My apologies for the lack of posts over the last few days, I’ve been in the process of selling my home and moving out to the grand old state of Colorado.

I’ll be cataloging my journey out there and reporting on any green related news on the way.  I hope it will keep me from going mildly insane during the 28 hour drive.

Wish me luck!

So, there’s this thing called Earthrace, a New Zealand based not-for-profit run by a guy named Peter Bethune.  It’s a boat team and boat (pictured above if you haven’t guessed) that are attempting to break the world speed record for circling the globe.  The catch is that this vessel runs exclusively on biofuels and was built using hemp, ice cream containers, and other reused or recycled materials and will result in a net-zero carbon footprint.  But wait, there’s more!  Most of the biofuel comes from plant matter but a tiny fraction of it, about 100 milliliters, came from Peter Bethune’s own love handles!  That’s right he got a plastic surgeon to suck out some fat around his midsection to fuel this thing.  Now that’s dedication to a cause, or pure insanity, or both.  

But how green can a speedboat really be?  Earthrace is purchasing carbon points to offset any CO2 given off by the boat.  But how effective are carbon points? Can we really just throw money at our waste?  I do not know the answers to these questions, but something seems fishy to me.  Buying carbon points seems a bit odd, like a baby seal clubber purchasing mean points.  How does this offset the harm done?  The whole CO2 thing isn’t my biggest gripe with these guys.  It’s the fact that they’re raising awareness for biofuels.  Which will in no way or in any capacity replace fossil fuels.  Numerous studies from various universities have shown the environmental dangers of biofuels.  End result is more starving people and more oil put into the production of biofuels, than the oil we get out.  

Here’s the breakdown:  I’ll give these guys points for raising awareness, but I think they lose major points for it being in biofuels and for putting millions of dollars into a freaking boat instead of giving it to an organization that directly effects to good of people.  How many families could have been fed with the money it took to make this boat or maybe we could have just put a couple of dudes in an apartment this winter.  

But, I suppose if you’re going to spend money on the fastest boat in the world it might as well be as green as it can be.  And after all, it is still one cool looking boat.

I was listening to NPR’s Talk of the Nation the other day (yes a middle class white hippy listened to NPR, shocking) and there were a couple of ladies complaining that being green is too expensive and really just a moral luxury for the suburban rich and out of reach for those in the inner cities.  A part of me can see what they’re saying I can’t afford a Prius, shop at Whole Foods, or to install solar panels on my roof either.  But I think “being green” is really more about the things that you don’t do and the things you don’t buy rather than the things that you do.  For example, it’s sure as hell greener to not own a Prius at all, to not buy biodegradable bottled water, and to not use plastic or paper when you get your groceries (whether or not the contents are organic).  

So, instead of saying that being green is too expensive and a only for the rich I would argue that its really only the trendy green stuff that’s out of the hands of the poor (like this $200 earth composter) while abstaining from doing things that harm the environment is free and in some cases saves you money.  According to CNN, city dwellers on average produce fourteen percent less carbon waste than their suburban counterparts by virtue of NOT having cars and NOT living in an abundance of square-footage and the poor, in general, produce MUCH less waste than the well-to-do.  How many of you have to fuel four jet-skis, a fleet of cars, and your own jet?  I know I do, but I use biodiesel for my lambo.    

So, lady from NPR whining about how green is beyond the reach of poor city dwellers stop your complaining and stop doing something.

Thing I’m wrong or just an ass?  Say so below.  I would appreciate it.