I posted before why I hesitate bicycling around town, but I figured getting runover was my biggest concern.  Now we have to contend with being shot for bicycling… by a firefighter?  With our child strapped to the bike?  And our spouse bicycling beside us?  Really?!

Sustainably… and safely yours,  Ashley Sue

Last night, with two people I had just met, I had an amazing conversation regarding definitions.  What is “sustainability”?  What does “greener living” actually mean?  Are there actual standards for these words.

Sean, a new friend, brought up something about Michelin determining nine new initiatives for the company and that six of them focus on sustainability.  According to the conversation, the spokesperson was asked to define what sustainability meant to the company, and the answer was something along the lines of being able to continue manufacturing the best tires on the road, to provide continued work to their employees, etc.

I realized how, skeptics that we are, such an answer often provokes sneers and jeers from environmentalists.  Likewise, for skeptics of environmentalism, such an answer is used as fuel to argue what a joke “sustainability” is.

“Ha!  They’ve defined it themselves.  Their ’sustainability’ has nothing to do with the environment and is all about their bottom line!  Both ’sustainability’ and corporate America are a joke!” both sides say.

To you, I cheerfully say, WAKE UP!  Welcome to the triple bottom line, and realize that measures toward social, environmental, and financial progress is the ultimate answer to our societal and economic ails.

Simply put, I do not believe “sustainability” can be singularly defined.  Honestly, any corporate entity must look at more than their “environmental impact” in deciding the “right” way to conduct business.  

Taking care of employees is vital to corporate and personal sustainability.  This includes affordable health care.  Reasonable pay for work rendered.  Cutting outrages bonuses from execs when times get tough for the nation.  These tactics keep the business afloat (hopefully) during recessions and shows employees gratitude for their hard work by rewarding them with the promise of health to their families.

Environmentally, in many ways, making your building more energy efficient and initiating gas-conservation tactics for your fleet help the environment.  Sometimes, those initiatives cost more initially, but will dramatically reduce expenses in the long term.  Thus, what is “right” for the environment is also “right” for the company bank account.  

 We would love to think companies are thinking more altruistically in these times, but honestly, UPS didn’t “Go Green” purely so that Indian will stop crying.  They knew they would save money, and the goodwill from the citizens that their efforts earned give them PR that no money can buy.  Genius.

If that turns you off from UPS and other companies making “greener” efforts, think again.  Regardless of their motives, consider how much of a difference UPS makes alone on airline emissions:

With almost 600 jets, the Atlanta company ranks as one of the biggest airlines in the world. As part of its environmental effort to curb emissions, UPS is looking to cut down on the amount of fuel its planes consume by reducing the amount of time jets spend idling on the tarmac before they take off, UPS chief information officer David Barnes tells the Business Technology Blog.

That doesn’t even take into account their ground fleet of hybrids, efficient routing, paperless invoices, etc.  Kudos to them!  I do not ask why they chose these efforts.  I applaud their commitment to progress and reevaluation.

I may not agree with many practices of Walmart, but I have even stopped touting them as the Anti-Christ because of their continued efforts to be more environmentally sound.  Now, if they would focus on the social aspect of the Triple Bottom Line… but I digress.

After Sean got me thinking about our terminology and what a joke it is, I still have to say, I feel more optimistic and empowered than ever.  Whether these companies have progressive, conscientious CEOs, or whether they feel the heat of consumer demands and expectations, or even if these companies are looking for the best ways to save money without resorting to sweatshops and toxic materials, more companies are growing sustainably every day.

And I will continue to applaud them.  Vocally, but more importantly, with my money.  Believe me, they hear money louder than any other tactic.  If you buy, they keep working on goals they already have.  If the money starts to dry up, they rethink what they do.

When I need new tires, you can count on the fact I’ll be looking toward Michelin for mine.  And if those two articles don’t convince you to do the same, maybe this one will.

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

Recently I had to purchase a new car (new to me, at least) due to an accident back in September. I had been driving a 2006 Impala with combined 30 mpg, and I knew that this unfortunate event had the silver lining of allowing me to talk with my money about environmental issues that matter to me.

Needless to say, I have ZERO interest or use for an SUV.  Truly, most people who have an SUV have no excuse to have one except they think it looks big and cool.

Hybrids, frankly, were no option.  I had $13K to work with, and I refuse to have a car payment.  I’m lucky that I don’t have to make monthly payments to that, and I refuse to start by choice.  Cash, up-front, and done.  It’s mine.

With hybrids being not affordable (including pre-owned 2004 models, which were still fetching $15K), I looked into the Smart Cars.  Affordable, but as stated in a previous post, I also refuse to drive a small, fragile vehicle that cannot ultimately protect Marc, myself, and our passengers in the event of an accident.  We got incredibly lucky with the first in that the driver at fault was not driving an SUV when she t-boned us.

This week, I saw a flurry of articles online supporting my fears.  Had I gotten a smaller hybrid or such, I would have been paying out the wazoo for insuring it!  Turns out these cars do not stand up well in accidents, resulting in insurance premiums to cover the high personal-injury claims that such accidents cause.

Other costs leading to high insurance, as sited in the article, are maintenance and repair costs of alternative-fuel vehicles, street racing incidences, and theft rates of compact cars.

Cost is not the end-all-be-all for me, and I believe that efficient vehicles are the long-term cost-effective solution.  We all still inhabit a world, however, where we can only do what our wallets allow.  Still yet, the biggest point for me is safety.  I actually feel like I NEED a mid-sized car just to have a CHANCE in surviving a serious impact.

Thankfully, driving smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles is becoming cool and will eventually become more affordable.  Unfortunately, driving demolition monster-trucks and SUVs is also still “cool” in our culture.  And in an odd world where people think it is OK to text, talk, email, and jam while driving (totally ignoring our culture’s tendency to drink and drive), we each have a lot of considerations when choosing a vehicle.

In case you hadn’t heard, I chose an almost exact replacement.  Gina is salvaging other Impalas, and Lelee, a 2007 Impala, is taking care of me now.

Safe driving and sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue Allen

I watch a silly show:  Kimora Lee Simmons: Life in the Fab Lane.  A couple weeks back I was going to write a post on how her Fashion Week plans could have been much more eco-friendly and less dramatic had she not hired a Chinese factory to produce her men’s clothing line (which were late in being flown to LA).  I hesitated, however, and Kimora came through in this week’s episode ”Smells Like Fabulosity” with even more green fodder.

Truth of it is, there’s no need for me to give a full-on analysis of how contrived of an episode it was, juggling moments of her eco-spending spree, hybrid SUV purchasing, and “Going Green!” chants with the filming of her new commercial touting her choice of transportation via personal cars, chauffeurs, and a private jet.  Pennyrile does a better job than Icould.  By the way, Pennyrile, I dig your perspective.  Grounded, realistic, and without the pretentious idea of instantaneous green-perfection. 

As cute as her daughters are in absorbing the “go green” messages Kimora was teaching, I WISH Kimora had taken a more realistic and honest approach, as I feel it would inspire more people than she did with an episode that seemed entirely too gimmicky and ultimately like a self-absorbed publicity stunt.

But hey, maybe she really was inspired to do her part, and gimmicky is just Kimora’s style.  Effort deserves applause, right.

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

PS.  The Daily Green touches on some of Hollywood’s more annoying Green Trends that border on blatantly hypocritical, and that’s actually how I felt about this episode of Fab Lane.

The film here was filmed in mid-September, as Green Grounded and the Triangle were suffering from $5 a gallon gasoline.  “Drill Baby Drill!” was a popular chant (or source of criticism), and I was still driving Gina.  I planned on airing it before registration deadline, but life (and car accidents) got in the way.

I waited to put the video up for a while, but now, one day from Decision 2008, those of us who are waiting until actual Election Day to cast our votes still have time to weigh out all of the issues that matter most to us.

The economy.

Health care.

Employment.

Our parents.

Our children.

Life.

Education.

Poverty.

Terrorism.

Energy for today and tomorrow.

In this video, I urge you to consider how you feel about the realities and possibilities of drilling, “clean coal”, ethanol, biodiesel, wind, solar, hydro, nuclear, and all other alternative energy fuels.  The Green Revolution is one for our generation to shape the future, better or worse.

I also ask for you to consider the unexpected.  I’ve said before and will continue to say… gas prices may seem reasonable again now, but can we hinge our complacency on that?  We need to account for the unexpected… no one expected 9/11… Katrina… Ike… hanging chads… mortgage crises… and these were pivotal moments that effected every other aspect of our lives that matter.  These crises will continue to occur:  right when you need to find health care, or plan to buy a house, or have to find childcare but were laid off, or want to celebrate an election outcome, or have to drive to work.  So please take it all into consideration, as it all fits together.

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue Allen

The debates rage on for all the reasons to commute in town on bicycles (and motorcycles), as well as why they should stay off the road.  We all know bicycling reduces pollution, slows our dependency on oil, and keeps us much healthier.  Regardless of the benefits, here is a list of the reasons I won’t ride a bike on main roads ~ even to work, which is a straight four-mile ride on a main road in Raleigh.

1.  Frankly, I’m scared.  Drivers are crazy and dangerous around here.  Many of them seem to hate each other, the stoplights, the medians, pedestrians, and even themselves.  Everyone, it seems, is on a personal path to self-destruction and general public annihilation along the way to their jobs.

1b.  The Triangle is NOT very bicycle or pedestrian friendly.  The Triangle has almost no bike lanes navigating the city.  Further, even where bike lanes exist (for instance, the beautiful stretch of Ridge Road in Raleigh near Wholefoods), I see drivers most frequently use it as a passing-on-the-right-side trick to avoid pausing for cars that are turning left into driveways.

1c.  I also fear how much drivers forget to look out for people on bikes and motorcycles.  Seriously.  If the vehicle driver doesn’t check their blind spot or even see the car in the intersection, how are they going to pay enough attention for someone on a two-wheeled vehicle?

1d.  Many vehicle drivers are hostile toward bicycle and motorcycle riders.  I have been on a local bicycle listserv where I have heard many horror stories from bicyclers who have had people throw objects at them from vehicles and been jeered at for taking up road space ~ a general “you deserve it if you get hit because you’re asking for it” commentary.  I’ve even heard one of my friends say a motorcycler should get hit because he changed into her lane (and for the record, he used his motorcycle signal, a hand signal, and changed lanes at least four car-lengths ahead of us).

1e.  Couple all of the above list with this new text-while-I’m-driving phenomenon…  Bah!  All the trimmings for a tragedy.

2.  Law-abiding bicyclists must ride on the road and follow the rules of the NCDOT.  But, just like with vehicle drivers, many bicyclists do not follow NC vehicle laws.

2b.  Instead of riding on the road, many ride on sidewalks, as Marc says they should.  I disagree… the law is that bicyclers should ride on the road… granted, sidewalks are less dangerous for bicyclers to ride on, but what happens when you ride your bicycle and encounter those moms strolling their children in those SUV-version strollers?  Or several bicyclers come at each other on the same sidewalk?  Or the track team is jogging along the sidewalk?  This can be impending doom for everyone involved as well.

2c.  Some bicyclers feel that because they are small and on an open vehicle that they are not on a vehicle at all… hence feeling like it is OK to ignore stop signs, or shooting through red lights and crosswalks after a quick glance to the left and right.  (By the way, if you are a bicycler and do that, you only perpetuate drivers’ philosophy that you’re asking for whatever perile you put yourself in.)

Ultimately, I have no conclusion here.  Bicyclers, bikers, and drivers have some tensions that need worked out.  While I am not one for general conformity, however, I do think if we could all stay calm and pay attention to (not to mention follow) the rules of the road, we could all find order in our local transportation infrastructure.  This, in turn, could make us a more bike-friendly society, which would only benefit us all.

Any feedback on the dangers you face as a bicycler or motorcycler… or on why you take issue with bicycles on the roadway?

Until I live somewhere more bicycle-friendly, Marc and I will keep our bicycles to trails, parks, and parking lots (…or relegated on our porch).

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

So, here I am driving a rental Chevrolet Cobalt (who told me to call her Tina…) for another couple days until I get a check for Gina and find another car.  This accident has me not only looking for another car-friend in my life, but has me asking questions regarding how eco-friendly I can get in my search.

I can feel decent that Gina, being the organ donor she is, will be reused in various other vehicles needing parts and body work.  But what will my new purchase be made of?  What workers will be paid for the manufacturing of my vehicle?  How will my car be with gas efficiency?

These are a few of the many questions I have to ask as I explore a new car.

My options aren’t unlimited, however.  I do have a budget to work within.  I am choosing to pay cash for whatever vehicle I buy, so a new hybrid or alternative fuel vehicle will not likely be an option, even if it were the greenest option.

According to The Daily Green, I could afford the 2008 Smart, but I have to be honest in that I like the size and space offered in my previous 2006 Impala.  Frankly, I am also not sure the Smart would have much to offer in terms of protection when t-boned.  I already shudder at how lucky we were the Impala wasn’t hit by an SUV or mega-truck.

A simple Google search on “eco car” lands me all kinds of sites on hybrids, primarily ~ and particularly sites in the UK (and here too).  The more research I do on hybrids and AFV, the more I realize I will certainly have to stick to more conventional transportation.

Really, though, my Impala had quality mpg.  I know firsthand how well she held up on gasoline, and unfortunately, for my job, I put quite a few miles on her.  And she had ethanol/biodiesel/diesel potential I just hadn’t tapped into.

So, I Google “green” “used” “car” and find a few useful websites.  I even found a Wired article declaring that buying a used car can be greener than buying the uber-efficient hybrids.

As Matt Power notes in this month’s issue of Wired,

hybrids get great gas mileage but it takes 113 million BTUs of energy to make a Toyota Prius. Because there are about 113,000 BTUs of energy in a gallon of gasoline, the Prius has consumed the equivalent of 1,000 gallons of gasoline before it reaches the showroom. Think of it as a carbon debt — one you won’t pay off until the Prius has turned over 46,000 miles or so.

That’s good, I feel.  I don’t have to feel like a shlub for buying a conventional car.  In fact, Power chronicles several car models from the ’90s and even the mid-’80s that beat the Prius on mpg efficiency!  That, I would have never guessed!

Of course, it can be tough finding a car that old that hasn’t been beaten like a drum, and Robyn Eckard of Kelley Blue Book tells us most used car buyers prefer something no more than 5 to 7 years old and with fewer than 100K on the odometer. No problem.  [Several models are mentioned specifically here]

We’ve undoubtedly left some off the list. But the point is, you don’t need to buy a Prius — or any other hybrid, for that matter — to get great fuel economy and minimize your carbon footprint. You might feel better driving a hybrid, but you won’t necessarily be greener.

On that note, judge me if you wish, but I am focusing my new car hunt on replacing my 2006 Impala with a used 2007 or 2008 Impala.

Until I have more news on the car-front~

Safe driving.

Sustainably yours ~ Ashley Sue

After seeing a great post by The Good Human on choosing an eco-friendly option when renting a car, I figured I would work on updating you guys as to Green Grounded’s own car saga.  But, before we move into posts on searching and buying another car, I need to air what I’m dealing with ~ or have been dealing with ~ since the car accident.

Indeed, I have been avoiding writing this post… I am still shaken up by the ordeal.  Everytime I think about Marc and me getting t-boned by a distracted driver, I shudder.

I think over and over again how funny it is I spent 17 months with (more…)

Not because our nation has figured out the mastery of green technology and alternative fuels, but for various other reasons a Yahoo news article claims that gas prices could be $3 or less a gallon in time for the holidays!

The article states

On Friday, fears of a global recession helped drive down U.S. crude oil futures prices more than 10 percent to the lowest settlement since September 2007.

The Lundberg Survey this article is based on says

Gasoline demand will continue to shrink in our weak economic condition, and retailers, who have been receiving deep buying price cuts, will be anxious to pass through any further price cuts they receive quickly. They need the sales.

To be honest, I have no idea.  I’m no economist, but I am convinced that we will not again have economic stability until we devote our time, resources, and capitol toward alternative energy investments… meaning it’s time we STOP wishing for and relying on gas prices dropping.  That logic will only going to keep us on the same roller coaster currently nauseating us.

Think about it.  Hurricanes.  Volatile housing market.  Crumbling bank institutions.  A very important election season within days of us.

And we can never discount the unexpected.  No one saw 9/11 coming.  No one saw hanging chads coming.  No one saw Katrina coming.  No one saw our WaMu/AIG/etc fiasco coming (at least not like this).

Do we want to assume anything about what we think we know?  Or should we move toward change?

I, for one, will move toward change.  Would you like to join me?

Sustainably yours ~ Ashley Sue

In case you didn’t see the N&O article yesterday, Green Grounded and friends saw that a group is conducting a study to look into taxing each mile you drive instead of continuing with the state’s highway tax on each gallon of gasoline you purchase.

Fourteen states besides North Carolina are included in this study, where volunteers will have GPS devices installed in their car to gauge the miles the accrue.  Further, volunteers will share their feelings on the fake federal and state tax bills they will receive based on their commuting.

New energy is one reason for this study.  The article does address the need for this measure by saying,

Gas tax collections are slowing as cars get more miles on each gallon, and as $4 pump prices force Americans to reduce their driving. A few years from now, many Americans might be driving plug-in electric and fuel-cell cars that don’t use gas at all.

That’s true, and N.C. State economist Michael Walden agrees that our current gas tax simply cannot support our transportation infrastructure.  And in a state and region growing as rapidly as Durham, Wake, Chatham and Orange Counties, I fully agree.

They start looking for volunteers next week, and if you are interested, you can check out (by phone, toll-free) 866-363-1975 or www.roaduserstudy.org.

Ultimately, I am not sure how well this will go.  I have no doubt that SUV owners and teamsters will fare far better with a tax measure such as this, but how will drivers of electric, hybrid, or alternative fuel vehicles feel about being taxed per mile?  And if they have issues, should they?  After all, if we are all taxed the same per mile we drive, then we all pay our fair amount for utilizing our roadways.

If we are all paying per mile taxes to our fed and state governments, wouldn’t that be another great reminder to think twice about how you get where you want to go, and which method of fuel you are using?

But when we drive out of state, will our own state still tax us for the miles driven?  Or will we receive tax bills from the federal government and various state governments for that period?

By the way, if the government is watching us drive to and fro in order to collect taxes on us, won’t that be a huge expense out of tax-payer pockets ~ just to make the project work?  Where will those tax dollars come from, and at the expense of what else?

Will driving with government installed GPS in our vehicles remind us a bit that “Big Brother is Watching”?

And here come the questions…

I, for one, will be contacting them about volunteering.  I think it would be great to find out more on the project… not to mention could make some great material for Green Grounded…

Stay tuned.

Sustainably yours ~  Ashley Sue