Reality Check

In case you were wondering if I, in fact, had the nerve to walk up to a group of women with chainsaws on Saturday and ask them about their CO2 emissions and if they would consider using sustainable biofuels to power their chainsaws next time...

With 18 month old in arms, I walked towards them, in awe of the art they were creating with simply tree trunks, chainsaws, and their imagination.  I was struck by the fresh scent of fresh wood chips in the air.  So not "green" since there were these piles of dead trees everywhere, but I couldn't help but be drawn to the wonderful scent that was better than any car air freshener I've ever seen (Note: In my 35+ years on this earth, I have NEVER had an air freshener in my car--but that's another post at another time.)

But I never made it to the ladies with the chainsaws.

I had a baby in my arms.

Babies don't like loud noises.

Baby + loud chainsaws = Lots of crying

Mission Aborted

Yet another reality check that in my wonderful vision of making a small difference one person at a time, I forgot about the one person in my arms and their little ears.  Does it mean I have given up?  No.  I wrote a letter: 

"Dear Chainsaw Chix,

I enjoyed viewing your sculptures and artwork at the Fall Festival in Manassas this weekend, Saturday, October 6^th.  It is amazing what you can do with a simple tree trunk, some chainsaws and a world of imagination.

I was wondering if you have considered the environmental impact of the gas powered chainsaws you were using.  May I encourage you to look into alternative powered chainsaws such as electric or sustainable biofuels powered chainsaws?  Since you are probably not near an electrical source at these festivals, electric may not be an option at all.  But I wonder if sustainable biodiesel or even a sustainably sourced ethanol mixture could be used in the chainsaws?  I haven’t done any research on this for chainsaws, but if cars, trucks, and even airplanes can now run on biodiesel or ethanol or other biofuels, then I wonder if chainsaws can to?  How wonderful would it be for your marketing and PR efforts if you showed the world that not only are you mega-cool and incredibly talented, but that you are eco-conscious too!  What a great example you could set for everyone!

Again, I enjoyed the art this weekend.  But I would have enjoyed it even more if those chainsaws were powered by a renewable sustainable fuel.

Sincerely,
 
Helena, a fan of Chainsaw Chix"