I've been traveling by mass transit lately.  It's been calling out my name- environmentally speaking. Don't get me wrong, I love the luxury of riding in my car- zip zap into the city; but more and more frequently I find myself running, jumping and hailing the bus that takes me from my small downtown stop  right into the Port Authority in New York City. And the benefits are even more than just environmental!  While traveling with the masses I get caught up on emails, write thank you notes, grab cat naps (with my phone alarm set to prevent oversleeping), or permit myself some good old fashioned day dreaming.  Riding the commuter bus has never felt so good!

Same goes for the NYC subway system.  Certainly it's not something I am unfamiliar with:  I've used it off and on over the last 20 years, but not until recently have I REALLY used it.  Armed with my ipod in one hand and a laminated map in the other, I go from uptown to downtown without missing appointments or making excuses due to traffic. I have it down.  Except for the occasional express vs. local train snafu when I miss a stop and have to double back and start again, it's one fast ride from point a to point b, and it definitely beats jumping into a cab, fighting traffic and spending what I would spend on a lunch. 

Yet the truly refined transit approach is the NYC bus system.  Now that's style and a completely different animal all together.  NYC bus riders are different compared to the subway crowd:  a little older and more gentile if you get what I mean.  Whereas the underground bustles with a younger, more energetic type than their bus level gray topped counter parts.  Each mode offers an important service for all people, despite age or transit preference; it's mass transit built to suit.  When I have the time and have already worked out, being carted around above ground on the bus actually makes me feel luxurious!

But the best of all mass transportation in the city is the one of self-propelled walking. I know I share this passion with millions of New Yorkers when we put on great walking shoes, throw on a warm sweater or coat and get to appointments all day long on foot.  My cheeks are rosy and don't need makeup, my body feels strong and used after a long day, and nothing feels better than a long hot bath after a day running around.

And to top it off and for the fun of it, when a storm blows into town, don't be surprised if you see me (along with a few other snow fanatics) cross county skiing down Madison Avenue!

Pray for snow and happy commuting!

 

Expect more physical evidence and shocking scientific data to start popping up regarding increased greenhouse gases and above normal water levels which will prompt the  environment to beg us (especially as Americans) to change our ways. Additionally, there is a growing ground swell of institutions and organizations that are gathering data and presenting it in more digestible ways for all who are taking global warming seriously.  To top it off, research started as far back as ten years ago is now coming to fruition and the data is blatantly before us. Mother Nature will not be denied.

The evidence is anecdotal as well. Just last week my daughter and her dad were hiking in and around the trails of the Palisades next to the Hudson River as we have done many times over the past 18 years.  When they returned to the parking lot, the tide was coming in and the water was filling the parking lot in a way we have never before seen. Though there was not a cloud in the sky or even a passing boat, the entire lot and snack stand was being flooded by rushing water. Everyone in the area was in disbelief over what they were witnessing. Fluke or a sign of the times? 

Newly released research funded by NASA found that nitrogen trifluoride is packing a power punch in our atmosphere.  Until recently, nitrogen triflouride was considered an insignificant gas with low impact on global warming. However, now we are finding that it traps heat 17,000 times more efficiently than carbon dioxide and is increasing in our atmosphere by 11%. Yikes!  Because of its once believed lower global emissions, a few years back, nitrogen trifluoride replaced the highly publicized perfluorocarbons used in the manufacturing process of crystal flat screen tv's and microcircuits (in computer systems). We now know this is untrue.

No longer can we sit back and say global warming is not a problem.  How much more do we need as evidence; a global catastrophe of even a grander scale? By sea, our oceans are becoming so acidic that hundreds of animal species are becoming extinct yearly and a third of our fish have been wiped out. By land, the severity of our storms, the melting of the global glaciers and melting ice caps is downright frightening. I'd say that's quite enough physical evidence. 

As Americans, we need to ask manufacturers to revisit day to day operations, encourage and support new clean and environmentally friendly technology which can bring jobs back onto our own soil, and reevaluate our daily lifestyle in order to turn this around.  We can do with less, so what if we are being forced to do so? What a wonderful opportunity to take this financial crisis we're in and turn it around for good.   Together, let's take a stand and reflect on how each and every one of our actions affects the environment around us.  To refuse to do so is pure ignorance.
 
To increase your knowledge on this important issue please visit my sources:
NASA research: http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/oct/HQ_08-268_Greenhouse_gas.html
American Geophyscial Union www.agu.org
Nitrogen trifluoride: http://www.livescience.com/environment/
Oceans: http://www.oceana.org/climate/impacts/acid-oceans/

 

Canada is on the verge of taking a bold step where no other nation has gone before. They will classify the chemical BPA (the synthetic sex hormone found in plastic baby bottles, water bottles and other food packaging) as a toxic substance. 

It shocks and dumbfounds me that the FDA (a US federal agency mandated to protect us from harmful toxins in our food and drinking water) continues to claim that BPA is safe, even after 100 peer-reviewed studies have proven otherwise.  EWG research has found that BPA is linked to "cancer, brain and nervous system malfunctions, behavioral problems, reproductive system damage, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other serious illnesses".  Even studies by the US government's National Toxicology Program, which is regulated by the FDA, show that "BPA may present some risk to fetuses and infants" and has called for further research.

Now what is going on here?  We are being duped people; the wool is being pulled over our eyes time and time again and it's time we stop acting like herded sheep, entrusting our health to those who care more about not rocking the boat and fattening their wallets via a sea of chemicals.   We must always question the source and purity of the foods we consume, especially when it comes to baby products, personal care products, bottled drinking water and food. If we don't, it could literally cost us our lives.

No wonder so many children are increasingly being diagnosed with peculiar cancers and autoimmune disorders.  The BPA plastics that we use at every turn are not only robbing our children's birthright to a healthy beginning, but we are continually chiseling away at our future's health.  If we want to be strong, we need to act quickly and be heard.  Leave apathy at the door on this one, it's that important.  As a nation we are getting sicker year by year and we don't have to just stand by and allow it to happen.

Good job Canada for stepping up!  Thank you for being our role model against toxic exposure and consumption. Let's follow Canada's lead and demand that the highest quality standards are being met by our own local, state and federal agencies. By pushing for accountability, we will see remarkable changes take place.

You can start by visiting www.fda.gov and searching BPA through their search engine.  After reading their multiple articles, please share your thoughts with them by clicking on the "Contact the FDA" link. They can't know how we feel about this important issue if we don't tell them. Use your voice and while you're at it encourage your friends to do the same.  Our voices Do matter!   

Perhaps when our government officials (nationwide) start walking the walk and talking the talk, the example they set will positively influence the rest of the country to doing more, using less and living more consciously. That’s why I would like to ask the presidential candidates the following two questions:

• When will all US government employees (including the president) be required to drive a hybrid or energy fuel efficient car or limo?
• When will the US government enforce within their day to day work week the guidelines for Energy Star @ Work released by the EPA last month?

Some of the suggestions included in the EPA guidelines:

• Replace the bulbs in desk lamps with Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs. These light bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Energy Star qualified lamps and light fixtures also are available for even more energy savings.
• Use a power strip as a central "turn off" point when you are done using office equipment to completely disconnect the power supply. Even when turned off, electronic and IT equipment often use a small amount of electricity when plugged in.
• Remember to turn off your lights when leaving conference rooms and your work space, especially at the end of the day.
• Use Energy Star qualified battery chargers or power adapters which, on average, use 30 to 35 percent less energy than conventional models. Don't forget to unplug battery chargers or power adapters when equipment is fully charged or disconnected from the charger.
• Get involved! Create a Green Team with your co-workers, help reduce office waste, and set a goal to earn the Energy Star label for your building.)

Source: EPA Press Release Sept 2008

What would you ask the presidential candidates?