Green Goddess Smoothie

I drink this everyday, it's a great way to get some greens in before my morning run and breakfast.

Green Goddess Smoothie
(adapted from Kris Carr)

makes 2 servings:
1 avocado
1 cored and chopped granny smith apple
1 chopped organic cucumber
A fistful of organic kale
filtered water

*leftovers keep for a day in the fridge

Hot, Flat, and Crowded

Thomas Friedman provides a comprehensive look at how to solve the world’s environmental crisis while revitalizing America in his 2008 book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded. Friedman presents these challenges as opportunities, and offers direction on how to navigate in the new ‘Energy Climate Era.”

Friedman explains the earth is becoming hot, flat, and crowded through global warming, technological innovation, and population explosion, respectively. Furthermore, Friedman goes on to describe how those changes are impacting five major problems: energy supply and demand, petro-dictatorship, climate change, energy poverty, and biodiversity loss.

A strikingly simple way of illustrating the disparity between our energy sources is the discussion of “fuels from hell” vs. “fuels from heaven,” as explained by Rochelle Lefkowitz. Fuels from hell, e.g., coal, oil, and natural gas, come from underground, are exhaustible, and emit carbon dioxide. In contrast, fuels from heaven, e.g., wind, hydroelectric, and solar power come from above ground, are renewable, and produce no harmful emissions.

Another factor to consider is how our fuel choices impact the autonomy of people across the globe. An inverse relationship between freedom and oil prices is demonstrated for populations living in Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and Nigeria. Through our dependence on foreign oil, vast amounts of wealth are being transferred from the west to energy producing countries, and in turn, directly to “petro-dictators.”

The chapters covering climate change and bio-diversity loss are as scary as a horror film. Unfortunately, certain groups of industrial and political factions have worked to “muddy” the issue and delay action. The effect of this non-action will be catastrophic. Friedman notes that “We are the only species in the vast web of life that no animal or plant depends on for its survival - yet we depend on the whole web of life for our survival.”

We have energy politics in the US, not a cohesive energy policy. Frustratingly, ‘liberal environmentalists’ are not effective agents of change; additionally, conservatives have forgotten what that word even means. Our government is lacking leadership and the ability to formulate a national energy strategy that conserves resources and fosters renewable energy. A favorite discussion in the book imagines the US being China for a day. Alas, extreme government efficiency is but a dream.

A Chinese Proverb states, “When the wind changes direction, there are those who build walls, and those who build windmills.” In Hot, Flat, and Crowded, Thomas Friedman makes a compelling case for American ingenuity leading the global charge to harness renewable energy resources in order to provide for and protect our way of life. Everyone, please read this book.

{carbon nation}

In the process of surveying future career shifts and educational goals, I've spent the last several months searching out books and films about environmental issues and their solutions. Carbon Nation is a documentary film by Peter Byck about the growing worldwide carbon footprint. Instead of getting bogged down in the discussion about what is causing the problem, this film discusses solutions to meet our worldwide energy needs through lower carbon, carbon neutral, and renewable means.

Carbon Nation feels like an unbiased, all-encompassing look at sustainable energy practices. For instance, included in the discussion is the Evangelical Climate Initiative as well as interviews with renewable energy advocates who do not believe in climate change. The point the movie makes is that in the end, how we got here does not matter. We all need to work together to protect our environment and way of life.

One thing about wind power I didn’t realize before watching the film is that the land used for wind turbines can still be utilized for farming and ranching, which seems like a good business strategy for struggling farmers in the nation’s bread basket. Also, the Department of Energy has estimated that the wind potential in Texas, the Dakotas, Montana, and Kansas exceeds current energy needs in the US.

Another surprise for me was that deforestation accounts for 20% of the world’s carbon emissions, which is larger than the portion attributed to all transportation sectors. In addition to loss of biomass, soil erosion leads to other environmental impacts. If farmers and landowners of developing countries could be persuaded to harvest their forests in a sustainable way, and set aside land for grazing and Eco tourism, new sources of income could be tapped while protecting the environment.

Carbon Nation is full of ideas to meet the world’s energy needs in a renewable and environmentally friendly way. The film is upbeat and approachable, no matter your political or ideological views, which serves as a stark contrast to other environmental films such as An Inconvenient Truth. I highly recommend Carbon Nation if you have an interest in the environment, energy, or if you like Bill Kurtis’ voice (he’s the narrator).