Jack and the Greenstalk - All Comments

re: LEED and Minnesota GreenStar Systems

Michael — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:45:43 GMT

Nice review of both programs. I'm looking forward to a review of the new version of MN GreenStar that addresses some of the concerns with documentation (less is required now) and some of the bold moves that have been taken that make MN GreenStar potentially more impactful than LEED in the new homes arena

re: Live Green's New Digs

Ben Edwards — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 17:32:13 GMT

Where are the photos!

re: The Great New Mexican Ethanol Hunt

Olivia — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:30:32 GMT

I like to use cars as little as possible, but the transit in my community isn't very good. When I travel to places like Boston or San Francisco or Toronto, I am impressed by how good the transit is - I would only need a car for weekends or for special errands if we had reliable transit - it's good to keep old cars off the trash heap, but some of them are pretty dirty. Unfortunately, gas hog handme downs are what poorer people get stuck buying.

re: The Great New Mexican Ethanol Hunt

liz — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:29:12 GMT

My cars are just transportation. I've been keeping new vehicles off the road by driving a car as long as ten years and by always buying compacts or small station wagons when my kids were young. You don't need an entire van to haul a few kids and their ski and soccer paraphrenalia.

Some people I know complain that hybrid cars and even hybrid SUVs are less comfortable than their ultra-plus-ultral conventional vehicles -- what are these, lounges? I drive a lot, and don't see why we have to be living room-comfy every place we go. Nice little safe vehicles allow us to see the continent from the ground, so we know what it is we're trying to save. The disneyesque travel Americans have adopted since the demise of train travel is one reason we are able to dismiss the effects of pollution and climate change - all we see is runways and interstate highways.

Drive an affordable car and see what the planet is about while we still have her.

re: The Greenstalk’s New Toy

Olivia — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:03:09 GMT

How can I know that I am recycling my electronics in a way that is sustainable? I pay a fee but I don't know for sure that this is being used in a green way

re: Jack and the Greenstalk

jack — Fri, 18 May 2007 14:52:53 GMT

Linnea - It's true, Uptown is one of those perfect neighborhoods that has virtually everything nearby. The other day my roommate and I walked down to the Rotisseria and had some amazing rotisserie chicken, then stopped by the record store and picked up a couple CDs, then stopped by the liquor store and picked up some beer. All in a night's work.

Patrick - Thanks for the comments. I'm working on a couple new posts right now. The snow definitely poses a few problems. For instance, it's much harder to bike and walk in the winter snow than it is in the summer sun. Not impossible - I see many a hardcore biker riding up and down Hennepin in the nasty months. Also something like the 100 mile diet becomes much more difficult, because what's grown in the winter? Root veggies, primarily. Or nothing. The 100 mile diet is definitely a Summer/Autumn thing.

re: Jack and the Greenstalk

patrick — Fri, 18 May 2007 12:34:25 GMT

I look forward to your next comments. How hard is it to be green in such a snow covered part of the country?

re: Jack and the Greenstalk

tim_barsness — Thu, 17 May 2007 18:19:42 GMT

The twin cities already has a completely user-friendly mass transit system. It is called Light Rail and it will probably go from where I am to somewhere I want to go by the time I die.

re: Jack and the Greenstalk

Linnea — Wed, 16 May 2007 00:42:06 GMT

I think it's great that your new neighborhood has so many daily conveniences within walking distance. Even better would be if the Twin Cities was finally able to develop a user-friendly mass transit system. It would be such a great way for locals and visitors alike to explore the cities and learn more about the great neighborhoods in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Good luck with the 100 Mile Diet!

re: The Great New Mexican Ethanol Hunt

Rosalind — Tue, 15 May 2007 17:08:10 GMT

Maybe they could do away with tax incentives to buy gass guzzling SUVs. Why don't they give people tax credits for retiring their old gaz guzzlers -- especially poorer people, who are "stuck" with these secondhand cars because it's cheap to get into them. If they had a couple hundred bucks, they could recycle the old heap and buy something cleaner - maybe not a new hybrid, but something better....