Blue Vinyl

Last night, I watched Blue Vinyl, an investigative documentary in the style of Michael Moore about PVC (aka polyvinyl chloride, aka vinyl). Is vinyl harmful? Is the fabrication and disposal of vinyl harmful? Many new homes today are full of vinyl products from PVC piping to the siding of may homes. The documentary found it roots when the filmmakers' father decides to replace the rotten wooden siding of the house with vinyl.

My father’s answer to rotten wood…
Everyone assured me vinyl siding was safe, and would only let off toxic gas in the rare event of a house fire. But after my experience with cancer caused by DES [a synthetic estrogen and anti-miscarriage drug prescribed to my mother and millions of other women], I figured any material so loaded with synthetic chemicals had to pose some kind of risk. Later I asked my dad, "If you had known that over the course of its lifecycle, from the factory to the incinerator, vinyl produces a wide array of deadly pollutants that threaten our future with a global toxic crisis, would you still have put it on the house?" "I hope not, honey," he said. "But they didn't write that on the box." So, with a piece of vinyl siding firmly in hand (a remnant from my parent’s house) I took off – on a journey to re-write the outside of the box.
(Transcript from http://www.bluevinyl.org)

As the documentary unravels, the filmmakers from New York go in search of alternatives to vinyl. ... and they end up in Marin County, California. Of course. Where else in the USA would you find the dedication to nature as in Marin County and the Bay Area. Many people in the Bay Area (and especially San Francisco and Marin county) have strong believes and walk the talk. Whether it is about politics, banning of guns, free sex, not eating meat, tasting marijuana, the Bay Area is your place to be. It is quite remarkable how many people here are truely dedicated to an environmental friendly livestyle. And not because the government taxes make you sign up to be a member of greenpeace. The Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid rule. The Altamont wind farm is one of the biggest in the world and produces over 650 M kWh. And you see solar panels on many roofs. So, it wasn't too much of surprise that the filmmaker came to San Francisco for help.

In San Francisco I cut a deal with a “green” straw-bale house builder to come home with me to Long Island to help talk my parents into stucco.

If you are looking for expert advise on building a green house, take a look what our friends are building in the middle of San Francisco: the Bernal Sustainable Homes Project.

The Bernal Sustainable Homes Project is a joint effort of two families to build their dream homes in San Francisco, California. For us, dream homes are not about building the biggest house possible or the house with the most expensive features. For us, its about building stylish, modern homes, using the greenest building techniques, services and products possible.

Links:

• Get the movie and more background at http://www.bluevinyl.org
• http://www.myhouseisyourhouse.org/

Technorati: Blue Vinyl Environment

Inbev in the heart of Argentina

I was in the middle of Argentina, in San Luis, in need for a beer. A serious beer. They don't kid around here. 30cl bottles are a luxury. Beer comes the big bottle 3/4l bottle. And there it was, right in front of me: Stella Artois, the pils beer from Leuven and key brand of InBev.

Inbev, headquartered in Belgium, was created out of Interbrew and Companhia de Bebidas das Américas (AmBev) and is now the world's largest brewer, by volume, selling 202 million hectoliters (hl) of beer and 31.5 million hl of soft drinks in 2004. In the picture of above (which include 85% of the brand in the store. Heineken and Mar del Plata were not in the picture), Iguana, Brahma and Quilmes are also owned by Inbev Argentina. Stella Artois seems to be picking up in Argentina. Many bars carry the beer on tap. You see many billboards, bar umbrellas and advertisements for Stella Artois.

Other key ingredients of daily live in Argentina include:

of course carne argentina (meat)

dulce de leche (caramel spread)

yerba for mate

PS: Dear Inbev, Dear tourist office of Argentina, I'll be awaiting my check for promoting your products.

Just put the gas can on top

It struck me, while driving around in Argentina, that many car had a gas can on top of the car. Since labour is cheap in Argentina, I figured, this might be a 'we fill your gas can service while you sit at home'. I wouldn't be surprised: you can order ice cream to be delivered, right in time for desert; or you can even your prescription medication to be delivered. This comes in handy when you are on your sick bed.

Two scoops of chocolate con dulce de leche and a pack of morphine, please. Yes, to be delivered. Can you also add napkins and a siringe? Thanks!

I learned however that a gas can or, in the poorer neighbourhoods, a plastic soda bottle, ment 'for sale'.

How about putting a sign with details of the car, and the price? It won't fall of when you drive around.

(Oh, and if you were curious about a Peugeot 504 taxi. That's the one. Thousands of them roam the streets of Buenos Aires. As if it were the 80s.)

Guess the object

You will find this object in every street in Argentina. It is a little metal basket about 1.5m above the ground.


No, it ain't a cheap version of a basketball ring (in honor of Argentina's hero, Manu Ginobili). Here's a hint: Guess the city - item 5.