I have arrived in one piece

If you don’t believe me…check the maps, because maps don’t lie.

I was up and on the road by 5.30.  The drive was pleasantly uneventful. I did, however, have to combat a steady 35 mph cross wind that I thought was going to sail my car south to the gulf of mexico. I had to drive with the wheel turned to the right, just so I could head straight.  To give you perspective on this, you had to exert 3x as much force to open a car door, bugs were splattering against the passenger windows (in addition to the obligatory bug extermination that took place on my windshield), and if you pee’d away from the wind, it would carry about 15′.

Kansas is actually scenic, with its rolling prairies and large wind farms.  I now know why early scientists believed the earth was flat.  I don’t believe this because driving out to CO has converted me into a creationist…no, it is because visually, it felt like I was driving uphill for 1,800 miles, when in fact, I was driving on mostly flat terrain, just arced around the curvature of the earth.  Thus, I was driving around the curvature of the earth towards the precipice that lay at each horizon.  Ok, I also learned that since I didn’t drive off of the face of the earth that the earth must be oblong because after each horizon was another horizon, and so on and so forth, until I arrived in Denver.  As I have said before, drinking alcohol should be done with caution when one first arrives in the mile high city.  My first micro-brew as a resident of CO packed a punch and hit me like rum and coke.  I have officially hooked myself up to intravenous fluids to stave off the immediate onset of dehydration – another welcoming condition of the dry air at high altitude.

I am heading up to Boulder later today to meet the rest of the company and get started on paperwork.  Get started on planning your visit already!

Hasta luego,

Jason, CO

 

Late Start and Repose in St. Louis

Cracker Barrel serves fat-laden and bad food.  This branch is located off of I-70, about 12 miles east of Indianapolis, in a state I previously noted was simply depressing.  Lured by a roadside advertisement for a $29.99 room in a Days Inn, naturally…I paid $45.  This branch was run by a polite if hard-charging Indian man. What brought him from his home country – which I’m sure is lovely- to this particular hell-hole in Indiana, I will never understand.  Needless to say, after checking in and setting down my things in a room politely marked as non-smoking (clearly more a request than an order given the overwhelming stench of stale discount cigarettes), I was ready for some eats.  The only thing around was a CVS, the sour patch kids of which I refused to dine on, and a Cracker Barrel.  “Table for 1 please.”  The hostess sat me at the exterior-facing position at a 4-person table – evincing indignation for my status as a solo traveler – a jab to the arm of a lonesome eater.  After a 3 month long solo sojourn last summer, I was unaffected by the gesture and so I looked forward to what I thought would be a pleasant quasi-fast food franchise meal.  Although the restaurant was nearly empty, save for a sparse population of unanimously obese people (another sad reflection on the state of the American diet, and our sorry public health), my waiter was in a hurry.  He wanted my drink and food order all at once, and STAT!  “I’ll have the bbq pork with mac and cheese and green beans.”

Just about as soon as I could close my menu, it seemed the food arrived.  Just enough time for a 2 minute stint in the microwave, my food was served, all in separate plates, which wouldn’t have been weird except the dabble of bbq pork looked about as lonely and out of place as a dignified Indian man running a Days Inn near Indianapolis, IN.  AND, the food tasted micro-waved. I decided to wash down this horrendous meal with sugar-free apple pie, with full-sugared vanilla ice cream.  The waiter had been in such a hurry he cleared all the plates except the one mini bowl of mac/cheese, or more aptly, noodles in imitation velveeta/non-dairy creamer.  When asked why I didn’t like the M&C, I politely responded “YOU CALL THIS EDIBLE?!?” No, seriously, just too dang runny and cheesy, or non-dairy creamer-y.

The flea bag motel had to be good for something, because it came with free wifi and HBO. I watched an episode of “Poetry Jams,” which seems to be about overly dramatic urban youth recounting poems that make audiences sob in tears – sounds uplifting. No really, it was a good show and I’ll probably watch further episodes.

So at some point during the night my phone died without so much as a dying utterance and so my wake up call never came.  My intended 5am waking time was pushed off until 7.30 – way too much time to stay asleep when I’m breathing what smells like I imagine asbestos smells like.  As soon as I washed down some tepid, weak coffee, I hit the road.  The drive was uneventful and the weather was perfect for driving – cool, clear, blue sky.  I cut the driving short to spend the day with family friends in the Ladue part of St. Louis – which is lovely.

 

Back by Popular Demand!

To document my travel from New York City to Boulder, Colorado, I have resumed posting to travelographer. Check back often for photos of the journey and journal text. Day 1 consisted of driving 770 miles from Putnam Valley, NY to outside of Indianapolis, Indiana. I hope to make it to Kansas City tomorrow.
Pictures can be seen at www.flickr.com/jrwiener

 

Green Jobs in the News: Obama Administration and Green Jobs

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/an-obama-green-jobs-corps/

Van Jones again shares his insight regarding the need to retrofit America.  We have experienced a critical mass of engagement that would be optimal if applied to clean energy, conservation, weatherization, solarization and youth economic and ecological enfranchisement.  Do your part and show support for a national green jobs corps, in your community! Call or email your Senator or Congress person today.

 

Green Jobs in the Media: Laundry List of News Items

There has been a lot of attention in the media paid to green jobs.  Take the poll to let me know which news story you found most interesting!

This week’s news:

a) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/business/20green.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

b) http://media.www.pcccourier.com/media/storage/paper1346/news/2008/10/16/News/green.Technology.Summit.Urges.Community.College.Involvement-3490368.shtml#cp_article_tools

c) Sustainable South Bronx: http://www.ewire.com/display.cfm/Wire_ID/5076

d) Portland at its best – bike culture: http://bikeblogs.org/sf/2008/10/10/portland-to-create-bicycle-business-incubator/
 
e) http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/10/09/green-energy-labor-biz-energy-cx_wp_1009greenjobs.html
 
f) Apollo Alliance’s full green jobs report: http://apolloalliance.org/apollo-14/the-full-report/

g) Germany to invest in Green Jobs in the U.S.: http://greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/10/17/germany-invests-in-green-jobs-in-america

h) Message from Van Jones:

I just got the news that The Green Collar Economy is now a New York Times bestseller!!

That’s right. A book about our movement is on the most prominent bestseller list in the country. On behalf of everyone here at Green For All, I just have to say congratulations and thank you!

Three Saturdays ago, along with over 50,000 people, you called for Green Jobs Now. Together we put the green economy on the national agenda, through 674 events in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

And just two days later (yikes!), we asked you to make history again, by making The Green Collar Economy the first bestseller on green issues by a black writer.
With no publicity dollars and no national media platform, it was a complete long-shot. But we knew that if our grassroots network got the word out, millions of people across the country would know that we can build a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.

And we did it!

Our nation and our leaders are beginning to turn to real solutions for our economic and environmental crises. You saw a student from Tennessee, Ingrid Jackson, stand up at the second presidential debate and ask the candidates about green jobs.  You read that Congress is talking about including green jobs in an economic stimulus package.  And you’ve heard Obama and McCain talk about green jobs more and more, recently.
Know that you did that.  You made those things happen.
This is a movement.  And it is your movement. 

With a whole lot of gratitude,

Van Jones
President and Founder
Green For All

 

3,300 Mile Long Haul from Vancouver to New York, a Time for Reflection

East across the western terminus of the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1), from Vancouver to Lake Louise.  Under rainy skies, with my car heavily weighed down with my supplies and an impromptu-purchased “La Pavoni Bar T” commercial espresso machine and commercial grinder, I began the long journey home.  The route I mapped out would take me over the coastal range and across the fertile B.C. agricultural belt to the windward side of the Canadian Rockies.  The approach to Rogers Pass was intriguingly shrouded in clouds and mist, however, the majesty of the Canadian Rockies was ubiquitous, if translucent.

Rogers Pass marked the centre of the Canadian Rockies, and the transition to the drier leeward side of the mountains.

As I approached Lake Louise, the skies parted briefly to permit a clearer view of the surroundingmountains.

I spent night 1 of the return drive in the Hosteling International- Alpine Centre at Lake Louise, located in Banff National Park (Canada’s oldest national park).

Lake Louise was formed by the retreat of the glacier seen in its background.  The glaciers carved out the valley and their runoff filled the void with glowing turquoise water, bitter cold to the touch.  Alpinists from all over the world have ventured into these mountains and conquered the glaciers embedded within.  I hope to one day return to climb some of these glaciers, particularly after gaining my first experience on Mt. Rainier.

I was fortunate to get a room to myself at the hostel and so I awoke early on Day 2 (Thursday, Aug. 21) fresh and revived.  This day’s drive would have me traverse the spine of the Canadian Rockies, through Kootenay National Park, and Radium Hot Springs.  It took approximately 3-4 hours to travel south and through the hinterland of B.C. to the U.S. Border in Roosville, Montana.  The border crossing was particularly loathsome, as the agents welcomed me with suspicion and doubt.  They singled me out for a full vehicular inspection, and demanded that I remain inside the lobby of the office.  I was prevented from using the restroom facilities for over one hour while the agents needlessly searched through every nook and cranny of my car.  Perhaps the commercial-sized espresso machine threw them off.

Once through customs, it was lunchtime and I stopped in the first inviting place I passed, Whitefish, Montana.  I digress: it is incredibly difficult to eat healthy outside of major cities in this country.  A salad often consists of iceberg lettuce and week-old cabbage and maybe a tomato slice.  I was heartened to see healthy and abundant salad offerings at Loula’s Cafe in Whitefish.  The waitstaff was incredibly pleasant, friendly, which helped to offset the misery of the border crossing experience.

Following this brief pit-stop, it was time to refuel and head into Glacier National Park, to drive the final traverse of the great Rocky Mountains, over “Going to the Sun” highway.  The sky opened up and the rain poured down torrentially.  The windy paved road gave way to a muddy dirt path up into the mountains.  There is heavy construction going on to re-buttress the road carved into the side of the mountains.  This made for several long delays, but gave me time to appreciate my last moments in the mountains.  Atop Logan Pass (approx. 6,600′), the wind was howling and the storm was moving quickly.  On the eastward side of the pass, the precipitation was falling as snow at the higher elevations.

I stopped for the night in East Glacier Park, a small train depot town at the eastern flank of the park.  There is a general store, a small cafe, a Mexican restaurant, a couple of motels, and a backpackers’ inn- my cup of tea.  A bed was $12 a night and there was a single bathroom to be shared among the men and women’s bunk.  My bunk mates included a guy seemingly in his mid-late thirties who has been traveling around the country by hitchiking and trains for the last 2 years, and a British mate who is traversing the U.S. by bike.

I woke up at 5.30a intending to take an early morning run, but cut it short after some angry canines chased me back into town.  I hit the road by about 6.30 and witnessed one of the most spectacular sunrises I saw all summer (perhaps the only sunrise, actually).

Montana is a massive state.  I crossed into the state from Canada in the northwestern portion, and by lunchtime on Friday (Aug. 22), I was only in the centre of the state.  It wasn’t until approximately 6pm that I entered North Dakota (and at some point thereafter, entered Central Standard Time).

North Dakota has an understated beauty, secreted by its remoteness and stigma for blustery and snowy winters.  The Badlands in western ND are majestic and reminiscent of Bryce National Park in Utah.

I soldiered on, to make it to a Super 8 motel (only about my 6th motel night of the trip) in Bismarck, where I would call it a night.  I was so fatigued that I scarfed down a subway sandwich at 11p and watched the pre-Obama VP announcement before falling asleep into a daze of highways and lane changes.  I was so tired apparently, that Obama’s 3am text message, announcing his pick for VP, didn’t wake me until my alarm went off at 5:30am.  Again, in military fashion, I was packed, fed, and on the road at 6:30am.

The terrain changed from Badlands to bronze, rolling agricultural hills, where the horizon forever appears as the end of the earth (not to worry, I know the earth is not flat).  These hills seemed more vibrant and natural than those in Iowa and Nebraska (only a couple of hundred miles south on I-80, my westward route earlier in the summer).  I imagined the land more than 100 years ago, where buffalo roamed and foraged and Native Americans occupied the vast spaces.  I passed through Fargo without stopping, for fear that Steve Buscemi would jump out and feed me to a wood chipper (oh wait, that was a movie…believe me, one becomes delerious after 2 and a half straight days driving alone).  Fargo, a town on the border between N. Dakota and Minnesota, seemed nice enough, though today (Saturday, Aug. 23) was my long haul…950 miles from Bismarck, ND to Kalamazoo, MI.  I was also determined to make it to St. Paul by lunchtime to eat in one of the authentic Ethiopian restaurants there.  I found a great one right off of the interstate and enjoyed eating a great stew of vegetables with my hands (one of few remaininer situations when doing so is appropriate).

Back on the highway, it was 2.30 and I limited myself to only petrol and bathroom breaks between St. Paul, MN and Kalamazoo, MI (still 8 hours ahead).  In Minnesota the terrain transformed from brown rolling hills to more verdant pastures of green grass and taller trees.  The prairie-land were giving way to the Midwestern plains.  Then into Wisconsin, where I was first impressed and, alternatively frightened back in June.  I saw the glacial bluffs that first brought me awe, but was happy to not encounter Bobcat after my June run-in.  I whizzed through Wisconsin and entered Illinois to its characteristic traffic and more aggressive drivers (I could feel the transformation to east-coast culture approaching at this point).  My bleary eyes convinced me to stop at a rest stop near O’Hare airport.  Another subway sandwich in my belly fueled me for the last leg of my long haul.  I could feel the humidity start to creep up and the remnants of a late afternoon thunder shower welcomed me to Indiana.  A brief re-fuel and I was within ear-shot of my destination, Kalamazoo.  Fortunately, I was to stay with a friend I met out in Seattle.  I knew I would have a comfortable place to sleep and good company. I took a rest day on Sunday, Aug. 24 after having driven 4 days and 2,550 miles straight through.  We went for a jog around Kalamazoo, where K showed me K college and Western Michigan (her alma mater).  The town is a lovely mid-sized city in western Michigan, somewhat sheltered from the economic woes of the east.  The downtown is more vibrant than I had expected and the people were friendly and down to earth.  We headed to the beach on Lake Michigan for the day, where the winds were whipping up impressive 10′ waves.  The water was also a refreshing 80+ degrees.  After some local micro-brew and grub, it was time for an early night sleep, so I could remain conscious for the last leg of my drive.

I awoke at 6:30 and hit I-94 eastbound under cloudless skies to complete the last 730 miles of my drive to NY.  The drive through Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and on into NY was rather uneventful, except for the trip’s cheapest petrol ($3.89 for premium in Ohio…the simplest pleasures make for big news after a journey like this).  I backed down my driveway at about 7.30pm on Monday, August 25, only 5 days after leaving Vancouver, B.C.  I could hardly believe I traversed North America, 4 time zones and 3 mountain ranges and capped off a 3 month solo journey.

***

I’ve only been home a couple of days now, and as I adjust to being home and getting ready to go back to work, I am already beginning to feel the transformative effects of my experience.  Several reflective conclusions have already become clear.  After all, I had over 60 hours alone to reflect on what I had seen, who I had met, where I had been, and what I had learned.

- Community is the most powerful inclusive force in our lives.  The most sustainable and friendly places I visited rooted the energy of its residents in the community and for the benefit of the community.  It seemed that individual success was born by the health and vibrance of community support, not necessarily the other way around.

- The kindness of strangers, albeit cliche, moved me and inspired me.  People in nearly ever city, town, community I visited offered their hospitality in ways I never imagined.  This made for an uplifting experience. I hope to return the favour to all who supported me and opened their homes and communities to me.

- The power of presentness is overwhelming.  That is, for all of the benefits of the electronic age, and in all the ways that digital communication has connected us, there is something tangibly powerful about being present in a place.  Presentness uniquely connects us to its people, avails us of new experiences, generates dialogue and ideas, and perpetuates community.

- Solitude is a self-hazing experience.  Traveling alone has taught me what is truly required to survive.  I learned how arduous and fragile existence can be.  Mundane tasks, that we often divide between partners, family, coworkers, etc., borne alone, magnify in effort and time when performed alone.  In this way, I feel more connected to the essence of sustenance…this experienced was humanizing and humbling.

- Individual example is more effective and inspirational than top-down approaches.  There are times and places where top-down mandates are required and thus beneficial; however, in terms of promoting environmental sustainability and green collar jobs, the power comes from the individuals.  Grassroots efforts are underway around the country to conserve resources and energy, to implement and utilize renewable sources of energy, and to live simpler, more sustainable lifestyles.  The determination of the folks I met along my journey inspired me not by the ideology they espoused, but by the example they set.  Ken and Katherine’s sustainable farm on Lopez Island is an example of local and communal food production that is taking hold across the country, as an alternative to anonymous, industrial food production.  I met so many people throughout my journey, with whom I connected over the common value of seeking to experience natural beauty.  We each felt mutually inspired by the simple ways in which we connected to nature, and tried to minimize our impact on the environment.  I forged new friendships and networks over my research on community-based environmental sustainability initiatives.  All the while, these friends and contacts raised my awareness and inspired my sense of purpose.  This energy, in turn, inspired other friends and contacts in ways I never previously conceived.

***

Things to come.  Among the many changes I intend to make in my life, I have undertaken several auspicious projects that I want to share here.  First, I plan to write a book based on my experience over the last three months.  The book will be based on this blog, as well as the substance of the many hours of meeting recordings I compiled.  The story will be a blend of adventure travel, humorous misadventure, eco-philosophy (with an edge-rounding sense of self-deprecation), substantive lessons and concepts of environmental sustainability, principled discussion of green collar jobs, light-hearted anecdotes and tales of self-awareness.

Second, I am in the process of co-authoring a scholarly article on eco density, and rights of reverter in sustainable urban planning and development.

Third, I will continue to work with the NYCELLI (New York City Environmental Law Leadership Institute; nycelli.org) group on our green collar jobs initiative.  We are researching, partnering, and leading the charge for green collar jobs legislation in the State of New York.  Our goal is to institutionalize the concept of green collar jobs with the imprimatur of government, and to study the workforce, educational, vocational, environmental justice, and sustainability components of the movement.  We want New York State to establish a task force to collect and analyze data pertaining to green collar jobs and become a clearinghouse for monies that will be disseminated to training programs, community development programs.  We are in the process of drafting the legislation and hope to unveil a draft publicly in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for further details and information.

For those of you who are still reading, I will close with a call to action.  September 27, 2008 is a National Call to Action day.  Individuals and groups alike will be out on the streets to demand more political attention to the groundswell of support for green collar jobs.  We are ready for national leadership to take us into the era of a clean energy economy with American labour.  This is our chance to put the voice of marginalized communities front and centre in the national conversation about green collar jobs.  As David Brower put it: “Think globally and act locally.”  On September 27, 2008, we should all stand up and demand leadership on green collar jobs.

For more information, please visit Green for All at greenforall.org.

***

My Route:

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

Day 4:

Day 5:

(For a live map of my return journey, see:https://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=1joD6QrKhUEs12nKHrsKW7OK5mMUrKuMe)

 

Visit to Victoria and Vancouver…Eastward Return

Bruce has come and gone since my last post and I am in the process of winding down my adventures, and preparing for the arduous 3,200 mile drive from Vancouver to New York City.

Bruce’s plane was delayed in Denver due to thunder storms and thus had to spend the night at a hotel near the airport.  I met him at SeaTac airport Saturday morning and we were excited to see each other despite his bleary eyes and inadequate rest.  We toured around Seattle’s downtown, walking through what seemed to be a desolate shopping centre.  Perhaps it was the over-sized sidewalks or the courteousness of West Coasters, we simply did not feel cramped as we often do in NYC.  Bruce absolutely loved Pike Market, as anyone would who loves food!  In fact, we made at least a bi-daily pilgrimage (only 100 feet from our hostel) to Pike Market for fresh fruits and picnic supplies.  It seemed our days centered around food…as should be the case!

Bruce and I were excited to see the Mariners play the Tampa Bay Rays at Safeco field on Saturday evening.  The stadium is only a couple of years old and the amenities are first rate.  It was drizzling when we arrived and so the roof was kept closed to keep the fans and the field dry.  As sunset drew closer, the clouds parted and management opened the roof to let in the beautiful natural light.

We got tired around the 6th inning when we believed the Mariners had a tight handle on the Rays.  We later found out the game became a true contest and the Rays outpaced Seattle and won a close game.

Bruce and I checked out the Seattle aquarium and hung out with the sea lions and sea otters.

Bruce has always been a good motivator for physical activity, and whenever he sees a great running trail, he insists we take full advantage.  Therefore, we ran along the waterfront promenade twice, enjoying the scent of low tide, and the wistful Olympic-driven clouds.  Breakfast was enjoyed as Europeans, cappuccino and brioches at French bakeries in Pike Market.  We planned to leave Seattle Monday morning for Olympic National Park.  Not before stocking up on more food stuffs from Pike Market:

We bought two enormous Dungeness crabs and some fresh veggies for dinner that night while camping.  The ferry from Edmonds to Kingston took about 30 minutes and then we were off on the peninsula.  We made a detour to Port Townsend, a small port town on the northern coast of the peninsula.  We supplemented our Pike Market shopping with some supplies from the local Food Coop there and then walked around the town for a bit.  Then, onto Port Angeles, the gateway to Olympic National Park.  After a brief visit to the information center, we decided to camp in the Hoh Rain Forest on the west side of the park, a 2.5 hour drive on the 101.

The Hoh Rain Forest is the largest temperate rain forest in North America and perhaps the western hemisphere.  The area receives over 200 inches of rain per year, and casts a large “rain shadow” to the northwest, keeping the San Juan Islands and much of the northern peninsula relatively dry.  Bruce and I prepared a feast of Dungeness Crab and a monstrous salad with all organic and fresh vegetables.

The next morning we packed up camp and set off on a hike into the rain forest, terminating at 5-mile island (5.1 miles in from the trailhead).  Along the way we hiked alongside an old growth forest with gargantuan mosses and ferns in a river valley carved from some of the Mt. Olympus glaciers.

After getting an all clear from Bruce’s airline (to modify his itinerary and allow him to fly directly out of Vancouver, instead of Seattle), we embarked on the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, British Columbia.  Victoria is a quaint English-style port town with manicured gardens and a growing metropolitan downtown center.  The people are surprisingly chic and stylish, and extremely friendly.  Bruce and I met a lovely girl who served us samples of Marley wine. The vinyard owners are the cousin of Jamaica’s Bob Marley.  They clearly settled in Vancouver Island because of the temperate weather and natural beauty!

Then onto Schwartz Bay to board the ferry to Twawassen, the southern ferry port serving Vancouver.  We found accommodations in the Riviera Hotel, on Robson St., in the touristed neighborhood of West End.  Our hotel had a kitchen and a great view of Coal Harbor.  Each morning, we woke early and ran along the northern promenade to Gastown (the old warehouse district, currently housing many of the creative design firms).  Eating in Vancouver is more a sport than in Seattle. The restaurants are plentiful and absolutely first rate.  Of course, due to a robust Asian immigrant population, the Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Korean food is phenomenal and authentic.

I saw Bruce off to his Asian travels on Friday (he is off to Japan and the Philipenes). Later in the afternoon I met up with my college buddy Bryan.  We had a fantastic weekend touring around Vancouver’s many diverse neighborhoods, and seeing an incredible House set by Max Graham.  We spent Saturday on the famed Wrecks Beach and then endured the rigor of the Grouse Grind (along with a thick milleau of tourists).  Changing out of a sweat-soaked shirt, and saying hi to Grizzly at the Grizzly habitat, we were ready for descent on the Gondola.  Bryan and his roommate, Vern, are excellent cooks, so we have opted to eat in most nights and cook.  Bryan and I picked up local seafood and fresh linguine from the Granville Island Market (which has Pike Market beat by leaps and bounds). That night we cooked the linginue with a seafood vodka sauce.  Sunday night, Bryan and Vern took me to an excellent Japanese tapas restaurant in Yaletown.  Last night, Vern prepared lamp medallions and a small lamb rack with a Lemon/garlic/breadcrumb crust.  Needless to say, I’ve been eating well.  It seems that Vancouverites have a very European sensitibility, opting to buy small batches of groceries for each day’s meals, instead of doing the American “once a week stock-up.”  The food is fresher, more local, and all around higher quality.  To facilitate this lifestyle, most of Vancouver’s zoning is mixed use commercial and residential, so there are plenty of cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores in each neighborhood.

I have enjoyed my time in Vancouver immensely and I will most certainly return here to explore B.C.’s interior and to further connect with the legal and environmental sustainability communities here.

Bryan set up for me to meet several influential B.C. environmentalists.  Paul Mitchell-Banks is an environmental business consultant, and his client list is as impressive as his educational and business background.  Paul provided some key insights into how to design and communicate our green collar jobs initiative to a skeptical public and accountable representatives.  Later in the afternoon, we met with Ray Robinson, Canada’s first diplomat and ministerial official to testify before U.S. Congress on behalf of Canada.  Ray was also one of the key authors of Canada’s Environmental Protection laws, coinciding roughly with NEPA in the U.S.  Ray is a natural story-teller and lavished us for four and a half hours with intriguing stories of his time in the corps of diplomats, and later as an Undersecretary to the Environmental Ministry.  He was instrumental, if not unilaterally responsible, for negotiating bilateral agreements with the United States relating to the Great Lakes cleanup, and on Acid Rain.  Ray is considered to be in standing to receive the “Order of Canada,” this country’s highest decorative honor.

I will miss Vancouver after tomorrow.  More profoundly, I am winding down this 3 month journey, giving myself 7 days to adjust to my return to NYC.  This experience has been simply transformative and I am not even fully cognizant of how this experience will have changed me.  I have challenged the bounds of personal experience and come into closer contact with my passionate pursuit.  At every juncture I have embraced opportunity and tried to synergize with the passion of others for environmental protection and sustainability.

I want to close this post with a brief word about your feedback.  Over the course of the last several months I have received comments and emails from many readers, many more than I ever imagined would remain interested.  I am honored by such support and attention, and humbled by your acknowledgement that my journey has in some way inspired you.  The latter is a phenomenon in which I never believed I would have much influence.  At the very least, I hope you have been entertained.  Please keep the feedback and ideas coming.  You have helped to sustain me on this adventure.