Ok, so the image is not the snazziest thing you’ve ever seen, but I don’t even have Photoshop on this computer at work, so I made this with a program called Pixelmator, which is free and has all the basic gadgets and gizmos as Photoshop.
For our July newsletter I wanted to create fun, original content, because we’ve really been lacking in that lately. I’ve been so busy with the research and writing of the 2010 books (6! Portland, Seattle, Twin Cities, Berkeley/Oakland…and new this year Silicon Valley and Denver!) that I’ve had little time to write and create new pieces. It was high time for some original editorial content.
Social pressure is a big motivator, we know this, and much of that is self imposed based on observation. In Portland, a prime example is called the Yellow Bin Effect. When bright yellow recycling bins were introduced, people started using them more. Then additional people started using them, and as more people saw them on the curb, that made them recycle more, too. Everybody’s doing it, keeping up with the Jones, eco-guilt, etc, whatever combination it was, it worked.
Now Portland has one of the highest recycling rates in the nation. They’ve even upgraded the yellow bins to large blue roll bins, we’re that good at recycling. You see similar influencing with reusable shopping totes. How much of a scarlet letter is the plastic bag for a certain set?
But not all beacons of green living are going to be curbside and fluorescent. Many of the serious carbon footprint reducing improvements, like increased home insulation, are things you’ll only hear about when the homeowner invites you over for dinner. So I did a small experiment, and set out with my bike and camera to survey the SE neighborhood for these items:
- Solar panels (photovoltaic or hot water)
- Eco roof
- Community garden
- Rain barrel
- Clothing line
- Compost bin
- Home vegetable garden
- Chicken coop
To my total surprise, the solar panels were the easiest, at a home just around the block. Now, I must pass that house weekly, and I’ve never once looked up and noticed their solar panels. They also had a rain barrel, the only one I saw, but I would have needed to climb into their yard to get the shot. Even with the big PACE flag on the door, I didn’t want to test their hospitality. Finding a community garden was a snap, and it was also gorgeous to photograph. All that lushness!
I snuck some raspberries too. A clothesline was the only thing I never encountered.
It was a good activity for learning about my neighborhood, mostly because it’s not as clearly eco savvy as I expected. So, I created this scavenger hunt for our readers, but the twist is that it also incorporates submitting the photos to our Flickr sustainable living pools for each city. Initially I created those thinking they would take off, but people are reluctant to submit pictures, and I’m struggling with why. They’re happy to approve pictures I request to join the pool though, so I’m plugging away at that.
For fun, I added these scavenge items:
- The coolest bike
- Public art that’s lesser known
- A photo from inside a form of mass transit
- Greywater system
I admit I was particularly pleased with myself for thinking of the transit photo from the inside. And good luck on the greywater system. It’s legal here and many places, but the Office of Sustainable Development has done like, one case study.
Photosharing is such an underutilized social media tool. There’s lots of opportunity there for presenting information about lifestyles through photos, and yet it’s pretty much untouched by all the big green media companies. One of my primary goals is to combine Flickr photos with green living tips, to make us stand out and also because I can’t read one more paragraph about the merits of composting. They’re all the same. And I write these things. But show me a set of five different types of compost bins, and I’ll be curious. Show me five in my neighborhood and I might be compelled to get one.
We’re still working on prizes, but the scavenger hunt will appear in the next newsletter. Would you do it? Can you name any of these things near you now? I’m not sure how much to request of people as far as tagging goes. The city for sure, and the neighborhood seems like a good idea, but is that asking too much?
These things are so much harder to spot in a denser city like SF. I can see some solar panels from my window, but otherwise, I’d be screwed because you can’t see roofs here. (Same goes for an eco roof, unless you count the Academy of Sciences.) A clothes line? I can’t see into anyone’s back yard, so while I’m sure they exist, forget it. Etc. for most of the items, except community gardens, which are plentiful.
Also, we’re totally beating you in recycling (72%!), even without the visibility of yellow bins
JUST SAYING