The New Oxford American Dictionary named hypermiling word of the year on Nov. 11.
I wish that hypermiling is not just a fad and a word that will soon be forgotten.
What hypermilers do is just common sense. Keep tires inflated properly, remove junk from the trunk, and drive below 60 mph, are all common-sense ways to maximize gas mileage.
But the problem is many people don't do the small things that truly can help their pocketbook and the planet. Barack Obama was ridiculed for telling people to keep their tires inflated properly.
As a side note, there are hypermilers who take things to dangerous extremes. There is now a foundation created to educate people about safe hypermiling techniques.
The Safe Hypermiling Foundation is founded by someone from Florida. http://hypermilingfoundation.org/ Unfortunately, the site doesn't have much on it. Seems like it's at an early stage of development.
Extreme hypermilers apparently have been known to coast with the engine off or draft behind trucks, according to Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermiling
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Imagine a farm housed in a skyscraper
My friend Greg Gross recently turned me onto a futuristic concept known as vertical farming.
Just imagine a greenhouse that goes up many stories, with each floor devoted to growing a different type of food. You can have one floor of vegetables. Another of herbs, and yet another of grains.
Vertical farms make sense for many reasons. Right off, they save space. Horizontal farming is increasingly losing out to development.
More important, vertical farms offer something that tradtional farms don't, which is a controlled environment. Indoors, the temperature and other conditions can be adjusted to the perfect level to maximize crop yield.
Infestations and bad weather are kept out. That means herbicides aren't necessary.
Vertical farms can be located in major population centers. That means food is harvested where they are grown, eliminating the transportation costs and pollution that results from having to haul food from farms to cities. Urban residents are sure to feel more food-secure with farms in their midst.
In cities throughout America, there is currently a vibrant urban farming movement going on that encourages people to create edible gardens. Maybe this movement will someday mature to include vertical farming.
Here are some interesting links on vertical farming: http://www.verticalfarm.com/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21154137/
Just imagine a greenhouse that goes up many stories, with each floor devoted to growing a different type of food. You can have one floor of vegetables. Another of herbs, and yet another of grains.
Vertical farms make sense for many reasons. Right off, they save space. Horizontal farming is increasingly losing out to development.
More important, vertical farms offer something that tradtional farms don't, which is a controlled environment. Indoors, the temperature and other conditions can be adjusted to the perfect level to maximize crop yield.
Infestations and bad weather are kept out. That means herbicides aren't necessary.
Vertical farms can be located in major population centers. That means food is harvested where they are grown, eliminating the transportation costs and pollution that results from having to haul food from farms to cities. Urban residents are sure to feel more food-secure with farms in their midst.
In cities throughout America, there is currently a vibrant urban farming movement going on that encourages people to create edible gardens. Maybe this movement will someday mature to include vertical farming.
Here are some interesting links on vertical farming: http://www.verticalfarm.com/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21154137/
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Glamping anyone?
As you can see, I am a sucker for made-up words.
The latest word I've spotted in the lexicon of the hip and green is glamping, as in glamorous camping, where you can have your cake _ enjoy nature _ and eat it too _ have the creature comforts of civilization.
Imagine sleeping in a spacious and well-appointed tent, pitched for you, that comes with a real bed and 250-thread count sheets.
Only marketers can dream up a concept as ridiculous as glamping and call the resulting product green vacations. Glamping is for the suckers who are willing to pay resort prices for a novelty experience.
Glamping doesn't come cheap. For example, one Santa Barbara resort, which features both safari tents and cedar cabins, charges $145 per night for tents from April through November. Off season, the price is $125.
Glampers miss the whole point of nature, the joy of experiencing it in its pure form, with all of its rough edges.
The latest word I've spotted in the lexicon of the hip and green is glamping, as in glamorous camping, where you can have your cake _ enjoy nature _ and eat it too _ have the creature comforts of civilization.
Imagine sleeping in a spacious and well-appointed tent, pitched for you, that comes with a real bed and 250-thread count sheets.
Only marketers can dream up a concept as ridiculous as glamping and call the resulting product green vacations. Glamping is for the suckers who are willing to pay resort prices for a novelty experience.
Glamping doesn't come cheap. For example, one Santa Barbara resort, which features both safari tents and cedar cabins, charges $145 per night for tents from April through November. Off season, the price is $125.
Glampers miss the whole point of nature, the joy of experiencing it in its pure form, with all of its rough edges.
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