ever goes my way.
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