Rochester City Hall Green Roof

The northwestern view from the City of Rochester's green roof. (6/21/14)

The final official day of Spring in upstate New York was a beautiful one, and I had the good fortune to visit one of the more unique (and photogenic) green projects in Rochester, New York, the City Hall green roof. Modern green roofs consist of manufactured layers of waterproofing, drainage, soil or growing media, and then vegetation. I have been interested in checking out the roof since it's installation in 2010, but as this roofs is not designed for people to visit, except for maintenance--this is a roof after all--I had to wait for the right moment. Due to the stars aligning, and the perfect weather conditions, today I found myself getting a tour.

Vegetation changes color depending on the season; here Spring becomes Summer. (6/21/14)

Green roofs require minimal maintenance. (6/21/14)

The gravel ballast, previously used to keep roof material down in the wind,
now only supports around the perimeter of the growing medium. (6/21/14)

The filter fabric between the existing roof system and the pre-planted vegetation. (6/21/14)

Close up of green roof vegetation. (6/21/14)

The City Hall building on which the green roof is installed from outside. (6/21/14)

Once again, I find myself wishing I'd paid more attention in science class. The green sciences and technology, as evidenced from the numerous environmentally sound and efficient projects being explored and pursued at all levels of government (and industry) is such a practical application of much of what I've forgotten from high school. The green roof is just one of many green initiatives currently being installed at City Hall, some of which are currently being installed right now.

Source: 
City of Rochester Green Roof

K-Cup Conundrum

Though the appearance and taste is comparable (relative to flavor) the difference is in the design and materials.

Two years ago, for my birthday, my wife bought a Keurig single cup coffee maker for our kitchen. As someone who would often make a whole pot of coffee before work only to leave much of it behind to waste, it was a great purchase. Conscientious about material waste, we would collect the used k-cups and separate the "parts" for recycling every week or so (with grounds going into our table top composter for later addition to the larger outdoor one).

Shortly after the expiration of the patent on k-cups expired, our local (now regional) mega-lo shopping mart, Wegmans, started offering their own brand of store brand k-cups. (Much like national chain Trader Joe's, more and more frequently Wegmans is stocking store shelves with store brands of popular products rather than those with a higher level--and presumably higher price--of national name recognition brands.) Because they are priced lower than the national brand, they, like other store brand alternatives, are a potentially attractive purchase. Even better, when it comes to taste, the quality is very comparable to the more expensive brew. This is, of course, a good thing.

The downside comes when one is attempting to recycle the k-cups. As I cannot envision myself becoming a K-cup creative crafter, this is an important part of my purchasing process.



Wegmans brand Decaf k-cups.

Issues of taste aside (I am by no means a coffee connoisseur, so if there is a discernible difference in taste between Wegmans and Keurig's coffees, it is lost on me), the differences in packaging are only slightly visible to the eye, but moreso to the touch. The texture of the top gives away the truth that Wegmans uses a plastic top as opposed to Keurig's foil one. The cups themselves seem to be of similar design and composition.

Keurig brand Donut House k-cups.

Keurig addresses possible concerns around the environmental impact of their k-cups under the "" page of their website:

The manufacturing requirements of the K-Cup® pack currently make recycling difficult. The K-Cup® pack is made up of three main elements: the cup itself, a filter and an aluminum foil top. The pack's components prevent oxygen, light and moisture from degrading the coffee. Without the barrier the packaging materials provide, we could not maintain quality or freshness. However, we are actively working to meet the challenge of creating a pack that reduces environmental impact and continues to deliver an extraordinary cup of coffee.

Despite the challenge of matching the convenience of k-cup coffees with the desire to produce a product that is recyclable, Kuerig's product is at least relatively easy to disassemble for recycling purposes.

Wegmans k-cup post-mortem.

The plastic(?) top is difficult to remove without cutting with scissors. There are fibrous connective material that makes pulling it off easily very difficult. The small filter inside the cup also seems t be made of some sort of plastic mesh. This is also very challenging to neatly (and quickly remove) without cutting. Additionally, the glue used to adhere the filter to the edges is very strong.

Keurig k-cup post-mortem.

Two distinguishing features of the Keurig design are the small paper filter glued around the edges of the cup and the aluminum foil lid covers the top of the K-Cup. These are clearly composed of different material than those produces and sold by Wegmans and it is these different elements that the most significant difference is present. While the taste of the coffees may be similar, the ease with which one can disassemble the components for recycling is not.

While the foil top and paper filter are fairly easy to separate from the plastic cup, those plastic elements of the Wegmans k-cup are not. This occurred to me when I tried to prepare the stack of Wegmans k-cups I had set aside and realized that what had been, at best, a ten minute activity with Keurig's product became a much more arduous task that after 20+ minutes I had honestly lost the patience to follow-though on. Additionally, in Monroe County, New York, where we live, the aluminum foil tops are recyclable. The guidelines around the same potential for the plastic covers is not so clear on the county's website.

Since the Keurig coffee maker is here to stay in our household, in an effort to save time, frustration, as well as to remain as recycle-friendly as possible, we have continued to spend the extra money to get those cups that are more easily recyclable rather than the less expensive and cheaper Wegmans brand.

Sources:
Are K-Cups Recyclable? by Heath Robert, Demand Media.
Wegmans, Kodak and K-Cups by Rachel Barnhart, The Rochesterian.

Comic Book Flashback: Woodsy Owl (1973)

Woodsy and the gang lend a hand to protect the land in Woodsy Owl #2 (1973).

Completely on a lark, I recently purchased some wa-a-a-ay back issues of a children's comic book I vaguely recalled from my very childhood, though I don't recall ever actually having read them. Woodsy Owl was a staple of Saturday morning children's television programming when I was a youngster. During the 1970's, there were few options for television programming, so Saturday morning's the place to be was (in my house anyway) on the floor in front of the televising watching whatever fabulous new Hannah-Barbara shows were being premiered.

Cover to issue #8 (1973).

Filling in the gaps along with commercials were public service announcements starring Woodsy. Woodsy's association with children's TV, as well as his popularity as a tool for anti-pollution eventually resulted in him having his own comic book published.

A few days ago I received a box from online retailer MyComicShop.com which included five issues of the Gold Key/Western Publishing series, Woodsy Owl. The entire series consisted of ten issues in  all released from 1973-1975. None of the issues I bought were in anywhere near "Fine" condition, but that was not why I purchased them in the first place. It is just kind of neat to have in my hands something that was released when I was four years-old, hand wanted, and am only now reading some forty years later.

Each issue tells the story of Woodsy and his friends (Loose Moose, Dinah Duck, Robby Raccoon, musical group The Auntie Polluters, and Bitsy among others) battling all types of pollution as well as presenting (a in a childlike manner) the impact of pollution on the environment. Perhaps foreshadowing the modern day comic book approach of having each cover be more of a pin-u than a refection of the book's contents, each cover of Woodsy Owl is a PSA all it's own asking the reader to "Give a Hoot!"

From Woodsy Owl #6: our hero convinces his friend to cross-dress so he can
have more time for his radio broadcasting career (seriously)!

Though only slightly anachronistic, Woodsy Owl remains an entertaining read all these years later. In some ways, I continue to believe that writing a quality all-ages title is much more challenging than a "dark" modern-superhero one, much in the same way I find the use of profanity in creative writing to often be a cheat. This challenge of entertaining on numerous levels is something that each issue of Woodsy Owl does well, even by today's (likely less discerning) entertainment standards.

Unfortunately, Woodsy Owl has never been collected into a trade paperback, but it is however available for purchase either online or in some longer-lived shops, at a reasonable price. The price is reasonable, that is, as long as it is an "entertainment" investment," rather than a speculative, financial one. I, for one, believe that's what comic book purchases should be anyway.

Rain Barrel? Installed!

It actually rained and actually worked!

A few years ago, my family and I participated in a $15 dollar clinic at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, and in coordination with the Monroe County Stormwater Coalition (the organization responsible for the  Be an H2O Hero campaign), that resulted in our leaving with all of the components for installing a rain barrel, and hearts full of motivation. Each of the past few years, I have thought about how we should install this rain barrel which had been taking up space in the shed since I brought it home. I guess we never got around to it. For me, it was something of a risk, as I'm not very handy, but a very willing assistant to my much brighter wife.

As part of my summer of activities, yesterday morning, I (with only a small assist from my wife) finally installed our rain barrel!

If you think this is unkempt you should have seen it before.

After surveying the gutter downspouts to determine the best location for the rain barrel, I decided upon a corner in the back of the house directly off of a patio. This area of our yard (despite being visible from the front of the house), has been among the least "manicured" of our yard, generally being left to grow over with whatever seeds or plants happen to take root. The first order of business was clearing out the area for the barrel. I have been systemically weeding (and re weeding) sections of the yard all summer, so it was time to make this happen...

Long neglected, this area cleans up nicely.

Once cleared, I set up a pad on which to place the barrel, with some old cinder blocks I had been using to keep vines at bay around our vegetable garden. Though I would have liked to have more elevation, the height does leave enough room to place a watering pitcher below and ultimately I will set up a hose so that the collected rain can be use to water the gardens.

Ready for action!

I was a little nervous about cutting away at our downspout, but following the rule of "measure twice, cut once," was able to make the cut in such a way that 1) the plastic replacement downspout could be fed directly into the water barrel, and 2) the existing downspout could be set aside for eventual reattachment.

As evidenced by the picture at the top of this post, despite our summer drought, we were fortunate to actually have a downpour a few hours after we completed the installation. The rain actually filled the barrel to capacity (with quite a bit using the overflow PVC piping to the left).

Next up, maybe I'll eventually achieve my dream of installing a chicken coop!

Whooooo Remembers Woodsy Owl?

I do... but today in school it became obvious that I may be the only one.

While discussing "jargon" (oral language as opposed to the proper grammar of the written word--hopefully!) with the my students during class today, the old expression from my youth "Give a hoot--don't pollute!" popped into my head and immediately out of my mouth.

I felt reasonably sure that among the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts that someone, anyone, might remember the magical character who used those words to rally kids to the cause of reducing pollution... and my query was met with dazed looks...

During the passing time between classes I took a quick survey of my (sigh--younger) colleagues, none of whom remember those emphatic HOOTS! Apparently Woodsy Owl is no longer the hip icon of the United States Forest Service that I once envisioned him as being. Just as times change and things get updated, even Woodsy has seen his motto evolve from hooting about garbage to the more far reaching "Lend a hand — care for the land!"

Though now relegated to the sub-pages of the children's section of the US Forest Service's address on the information superhighway, I'll choose to remember Woodsy as "a whimsical fellow" who's "got his heart set on motivating kids to form healthy, lasting relationships with nature."

KEEP ON HOOTIN' ON, WOODSY!

Bicycling to Work Cans & Can'ts

After a nearly two month(?) long break from riding my bicycle (rather than driving to local points of personal interest), yesterday evening I rode to the video store to return a movie Anne and I had rented. It is not so much that I have been jumping in the car to drive a mile and a half for every little reason, but I have admittedly been less ambitious about reducing my petrol consumption than I had been during the Spring/Summer months.

A good case in point, I haven't ridden my bicycle to school once yet this school year. Last Spring, and while working at summer school, I made it a point to ride the 11-13 miles each way at least twice a week. The message it sent to my students (last year middle-schoolers) was valuable and the fact that I haven't brought my bike this year has not been lost on everyone... occasionally, someone will stop me in the halls to ask if I've "brought your bike today?"

A matter of safety, one key reason I haven't bicycled to work yet is a safety one. Due to a change in position (from teaching middle school Language Arts to high school English) my work day starts an hour earlier, making the time I would need to leave home via bicycle an hour earlier as well, or about 6:00 a.m. In upstate New York it is still very dark outside until at least 7:30 a.m. or so. Unfortunately, the most direct route to school takes me through some less-than-desirable neighborhoods. In this case, safety trumps conservation... which kind-of stinks. (Click here to view just one article about bicycling at night that I found on Commute by Bike website.)

There are certain things I can do to increase the probability of my being able to safely travel to work on my bicycle at least once weekly: once the clocks change, there should be a little more light and I could rig my head-lamp so that I could wear it it to school and give myself some light. One definite benefit to riding in the Fall as opposed to Summer is that I should be able to sweat much less, reducing the necessity f carrying another set of clothes and supplies to prepare for a stink-free day at school.

In the every short term, beyond the desire to bike to work, I can commit to doing a better job cycling around my neighborhood and continue using my trips to school or community events to stop along the way for errands rather than simply jumping in and out of the car to pick up one or two things...

Wyoming Recollection 5: Farming

As "Cheney (as in the current Vice-President of the US of A) Country," Wyoming has long been recognized for its contributions to our national energy reserves, particularly oil and coal. Over the past six years during which we have traveled to Cheyenne, Wyoming, it has been heartening to see wind added to that portfolio of energy sources. From my brother-in-law's home, we can see one wind farm (pictured above) run by the local government, as well as two turbines used to help generate energy for the nearby naval base.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!W

SUPER (Long) RUN!

Run: 22.3 miles in approximately 3:09:00 min. @ 5:30 a.m.
Pace: 8:29 min./per mile avg. (NOTE: the “walking time” is also factored into this overall average pace).

Weather: Partly Cloudy, 57°F, 80% Humidity, Wind: from SW @ 10 mph; feels like 57°F
Course: Ultra-Long Training Run (loop, mixed flat & hills, roads).

Supplies: My hydration belt loaded with one 16 oz. “flask” of H2O and another with Mountain Blast flavored POWERade, one plastic baggie containing 5 Strawberry flavored Clif Shot Bloks, one 1.44 oz. Raspberry Cream flavored PowerBar Gel and my cell phone.

Though the course I’ve put together is different, the plan remains very much the same as during last week’s super-duper long run. Rather than an out-and-back typed deal running the length of the Erie Canal, this time only a small part of the course is on the Erie Canal. I’ve included PowerAde drink to my arsenal, in addition, as well as, the “normal” goodies.

Once again I ran the first 5 miles before initiating the 1 min. walk/10 min. run/1 min. walk rotation, though I did adjust it so that I would walk on inclines as often as possible in anticipation of my plan to walk portions of every hill during the 50k. I ended up walking 7 times (at 1 min. each time that is a total of 7 min. of the just over 3 hour run!). Additionally, I ran the last 3.3 miles, albeit at a slow, but steady, pace.

In related news, Anne and I attempted to purchase a new hydration belt last evening with little luck. I love my current belt, it is just too big. We couldn't find what we wanted, so I've resolved to continue to move forward with the belt I currently have. Following today's run though, I plan to purchase a third flask to be carried with me, bringing the total up to three.

Outside of he two marathons I completed, this morning's jaunt stands as the LONGEST I HAVE EVER RUN AT ONCE! I don't want to get to excited, but other than the "to be expected" achiness, I feel great and am more confident than ever of my ongoing preparedness to finish the 50k.

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

2007 Oak Tree Half Marathon

Run: 13.1 miles in 1:34:46 min. @ 9:00 a.m.

Pace: 7:14 min./per mile avg.
Weather: Sunny, 63°F
Course: Hilly course with a mix of gravel and paved roads in Geneseo, New York

Pre-Race Observations: Sitting here at 6:15 a.m. drinking coffee, I’m still not “feeling it” for today’s race. Beyond running this morning, my head is full of questions and concerns about the new school year which begins for staff on Tuesday and students on Thursday. I will do my best to live in the moment after this brief articulation (er… whining) and put my energy and effort into enjoying the nice 13.1 mile run that is on tap for me today.

My plan for the run is to focus on pacing myself in such a way that I have consistent mile split times rather than going out with a sub 6:00-minute mile, and growing progressively slower. In years past (this is my third Oak Tree Half Marathon), this approach has not helped me enjoy good runs for the entire distance of the race. I’m hoping to use a stronger sense of discipline over the entire run to achieve this… it can be a challenge to resist the initial urge to go all out at the “gun”…

Post-Run Reflections: The Oak Tree Half Marathon is one of my favorite runs each year offering a beautiful scenic route with an extra helping of hilly challenge. I also like that these (a half marathon and a 5k) are a benefit for organization dedicated to protecting western New York's open space resources, the Genessee Valley Conservancy (GVC). According to their website:

The GVC's primary protection method is by conservation easement. A landowner donates the development rights of his or her land to the Conservancy, while keeping all other ownership rights. This ensures the safekeeping of the land for the future. In exchange for the donation of the conservation easement, the landowner may qualify for tax benefits... A conservation easement is a legal document in which a landowner agrees to permanently refrain from certain uses of his or her property in order to preserve the environmental integrity of the land.

This seems to me an excellent cause and the spirit and energy of the lands I observed during the race only reinforced its value. The half-marathon course ran through the hills along unpaved, gravel roads. A gentleman dressed in true Scottish attire (kilt and all) played the bagpipes for the runners at two different points in the race (which ran in a loop). The music and the scenery made for a pleasant country morning run.


Oh, yeah… and I also succeeded in attaining my goals of maintaining a consistent mile-split throughout the race and as a result (I think) managed to run a PR at the distance… what a beautiful day for a run!

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Global Warming? But, It Was Cold Out Yesterday!

When the temperature is lower than "normal" folks will often take the opportunity deride the idea of global warning with the thinking that "today it's cold... so there must be no climate change taking place." On days like the one we are expected to experience here in River City today (a record 92°F), though, people have a tendency to agree that "the weather really is changing!"

A few days ago USA Today, among others, reported about a group of volunteers who posed naked for U.S. photographer Spencer Tunick on the ice-cold Swiss glacier of Aletsch near the mountain resort of Bettmeralp. Nearly 600 volunteers stripped before the camera on a melting Swiss glacier high in the Alps on Saturday as part of a publicity campaign to expose the impact of climate change.

A generation or two from now, this may be what passes as "formal wear." Come to think of it though, this already is pretty close to what I observe the high school studenst in my building wearing every day...

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Passages: Biologist Ransom A. Myers (1952-2007)

"Deep within the psyche of humans is a love of large-grade animals. And to have these go extinct, from a point of view of humans, is intolerable."~Myers

As I was watching This Week with George Stephonapoulos, who produced the segment from which the above quote was taken, I happened to catch the weekly "In Memoriam" segment, which focuses on those folks who have passed away during the previous week. I was saddened to see that activist biologist Ransom A. Myers passed away on Tuesday of a brain tumor March 27 at a hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Mr. Myers was a Marine biologist who was the first to warn that overfishing is leading to the extinction of marine species.

There are a number of fine articles available online which go into more depth about Mr. Myers accomplishments. Click on the following links to be taken to just a few of the articles regarding the recent death of Ransom Meyers:
Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, Gainesville.com. For a more personal perspective, I also came across an open letter written and posted by one of the research groups with which Myers worked, which can be read here.

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

A Local Running Shoe Re-Use Opportunity

I recently joined my local running community’s online message board located at the Rochester Running Page. I've found it to be a pretty neat way to keep abreast of local running events, races, and a valuable place to share thoughts and ideas about the local running scene. Among the interesting posted topics of conversation was information (the original post from which I've "cribbed" much of the details related in this post) regarding the collection of worn out sneakers. It seems one of our area's numerous Rotary Clubs (the Williamson Rotary Club) will be collecting old sneakers and running shoes at the May 18 Williamson Apple Blossom 10K road race.

What a great idea! While I've heard of these recycling opportunities, I've never known the "wheres" and "whens"... or at least been aware enough of them in advance to participate. This thoughtful practice is where shoes are collected, ground up and recycled then into things such as all season weather tracks for inner city underprivileged schools.

Sneakers that are in better than worn out shape are given to needy people all over the globe. To date with the efforts of about 30 Rotary clubs, over 20,000 sneakers have been redistributed to the needy. 1,100 pair went to Florida hurricane victims, 1,400 pair went to Malawi Children’s Village in Africa, 7,000 pair went to Salvation Army Family Relief, 900 pair went to Tsunami survivors, 1,500 pair went to Louisiana Flood relief and 800 pair went to an orphanage in Kenya, Africa.

I've definitely got a bunch of running shoes which will end up at the shoe-mobile for recycling, how about you?

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Hy-brid, How Are You?

On Friday, Ann and I took a pretty darn cool trip into (with any luck) not-too-distant future. Before telling you briefly how, I want to be sure you realize that this is not necessarily a commercial for a specific brand of car, but a reflection on our experience with the technology.

In my August 14 posting, I laid out some suggestions on how one might reduce the amount of gasoline used in any given week, as well as, some steps my family and I were taking. Three days ago, my wife and I went and took a look at a Toyota Prius automobile. Our family will soon be in need of a new automobile, and are trying to purchase the most affordable auto with the least environmental impact. The cost of gasoline, although a minor consideration, but our intent all along has been to investigate an electric or hybrid vehicle.

Without getting too deeply into the advertising literature, the car was pretty impressive, and certainly looked the part of "Car of the Future." A techno-geek's dream, it comes equipped with an in-dash LCD which visually takes the driver (and passenger) through the vehicle's gas/battery conversion process using graphics depicting energy pathways.

Ann test drove the vehicle (I was a passenger)and handled very smoothly. According to the salesperson, the Prius was designed and developed to completely maximize the energy utilized. This included using many structural adaptations, like specially formed roof and side panels to diminsh drag, thereby reducing the energy needed to move.

Not much more needs to be said as apparently many of us (you?) are buying the suddenly; extremely in-demand vehicle... my two cents? Definitely check it out, and even more importantly, begin to question (with your dollars, if possible) why the U.S. government and the industry over which it has influence (and the other way around) to mandate a more timely move to an alternative energy source. After 20 minutes in this hybrid it makes one wonder question what the wait is...