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Bookmark or ShareWho is green and why? In September 2009, Brooklyn photographers Mauro Clerici and Tonianne Fleig embarked on a road trip across the United States to find out.
While adapting their lifestyle to include more sustainable practices, Mauro and Tonianne realized that the “greening” of America wasn’t as honest a practice as they had assumed.
They found themselves navigating a wild west of unregulated claims and misleading language by companies claiming to be green. The couple traveled the country to find a more truthful definition of what it means to be green.
Their only agenda: connect with individuals who are trying to make a difference —whether they’re off the grid, under the radar or up front and center. “The current sustainability movement is asking us to go on a lifestyle diet without cutting out any of the fat. We wanted to meet people who made deeper commitments to live sustainably,” says Tonianne.
Traveling with their own reusable provisions in a hybrid car, Clerici and Fleig logged about 11,000 miles over 56 days. Compared to a standard American mid-size car, their
carbon oxide emission should have been close to 10,207 lbs CO2. Instead, thanks to the hybrid engine, they were able to produce less than half of that: 4,695 lbs CO2. They spoke with people in politics, farming, the food industry, construction, alternative energy and refuse recycling. They met with Daniel Wallach, the founder of Greensburg GreenTown; an organization that is rebuilding Greensburg, Kansas as a model of sustainability after an F5 tornado wiped out 95% of its infrastructure. In Houston they met with Randy Evans, the former executive chef at Brennan’s of Houston who was about to open Haven, his first sustainable restaurant. In South Lake Tahoe, CA they visited a recycling facility to see how small changes to an existing program significantly increased their recycling success rate.
All this and a lot more will be shown at Pratt CCPS gallery, 144 W. 14th Street New York, NY from March 1st – 31st, 2010
1_taos: Detail of a wall made of recycled glass bottles in Taos, NM
2_tahoe: A wall of plastic containers at a recycling facility in South Lake Tahoe, CA
3_napa: Lunch served with a reminder to recycle the trash, CA
4_flagstaff: Amanda in front of her solar powered studio, AZ
5_houston: The life cycle of a car, TX
6_pittsburg: An urban farm adjacent to an active steal mill in Pittsburgh, PA
Read More About Shifting Normal Here
144 W. 14th Street
New York, NY
March 1-31, 2010
Beautiful job. I love your photography and your whole approach here. We are delighted that you came to Greensburg.