Student on Censorship in Missoula School

Attempting to have an insightful, in-depth conversation with a young adult about current events, literature, politics, religion, or any topic outside the teen bubble is often like trying to have a conversation with my toddler, although to her credit the two year old is usually more responsive than the "I don't know." offered by a teen.*

Kudos then to Ana Beard, a Hellgate High School (Missoula, MT) senior, who defies my generalization by offering her response to censorship in the classroom by the Missoula School Board in a well written article posted on 4&20.

The censorship revolves around the use of a video entitled "The Story of Stuff" a Big Sky High School (Missoula, MT) teacher used to incite discussion amongst her wildlife biology students. The film criticises the consumer culture fostered by corporate America and the American people in general.

My thought: Isn't any material that asks young adults to critically think and look beyond themselves, the latest fashion trend, celebrity gossip, or computer gadget a good thing?

* To a teen, this is evidence of crotchetiness that defies my years.

"Cross Country..." with Robert Sullivan

I'm suffering from post-election, post-New Year's hangover, and I think reality is setting in. It's time for a good escape.

...started a book entitled "Cross Country: Fifteen Years and 90,000 Miles on the Roads and Interstates of Amer..." blah, blah, blah (long title) about a transcontinental trip from Portland to New York by author Robert Sullivan, his wife, and two kids. It was recommended by my brother-in-law (not a bad read, bro).

Less than a hundred pages in and following the return path of Lewis and Clark (much to the disinterest of his family), the author and family top Lolo Pass on Highway 12, take a dip in the hot springs, and decide to spend the night in Missoula. The next morning they park downtown to get some coffee and visit a few shops. They...

"stop at a great little bookstore just up from the Missoula train station and buy way too many books, stuffing our car in a fashion that would halt our progress entirely if we were crossing the country the way families first did, when the United States was expanding shortly after the return of Lewis and Clark." (p.78)

Hmm... I wonder what book store Sullivan is referring to? (wink)

Next stop: a round of golf at the black slag lined hazards of the Old Works in Anaconda.

A Food Movement for Everyone

The September issue of National Geographic ran a small section entitled “Eco-Living: Food” describing 4 food movements. As I could not find links online, I took excerpts and listed them below. The food movements listed are not completely distinct and some are more restrictive than others, but for someone interested in reducing America’s dependence on oil, eating healthier, reducing the unnecessary chemicals introduced to our foods, or simply to appreciate food better, there is a movement or combination of movements for everyone (and it's not just for city slickers).

Eating Green
"What does eating green mean? It’s choosing organics when possible, emphasizing vegetables, fruits, and grains over meats, and striving to find locally produced foods that travel fewer miles from field to market to kitchen. These can help cut down a meal’s carbon footprint, or 'foodprint,' according to Cornell University nutrition researcher Jennifer Wilkins. Shoppers who walk, bicycle, or take public transportation to nearby farmers markets will reduce it even further. Maintaining a small foodprint minimizes the amount of natural resources used, but it doesn’t have to mean depriving the palate. Consumers, Wilkins says, can eat a seasonal selection that 'celebrates what your local farmers grow, week by week.' Such flavorful ingredients might be reward enough for saving the world – one meal at a time." –Diane Cole

Slow Food
Because it takes time to savor each of the courses that make up a traditional Italian meal, it seems fitting that the Slow Food movement – fast food’s antithesis – was founded in Italy. Created by gastronome Carlo Petrini in the late 1980s, the now international organization does not advocate spending endless hours in the kitchen, however. It promotes a style of eating and cooking based on taste, freshness, and quality of local ingredients. Equally important to its mission is the preservation of individual regional specialties, the cultivation of local plants, and the rediscovery of artisanal food-production techniques.

Organic Farming
More than 76.6 million acres of land around the world now carry organic certification, a boom fueled by a $40 billion international demand for organic foods. As a 2007 study from the University of Michigan challenges old assumptions that yields from organic farms can’t compete with those from conventional agriculture, an even greener map appears likely.

The Fife Diet
Food’s a subject close to home for Mike Small. In November 2007 the Fife, Scotland, man convinced local people to dine for a year solely on foods produced in their 40-by-30 mile area. Air-freighted goods – not from Scotland – are off-limits. Permitted in the Fife Diet are produce, eggs, and meat from nearby farms, as well as home-brewed beer. “It’s liberating, discovering what your region can and can’t produce,” says Small. Even for those outside Fife, eating what’s grown close by has benefits. Buying local food just three times a week “would make an enormous impact,” says New York University food studies professor Marion Nestle, by increasing demand and supporting farmers.

The major thread through three of these movements is "local," but don't think it's just a big city fad. There are many places in Western Montana to buy produce and meat grown and harvested locally. For example, farmers markets in Hamilton (Saturdays 9-12:30), Stevensville (Saturdays 9-1:00), and Darby (Tuesdays 4-8pm) offer a good selection of local goods throughout the summer and fall. And the Missoula farmers market just a few miles farther North, offers a slightly larger selection and runs Saturday 9-noon. If you want beef, Maki Farms, located outside of Corvallis, specializes in "beef bred, born, raised, fed, and finished... with homegrown food supply." And if it's organic dairy products you crave, check out the Lifeline Farm in Victor. So whatever your food movement, whatever your reasoning, there are local options available to meet your needs (and save the world - one meal at a time).

Other informative links: Our Good Earth – the future rests on the soil beneath our feet (pic above); Green Guide – learn more about green living

Revisiting "Common Sense..." (2 of 5)

Public Transportation

This is not an option for my family.

Public transportation is a tough sell in a rural area. The valley has the Bitterroot Bus that covers the Hamilton/Corvallis/Granstsdale area, but my pie in the sky idea is a light rail running from the valley to Missoula. It would be nice to be able to leave the family car at home, jump on a train, and ride it up Reserve St., across Broadway, circle through downtown Missoula., and back down the Bitterroot. A train would take some commuter traffic off Highway 93 during the week and provide an easy way to travel to Missoula for the occasional shopping trip on the weekend. But it takes money, a steady ridership, and it would have to be less expensive and/or more convenient than driving. I understand that the Bitterroot doesn’t have a centralized enough population to make it easily feasible, but the track is already there and there is only one way in and out of the valley heading North. But… I won’t hold my breath.

Carpooling

The incentive to carpool is simple. Fewer drivers and more passengers equals fewer fill-ups and more money in the bank. We carpool often during the summer on weekend trips to softball tournaments. I remember in the past I’d ask the fellas, “Who wants to carpool?” I’d often receive a less than enthusiastic mumbled response that was meant to imply that most would rather drive themselves. Now, I don’t even have to suggest it. Everyone is trying to figure out how to fit the maximum number of guys into as few automobiles as possible. It’s funny how pricey gasoline changes attitudes.

Walking and Biking

My daughter and I put a few miles on our shoes in the course of a week. We hit the bank, the library, the book store, the church, and take multiple trips to the grocery store, all under the power of our own legs. Again, where we live makes it convenient, but there are enough incentives to walking that we’d do it regardless. The biggest advantage being after a morning of running errands the little one is ready for her daily nap which leaves time for Dad to catch up on the news, sports, bills, laundry, dishes, writing, reading,… everything a little girl won’t let Dad do when she’s awake.

If we need to travel a little farther, faster, my wife and I bike. She rides her bike to work five days a week and I ride to the park in the evenings to catch a softball game. I have extra motivation to bike, also. I loathe getting into a broiling car on a hot summer day. It brings back too many bad memories of sitting in traffic on a sweltering day in a certain midwestern city's sprawl trying to get home from work.

Walking, biking, and carpooling keeps our fuel bill small. We fill up the car about once a month. Not bad! And by not driving, we're being rewarded twice. The wife, ‘lil Grettlebug, and I get daily exercise and it costs us and the environment nada, zero, zilch, nothing!

Next time…
Make Your Home Energy Sufficient, Green Your Dream Home

Common Sense Things We Can Do To Decrease America’s Reliance On Oil (and Save a Few Bucks) (Part 6 of 10)

Walking and Biking: Alternative Modes of Transportation

Alternative modes of transportation are anything other than a car, bus, or train. Because in America, motorized transport is primary. Anything else and you might have to break a sweat (and we don’t want to do that).

What’s the best alternative mode of transportation in America? Walking. Just put one foot in front of another. As they say in the infomercials, “It’s that easy!” Add in a pair of comfortable shoes and you’ve got a healthy, cost effective, eco-friendly way to transport yourself from point A to point B. Of course, effective walking does require some forethought. Ideally you have chosen a place to live that puts you within a short pedestrian commute from work, the grocery store, post office, and/or good shopping. By being within walking distance of a place you frequent it cuts down on the number of times you have to fire up that engine and fuel up the tank. And if you happen to be running a little late, just kick it into high gear. A little running never hurt anyone. Are you sold yet?

Do you have a little longer commute? Rather then creating stress by driving to work, reduce your stress by biking. Bicycling can be one of the most pleasant ways to commute. You experience the environment outside the confines of your automobile. You get to work and work out at the same time. It’s easier to park a bike than a car (and less expensive). And bike friendly towns like Missoula, MT and Madison, WI give cyclists their own lane on the road. If you are within five miles of your destination, biking is a great way to get there.

Of course, biking to work does require some planning, especially if appearances are important. A locker room at work with showers where you can store work clothes for the week is ideal, but if it isn’t available, a bathroom to change in and alcohol towelettes will clean you up quickly. If you bike in your work clothes, invest in some saddlebags for your bike to carry anything you’ll need for the day. Wearing a pack will leave you with a sweat stain on your back.

What are my bike options? We all have images of ourselves as Lance Armstrong on our bikes, but only he benefits from a carbon fiber composite frame, machined aluminum wheels, high-end rim breaks, and the latest and greatest footwear. He, unlike many of us, benefits from endless cash reserves also. Hi-tech, expensive equipment will hardly improve your morning commute. Commuter bikes and hybrids provide comfort and utility at a reasonable price. The rider sits taller, more comfortably, on a commuter bike than on a road bike and the larger diameter wheels make pedaling more efficient than on a mountain bike. A reasonable commuter bike or hybrid ranges in price from $300 to $1000. You can add on features like saddlebags, lamps, and fenders for small change. If you need to stow your bike in your workspace, a collapsible bike is a good fit. Some fold down to the size of a suitcase.

If you can’t bike or walk all the way to work, mix and match. Walk to a bus stop. Bike to a park-and-ride and meet your carpool. Bike to the platform the nearest commuter rail. Drive to a park near work and bike the rest of the way. The ways to green up your morning commute are endless and you might get a little exercise in the process.

I’d like to thank Rusty for jumping the gun with his questions on May 19th. He was right on the mark. You can check out his bicycle woes on his blog, Rust Never Sleeps. I don’t mean to discriminate against lazy people, so for those who hate to break a sweat, check out these green motorized options (scooters, mopeds).