Strollerderby : trucks

Are Pick-Up and Drop-Off Moms Killing the Environment?

JeanneSager — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:26:00 GMT

New York City is getting tough on going green. Their latest targets? Parents.

Moms and dads who leave their cars idling for more than one minute near New York City's public AND prive schools will be slapped with a $100 fine.

Mark this on the calendar, because I don't say this much. Bravo Mayor Bloomberg. Now can we spread this around the country?

I admit I've been a little guilty of this one myself of late. When it's ten below, I pull up as close to the nursery school door as possible, pop out with my daughter and run her inside - leaving the keys in the ignition the entire time What can I say, I'm a cold wuss! Although I live upstate, and the city's new law won't hit me, it's still made me give myself a slap on the wrist and vow not to do it anymore.

Every two minutes a car idles equals just about the amount of gasoline necessary to drive one mile. Gas prices might be down from the highs of last year, but in this economy, most of us could realy use the money saved on an extra mile of gas. Then throw in the environmental affects. Every gallon of gasoline produces about twenty pounds of carbon dioxide. Left to idle for ten minutes, and a car can use as much as half a gallon of gas - producing ten pounds of CO2.

Schools across the nation have started turning the buses off to cut down on pollution and fuel consumption. Studies have estimated that if every school bus in the country reduced by two minute the amount of time the engine is operating between the trips to and from school, annual emissions would drop by three hundred nineteen tons of carbon monoxide, one hundred eighty-five tons of nitrogen dioxide and just over eight tons of small particulate matter.

But while the buses themselves might produce more than a passenger vehicle, there are generally a lot more cars and trucks in the pick-up and drop-off lines than there are school buses. So how about we moms and dads get their acts together?

Image: Carbon Offset Solutions

Source: The Daily News

Et Tu, Scholastic?

editors — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:11:00 GMT

These two books came into the office the other day:The Girls’ Book of Glamour: A Guide to Being a Goddess and The Boys’ Book of Survival: How to Survive Anything, Anywhere. Ha-ha, we thought, how retro and ironic and . . . OMG, THEY ARE TOTALLY SERIOUS.

The jacket flap copy on the girls’ book: “Be confidant. Be glamorous. Be gorgeous . . . Be the goddess you were born to be!” On the boys’ book: “Be brave. Be prepared . . . Be a hero!”

Now, our son loves trucks, planes and dinosaurs. Our goddaughter loves tutus. BUT. STILL. Our son has been known to dance around in a skirt, and our goddaughter has been known to play with dinosaurs. The truck books do not say, “TRUCKS FOR BOYS.” They say, “TRUCKS TRUCKS TRUCKS. TRUCKS.”

We read both of these books to make sure they are as bad and reactionary as their covers suggested. In fact, they are worse.

Girls are instructed to “accessorize fabulously.” Boys are taught to “survive an avalanche.” Girls are told how to “give yourself a mini-facial.” Boys are given instructions for making a dugout canoe.

The major theme in the boy book: Be ready for anything! You’re a leader! (“How to Be a Good Leader,” p. 12) The girls’ theme: Be pretty! Also, friendly! (“How to Have the Best Manners,” p.81) And “jazz up” that “boring ponytail.”

For realz? This is the publishing house that gave us Hermione Granger? For shame. — Ada Calhoun

5 reasons it's a good thing I had boys

Brett Singer — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:05:00 GMT

I was going to say, "I'm glad I have boys" but that didn't sound quite right. That is, I would love girl-children just as much as I love my guys. But there are a few ways that having boys has made my life – mine, specifically – a little bit easier.

1. No pink ponies: It doesn't seem like having a Y chromosome should automatically mean that one is interested in superheroes, videogames, and action figures inspired by superheroes and videogames. But experience says otherwise. While there are definitely girls who love trucks and boys who follow the Frasier and Niles Crane path – a love of opera, Broadway and snappy clothing – my guys are way into Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Pokémon, Wii, Playstation 2, and so on. If I had to learn whatever there is to know about My Little Pony, I think my brain would crawl out of my ear.

2. Miley-free zone: Thus far Things 1 and 2 have shown zero interest in Billy Ray Cyrus' little ~~meal ticket~~ girl, which means I can continue to go through life knowing almost nothing about her. Maybe this will change when they get older, but hopefully by then Miley Ray Hannah Montana Stewart Cyrus will have either pulled a Britney Spears and had a meltdown, grown up and started singing jazz standards, or retired to spend her days sitting on a giant pile of cash gazing longingly at Nick Jonas. OK, I guess I sort of know something about her, but that's just from trying to keep up with pop culture. I have nothing against Miley or the Jonases, but not having to listen to their music or attend their concerts is something I will never, ever complain about.

3. No batting of eyelashes: My wife has pointed out many times that if we had had girls, odds are I would be putty in their hands. I wish I could say I disagree but I think she's probably right. Little girls are so cute, and seeing them cry is much more painful than seeing boys cry. I know that's stupid, sexist, and stupid (did I say that one already?). But I've seen, more than once, little girls who lead their dads around by the nose. It's probably best if we never find out whether or not I would join their ranks.

4. Less irrational over-protectiveness: Again, I am fully aware that this is unfair, stupid and sexist. But if I had girl-children, I would be very tempted not to let them leave the house until they were 30. I guess going to school would be OK, as long as they dressed like those Mormon sect people.

5. No High School Musical: When this monstrosity first started airing on the Disney Channel and the CD went to number one, I tried to watch it out of curiosity. I made it through about 15 minutes before I realized that it would probably be more fun to chew glass. The songs are lame, the characters are dull, the story is… Feh. Anyway, the boys seem immune to whatever charms that thing has, and for that, I am grateful.

image: Amazon.com

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