Please don't super size me.

Ok, I'm not proud of it but we went to McDonald's drive-thru yesterday. Not that we're above it, as Dollar Menunaires we enjoy the occasional burger and fries to go. (I think I've mentioned before that I'm not perfect. Now you have the proof.)

So we sit in line for a few minutes wasting gasoline and adding hydrocarbon emissions. Have a pleasant exchange with the voice from the speaker box. Wait in line some more. Pay. And finally reach the pick-up window and receive the bag-o-food. 

As we're digging through the bag of spilled fries it struck me. In addition to the bag itself, the sandwich wrappers, sandwich boxes, the cups, the straws and the lids; there must have been 10 paper napkins. 10 for 3 of us. 

First, what do you do with them all? I'm not going to throw them away. Like everyone else, I used to, but I can't make myself do it anymore. So we put them in the glove compartment. Next time I'll ask if they can hold the napkins and just give me the small fries they forgot to put in the bag instead.

cnchnz

Mercury Blues.

When we were all told that we needed to replace our Edisoneque incandescent light bulbs with the newer -- and arguably cuter -- compact fluorescent ones, we dutifully ran off to the Depot to load up. Ouch, pricey. But we told ourselves they'll last longer and use less energy. A size 12 carbon footprint drops by maybe a half size, so better for the world. It's the cnchnz way right?

Not so fast. Sure they last longer and use less energy which is good, but I just found out that they also contain enough mercury vapor that, if broken, you can exceed the government's guidelines for chronic exposure. And, if you just toss that puppy in the trash it spells potential trouble for landfills and water tables. 

But here's the bottom line from what I can tell, these bulbs are better for us all and the environment. While you should try really hard not to break them and never just pitch them in the garbage, there are safe ways to dispose of them. Just check for your local CFL recycling options on sites like earth911.org. 

And never fear, smart people in white lab coats are working to create better options that don't use mercury. Until then, try not to break a CFL while eating a tuna salad sandwich. Oh yeah, and hope someone doesn't discover that polonium 210 makes a great reading lamp.

Just thought it was worth knowing.

The reawakening of idealism.

If you're like us, there was a time when you were hell bent to change the world. Nothing big, just make it a little better place for everyone and everything. But like most people, you become so involved in surviving that it's your immediate world that gets the focus. Getting to work, keeping the bastards at bay and paying your rent. Until you wake up one day and realize that you're only watching the world change on television. 4oo channels of HD cable, but still, only watching.

 

We just launched our site, cnchnz.com. The whole point of it is to create a brand that gives a voice to the best of human intentions. You know caring, understanding and respect for the earth and it's inhabitants. A brand that allows you to take your conscience (cnchnz) out for a walk in public without fear of having to defend it to someone wearing a beer logo or a cute picture of a farting bunny on their shirt. 

Now we don't mean to suggest that simply wearing a brand around on a shirt alone is enough to change the world. It's not that easy. But, most people still aren't willing to take a rubber bullet at a G7 summit and many just can't get the time off work necessary to chain themselves to a redwood. 

That doesn't mean people don't care.

Besides which, real change ultimately comes not from the individual acts of a few but from the collective voices of the many. 

So what cnchnz is trying to do is to create a mass brand that financially supports organizations working for change.  One that enables the will and the voice of the many to be seen and heard. And tries to do so in a responsible way. The hope is to enable change by enabling everyone. 

Look, we're not simple people and we know change isn't easy. We know that it also takes political, cultural and social change along with the mitigation of fear, prejudice and ignorance. And all those things start with people. Lots of ordinary, everyday, hard working, respectable people all willing to reveal their conscience (cnchnz).

That's it. We're not perfect. We're not trying to preach or say we have the answer. (hey, at times it's still tempting to waste and afternoon watching the 400 channels of HD cable.) We're just going to see if we can make a difference and help other people do the same.