The first time I saw that cars could be really really small is from Family Matters. Steve Urkel had his nerdy little clown car that couldn’t go very fast. But it was still kind of cool:
(So yeah, the only clip I could find was in German, but no translation is needed, right?)
I’m not sure why, but I’ve always loved small cars (small houses too). And here, via BoingBoing, is an awesome gallery of little cars!
Yesterday was Earth Day, and wow, I’m still sorting through all the related blog entries saved in my Google RSS feed reader. It’s tricky to think about the overlap (or lack thereof) between our spheres of thought - like environmentalism and feminism. Rana did a great job of addressing her thoughts on this junction in a guest post over at Shakespeare’s Sister. I recommend checking out the whole thing, but here’s something to get you started:
In other words, masculine environmentalism is, when reduced to its most basic, about defending a vulnerable earth from “rapists” in order to ensure that (male) human beings continue to have access to it. Feminine environmentalism, on the other hand, is about protecting one’s body, family, and home from outside attacks by (male) corporations.
This gendering of the movement shapes the way that we think about environmental issues, and the way that we address environmental problems, in ways that are subtle, but significant.
Walking home one night, I thought to myself what a shame it was not to be able to see the stars here in Boston the way I used to see them in Maine. It says a lot about apathy, I think, that I then went on to ignore all of TreeHugger’s posts about Earth Hour. After all, the worldwide event essentially seeks to (symbolically) bring the stars back. It’s funny what makes us choose to do things. For me, I finally decided to try it only after reading on Noi’s blog that her family had sort of participated. My attitude suddenly shifted to “Well, why not?”
Anyway, it’ll be a good way to have a quiet night since I’m gonna be up with the chickens tomorrow morning to help with S’s move to Philly. (Btw, S, I’ll probably be too busy bawling to actually move any boxes for you, even if you ARE returning for one month before classes start. I’m going to miss you!)
So from 8-9pm, I’m shutting down my laptop, unplugging my tv and power strips, and I’ll read by candlelight for an hour. Paul Auster’s New York Trilogy hasn’t been getting nearly the kind of attention it deserves. If only Earth Hour happened during the summer- then I could sit on the porch!
One of the reasons I chose to move to a city like Boston is that I almost never have to drive. I grew up in Maine, where public transportation is virtually non-existent. The T isn’t always the most attractive way of getting somewhere, but that’s why I joined Zipcar (and I’m lucky to have friends who occasionally give me a ride)!
So these days, I’m generally oblivious to the cost of fueling up our cars. (I just wish I didn’t find Boston drivers so scary, so that I could feel comfortable riding my bike more.) But for some reason, I can’t get enough of the charts that compare American gas prices with everywhere else. See Wired’s atlas of gas prices, and TreeHugger’s information on global petrol taxes and the cost of gas compared to other household purchases.
Some people are responding to the burden on their budgets by trading in their cars. But who knew that the Model T had a better mpg than most cars in 2004? But Model T’s probably aren’t a viable option for most people, considering that production ended in 1927, no? There are always those other ways you can save on gas. Or maybe you’d prefer to rail against those lousy environmentalists who don’t like your SUV.
Okay. This? Although nothing new (the energy and environmental costs of the meat supply is old news if you read TreeHugger), it makes me want to give vegetarianism another whirl. I also need to finish Omnivore’s Dilemma. My only caveat: Why does meat have to go so well with wine?
Moe over at Jezebel has a little more to say on the topic.
As I was waiting for my small chai (admittedly in a paper cup, to go), I noticed that the café had a quote written on their chalkboard:
Only when the last tree has died
and the last river been poisoned
and the last fish been caught
will we realize we cannot eat money.
~Cree Indian Proverb
…it’s a timely quote.
This is the kind of thing that breaks my heart: Brazil Amazon deforestation soars.
SOJA vs. FLORESTA / SOYA vs. FOREST / SOJFABO kontraŭ ARBARO, originally uploaded by leoffreitas.
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