Sometimes technology drives me crazy! I am on hold and have been for 54 minutes, so I decided to vent here, rather than scrrreaming at the person who will eventually answer this call, assuming that person even exists. This might just be a cruel joke, or one of those weird psychological games. You know the kind I mean. A person is asked to wait in a room for some reason, and as he sits there, the canned music gets louder and louder and louder. Some fiend wants to know how long the person will... Read Full Story

I just took one of those quizzes which determine what my "footprint" on the Earth is. My result was scary, and not at all what I expected. According to Consumer Consequences, if everyone lived my lifestyle, we would need the resources of 4.3 Earths to support us. This is based on a complicated calculation which concludes that, to accomplish sustainability, each person should use only the resources available on 4.5 acres of land. Apparently I am using more than my share of many natural... Read Full Story

O Christmas tree! O Christmas tree! You bring us all both joy and glee. It is time to put up the Christmas tree. I always approach this task with mixed emotions. It’s a dreary chore, a sentimental joy, and an environmental quandary. Putting lights on a tree takes hours, but since no one does it to my satisfaction, I am stuck with that boring job. Unpacking our special ornaments and placing them on the branches evokes memories of previous holidays. When the boys were little, they insisted on... Read Full Story

Thanksgiving is over. The Christmas season is officially underway. Did you shop on Black Friday? I assiduously avoid all stores that day, but I have a friend who was at the mall at 4:00 a.m. What possible bargain or treasure could have prompted her to do that? I have another friend who never begins shopping until December 23rd on the theory that if she cannot get it then, she does not really want it. I fall somewhere in between the two extremes. Actually, my favorite method of shopping has... Read Full Story

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Family members who are within driving range come, which in our family, usually amounts to only ten or twelve people. I get out the good silver, my mother’s china, and the Irish linens my sister brought me from the “old country.” The kids are grown, which has improved their conversational skills, but they are still relegated to the children’s table. Dogs are welcome, so we have a small herd of furry, white four-legged pals. It’s comfortable and relaxed... Read Full Story

In my city we recently started using polycarts for garbage. I love my cart, but some people are having trouble making the switch from several small cans to one large polycart. Controlling the amount of trash generated by one's household is the key. Overflowing polycarts are the visible symbols of this adjustment difficulty. It is essential that we change the way we think about trash, because of the finite amount of garbage each cart will hold, as well as the limited pick-up schedule. As... Read Full Story

As I recently drove from St. Louis north through Illinois, near the town of Paw Paw, I encountered a spectacular sight. I was motoring along admiring the neat farms and silos when I crested a hill and came upon a huge wind farm. Gigantic, white, three-bladed windmills were scattered over the farmland as far as the eye could see. They seemed so pure, so clean, so elegant that I stopped to watch them. The sight of those blades spinning lazily in the sun was mesmerizing. Wind power is... Read Full Story

Are billboards good for business? Contrary to the claims of the outdoor advertising industry, the answer is NO. Do billboards aid in economic growth? Contrary to the claims of the billboard barons, the answer is again NO. Americans love to travel. We drive; we fly; we pack up our tents or RVs and take off for a vacation. How do we decide where to go? “Natural beauty” is the #1 criterion for people who are choosing a vacation spot, according to the President’s Commission on Americans Outdoors... Read Full Story

Highway spam! Litter on a stick! Sky trash! Whatever we call them, billboards are ugly, intrusive, and sometimes pointless. Is billboard blight a problem? I think so, but what do other people think? Recent polls commissioned by various states and universities reveal the same definitive fact--People do not like billboards. They favor moratoriums on new construction of boards, if not outright bans. In Houston, 81% of the citizens strongly support the city’s ordinance which will remove all... Read Full Story

I am a sucker for scenery. I love motoring sedately through the countryside enjoying the trees, meadows, wildflowers, rock formations, or whatever else Mother Nature has designed for us. As I recently drove through three beautiful states—Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri—I was bothered and bewildered by billboard blight. Some signs are necessary, such as mileage markers or those which contain emergency help information. Some signs are welcome, such as those indicating upcoming rest areas. I... Read Full Story