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When I was a kid, my parents took me to see Back to the Future. Ever since the first time I watched the Delorian speed through time, I was hooked. A few years later the sequel returned with a bona fide flying time machine. So, ever since the age of ten, I’ve had my fingers crossed that one day reality would catch up with the movies and we’d get to drive flying cars.

And soon, for the steep price of $279,000, we’ll be able to do just that. 

Part Car, Part Plane, All Groundbreaking

Released earlier this month, the Transition, a “roadable aircraft” developed by Terrafugia was shown at the New York International Auto Show. According to the Washington Post, the car has completed its first flight and a select few are slapping down the 10 grand deposit required for purchase. On its first test flight, it flew for eight minutes at 1400 feet. (Your average airplane flies for several hours at a height of about 35,000 feet.) However, the Transition won’t be able to get you out of bad I-95 traffic. Drivers of the Transition will need a runway to prepare for lift off.

The Transition has two modes: a driving mode and a flying mode. The idea is that drivers will be able to drive it to a nearby airport where they can take off. Upon completion of the journey, they’ll be able to land at their destination airport and drive it off site.

Green?

It’s a little too early to tell if the Transition will be eco-friendly, but if both cars and planes produce heavy carbon emissions, then what of the Transition’s carbon emissions? After all, this flying car is a machine that is both automobile and airplane, the love child of two of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions. What does the green future hold for new inventions like this? Undeniably, the Transition is a giant step forward from the days when we dreamt of Marty McFly’s Delorian or longed for the futuristic freedom of George Jetson’s flying car. What kind of fuel will it use? Will there be a green version? Will we one day purchase carbon credits for flying cars? As we soar into the future, it will be interesting to see.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By lotprocars

Earth Day officially began on April 22, 1970 and was founded by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. I urge you to take advantage of the fact that Earth Day falls on a Sunday this year – go out and celebrate it, don’t just hear about it second-hand.

My first memory of an Earth Day celebration was in 1990. I was eleven and I was running wild with some friends on the Ridge, a patch of land in-between Pine Island Road and Nob Hill Road in Plantation, Florida. All I remember of that day is a lot of talks about recycling and soda cans. I stacked old soda cans and then my friends and I excitedly put them into big red bins marked for that purpose. There were balloons. My cousin rolled down a hill, narrowly missing an anthill, but this was just another excuse for the sweaty, curious lot of us to poke at some insects. Not bad for a first earth day: soda, tin cans, and a lot of bugs.

When I was growing up, a best friend of mine lived in walking distance from the Ridge, and we’d go there all the time. We didn’t care about what danger might exist. All that mattered for us was to be free in nature. We’d stay in the woods so long that her parents yelled themselves hoarse trying to get us to come inside. But we – especially I – couldn’t be distracted. Light changes in the woods, blazing forth when you walk out of a cluster of trees. Those times represented freedom and joy, independence and adventure. I wish everyone that feeling at least once in their lives, especially the kids of today, who are growing up in a world where technology may one day entirely eclipse the natural world. Let’s make it up to us – and use this Earth Day to renew our commitment to protecting the environment.

Here are some things to do on Earth Day.

Picnic

Make the kids turn off their electronic devices and go on a picnic. Enjoy being outside.

Pretend to be Ansel Adams

Got junior explorers? Feel like being an explorer yourself? Pay attention to what’s around you. Take pictures of bugs and of the natural world.

Take the Time

Find a local celebration or simply make the time to go for a walk. Make this a perfect time to celebrate the value of the present and our hopes for the future.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By ax2groin

The overlap between the eco-friendly population and the queer community just got a little cozier. Certain green and gay associations are getting ready for Earth Gay, the LGBT version of earth day. It’s a celebration of all things gay and green, and it’s the brainchild of Out For Sustainability, a Seattle-based LGBTQ organization that is all about the many ways to combine being gay with being green.

Last year’s Seattle-based Earth Gay was a huge success, with support from Seattle’s mayor and representatives from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and other groups. Out for Sustainability is planning another Earth Gay later this year on April 22 in Seattle .

But that’s almost a month away. If you don’t want to wait to celebrate the perfect marriage of the green community with gay culture (or don’t want to get on a plane to Seattle), start your own celebration of all things gay and green with these eco-friendly tips.

Get Friends for a Small Celebration

Gather a bunch of your favorite gay friends together and go on a beach cleanup or have a recycling party. Bring used clothes or small items and swap them. Make it an UpCycle party! If you’re having a small get together, make sure there are appropriate bins for recycling. When preparing for your small eco-friendly hangout, have organic munchies on hand.

Get the Community Together for a Big Celebration

If a small get together just isn’t enough to contain the green/gay fun, consider getting your community involved for a full-scale celebration of being gay and green. Contact the local Pride center or other LGBT organizations and advertise through them. Consider having awareness workshops.

You Are the 55%

According to a much-cited poll by Harris Interactive, 55% of LGBT adults stated they cared deeply about green issues as compared to 33% of straight adults. Are you one of the 55%? Spread the word through local newspapers or market your green/gay event on Facebook or Twitter. Seek out like-minded eco-maniacs to help you foster a sense of queer, green community. After all, both movements have a lot in common, from a sense of local responsibility to the fact that both the green movement and the LGBT movement for equal rights are slowly becoming more and more mainstream.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By kenschneiderusa

It won’t take much to be green on St. Patrick’s Day. Come out to the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival on Saturday March 10, 2012 in Fort Lauderdale.

Fun

The day kicks off with the annual Leprechaun Leap, a family-oriented 1K walk. There’s a great line up throughout the day from 11 am to 6 pm, including an Irish blessing, Irish step dancing, storytelling, a puppet show, and three bands – Hootnanny, Against the Tracks, and Avalon. The festival officially begins at 1:30 and will include face painting for the kids, bounce houses, pony rides, and more. The event is sponsored in part by Whole Foods, among other corporate sponsors.

The Parade

The parade starts at Las Olas Boulevard (SE 8th Avenue) at noon and ends at 1:30 on Andrews Avenue. The festival will award over $3,000 in cash prizes to the best float, including categories for marching bands, pipe bands, school floats, and non-profit floats.

Green Festival Tips

To be green at Fort Lauderdale’s yearly Irish festival, remember to pack plenty of eco-friendly sunscreen. (Avoid the spray on kind if you can, which can be harmful.) Recycle bottles and trash, and avoid plastic utensils if possible. While most beers or burgers that have been dyed are usually made green with safe, plant-based dyes, it never hurts to double-check. Make sure to either bring a reusable water bottle or recycle the bottles that you buy, as somehow almost 80% of plastic water bottles wind up in landfills.

Everyone loves festival goodies! If you’re going to take home all those fun little Saint Patrick’s Day festival toys (green beads, foam hands, plastic shamrocks), either recycle them when you’re done using them or find ways to reuse them. If you’re not  going to use them, either don’t take them home or donate them to a thrift store.

If You Go

The Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival is free and open to the public. Parking is $5 in certain areas between the hours of 7 am and 4 pm. Have fun painting Fort Lauderdale green!

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By mbsz

Are gays really more eco-aware? I couldn’t resist asking the opinion of a gay friend of mine. An art student at UM, he’d spent the last half-hour telling me excitedly about his latest installation which (ironically) consisted of used bottles he’d found. I used his mention of recycled bottles as my chance. “Do you think gays are more green?” I asked him. He nodded and said he absolutely did. He’s not the only one. But why?

The Link Between Being Gay and Being Green

Being gay automatically sets you apart, simply because you’re a little bit different and don’t exactly fit in a largely heterosexual world. Gays are, according to experts, also aware of the way small changes can impact global change. After all, the LGBT human rights movement began as a grassroots movement, and so has the green movement. Both movements have gained somewhat of a mainstream footing over the years, and it seems to a degree, they’ve grown together, with the general public becoming slowly aware of the importance of, say, recycling, or marriage equality.

Green Numbers

According to a poll, from January 2011, 45% of polled members of the LGBT community were more likely to vote for political candidates who advocated for green issues, as compared to 27% of heterosexual people. Similarly, 55% of LGBT adults identified as caring about the future of the environment, as opposed to less than half of polled heterosexuals.

Human Rights

These recent polls back my friend up on his opinion, largely finding that gays are, yeah, a little more eco-aware than straights. (I blinked when I read that, as I thought of gay friends I have who would not know a recycling bin if it grew feet and walked into their kitchen, and other heterosexual friends who are some of the most active eco-warriors I know.) However, after reading over the polls, the links make sense. The long and short of it is that, if we can make any judgement, perhaps gays are more green because living a green lifestyle can be considered a human rights issue, and naturally is understood by the LGBT community.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By BenSpark

When I recently read the words of Stephen Hawking in which he begged us to start looking into space colonization because he believed that we just weren’t going to have the resources to be able to continue living on earth, I was shocked for a few reasons and I asked myself some important questions.

The X Files?

Hawking’s belief has nothing to do with what anyone’s opinions are on life on other planets, which admittedly to me, is one step away from an unbelievable episode of The X Files. However, I can see his point –the earth is in danger. And, frankly, we knew this. The fact that one of the most brilliant men on the planet made this remark  is certainly shocking. Can we even wrap our imaginations around the one-day potential possibility that we’ll have to evacuate the planet due to our neglect of it? It’s a hard and sobering remark to hear. I can see where that would make us feel, well, a bit defeatist, as if everything we’ve done has had a limited impact if, as Hawking feels, we’re just going to have to eventually leave earth anyhow.

Don’t Give Up

But we can’t stop now. I’m trying to think of Hawking’s request as a call to action, an excuse to remember that for every tiny choice we make, whether it’s finding a recycling bin or choosing small ways to connect with the environment while we’re traveling, whether it’s using stainless steel water bottles on trips or seeking to get involved with the world of carbon credits, we can still have an impact.

Track the Good Stuff

Download a Smartphone tracker to keep aware of the good green choices you’re making. Several apps offer ways to track daily green choices, list nearby green groceries, or monitor your energy consumption. If apps aren’t for you, simply make a list of all the changes that you are able to make and focus on those. One of my favorite sites to remind myself to stay positive is the Nature section of The Daily Good, a website that lists all the “good” news.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By Senthil Prabu.S

Is green travel hard? On a recent train trip, I tried to pack in as many green tips as I could. How did I do? What was the hardest? The easiest?

Getting There:

This part was easy. I’ve had a love affair with trains for many years so the decision to take the train to see friends in Orlando was an easy one. At about $60 for a round trip ticket, this choice was quite a bit cheaper than driving. No need to worry about the rising price of gas! Plus, I knew that taking the train was a greener choice than driving: it would save some serious carbon emissions. This was totally enjoyable. On trains, you get to relax, chat with your neighbors, and watch the scenery change outside.

The Water Bottle:

Carrying a water bottle onto the train was also easy. I was able to fill it up at several intervals. An even better idea for next time would be to find a bottle with a built-in filter, since drinking tap water from the train’s bathroom required me to be more than a little brave about what I was drinking.

Green Snacks:

On the train, be careful if you’re a vegetarian or vegan. If you choose to have a sit-down meal in the dining car, you’ll have more natural choices such as salads. However, if you eat from the casual lunch counter, there’s not much in the way of non-meat food. Although most trains offer a gardenburger instead of a hamburger, the gardenburgers are expensive and – chemical alert – microwaved in a plastic wrapper. Ugh. Why pay almost $5.00 for a gummy, microwaved sandwich when I could eat my own lunch from home? Plus, bananas and apples are easy to throw into a backpack, as are trail mix packets and other tasty travel goodies.

Shopping:

Oh, I scored a big failing grade on this one. I forgot to bring a reusable bag, so a few purchases went into traditional plastic bags, and some stores didn’t have paper bags at all. On days when I had my backpack with me, vacation goodies were stowed inside, eliminating the need for any kind of additional bag.

On-Train Entertainment:

This one was a toss up. While packing several books can make your bag heavier and contribute to the train using more fuel, an e-reader can waste electricity. What’s a green bookworm to do? I decided that for such a short train ride, I could do both: take a few (fairly light) books and pack the e-reader, making sure to turn it off when I wasn’t using it.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By thetrapezium

It seems that being green is the new call to virtue. It’s how we try to be “good” and not “bad.” Is green guilt paralyzing your eco-positivity?

Be Green Your Way

There’s no one perfect way to “go green,” nor is there a letter-perfect way to travel green, no matter what anyone says. All we can do is make small changes from day to day and watch them add up. While some people view purchasing carbon credits as an integral part of travel, other travelers may find it easier to simply find other ways to cut environmental corners. So what would work for you in that situation? Try several travel sites that offer deals – or if you’d rather have a more hands on approach, stay aware of container and BPA-free bottles when you’re traveling. Above all, notice what works for your pocketbook and your conscience.

Overwhelmed?

When I first taught college level English, I knew I’d lost my students when they stared blankly back at me. The lesson? Sometimes the eco-traveler  can get overwhelmed on sheer information. We all know the reasons why we should go green – because we’re running out of resources and want to conserve them, or because we want to co-create a healthy environment for our kids. In order to avoid being overwhelmed by green guilt, take a balanced approach and focus less on the statistics and more on the number of eco-positive travel decisions you can make in a day.

Stick to Your Principles

Once you’ve decided what works for you, whether it’s making sure that a plastic bottle never touches your lips, purchasing eco-friendly backpacks or luggage, or carpooling weekly, try to stick with it. Popular wisdom says that it takes about one month to form a decent habit, so once you start a green travel rule do your best to practice it every day for a month.

Long Term Changes

Eco-friendly awareness is here to stay. Slow and steady wins the race. We can’t heal environmental issues overnight, but we can pay attention to our everyday decisions and watch them develop into long-term changes that can have a far-reaching impact.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo by glasseyes view

Wangari Maathai, who won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for developing Africa’s Green Belt Movement, died last week after a long struggle with cancer. What can we learn from her legacy?

Educational Strides

She was born in Kenya in 1940, succeeded in school where she became fluent in English, and by the time she was twenty, she received a scholarship to study in America where she graduated with a master’s degree and became involved in the burgeoning environmental movement. When she returned to Kenya, she became the first woman in central and east Africa to receive a doctoral degree.

Making Changes and Standing Strong

In 2004, she became the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for the Green Belt Movement, an internationally renowned organization that began in 1977 when Maathai planted seeds in honor of Kenyan leaders. From that point on, Maathai blended the political with the environmental, by training rural women in Kenya to grow their own trees and help reverse deforestation. She was able to pay them a small amount of money. The movement grew, and as it did, Maathai encountered severe and dangerous political challenges – she was beaten by police during protests against government corruption, jailed, and made a political target – but never gave up campaigning for women’s rights and green awareness. The Green Belt Movement used tree planting as a starting point from which all things – security, community, environmental conservation, healing of internal wounds – could grow.

To date, the Green Belt Movement and the late Dr. Maathai have won over a dozen awards for leadership, women’s rights, and conservation efforts. She is the author of several books, including the fantastic Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World.

What We Can Learn From Her

When Dr. Maathai passed in late September of this year, she left behind a blueprint of how to change the world. Through her tireless determination and passion for environmental conservation and women’s rights, she helped unite communities and improve the quality of life for millions of people. She merged environmentalism with concepts of self-worth and self-awareness. Through Dr. Maathai’s legacy, we are able to see the best of what’s possible when we allow ourselves to live from the inside out and protect what needs protecting.

Photo by franz88

By Marissa Cohen

What do you need to camp the green way? Isn’t being outside enough? Nope, not at all. Here’s a list of what you need to green up the camping, from plates and cups to respecting trees, we’ve got some great tips to help you keep your fall camping trip environmentally friendly.

Cups and Plates

When you’re vacationing in the woods, it can be temping to bring along paper cups and plates. When packing for the trip, make sure that your tableware is either made from recyclable paper or simply bring a lightweight, non-disposable plate and cup.

Carry It Out

Remember to take all trash back home with you or to get rid of it properly. If you’re going to be camping in an area with strict rules about trash disposal, you may want to bring recycled or biodegradable garbage bags with you so you can easily pick up after yourself and leave the area as you found it. Seventh Generation offers recycled trash bags and BioBag offers biodegradable trash bags both brands come in all sizes and can be purchased in most grocery stores. Also, follow the rules. Certain campgrounds or parks have specific rules about the disposal of waste.

Tree-Loving

Don’t use branches for barbequing food, to play fetch with the dog, or to try to create a natural fishing pole. (I’m sure someone’s tried that.) Try not to rip or tear anything off the trees or plants. Similarly, stick to the designated paths for campers. Going off the trail could harm wildlife or the natural environment.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo by Jennifer Smith