We don’t really care to comment about South Carolina’s Governor, Mark Sanford’s admission today that he had an affair with an Argentinian woman. We like to steer clear of politics and keep life focused on what really counts — the eco side of the economy.

But what we cannot understand is his misrepresentation to his wife and staff — and really, to all of us — that he was on the Appalachian Trail when he wasn’t.  (See yesterday’s post.) We were so proud of him as we imagined him hiking amidst all those outdoorsy folks, walking stoically past those out there out parading in their birthday suits  on Naked Hiking Day on the Appalachian Trail — eyes straight ahead and thinking only of the beauty of nature.

No, what is really hard to believe is that anyone would chose Argentina over the Appalachian Trail.  We are mystified and a little sad about being misled.

But we are pleased that in his press conference today, Governor Sanford did reaffirm his love of the Appalachian Trail. And after all this brouhaha, maybe a peaceful hike on that trail would be just what he –and all of us, come to think of it — need to think things over.

So once again, turn off the TV, put down the paper, and check out the Appalachian Trail website for the the fastest way to hit the trail and get away from it all.

Photo Credit: purebound.com

Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina is no longer considered missing. Though he seems to have disappeared for a few days over Father’s Day, his staff now says he was just out hiking  the Appalachian Trail and could not be reached. And it is only a “coincidence” that he was out there on Naked Hiking Day — yes, there is a naked hiking day on the trail — celebrated on the first day of summer. (No, that is not the Governor in any of these photos.)

The Governor has still not returned, according to the Christian Science Monitor but his wife says she is not concerned — he was writing something and needed his space. The staff say Naked Day had nothing to do with his disappearance. And the Park rangers say that they do not condone or encourage Naked Day — and people caught out in nature au naturel could get fined.

Who says hiking can’t be sexy?

For more on hiking the Appalachian Trail — any day — go to their website. Clothes optional.

By Susan Seliger

If you want to feel trim and fit so you can get outside in the great green world, forget diet pills, carb-counting and weight-tracking. Just remember one simple trick — think small.

We’re talking utensils here.

No doubt you’ve heard that the key to healthy eating and losing weight is eating smaller portions. But that takes self-control. And who has that?

Well, you can trick yourself into exerting portion control simply by using smaller plates, smaller bowls — and, according to a medical study, smaller serving spoons.

Researchers In a study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that people who used larger serving spoons gave themselves 14.5% more ice cream – and those with larger bowls, gave themselves 31% more ice cream.

When the test subjects used both a large spoon and a large bowl, it was an even bigger disaster — they ate 56.8 % more ice cream than those using smaller tools. And these subjects included nutrition experts who you’d think would know better! Hey, we’re all just human — and, it turns out, slaves to our utensils.  (The American Journal of Preventive Medicine published the study.)

See– smaller is beautiful!

I wonder if sitting on a smaller chair could have a similar effect on your … No? Not the same? Darn.

Photo credit: wwww.veggievampire.net

I have come up with a discovery so beautiful in its simplicity that I feel like 3M’s Art Fry and colleague Spencer Silver must have felt upon inventing the Post-It Note decades ago. And like those fine gentlemen, I am giving this discovery away free.

The technique for doubling the life of Post-It notes is so simple and elegant that I don’t know why I have not read about it before. As you’ll see when I reveal the technique below, (which I am affectionately calling, “Be Nice, Use It Twice”) you’ll wish you had started years ago.

Can you imagine the savings??? There are 6,005,000,000 post it notes sold every year – 6 billion – according to Wiki Answers. (If six 100-packs cost about $10, that’s $100 million right there.)

Though 3M’s sales are down 20% from last year, the company is still reporting first-quarter sales of $5.1 billion, — over $20 billion per year – and a good chunk of that is from those cute little sticky notes, according to  Industrial Distribution, a Reed Business publication.

Everybody loves to use those cute notes with the low-tack adhesive on the back. They’re not just stuck all over your office and mine. The FBI uses so many of them that they’ve coined a term for them: FLYNs.

“That stands for ‘funny little yellow notes.’ Except I’m cleaning it up when I say ‘funny,’” according to Fry, one of the inventors of the notes as quoted in an entertaining article by Greg Beato, called Twenty-Five Years of Post-it Notes.

The U.S. Post Office uses a higher-adhesive version of the yellow address labels to forward mail.

Who doesn’t use them?

So get ready to save big: Double your usage, double your fun. Here’s how.

Be Nice, Use It Twice Technique

1. After you have filled out the top of the post-it note – and you have already done the chore: BUY MILK, DEODERANT, DOG FOOD – Fold the note up and over at the point where the adhesive bar at the top ends. Make a sharp crease.

2. You will see before you a whole new post-it note. Write a second message, then lift the note back up a little and it will stand up like a little message-soldier.

The area to write on is slightly smaller. But the second-time around the note is even more helpful at reminding you what to do because it STANDS UP instead of lying flat on your desk. How cute is that!

If everyone took this simple step, we could save hard-working, multi-tasking Americans (with memory deficits that require post-it notes to survive) over $100 million a year. Maybe this simple act won’t exactly empty the landfills, but imagine how much space we could save by keeping over 6 billion of these little sticky suckers out of the dumps every year.

Be nice, Use it twice.

By Susan Seliger
I miss grilling fiercely. When I lived out in the burbs, I loved moving the heat of summer cooking out of the kitchen onto the deck. I’d keep flaming my food through fall – and sometimes I’d even put my boots on, sweep the snow off the grill cover, and fire up the Bar-B through the New year.

Now that I’ve moved back into the city and into an apartment, grilling is frowned upon. Even though we have a common roof deck, gas grills are not allowed and charcoal and toxic lighter fluid are too messy — and hardly eco-friendly.

But my grilling days may not be over. I just found a brand new product on the market this month that is a clean, green alternative to charcoal and gas – that’s faster and cheaper, too.

It’s called the uGO™ FlameDisk™ and it’s a round, well, tin disk (looks a little like the old Jiffy Pop popcorn popper before it’s been popped) that contains ethanol (a renewable biofuel) and a little (4%) methanol. Charcoal, on the other hand — and lighter fluid – contain petroleum-based components from fossil fuels which are non-renewable. Propane gas is made entirely from non-renewable fossil fuels. According to EPA estimates, more than 90% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. come from the combustion of fossil fuels.

How Does It Work?

Here’s how this flame disk works: Place the disk into an open grill (an ordinary charcoal grill or hibachi will do), peel the cover off, light one of the holes on top with a single match – and boom – ooops, wait, not a boom, just a little whoosh – the disk ignites. Then put the food grate back over the disk – and four minutes later (compared to at least 30 minutes for charcoal) you’re ready to cook.

Yeah, But What About Taste?

The manufacturer claims that the “smoke plate” built in yields a genuine flame-grilled taste because the juices from the foods drip down onto it, causing it to flare and smoke, just as with other methods of grilling. Cooking time and temperature is supposed to be about the same as charcoal.

My Experience on the Grill

I hauled a little grill up to the roof deck of my apartment building where propane is not allowed.  With one match, I was able to get the disc burning. And within a few minutes — not even enough time to get halfway through a beer — the grill was ready to go. Things went fine when I started with the red peppers and onions until I poured a little extra olive oil marinade on — and the resulting flame flared up and charred the veggies a bit more than I might have liked. The same thing happened with the steaks as the juices started to drip. If my grill had been one with an adjustable-height grate, it would have been easier to control the cooking temperature. Instead, i just kept moving the steak to different parts of the grill to find spots where the flame had died down.

As for taste — even with a little more charring than I used to get with my old pre-eco-conscious propane grill — the flavor was delicious and indistinguishable from gas or charcoal.

And the cleanup was far easier than charcoal. The flame disc died out after about 40 minutes of grilling. And the grill cooled fast– no waiting for hours as with charcoal.  That’s a  particularly handy safety feature if you’re camping or having a tailgating party. And there was no messy, greasy charcoal ash to dispose of. The company says the disc is made of recyclable materials as is all the packaging.

And Price?

A pack of three disks sells for about $19.99 (including shipping). For more info, or to buy the product, or to check out a video of how the disk compares to charcoal, go to the Flame Disk web site. Here’s a list of the retailers selling the disc.

Summer may just taste a little better this year, after all.

]]> http://www.goodgreentips.com/2009/05/get-grilling-here%e2%80%99s-a-clean-green-alternative-to-charcoal-and-gas/feed/ 3 http://www.goodgreentips.com/2009/05/8-great-college-biking-programs-free-bikes-rentals-even-valet-bike-parking/ http://www.goodgreentips.com/2009/05/8-great-college-biking-programs-free-bikes-rentals-even-valet-bike-parking/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 13:20:20 +0000 susan http://www.goodgreentips.com/?p=841 By Susan Seliger

College campuses are launching a variety of innovative programs to get students to kick the car habit and take up biking. Motivations for these greening efforts vary – some schools are running out of parking spaces. Others want to encourage healthy living to help students ward off that “Freshman 15” – a weight gain that, despite its name, can carry over into senior year. And still others say giving bikes the edge over cars is an easy way to lower the school’s carbon footprint and keep the campus green and beautiful.

1. Nothing beats free: The University of New England and Ripon College in Wisconsin are giving free bikes to every new student who agrees not to bring a car on campus. At Ripon, David Joyce, the president of the college, who is such a bike enthusiast that he builds bikes in his basement, has thrown in a free helmet, lights and a bike lock along with the Trek 820 mountain bike – which students get to keep.

2. Rent a bike: St. Xavier University in Chicago launched a bike-sharing system that allows students to unlock and pay for the bikes with a wave of their ID card (costs about $2.50 an hour).

3. Biking made easy and secure – valet parking?: Stanford University has set up bike racks with space for over 12,000 bikes all over campus – and they offer valet bike parking for special events such as the Cardinals home football games.

4. Free Bikes and more: The University of New England is giving not only free bikes to Freshman who promise not to bring cars on campus, but they also offer free Zipcars and free downtown shuttle service and discounted taxi or limo service.

5. Recycling bikes: Mercer University in Macon, Ga., is refurbishing old bikes for students – and painting them orange and black, the university colors.

6. Discounts and Free Rentals: Emory University in Atlanta launched Bike Emory, in August 2007, and works with local bike shops to provide bikes that students can rent and ride for free — or buy their own at discounts. Students also get a free helmet, lock and taillight. And if you don’t want to go to class all sweaty after the bike ride, no problem. Emory has installed showers in buildings and added bike racks to its free campus shuttle buses.

7. Bike-sharing– check out a book or a bike: Ohio State University lets students check out a Schwinn Heavy Duty Cruiser for 48 hours from the recreational center just as easily as they can walk into their library and check out a book.

8. Commuter Bikes for Free: Michael Zane, founder and former president of Kryptonite Locks, donated 96 commuter bicycles to his alma mater, Franklin & Marshall College, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

MORE, MORE, MORE…
To find out what you can do to keep your bike from getting stolen – or to recover it if it is, register your bike at the The National Bike Registry.

For more info on biking on college campuses, check out Bicycling Magazine’s article
and this New York Times round-up: With Free Bikes, Challenging Car Culture on Campus

Photo credit: www.washington.edu

May is biking month in New York City – and this traffic-choked town kicked off the celebrations last weekend with The 5-Boro Bike Tour, the largest recreational cycling event in the United States.

I was there, May 3, 2009, for all 40+ miles. Just me and 30,0000 other bikers, who showed up, despite the wind, the cold and the rain that pelted us mercilessly every turn of the wheel.

Now usually this bike race is one of the most exhilarating biking adventures imaginable. It is well-organized — the city shuts down auto traffic on a 40-mile path stretching through all five boroughs of the city and turns the streets over to the bikers. There’s no better feeling than pedaling along wide roads that you usually see filled with honking, tail-gating, belching autos now packed with cyclists to make you feel alive and eco-virtuous.

And before I tell you about this year’s race — I recommend everyone sign up for it next year. Keep this web address handy as you have to register to ride and it fills up fast: http://www.bikenewyork.org

This year, however, it was wet, and cold, and windy and rainy. In short, miserable biking conditions. And did I mention, wet? But the race proceeds, rain or shine. So nearly 30,000 of us – some on bicycles built for two, some parents towing babies behind in covered carts,(I coveted those covered carts) and even a few unicycles — cycled from the base of Manhattan, up through the Bronx, down the FDR drive over the 59^th Street Bridge into Queens, down through Brooklyn and into the home stretch up the straight-uphill climb of the Verrazzano Bridge into Staten Island.

Usually there are many fun rest stops along the way, to munch on snacks provided by sponsors of the race, and rest up on green hillsides before moving on. This year, however, the rest stops offered no shelter from the foul weather – unless you count the port-a-potties, which I do not. . My biking buddy and I decided we would just press on – so we stopped only once, for 20 minutes to eat a soggy sandwich. That may be why by the time we reached the home stretch my body was drenched, (plastic ponchos have a way of lifting up as you ride to welcome the rain), my sneakers were making squishy, water-logged noises, and my knees were screaming for mercy with every pedal-stroke.

But it’s a great feeling to watch motorists stream by (on the other side of the highway that was not closed off) watching all the cyclists and being reminded that there is another way to travel. Ok, maybe not in the rain – and maybe they were just thinking we were nuts to be out there in the rain, but still…

This is one thing I know… you won’t find a parade of 60,000 more amazing calf muscles than I saw last weekend anywhere else on earth. Or 30,000 crazier but indomitable biking spirits.

Get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature on Earth Day. Are you willing to venture further than your backyard, but you don’t know where to go? Here are some cool tools and great resources to help you rediscover the wonder of it all.

1. Visit a nature preserve: The Nature Conservancy has a cool tool – just click on their map or the state-by-state listing and discover a nature preserve near you.

2. Take a hike: The Localhikes web site provides information on local hiking opportunities near both large and small metropolitan areas in the United States.

3. Go hiking, biking and backpacking: Trails.com will help you find the places to go whether you travel on two legs or two wheels.

4. Biking and/or horsebackriding in the US: Rails to trails Conservancy is a great resource for biking trails and an organization devoted to converting old, unused rail lines into wonderful biking, hiking and horsebackriding trails. Check out Trail Link.

5. Scenic Drives: If you have elderly relatives who are not up to a strenuous walk, but still want to enjoy the beauty of nature, take a look at these lists of scenic drives and scenic byways will help. Get into that electric vehicle or hybrid (we know you have one), roll down the windows and see what nature has to offer.

Top 10 Scenic Drives on Gorp.

US Dept. of Transportation.

Scenic drives on Trails.com.

Photo credit: www.BecomeNatural.com

1. Use what you’ve got in the cupboard — don’t go shopping again until the fridge is bare.

It’s amazing how much you can do with all those cans of food that you probably just keep pushing to the back when you buy new stuff. Check out Allrecipes.com where you can plug in what you’ve got, and the web site will come up with what you can cook with it. Keep some basic, nonperishable supplies in the cupboard (like cans of tuna, tomatoes, rice, pasta) and things that last for months in the fridge (like sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, olives) that will add life to your fresh ingredients. BONUS: At the end, I’ve included one of my family’s favorite, tangy, low-cal meals you can make with stuff you can always keep on hand that can’t go bad. (See Tuna –noodle pizazz, below.)

2. Use smaller plates.

The best way to lose weight is to cut down on portion size, day in and day out. The average plateful is two-to-three times a healthy-sized serving. You’d be amazed at how much more satisfying a small portion looks on a smaller plate. You don’t feel deprived – and you’ve saved calories and money as your groceries will stretch farther. To find out what a real portion size is for any food, check out this nifty tool, a Portion Calculator at Lifehacker.

3. Try a new mantra: Doggie bags are divine.

If you’re smart, you’re not going out to eat much. So when you do, you’d better stretch that one meal into two. Learn to love leftovers. Who says that little bit of your entrée and the vegetables isn’t enough for another meal? Have you forgotten so soon what we said about portion size? (See #2). Cut up the main dish into small bites, cook up some nice chewy brown rice or toss in a few more sautéed vegetables and you’ve expanded those leftovers into a full meal. filled out will

4. Don’t toss leftover tossed salad – keep it for the next day.

I know gourmands turn up their noses at day-old salad, but if you think of it as marinated vegetables instead of wilted lettuce, it tastes much better – and the nutritional value is pretty much the same. (On day three, even I give up. Toss it onto the compost heap — and while you’re out there, take a walk around the block for a little more exercise.)

5. Shun prepared foods — Slice, dice and cook it yourself

You can pay twice as much or more for ingredients that are prepped – like grated cheeses and bottled garlic. In addition, cut up foods go bad much faster than whole foods – so you can lose two ways. Prepared foods are handy – but here, too, you’re paying double, sometimes triple the costs of whipping it up yourself. Why pay twice as much for a ready-made roast chicken (rarely organic), when making your own chicken is so simple: wash and remove the innards, pat dry, then slather a little Dijon mustard all over the outside (don’t be squeamish, use your hands) and throw it in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes a pound. Cheap – low-cal, and fresh.

RECIPE: Susan’s Tuna –Noodle Pizazz — in 20 minutes flat

So easy — you can always keep these non-perishable ingredients on hand — and it takes as little as 20 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients: Serves 4

Olive oil – 1-2 TBSP.

Garlic – 2 cloves chopped

One Onion chopped or 2-4 scallions sliced — optional.

One large can of whole or crushed tomatoes – strained through slotted spoon.

One jar marinated artichokes – optional

Olives (sliced or whole) or capers – optional

One can tuna

Pasta — One-pound bag

Preparation:

Put up a large pot of water to boil for the pasta – throw in a sprinkle of salt – and cover (that speeds up the boiling and saves energy).

Pour enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large frying pan.

On medium heat, sauté some fresh chopped garlic (you can throw in an onion (diced) or scallions (sliced) if they’re sitting around getting moldy in your fridge

Add a large can of Italian plum tomatoes and heat through.

Add a jar of marinated artichokes – if you have it – and put it on your grocery list for next time if you don’t. If you don’t have it, throw in some olives or capers or sliced sun-dried tomatoes for a tangy touch.

Add spices – a couple of pinches of basil, oregano, salt and pepper (ground fresh is best, but whatever you’ve got works).

Now stir in a can of tuna (drained).

Turn down the heat to low, and it will heat through by the time the pasta is done.

Add pasta (whatever kind you like) to boiling water, stir with big fork to avoid clumping, and cook (most one pound boxes need 6-8 minutes for al dente). Drain pasta.

Now you’re ready to spoon the sauce on the pasta, turn down the lights, light a candle, and enjoy!

Photo credit: www.simonyounes.com

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