ACRE

ACRE — No Comments
12
Jul 11

Sustainability Is The Capacity To Endure.

Sustainability is a hot buzz word on the Internet right now. People are talking about sustainable development, sustainable design, sustainable agriculture, and sustainable living.* We here at The Chaos Factory, never shy of chasing a popular trend, have decided to do some sustainable blogging of our own.

Speaking of sustainability, I have a friend** who lives in the desert. He has always wanted to hunt the camels around his home, because they get into his garbage and dig up his garden. But he can’t, because camels are an endangered species.

But it turns out it’s legal to hunt camels in Australia. That’s because camel hunting is considered sustainable there. You see, camels are an invasive species. They were brought to Australia two hundred years ago to spit at criminals. Now they are everywhere, just like rabbits and frogs. In Australia, if an animal doesn’t have a pouch, you are allowed–no encouraged–to shoot it.

Not everyone has the chance to go shoot camels in Australia. So what can you do instead to help sustain the environment? I’m glad you asked.

Our friends over at Five Bamboo are currently running a special. For every article of pesticide-free, fertilizer-free, irrigation-free, 99% organic, sustainable clothing you purchase before August 1st, one Australian camel will be shot on your behalf.***

*I assume this means eternal life, and I think that’s awesome. Sign me up for sustainable living.

**All friends are for purely hypothetical purposes. Please, no wagering.

***No actual camels will be shot. Unless you specifically request it.

Please Note: This blog does not condone the use of guns to hunt camels. Flame throwers work best.

ACRE — No Comments
16
Mar 10

China Energy Label

It has been several months, but ACRE is finally back. There was not much point in posting about Kunming’s environmental issues, when the blog was blocked in China. But the block has been lifted, spring has arrived, and I will be posting regularly again.

When I moved to Kunming in November, I moved into an unfurnished apartment, and was forced to buy all my own furniture, including kitchen appliances. I wanted to purchase the most energy efficient refrigerator and washing machine I could afford, but was faced with the prospect of trying to convey this idea in Chinese. Fortunately, I soon discovered that the Chinese Government has a very handy and easy to decipher labeling system for appliances.

If you care for the specifics, go here. There are two things to look for in the label. One is the overall rating, which is generally between 1 and 5 (one being the best). The second aspect to bear in mind is the information at the bottom of the label. For a refrigerator, it will tell you, among other information, how many watts of electricity it uses in 24 hours, and for a washing machine, how much water is used per load.

Even if you do not read Chinese, you can compare the various models and get a good idea which one is the most energy efficient just based on the numbers on the label.

One other item I bought was an induction cooker. I knew nothing about induction cooking before, but it turns out it is not only the most energy efficient method of heating food, but also the fastest and safest.

So if you are living in China, and need to buy a new appliance, or your landlord is going to buy one for your apartment, be sure to look closely at the China Energy Label. Not only will you be helping the environment, but in the long run, you will save money.

ACRE — 7 Comments
16
Dec 09

Locally Grown, Organically Sown

Photo By @thebeautythatstillremains

Photo By @thebeautythatstillremains

There is inherent irony in starting a blog documenting how to live an environmentally sensitive life in the city of Kunming when said blog is blocked in China. Hopefully, for people interested in a green lifestyle in Kunming, they will find a way to access ACRE.

I have been in Kunming three weeks now, and have already discovered a number of ways to be green. My first post features perhaps my most anticipated highlight of the city. As soon as I had my own kitchen, I joined the local vegetable Co-op from Green Kunming. They operate the largest organic food distribution network in the city. For 45 rmb, I get 5 kgs of organic produce.

This week’s order included:

  • Baby Carrots
  • Spinach
  • Purple Lettuce
  • Daikon Radish
  • Pumpkin
  • Purple Potatoes
  • Collard Green
  • Frisee Lettuce

I have been looking forward to being a part of a vegetable co-op for so long. What better way to be healthy than to have weekly shipments of locally grown, organic produce delivered to you. If you don’t figure out a way to eat everything in a few days, then your money will go to waste. It forces me to plan meals and cook healthy.

I recommend that everyone who is serious about their health and the environment find the organic food co-op in their city and join.

Creative Commons License
This work by @thebeautythatstillremains is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 China Mainland License.

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11
Nov 09

Welcome To ACRE

Photo by @thebeautythatstillremains

Photo by @thebeautythatstillremains

ACRE is the environmental arm of The Chaos Factory. It is my job to ensure everything we do comes out looking green.

For the moment, The Chaos Factory is nothing more than a vision and a website. But over the course of the next year, I will be documenting each step in the process of opening a studio in Yunnan, China. It is our hope that ACRE will serve as a model for anyone in China interested in making their studio, their home, their office, or their lifestyle more environmentally sound.

We are all newcomers to Kunming, so do not expect a lot of news in the next couple months. I will be busy settling in, improving my Chinese, and getting my bearings. But as things start to ramp up, I expect to have plenty of information to pass along to you.

But I can share one tidbit right out of the gate. If you are running a studio or small business, you will certainly want to have a website, which means you will need a host. Try Fatcow. Their web hosting service is powered by 100% wind energy. We will be exploring the different renewable energy options for the studio (solar or wind most likely, or a combination), and it is a relief knowing that our website will be renewable as well.

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