Return of the Mack

This last year has been an adventure. I left campus in Evanston, IL to start my career in the big small city. For a Northwestern graduate, Midland, Michigan is an atypical destination --many of my friends ended up in NYC and the others are scattered in places like LA, San Francisco, and Houston. Since I grew up in a small town, unlike many of them, I wasn't expecting culture shock. Little did I know how much five formative years in the city changed me.

When I moved to Midland, I immediately wished I didn't hate biking, because, besides that, the only other forms of transportation are cars and tractors -- Midland isn't much of a walkable city. My new lifestyle includes owning a car and embarrassingly, I do not carpool to work. I've been exposed to people who REALLY dislike being inconvenienced. They would rather use the trash can two feet away than walk the extra ten to the recycling bin; they don't care to turn off the lights; and they love autostart. Okay, I must admit, when Michigan weather hits 10 below, I wish my car was toasty on the ride to work, too.

Despite it all, I really do like it here. I've made some close friends, and I enjoy my work. The engineering and life experienced I've gained has been invaluable. Through my projects, I've seen, firsthand, how business and environmental goals can truly align. Reducing waste = $$. 

Here's to putting an end to my blogging hiatus.

Dow Gardens, Midland, MI

The World is Going Electric - no wait - Just China

China is planning to invest $1.5 billion annually in electric vehicles, starting with trial taxi services in Shenzhen and Hangzhou. If all goes as planned, they'll have 500,000 electric vehicles throughout the country by 2015.

An electric taxi in Shenzhen, China

Although the cost of these vehicles is still extremely high - 80% more than its carbon counterparts, the government's unique approach to integrating electric car technologies into society may prove to be just what the industry needs. Their system exposes people to electric car technology without requiring them to make the initial investment. Instead, their 3 yuan fuel surcharge is waived, and trips in these taxis are actually cheaper, incentivizing ridership. Furthermore, these taxi services require the construction of charging stations, which provide necessary infrastructure for the expansion of individual electric vehicle usage.

Yet, it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing. Safety issues have plagued taxis in Hangzhou, and individual consumers still aren't buying electric vehicles.

That said, putting these vehicles on the road and collecting performance and user data will undoubtedly lead to greater testing and improvements. As a result, electric vehicles may become both safe and cost competitive.

Cards that Grow, Literally

I always get a weird feeling when environmental groups hand out flyers. Sometimes, I'm annoyed: "No, I do not want another random piece of paper that I'm going to throw away before I even get home. Or, it's guilt: "I pretend to be an environmentalist but please take my flier even though I know you're going to throw it away before you get home".

PROBLEM SOLVED!

A plantable business card

It's called plantable paper, and it comes in the form of business cards (Think of the networking conversations this could spark!), fliers, invitations, post cards, and more. Just add water (and soil if you have it) and voila!

Seeds range from wildflowers all the way to the edibles like basil and chives

I'm SO doing these if/when I get married!

Thanks for the heads up Brooke! These are pretty sweet.

Chicago is One Step Ahead

"Chicago is often called the Second City, but it is way out in front of most in terms of adaptation" -Leslie Kaufman

Chicago is preparing for climate change.

Score for permeable pavement!

Cube-tastic

A tour of the Cube from Mike Page on Vimeo.

Imagine if they stacked these in NY. I have at least one friend who would benefit from this efficient use of space.

thanks Sasha =)