The Green Ostrich

The Green Ostrich Blog

  • Boston Marathon Race Report – Sustainability Edition (Part II)

    Last week I took a big picture look into the Boston Marathon’s sustainability claims and actions. This week, I want to look at what participants can do when they are running races – especially large road races.  I’ll structure my thoughts around the 4 pillars for “running without the footprint” that The Green Runners has Read more

  • Boston Marathon Race Report – Sustainability Edition (Part 1)

    This is not your typical post-race report. Instead of talking about my own race in Boston, I want to address sustainability at the Boston Marathon. This is a long one – sorry. This is also just the the first part. Today, I’m looking big-picture at what the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) is doing, should be doing, Read more

  • My Shameless Earth Day Plea – Join The Green Runners

    A little bonus post this week. Well, really a shameless plea. Earth Day is on Saturday, April 22. Earth Day also marks the one year anniversary of The Green Runners. When the group was founded, I simply admired them from afar via their Instagram, but in August I joined as a member and shortly after Read more

  • This Shoe is Made from Recycled Bottles! But is that Really a Good Thing?

    This shoe is made from recycled bottles! We see claims like this all the time on plastic clothes and shoes (yes, our clothes and shoes are made of plastic), but what does it mean? Does it really make our clothing better for the planet? Or is it just greenwashing?  The Brooks Ghost 15 claims to Read more

  • But I Only Buy Clothes from Patagonia so Surely I’m Not Part of the Problem, Right? 

    I have a confession to make. I really like Patagonia clothes. They fit well. They give me that “outdoor chic” vibe I’m going for. They work for exercise, leisure, and, sometimes even, casual business. They’re durable. And if an item is damaged, Patagonia will repair it.  Add to that, Patagonia is a value driven company. Read more

  • The World is Drowning in T-Shirts. The Boston Marathon is Making it Worse!

    The world is drowning in t-shirts. By some estimates, 10% of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by clothing and footwear production. Then, once the clothing is produced, an estimated 85% of it ends up in a landfill or incinerator, even when it is still in good and wearable condition. The Boston Marathon, one of the Read more