Trike · Eco-Chick

Browsing all posts tagged with trike

Barefoot Walking and Running: Best of Both Worlds with Vivo Barefoot Sneakers

My Viva Terras. Cute on the trail or off.

Last summer, I was walking up from the beach at Gay’s Head on Martha’s Vineyard. (They’ve renamed the place Aquinnah, but I’m sticking with the original name, thank you very much) and then headed up the steep dunes, and over the top. When I got to where the sand meets the more rocky soil, I stopped to put my Chakos back on, but then decided to go barefoot instead.

As I walked up the path, seagrasses waving in the setting sun all around me, I could feel what was beneath my feet change. It started more sandy, and warmed from the sun, then small pebbles cropped up, and as I went around a bend, I felt the ground cool and dampen and the pebbles recede into the soft, more claylike walkway. As I headed up another rise, warmth again seeped between my toes, and as I reached the road to wait for the bus, the concrete burned my feet and I put my shoes on.

On that ten minute walk, I remembered something I knew as a child, which is that you miss tons of information from the earth when constantly wear shoes. I used to spend entire summers essentially barefoot (I grew up at the end of a dirt road in the Hudson Valley) and when I was 8 I could have told you how long it had been since rain from the viscosity of the mud that pushed between my toes since I spent hours I playing in the wetland next to my house. I don’t know if I could tell you that now, though I’m certain I could learn again.

Men’s Vivo Barefoots at the Terra Plana store.

So when a couple months ago I heard about the barefoot running movement, and the new book, Born to Run, I was intrigued. The premise is that our fancy $200 uberpadded sneakers are actually BAD for our bodies when running, and can actually cause or exacerbate injury. Which makes sense if you think about the fact that we have only been wearing such contraptions for about 20 years (flat, unpadded Converse All Stars were the sneaker of choice for basketball players for years). So I went hiking with a friend in Connecticut and took off my sandals and did a bit of trailrunning with naked feet, which was fun as long as I was careful (and this forces one to focus on each step, which is interesting). And then…

book, car, comedy, decor, eating, farm, farms, health, Home, humor, kids, media, MTV, Organic, shoes, spa, style, summer, Target, Technology, trike, tv

The ULTIMATE (Eco) Chick-Mobile!

10 Comments

by Starre Vartan · 06/15/09

The second I saw this shot on the gas 2.0 page, I knew I wanted one! This has to be the coolest car ever! This is what I want for Christmas (or before, if possible, LOL).

The XR3 is a three-wheeled plug-in diesel hybrid, getting 225 mpg, or if you’re cruising on diesel alone, about 125 mpg.

From the original article by my friend and eco-car enthusiast, Jerry James Stone:

Introduced back in June of 2008, the two-passenger car was designed so it can be assembled using readily available parts. Fully constructed, the car weighs in at 1480 pounds and has top speed of 80mph. And while you can only get 40 miles out of its li-ion battery pack, it can be plugged into any standard wall socket.

More pix and info here.

cars, diesel, electric, trike

Tell the USDA to Regulate GE/GMOs

2 Comments

by Kimberly Jordan Allen · 03/17/09

Genetically modified organisms were not sufficiently tested before entering our food chain. Today, more than 60-70% of packaged foods contain ingredients that have been genetically engineered. Loopholes have allowed industry to avoid disclosure regarding genetically altered food products and it is time to demand testing and regulation. Concerned citizens have the chance to voice their concern to the USDA.

The folks at FoodDemocracyNow! have sent out a simple form letter that you can copy and paste. It is time to stop experimenting on our bodies. Do you really want to eat a tomato that contains the genetic information of a grouper?

Here is a copy of the form letter – send yours! You can also contact your local legislators, join grassroots activist groups and work to strike up dialogue with anyone who cares about what they eat!

How to Submit Comments to the USDA:
Include “Docket Number APHIS-2008-0023” at the top of your correspondence or in the subject line of your email.
Online Instructions:
1. Click here to send your comments to the USDA electronically or go to:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=0900006480903a8e
The result with Document ID number “APHIS-2008-0023″ is the Interim Final Rule for comments on Importation, Interstate Movement, and Release into the Environment of Certain Genetically Engineered Organisms
2. Click on the “Add Comment” icon and follow the instructions on the next screen.
Tell USDA to: 1. Withdraw the proposed rule; 2. Release the EIS for public review and comment and to be used as a basis for further rule-making; and 3. Suspend all new GE crop approvals until the above has been satisfactorily completed and unless and until GE crops are proven safe.
SAMPLE LETTER (Please cut and paste)
To whom it may concern,
Docket No. APHIS-2008-0023
Regulatory Analysis and Development
PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8
4700 River Road Unit 118
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
Re: Docket No. APHIS-2008-0023, Importation, Interstate Movement, and Release into the Environment of Certain Genetically Engineered Organisms.
I am very concerned about the risks posed by genetically engineered crops. They threaten human health, family farmers, and the environment. I urge USDA to withdraw the proposed rule, publish the Environmental Impact Statement for public review and comment, and suspend all new GE crop approvals in the interim.
After USDA releases the EIS, a comment period of at least 90 days is needed so the public has the opportunity to fully participate in a transparent process on this important issue. This will not only aid in the development of the final EIS but also in the drafting of a new proposed rule. The current proposed rule does little to close the loopholes in the regulations the rule is designed to replace and it creates more gaps than it fills.
Sincerely,
Your Name Here!

car, design, farm, Food, fur, health, local, spa, trike, USDA

Green in Paris

13 Comments

by Melissa Goldberg · 05/19/08

So I think I have used up my allotment of fossil fuels for at least the remainder of this year, or more likely the next decade. Why? My husband surprised me with a birthday trip to Paris last weekend.

Americans have a love/hate relationship with the French. So of course as an American and a “greenist,” I had to do some hardcore observations of Parisian “green” habits and compare them to what we do here. What I discovered from my four days in the “City of Lights” is as follows.

(1) Recycling
There is a recycling program in place in Paris, but I am not sure if the Parisians are interested. On some streets they have huge recycling bins for bottles and cans, but most of them were covered with graffiti (which happens to be all over the city). In the parks, they have recycling bags next to the the garbage bags but as you can see in the picture, recyclables are also placed in the garbage bag. On a walking tour the Marais, I asked our tour guide about how well Parisians recycle. She said they are horrible and during our tour she opened a recycling bin from an apartment building to show us what she meant. It was filled with recyclables and non-recyclables.

(2) Reusables
My husband and I went in a few supermarkets (which I love to do whenever I travel abroad), and outdoor markets and I think I saw maybe 5 people using reusable bags. The worst was in the outdoor markets where you can buy fruits, vegetables, meats, cheese, bread, fish, flowers and much more. The biggest one we went to was in Versailles, and everything was put in a plastic bag. Many did bring their own reusable totes but those bags were then stuffed with plastic bags. It appeared to me that they may use more plastic bags than we use.

(3) Transportation
Paris is a very busy city with lot of traffic. But I would not say that they have any more traffic then New York City. They do drive smaller, and most likely, more efficient cars (I didn’t see one Hummer or SUV) and many people ride bikes and take the subway. I think more people ride bikes in Paris then they do in Manhattan–but not as many as in Beijing. But the most ingenious thing that we observed in Paris was a bike rental system called Velib. The system began in July 2007, with 10,000 bikes, and now they are up to 20,000 bikes all over Paris. Riders can buy monthly, daily or hourly passes to rent bikes stationed at more than 1,400 automated stations across the city. A bike can be rented from one station and returned to another. From what we saw, and from the doubling of the number of bikes in use, it appears that the Parisians love the system. My husband and I wished we had more time to try it out. Its funny, the first few days in Paris we weren’t sure what these bikes were. Initially we thought they were motorized, then we didn’t understand the rental system. By the time we figured out what was what it was it was time to go. I wonder if this would work in NYC?

(4) Food
You should know that I have an obsession with food. Our trip to Paris had some gastronomic highs–the picnic in Versailles– and some lows–dinner at Chez Andre off the Champs-Elysées. So of course I had to find out where the French food comes from. I think this is a department that they really do better than we do. French farmers say no to GMO’s –they even strike and riot to oppose them on a semi-regular basis. None of the fruits or vegetables grown in France are from genetically modified seeds. NONE! We can’t say anything like that here. You can also find organic produce in Paris. We spoke to some butchers and they insisted that none of the meat is treated with antibiotics or hormones and that beef is grass-fed. One of the butchers we spoke with even made a stink face when referring to grain fed beef. I could not find anywhere on the internet to confirm or deny this so I have to take their word, for now. I did ask Shannon Hayes, a grass-fed beef farmer from Sap Bush Farms and author of The Farmer and the Grill and she said “It is my understanding is that not all meat in France is grass-fed. But a fair amount is. Quite often it depends on the breed – charolais beef, for example, is supposed to be exclusively raised on grass. When I was there I saw a lot of cattle grazed and fed in the barn – a model that is infinitely more sustainable than factory farms, but not, according to our strict definitions, grass-fed. The meat is also much more likely to be raised on small farms, not from confinement facilities.”

So what do I take from my trip to Paris?

1- Thank you Lewis…I didn’t thank you when I was there, but I’m thanking you now.

2- The food there was at times overrated, and at times sublime. The baguettes in Versailles were the best I’ve ever had.

3- We might do a better job in recycling, and in moving towards a bagless shopping experience, but I’m not sure.

4- The quality of the produce in Paris far surpasses what we have here. I was thrilled by the freshness and the quality and the shopping experience.

5- Four days is just not enough time to be in Paris, but we missed our kids, and wanted to come home.

What are some of your “green” international observations?

To find out more about me ,check out my blog by clicking here.

bags, bikes, book, Bush, car, cars, epa, farm, farms, fish, Food, fruit, garbage, gas, Home, kids, Manhattan, meat, model, New York City, NYC, Organic, plastic, plastic bags, produce, recycle, Recycling, Reusable Bags, Shopping, spa, sport, style, sustainable, transportation, travel, trike

Beards Are The New Hotness!

13 Comments

by Starre Vartan · 01/09/08

Letterman and Conan are wearing their ‘strike beards’ to show their solidarity with the writers on their shows.

I’ve been seeing it everywhere in New York City; guys with beards now that the cold weather is here. And I’m loving it! It’s sexy, and just a little bit fuzzy too. When I put together a meeting of green bloggers a few weeks back, ALL of the guys had beards, and none of them are hippies, though they are all creative, dynamic men.

Why am I talking about beard trends on an eco-blog? Because not shaving every day is definitely low-impact:

-Less hot water used in the shower or at the sink

-Less or no need for razors or shaving cream (which often comes in those huge unrecyclable containers)

-Hair on your face keeps you just a bit warmer outside- and in. Turning the thermostat down just 1 degree can save you 5% on your heating bill!

Boys with Beards! My friends (L-to-R) Dan Shapely and Brian Howard, editors at The Daily Green, and Muhammed Saleem, top green Digger, and
Me with my friend Ari, who hasn’t worn a beard in years, and is now a convert!

That’s (L to R) Joe Hollis, Botanist, Herbalist, Mentor and Master of Teas, Curtiss Martin, blogger at Scribemedia, and Shea Gunther, blogger and eco-entrepreneur sporting the facial fuzz.