by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

I have a love/hate relationship with sports - you could call me a reformed sports addict. Although strictly amateur, I pushed and pulled myself through many athletic endeavors since puberty. In fact, discovering sports as a teenager is definitely why I survived puberty! I ran, played softball, basketball, tennis, did high jump, some gymnastics, skied and ran some more. Later, I discovered the more extreme sports like windsurfing, water skiing, mountain biking and triathlons. I found and committed to yoga just in time to save my body from injury and overuse and my mind from imploding into a ego-centric mess. We all have our journey, eh?

I’m relieved and satisfied that I moved on, staying active and outdoors-loving but finding a balance I missed earlier. I still have an ongoing admiration for the ambitious passion of most athletes (though I question the purity of professional sports) and I’m especially enamored with the people who play and/or compete with an unadulterated mind/body/nature connection. Windsurfing still mesmerizes me, as does surfing and snowboarding. Not too long ago, I connected with an especially impressive skateboard and BMX enthusiast. A quiet and focussed intensity surrounds him and he continually expresses an inspiring blend of road warrior, artist and buddha. That’s him above.

It’s not a surprise to me that the leaders in the Green movement in sports comes from the professional skateboarding and BMX community. Pierre Andre Senizergues segued from pro-skateboarder to owner of Sole Tech, an athletic shoe company with buildings powered by solar panels, including an extensive recycling progam and waterless urinals that save at least 250,000 gallons of water per year (or 2 1/2 million bottles of beer). Sole Tech is currently launching a line of sustainable footwear and apparel. This guy practices what he preaches, living in an eco-house and becoming a primary backer for Leonardo DiCaprio’s environmental film, The 11th Hour.

Skateboard Professional turned guru, Frank Scura, once immersed in the traditional mainstream culture of the action sports, journeyed out (you gotta check out his wolf story!) and back in with a different perspective on himself and the world. Returning to the sport scene with a new set of ideals, he founded AESC (Action Sports Environmental Coalition) in 2001, an organization set on educating its young athletes about how they can contribute to environmental efforts and sustainability through conscious consumption. Read more about Scura’s corporate marketing strategies - “a three-prong attack on business as usual” at Grist.

He’s into “seed-planting”, not preaching, but found young people really want to hear from their heroes - people who embrace their lifestyles yet show them a way to contribute outside themselves. Scura confirms my observation that the yogic nature of what X-athletes do - the ability to be fully present - is a formula for commitment on many levels. He says, “The beauty of it is - it’s exactly what action sports needs. The ultimate punk rock rebellious act to fuck the Man and fuck the system is to be environmentally and socially conscious. That’s exactly what they don’t want you to do.”

by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC

As a Brit on foreign shores, I’m not quite as familiar with Burning Man as a cultural institution as Tao – her reflections on the power of BM as a transformational event are truly intriguing. I am also captivated by Grist’s take on greening the Burning Man here. It certainly does sound like this event is taking great strides to both minimize and maximize its impact, i.e., reducing waste and pollution while increasing education, inspiration and fun. However, in my unofficial Change role as ‘curmudgeonly young sceptic’, I feel compelled to point out that there is a simple question of size that threatens many such events.

I have not been entirely unaware of the phenomenon that is Burning Man – I first heard about a secret, intimate festival somewhere in the Nevada dessert via a program on the BBC back in the late 90s (the BBC is where I get most of my news of secret, intimate events!). Since then, it has grown exponentially, with 40,000 people attending this year, compared to 25,000 in the year 2000, and 3,500 in 1995. I find it hard to believe that such dramatic growth could not bring about a fundamental shift in balance between production and consumption.

I’ll resist joining the inevitable chorus of ‘sell out’ that follows any event that actually becomes a success and given the fact I have not attended, it wouldn’t seem fair. I do understand that very little is for sale at BM, allowing it avoids much of the commercialism of other festivals out there. However, in my experience of organizing green spaces and workshops at festivals in the UK, there was always a very, very fine balance between folks who come to actively participate, create and explore and folks who come to watch, gawk and consume.

In my experience, the absolute height of positive festival experiences comes from the maximum number of people who see themselves not as customers (even if they have paid for a ticket), but as co-creators of whatever event is going on. By this I mean folks who will dress the part, folks who will get out there and talk to strangers, folks who will dance like they mean it. I even mean folks who will form drum circles, and I HATE drum circles!

It sounds, from many of the experiences I am reading on the web, Burning Man has somehow miraculously continued to maintain the healthy balance of creation versus consumption and I hope they continue to do so. I just worry that the inevitable media hype over any such event will eventually be its own downfall – here’s hoping that the Man keeps burning in style for years to come.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

As I’ve spent the Summer learning to like it hot, commuting by bicycle, traveling less while learning to work and vacation right where I live, I’ve been feeling good. I’ve gotten involved in more things in my community and have enjoyed the peacefulness of Summer. Wait a minute, just why is it so peaceful? Where is everyone?

We Westerners commit a lot of eco-sins in our constant pursuit of pleasure and one high on that list is the second or “Vacation Home”. Somewhere along the rocky road towards wealth, this trend got started and hasn’t looked back. It’s so common that there are websites and magazines dedicated to the business of building, buying and selling this version of the other “American Dream” at the beach, in the mountains and on the lakes.

The idea of environmental footprint gets blown out of the water on this one. A second home which uses resources to build, complete with roads, chemically-laden landscaping and utilities, equipped with boats and/or tennis courts, sitting empty most of the year? Ouch. Add into the equation the time that people spend driving from house #1 to House #2 and you have a lot of energy spent on very, very few, very, very occasionally. Sustainable? Not by a long shot.

Although tourism is an important part of the economy, this permanent influx of “people with money” invites the mega-stores to move in, often transforming comfortable small towns into strip mall-villes. In many cases, these large, excessive homes make beaches, mountain trails or lake fronts inaccessible to the public and pushes out the locals.

Are those with the dollars to spend likely to give up this luxury? Doubtful. Can it be done in a way that respects nature and falls into a sustainable lifestyle? To a large degree, yes. First on the list, second homes don’t need to be big. In fact, they can be very, very small - tiny, in fact. Domes, Yurts, Teepees and other ways to live lightly are now widely available. After all, you’re there to enjoy the great outdoors, right? Lloyd Alter of TreeHugger has a lot to say about that.

Bring back the idea of co-oping with friends or family and you’ve all taken a considerably smaller step. Building green means you could even stay off the grid with water-catchment systems and solar energy. Learn that there is no “away” in trash terms and adopt the attitude of “leave no trace”. Consider the additional miles you will be traveling and commit to acquiring an alternative energy vehicle to make the trips.

One more thing - be part of the community - shop and eat locally. Enjoy what you came for and keep it safe and welcoming for everyone.

by Tao Oliveto, Minneapolis, MN
What happens when you cross a green guide with Hollywood? You get a step by step guide to saving the planet that can reach the masses and transform the greening of America from drudgery to information, inspiration and fashion. Fashion? Yep, fashion. Including thoughts and comments from celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson and Ellen DeGeneres gives this book the trend factor that has been missing in past versions. Subheadings such as “The Family Vacation That Ate the Planet” keep the tone kid-friendly and fun. Yet, The Green Book, The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time, doesn’t hold back - it covers every aspect of living in 12 chapters with sections titled, “The Big Picture”, “The Simple Steps” and “The Little Things”.

The authors come with topnotch green creds, including work with the Natural Resources Defense Council, MTV and decades of authorship on social, environmental and business issues. Combine this with a foreward interviewing renowned architect and environmental visionary, William McDonough (as well as eco-hottie, Cameron Diaz) and you have a world-changing publication that even a hardcore treehugger can love.

As the book states, it represents a mere starting point for new greens. Tips on selecting paper towels with “smaller-size sheets” or using “fewer plastic bags” seem a little watered down when we simply need to get rid of the damn things. Suggesting that we cover the swimming pool or turn off the sauna “while not in use” somehow misses an important point. I like the tip about buying organic cotton tampons, but using a Diva Cup or Keeper would eliminate this type of waste entirely.

Still, this informative and encouraging book belongs in every home and business. I happily learned a thing or two. For instance, text messaging uses less energy than sending email, you can print stamps online and using a stapler without metal staples can keep trillions of non-biodegradable waste from entering landfills.

Finishing with an extensive list of references and resources, The Green Book gives all of us a push to action - albeit a gentle one.

For more information, go to readthegreenbook.com.

by Tao Oliveto

This transportation alternative will make even the dog-less smile (adopt a dog, you’ll smile more). Walkable communities are catching on, but many of us still find ourselves with a few regular miles to travel every day. Those same many of us may own dogs that need lots of exercise - every day. Here’s mine.

Enter, the latest in dog- and planet-friendly trends - “eco-mushing” (thanks to Ideal Bite for cluing me in to this!). There are a few different ways to do this, some more complex than others. While actual mushing with harnesses sounds like a “for experts only” version of this activity, this Dog Powered Scooter, invented and produced in Bend, Oregon, looks super safe and user friendly to me - a fun way to get around town while Fido gets a workout. The price tag of $560 seems reasonable for regular use, but for the recreational musher, try arranging a “scooter-share” with other dog-loving friends. This scooter is irresistible and you can adapt it for up to 3 dogs!

Less pull-inclined dogs may prefer my bicycle version of “have dog, will travel”. I recently taught my younger dog, Ayla, to run along next to my bike (on leash). With no pulling required, it’s both less complicated and risky than the harness method, although it still requires training and patience to get started. Herding dogs catch on quickly, but I still started out carefully and gradually increased distance and speed. We now enjoy our commutes into town at few times each week and she gets lots of admiring attention.

See Ayla Run.
Traveling by dog is a blast, but be smart about it. Even a young, fit dog needs to build up endurance and strength slowly and keep in mind that you will never be asking your dog to sprint. Before you try this at home, read these official safety tips.

How green is this idea? Well, possibly a lighter shade, but for me it has made a difference in my weekly carbon emissions since I cut back on the car trips to the dog park.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

We all are attracted to the glamour of travel and many of us count on taking at least a few trips each year. It seems to me, our spectator state-of-mind has given us an excessive appetite to get into our cars and/or hop on planes - spewing carbons with abandon - just to see something new or to “get away”. As the carbon cost of travel becomes a heady issue, I’m wondering if there is a better way to satisfy our craving for experience. In my earlier search to discover the unknown, I didn’t vacation much, but I relocated every couple years. Somewhat by accident, this version of sightseeing - though not carbon neutral - minimized my extra-curricular traveling and provided me with the opportunity to engage with the people and culture in a more authentic way.

However, now that I’ve been in one place for awhile, I remember how hard the travel bug can bite. So, I occasionally get on the road in my hybrid car, but much less than I used to - and I fly as little as possible. I’ve helped the planet and I have learned to truly enjoy vacationing where I live. After all, odds are there are lots of things we haven’t seen, done, experienced or discovered right where we are.

Although an extended travel sabbatical could be a growth experience for many of us, we don’t have to stop traveling altogether - I believe it’s important to see and know the world first hand. But, you know where I’m headed with this - we can all live more if we travel less. We can help stop global warming and benefit by becoming curious about and involved in our own communities. In yoga terms, “Be Here Now. “

And when we do have to/want to travel, there’s offsetting - a kind of dollars for deeds alternative to staying home. The idea is you “buy” a set amount of a renewable energy source to offset the carbon your non-renewable use of energy creates. You can offset almost any carbon emission, but be aware that not all providers are created equal. And don’t get your hopes up too high in the, er, clouds - offsetting that flight to Hawaii, your energy guzzling car or house is no substitute for cutting back where you can. For further discussion of the pros and cons of offsetting, check out Sami’s post on Treehugger.

We Changers offset all our business and personal air miles with Terra Pass. You can check out Clean Air/Cool Planet for other reliable offset retailers.