Kindness Matters : Christian Bucks and His Buddy Bench

This will be a quick post because the article says it all, but an adorable 2nd Grader named Christian Bucks who lives in Central PA has done something pretty impressive. He noticed that some of his friends were lonely at recess, and then approached the principal of his school with the idea of a Buddy Bench. Basically, if a kid is feeling lonely on the playground, they can go and sit on the Buddy Bench, at which point another child will come over and ask if they'd like to play or talk. It's a wonderful way for kids to spread kindness, and remind them to be both inclusive and empathetic. Nice job, Roundtown Elementary, way to implement a great idea! Here's hoping more adults follow Christian's great example, and extend some kindness to someone who may be in need of a friend.

A Book Review : Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

I am not a very religious person, but oddly, I owe my love of libraries to the Catholic Church. In eighth grade, when preparing for my Confirmation, I was pretty irritated to find that St. Francis of Assisi was requiring us to complete a community service project. It wasn't enough that they had stolen the best hours of a Sunday, but now they want me to volunteer for something? And for at least 20 hours? In eighth grade time, 20 hours is basically unimaginable, and as far as I was concerned, it was equal to a life sentence.

Photo Credit: The Morning Call

My parents were most in favor of volunteering somewhere that was close to home (they're smarter than they look) and shortly after I was given a volunteer badge at the Parkland Community Library. The gig was essentially all about re-shelving books that people had returned, and you got to push a squeaky gray cart with one broken wheel around so that you didn't have to make too many trips. I was a charming 12 or 13 years old, and I figured  knew the library pretty well, since I had read them out of Nancy Drew books a few years earlier. But soon I was amazed by all the things that I had the books that I had missed (who knew that authors other than Carolyn Keene existed?!), and every time I went to shelve a book, I managed to find one right next to it that I just had to read.

I'm sure I did more reading than shelving, but luckily, the 6-9 pm shift on Wednesday nights wasn't too wild and the staff didn't seem to mind. I specialized in ignoring my homework to concentrate on things that I actually wanted to read, like Natalie Babbit's Tuck Everlasting, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time,  and Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and it ended up serving me well, as had already read most of the assigned high school literature by the time I made it to ninth grade. Because I had made so many library friends, formatting bibliographies was no sweat, and the reference librarian was happy to help me find sources that actually backed up the crap that I claimed in the papers that I was forced to write. At this point, I had completed the required community service, but just kept coming back because I loved the smell, I loved the quiet, and they started letting me empty the book drop.

I feel that the most coveted job at any library (compared to the least favorite job of shelving adult non-fiction), is emptying the book drop. In fact, I used to even try to show up early so that I could prevent anyone else from getting there first. I found that if you growled at the people that were dropping off their books, there was less than a 25% chance that someone would call to complain later, however, chances were higher if the person depositing the books was a little kid who started shrieking.

What you're looking for.

I stopped volunteering regularly at the library in 2005 when I went off to college, but all of these wonderful memories came back when I recently read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. I was expecting very little from this book- I had just broken my ankle and was desperate for basically anything decent to read, and I picked it up while browsing The Moravian Book Shop (which is also the world's oldest continually operating bookstore) in Bethlehem. It was an enchanting novel, about a recently laid off Silicon Valley employee who finds employment in 24-Hour Bookstore with odd owners and mysterious clientele. He is endearingly awkward, and teams up with a Google programmer and his entrepreneurial best friend from eighth grade to help his mentor solve a puzzle that cannot be deciphered by a secret society.

I am very picky about the books that I like, and prefer intelligent science fiction that yields some mystery, delivers a clear underlying message, and finishes very cleanly (with all ends tied up) on a positive note. This book expertly meets all of these criteria, and through a very relatable narrator that keeps the reader engaged, Sloan establishes common ground between the digital world and the importance of literary preservation. For the first time in a very long time, I felt like I was reading a tale that hadn't previously been told, and one that managed to balance my own feelings about my love for a dusty library built in 1981 with my love for technology.

Please consider picking up Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, whether it's online, in your local bookstore, or your local library. Let me know what you think-
I'm hoping it will dazzle you too! 

Treecycling : Give Your Christmas Tree New Life!

Excellent article on treecycling today in the Philadelphia Inquirer... instead of ending up in a landfill in the new year, your Christmas tree can be mulched and reused at a local dog park! The suggested donation at each location is $5. 

Saturday, January 4th, 2014

Kensington/Fishtown: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Palmer Dog Depot, East Palmer Street.

Northern Liberties: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Liberty Lands Park, North American Street.

West Philadelphia: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Clark Park, Baltimore Avenue.

West Center City: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Markward Recreation Center, 400 S. Taney St.

South Philadelphia: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m; 13th and Reed Streets. (Greenlimbs.com also is organizing sites: 9 a.m. to noon, Weccacoe Playground, Catharine Street, collection only; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Whole Foods Market, 10th and South Streets.)

Sunday, January 5th, 2014

Logan Square: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; parking lot at 22d and Winter Streets.

Fairmount/Art Museum: 1 to 4 p.m.; 22d and Brown Streets.

Chestnut Hill: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Norwood- Fontbonne Academy, 8891 Germantown Ave.

Mount Airy: 1 to 4 p.m.; Gabbie's Community Garden, Chew Avenue off Mount Pleasant Avenue.

East Falls: noon to 4 p.m.; Ridge Avenue and Scotts Lane.

City Drop-off Program

From January 6th  to January 18th, Philadelphia residents may drop off their undecorated trees at the Streets Department's Sanitation Convenience Centers at 3033 S. 63d St.; Domino Lane at Umbria Street; and State Road at Ashburner Street. The centers are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Spending Thoughtfully in 2014

When I'm in a rush at work, and on a deadline, I sometimes forget to eat lunch. If you're hungry and stressed, it's difficult to make good decisions about what you'd like to eat... hell, if you give me long enough, a donut and chocolate milk can seem like a well-balanced meal. Science backs up this claim, as researchers have found that hungry shoppers buy food with a higher caloric content than those who haven't fasted. So last Tuesday, after forgetting (yet again) to pack my lunch, and then heading down to 30th Street Station to grab something to eat quickly, I ended up eating a bagel from Dunkin Donuts instead of something that was more balanced.

It wasn't the worst nutritional decision that I've ever made, so I wasn't feeling terrible about it until I recalled a line from an article I had read earlier in the week. It was a great quote by Anna Lappe: "Every time you spend money you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want." I started thinking about the purchases I had made recently; gifts for the holidays, groceries, household items, and realized that a lot of the votes I was casting weren't making the world a better place. In fact, they were supporting some practices with which  I vehemently disagree. The bagel that I was eating was boosting sales for a corporation that still chooses to use polystyrene cups, has no visible recycling program and actively markets "K cups" which generate literally tons of additional waste each year. It was just a hunch, but I figured that I also probably wouldn't have agreed with the farming techniques used for the flour, the other ingredients used, and other destructive practices caused by massive franchising.

I'm not expecting that I'll be able to completely overhaul my life overnight and pack a very thoughtfully chosen local lunch every day of the week, but at the very least, I can choose to spend my money in a more conscious manner. By supporting locally-owned businesses, I'm ensuring that my money is in the hands of businesses that are trying to make life better for their consumers AND the community. Great examples in the Philadelphia area include Metropolitan Bakery, Barbuzzo, the vendors at Reading Terminal Market, and even some of the area food trucks (my personal favorites being Lucky Old Souls and Schmear It). The point is, that even if you're not the biggest spender, you can have a considerable impact by choosing the type of businesses that you support. Even though I only focused on food in this post, there are countless ways for you to "cast a vote" for the kind of world you want to live in, from the organization that you work for to the clothing that you purchase to the vehicles that you drive. So I urge you to ask yourself...  how can I spend more thoughtfully in 2014?

Trash Talk : Recycling in Philadelphia

Yesterday evening, a colleague and I attended a lecture held by Young Involved Philadelphia at WHYY on Recycling, Composting and Disposal in Philadelphia. I was very impressed by the event, as they broached a wide range of topics including curbside recycling, material recovery facilities, composting services, and landfills. Waste is something that we all generate (according to the EPA, the U.S. averages 4.4 pounds/day/person), but many people have never visited the magical place where all of their materials ends up.... whether it's a landfill or a recycling facility.

I really do think that landfills are magical places; I have never been to a place more effective at convincing people that their efforts to recycle and compost matter. They are humbling, sobering, and tragic all at once, a perfect reminder that our consumption has a collective impact. Conversely, recycling facilities are magical because they hold so much potential for creating something new, and give us another chance to use the materials more wisely. Visiting either of these places can make you far more thoughtful about your own waste stream, but it's pretty rare that someone would call up their local landfill or material recovery facility and ask for a tour (although you definitely can and should).

The good news is that the representative from Waste Management showed this wonderful little video at the event last night, which I am very pleased to share with you here. It allows for the best of both worlds... a great overview of recycling in Philadelphia without any of the smell. I'd love to hear your reaction- please leave a post below!!!!

Sustainability Spotlight : Taking a Look at Patagonia

Don't believe in love at first sight? Allow me to introduce you to Patagonia. They're an outdoor clothing company with this central mission: "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis." The company is 40 years old, and has integrated environmental considerations into countless aspects of their business, with impressive results. Some of many things that the company does includes donating 1% of sales towards preservation and restoration of the natural environment on an annual basis, managing a recycling program for worn-out Patagonia products, and most recently, building a Gold LEED Certified Service Center in Reno.

The guiding force behind the values that Patagonia seems to intrinsically embody is Yvon Chouinard, a 74 year old "Conquerer of the Useless", and self-described climbing dirtbag. He never meant to be in business, but ended up there, and has been using his company to make a world of difference in the lives of his employees and his customers. Chouinard is known for the "Let My People Go Surfing" policy, and even lets his employees participate in an Environmental Internship program where they can lend their skill to an environmental cause for up to two months while still earning their full salary and benefits.

The company received a large amount of publicity on Black Friday, when they placed an ad in Times Square urging consumers to take a pledge to reduce consumption. Many articles talked about the "marketing genius", even calling it a PR stunt. But anyone who has been exposed to the company knows that they are not trying to drive short term profits, and they don't need stunts, because they have put their values before profit for the past 40 years. Simply put, they have a loyal customer base because they are authentic, and make high quality gear that survives for a very long time. If you're thinking about purchasing some outdoor gear in the future, you should consider them, but at the very least, I would encourage you to do some more reading about the company. Whether it's about their environmental or management philosophies, we could all learn a lesson or two from Patagonia.

A Global Solution to Breathing Easier?

Air pollution has been making international headlines in 2013, beginning with particulate matter in China and continuing with the Forward on Climate rally in Washington, DC. In the United States, motor vehicle emissions account for 51% of household carbon dioxide emissions, which is why government agencies and environmental organizations encourage the use of public transportation. I work for Amtrak, so I frequently take the train, but I've noticed that many of my colleagues here actually drive in to work, despite having a train stop near their homes. The biggest barrier that I've observed is that there's no easy way for people to get directly from their houses to the nearest train stop, so they simply decide to drive.

As an urban commuter, I had always solved this issue by riding my bike to work, but being unable to store my bike inside my apartment had led to a lot of problems (to the point where I felt like we needed to hang a sign like the one to the left outside of our apartment). In one instance, the bolt on my front tire was stolen, and I actually rode all of the way to work without it, only realizing the bolt was missing once I reached the train station. Obviously, this was pretty dangerous, since my entire front tire could have fallen off my bike during the ride, and I felt that I needed a better solution. 

While trying to replace stolen components from my bike I visited Trophy Bikes, where a really helpful mechanic suggested Pitlocks, which are bolts with customized keys to prevent theft. I was interested until I found out that the price tag was about $90, which was probably worth more than my actual bike. It definitely would have solved some of my problems, but I was hesitant to spent this money on a bike that I was forced to leave outside uncovered (and was already generating some rust). After mentioning this to the mechanic, he pointed out a foldable bike that they carried called a Brompton. For those of you that are not familiar, these bikes are wonderful, but very pricey, and usually cost upwards of $2,000. My grad school budget has no room for splurging, but I was hooked on the idea of a folding bicycle, which could be stored indoors, would prevent theft, and could even be taken on a train! 

I looked around for a few months, and I thought that maybe I could find a great deal on a used Brompton or Dahon on Craigslist, but there were very few located in the area, and most were out of my price range. Finally, I stumbled upon Citizen Bike, which offers a range of foldable models, with prices between $169 (16" wheels and steel frame) and $399 (20" wheels and alloy frame). Another theft (this time of my bicycle seat) forced the issue and I donated what was left of my bike the day after purchasing a Citizen Miami online. I've had the Citizen Miami- which my coworkers have affectionately named 'Matilda'- for a week now, and I'm very impressed. 

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm by no means a bike connoisseur. In addition to Matilda, I own a used Specialized Hardrock for mountain biking, which I purchased only after another bike mechanic seemed legitimately concerned that I might break the frame of my Huffy on the trails at Wissahickon Park. Matilda offers a smooth ride, and with 20" tires and a steel frame, weighs about 30 pounds. She folds nicely in 3 quick moves, and while I was secretly worried that the bike would look ridiculous, I've gotten a few compliments already.  My favorite was one by a clear Philly native who shouted "Yo, that jawn is TIGHTTT!" Best of all, she only set me back $269, and fits nicely under my desk. 

I've had friends complain about the difficulties of taking their bikes on public transportation (having to place their beloved bike in front of a bus or not being able to take it on the train) and I really think that foldable bikes have an important place in this discussion until public transit can find a better way to accommodate full sized bikes and their riders. They could fill the missing link for the everyday commuter, and ultimately help us cut down on commuting costs and congestion while improving air quality. The New York City MTA has already partnered with Citizen to create the MTA MetroBike which can be taken on any MTA Trains and Buses without restriction, 24 hours a day. The MTA already serves 8.5 million transit riders each weekday, but I hope that folding bikes make it easier for suburbanites or those more removed from city transit to also chose public transportation. The advantages would be similar overseas, as these bikes take up very little space and encourage the use of public transportation in areas that are experiencing a surge of vehicle usage. My only complaint is that I wish I had known about Citizen's folding bikes earlier, specifically when I lived on 36th Street and carried my heavy mountain bike up 4 flights of stairs because it wouldn't fit in the elevator, ha ha! It would also be cool to know more about what Citizen does within their own company to incorporate sustainability.

My next post will be a "Sustainability Spotlight", focusing on a company that has set the standard on incorporating environmental consciousness into their operations. See you soon!