Texas

Green

There has been much talk recently of the green movement, environmentalism, etc. If you have had your ear to the ground, this talk has been going on for a long, long while, but until recently was not a part of the mainstream.
The latest issue of American Photo deals with several "green" issues, photographers, images, etc.

What I'm finding hard to wrap my head around is, firstly, what does it really mean to be green, and what does it mean to be an environmentalist. Who can call themselves an environmentalist? Why I ask is that I find it very difficult to equate photography with being green. I think it takes a real stretch to be a photographer and an environmentalist, just based on what it takes to do our jobs.

I drive a hybrid, am builing plans to change my landscaping to a near zero water level, as well as adding solar to my house to try and get myself off the grid. I no longer buy bottled water, instead use a high-tech water filter which will allow me to safely use tap. I buy organic food, try to buy local, and in as many ways possible I try to leave as little footprint as possible.

But in reality, I'm not sure this means much. Just my e-waste alone, use of all the latest technology, and what it takes to design, market, release, sell, discontinue and destroy products probably offsets any positive effect I am making. In the darkroom I waste water, paper and produce toxic chemicals. Much of what I buy for my profession is made to be obsolete, impossible to upgrade so that I must, almost always, buy the lastest version, furthering the cycle of consumerism and waste.
And then there is the travel.

This is not to say I'm going to stop, on the contrary, I am planning more and more things, but I think we have to be realistic, and realize the real change will occur when either we as a collective make these decisions, or the planet makes them for us.

Finally

Rain today, first time in ten months. Well, a sprinkle really, but we need anything we can get. And lightning flickering down the coast. Nice to see. Maybe the brown will go green?

Confused

How can we have more people in space, but don't yet have a light-rail system for travel within the United States. Drive the I5 on a Sunday, witness the 200+ miles of gridlock and you will have plenty of time to ask yourself this same question.

More Snaps

Snaps

Waiting

A new birder feeder hangs above the back patio. Squirrel proof. Forty pounds of seed in standbye. Waiting.

NB

A random Newport image.

E Waste

Well, I'm sure if you tried hard enough you would find someone to say that film is good for the environment, but you won't hear me say it. Yes, NYT did a piece called "Digital Landfill" or something along those lines. These stories are coming out all over the place, now under the title of "E Waste." Stuart Isett has a new story about E Waste in China.
This revolution has been, and will be, far worse for the environment than the analog years, especially when you consider the energy and resources required to design, market, launch, sell, discontinue and destroy product after product with hyper-short lifespans. Camera companies used to make a new camera every four years, and now it is every four months, or quicker when you think of all the point and shoots. Couple this with the computers needed to work these machines, filled with cadmium and other heavy metals. Not to mention the 12 million cell phones a year added to the landfill.
Analog never looked so good. Perhaps only the lesser of two evils.

Cast

Hey, for any of you out there who are into the podcast world, the one and only Ross Whitaker has launched his fantastic series with The George Eastman House. These are well worth the time, check them out, subscribe, sit back and enjoy.

You can find them at The George Eastman House website, where you can sign up to receive their newsletter, also worth doing.