All good things must come to an end. Regrettably, this will likely be my last Pittgreen Blog post. I’ve really enjoyed spending the past 4 months educating Pittsburgh students on the benefits of sustainable living. Together, we have learned how to have a positive impact on our natural environment. By sharing information and ideas, we have created a wonderful resource for future students trying to go green.
While working at Pittgreen, I have gradually become more and more sustainable. I bike, walk, and bus more often than I drive. I have begun utilizing reusable coffee cups and water bottles. I have become addicted to recycling. I’ve found ways to recycle literally everything I possibly can. Canvass bags have helped me to completely eliminate my plastic bag consumption. In the past 4 months I have made tons of progress toward sustainability. Although my days with Pittgreen are coming to a close, my journey toward a sustainable lifestyle is just beginning.
Having accomplished the basics of sustainable living, I have started to look for new and innovative ways to lower my impact on the environment. (Specifically looking into the chemical contents of my cleaning products) Although our dialogue is ending, I hope all my readers out there continue to pursue sustainable living and educate those around them on the positive benefits of a sustainable lifestyle. It has truly been a pleasure writing and sharing my ideas with all of you. I would personally like to thank anyone who has commented, read, or been influenced by Pittgreen. Together we have made a difference and only together can we have a positive impact on the environment.
Sincerely,
Jordan Paluch
November 17, 2008
Spring had finally sprung. After a long dreary winter, Matt and I were excited to be out in the park enjoying the warm sun. Sitting on a bench in Schenley Park, we looked down on the city and contemplated the thrilling brilliance of nature.
“It’s beautiful”, said Matt. “In a crowded bustling city, we have this park as an oasis of natural wonder. Each day in Oakland, we experience the urban jungle, yet, a quick walk and we are in the heart of Schenley Park enjoying the grass, trees, and sunlight.”
I took a long sip of water, as I watched two young children run across the field in front of us presumably headed for the ice cream truck that was weaving its way through the park.
“I love the park Matt, but the state of the environment worries me”, I replied. “Global warming, overconsumption, and human waste is devastating our natural resources. Thirty years from now, what condition will the park be in for our children to enjoy? The lake is already polluted, trash already litters the park, and little is being done to stop it. Witnessing the demise of our park and our world saddens me.”
As we sat contemplating the park’s future, the children returned popsicles in hand. They sat indian style on the grass in front of us enjoying their frozen treats. I watched as they ate and the popsicles began to melt. Drops of blue, red, and green stained the children’s hands. The quickly melting snacks seemed to be melting faster than they could eat. They vigorously licked the popsicles trying to catch the melting drops.
“What can we do? The two of us can work to live more sustainably, but alone we won’t be able to change anything” replied Matt. “It’s us against humanity man, and humanity is kicking the environments ass.”
“We’re doing what we can” I responded. “All we can do is try to life the most sustainable lifestyle possible. You’re right just the two of will make little difference, but the more people who live sustainably the greater impact we can have on the environment. Maybe we can set an example for Pittsburghers, get people concerned about the environment. The more people we can inspire the greater the impact we can have.”
The sun began to slowly set behind the city skyline. The two kids had finished their popsicles and their hands were stained vibrant colors. They tried to lick their sticky fingers, but the stains would not come off. As their afternoon at the park came to an end, the children lightheartedly tossed their popsicle sticks on the ground and ran back to their parents.
“You’re right” said matt. “We need to be the solution not the problem.”
November 5, 2008
Why do we work to live a more sustainable lifestyle? Most of us strive to be sustainable to have a positive impact on our environment and the natural resources which are all around us. Working to lead a more sustainable lifestyle there past few months has made me contemplate the importance of nature in a contemporary setting. To say the least, I have been having some transcendental thoughts. Luckily, I am not the first to have such thoughts about nature. Great transcendentalist intellectuals such as Emerson and Thoreau wrote a great deal about romanticism in nature. Thoreau even went so far as to cast away the comforts of modern life and escape to the woods. He wanted to live a life close to nature and ponder the eloquent intricacies that exist in a pure natural setting. Thoreau wrote Walden, during the year he spent living at Walden Pond in 1850’s Massachusetts. I’d like you the reader to contemplate the following two quotes from Walden. Let them soak into your soul. Let them penetrate your every day routine and force you to come to grips with the importance of nature in all of our lives.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.
(Henry David Thoreau, Walden)
We are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds us. We can never have enough of nature. (Henry David Thoreau)
A moment of silence please for the late great Mr. Henry David Thoreau….
I urge you to take these passages seriously and contemplate the deep intrinsic importance of nature. Next time you are walking outside down enjoying the sun, shivering in resistance to the harsh wind, or catching snowflakes on your tongue remember that nature is all around us and should be an important part of our daily lives.
October 29, 2008
The following VB-Day speech was given by Jordan Paluch on Tuesday October 21, 2008 at the Giant Eagle Squirrel Hill Location.
I alone must voraciously voice my compliant. The vicious, villainous cycle of wasting various assortments of plastic bags comes to an end today. Producing, using, and then disposing of plastic bags has become a vortex sucking useless waste into our landfills. These vermin refuse to biodegrade and are a voldemortest scourge which will vehemently consume our society. Each year, between 500 billion and 1 trillion vile plastic bags are consumed worldwide. Billions of bags vandalize our streets as litter each year, and suck the environmental blood of our society like a vampire. (http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php) This viral human vice comes to an end today. From this point forward, I vow to use solely reusable bags to transport my groceries and various consumer goods. These bags can be inexpensively purchased in shades of violet, green, and velvety shades of blue. If we voraciously vie to seek vengeance upon this plastic bag varmint, together we will achieve victory. Viva la revolucion ambiental! I will personally seek an environmental vendetta against the vicious scourge of plastic bags and it is up to you the proletariat to violently rise up and reject the temptations and ease of consuming plastic bags. You the people can not fight this battle vicariously through me. You must rise up like a vine from the earth. I have a vision of a better tomorrow; a virtual Versailles of paradise, a virgin Skinnerian utoptia, a votive kibbutz upon which my dreams for a better planet will explode forth from our minds like a volcano and consume the plastic vagabond which torments our environment. The place is here, the time is now, and the movement is within view of victory.
October 22, 2008
I love my bike, but in some instances a car is necessary. I can’t ride home from the beer distributor with a keg strapped to my bike. Riding the bus with my groceries is also very inconvenient. What options do those who use alternative transportation have when we absolutely need a car?
I was pondering this question as I walked up Forbes Avenue and spotted a Zipcar. Zipcar is a company who provides conveniently located rental cars around the Pittsburgh/Oakland area. If you are 21 years old, you join Zipcar and have access to renting hundreds of cars and trucks in the Pittsburgh area. To use a car simply reserve it online, unlock it with your zip card, and drive away. This program is a very convenient alternative to owning a car. It allows people who use primarily public transportation to have access to a vehicle when they need it. However, I am not sure if the zip car program is economical.
Renting a Zipcar costs $7.86 an hour, or $56.95 per day. This cost includes the car’s gasoline and insurance. So, factoring in the cost of gas, insurance, and a car payment, using a Zipcar might be cheaper than owning a vehicle. However, the hourly rate makes the Zipcar convenient for only short trips. I think using a Zipcar as a primary mode of transportation would be largely ineffective. For the public transportation user, Zipcar rentals can be an efficient alternative to the many expenses of owning a vehicle. I think Oakland residents in particular could benefit from Zipcars
October 15, 2008
Report cards are in. This week the College Sustainability Report Card released its green grades for US universities. The report card grades schools in nine categories which include: Administration, Climate, Change and Energy, Food and Recycling, Green Building, Student Involvement, Transportation, Endowment Transparency, Investment Priorities and Shareholder Engagement.
Pitt received a “C” on this year’s College Sustainability Report Card. This is a better grade than the “C-” we received last year and the “D” the year before. Although we need to make many more improvements, I find it refreshing to know that Pitt is making progress toward greening the university. Pitt has made serious progress in coordinating university groups who work for green initiatives.
In the October 1 edition of The Pitt News, Mary Hancock wrote a wonderful article explaining what Pitt is doing to improve their green grade. In “Pitt earns ‘C’ on Green Report Card” Hancock explains the many new programs Pitt has introduced to improve the university’s green report card. Pitt’s campus shuttle system incorporated new initiatives to conserve fuel. Pitt also renegotiated their contract with the Pittsburgh Port Authority to continue to provide free bussing to Pitt students. Two environmental groups on campus, Free the Planet and Engineers for a Sustainable World coordinated Project Lights-Out to reduce campus energy consumption. The groups placed signs near light switches to encourage students and faculty to turn off switches after exiting class rooms. This program helped to reduce wasteful energy in Benedum hall be 25%.
I love to see Pitt making progress towards greening the university. Hopefully by next year we can make further improvements and once again improve out Grade. If student groups and administrators can learn to communicate and work together more effectively, we can definitely continue to improve our grade and make Pitt a more sustainable university.
October 15, 2008
I’ve decided to focus my post this week on two students who are actively promoting a green lifestyle in Pittsburgh. In the past week, I have found two great Blogs run by fellow Pitt Students both focusing on environmental issues. PGH.Alt.TRANS, created by Nick Drombosky, focuses on the alternate transportation options available to Pittsburghers. OaklandGreen, created by Amanda Budd, addresses the many recycling problems in the Pittsburgh and Oakland area. Both Blogs are extremely informative and excellent resources for readers concerned with living more sustainably in Pittsburgh.
PGH.Alt.TRANS, explores the practicality behind alternative transportation. Nick Drombosky is an avid biker and a wealth of information on cycling in Pittsburgh. Nick actually helped my complete the repairs on my own bike. Recent posts include nick’s guide to maximizing luggage carrying capacity on two wheels, the benefits of riding a scooter, information on Critical Mass, and a wonderfully written reference to an interesting and intuitive local blogger. Any readers who have been trying to pursue alternate transportation methods should definitely visit PGH.Alt.TRANS.
OaklandGreen, has introduced me to a very strange city recycling policy. The city of Pittsburgh requires that residents buy blue recycling bags for curbside recycling pickup. I think this is an atrocious policy. The added costs and inconvenience is deterring not encouraging recycling. Amanda has dedicated herself to discovering a solution that can make recycling more convenient for the city and its residents. I also found a wonderful link on OaklandGreen to help reduce my junk mail. This is a must visit page for any Pitt and CMU students who are interested in improving recycling in our community.
I hope you all check out these Blogs and the wealth of information they offer. I personally found them very helpful and I assure you will enjoy them.
September 26, 2008
As September comes to a close, MLB fans from all over the country have begun to anticipate the playoffs. Pittsburghers have little to be excited about. The Pirates had yet another losing season. Although we will not be able to watch the Pirates in the playoffs, they have tied the record of the Philadelphia Phillies with the most consecutive losing seasons in MLB history. This Sunday, I had the opportunity to go see the Pirates lose their last home game of the season to the Houston Astros. The loss was no shock. However, what did shock me was the abundance of recycling containers around the stadium. All around PNC Park I found signs, containers, and even public service announcements by the players urging fans to recycle their bottles and other waste products. The greatest accomplishment of the Pirates this season cannot be measured in wins and losses. Rather, the foresight by the Pirates administration to pursue green initiatives, sustainable business practices, and environmental community outreach has given me more pride in my hometown ballclub than innumerable victories.
Set into motion at the beginning of the 2008 season, the “Let’s Go Bucs. Lets Go Green.” program has been extremely successful. The Pittsburgh Pirates have partnered with the National Resource Defense Council to discover new and innovative ways to green the organization. The administration has placed 90 new recycling containers around PNC Park to collect recyclable materials from fans. Vendors have switched to using biodegradable corn based cups and have eliminated most of the non-biodegradable materials from utensils and packaging. Motion detectors have been installed around the park to cut lighting consumption. Lighting within the park now utilizes low voltage, high efficiency bulbs. All of the paper products used in the park and by the Pirates administration comes from post-consumer recycled paper. The Pirates administration has also invested in hybrid vehicles, stopped using Styrofoam products, and cleans the park with EPA recommended environmentally safe products. The “Lets Go Bucs. Lets Go Green.” program has generated immediate results and attracted significant national attention.
In the 2008 season alone, The Pirates have recycled 1.2 tons of paper, 6.2 tons of aluminum and plastic, 590 pounds of glass, 10.99 tons of cardboard, and 1550 gallons of cooking oil that will be converted to bio-fuel. The incredible environmental foresight by Pirates’ chairman Bob Nutting has made the Pirates one of the nation’s greenest professional sports teams. In a press release on the program, Nutting was quoted saying, “We are not launching this program because ‘going green’ is a popular trend. We are doing it because it is the right thing to do.” I find it inspirational that in a city once ravaged by industrial pollution our professional baseball team can set the MLB standard for environmentally responsibility. I only hope that other professional franchises and Pittsburgh corporations follow the Pirates lead and pursue Green initiatives. The “Let’s Go Bucks. Let’s Go Green.” program has returned the Pirates to their glory days. Despite our 16 consecutive losing seasons, the pirates have finally given Pittsburgh something to be proud of.
September 24, 2008
The day has finally arrived. I have a bike. Although it has been long in coming, I finally have a convenient, fuel free, quick way to navigate the city. Despite my excitement, taking to the road has been a bit intimidating. Forbes and Fifth Avenue teem with traffic during the day. When sharing the road with cars safety is always a concern. Aside from traffic, I have been having a bit of trouble finding biker friendly routes between Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods. After doing some online research, I found some useful resources to help me learn about bike routes and safety in Pittsburgh.
I discovered the Bike Pittsburgh website through a good friend. Bike Pittsburgh is a group dedicated to increasing the safety and efficiency of biking in Pittsburgh. They also work with local government officials and organizations to improve the cycling atmosphere in Pittsburgh. Their website features interactive biking maps, forums, and safety tips. The interactive map is incredibly useful. Using the map, bikers can view on street bike routes, dangerous streets, and the locations of reported crashes. I learned to avoid riding on Forbes and Fifth Avenue when possible. The intersection of Fifth and Shady has been the scene of many bike accidents and should be approached with caution. This map also helped me find the safest route to my friend’s house in Lawrenceville. Anyone interested in finding safe routes around Pittsburgh should definitely utilize this map.
Now that I had found some routes to my favorite destinations, I began wondering how I can ride safely to avoid crashes and injury. Bike Pittsburgh contains a comprehensive page of tips bikers should follow to stay safe and avoid crashes. These rules are simple, but will help you stay safe if followed correctly. I learned that Pennsylvania requires that bikes have a front headlight and rear reflector when riding at night. Bikers should avoid passing cars on the right hand side. Most importantly, I need to keep an eye out for people exiting their cars. Learning so many helpful tips has given me the confidence to tackle the road.
In addition, I am interested in finding out what bike routes other
Pitt and CMU students enjoy using. I have been working to construct a message board where we can discuss our favorite routes around the city. This board should be operational within the next few days. Please post your favorite routes and I will be sure to give them a ride.
September 16, 2008
I am one of the privileged few students at the University of Pittsburgh who have a campus parking pass. Despite the free busing Pitt has provided me and the relative proximity of myself to my destinations, last year I found myself relying heavily on my car . The car saved me many a long walk through South Oakland and many an hour waiting at bus stops in Squirrel Hill. Despite this convenience, the rising price of gasoline and my goal of living a greener lifestyle has caused me to explore alternate transportation options.
Although i am not yet willing to end my vehicular dependence, I have decided to shift from four wheels to two. Biking around Oakland is a wonderful alternative to driving. Parking is easy to find, its great exercise, if you have a bike its free, and completely fuel efficient. Unfortunately, I do not have a bike on campus. This is when i discovered Freeride . Freeride is a non-traditional bicycle repair shop and recycled bike co-op. By educating people on bike repair and maintenance and providing affordable bikes, Freeride strives to promote bike transportation in Pittsburgh. Through their earn-a-bike program, Freeride gives Pittsburghers the option of volunteering their time to earn a free bike that they repair and rebuild themselves. Bikers can also come to Freeride and volunteer their time for parts to repair their own bikes.
This Saturday I made the trip to Freeride and began working on my bike. I first picked out a frame and then the bike repair experts at Freeride helped me to begin repairing my new wheels. All of the tools, parts, and knowledge I need to repair my bike are available at Freeride. The volunteers were very helpful and excited to help me make my new bike road worthy. Even a mechanically challenged person like myself was able to start rebuilding a bike. Located off Penn Avenue in the Construction Junction warehouse, Freeride was a quick bus ride away. Freeride is open Tuesday and Thursday from 6-10pm and Saturday 1-5pm. Tuesday night, I plan on heading back to Freeride and working to complete my bike. Pending a safety inspection, I should have a new bike by this weekend and can cruise the Oakland streets in style. I urge all of you to go check out Freeride and volunteer to earn yourself a bike. The benefits and savings of bicycle transportation in Pittsburgh far outweigh the convenience of driving a car.
September 8, 2008
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