Re: [Callers] [Organizers] contra dance gypsy & fuel consumption

These are some really important things to consider.  There are easy ways to reduce our carbon footprint without avoiding travel Carpools are wonderful - more efficient and a great opportunity to bond with other dancers There are lots of more fuel efficient cars that make a real difference.  Outside out local dances it is starting to look like a Prius dealer's lot - those get near 50 mpg.  All electric or plugable hybrids do even better - but are relatively new and expensive right now.  Trains and buses take a little planning but better for the environment.. only slightly related question:  Why is it offensive to call a dance figure a gypsy but not offensive to be a dance gypsy? Mac McKeever On Monday, October 7, 2019, 01:55:01 PM CDT, Paul Wilde via Organizers <organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: Hey all, This is a long email, as it includes three posts. First, I hope people don't mind, but I'm ccing, callers and musicians list here, as I think we can collectively bring about a major shift in habits w/ our concerted hive intelligence. I am including the original two posts near the top of this email, so callers/musicians list people can see where this started.  PLEASE feel free to cut out the original lengthy posts when replying. First: On 10/7/19, Heitzso via Organizers <organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:   that bind people together rather than fractures them apart, and   I believe contra dance is an excellent way to do that.   (sharing weight, dancing with everyone, ...)   to minimize our carbon footprint from traveling to non-local contra   dances to my wife, Jennifer Horrocks, a few times over the years   (she sews and sells contra dance dresses all over the country).   about her trying to alter her contra lifestyle to minimize her contra   carbon footprint. dance weekend per month. The closest, besides our own, was 83 miles away and the furthest was 795 miles. I am acutely aware that this is an incredible amount of distance to be covered for just one weekend (sometimes a week) for a pleasurable activity. It's been weighing on me more and more, as it's becoming painfully obvious that our lifestyles aren't sustainable. My lifestyle at home is mostly pretty simple, but I feel this nagging guilt when I do something extravagant, like drive to Vermont for YDW. Although we did our best to cram up to 6 people and our stuff in a van, we still consumed a lot of fuel to make it happen. Some people flew, which consumes even more. I go to, and try to find alternative ways to get there. Carpools are great and much better than driving solo, but we could do more. One dancer this weekend took public transit and a bicycle from DC area to Vermont. A whole band playing for a square dance weekend a few years ago biked from south (I think New Orleans?) all the way to Nashville. I think this is really admirable and more people should consider something like this. This ongoing climate change makes our world a scary place, and it will only get worse (it doesn't look like those with the power to fix it care to change the high consumption status quo). It's also becoming more common for me to have to drive distances to call contra dances, which is harder to find carpool mates for. I'm not sure what that will look like for me - I am fantasizing about a NE train/bike tour with dates far enough apart that I can make it to gigs with this slower and less convenient transportation. I'm also considering making a vow to never fly on an airplane again. Their use is so incredibly terrible for our environment. this issue. I applaud Liz's public request for comment and solutions. Finally, my reply: Yes, this is a very worthwhile discussion. On a slightly side note, 2+ yrs ago a hydrogen station was completed at a local super market parking lot 1 mile from our house. I tried for 1 yr, writing emails and calling Stop & Shop, Toyota, Honda, and people from Air Liquide who were the ones responsible for installing the hydrogen station.  I got absolutely nowhere for all this effort. I was told repeatedly by everyone I could get to talk to at both Toyota and Honda (both who make hydrogen powered cars) that there weren't stations to provide fuel to start selling these cars anywhere but in CA.  To my knowledge (I live in Prov RI), there are stations near Hartford CT, Mansfield MA (20 mi. from us), Newton MA, (40 miles from us and close to Boston), and I'm sure there are others nearby that I'm not aware of.  Perhaps you know of others you could add to this? CA is the only place you can buy these cars (is what I'm told). Someone mentioned OR.  I called dealers there, and no luck. SO, my very dissatisfied take on all this was that the industry (car makers, etc) are doing worse than just dragging their feet on switching to non-carbon based fuel alternatives.  It pisses me off no end (esp having a station 1 mile from home).  But honestly I don't know where to take this from here. After all this effort, we switched out from a Toyota Echo ('05) which had been getting just under 40 mpg for over 10 yrs, to a Prius, now getting 55+mpg overall, but I'm still not happy about the carbon footprint. Biking is great, (but I'm afraid our household is a little to old for that now), and public transportation is also a great alternative.  However, just for an example, I believe there is no public transportation that will take you into Concord MA, where the Scout House is, and where there is dancing at least 10X/mo.  Correct me if I'm wrong on this. So I'd love to hear from others and apologize for this slightly lengthy rant, but for one, I would LOVE to see hydrogen become the rule of the highways.  Their exhaust is water, and being lighter than air, any leaks would go up, and not spread fire across the landscape, as gasoline would do, should there be an accident.  Oh, and the Hindenberg?  All that black smoke and all the fire after the first few seconds was due to diesel to run the engine and the canvas bag. Grrr!!!:-) These lists rock, Paul _______________________________________________ Organizers mailing list Organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/organizers-sharedweight.net