2Health: How to take care of yourself.

What’s Killing the Electric Car? The Price of Batteries

At last week's Electric Vehicle Symposium in Los Angeles, a consortium of automakers from the United States and Europe unveiled a speedy new standardized charger for electric vehicles.

Under the old system, a full charge would take two to three hours; with the new system, put together by Big Three American automakers Ford, GM and Chrysler and their German counterparts—Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen—a vehicle could charge in as little as 15 or 20 minutes, while you’re in the grocery store or the doctor’s office.

The initiative represents a step toward an electrified automotive future, akin to agreeing on standard-sized railroad tracks to extend rail networks across the country. But there’s still a major obstacle standing in the way of mass adoption of electric cars: battery technology, and the price that comes with it.

Ford, which plans to have 10 to 20 percent of its products “electrified”—either completely electric or hybrid—by 2020, is rolling out its first all-electric vehicle, the Ford Focus EV, this spring, in conjunction with the charger announcement. 

The standard Focus, a sporty little hatchback, is being marketed to young people and retails new at $18,300. The electric Focus costs $39,950 before a $7,500 federal tax rebate and, in California, a $2,500 tax credit. Even after the tax incentives and the gas savings, that's’s still a big difference in price for fairly standard car, and that’s reflected in the company’s modest sales expectations—they hope to see about 2,000 roll off the lots this year in California, New Jersey, and New York.

With a 76-mile range on one charge, the Focus EV goes further than its main competitor, the Nissan Leaf. It's fun to drive and comes with a bevvy of unique features, including a heads-up display that turns efficient driving into a game and a mobile app that lets you analyze your driving habits and control your car from afar. But it’s still hard to imagine many people purchasing it at that price.

Mike Tinskey, Ford’s director of global vehicle electrification, says the rollout is something of an experiment for Ford—a chance to figure out what the market wants. Tinskey expects that EV buyers will be regular commuters who seek out the car to save money on gas in the long term, adopt the next wave of auto technology, or just do right by the environment. “Not one technology will fit all customers,” Tinskey says. “We should have everything from a battery electric vehicle to a plug-in hybrid to a hybrid to an advanced gasoline engine, and offer that across all of our products.”

Still, he admits that the price point might prevent people, especially young people, from buying the car. He notes that Ford’s standard offerings include a lot of in-car entertainment technology the company believes will resonate with young buyers, but that demographic also is interested in environmental ethics and populated with early tech adopters. “We really need to focus on getting the cost down, and we almost have a myopic view of continuing to do that,” he says.

While Ford is focused on doing that across a range of fronts, from manufacturing innovation to partnerships with electric utilities, the biggest obstacle Tinskey sees for Ford and other automakers is battery cost. Car battery technology has developed quickly in recent years, but balancing longer-lasting, faster-charging, lighter batteries with price is a tricky process. While part of the problem is technological, Tinskey points to economics as the central challenge. “In my opinion, it’s scale—how do you prime the pump?” he says. “You really need to get scale at these battery plant manufacturing facilities.”

That’s part of the logic behind standardizing public charging infrastructure—priming the pump to get more people on the road in EVs, which in turn will spur further innovation and cost-savings in the industry. “We could have a breakthrough, but we’re not planning for a breakthrough, we’re just assuming that we’re going to continue to be able to get costs out, and the next generation will be more affordable than this generation,” Tinskey says.

There are 1,000 engineers at Ford working on the problem, he says. With many thousands more at other companies and labs around the world, we may get a truly competitive green car yet.

Photo courtesy of Ford

What’s Killing the Electric Car? The Price of Batteries

At last week's Electric Vehicle Symposium in Los Angeles, a consortium of automakers from the United States and Europe unveiled a speedy new standardized charger for electric vehicles.

Under the old system, a full charge would take two to three hours; with the new system, put together by Big Three American automakers Ford, GM and Chrysler and their German counterparts—Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen—a vehicle could charge in as little as 15 or 20 minutes, while you’re in the grocery store or the doctor’s office.

The initiative represents a step toward an electrified automotive future, akin to agreeing on standard-sized railroad tracks to extend rail networks across the country. But there’s still a major obstacle standing in the way of mass adoption of electric cars: battery technology, and the price that comes with it.

Ford, which plans to have 10 to 20 percent of its products “electrified”—either completely electric or hybrid—by 2020, is rolling out its first all-electric vehicle, the Ford Focus EV, this spring, in conjunction with the charger announcement. 

The standard Focus, a sporty little hatchback, is being marketed to young people and retails new at $18,300. The electric Focus costs $39,950 before a $7,500 federal tax rebate and, in California, a $2,500 tax credit. Even after the tax incentives and the gas savings, that's’s still a big difference in price for fairly standard car, and that’s reflected in the company’s modest sales expectations—they hope to see about 2,000 roll off the lots this year in California, New Jersey, and New York.

With a 76-mile range on one charge, the Focus EV goes further than its main competitor, the Nissan Leaf. It's fun to drive and comes with a bevvy of unique features, including a heads-up display that turns efficient driving into a game and a mobile app that lets you analyze your driving habits and control your car from afar. But it’s still hard to imagine many people purchasing it at that price.

Mike Tinskey, Ford’s director of global vehicle electrification, says the rollout is something of an experiment for Ford—a chance to figure out what the market wants. Tinskey expects that EV buyers will be regular commuters who seek out the car to save money on gas in the long term, adopt the next wave of auto technology, or just do right by the environment. “Not one technology will fit all customers,” Tinskey says. “We should have everything from a battery electric vehicle to a plug-in hybrid to a hybrid to an advanced gasoline engine, and offer that across all of our products.”

Still, he admits that the price point might prevent people, especially young people, from buying the car. He notes that Ford’s standard offerings include a lot of in-car entertainment technology the company believes will resonate with young buyers, but that demographic also is interested in environmental ethics and populated with early tech adopters. “We really need to focus on getting the cost down, and we almost have a myopic view of continuing to do that,” he says.

While Ford is focused on doing that across a range of fronts, from manufacturing innovation to partnerships with electric utilities, the biggest obstacle Tinskey sees for Ford and other automakers is battery cost. Car battery technology has developed quickly in recent years, but balancing longer-lasting, faster-charging, lighter batteries with price is a tricky process. While part of the problem is technological, Tinskey points to economics as the central challenge. “In my opinion, it’s scale—how do you prime the pump?” he says. “You really need to get scale at these battery plant manufacturing facilities.”

That’s part of the logic behind standardizing public charging infrastructure—priming the pump to get more people on the road in EVs, which in turn will spur further innovation and cost-savings in the industry. “We could have a breakthrough, but we’re not planning for a breakthrough, we’re just assuming that we’re going to continue to be able to get costs out, and the next generation will be more affordable than this generation,” Tinskey says.

There are 1,000 engineers at Ford working on the problem, he says. With many thousands more at other companies and labs around the world, we may get a truly competitive green car yet.

Photo courtesy of Ford

Why Can’t Doctors Be More Like Dogs?

I was sitting in the doctor’s office – 20 minutes early for an appointment that would be a half-hour late, thumbing through a six-month old magazine, when I came across an article on the amazing things being done with service dogs.

As I read about how these fantastic animals are changing and saving lives, it occurred to me that these canine helpers have a lot to teach the medical establishment. At the time, I was not exactly a fan of said establishment. I was waiting to see a third dermatologist about a problem the first two dermatologists couldn’t agree that I had.

I had used a cosmetic scrub — very nice, it smelled like brown sugar. Then I used a sunblock. Then I developed a nasty rash. Then the glands on the side of my neck turned into big, red, itchy lumps. My throat burned, and I had trouble swallowing. Prescription: steroid cream.

After a notable lack of improvement, I went to dermatologist number two, who said the cream, for what I had, was like telling someone with a brain tumor to take two aspirin. Big confidence builder, to say the least. Prescription: continue with the cream, but also add ingestible steroids.

I asked number two if there was any connection between my problem and the sunblock I had used. The rapid-fire response was “No” and “impossible.” My still swollen glands, she said, were simply a consequence of the skin condition.

So, with visions of getting arms like Barry Bonds, I was off to the pharmacy for more steroids, noticing on the way out that the sunblock I had used was for sale in the dermatologist’s office.

Feeling worse by the day, I tried dermatologist number three, who said the sunblock in combination with the scrub could, indeed, cause my reaction. But again, the gland problem was likely a consequence of the skin problem.

By this time, the sides of my neck looked like my body had been invaded by an alien life form. So I went to an internist, who finally and correctly deduced that the gland problem was being caused by a nasty upper respiratory infection. As for the dermatitis, he said, “I can refer you to a dermatologist for that.”

I know doctors save lives. I know articles like this get your face posted in the break rooms of medical offices across the country. But I still can’t help thinking about service dogs.

There are dogs trained to alert the deaf when the phone rings, help unfreeze Parkinson’s victims with the stimulating touch of a paw, turn on lights and pick up dropped objects for the paralyzed.

Some amazing work is being done to train dogs to alert owners to impending health problems. Seizure dogs can recognize a change in body chemistry 15 to 45 minutes before the onset of an epileptic seizure. Dogs are being trained to recognize low blood sugar in diabetics, even awakening from a sound sleep to, in turn, wake the owner. I know of one family where one trained dog shuttles constantly between two diabetic children.

The difference between these dogs and doctors, besides medical school, internships, residencies, proud parents and opposable thumbs, is total and absolute concentration on the patient. For service dogs, it’s what they do, why they’re here, how they’re trained. Their role in life is not about treatments. It’s about outcomes.

I know that is a lot to ask of doctors in a world where medicine is a business and third-party payers make the rules. Still, thinking back on my needless ordeals, these wonderful animals have something to share.

For more by this author, Peggy Drexler, PhD, author of “Our Fathers, Ourselves: Daughters, Fathers, And The Changing American Family,” visit www.peggydrexler.com.

Photo credit: green kozi

The Free Resource that Can Help You Cope With Anything

By Wendy Aron

When I had my comic memoir published by an award-winning independent press in 2008, I thought it would be the pinnacle of my professional writing career. But after my publisher went bankrupt one year later, taking with him most of my dreams, that celebratory moment turned into one of despair.

Standing in our basement, looking at the five big crates of unsold books we were left with after the experience, my husband wondered aloud what we were going to do with them. I said to him: “We can always make a bonfire and toast marshmallows.” Suddenly, the tension seemed to lift.

I firmly believe my ability to find the humor in upsetting circumstances like this one has helped me to rebound from innumerable setbacks. Humor is, in fact, a free resource that has greater rejuvenative powers than anything we might be tempted to buy to cheer us up. For depressed people in particular, laughter is at once a defense against a seemingly indefensible world and a safety valve.

The therapeutic value of laughter has been recognized for centuries, but it was first popularized in the United States in the 1970s, when author Norman Cousins recounted his experience overcoming a painful case of arthritis by watching funny television programs like “Candid Camera” and Marx Brothers movies. In his book about the experience, “Anatomy of an Illness,” Cousins reported that ten minutes of laughter provided him with two hours of anesthetic-free pain relief.

Today, humor therapy is a recognized discipline in the field of psychology, and many practitioners offer advice on how best to incorporate laughter into our lives when we are going through difficult times. But we don’t even have to turn to professionals for guidance on this matter—we are surrounded by free humor everyday. Not only in the typical entertainment fare, but in small moments—walking with a friend who makes us laugh, observing a child’s innocence, or a pet’s curiosity. Humor is everywhere. We just have to train ourselves to be open to it.

I once interviewed a clinical psychologist and humor therapist for an article I was writing on counseling couples going through home renovation projects—a very stressful circumstance indeed. He offered tips on dealing with the experience, which I think can be applied to many others stressors we face in life.

One of his main suggestions was to work with a partner or a friend as a stress buster—someone with whom to share everything absurd or silly that happened during the course of a day’s frazzling events. He also suggested keeping a written log of these moments and sharing them with their stress buddies at the end of each week. The positive affect on overall outlook, he said, is tremendous.

Another tip he offered the couples he counseled was to always keep a humorous moment from their lives in their memory to access when they were under a great deal of pressure. Just the simple act of remembering something that made them laugh or smile did wonders to relieve stress in the present moment, he said.

I have since followed this psychologist’s advice, and it has helped. Now, my stress-busting partner is either my husband or a close childhood friend. And whenever I am in a trying situation, I remember the time I was driving with my mother on a highway lost and she screamed: “Can’t you ask someone for directions?” (I remind you, we were on a highway!).

I believe laughter is a critical component of a life well-lived and is the main reason why couples and friends form and stay in relationships. It can do wonders for everyone, in any circumstance. Even for those of us who have seen their hopes of being a best-selling author dashed.

Photo by orangeacid

On GLUT5

Presentation-on-video is one of the least accessible sources of information for me. For a stack of practical reasons I don’t get a lot of listening time. I made the effort the other day and got depressed. Why?

We all know hereditary fructose intolerance tends to produce death when some joker sets up an intravenous fructose infusion in the intensive therapy setting.

But why should anyone want to use IV fructose in the ITU setting? Calories. Critically ill people need calories. Lots of them. Meeting this need has been managed in many different ways over the years. Nowadays we do it through an enteral feeding tube or, if you can’t get anything in through the gut, using intravenous emulsified soyabean oil (pardon the aside vomit) or emulsified MCTs (ah, that’s better, let’s have a few ketones in the ITU). You can’t use glucose. Unless you add exogenous insulin to a glucose infusion (plus some potassium please) it just makes you hyperglycaemic and you then pee glucose out through your kidneys, especially if you are already as insulin resistant as a lot of critically ill patients are.

Not so with fructose. Infuse fructose in to a peripheral vein and it immediately disappears in to liver tissue to replenish glycogen stores before any excess becomes intra hepatic fat. But it also disappears in to muscle cells, big time. And adipocytes too. In fact, in to any cell expressing the GLUT5 transporter* on its surface. Even bits of the brain do this. No insulin required. Fructose gets calories in to tissues without wasting too much through exceeding its renal excretion threshold. That’s why it got chosen for ITU work back in the 1970s. It works. A pity it kills people with hereditary fructose intolerance.

* Did you note “testis” in there? Human sperm appear to run of fructose. There is a post on sperm, fructose and nitrous oxide injected Morris Minors brewing for some day.

I’ve been particularly interested in whether oral fructose might cause whole body insulin resistance directly, especially adipocyte insulin resistance, rather than just being limited to hepatic de novo lipogenesis and the systemic sequelae associated hepatic insulin resistance. You have to ask whether fructose really stops at the liver, especially in human beings. After all, those GLUT5 transporters are not sitting there on myocytes and adipocytes awaiting an intravenous fructose infusion… So what is the plasma fructose concentration after something a bit like a large McDonald’s Coca-Cola Classic®, the 32oz serving? With or without breakfast, and compared to assorted ratios of glucose and fructose? Here are the (very old) data:

Fructose penetrates well past the liver in humans after a 32oz cola. There are GLUT5 receptors on multiple non hepatic cell types. Fructose effects do not appear to be limited to the liver. I was really interested in this some time ago but never got to post about it. It’s quite speculative.

The question is: Why are some of the nurses I work with skinny despite subsisting on sucrose in various guises?

Apart from the possibility that skinny folks who eat a sucrose based diet are chronically hungry (some certainly are), why else might they not be fat?

Perhaps: If you can dump a decent dose of fructose on to adipocytes you might well limit their response to insulin. These folks would still get the classic fatty liver and hyperinsulinaemia but fail to store large amounts of fat in adipocytes because fructose exposed adipocytes would become insulin resistant and so release inappropriately large amounts of FFAs for a given level of insulin. They are, after all, resistant to insulin’s fat storage effect. No one would suggest that this is a healthy situation and terms such as “skinny-fat”, “metabolically obese but slim” and “slim type 2″ all come to mind. Weight per se is unimportant, chronic hyperinsulinaemia comes with its own costs.

Where did all of this come from? Tom Naughton and Makro both provided the link to this video.

I agree with a great deal of what Lustig has to say. But I find it hard to swallow an argument when certain easily disprovable biochemical statements are made. Saying that fructose uptake and its transporter are limited to the liver is disappointing. We have enough problems with misinformation on carbohydrate restriction from folks with carbophilia. It’s depressing when we simplify our message to the point where even a politician can understand it, ie to the point where it is no longer true.

Sigh.

Peter

Addendum on skinny fructose fed rats:

Here’s a typical paper, there are probably loads more out there.

Fructose fed rats are lighter than CIAB fed rats. Here’s the table we want:

Despite the lack of gross obesity, the epididymal fat pads are bigger, the actual adipocytes in these pads are bigger than those from controls and the adipocytes are, of course, insulin resistant. Just look at the FFA levels in the table.

Now, let’s look at the OGTT results:

The fructose fed rats clearly produce a ton of insulin in response to an oral glucose load, far more than the CIAB fed controls. If they can produce this much insulin, surely they must be able to overcome adipocyte insulin resistance and make themselves FAT? You can certainly store a whole load of extra fat in the adipocytes of an insulin resistant human by adding exogenous insulin in to their diabetes meds…

The group doesn’t specify the diet exactly (they must be in obesity research) but it’s made by Teklad Laboratories and is probably TD.89247. About 67% of calories from fructose, no other source of carbohydrate.

If so, the bottom line is that these fructose fed rats are on a mix of casein, lard and fructose. Only fructose. They NEVER eat starch. They NEVER eat glucose. They NEVER eat sucrose. Fructose per se is only mildly insulinotropic. An OGTT tells you NOTHING about the insulin response to a meal of TD.89247.

Which these rats live on.

Now what happens if you add fructose AND glucose to a rat’s lard/casein diet? It’s called sucrose. It is, err, obesogenic. Especially in the presence of easily storable fat.

Because here you spike insulin while simultaneously causing insulin resistance, which will cause a MUCH bigger insulin spike than even the rats on CIAB produce after each meal. Adipocytes can be forced to enlarge under these circumstances. It’s called obesity.

Of course it might just be that sucrose is more rewarding than that significantly sweeter molecule, fructose. Perhaps fructose is sooooooo sweet it becomes unrewarding? Or boring. Or perhaps the idea of reward from sweetness is complete bollocks and we are dealing with simple a biochemistry process. I rather like biochemistry.

If we go back to my skinny workmates you can now start to ask questions about a person’s ability to absorb fructose from the gut, the ability of their liver to mimimise passage of fructose to the systemic circulation and the level of expression of GLUT5 on adipocytes etc. You can even think about whether these people may, by going to Weight Watchers, limit their intake of starch which is a significant drive to insulin production when added on top of the insulin resistance from their sucrose fix.

But ultimately we’re still thinking about biochemistry.

Scorpio Full Moon: Detox, Dance & Drink Tea

Who’s up for a transformation, maybe even an extreme one? Saturday’s full moon in Scorpio was a “supermoon,” which means it occurred at the closest possible proximity (perigree) to planet Earth. That makes its lunar effects ultra intense—in a sign, Scorpio, that already is ultra intense. Hang on to your spring bonnets people, because this supermoon can usher in some epic changes.

Scorpio is represented by three animal totems, which symbolize spiritual evolution: the scorpion, snake and eagle. Think of it like the phoenix rising from the ashes. When we are in our lower selves (scorpion), we scurry around on the ground and sting anything that comes too close. Then a transformation begins with the snake, where we ultimately shed our skins and soar above it all like the majestic eagle. Here are some rituals to ensure that your Scorpio supermoon will keep you flying high:

Close The Door … And Keep It Shut
Scorpio likes extreme, “all or nothing,” lay it on the line kind of moves. Forget those fifty shades of grey unless you’re reading the erotic novel (Scorpio loves all things scintillating). Instead, focus on the black or white.  Are you in or are you out? It’s time to choose. Relationships can deepen, with karmic contracts written in permanent ink. We can expect many engagements made on bended knee this Saturday, and business partners who make their joint ventures officially official. But if there isn’t really hope for a higher love between you and a prospective partner, this supermoon says, “close the door and keep it shut!” No more making excuses for other people’s bad behavior or repeated negligence—or justifying our own lukewarm attractions simply because we are afraid of being alone. This supermoon forces us to concentrate on the ties that bind, some of which may need to be snipped.

The same holds true for our addictions and vices. This Scorpio supermoon is a bit like a seasoned 12-step advocate, reminding us that alcoholics can’t enjoy a little nip here and there without spiraling back down that slippery slope. Whatever it is that makes us lose all sense and control—from a vodka gimlet to a toxic lover to a sugar-laden java drink—this full moon commands us to detox.

Ritualistically, what can we do to ease these transitions? Letting go is one of the hardest things to do. Create a ceremonial mourning to say your farewell and mark this important life passage. You might write a goodbye letter to the person or vice that you’re releasing, then, safely burn the paper, scattering the ashes somewhere sacred, like a under a tree in a park or in a body of water. You might create a one-day altar of gratitude for all the things you’ve learned from this person or experience. After all, everything that comes into our life, good or bad, is there to teach us something. Thank this one for its lessons and dismantle the altar as you commit to moving on. A ceremonial purging is also a fine idea. Spend the day, cleaning house, removing all triggers and memories that might cause you to run back to this unhealthy obsession.

Nurture Your Nads, Love Your Lady Parts
The reproductive organs are ruled by Scorpio. When was the last time you visited the urologist or gynocologist? Book your annual appointment to make sure everything down under is in tip-top shape. Drinking teas made of dandelion and burdock root can balance the hormones, ensuring that we aren’t over or under-sexed.

Balancing the second chakra also is said to harmonize the sexual organs. This chakra is located at the base of the lumbar spine, midway between your navel and pubic bone. This is a water chakra, so balancing the body’s fluids can bring equilibrium to this energy center. You might do a day of raw juicing on Saturday or cut out the dehydrating liquids like coffee and alcohol while boosting your H2O intake. The second chakra is also associated with the color orange and foods with a sweet taste. Pass the peaches, apricots, and mangos; blend them into a smoothie with hydrating almond milk. Placing orange crystals on this chakra can open up its energy too, such as carnelian, tiger’s eye, and flame-colored coral.

Secure Your Finances
Scorpio is a savvy sign when it comes to finances, as it is associated with the zodiac’s eighth house of long-term investments. Resourceful and security minded, this supermoon illuminates the need to save for a rainy (or sunny) day. Take one action that can forward your long-term financial growth. This could span the range from starting a college or retirement fund to purchasing shares in a company whose success you can consciously stand behind. If you’re new to the whole fiscal planning world, download a Suze Orman book to your iPad or join an investment club to learn the ropes.

Bring Sexy Back: Dance!
Scorpio is the zodiac’s sex symbol, and this full moon brings a divine reminder to tune in to our sacred sexuality. In our culture of shame, we often cut ourselves off from this energy, which is our lusty life force. This weekend, call forth that bold, bawdy, va va voom part of your personality. Dancing is Scorpio’s favorite way to stir things up. In shamanic traditions, dancing is also one of the purest forms of soul retrieval—a bonus, since Scorpio’s energy loves to dance into the mystical realm. If you’re self-conscious about shaking a tailfeather, you might lock yourself in your room, turn on the music and start grooving in front of the mirror (all the better if you’re wearing little to nothing at all). Release all judgments about yourself as you move around. Yeah, you’re pretty hot, right?

For less-reserved types, how about a burlesque workshop, belly dancing, or an S-Factor (or other pole dancing) class? Cancel those dinner plans and meet friends at da’ club tonight. Rocking out to a great deejay frees up that kundalini energy and gets couples in the mood to go home and get it on. If you’re in a long-term relationship, you might check out Lifetime’s “7 Days Of Sex,” a show that documents couples who decide to rev things up by committing to the very thing the show’s title suggests. Dancing the horizontal mambo is absolutely sanctioned by this supermoon.

Photo credit: Ed Castillo

What Kenya and Peru Can Teach the United States About Fighting Climate Change

When Barack Obama told Rolling Stone last month that “I will be very clear in voicing my belief that we're going to have to take further steps to deal with climate change in a serious way,” the environmental community breathed a sigh of relief. The president hadn’t completely abandoned the fight against climate change. He may make no mention of the problem in his campaign materials. He may avoid any references to it in his Earth Day proclamation. But at least he hasn’t forgotten it exists.

While that alone is big news in the United States, other nations' governments are tackling climate change head on. South Korea’s parliament recently approved a bill to create a cap-and-trade scheme. Last month, Mexico’s legislature passed a bill that promises to reduce emissions 30 percent by the end of the decade and includes a requirement that 35 percent of the country’s energy come from renewable sources by 2024. 

These aren’t the only nations looking to address climate change in the absence of an international agreement. China is also moving towards a cap-and-trade scheme; the country has already launched seven pilot projects. The European Union’s emissions trading program achieved a major victory in March, when U.S. airlines dropped their challenge against the requirement that they pay for emissions created by flights in and out of Europe. The governments of Peru and Kenya, which are deeply worried about how climate change will affect their citizens' access to water and ability to grow food, have passed laws designed to combat climate change as well.

The plans that these countries are putting into place aren’t perfect, of course, and they’ll require work and oversight to become reality. But unlike the U.S. Congress, the governments of these countries are making progress, and overcoming similar obstacles to the ones America faces. Countries like Mexico and South Korea produce huge amounts of greenhouse gas, just like the United States, and it’s difficult for business to see a different way. In South Korea, industries that will have to change their ways under a cap-and-trade system fought against the proposal, just as they did here. 

The steps these countries are taking are exactly the types of steps the United States could be taking if climate change and clean energy had not become politically untouchable issues. Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico is working on a clean energy standard not unlike Mexico’s. Kenya’s strategy for managing emissions includes an eminently practical green energy development plan that focuses on developing geothermal energy and wind resources. It also calls for bus rapid transit systems, light rail expansion, bikeways and pedestrian walkways.

These aren’t crazy or novel ideas: their success has been proven elsewhere. The difference between the United States and South Korea (or Mexico or Peru or Kenya or China) is that while our politicians are barely willing to talk about climate change, other governments are trying to do something about it. 

Photo via (cc) Flickr user outofideas

What Kenya and Peru Can Teach the United States About Fighting Climate Change

When Barack Obama told Rolling Stone last month that “I will be very clear in voicing my belief that we're going to have to take further steps to deal with climate change in a serious way,” the environmental community breathed a sigh of relief. The president hadn’t completely abandoned the fight against climate change. He may make no mention of the problem in his campaign materials. He may avoid any references to it in his Earth Day proclamation. But at least he hasn’t forgotten it exists.

While that alone is big news in the United States, other nations' governments are tackling climate change head on. South Korea’s parliament recently approved a bill to create a cap-and-trade scheme. Last month, Mexico’s legislature passed a bill that promises to reduce emissions 30 percent by the end of the decade and includes a requirement that 35 percent of the country’s energy come from renewable sources by 2024. 

These aren’t the only nations looking to address climate change in the absence of an international agreement. China is also moving towards a cap-and-trade scheme; the country has already launched seven pilot projects. The European Union’s emissions trading program achieved a major victory in March, when U.S. airlines dropped their challenge against the requirement that they pay for emissions created by flights in and out of Europe. The governments of Peru and Kenya, which are deeply worried about how climate change will affect their citizens' access to water and ability to grow food, have passed laws designed to combat climate change as well.

The plans that these countries are putting into place aren’t perfect, of course, and they’ll require work and oversight to become reality. But unlike the U.S. Congress, the governments of these countries are making progress, and overcoming similar obstacles to the ones America faces. Countries like Mexico and South Korea produce huge amounts of greenhouse gas, just like the United States, and it’s difficult for business to see a different way. In South Korea, industries that will have to change their ways under a cap-and-trade system fought against the proposal, just as they did here. 

The steps these countries are taking are exactly the types of steps the United States could be taking if climate change and clean energy had not become politically untouchable issues. Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico is working on a clean energy standard not unlike Mexico’s. Kenya’s strategy for managing emissions includes an eminently practical green energy development plan that focuses on developing geothermal energy and wind resources. It also calls for bus rapid transit systems, light rail expansion, bikeways and pedestrian walkways.

These aren’t crazy or novel ideas: their success has been proven elsewhere. The difference between the United States and South Korea (or Mexico or Peru or Kenya or China) is that while our politicians are barely willing to talk about climate change, other governments are trying to do something about it. 

Photo via (cc) Flickr user outofideas

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturizer: Not So Hot and Heavy

It’s unusual for Kiehl’s to miss the boat, but this time they sure did. I was very surprised to find their Ultra Facial tinted moisturizer to be so thick. Even though it claims to be lightweight and easy-to-absorb, that’s simply not the case. This is anything but a light tint: it’s full-coverage with a stubborn consistency.

I squeezed a quarter-size drop on my hand and probably used ¼ of that, and I still couldn’t get it to fully rub in. I had to tissue off the excess. Even though the result wasn’t bad, I looked like I had a ton of makeup on (I used the medium shade, which is quite dark, and it blended find with my complexion). Maybe it’s the combo of Royal Jelly and apricot extract that thickens this up too much. I do love their Ultra Facial moisturizer though. It’s light and easy, so I’m shocked the tinted formulation is so thick. I have tried many tinted moisturizers with SPF, and I have lots of favorites (Laura Mercier and Stila are at the top of the list), but this is definitely not making it. Sorry, Kiehl’s. At Saks Fifth Avenue for $24.50.

My Journey With Yoga

From an outside perspective, one could be forgiven for wondering if I took my cues from Goldilocks when it comes to practicing yoga: trying all of the styles, repeatedly, only to find one “too hot,” the next “too hard,” etc. … quickly moving on to the next, except that I never found one that was just right. It certainly wasn’t for a lack of trying.

When I say I tried every kind of yoga, I mean every kind, including pre-natal and laughter. I barely made it in the door of the pre-natal class when my pregnant friend outed my lack of fetus for all to hear: “She’s not really pregnant, you know.” From then on, the class was largely made up of, “Now girls, focus on your babies … and Sara you can …” Though I was humbled and in awe of the ease with which several of these heavily pregnant women maneuvered their way through the poses. It was, in hindsight, one of the worst yoga experiences I’ve had simply for the fact that it only managed to enhance my lack of connection with the practice, the instructor and my fellow classmates.

Laughter yoga, though deceptively simple in theory, is anything but. First, one must consider the fact that if you manage to convince a friend to come to class with you, though highly unlikely, they will quite possibly never speak to you again. Second, keep in mind that the term yoga is used loosely to describe a room of adults engaging in embarrassing and sometimes ridiculous behavior in an effort to incite laughter in themselves and each other. The “Pretend you’re in an elevator and someone just farted” exercise is about as far from savasana as one can get.

The commonality that ran through all the classes, from yin to vinyasa, from the opening “om” to the final corpse pose, was my inability to get beyond the frustration I felt over the absence and lack in my practice. Sure I was reaping the physical benefits like a tighter tush, but I wanted that proverbial spiritual carrot that I felt was being dangled in front of me every time I stepped into a studio. I wanted enlightenment and well-being. Devotees far and wide claim that it “changed their lives.” Who wouldn’t want some of that? I certainly did.

Thinking slow might be the way to go, I tried Hatha. Nothing. Faster. I tried Flow. Faster. Faster. Don’t stop. I tried Ashtanga. Still nothing. Maybe Bikram’s. It’s sweaty. Maybe Anusara. It’s Tantric-based. Nope. Nada. Maybe it was the instructor. I tried a man. I tried a woman. It became overwhelmingly clear that my g-spot did not seem to lie between my y-o and a-spot.

Instead of writing into Cosmo as one tends to do with this sort of dissatisfaction with an unfulfilling long term relationship, I ended up signing up for a yoga retreat in Tulum. At this point, I’d written yoga off deciding we’d be friends, but that there would be no torrid love affair. It simply wasn’t in the cards. But that didn’t mean we couldn’t have fun.

Except that fun was not in the cards on day one. It was, instead, an exercise in pseudo frustration, first in meditation then in power yoga (pseudo because one can only be so frustrated in paradise). Meditation had been an epic battle between me and my busy brain. “Is this right?” “How should I feel?” “My leg’s itchy.” “Am I calm enough?” “Am I peaceful?” “Breathe.” I spent the entire time obsessing about how I thought I ought to feel and what was the right way to meditate. Yoga was essentially a sequel with: “Is my foot in the right place?” and a “Will I ever look like Seane Corn?” thrown in for good measure.

After class, wanting to put as much distance between me and the classroom I headed for the labyrinth on the edge of the resort’s property. I’d read about it the night before while checking in. It said, “Labyrinths are an ancient form of walking meditation typically used for contemplation, centering, becoming fully present in the moment or tuning into universal wisdom…” Yes, please. Who wouldn’t want a helping of universal wisdom with a side of insight?

I stood at the opening, took a few deep breaths and tried to feel “spiritual.” I walked slowly. Immediately, as if on cue, my mind started up: “Am I walking slow enough?” “Should I look up or down?” “Do I feel relaxed?” “Am I meditating?” “Do I feel enlightened?” As I turned the first corner, completely caught up in my mental morass, I managed to stub my toe quite hard on one of the huge pieces of coral that made up the labyrinth. After I worried about the ramifications of swearing in a sacred place, it dawned on me that that was a wake up call. “Pay attention! You’re missing the point. You’re missing everything.” There I was on the edge of the ocean in paradise, but I was so caught up in my thoughts and expectations that I was missing it all and robbing myself of a potentially a-maze-ing experience. This message rang true with me in terms of meditation, yoga, and life as a whole. I kept letting the how get in the way of the why. The final words from the description of the labyrinth rang truest: “There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to walk a labyrinth, simply slow down, breathe, and follow your spirit.”

This isn’t a fairytale with a happily ever after. I still struggle on the mat and in life, as we all do. But whenever I feel my busy brain grasping frantically for the hows instead of the whys, I think of the moral of the coral.

Sara Kinninmont is a writer living in Vancouver, Canada. When not feverishly collecting frequent flyer miles or lavishing attention of her French Bulldog, Pork Chop, she channels the Eager Beaver and lives like she gives a damn!

Photo credit: bikeracer

Spring Cleaning: Fresh Start for Your Fridge

This challenge is in partnership with Levi's ®

All hail that life-sustaining shrine, the refrigerator. But have you truly paid homage lately? Make sure the goodies within aren’t outnumbered by food that's gone bad. While you’re cleaning, double check that your fridge is a testament to earth-friendly living as well.

• The food you buy doesn’t appear in your grocery store out of thin air–every morsel has required the use of vital resources, such as water. Consider your consumption when you buy the foods you love. You can be water-conscious at breakfast, for example, by having a slice of toast (about 11 gallons) rather than an egg (about 53 gallons). For further reference, the Water Footprint Network breaks downwater amounts for many of our most common staples. When choosing meat, remember that lamb and steak have the highest carbon footprint. Chicken and fish use less, or you could go full veggie.
• The Center for Disease Control estimatesthat foodborne illnesses cause more than 127,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths per year. When in doubt, throw it out! Keep your fridge at 40 degrees or below and your freezer at 0 degrees at all times to protect from foodborne illnesses. Anything encased in ice needs to go, though a little freezer burn never hurt anyone. Eggs are good for three to five weeks, cheese can be good for three to four weeks, and cold cuts should always be eaten as soon as possible, definitely within a week. Fish should be eaten within two days of purchase, and any leftovers for cooked foods shouldn’t hang around in the fridge for more than five days. It’s a good idea to label your frozen food so you know exactly how old it is, and eat the older products first.
• Don't have baking soda? An easy way to get rid of an odor in your fruit or vegetable drawers is to crumple up a brown bag and place it in the drawer for a couple of days. Smells should be absorbed by the paper.
• Replace your old fridge with an energy-saving model. Refrigerators with an Energy Star label use 20 percent less energy than those without it, a savings that is eco-friendly and wallet-friendly.

Photovia (cc) Flickr user tychay.

To learn more about how you can save water every day, click here and take the Water<Less Challenge.

 

Makin’ It: Kira Eng-Wilmot, Tapestry Bather and Textile Conservator

Kira Eng-Wilmot is a textile conservator at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City, where she cares for tapestries in the church's collection and private commissions. In her off-time, she makes delicious ice cream. Kira told us what it's like to give a 400-year-old tapestry a bath and why the basic tools of her trade are still a needle and thread.

Textile conservationist is pretty specific. What got you into this line of work?

"Textile conservator" was not my childhood dream job. However, clothes have been the one thing that I have been consistently interested in since childhood. I think for a long time my parents thought I was going to be a fashion designer. I was definitely the kid who played dress-up, and my mother taught me how to sew when I was in elementary school. I cultivated my adolescent mysterious weirdo persona by making/altering/wearing vintage clothes and reading lots of old fashion magazines. I had this vague idea of studying fashion academically, and the best way for me to do that was to combine classes in art history and costume design/theater. But I soon realized that I am not a theory person, nor do I have that true drive to create fashion. And I was really interested in fashion construction more than theater.

My costume design professor steered me toward the museum path and suggested that I volunteer in the costume collection at the Valentine Richmond History Center. That snowballed into a collections job where I realized that I really liked objects, the physicality of objects, and the stories they tell. But even then, I thought that meant I wanted to be a curator. I enrolled in the Fashion and Textiles Study Masters program at FIT, and quickly ditched any aspirations of being a curator. One of the core classes is an introduction to conservation, and it really just clicked. Science, sewing, handling and preserving objects all in one class and I was sold. Art, textile, and fashion history are definitely still important in my job.

How did you translate a specialized graduate degree to a real world paying job?

The best way to get a job in the field is definitely internships or apprenticeships, and most graduate programs have internship hours as part of their curriculum. I was luckily recommended to fill an internship at St. John during my first year at FIT, and I've been there since. Like many arts jobs, my position is grant-funded for specific projects. I am primarily there to finish the conservation and installation of the two sets of tapestries owned by the Cathedral. The lab takes on projects from other institutions and private clients, so I also get to work on non-tapestry projects.

What is an average day like?

Conservation emphasizes preservation at an object's current state, making it stable while creating visual continuity, and slowing the rate of deterioration. Every object that comes in gets a treatment proposal, which is an assessment, some testing, and recommendations. Cleaning is probably the most important thing we can do to improve an object's appearance and lifespan. We vacuum everything to remove as much surface soiling as possible and, depending on the object's construction, wet clean (basically give it a bath) or dry clean. It's amazing how much better an object feels and looks after wet cleaning – even water by itself pulls out so much acidic deterioration and particulate soiling. 

However, the bulk of our time is spent sewing­—using new stitches and support fabrics to provide stability and to improve the visual appearance by consolidating holes and worn areas. I get to see and touch and help preserve a lot of amazing objects on a regular basis, for example a beautiful Fortuny pleated silk dress, or a 17th-century tapestry, or pieces based on designs by modern artists like Calder and Lichtenstein. It is very rewarding to see a 16-foot tapestry finally installed in a space like the Cathedral after having spent months just focusing on the small and frustratingly damaged areas. That final moment puts it all into perspective.

How much of your work is devoted to church-related stuff? Is St. John strictly a religious organization?

My position covers probably 75 percent Cathedral objects, but that's only, like, 10 percent of what the lab does total. All of the Cathedral object projects are funded through grants, like the National Endowment for the Arts and Kress Foundation. The Textile Conservation Lab was started in the 1980s specifically to take care of the Cathedral's tapestries, but in order to be sustainable, it became a private lab and takes in projects from other places, which fund the salaries and day-to-day expenses. Let's just say it's a complicated logistical relationship. The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine is an active Episcopal church, and I believe the seat of the New York diocese. The Bishop and Dean both live on the campus, and I frequently see clergy. So while we are technically a private lab, we are definitely part of the Cathedral community.

What are some of the specific pieces you're working on?

There are two major sets of tapestries owned by the Cathedral, the Life of Christ series and the Acts of the Apostles, as well as many smaller pieces. The emphasis for the past 30 years has been on the Life of Christ series. It is a set of 12 tapestries depicting major events in the life of Christ. They were commissioned and made in Italy in the mid-17th century by Cardinal Francesco Barberini, the nephew of Pope Urban VIII, for the family during the height of Barberini influence and power. They are a unique set for many reasons. They were made in Italy in the Barberini manufactory. (The family established their own workshop just to make tapestries for them and were at the time the only tapestry workshop in Italy.) I had the privilege of completing the conservation on two tapestries in the set, the Annunciation and the Baptism.

The Acts of the Apostles set is also an interesting set and is the next big Cathedral project. It is a set of 10 tapestries based on a copy of a set of cartoons made by Raphael for the Sistine Chapel. This particular set was woven in England. It has some difficult conservation issues, mainly that a previous treatment involved a heavy animal-based glue, which has discolored and hardened, so all of the glue has to be removed before it can even be wet cleaned. And then, once cleaned, they are in weak condition, so they are huge projects.  

Do you have to use antiquated methods to retain a textile's character? Or is new technology an asset? 

Textile conservation is a relatively new field, so processes and standards are ever changing. Technology plays a huge role in general, and professional development, reading, workshops, and cross-disciplinary discussions are important. But our lab is lower-tech; we don't do scientific analysis beyond basic microscopy, or fiber identification. The basic tools of the trade are still a needle and thread, but I still wouldn't call that antiquated. We are not spinning our own thread or forging needles, nor are we doing things exactly as the original weavers or historic restorers. We use commercially produced wools and cotton and sometimes silk threads for most things. While we do custom dye wool to match specific projects, we are using synthetic dyes, which produce reliable and reproducible results. Now, while there are some European labs that have completely automated wet cleaning setups, we do our wet cleaning the low-tech way with sponges, a surfactant, deionized water, person-power, and some specific cleaning on a suction table. I think we all wish that someone would design and build a new wash table for us with better drainage, but our system works effectively without a big fuss or high tech sprayers.  

Makin' It is the work of journalist Brady Welch and illustrator Skyler Swezy, the team behind YrDoingAGreatJob.com.

Cocktails to Toast the Secret Service’s Worst Agents

Welcome to Buy You a Drink, the weekly column where GOOD’s resident mixologist proposes libations to lubricate the news. This week, rum drinks to sip while pondering the seamy, suddenly-public exploits of the United States Secret Service.

Since details began dribbling out concerning alleged Secret Service assignations with escorts in Cartagena, pundits have shot viscous outrage all over the news cycle. Point your cable box at any talking-head spewfest and you’ll find outrage directed at all angles: outrage at conduct unbecoming a federal agent; outrage that partying in the line of duty might endanger the president; outrage at alleged waste of taxpayer dollars—even outrage directed toward gay people, because this, too, is all their fault somehow.   

At the risk of causing further chafing—and because those other angles are boring and/or preposterous—allow me to rattle off my own reasons why this whole tawdry telenovela warrants capital-letter Concerns About America. I, for one, am outraged at:

The disrespect for hardworking professionals in the service industry. According to one escort, the most dastardly SS agent agreed to pay her going rate of $800 for her services, received his end of the bargain, then proffered a measly 30 bucks as compensation. That is downright impolite, and it sets a very bad example. With American manufacturing in its late Ben Button phase, all tiny and amnesiac, service jobs are all we have left in this country. Nowadays, even America’s most expensive colleges dump their unemployed graduates into chain restaurant gigs.  So it behooves us all to learn the benefits of playing by the rules—in this case, Rules One AND Two are “Do Not Haggle.” The third is “Tip High.”

The lack of discretion on the part of the dozen Men-in-Black-Gone-Wild.  Dudes, you just spent the night with half of the working girls in a town where prostitution is legal. You work for the Feddy Gov, at a level high enough to require serious security clearance. You’re in no position to refuse payment, however unreasonable you may find the rates. Especially when there are local cops “stationed in the hallway.” It’s embedded right there in the name Secret Service. You never saw Secret Squirrel squawking about the outrageous price of a Half & Half within earshot of the cops, did you? Pro tip: if you’re in the Secret Service and the international press is feverishly speculating about the miniscule size of your… counteroffer, you’re doing it wrong. 

The total lack of perspective. These escort-procuring, bottle-service brosephs continue to dominate the news cycle when far more important Secret Service business is going down. Namely, figuring out if Ted Nugent is merely a douchebag or a capital-letter Douchebag Meriting Prosecution.

The douche dilemma—while admittedly a major comedown from Cartagena in terms of Secret Service assignments—is not as simple as it may appear at first blush. When Nugent promised a crowd of NRA members he’d be “dead or in jail by this time next year” if Obama is re-elected, it was tempting to write off his assassination-tinged bluster as the ranting of a harmless professional eccentric. But as Mel Gibson, Robert Blake, Phil Spector, and scores of others have taught us, professional eccentrics aren’t always harmless. I score the Secret Service’s willingness to treat Nugent the same as any citizen who makes a public threat to the President as a point in its favor. 

In fact, I think it warrants a couple of drinks—for us, mind you, not for the buffoons whose drunken antics put the Secret Service on front street.

The Call: A Fine Rum, or Two

We must drink rum, to commemorate the analogy used by the key Cartagena witness in her interview with The New York Times: “'It’s the same, but it’s different,' she said, indicating that she is much more selective about her clients and charges much more than a streetwalker. 'It’s like when you buy a fine rum or a BlackBerry or an iPhone. They have a different price.'”

Of course, some rums manage to provide escort quality at something closer to streetwalker rates. Take for example The Kraken, a tasty, well-rounded spiced rum made from Trinidadian molasses, bottled and marketed (brilliantly) in the States, and sold for less than $20 a fifth in some precincts. I recently discovered that the Kraken mixes well with another mass-produced marvel of Latin America, the highly caffeinated Inca Kola:

Kraka-Kola

1 &frac12; – 2 oz. Kraken spiced rum
Inca Kola, to taste

Pour rum over ice in a tall glass. Add Kola. Whee!

As its name suggests, Kraka-Kola is a good choice for those yearning for a rapid restoration of order to the universe (besides those ousted from the Secret Service, 1966 Roger Sterling springs to mind). I’m not sure what the “artificial and natural flavors” listed on the Inca label include, but a few sips of Inca alone makes me crave a full case of the stuff to pour down my gullet so that I might get a lot of shit done really fast. Mixed into a Kraka-Kola, the richness of the rum and the alcohol’s natural depressant properties temper the jacked-upedness somewhat. Exercise caution just the same. (For example, avoid serving Kraka-Kolas at any function involving relaxed vice laws and a dozen of your most irresponsible work buddies.)

For those more interested in quiet contemplation, I suggest a rich mahogany cocktail that pairs well with cigars; something worthy of the old dignity of the agency charged with safeguarding our leaders.  I call this rummy spin on the Manhattan:

Anywhere But Cartagena

2 &frac12; oz. good, dark rum (I like Ron Zacapa Solera 23, from Guatemala, routinely available for less than $50 a fifth)
&frac34; oz. Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters or Amargo Chuncho

Combine with cracked ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

The ABC is a good call if you’re looking to learn from the recent past while simultaneously putting it in your rear-view mirror, as opposed to obliterating history in a whirlwind of new activity.

Whatever L’Affaire Colombienne ultimately means for the careers and reputations of the individuals involved, the Obama Administration should rest a bit easier knowing that the pundits who stoke public opinion always operate on the Kraka-Kola model: eager for more quick stimulation, readying the synthetic outrage, already greased up in preparation for their next tawdry fix.

Assess Ken’s rum analogies, or propose future drink recipients, at mixologymailbag@gmail.com. 

Photo via (cc) Flickr user mdfriendofhillary.

Spring Cleaning: Fresh Start for Your Fridge

This challenge is in partnership with Levi's ®

All hail that life-sustaining shrine, the refrigerator. But have you truly paid homage lately? Make sure the goodies within aren’t outnumbered by food that's gone bad. While you’re cleaning, double check that your fridge is a testament to earth-friendly living as well.

• The food you buy doesn’t appear in your grocery store out of thin air–every morsel has required the use of vital resources, such as water. Consider your consumption when you buy the foods you love. You can be water-conscious at breakfast, for example, by having a slice of toast (about 11 gallons) rather than an egg (about 53 gallons). For further reference, the Water Footprint Network breaks downwater amounts for many of our most common staples. When choosing meat, remember that lamb and steak have the highest carbon footprint. Chicken and fish use less, or you could go full veggie.
• The Center for Disease Control estimatesthat foodborne illnesses cause more than 127,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths per year. When in doubt, throw it out! Keep your fridge at 40 degrees or below and your freezer at 0 degrees at all times to protect from foodborne illnesses. Anything encased in ice needs to go, though a little freezer burn never hurt anyone. Eggs are good for three to five weeks, cheese can be good for three to four weeks, and cold cuts should always be eaten as soon as possible, definitely within a week. Fish should be eaten within two days of purchase, and any leftovers for cooked foods shouldn’t hang around in the fridge for more than five days. It’s a good idea to label your frozen food so you know exactly how old it is, and eat the older products first.
• Don't have baking soda? An easy way to get rid of an odor in your fruit or vegetable drawers is to crumple up a brown bag and place it in the drawer for a couple of days. Smells should be absorbed by the paper.
• Replace your old fridge with an energy-saving model. Refrigerators with an Energy Star label use 20 percent less energy than those without it, a savings that is eco-friendly and wallet-friendly.

Photovia (cc) Flickr user tychay.

To learn more about how you can save water every day, click here and take the Water<Less Challenge.

 

Makin’ It: Kira Eng-Wilmot, Tapestry Bather and Textile Conservator

Kira Eng-Wilmot is a textile conservator at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City, where she cares for tapestries in the church's collection and private commissions. In her off-time, she makes delicious ice cream. Kira told us what it's like to give a 400-year-old tapestry a bath and why the basic tools of her trade are still a needle and thread.

Textile conservationist is pretty specific. What got you into this line of work?

"Textile conservator" was not my childhood dream job. However, clothes have been the one thing that I have been consistently interested in since childhood. I think for a long time my parents thought I was going to be a fashion designer. I was definitely the kid who played dress-up, and my mother taught me how to sew when I was in elementary school. I cultivated my adolescent mysterious weirdo persona by making/altering/wearing vintage clothes and reading lots of old fashion magazines. I had this vague idea of studying fashion academically, and the best way for me to do that was to combine classes in art history and costume design/theater. But I soon realized that I am not a theory person, nor do I have that true drive to create fashion. And I was really interested in fashion construction more than theater.

My costume design professor steered me toward the museum path and suggested that I volunteer in the costume collection at the Valentine Richmond History Center. That snowballed into a collections job where I realized that I really liked objects, the physicality of objects, and the stories they tell. But even then, I thought that meant I wanted to be a curator. I enrolled in the Fashion and Textiles Study Masters program at FIT, and quickly ditched any aspirations of being a curator. One of the core classes is an introduction to conservation, and it really just clicked. Science, sewing, handling and preserving objects all in one class and I was sold. Art, textile, and fashion history are definitely still important in my job.

How did you translate a specialized graduate degree to a real world paying job?

The best way to get a job in the field is definitely internships or apprenticeships, and most graduate programs have internship hours as part of their curriculum. I was luckily recommended to fill an internship at St. John during my first year at FIT, and I've been there since. Like many arts jobs, my position is grant-funded for specific projects. I am primarily there to finish the conservation and installation of the two sets of tapestries owned by the Cathedral. The lab takes on projects from other institutions and private clients, so I also get to work on non-tapestry projects.

What is an average day like?

Conservation emphasizes preservation at an object's current state, making it stable while creating visual continuity, and slowing the rate of deterioration. Every object that comes in gets a treatment proposal, which is an assessment, some testing, and recommendations. Cleaning is probably the most important thing we can do to improve an object's appearance and lifespan. We vacuum everything to remove as much surface soiling as possible and, depending on the object's construction, wet clean (basically give it a bath) or dry clean. It's amazing how much better an object feels and looks after wet cleaning – even water by itself pulls out so much acidic deterioration and particulate soiling. 

However, the bulk of our time is spent sewing­—using new stitches and support fabrics to provide stability and to improve the visual appearance by consolidating holes and worn areas. I get to see and touch and help preserve a lot of amazing objects on a regular basis, for example a beautiful Fortuny pleated silk dress, or a 17th-century tapestry, or pieces based on designs by modern artists like Calder and Lichtenstein. It is very rewarding to see a 16-foot tapestry finally installed in a space like the Cathedral after having spent months just focusing on the small and frustratingly damaged areas. That final moment puts it all into perspective.

How much of your work is devoted to church-related stuff? Is St. John strictly a religious organization?

My position covers probably 75 percent Cathedral objects, but that's only, like, 10 percent of what the lab does total. All of the Cathedral object projects are funded through grants, like the National Endowment for the Arts and Kress Foundation. The Textile Conservation Lab was started in the 1980s specifically to take care of the Cathedral's tapestries, but in order to be sustainable, it became a private lab and takes in projects from other places, which fund the salaries and day-to-day expenses. Let's just say it's a complicated logistical relationship. The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine is an active Episcopal church, and I believe the seat of the New York diocese. The Bishop and Dean both live on the campus, and I frequently see clergy. So while we are technically a private lab, we are definitely part of the Cathedral community.

What are some of the specific pieces you're working on?

There are two major sets of tapestries owned by the Cathedral, the Life of Christ series and the Acts of the Apostles, as well as many smaller pieces. The emphasis for the past 30 years has been on the Life of Christ series. It is a set of 12 tapestries depicting major events in the life of Christ. They were commissioned and made in Italy in the mid-17th century by Cardinal Francesco Barberini, the nephew of Pope Urban VIII, for the family during the height of Barberini influence and power. They are a unique set for many reasons. They were made in Italy in the Barberini manufactory. (The family established their own workshop just to make tapestries for them and were at the time the only tapestry workshop in Italy.) I had the privilege of completing the conservation on two tapestries in the set, the Annunciation and the Baptism.

The Acts of the Apostles set is also an interesting set and is the next big Cathedral project. It is a set of 10 tapestries based on a copy of a set of cartoons made by Raphael for the Sistine Chapel. This particular set was woven in England. It has some difficult conservation issues, mainly that a previous treatment involved a heavy animal-based glue, which has discolored and hardened, so all of the glue has to be removed before it can even be wet cleaned. And then, once cleaned, they are in weak condition, so they are huge projects.  

Do you have to use antiquated methods to retain a textile's character? Or is new technology an asset? 

Textile conservation is a relatively new field, so processes and standards are ever changing. Technology plays a huge role in general, and professional development, reading, workshops, and cross-disciplinary discussions are important. But our lab is lower-tech; we don't do scientific analysis beyond basic microscopy, or fiber identification. The basic tools of the trade are still a needle and thread, but I still wouldn't call that antiquated. We are not spinning our own thread or forging needles, nor are we doing things exactly as the original weavers or historic restorers. We use commercially produced wools and cotton and sometimes silk threads for most things. While we do custom dye wool to match specific projects, we are using synthetic dyes, which produce reliable and reproducible results. Now, while there are some European labs that have completely automated wet cleaning setups, we do our wet cleaning the low-tech way with sponges, a surfactant, deionized water, person-power, and some specific cleaning on a suction table. I think we all wish that someone would design and build a new wash table for us with better drainage, but our system works effectively without a big fuss or high tech sprayers.  

Makin' It is the work of journalist Brady Welch and illustrator Skyler Swezy, the team behind YrDoingAGreatJob.com.

Cocktails to Toast the Secret Service’s Worst Agents

Welcome to Buy You a Drink, the weekly column where GOOD’s resident mixologist proposes libations to lubricate the news. This week, rum drinks to sip while pondering the seamy, suddenly-public exploits of the United States Secret Service.

Since details began dribbling out concerning alleged Secret Service assignations with escorts in Cartagena, pundits have shot viscous outrage all over the news cycle. Point your cable box at any talking-head spewfest and you’ll find outrage directed at all angles: outrage at conduct unbecoming a federal agent; outrage that partying in the line of duty might endanger the president; outrage at alleged waste of taxpayer dollars—even outrage directed toward gay people, because this, too, is all their fault somehow.   

At the risk of causing further chafing—and because those other angles are boring and/or preposterous—allow me to rattle off my own reasons why this whole tawdry telenovela warrants capital-letter Concerns About America. I, for one, am outraged at:

The disrespect for hardworking professionals in the service industry. According to one escort, the most dastardly SS agent agreed to pay her going rate of $800 for her services, received his end of the bargain, then proffered a measly 30 bucks as compensation. That is downright impolite, and it sets a very bad example. With American manufacturing in its late Ben Button phase, all tiny and amnesiac, service jobs are all we have left in this country. Nowadays, even America’s most expensive colleges dump their unemployed graduates into chain restaurant gigs.  So it behooves us all to learn the benefits of playing by the rules—in this case, Rules One AND Two are “Do Not Haggle.” The third is “Tip High.”

The lack of discretion on the part of the dozen Men-in-Black-Gone-Wild.  Dudes, you just spent the night with half of the working girls in a town where prostitution is legal. You work for the Feddy Gov, at a level high enough to require serious security clearance. You’re in no position to refuse payment, however unreasonable you may find the rates. Especially when there are local cops “stationed in the hallway.” It’s embedded right there in the name Secret Service. You never saw Secret Squirrel squawking about the outrageous price of a Half & Half within earshot of the cops, did you? Pro tip: if you’re in the Secret Service and the international press is feverishly speculating about the miniscule size of your… counteroffer, you’re doing it wrong. 

The total lack of perspective. These escort-procuring, bottle-service brosephs continue to dominate the news cycle when far more important Secret Service business is going down. Namely, figuring out if Ted Nugent is merely a douchebag or a capital-letter Douchebag Meriting Prosecution.

The douche dilemma—while admittedly a major comedown from Cartagena in terms of Secret Service assignments—is not as simple as it may appear at first blush. When Nugent promised a crowd of NRA members he’d be “dead or in jail by this time next year” if Obama is re-elected, it was tempting to write off his assassination-tinged bluster as the ranting of a harmless professional eccentric. But as Mel Gibson, Robert Blake, Phil Spector, and scores of others have taught us, professional eccentrics aren’t always harmless. I score the Secret Service’s willingness to treat Nugent the same as any citizen who makes a public threat to the President as a point in its favor. 

In fact, I think it warrants a couple of drinks—for us, mind you, not for the buffoons whose drunken antics put the Secret Service on front street.

The Call: A Fine Rum, or Two

We must drink rum, to commemorate the analogy used by the key Cartagena witness in her interview with The New York Times: “'It’s the same, but it’s different,' she said, indicating that she is much more selective about her clients and charges much more than a streetwalker. 'It’s like when you buy a fine rum or a BlackBerry or an iPhone. They have a different price.'”

Of course, some rums manage to provide escort quality at something closer to streetwalker rates. Take for example The Kraken, a tasty, well-rounded spiced rum made from Trinidadian molasses, bottled and marketed (brilliantly) in the States, and sold for less than $20 a fifth in some precincts. I recently discovered that the Kraken mixes well with another mass-produced marvel of Latin America, the highly caffeinated Inca Kola:

Kraka-Kola

1 &frac12; – 2 oz. Kraken spiced rum
Inca Kola, to taste

Pour rum over ice in a tall glass. Add Kola. Whee!

As its name suggests, Kraka-Kola is a good choice for those yearning for a rapid restoration of order to the universe (besides those ousted from the Secret Service, 1966 Roger Sterling springs to mind). I’m not sure what the “artificial and natural flavors” listed on the Inca label include, but a few sips of Inca alone makes me crave a full case of the stuff to pour down my gullet so that I might get a lot of shit done really fast. Mixed into a Kraka-Kola, the richness of the rum and the alcohol’s natural depressant properties temper the jacked-upedness somewhat. Exercise caution just the same. (For example, avoid serving Kraka-Kolas at any function involving relaxed vice laws and a dozen of your most irresponsible work buddies.)

For those more interested in quiet contemplation, I suggest a rich mahogany cocktail that pairs well with cigars; something worthy of the old dignity of the agency charged with safeguarding our leaders.  I call this rummy spin on the Manhattan:

Anywhere But Cartagena

2 &frac12; oz. good, dark rum (I like Ron Zacapa Solera 23, from Guatemala, routinely available for less than $50 a fifth)
&frac34; oz. Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters or Amargo Chuncho

Combine with cracked ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

The ABC is a good call if you’re looking to learn from the recent past while simultaneously putting it in your rear-view mirror, as opposed to obliterating history in a whirlwind of new activity.

Whatever L’Affaire Colombienne ultimately means for the careers and reputations of the individuals involved, the Obama Administration should rest a bit easier knowing that the pundits who stoke public opinion always operate on the Kraka-Kola model: eager for more quick stimulation, readying the synthetic outrage, already greased up in preparation for their next tawdry fix.

Assess Ken’s rum analogies, or propose future drink recipients, at mixologymailbag@gmail.com. 

Photo via (cc) Flickr user mdfriendofhillary.

B Corps Go Global: Sistema B Certifies South American Social Enterprise

Last fall, a small group of social entrepreneurs from South America met to discuss how to foster more social enterprise in the region and create more bang for the buck at existing enterprise. The result was Sistema B, the first effort to adapt the American system of B Corporations—which ease operations for companies that combine profit and social good—to a foreign setting.

“We want to build a global movement,” says Juan Pablo Larenas, co-founder of Sistema B. “We already started in Argentina, Chile and Colombia. We also have a plan to start this year in Brazil… we see huge momentum.”

The 521 certified B Corporations in the United States are for-profit companies that agree to blend social, environmental, and community impact into their business models, and to consider those factors along with earnings in company strategy decisions. The idea came out of the B Lab in 2006, and the group slowly built membership and tested evaluation methods. Last year, the concept attracted national attention when states including New York and California legally recognized certified B Corps as a different kind of company.

"We were researching different experiences related social enterprise all over world, and we found out about the experience of B Corporations in the U.S.," Larenas says, "so we took a plane and decided to go meet the co-founders of B Lab."

Early as it might seem for a young idea to be expanding, there is demand for export. Larenas hopes to certify 500 Latin American B Corporations—or as they’re called in Spanish, Empresas B—in three years. "[Latin American] society is a little bit tired of the role companies play, which is all about growth and products," he says. Many Empresas B already operate in South America; according to Larenas, they just don’t know they meet the standard. They need a framework, an umbrella to leverage their existing social and environmental work, and a trusted certification to separate the real thing from greenwashing.

Sistema B, which launched in February, eventually will cover Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil—one of the world’s most important growing economies. So far, there are just two certified Empresas B: Triciclos, a Chilean recycling consultant, and Ouro Verde, which makes food products from an Amazonian nut. Larenas’ own company, Late!—which sells bottled water and uses 100 percent of the profits to fund programs for kids in poverty—is undergoing certification.

Sistema B plans to work out a licensing agreement with B Labs to adapt the group's proprietary certification and evaluation metrics to each country more specifically and permanently. "We’ll create a process for folks to get certified from any country," says Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of B Lab. Once more than five or 10 companies in a given country want to be certified, B Lab’s pro bono lawyers will dive into local laws to find out how best to tweak corporate registration. Sistema B will handle South American modifications. Other groups have already been in touch from Korea and France, Gilbert says.

"Everybody wants a tribe," Gilbert theorizes. "This is that tribe." The initiation rites are evaluation and certification—proving your authentic social impact chops, not just paying a membership fee or signing a values statement.

B Corporation certification has proven popular for U.S. businesses seeking a credible commitment to social impact. In South America, Larenas expects the certification of a growing community to improve access to capital and increase the ability of social enterprise to scale thanks to a supportive ecosystem.

Larenas has met with senior government officials in Chile to seek early commitments to incorporate Empresas B into the nation's legal system, following the policy trend in U.S. states. He envisions sub-categories of Empresas B that acknowledge different social benefits than the U.S. certification. "Economic inclusion is quite important here, for instance," he says, touting businesses that create products for underprivileged residents. 

Larenas is so confident the idea will catch on that he’s already planning a trip for September to bring the first 20 Empresas B to the United States for meetings with potential funders—even if he’s not yet sure which companies will get a seat on the plane.

Image courtesy of Sistema B

B Corps Go Global: Sistema B Certifies South American Social Enterprise

Last fall, a small group of social entrepreneurs from South America met to discuss how to foster more social enterprise in the region and create more bang for the buck at existing enterprise. The result was Sistema B, the first effort to adapt the American system of B Corporations—which ease operations for companies that combine profit and social good—to a foreign setting.

“We want to build a global movement,” says Juan Pablo Larenas, co-founder of Sistema B. “We already started in Argentina, Chile and Colombia. We also have a plan to start this year in Brazil… we see huge momentum.”

The 521 certified B Corporations in the United States are for-profit companies that agree to blend social, environmental, and community impact into their business models, and to consider those factors along with earnings in company strategy decisions. The idea came out of the B Lab in 2006, and the group slowly built membership and tested evaluation methods. Last year, the concept attracted national attention when states including New York and California legally recognized certified B Corps as a different kind of company.

"We were researching different experiences related social enterprise all over world, and we found out about the experience of B Corporations in the U.S.," Larenas says, "so we took a plane and decided to go meet the co-founders of B Lab."

Early as it might seem for a young idea to be expanding, there is demand for export. Larenas hopes to certify 500 Latin American B Corporations—or as they’re called in Spanish, Empresas B—in three years. "[Latin American] society is a little bit tired of the role companies play, which is all about growth and products," he says. Many Empresas B already operate in South America; according to Larenas, they just don’t know they meet the standard. They need a framework, an umbrella to leverage their existing social and environmental work, and a trusted certification to separate the real thing from greenwashing.

Sistema B, which launched in February, eventually will cover Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil—one of the world’s most important growing economies. So far, there are just two certified Empresas B: Triciclos, a Chilean recycling consultant, and Ouro Verde, which makes food products from an Amazonian nut. Larenas’ own company, Late!—which sells bottled water and uses 100 percent of the profits to fund programs for kids in poverty—is undergoing certification.

Sistema B plans to work out a licensing agreement with B Labs to adapt the group's proprietary certification and evaluation metrics to each country more specifically and permanently. "We’ll create a process for folks to get certified from any country," says Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of B Lab. Once more than five or 10 companies in a given country want to be certified, B Lab’s pro bono lawyers will dive into local laws to find out how best to tweak corporate registration. Sistema B will handle South American modifications. Other groups have already been in touch from Korea and France, Gilbert says.

"Everybody wants a tribe," Gilbert theorizes. "This is that tribe." The initiation rites are evaluation and certification—proving your authentic social impact chops, not just paying a membership fee or signing a values statement.

B Corporation certification has proven popular for U.S. businesses seeking a credible commitment to social impact. In South America, Larenas expects the certification of a growing community to improve access to capital and increase the ability of social enterprise to scale thanks to a supportive ecosystem.

Larenas has met with senior government officials in Chile to seek early commitments to incorporate Empresas B into the nation's legal system, following the policy trend in U.S. states. He envisions sub-categories of Empresas B that acknowledge different social benefits than the U.S. certification. "Economic inclusion is quite important here, for instance," he says, touting businesses that create products for underprivileged residents. 

Larenas is so confident the idea will catch on that he’s already planning a trip for September to bring the first 20 Empresas B to the United States for meetings with potential funders—even if he’s not yet sure which companies will get a seat on the plane.

Image courtesy of Sistema B

A City Education: How Teamwork Creates a Dream Classroom

In our A City Education series, two City Year corps members share their experiences working as tutors and mentors in schools in hopes of closing the achievement gap and ending the dropout crisis.

When I think about the meaning of teamwork, I look back on my middle school softball days. My team had one common goal: To win. If somebody struck out at the end of a game, we didn't consider it her fault we lost. We were a team and understood that every action any one of us made changed the game.

At City Year, our success depends on similar teamwork. Everything we do and say affects each other. My team at Markham Middle School presents a united front outside the classroom. And inside the classroom, our interactions with our partner teachers are just as important.

I've had an amazing year working with my partner English teacher. We're always on the same page; she trusts me to work with students outside of class, and watching her teach has prepared me to teach English in the future. We can't help but laugh together about the hilarious things our students say and do.

My teammate Angie also has a transparent relationship with her partner teacher, Ms. Blanks. Ms. Blanks treats her math classroom like it’s Angie’s and the students’ classroom too. She often says, "I learn from you, you learn from me. I respect you, you respect me."

Ms. Blanks doesn't treat Angle differently because she doesn’t have a teaching credential. But their roles in the classroom are different. Ms. Blanks teaches their students, and Angie, who is closer to their age, mentors them. The students feel comfortable telling Angie about things going on outside of class—at home, at lunch, after school, and with friends. If outside problems are affecting a student’s schooling, Angie tells Ms. Blanks and they step in together.

Likewise, if a student can't voice his frustration with Ms. Blanks, Angie can serve as  his voice. The students can filter their feelings through Angie and she can articulate their words back to Ms. Blanks—a process that creates the perfect balance in the classroom.

Absences at Markham are common. When students come back to school, Angie can fill in for Ms. Blanks, who may not have time to go over a full lecture again. One of Angie's students, Leah, is frequently absent. Because Ms. Blanks had to move on to another subject, Angie worked with Leah one-on-one and even made the lesson more relevant to her. Angie knows that Leah’s mom spends a lot of money on their favorite activity—getting their hair and nails done. So Angie taught Leah about percentages by asking: "If you get braids for $150 and your hairdresser says, 'It's your birthday, so I'll give you 30 percent off', how much will it cost?"

Without each other, Ms. Blanks’ and Angie’s classroom wouldn't be the same. Their separate classroom roles and teamwork are essential for creating a healthy classroom dynamic and giving students the attention they deserve.

That makes school much like a softball game: If you strike out with student, your teachers and teammates are next up to bat to and can try to score. If you miss a ball being thrown your way, your teachers and teammates have your back and will catch it for you. This game is coming to an end because the school year is almost over, but corps members and teachers aren't giving up the fight to win a quality education for all students.

Photo courtesy of City Year Los Angeles

A City Education: How Teamwork Creates a Dream Classroom

In our A City Education series, two City Year corps members share their experiences working as tutors and mentors in schools in hopes of closing the achievement gap and ending the dropout crisis.

When I think about the meaning of teamwork, I look back on my middle school softball days. My team had one common goal: To win. If somebody struck out at the end of a game, we didn't consider it her fault we lost. We were a team and understood that every action any one of us made changed the game.

At City Year, our success depends on similar teamwork. Everything we do and say affects each other. My team at Markham Middle School presents a united front outside the classroom. And inside the classroom, our interactions with our partner teachers are just as important.

I've had an amazing year working with my partner English teacher. We're always on the same page; she trusts me to work with students outside of class, and watching her teach has prepared me to teach English in the future. We can't help but laugh together about the hilarious things our students say and do.

My teammate Angie also has a transparent relationship with her partner teacher, Ms. Blanks. Ms. Blanks treats her math classroom like it’s Angie’s and the students’ classroom too. She often says, "I learn from you, you learn from me. I respect you, you respect me."

Ms. Blanks doesn't treat Angle differently because she doesn’t have a teaching credential. But their roles in the classroom are different. Ms. Blanks teaches their students, and Angie, who is closer to their age, mentors them. The students feel comfortable telling Angie about things going on outside of class—at home, at lunch, after school, and with friends. If outside problems are affecting a student’s schooling, Angie tells Ms. Blanks and they step in together.

Likewise, if a student can't voice his frustration with Ms. Blanks, Angie can serve as  his voice. The students can filter their feelings through Angie and she can articulate their words back to Ms. Blanks—a process that creates the perfect balance in the classroom.

Absences at Markham are common. When students come back to school, Angie can fill in for Ms. Blanks, who may not have time to go over a full lecture again. One of Angie's students, Leah, is frequently absent. Because Ms. Blanks had to move on to another subject, Angie worked with Leah one-on-one and even made the lesson more relevant to her. Angie knows that Leah’s mom spends a lot of money on their favorite activity—getting their hair and nails done. So Angie taught Leah about percentages by asking: "If you get braids for $150 and your hairdresser says, 'It's your birthday, so I'll give you 30 percent off', how much will it cost?"

Without each other, Ms. Blanks’ and Angie’s classroom wouldn't be the same. Their separate classroom roles and teamwork are essential for creating a healthy classroom dynamic and giving students the attention they deserve.

That makes school much like a softball game: If you strike out with student, your teachers and teammates are next up to bat to and can try to score. If you miss a ball being thrown your way, your teachers and teammates have your back and will catch it for you. This game is coming to an end because the school year is almost over, but corps members and teachers aren't giving up the fight to win a quality education for all students.

Photo courtesy of City Year Los Angeles