January 6, 2023 - Update In Motorsport Resiliency ;-)

Daytona Beach  Daily  Courier  Dispatch  Post  Gazette

January 6, 2023 

[Daytona Beach, FL]  As gas mileage ratings for personal automobiles have climbed and consumers have slimmed down the size of their vehicles and the lengths of personal trips, public questions linger about the use of fossil fuels for recreational purposes.  A national paradox still persists between the public’s increased fuel conservation efforts and continued motorsport vehicle fuel consumption.

Recent surveys reiterate the dramatic decade-long downturn in recreational use of fossil fuels.  Critical climate change effects and the expense of gas has convinced Americans that the use of engines for pleasure is not only unnecessary, but unethical.  (Regardless of the bio-fuel fiasco of 2015)

Lakes and rivers across the nation are nearly clear of power boats and jet skies, as paddles and oars and sails have taken over.  The absence of dune buggies and four-wheelers, some of the first vehicles to be discarded in favor of a healthier atmosphere, are enabling a slow healing of former desert and back-woods trails.  

Unfortunately, this is not the scenario for motorsport racing events.  Corporate recreation is hanging on.  Even though Nascar and other major race organizations are installing solar panels and are recycling beer cans at the track, burning fossil fuels @ 5mpg for spectator gratification is ongoing.  

Attendance at auto racing events has, however, dwindled in past years even as bicycle parking spaces have increased at track parking lots.  Though “green facilities” greet race-goers, many fans are realizing that their love of this carbon-sport is counter productive to their grandchildren’s quality of life.

However, lacking voluntary reduction efforts within the industry, the following auto racing organizations have now been requested to down-size this year and close operations within 18 months, ordered by Secretary of the US Department of Carbon Dioxide, Chelsea Clinton. 

These motorsport events include:

Formula Racing (F1)

Auto Cross

Demolition Derbies

Stock car racing (NASCAR)

Dirt Track Racing

Drifting Events

Sports Car Racing 

Off-Road Racing

Midget Car Racing

Mini Sprints

Monster Truck Events

Pick-Up Truck Racing

Road Racing

Drag Racing

Motocross/ Dirt Bike Racing

Vale Ernshart, who drives the Flaring Exxon Car #13 and is former winner of the Ultimate Tar Sands Challenge, blames scrutiny of motorsports on radical millennial parents who have steered their children toward energy resiliency.

“The personal thrill of burning rubber and high-octane fuel should not be denied our youth’s quest for speed and daring competition,” commented Vale as he ran to catch an Indianapolis metro bus in front of the track. “It’s just one last strong remnant of true American spirit, that’s all…”

~

In related news, the Daytona International Speedway has submitted plans to the city to construct permanent flood walls around its track.  At 19 feet above sea level and three miles from the Atlantic shoreline, investors have requested this barrier to insure racing at the track as sea level rises.

Neighborhood Harvesting - - Why Not?!

Too Far

Buying local; eating local; food miles. These buzz words fall under that politically correct banner that hovers over us before their reality in our future ultimately takes over.  Sort of like “green” or “renewable.”  

But these do refer to some of the upcoming lifestyle norms as fossil fuels peak, CO2 rises and the economy ceases to grow. The call to keep dollars localized at this point is sometimes a hard sell, but a necessary part for the transition.  

Not only are the national big box stores our traditional local interlopers, but every other item within said stores is made in China, Bangladesh, et. al.  As expected, this global operating design for commerce breeds unsustainability. It erodes local economy. It won’t last forever. 

[The other night we went to a newish restaurant which specializes in international beers -  I mean, like, 300 varieties.  As I sat at the bar facing the solid wall of foreign labels I envisioned every bottle there arriving via an ocean-going vessel.  Maybe voyages of 5,000 food miles?  Very fossil fuel intensive. And this is so ironic, given the variety of regional local breweries we enjoy.]

Mulberry Tree

But, even when we do transition to shopping locally-owned stores, buying veggies from CSA’s and putting in some backyard tomatoes of our own, there is still one really local food source omitted: Neighborhood fruits and nuts. Local urban harvests. Formally, this is referred to as the edible landscape. I prefer foraging; taking a good look around at trees and bushes for food that may be escaping our attention.

Fruit trees and bushes planted on private or public land are scattered all through the city. Many simply seeded themselves and took off.  Many were planted for landscaping purposes along streets, in front yards or in parks. 

It's sometimes assumed that most of these fruit and nut sources are reserved for local critters, and they do take their rightful share. However, there is enough for everyone, including bipeds.  In fact, a great amount of this potential local harvest actually falls and goes to waste every year.

Black Walnut Tree

The group FallingFruit.Org. maps out the following variety of nuts and fruit in the neighborhoods of the Madison area. Included are:

Apple, Blackberry, Black Raspberry, Black Walnut, Cherry, Chokeberry, Grape, Mulberry, Passionfruit, Peach, Pear, Plum, Quince, Raspberry, Serviceberry, Strawberry

The specific sites for these crops are submitted by neighbors and foraging enthusiasts. Each tree or bush is pinpointed and the fruit described. Check your neighborhood or, potentially, any neighborhood in the country/world!

Local group Madison Fruits and Nuts works to plant and harvest fruit, fresh and free. They have attempted coordination with the City of Madison to develop a more systematized format for planting fruit trees on public land.  Their map of existing trees also allows you to zero in on a neighborhood, then to an individual tree.

Cleaning and Sorting Mulberries

Ready for Winter

I have harvested in my own neighborhood over the past two years. Not much foraging, per se, but two trees have been enough to get me started with mulberries and black walnuts.  Each source is about .1 food mile away from home! As is common, neighbors who own these trees are grateful to have the fruit cleaned up and off their sidewalks and lawns.  (Black walnuts and mulberries can make an unacceptable mess, don’t you know...) 

De-husking Black Walnuts

Drying Walnuts

A little sorting and cleaning and freezing of fruit, and a little bit more labor for walnuts, gets me a store that takes me through winter dormancy!

Knowing Your Place

Cracking Nuts and Removing Meats

Local harvesting provides much more than sustenance. Actual foraging reinforces the essential concept of place; the community of nature and people we ought to be intricately acquainted with.  It's not just the cluster of houses and yards that streak by while driving. Walking and observing reveals the ecosystem of the neighborhood and, maybe, some personal face time with neighbors themselves! The more we understand the ecology of our place the more likely we are to understand the importance of all sorts of local interactions.

Ready for Toppings or Baking

Creating one more natural connection to this sense of place is essential for kids. Imagine the fruit and nuts that could be collected and processed by students from a local neighborhood...


Further Resources:

What I Learned From a Ten Mile Diet - Vicki Robin (exc. TED Talk!)
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation

Yum! Madison Wants Fruit Trees

Neighborhood Fruit

Dane Buy Local

Sustain Dane

Coffee Cup Conundrum

I lose coffee cups. I lose travel mugs. At work I used to walk with the mug; set it somewhere; retrieve it weeks later only when stumbled upon. I have left them at coffee shops. I have buried them in the backyard. As such, I was in the market this week for a new travel mug.

Here's the mess I got into: What is my real carbon footprint by buying mug A, B, or C here around town?  



I thought, surely, the Thermos company from Illinois is a safe bet. Well, Shopko ships these mugs in from China. 

OK, then Cuisenart out of New York sounded promising. But Kohls receives them from China. 

Sears? The Copco brand from Illinois has them made in China, too. 

Borders? Seattle's Best mugs are made in...China.  

Aladdin, sold by REI: China.

Starbucks markets three styles- all from China.

Whole Foods offers their brand of travel mugs, made in China.  

I'm sure this is the tip of the slushy iceberg. 

Conundrum. I'm attempting to purchase a reusable cup so as not to consume a paper one. Or even the need for the coffee shop to wash their own china ware (!). Good intentions, right? BUT, the product I am attempting to buy in order to save resources has probably already used even more resources!  I'm saving a tree so it can do it's job of absorbing CO2, but end up consuming fossil fuels and emitting transportation CO2 in the process!


I'm not going to try to extrapolate figures into carbon tons, but the fact is that after the mug is produced in Beijing, it and its little buddies must travel, as the crow flies, 10,400 miles to Madison. I might as well use a cup made from recycled paper that comes from a sustainable forest in northern Wisconsin!


Check your coffee mugs. We're chasing our tails! 

A little searching on the net revealed some nice looking ceramic travel mugs, made in the USA. This seems to be the best answer at this point. Sounds like a lot less energy and resource usage, and I think I can handle not dropping it...

[Don't even get started on the transportation resource costs of beautiful reusable water bottles that keep us from using the dastardly disposable bottles with questionable water quality. We are so screwed in these drinking container cycles.]