Nominated as one of Sacramento's 8 Exceptionally Green People

First, though, tell me in a few sentences or short paragraphs about the extent of your bike riding (to the store, to jobs, etc.). Maybe explain in a conversational way why that's been your approach, and mention any other noteworthy "green" things you do on an individual level. (E.g. eat local foods, use canvas bags, or whatnot.)

I used to drive an Acura with leather seats and a sun roof, but I always remember looking out the window at the fit people, on bikes, and wondering why I wasn’t one of them. Among my considerations for moving to Sacramento were the flat roads, ample bike lanes, warm weather, and the convenience of the downtown grid. I quickly found that cycling was a relaxing form of multi-tasking, not only did I get from point A to point B, but I also got some exercise, to work on my tan (I’m usually shirtless), and I can listen to books on my MP3 player (Sony S2 Waterproof headphones are best, ~$15 at Target). So I’m accomplishing 4 basic needs at the same time. When I drove in traffic it was very frustrating, I often wanted to jump out of my skin. Psychologists have shown that when people travel on foot they make little apologies with their eyes when they get in someone’s way. These same eye-apologies are difficult to communicate in a car and therein lies a lot of the misunderstanding that escalates into road rage. Sure, I still get frustrated at cars, but that frustration quickly dissipates trough vigorous pedaling.

I do a lot of inventive things to minimize my ecological footprint. There are the 3 three R’s of recycling, reuse, reduce, & recycle. In the reuse category, I always save my guacamole and sprout containers and use them as Tupperware. In addition, just last week my spatula broke half way down the handle. It still works great, and in some situations gives me more control. Rest assured, I will buy a new one when it truly stops being a tool. In other words vanity is often no friend of the environment.

To reduce, I try to eat as little processed and packaged food as possible. Take a Twinkie for example, ingredients comprising that frankenfood are gathered from all over, transported, refined, packaged, and preserved with toxins to keep it from being edible to ants and bacteria that might also call it a snack. Now compare that to picking an orange off a local tree. I didn’t burn any fossil fuels, there were no toxic gasses emitted into the air, no lights must be shined on it to capture sales, and there isn’t a plastic wrapper that must be discarded afterwards that won’t decompose for 2000 years. Around the globe, the peak times of day for gas and electricity usage are mealtimes. I’m a raw foodist and more often than not, I only require a little mixing or cutting with my hands to enjoy an exquisite meal. www.RawSacramento.org

I constantly see completely recyclable toilet paper rolls in bathroom trash cans. I’ve been to one of the County’s recycling facilities and everyone is wearing gloves, so don’t bother worrying about germs. Remember you typically touch the white roll when your hands are dirty. If you’re hands are still dirty and you run out of paper, grab a new roll and use that. Once you’ve washed your hands, you can always remove the old roll and recycle it.

Here are the form questions other profilees are answering. Short answers are ideal.

How old are you? (sorry!)

28.
What's your neighborhood? (e.g. Land Park -- you may already have told me this, but I want to make certain)

Alkali Flats.
What's your profession?

I’m a computer repairman and run my own business. Two thirds of my service jobs can be done on a bike using panniers (saddle bags). The other third, where either my customers or I transport computers to and fro client locations does require a vehicle. I make it a habit to set up remote access to client systems (only with their approval) so I can help customers immediately and not have to travel to client locations unnecessarily. This saves customers time and money and it also lowers everyone's gas expenses and emissions. (www.FastAndFriendly.biz)
Do you have a family? (If so, please include name of spouse and number of children ...)
My father Mark, stepmother Sharoll, & Aunt Courtney all live within a block of my house. My grandmother Shirley, lives in a nearby trailer park in West Sacramento. I don’t just get to see my family on a regular basis, it’s also ecologically sound.

What made you "go greener"? Any one thing, book, event? An accumulation of things? A friend's urging?
As a boy, I’d get sick often living with an unhealthy remarried mother. My father would always ask me what might I have done to make myself sick. This habit of questioning my actions and choosing more responsible outcomes not only led to better health (raw foodism), but it has also made me a responsible steward of our planet.

When did you start going greener?

The most significant change I made was when I became a vegan at age 15. Animal food consumption remains the primary cause of deforestation, global warming, and the drying of aquifers. There’s also nothing wrong with avoiding the plethora of common diseases primarily caused by animal food consumption like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and erectile dysfunction.
What's your favorite green
tip? (In other words, piece of advice for someone who's looking to go greener.)

I’m not going to make it easy on you, the single best thing you can do is educate yourself. There’s so many knowledgeable people, great books, radio shows, documentaries, and information to be learned. I want to make it clear that learning isn’t the act of absorbing, but rather questioning and making sense of material. Just because it’s in a book, has statistics (which can be fudged), and sounds reasonable, doesn’t mean it’s correct. Look for alternate opinions, who funded the study, and use common sense/intuition, and you’ll be able to separate the propaganda of industry from the goodness of individuals and voluntary organizations. (http://www.michaelpollan.com/omnivore.php)

Do you have any green heroes? (Can be a person, an organization, a restaurant, a radio show or whatever.)

I’m going to mention one local and one distal. Out of anyone I’ve ever known Gary Null has educated more people on countless, viable ways to live in harmony with the environment. Unfortunately, I’m hardly the first person to notice this as Gary Null was awarded “Environmentalist of the Year” by the United Nations. Please check out his terrific, national radio show on health, the environment, politics, and religion. I’m an atheist and I find his unbiased pro/con points about religion fascinating. http://www.garynull.progressiveradionetwork.org/

Locally, I’ve got to put my hands together for my dear friend Kim Glazzard. This courageous woman works a full time job, only to come home and put in at least that many hours again to promote public health and safety. She is the founder of Organic Sacramento, a local non profit organization. One of her recent accomplishments was getting the city to recognize a citizen’s right to grow whatever edible plant life you want in your front yard. This was a win for biodiversity, citizen’s rights, affordable produce, and food without transportation-related emissions. http://www.OrganicSacramento.org

Are you optimistic about the future of people's impact on the environment?
Absolutely, if I look at people’s awareness of the environment and knowledge of viable alternatives in the 1980’s to today, it’s a whole new ballgame. In 1980, you couldn’t just order a well-made electric car like and Aptera or Tango and almost no one was taking bags back to the grocery store. www.aptera.com and www.commutercars.com

Thanks again, Christian!

My pleasure.