ReGeneration Roundup: 2008-08-08
Constantly forgetting to recycle? Can’t seem to stop driving a block to the convenience store? Does nothing seem to relax you like the smell of burning styrofoam? Not to worry. Our friends at Greenwala have laid out 12 step program for those of us sharing an addiction for decidedly ungreen practices. While it is a humorous approach to the obligatory tips post, there is some good information in there about embarking on a new green lifestyle. I especially liked the inspiration links they provided to well-known and respected sustainability gurus.
What makes a hero? Is it the desire and drive to make society better despite the lack of material reward? Is it putting the welfare of others before yourself? Is it wearing a mask, cape and a pair of brightly colored briefs outside your pants? I don’t know, but I am sure of this: no matter how you define it, Mark the Litter Guy is a hero. Unemployed and with no desire to beg others for food and money, the man who came to be affectionately known as Mark the Litter Guy to Toronto residents picked up a few trash bags and embarked on his one-man mission to make his city beautiful and clean. Day in and day out, Mark can be found on the streets of Toronto picking up trash and making sure it ends up where it belongs - not as runoff polluting the city’s waterways. All this without demanding a dime from anyone (he does accept donations though). His efforts garnered enough goodwill and attention from locals that the Australian Boot Company gave him a pair of free steel-toed Blundstone boots to assist him with his work around the city. He’s even got his own blog so people everywhere can join him on his adventures through Toronto. No word yet on what his superhero catchphrase will be.
If you haven’t had the chance to check out Grist’s Ask Umbra section of their blog, I highly recommend it. A couple times a week, they will tackle some very challenging questions sent in by readers, all done with a characteristic sense of humor that caused Newsweek to dub Grist “the ‘Daily Show’ of the environment.” This week’s question was about how CO2 gases can be measured in tons. There’s some complex scientific data in their answer, but it was put in such a way that it’s attainable to those of us without a head for numbers (including yours truly).
