Mark Dixon and Ben Evans have a video camera, a car, and a helluva plan for a road trip — a year-long “eco-expedition” covering all 50 United States. I met Mark at Grist’s cocktail party in San Francisco last year and he’s e-mailed me to say that they’ve just launched the website for Your Environmental Road Trip, or YERT.
C’mon say it, it’s fun: YERT. YERT. It’s not easy being green. YERT.
Mark and Ben “believe that Americans want to do the right thing — they just don’t want to look weird doing it, and they don’t have the time or the means to explore all the options.” Each week they intend to “shamelessly bathe ourselves in the best (and worst) of America’s ecological progress with a mix of outrageous antics, provocative examples, and thoughtful reporting.” Judging from the video teaser they’ve posted, I think they may actually manage to be funny, entertaining, AND informative without making their subjects look like eccentric freaks. (”Living With Ed” producers might want to take note.)
Mark says that they will also address food sustainability issues on their road trip, and would love suggestions for people and/or destinations around the country worth highlighting. I’ve sent him a bunch of ideas, including People’s Grocery in Oakland, the Permaculture Army in Berkeley, and Food Not Lawns. I’m sure you guys have a zillion more. Leave them here as comments, or e-mail yert@yourenvironmentalroadtrip.com.
Hmm. I hope their car is a hybrid…
Food, Farming, & Food Politics events calendar
Humor:
February 13th, 2007 at 8:27 am
Talk to Alex or Ari at Zingerman’s Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan (www.zingermansroadhouse.com); they not only buy local produce for use at the restaurant, Alex is working with local farmers and legislators to build the local food infrastructure.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Some good food destinations may be places on Local Harvest’s map (http://www.localharvest.org).
February 14th, 2007 at 6:03 am
Gee… And I was hoping their car was peddle powered… :)
I second Local Harvest as a good source of topics. Also here in Vermont/NH is http://www.vitalcommunities.org/ and I’m sure there are other similar local things like that.