Cornfed America

As you can probably tell if you’ve been a SCREAM follower is that I like videos.   I generally find them compelling to get the point across.  I was watching Current TV about a month or so ago and saw a short video..err…”pod”…on our dependence on corn.  You heard me right.  Corn. 

The video will tell most of the story.  If you want to read more about GMO’s (genetically modified organism) and corn, go to this site.

You may notice that this video is Canadian.  So enjoy the PROcess.  I love a girl who says “aboot.”

Chicago Alleys To Go Green

What is a green alley, you ask?  Permeable pavement.  Simple as that.  Chicago has more alleys than anywhere in the U.S.  That’s a lot of pavement.  It’s like maintaining duplicate streets.  One major problem with so much concrete is that it creates a lot of flooding because there is no where for the rainwater to go.  Its all being forced into sewers drains which creates more problems. 

The city is using permeable concrete – or porous asphalt.  It isn’t something that is used in too many places, but why not?  The alleys in the city are old and they need to repave them.  Janet Attarian, the project’s director says it best, “The question is, if you’ve got to resurface an alley anyway, can you make it do more for you?”  Exactly.  Spend more later and solve more problems. 

In addition to the rainwater solution, the alleys actually stay cooler in the summer by reflecting the sun’s heat rather than absorbing it.  Conversely, in the winter, the pavement retains heat longer.  For an added benefit, a good portion of the resurfacing of the alleys can be done using recycled construction materials. 

Lighting is also being changed.  Current street lights shine above and below and produce the all-to-familiar yellow glow.  The new lights are using metal halide lamps which give off a brighter white light and is more energy efficient.  Apparently these new “dark sky compliant” lights allow you to see colors more vividly at night. 

So far, about 46 alleys have been outfitted with the new concrete.  It’s business as usual now.  All new alley projects will be completed using the new system.  Although, I’d love to give props to Sadhu Johnston, the city’s head of the Dept of Environment, but I found this link that says the city was looking into this and completed an alley in 2001!

If you want a leisurely read, here’s the Chicago Green Alley Initiative Handbook.

Source: City of Chicago, Internation Tribune Herald

I Heart Worm Poop

Doesn’t everyone love worm poop?  I took this picture at the Green Festival in Chicago last year. 

Sure, you can buy your worm poop. You can buy worm tea, too.  Me?  I like to make my own worm poop.  My worms are little pooping machines.  A worm can eat half its body weight per day. One pound of worms is roughly equal to 1,000 worms.  On top of that, worms multiply rather quickly, too.    That’s a lot of kitchen scraps those little guys can eat up and poop out. 

Worm poop is some of the best fertilizer you can find anywhere.  Setting up your worm composting – or vermicomposting - production is also pretty easy to do.  All you need is a worm bin (which you can make or buy), worms – red wigglers – not earth worms (I bought mine on eBay), some newspaper for bedding, and finally kitchen scraps (no meats or dairy).  Something else that makes worm composting easier is to have a kitchen compost pail (I have this one). 

Why do I vermicompost?  There are a bunch of reasons.  To be honest, one of the first reasons was that I thought it would be fun and interesting and I thought that the kids would love it (see video below).  I was right on both counts.   To make it even easier – my wife actually suggested that we give it a try.  As I mentioned before, worm castings are great fertilizer.  You can use it as soil additive or you can take the tea – liquid that comes out of the waste – and   spray your plants with it.  Since worm castings are just poop – you can liquify it by boiling it with some water and then you can put it in a spray bottle.   Food waste that is thrown in the gargbage adds up very quickly.  Most people think that because it comes from nature, that it will easily biodegrade and go back to nature.  Well – not in today’s dumps.  What happens is that the waste liquifies as it rots.  That liquid then blends with toxins that are in the dump.  Then the liquid ends up in the ground water, streams, and lakes.  Its not a pretty thing. 

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