Did you know that "Prius" means "Before"? Neat!

With both environmental concern and gas prices on the rise, people are starting to realize the benefits of owning a hybrid or electric car. In the past, these cars have only represented a niche market; now, they have become the third most popular car in the world.

That's right - nearly 250,000 Prius vehicles have been sold worldwide in the first quarter of 2012, with over 86,000 of those in the United States alone. The only cars that are more popular are the Ford Focus (#2) and Toyota Corolla (#1).

Part of the reason that the Prius is so popular recently is an initiative put forth by Japan. Japanese folks get a discount of approximately $2,500 if they bought a Prius.

This news leads me to ask (and attempt to answer) three questions:

1. If the Toyota Prius is doing well, then what of the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt?

I think that, because the Prius has been on the roads for 15 years, people have adopted the Prius into the mainstream and trust them as reliable cars. The Leaf and the Volt are much newer cars, so they are being driven by early adopters – but the average Joe will probably be looking for something less “newfangled.”

2. Should the United States try a similar initiative to get people to have more fuel efficient cars?

This has already happened. If you remember, the 2009 Cash for Clunkers rebate system resulted in a staggering 700,000 older, less fuel-efficient cars being traded in for more fuel efficient rigs. One of my closest friends participated, trading in his old 18 mpg Jeep for a brand-new 35 mpg Nissan Versa. But a Versa is not a hybrid or electric car. Perhaps it is time to make that step.

(Of course, I'm always partial to the idea of making more cities bike-friendly, too!)

3. Will this trend continue for a very long time?

Well, look at the gas prices nationwide. They're especially high in Washington, Oregon, and California. How long do you think people can afford to drive gas guzzlers in those places? Or in the rest of the country? Since Corvallis is very bike-friendly, I've taken to biking most places to save gas. Those without such luck will likely need to switch to fuel efficient/hybrid/electric cars so that their wallets won't take such a whollop at the pump.

If you have anything to add, please comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Move over, Spot

I want one!

Some say dogs are man's best friend. But it is becoming increasingly apparent that a new favorite pet is showing up in cities across the country. It's not a cat. It's not a parrot, either. It's a chicken.

More and more urban and suburban homeowners are finding benefits in raising chickens instead of other pets. They're soft, they're friendly, and they give you fresh and delicious eggs that liberates you - at least in some small way - from industrialized food production.

Do you want a new feathery friend in your back yard? Before you commit, make sure you:

Some chicken-friendly cities.

• Make sure your city allows chickens.
 This website gives information on chicken policy in urban areas across the country. If your city or town isn't there, then still check in with your city to make sure that you're good to go.
• Avoid roosters. Most cities don't allow them, anyway, and you want to make sure that you don't accidentally end up with more chickens than you can take care of.
• Make sure you have the means and time to care for a chicken. If you're looking for a low-maintenance pet, you might go for an outdoor cat; chickens require lots of time, energy, and upkeep.
• Read up on chicken care. There are a plethora of online resources at your disposal, and it never hurts to talk to someone who takes care of chickens in his or her back yard.

For me, the #1 bummer about living in an apartment is a lack of chickens. My dream home involves a red door, a picket fence and a chicken coop out back!

Do you have any experiences or stories with backyard/urban chickens? Share in the comments!

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via TheEnvironmentalBlog.org, ABC.go.com, Geocommons.com, About.com, MarksDailyApple.com

Save the Pacific Fisher

We've all seen those movies and commercials.

A sad-faced polar bear watches her cub float away on a block of ice. She dives in after her cub, and can barely struggle to heave herself up onto the slippery, wet ice. They look on hopelessly.

We've also heard about penguins shipped to zoos to preserve their populations (see humorous video below). We know about thinning herds of elephants and zebras struggling to keep their populations alive. And, of course, we've seen the adorable panda on the World Wildlife Foundation logo.

Folks pour money into the causes that promise to help these endangered animals, fascinated by the chance to keep something so foreign and exotic on this planet.

I am strongly inclined to visit Toronto now...

What they don't realize is that there are less sensationalized critters that need help, too. Here in the Northwest, we have a beautiful and diverse population of endangered species that need protection.

Look at him! So cute! He needs help, too!

Take, for example, our friend the Pacific Fisher. He is threatened by loss of habitat and depressed population size, and his folk are suffering in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. I know I haven't seen him on TV, and yet, look how cute he is!

The list of threatened species for the Northwest area goes on and on and on. And I wonder how people would respond if these animals were shown on the "save the animals" commercials, rather than lions and zebras and elephants.


One thing I know for certain is that, while people care about strange and interesting issues, they also connect strongly to local issues. And while I care about endangered species worldwide, I would probably be more likely to shell out cash if it meant that I have a better chance of seeing the Pacific Fisher (or Pygmy Rabbit, or Columbian white-tailed deer) on a hike one day.

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via TheEnvironmentalvBlog.org, WorldWildlife.org, PacificBio.org

The Trek of a Lone Wolf

"OR-7" sounds like it could be the name of a robot.
Or maybe a code name for a top-secret investigation.
But, no: OR-7 is the name of a history-making wolf.

Not gonna lie; this wolf makes me feel lazy.

OR-7, who has been dubbed "Journey," is the first wolf west of the Cascades since 1947.

In fact, he's gone all the way across Oregon from the northeast region of the state all the way to northern California. Recently, he has seemed to loop back around toward the Oregon border.

Problem is, Journey is not very welcome in California. The Siskiyou County Board of Directors are deciding whether or not to allow anyone who sees the wolf to kill it.



While Journey is more than likely just looking for a mate, hungry wolves are known to make prey of cattle. Cattlemen are not very sympathetic to anything that will destroy their livelihood, even if the wolf is making history.

OR-7's buddy OR-10 is not happy to see you.

Federal law does prohibit the shooting of wolves since they are endangered in California. And so far, nobody has accused Journey of killing their cattle.

OR-7 wears a radio monitor so his progress can be tracked daily. Several other members of his pack are also being monitored, but only a handful of the original 16 are still alive.

So what do you think should be done about Journey? He is being monitored; should he be tracked down and contained? Should he be put down before he causes any damage? Or, is it fine that he wanders, mateless and alone?

The way I figure, he hasn't done any harm, so he might as well be left alone. Wouldn't any of us want the same?

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via OregonWild.org, OregonLive.com, CaliforniaGrayWolf, and CA.gov

It's the season for Farm Fresh!

May has arrived, and now that spring is in full swing you can expect to see Farmer’s Markets popping up in parks and community lots everywhere.

Farmer’s Markets are excellent because you can get some of the freshest produce possible directly from the source. A few reasons I enjoy farmer’s market days:

Colorful AND delicious!

• You get to meet the people who grew your food. It brings a strong human element into the picture which you just can’t find at the grocery store. Plus, there are often musicians and artists who bring an excellent community feel to the event.

• You skip out on the over-packaging practices that are common when getting your produce from far away. Take mushrooms, for example – you can get them vacuum-sealed in Styrofoam and plastic at the grocery store, or you can pick out exactly how many you need at the market and bring them home in a reusable container.

• Variety! Did you know that certain varieties of carrots are PURPLE? You don’t normally find that in the produce section! Plus, purple food = antioxidants = extra good for your health!

• You can feel good knowing that your produce arrived to you from nearby, meaning that they weren’t carted in from far away using lots fuel that polluted the air.

• This stuff is FRESH and RIPE. You know when you get strawberries from the store, and the insides are white? That’s because they had to be picked a little early to arrive to you before they went bad. I find that the strawberries at the Farmer’s Market are red (and so deliciously sweet) all the way through. And you just can’t beat that.

Starbucks: Northwestern or Colombian product?

 It’s hard to tout Farmer’s Markets without also mentioning locavorism. “Locavore” is a term that a North Carolina woman named Jessica Prentice came up with on World Environment Day in 2005. She and her friends wanted to challenge themselves to eat local foods for a month and see what it was like. Since then, locavorism has gained popularity across the country.

The challenge of being a locavore? Restricting your diet to foods that come from within a 100-mile radius of where you live. That makes coffee, bananas, and oranges difficult for us Northwesterners.  So while it is a noble challenge, I know I wouldn’t be able to commit myself wholly – but any step I can take is a step in the right direction.

 

So, have I convinced you to try going to a Farmer’s Market? Not yet? You don’t know where to find one? Well, I have good news for you – Farmer’s Market directories are becoming more increasingly available online! A really good directory I’ve found is called LocalHarvest.org. By simply entering zip codes it came up with the market in Coeur d’Alene, ID that I used to visit with my dad; the market in Rathdrum, ID where I set up an arts & crafts booth with my friend; and the market in Corvallis, OR that I bike to on Saturdays.

I double-checked and found several other markets throughout Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California. The web site also gives locations of co-ops and farms to make buying local much easier. Seriously; it's a gold mine.

So look up a market near your town and try going this week! It’s an easy and fun outing, and you may find yourself walking home with some excellent salad makings.

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via TodayIFoundOut.com, TheEnvironmentalBlog.org, HuffingtonPost.com, LocalHarvest.org