I recently read the The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman. He writes about what would happen to the planet if humans vanished (he offers rapture, disease and other scenarios for the disappearance). For example, he details how long the island of Manhattan would take to return to wilderness, how long it would take for tamed rivers to un-dam themselves and recreate wetlands, and how long beachfront properties would last.

The chapter that I can’t stop thinking about has to do with plastics. It is unknown how long plastic takes to return to the earth in a natural form. I cringe when I see “disposable” items made from plastic. Plastic is not disposable. It never, ever goes away. Not even “biodegradable” plastic, it just breaks down into smaller pieces.

I’ve been ruminating that not-recycling plastic is not only environmentally disastrous, but poor foresight. Plastic is essentially a nonrenewable and super useful resource. I envision a future of high-paid trash pickers unearthing old landfills in search of long-buried recyclable plastics.

Additionally: Your Stuff: It Isn't Grown, It Must Be Mined

. . . ultimately, one day our industrial economy will be made up entirely of recycled and biologically grown material. That day, however, may be a long way off. How do we get there, and what is the world of mining like today? How rapidly are we depleting the minerals we have, and how do we get to sustainable mining?

To maintain our standard of living, each person in the United States requires over 48,000 pounds of minerals each year:

* 12,428 lb. of stone
* 9,632 lb. of sand and gravel
* 940 lb. of cement
* 276 lb. of clays
* 400 lb. of salt
* 302 lb. phosphate rock
* 639 lb. of nonmetals
* 425 lb. of iron ore
* 77 lb. of bauxite (aluminum)
* 17 lb. of copper
* 11 lb. of lead
* 10 lb. of zinc
* 6 lb. of manganese
* .0285 T oz. gold
* 29 lb. of other metals

Plus:

* 7,667 lb. petroleum
* 7,589 lb. coal
* 6,866 natural gas
* 1/3 lb. uranium

It is the day before the day before Christmas, and I just finished shopping for presents. I wound up last-minute desperation shopping today at Borders to purchase a CD for my father and a book for my brother. The excursion was intended to be short and pain-free.

Dad wants new Alicia Keys CD, daughter purchases CD. Brother will like Steven Colbert's I am America, sister plunks down $23 for it hardcover. It's not about me, it's about what they will like. Everyone will be happy. I remain energetic, spirited and ready to bake oatmeal cranberry (I don't know Karate, I know Craisin) cookies with my cat, Steve.

However, at this point I still haven't found gifts for my brother's longtime lady-friend and my mother's boyfriend. In an uninspired amateur consumer move, I decide to check out the store next door: Bad Crap & Beyond. It seems this big box store exists solely for bridal registries and for people to buy home items that appear thoughtful when they have no idea what said people actually might like.

Depressing--As Seen on TV! I embody self-loathing. I bought my mother's boyfriend battery powered massage slippers. I lost my mind in a whirlwind of scented socks and electric candles. I can return them tomorrow, but that would require going back to the store. My brother's girlfriend? She is getting a real candle. Yup, so lame.

I made the cookies, but all I could think about are the stupid slippers and thoughtless candle. Shame! At this point it is either those awful presents or gift cards. I can only hope that they give me equally awful presents to assuage my guilt.

Don't be an Energy Hog.


Wikipedia: says he is a villainous character who wastes energy in the home.

Just ran across another resource saving hero who lives on the West Coast.

My pride and joy!

I was happily shocked to receive a postcard from the city announcing my block as a pilot area for automated curbside recycling and trash collection. If the pilot is successful, deemed feasible and wholly enacted, Cleveland would be on par with cities like San Francisco and Portland when it comes to being recycle-y.

Below is a preview of how the system will work. Currently, my roommate and I recycle by delivering plastics, cardboard, paper and metals to recycling dumpsters in our area. This initiative should make the process more convenient and hopefully encourage others to recycle too. My only reservation is that I will become spoiled by the pilot program, only to have it taken away.

RTA rocks. As does Cleveland.

On Sunday I went on a plant identification walk at Edgewater Park with Josh and Jocelyn of Plant Ally Herbs. Josh and Jocelyn sell tinctures, oils, teas and other plant-based apothecary at the farmer’s market on Professor Avenue across from Lucky’s Café in Tremont. While they advised the group not to eat things growing at Edgewater, many of the plants they identified are edible and/or medicinal when they’re found in untainted soil.

Josh and Jocelyn explained how to identify certain families of plants, look-alike plants, edible plants, medicinal plants and invasive plants.

Revisions suggested by Josh on 10/9/07:

Jenita!  here, sorry it took so long!
Here are the little adjustments that would
probably be good.- Chicory is cultivated both
for "coffee substitute" and just as a
straight-up vegetable.

- Bittersweet Nightshade: It's about the last
3-400 years, and justfor Europeans.  Indigenous
cultures in the U.S. have been cultivating
potatoes for ages, and probably tomatoes and
other stuff too, though I
don't really know.

- Evening Primrose is also a delicious edible
plant (haven't tried it yet; but next time I'm
out of cleveland and one crosses my path...!)

- I wouldn't touch the burdock description at
all, but, just as a note-- it's all edible
(some parts more than others, esp. young
leaves/stem, budding flower heads, and, in
particular, the roots).I've eaten burdock root,
but not that I've picked myself.

Edible Plants

Oxalis/Sorrell

This is one of the few edible plants I already knew of. I used to munch on it when I was a kid; we called it sour weed because of its lemony flavor.

Mustard

I did have a little taste of this tangy plant--delicious!

Dandelion & Chicory

Both Dandelion and Chicory are in the Asteraceae (or composite) family of plants. According to the tour guides, this is the most common and varied family of flower in North America and includes daisies and sunflowers. Chicory is sometimes cultivated for its root, which is dried and ground as a coffee substitute or additive. Dandelions are edible: greens, roots and flowers. We looked at the similarities between dandelion and chicory flowers and I learned that each petal of a dandelion is actually a complete flower.

Lamb's Quarter

The entire Lamb's Quarter plant is edible. The seeds can be ground into a flour and the roots and leaves can be eaten. The plant is high in calcium, similar to nettles. This plant is also called pigweed and is in the Chenopodium (which means "goose foot" family of plants.

Chenopodium Leaf

Quinoa, Amaranth and Beets are also in the Chenopodium family.

Thistle


Thistles are related to artichokes. They have poky bracts around the flower head. If you can conquer the spikes, the thistle is edible.

Grapevine


I've only eaten grape leaves after they have been stuffed with rice, but it is nice to consider the simplest form.

Queen Anne's Lace/Wild Carrot

Queen Anne's Lace is a biennial plant; the first year it produces an edible root, and the second year it flowers. Garden variety carrots will revert back to Queen Anne's Lace if left to their own devices. The roots of QAL are edible and are paler and more fibrous than a garden carrot. The flower of the plant is an umble compound, which gives it a "fireworks" appearance. It is in the same family as parsley, fennel and dill and looks quite similar to Poison Hemlock. The difference? The Queen has tiny hairs on the stem.

Mulberry

Mulberries are edible, but what I found most interesting is that one mulberry plant can have 2 or 3 completely different shaped leaves.

Poisonous Plants
Bittersweet Nightshade

According to J&J, it is only within the last one hundred years that humans have been commonly eating nightshade fruits, including peppers, tomatoes and eggplants. Some nightshade plants are very poisonous and effect the central nervous system.

Purple Vetch



Purple vetch is in the pea family and can have a similar appearance to clover. Purple Vetch is poisonous, but Clover is edible and can be used to make tea. Clover has smaller petals.

Comparing Clover to Purple Vetch



Pokeweed

I think I may finally understand the expression "happy as a pig in a poke". The mature Pokeweed plant is poisonous. The poison is stored in the roots and travels into the entire plant as it grows. Some eat the young shoots and compare the flavor to asparagus. It also makes sense of the song, Poke Salad Annie.

Medicinal Plants
Boneset

Boneset is a misnomer as the plant shouldn't be used to help repair broken bones. Boneset is used to break fevers and got its name from an outbreak of Break-Bone Fever. It is used in a tea or a tincture.

Plantain



Plantain or Plantego is used as a spit poultice to draw out infection. It is both an analgesic and an antiseptic. Jocelyn explained that it can be chewed and then place topically on a scratch or a bee sting.

Evening Primrose



Evening Primrose is used to balance female hormones. It can be made into a tincture, oil or tea using the leaves, roots and stems. The plant is also an astringent and a sedative.

Evening Primrose Buds



Cottonwood Tree



The Cottonwood Tree is related to the Willow Tree and its bark and leaves are analgesic, astringent and diuretic. It is known as an "aspirin" plant and an be used as an anti-inflammatory. When Cottonwood buds are boiled in oil, it is known as the burn salve, "Balm of Gilead".

Myrtle/Periwinkle



Mrytle should not be ingested, but it can be used topically as a capillary constrictor. You can pack a nosebleed with the leaves to stay the flow of blood.

Industrious Plants

Cattails

The Native Americans used the leaves for basket weaving and the tops for torches. Plant Ally Herbs says that the top can be boiled and eaten like corn.

Teasel



Teasel looks similar to Thistle. The plant is so named because it was used to tease wool as it was combed out in the refining process.

Burdock Toss



The Burdock's burrs can be thrown effectively at your friends and enemies. If it lands in someone's hair, it may have to be cut out dramatically with scissors.

Pretty to Look At

Frostweed/Fleabane

On Saturday I went to half of Brian Swimme’s talk at River’s Edge in Rocky River. Swimme is a mathematical cosmologist.

Thinking about:

• Matter and spirit as synonyms
• To be sane in our culture is to be considered insane
• “We need to lean toward the conflict and not isolate ourselves with self-righteousness and blame.”
• Also a lot of talk about the universe expanding, the generosity of the sun and the interconnectedness of, well, everything.
  

I went to Nonprofit Organizations and Management class last night.

Thinking about:

• My professor referred to us as Idealogues. I looked it up: One given to fanciful ideas or theories; a theorist; a spectator.
  
• “The 1947 Studebaker was a well-engineered automobile, but the company did not adapt to its environment”. Ford stayed, Studebaker did not.
  

I went to economics class tonight.

Thinking about:

• Nothing is on sale if you don’t need it.
• An average person works 2,000 hours a year.

Not thinking about:

• Opportunity costs
• Demand curves
• Graphing maximum social benefit
  

Unrelated/elated knowledge:

• I have been wrapping my mind around the City Wheels car sharing program, and I am interested in tool sharing programs, but I had no idea an "art sharing program" exists at Oberlin College. Brilliant!