The Emerald City

We traveled to the far North last weekend for a quick trip to the Emerald City.  While there we enjoyed great food, big laughs and fantastic weather. 

We also...

...learned about air travel at Boeing's Museum of Flight,

From Seattle

went out on the town for a fantastic dinner with our hosts,

From Seattle

From Seattle

flew a kite at Gasworks Park,

From Seattle

and participated in all-around general cuteness.

From Seattle

From Seattle

550 Penguins

After calculating the carbon footprint of my travel thus far in 2008, I (Chris) wondered how I stack up against others in my area. So I explored a few carbon footprint websites and was disappointed with what I found.

Compared to other Americans (who aren't role models in this area, as we all know) I personally score an F for carbon footprint.

An F.

I'm used to getting A's.

This is despite the fact that I carry a thin, green, biodegradable bag dripping with brown, smelly, sticky, nasty, gunk and filled with fly-infested, mold-covered cantaloupe peels ground into crumbling coffee detritus mixed with rotting cucumber stalks to a large plastic city-provided composting container every Wednesday as part of our recycling/garbage rituals; this is despite the fact that I don't drive to work but ride for nearly 2 hours every day on bus and train (for a total of over 20,000 miles per year); this is despite the fact that I live in a modest apartment in an old house in the most densely populated city in North America west of Chicago; this is despite the fact that I think of cars as a 20th century anachronism and managed to spend much of my 20s without owning a car at all; this is despite the fact that I ride my bike or walk when I can and even when I shouldn't; this is despite the fact that I declare carbon-free weekends where I unilaterally outlaw car usage for Olivia and myself. This is despite that I feel (felt?) like I was doing the right thing (even though I knew flying was kinda bad).

Of my 28 tons of carbon released per year (average American is 22 tons) fully 61% (18 tons) comes from flying. These 18 tons account for a slightly below average American's carbon footprint. I imagine this person living in a modest, two bedroom house, perhaps driving a Metro instead of a Jeep and eating steak once a week and not carrying stinky compost out to the street every week.

Or, even worse, my 18 tons accounts for a far-above-average European. How depressing.

That sure makes my elite status a lot less little less special.

Thanks United.

Sorry penguins.

[If you're curious (I was), 18 tons of carbon is roughly equivalent to about 550 average sized Emperor Penguins.]



...I think I'm finished with the serious stuff, our next post will be back to the fluff and Preciously Special Moments, I promise.

Its a good thing we take public transit to work...

Here is a summary of my carbon footprint from January to September that I created using dopplr.com. I'd hate to see what it would be if I didn't take Caltrain to work.



The reason is clear when you look at the 78,000 miles flown according to this map:

Sure, its a little nerdy, but I wanted to get some perspective on my year so far.

Labor Day Weekend

We labored mightily on Labor Day Weekend -- we labored at having fun that is!

Our weekend started in a big way with some Precious Moments we shared at the De Young Museum with Casey and Emily. There is a Chihuly exhibit there at the moment and we all enjoyed the blown glass.

From Labor Day Weekend

Switching gears the next morning we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge in a thick fog to see some Thule Elk at Point Reyes National Seashore. As our readers must already know, Point Reyes is pretty awesome:

From Labor Day Weekend

and we had the opportunity to see about 50 elk, many with huge antlers:

From Labor Day Weekend

From Labor Day Weekend

From Labor Day Weekend

we also saw some amazing bird action. Birds are difficult to catch with our cute little camera, but here is a pelican that nearly took our heads off as it soared down the California Coast:

From Labor Day Weekend

Here are some more obligatory we-only-go-beautiful-places photos (its for you jb):

From Labor Day Weekend

From Labor Day Weekend

From Labor Day Weekend

From Labor Day Weekend

From Labor Day Weekend

From Labor Day Weekend

The following day we went to Civic Center for the Farmer's Market and the Slow Food San Francisco exhibits. This was our first visit to the Civic Center Farmer's Market and, with the dome of City Hall in the background, it almost felt like we were at the Madison Farmer's Market...

From Labor Day Weekend

From Labor Day Weekend

We also attended a one-year old birthday party in Half Moon Bay. Happy birthday Sierra! (She really liked our present)

From Labor Day Weekend

Just in case you thought we were getting lazy, we also went on a bike ride on Canada Road. Here Chris is at the terminus of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct.

From Labor Day Weekend

The following day was Monday. Labor Day. And the weather in the city was ridiculously nice. Chris rode his bike across the Golden Gate Bridge while Olivia went to yoga class. Here is a view of the Marin Headlands from the Presidio. This is the first time I've seen the headlands this clearly, they are almost always shrouded in fog:

From Labor Day Weekend

We closed out the weekend with a Wisconsin-only, California food, good bye (for a short while) to Emily grill-out in our backyard.

From Labor Day Weekend

how precious.