I'll be in a newspaper!
 

A reporter found me through my posts at local ecological forums. She's writing an article about the eco-habits of Poles for an addition to the largest national newspaper. The interview was in March, it should go to print sometime in July. Of course, since the most "exotic" thing about me is my car and my driving, she wanted to add a picture of Svietlana.

Yesterday morning I met with the photographer. I drove to the meeting place and greeted him with "Of course, you're not the first person to take a picture of me this morning..." The session was only 30 minutes, mostly talking about my mods. Then a few pics at different angles. I'm happy that others will see the car and read about it (hopefully they'll take less pictures of me on the road), I hope it will incline others to save fuel. But even though it's for a good cause, I cringed when I had to turn the car this way and that, or sit there idling for 20 seconds while he shot pictures. I probably didn't "waste" more than 10-15ml of fuel during the whole session, but I've got it on my conscience anyway. I guess I'm an EcoModder, down to the bone.

I'll update when the article appears.

congratulations, don't forget to scan/upload..translate :confused: when the article is in the papers :D

:thumbup:

Very cool! Definitely post it up when you see it.

Good stuff, looking forward to seeing the article :thumbup:

when he told you to turn the car this way and that you should have told him to WALK around it. LOL

newspaper
 

Big thumbs up!

Folks probably won't be looking at cars quite the same after the article is published.
Fun! Congratulations!
Do we need to get you a white lab coat and pocket-protector?:thumbup:

That's how we started, but then he needed light from a different ange and we didn't want to wait for the sun to move...http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1278048804

He could have helped you PUSH the car...

Congratulations.

You fuel waste is but a small sacrifice. Think of the fuel savings once people get excited about this article and nice pictures. I'll say it was worth it to comply.

Good Job.

Today I got a phone call from a radio station. They want a live (!) interview with me and the other people from the article on the day it gets published, this Saturday. Wow. Word spreads fast. (Actually, the newspaper and radio station belong to the same corporation, so they know what's going on beforehand.)

Congratulations!!

So, Saturday was the Big Day. The article was about four (nearly) normal people and how they tweek their lifestyles to reduce their footprint. An artist, a translator, a chef and a mathematician (me), each talking about everything, but focusing on a different part of everyday life - house & garden, cooking, recycling, driving, etc. I'll give a summary of the part about myself, since I'd rather not translate the whole article.

I mentioned that when eating out I use my own fork instead of a plastic disposable and I try to communicate that I don't want a plastic lid or straw with my drink. I always carry a plastic bag with me in case I need to buy something, for larger, planned shopping I use cloth bags. I put the TV, DVD, sat, etc. on a strip with an off switch and have three 220 liter (58 US gallon) barrels for rain water, mostly for watering the garden and washing the car, but I'd like to use it for flushing. More ways to save water: when the Wife and I pee right after each other, only the second person flushes, and often the flushing is with grey water from washing hands. Toilet paper made from recycled paper - it's grey, not bleached white with flowers on it, and it doesn't smell like roses or vanilla or pine trees, but it gets the job done just as well. The refrigerator is the most energy efficient model we could get and we try not to freeze too many things. When we need to thaw something from the freezer we put it into the fridge for the night.
I log the electrical meter every morning, and the water and gas meters every five days. This allows me to notice the effects of any changes we make. We're planning to replace the toilets with low flush models, and replace the on-demand gas water heaters with a super insulated tank, where the water will be warmed with heat from ventilation through a heat pump.

I also log my car trips: where, how far, how much fuel, driving conditions. I've blocked my grille (but can open it when I hear the fan turn on), covered the rear wheels and extended the roof and sides. "When I saw Adam's car, I wasn't surprised that people keep shooting pictures" - the reporter wrote. What goes on behind the car is just as important as in front. The ideal shape would be a water drop. The mods cost about 300PLN (US$100) and will pay for themselves after 15 fill-ups. I got my inspiration from EcoModder.com (See? See? I'm advertising:p)

But you can get real savings without investing in aeromods: Pump up your tires (a little more is better than a little less), remove any roof racks as soon as you're not using them (up to 30% greater FC, even an empty rack will put you back 5%-15%), get rid of extra weight (I replace my back seats only when I know I'll need them), fold passenger side mirror on long distance trips. Just as important is driving style: don't floor the gas when you've got a red light ahead, use engine braking instead of the brake pedal.

And please note: I'm not doing this to pay less, I'm doing this to use less. For me, gas should be twice as expensive, then maybe the owners of huge SUV's would finally wake up.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1279027866

Very nicely done. You are a true hero!

Now for the radio interview. The reporter wasn't very eco-minded, so the interview mostly went over what was in the article. This, plus the short time we had, prevented the interview from going into depth. Even though I mentioned that driving style saves more fuel than aeromods, the reporter was more interested in what I drive, not how I drive it.

Fortunately, we did have a chance to add something from ourselves. When asked what it is like to have an eco lifestyle I answered that I don't know, since I have no comparison. I've always seen things this way, ever since I was a little kid. What should we do to help others become more eco-minded? We should set an example and be proud of it. It's not a shame to save, it's a shame to waste.

After the interview I talked to one of the eco-people from the article. She couldn't understand why people who try to live a natural lifestyle are regarded as outsiders, extremists, or just plain weird. 'Weird' is better suited for people who make an effort to escape fom nature, who are addicted to oil and feel "at home" only when surrounded by concrete.

Yeah, I hate that too. I'm always the 'bad guy/driver' because I obey the law and drive at or under the speed limit. :rolleyes:

Thanks for translating and sharing Piwoslaw!