Ok I'll admit it. Sometimes I can be a green snob. I've at times looked down my nose at publications such as Plenty magazine, which in the past have catered to a more, shall we say, dabbling demographic.
But then something changed. They went and got more substantial. Yes, there's still fluffiness to be found there, but you know what? I now think fluff plays a role too, giving access points to people who otherwise wouldn't have come to the party. The latest organic facial creme may not float my boat, but someone else may care about that, and from there delve broader, deeper into things sustainable. Plenty makes room for that to happen.
An example of Plenty's new substance is in the current issue: "Radiating Roads," which talks about a relatable, accessible innovation that has a connection to a common shared experience. In this case, doing something with the scorching heat produced by streets, parking lots and sidewalks during the summer: Heat water, or use the steam to produce energy.
Now, one could say, the best solution is to reduce the asphalt, increase the amount of plant life and soft, water absorbing pavement. But then does the resulting increase in water use offset the reduced energy use benefit of a cooler local climate? I'll leave that one to the engineers.
Let's just say that for areas that aren't replacing their sidewalks with foliage any time soon, finding a way to make use of the heat they take in, producing energy and reducing the surface temperature seems like an altogether grand idea.
It's simple: Run pipes slightly underground, similar to how radiant floor heating works. The sun heats up the asphalt, the pipes, the water/liquid in them, then you either directly use that heated water, or use the steam it produces to turn a turbine, creating power, recirculating back for another round of heating.
Although it would equate to just 200 watts per square meter, done on a WalMart sized parking lot, that could mean some serious energy production possible. Even done in smaller scale, the reduction in heat will improve the microclimate of that area, reducing the "heat island" effect, common in areas largely paved over.
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It's publications like Plenty that serve as a bridge between a greener society and planet with everyday life. Being green is not an all or nothing proposition, there's a continuum of places to be along on the journey, and all should be supported, given resources, and acknowledged. Being absolute in one's standards is not helpful for getting more to move the needle greener.
By the way, I myself have recently been in Plenty, as part of an article on the greening of mini marts. Who'd have thought that those meccas of supersized junk food would start offering entire stores of green options? Stranger things have happened. It's in these reinventions of and creating possibilities within the given way of living life and doing business that give me hope. I want to be a part of them.
Readers: Where are you seeing innovations in the everyday? What possibilities do you envision? Chime in, below.
Paul Smith is a sustainable business innovator, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, blogs weekly on green start ups of note at Triple Pundit and has an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He creates interest in, conversations about, and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media marketing.
