Posts Tagged ‘environment’

Who gives a damn about the Gulf anyway?

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Save the oil and not the ocean.  That seems to be the standpoint of BP.

First off, let me say that there is a lot of speculation about this issue.  I personally do not know the truth in cold hard facts.  That, however, will not stop me from ranting on about this horrible mess that we have created in the Gulf of Mexico.

Step one, hide the severity of the problem.  I was listening to NPR and one official from Mississippi (I think it was a senator) said that this problem is being blown completely out of proportion and that this was nothing like the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska.  He cited his clean Mississippi beaches as proof that there is really nothing to worry about-his beaches are just as clean and beautiful as they were months ago.  This is the type of short sighted viewpoint that got us into this mess.  He and his cohorts that are big in the oil industry states continue to suggest that no matter how big this problem gets, we should not let it stop us from continuing to drill for our own oil-even if it is offshore.  This was a statement at a congressional hearing on the matter.  This is really no big surprise.  Lobbyists have major power in the gulf states and big oil companies have deep pockets for lobbying efforts.  Remember they made record smashing profits as the price of gasoline rose to obscene levels for no good reason.  Say what you want, the price has dropped by as much as $1.50 and nothing has changed, so there was no good reason.  From the very beginning, media has downplayed the true severity of the problem going on in the gulf.  Every day THOUSANDS of gallons of oil are spilling into the ocean.  I read on the Huffington Post: Don’t worry about that pesky oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP CEO Tony Hayward says: It’s “relatively tiny” compared to the “very big ocean.” At the same time, Sweden has offered up the use of oil skimming vessels, but as of yet we have not asked them to send them out.  They are weeks away, and we continue to watch the problem and evaluate proposals of help form Europe and the UN.  Step One, check.

In reality, we cannot accurately measure the amount of oil spilling into the ocean every day.  Some say 5000 gallons a day, but most speculate that it is more than this.  In fact, NPR reports that it could be as much as 70,000 barrels a day-the equivalent of an Exxon Valdez every 4 days.  No one can really be sure, because part of the problem is that the oil doesn’t always rise straight to the surface.  Much of it is lingering below the surface and that cannot be accurately tracked.  All tracking fo the oil spill is being done by air and satellite and that may or may not be giving us an accurate picture.  What is clear, is that using the most conservative estimates, this is an ecological disaster.  Huge amounts of oil are heading to Louisiana and the wildlife refuge that is home to life seen in relatively few places in the world and how this will effect the ecosystem of the southern US remains to be seen.  To get a glimpse at the estimates and how this slick is moving toward shore, check out this interactive map on the NY Times website. If conservative estimates are to be believed, then this is a disaster, but it is likely to be a catastrophe unlike anything we have seen in recent history.  To top it off, oil pockets go hand in hand with methane, which is also being released into the atmosphere at an alarming rate.  No one seems concerned about this at all, because in relation to the amount of oil flowing into the Gulf waters, it is merely an inconvenience.  Oh, and by the way, tar balls of oil are starting to show up on beaches, and states are scrambling to keep the oil at bay.

Step two, pass the buck.  What exactly went wrong, no one is entirely sure.  What we do know is that everyone is blaming someone else.  TrasOcean Ltd is the company that owns the actual rig.  They blame BP for failing to keep up on safety measures.  BP is shifting as much blame as it can onto others.  Here is how I understand this mess:  Regulators failed to monitor the situation.  That department needs to be fired and experience what unemployment is like instead of the high life of doing nothing and looking the other way and probably taking perks in the process.  BP is responsible for not following up on its back up systems.  It has been determined that all the back up systems were a mess-there was faulty wiring, dead batteries, untested equipment, and the like.  This is mainly their problem and they will have to foot the bill.  The fact that they are not owning up to it, means I have to find another gas station to buy my gas from.  At the same time, they are blaming the concrete for failing-a product of Haliburton.  Every time I hear that name, I cringe.  Haliburton alleges that BP was drilling deeper than reported and that affected the quality of the concrete they provided.  TransOcean lays the blame on BP who operated the rig.  They must know they have some blame, as they have filed a claim i court to limit their liability, before the oil even is stopped from gushing.  This move will also allow all the lawsuits against them to be consolidated before a single judge.  Step Two, check.

I have a simple solution to the entire problem.  Make everyone involved pay the full amount for the oil spill.  This will ensure that every entity will work 10 times harder to make sure that they are not at fault in any future accidents-likely reducing the chances of future accidents.  Excess moneys can be used for rebuilding efforts as we can never have enough money to try and rebuild fish and wildlife populations that are demolished by this kind of disaster.  Leave the players involved open for civil suits.  We can never be done with this mess, as we find out how many fishermen lose their livelihood, how many tourist attractions end up closed, and what ever else will happen.  stop coddling big business who are only after profits, not caring about the ramifications.  Considering the amount of money paid out by Exxon Mobile and what they make in profits, they have done just fine while Alaska still suffers from issues surrounding that oil spill.

Step three, save the oil.  This is really going to have to go into another post.  But it seems that all the efforts surrounding stopping the spill involve siphoning off the oil.  Great it you can save it, but that is secondary to the actual STOPPING THE SPILL.  I will be reading more about this side of it and writing again, but it seems that we are not working hard enough at stopping the release of oil at all costs.  That should be our #1 priority.

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Give em your hair

Monday, May 10th, 2010

I have been reading a lot lately on ways they plan to clean up the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico. If there is anything good to come out of the Exxon Valdez spill a few years back, it is that we are better prepared to deal with this disaster.  Don’t get me wrong, this is a HUGE problem and the effects that it will have on wildlife, the economy of the Gulf states, tourism in Central America, and the oceans cannot even be calculated.  We have yet to even stop the flow of oil into the gulf.  While you are reading this one sentence another 25 gallons have spilled into the ocean.

One thing that has been found to help clean up an oil mess is natural and fairly abundant.  Hair.  Hair, fur, and the like are natural absorbers of oil and dirt. That is why we wash it so often. It is being collected and turned into mats that can be used on the water as well as the beaches to absorb the massive petroleum spill. I have even heard of these mats ebing composted or used to grow mushrooms. In 2007, this method was used to help clean up an oil spill in California (watch the video below). TO think with all the pets and people getting clipped every day and all that mess is going into landfill. Now we have figured out a use for it. I hope that once this mess is done, that perhaps the government and oil companies will begin to stockpile these hair mats for just such an emergency. Want to know how you can help? I got this email today:

News Release! Please Help!

Companies Helping to Ameliorate Damage From the Oil Spill

Camp Bow Wow and Home Buddies by Camp Bow Wow, the nation’s largest pet services company is offering a unique way to help out. The company has reached out to all of its franchisees (200+ throughout the US and Canada), asking them to collect dog hair and fur after a pet’s grooming, which will then be used to create oil booms to help ameliorate the disaster.

Franchisees will be donating any type of fur, hair, feathers, natural fibers and used nylons to create oil booms, which will help soak up oil from the spill in the Gulf. These fur oil booms are then used to contain the spill. Matter of Trust, a 501(c)3 non-profit, is coordinating this effort nationwide by sending all fur/hair to the region. As a leader in the pet services industry, Camp Bow Wow and Home Buddies are helping to bring this effort to light and raise awareness for the ways in which companies can help out on the local and national level.

Individual franchises throughout the US will be aiding in collecting hair / fur / fibers from their neighborhoods and bringing awareness to this cause by putting up flyers, info on their websites, etc.

“As there are growing concerns that the oil spill in the Gulf may now eclipse the Exxon Valdez spill, we want to do our part in helping with the cleanup. Pet hair is an absorbent and can be used to create oil absorbing mats. By collecting pet hair after grooming at our franchise locations, we will be able to use our resources to aid in the effort,” noted Heidi Ganahl, CEO and Founder of Camp Bow Wow and Home Buddies.

Camp Bow Wow of Strongsville is an Official Drop Off Site! If you are interested in donating, please visit Strongsville Camp Bow Wow or Home Buddies in Strongsville, to drop off hair / fur. 440-572-3200. Fur and Hair does not have to be freshly shampooed to be dropped off, but must not be filthy.

Several businesses in the area are already pitching in, including hair salons & dog groomers!

If you own a pet, a salon, or know someone who does, think seriously about chipping in here and giving your old hair a new life.

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Blog Action Day

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Today is Blog Action Day, where all bloggers are encouraged to write about one single issue in the world today to raise awareness. As I approach the anniversary of the Great Lakes Green Pages, I wonder what is the one issue I should concentrate on. The result is that there are just too many. Instead, since I generally write about issues to raise awareness, I decided to list just a few of the many issues that are close to my heart.

Recycling, litter and garbage: Let’s face it, we are awash in garbage. We have chosen cheaper and cheaper packaging that doesn’t break down in the landfill. After nearly four decades of awareness of litter problems, we still haven’t learned. We like to think that we are the greatest country in the world, but we continue to follow the leadership in Europe on recycling, reuse, and waste reduction. We live in a throw away society, and are filling our planet with garbage at an alarming rate. We continue to tear down perfectly good structures, rather than rehabbing and make them usable, generating more garbage.

Poverty and hunger The world is growing. The population is increasing. Our resources are not. We have been the richest most prosperous nation in the world after WWII. Still, we haven’t figured out a way to make sure that every citizen in our own country has food to eat. Furthermore, our reliance on corporations for our food supply has lead to limited availability of nutritious food in poorer neighborhoods. What food is available, it is more expensive. Eating healthier is much more expensive than eating poorly, which leads to those who have less resources to have more health issues.

Education Our education system in this country is failing us. We are continuously graduating students who do not have a basic understanding of history, math, economics, etc. This leads more people to be uninformed on the issues that are facing us. Those who are well educated continue to hold the power over the undereducated.

Crumbling US infrastructure We have stopped spending adequate money on roads, bridges, and transit. That means that many of the structures around the country are crumbling and falling apart. Hard to believe? Look around Cleveland. How much concrete fell off the Fulton Street bridge before it was closed. Anyone who went to the zoo for the decade before it closed can attest to how scary it looked as chunks would fall day and night. The I-90 bridge is dangerously damaged. Rather than jump right on it, we are closing lanes and on/off ramps to try and prolong the inevitable until we have just the right plan in place. All the while, I fear a collapse the size of Minneapolis.

Global Warming We are pumping CO2 into the atmosphere at a rate so high that we may not be able to recover. Still, we are on our third or fourth generation of Hummer.

Endangered Species Tons of animals are disappearing every day due to habitat destruction, over fishing, over hunting and poaching.

With so many issues affecting us every day, what are you gonna do to try and help the situation that we have gotten ourselves in.

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Super Tomato? No, it’s not a superhero, it’s genetically modified food…

Monday, October 12th, 2009


The debate over genetically modified food has been going on for years. Remember when the so called Super Tomato came out? It was a genetically altered tomato (Flavr Savr) that was more immune to the trials and tribulations of transport, disease and pests than any tomato in history. Sounds great, right? In fact, the argument for genetically modified food sounds good at first sight. But look under the hood, and the answers are not so clear…

First off, let’s define what we mean. Genetically altered food is food derived from organisms who’s DNA structure has been altered by specific targeted manipulation of its genetic structure. To put it in simple terms, everything that we do is controlled by genes. Tomatoes soften as they ripen. To make them stay firmer, and thus less susceptible to disease and rot, scientists created a “super tomato” by inserting a new gene into the genetic structure of the plant to make its fruit stay firmer while ripening. This is completely different from cross breeding and selective breeding in which different species are cross bred to create new types of particular species. We have created new species of plants and animals by breeding them for generations. This allows nature to decide which genes will work together on their own to create a new sub species that has new characteristics. We have bred roses to have new colors, different produce to have different flavors, and even different breeds of dogs that have specific traits. genetic alteration, on the other hand, involves artificially manipulating the genes of a particular organism, usually to introduce traits that are not even part of the natural make up of the species.

At first glance, there does not seem to be any problem with genetic manipulation. We seem to be just speeding up the work that could otherwise be done through years of selective breeding. However, there are issues that could have impacts on the supply chain that are far reaching indeed. When we mess too much with the natural order of things, we often create a bigger problem than we had before. Think of how we introduced no native species to various parts of the world for one reason or another, and the disastrous results that have occurred (killer bees, for a start). Now imagine what damage we could be unleashing on the earth when we breed a new chicken with four legs or some other weird thing. We still have not fully realized the impact that we have had on the human race with the “improvements” that we have made in the last 50 years. The introduction of hormones into our poultry and dairy supply may be the reason we see earlier development of adolescents, and the outcry over BGH in our dairy supply is widely known.

Going beyond the unknown and into the current world, the problems of genetic manipulation become issues of ecology and economy. Monsanto corporation is the creator of the world’s best selling herbicide, Round Up. In creating these herbicides, it has also created many dumping grounds for serious chemicals, and released flawed studies as to the potential dangers of poisons like dioxin, that could potentially have a devastating effect on the bio-sphere. It is also responsible for much of the genetic manipulation being done in our food supply chain. They are the ones who created and marketed BGH as a way to increase milk production in cattle. Unfortunately, BGH has also been linked to breast and prostate cancer. The same company who has been creating poisons for decades is also leading the way in GMF (genetically modified foods). That alone sends up red flags. One of the most damaging issues of the Monsanto GMF program is that it is striving to create sterile plants.

Sterile plants mean that seed produced from these new “super foods” is usually sterile and its seeds cannot be used to grow new plants for the following season. The results of this sterile seed to the world stage could be potentially devastating. Plants generally depend on pollination to grow crops. Pollination is a process that generally occurs naturally by bees, birds, and other insects. This is why the loss of bee population can be harmful to more that just the production of honey. Large scale operations that employ Monsanto’s sterile GMF plants for their crops, may be located near smaller farmers who use a different strain of corn, for example. Through natural pollination, their crop may now become partially pollinated by Monsanto’s GM corn through no fault of their own. Now they are selling GM food without their knowledge. Furthermore, the crop seed that they may be holding bad to plant for next years crop may be completely sterile, which would have a devastating effect on the following years crop for that small farmer. If you couple that with the fact that Monsanto sells these “Terminator” seeds throughout the globe, the end result could be beyond belief. If a small farm in Iowa faces this problem, imagine the devastating effect on a small village in a developing world. Slowly, the world’s food supply could be taken over by Monsanto’s sterile GM food, which is good for them but bad for the rest of us. The issue goes even deeper, as this is promoting monoculture which are bad for the environment. Currently most of the bananas that are supplied to the world markets are one single species. A fungus, insect or disease that attacks this particular species of banana could potentially wipe out our banana supply chain in a way that the world couldn’t recover. Now imagine the result if the world is using a single breed of corn or wheat. Starvation and famine could come to the entire world, the way it is seen in far away lands that we like to ignore.

Unfortunately, you may be buying GM foods without even knowing it. The EcoSpheric Blog provided the following lists, so jump over and read their article. The list of GM foods that are approved for commercial sale include: canola oil, radicchio, corn (which you know is in everything!), cotton, papaya, potato, soybean, squash, and tomato. And these products do not even have to be labeled as such! Here are some of the products that may already be in your pantry that use GM foods: Alpo Dry Pet Food, Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix, Ball Park Franks, Betty Crocker Bac-O’s, Boca Burger Chef, Max’s Favorite, Bravo’s Tortilla Chips, Duncan Hines Cake Mix, Enfamil ProSobee Soy Formula, Frito-Lay Corn Chips, Gardenburger, General Mills Total Corn Flakes Cereal, Heinz 2 Baby Food, Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Light Life Gimme Lean, McDonald’s McVeggie Burgers, Morningstar Farms Better’n Burgers, Morningstar Farms Harvest Burgers, Nestle Carnation Alsoy Infant Formula, Old El Paso Taco Shells, Ovaltine Malt Powdered Beverage Mix, Post Blueberry Morning Cereal, Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, Quaker Yellow Corn Meal, Quick Loaf Bread Mix, Similac Isomil Soy Formula, and Ultra Slim Fast. This list alone shows how the American public has been kept blissfully unaware of the things we may be consuming.

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The green products dilemma

Friday, September 18th, 2009

I read an interesting blog post at Green LA Girl.  It was about the dilemma of continuing to support green companies, even though they are being bought up by less than green conglomerates. I highly recommend that you take a minute, click over and read the article. It has interesting information and great links to more information. The issue is this: When a company that has been traditionally a great green company gets bought up by a less than green conglomerate, do you continue to support it?

Basically, the problem is that true die hard consumers who are working really hard to support only the best companies for the environment, are having to face an ethical quandary. Many large corporations are not very environmentally friendly. Some have a downright terrible history when it comes to planetary concerns. Merger and acquisition departments, however, are smart and know a good thing when they see it. They have been snapping up these small but growing companies whenever they can. This allows these smaller companies to access capital to expand and utilize stronger distribution networks. That is good news for small companies like Burt’s Bees. Once only distributed with organic products and available at natural food stores, they can now be found at mainstream supermarkets across the country. The profits, however, are now going to support Clorox. But could a company like Burt’s Bees or Tom’s of Maine (now owned by Colgate) be able to continue their good work without this buyout? While they may not have died out completely, these companies who are bought out by conglomerates are seeing unprecedented growth.

Once again, we are seeing how difficult being green can truly be. It is never a matter of buying green or not, but buying the best product for you and your life at any given moment. While overall, I think that when you can, you should support smaller companies with the best track record. That is not always possible. Furthermore, when bought out by large corporations, smaller companies now have to report to a board of directors whose biggest concern is usually return on investment. By contrast, a smaller company is free to follow their primary mission objectives. This means that they can be more concerned with the environment, their employees, or social By being a part of a larger conglomerate, a company like Honest Tea (which is an organic, fair trade product) has access to all the outlets where Coke can be found. Being available at convenience stores and gas stations means a big boost in sales. The more the sales, the more fair trade organic tea that must be produced to meet their needs. That means more land being converted to organics, more tea workers being paid a living wage. It also means that some of the core values could be sacrificed along the way to meet minimum profit returns as demanded by the parent company.

What do you do as a consumer? Do you switch to a new brand, diverting your consumer dollars to a new company that remains completely loyal to its core mission values. Or do you continue to support your favorite brands in the hopes of increasing market share and making them more profitable? My thoughts lie somewhere in the middle. I want to support the company that is doing the most good. On the other hand, by continuing to buy Burt’s Bees products, it might make that division of Clorox more profitable and encourage that larger company to take steps to make other divisions of their conglomerate greener, or add more organics, or other green ideas. It does come down to money, and if we abandon our favorite products because we hate the parent company, then there is no incentive for large multi-national companies to try and better their social responsibility or use better ingredients.

While working for a grocery store chain called Nature’s Fresh Northwest in Portland, Oregon, we opened new stores in less than traditional markets for natural foods. In order to meet the demands of the local consumer base, more conventional products were introduced into these stores. The idea was that these conventional groceries were going to be bought anyway, and by allowing them to be purchased within the Nature’s store, it would attract more consumers. Furthermore, by keeping those consumers in the store they would be introduced to new and better products. This strategy had some merits in that by buying Coca Cola in our store, some shoppers were less likely to make another stop at a conventional store. This means they were more likely to do more shopping within our store and then make healthier choices in other categories. In a similar way, by having Stonyfield Farms Organic yogurts as a part of the same company that owns Dannon, organic yogurt is available at a better price and can be found in Wal Mart. This means access by a larger demographic. In a city like Cleveland, that can mean a lot to the average consumer who doesn’t or cannot shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.

Tell me what you think? How do you approach this dilemma?

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The Wind Cube could help reinvent NE Ohio!

Monday, September 14th, 2009

windCube-logoWind turbines are all the rage. Wind power is already providing cheap energy in many places around the globe, Europe, California, Wyoming. The rising concerns over oil prices and greenhouse gas emissions has finally started a push toward innovation in the industry. Many new companies and products have started to pop up to make wind power more accessible. Swift, for example, is making a rooftop wind turbine that addresses the concerns over vibration and noise. Usability studies are being conducted on off shore wind farms almost anywhere there is water. And now Green Energy Technologies is adding the Wind Cube.

Problems have often arisen with wind turbines being effective in an urban center, due to turbulence and slow wind speeds. The Wind Cube has a unique design that funnels wind into the blades. This compounds the power of the breezes and makes them more effective-power can be generated from speeds as low as 5 mph. In addition, the funneling effect helps to direct turbulent wind patterns into a single stream, making it possible to generate power from wind that is too chaotic for more conventional turbines. The Wind Cube is suitable for most conventional commercial roofs and will begin generating power almost immediately. These units are cool for rooftops or tower designs and can be stacked to generate more power. They even have included a space for advertising, for great cross promotional opportunities and adding a way to increase revenue from installation.

The truly cool thing is that Green Energy Technologies is right here in Ohio. Headquartered in Akron, this company will add jobs and help to breathe new life to the faltering NE Ohio economy. If you want to see some cool video, or pictures, check out their site. This is the kind of thinking and growth to make Ohio the leader in renewable energy technology!

Download the WindCube brochure!

Download the WindCube brochure!

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Waste not, want not-13 painless things that you can do now to reduce your waste.

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

For those of you that have followed my blog for a while, then this is not anything new.  Since I have picked up quite a number of new followers of late, I thought I would write this post, even if I am repeating myself.  One big way to cut down on your imprint on the earth is to cut down on waste.  Sometimes, being green and sustainable is hard.  Finding some way to get rid of an air mattress that has a hole in it for example.  Not everything is that tough, though.  Here some easy things that you can do right now, simply and painlessly to make sure that the everyday things that you do are less wasteful.

Water

1. Take quicker showers. For the cost of a timer at the dollar store you can remind yourself and your family to use less water. Set it every time you shower and learn to use less water every time you shower. Figure out how long your showers are first, then gradually learn to shave off water usage a minute at a time.

2. Turn off the tap while you brush and shave. Why is that tap on anyway?

3. Run only full loads of dishes and clothes. Energy efficient dishwashers can use less water than washing by hand. But if you run it before it is full, you may be negating the savings. Same with clothes. Front load washers use significantly less water than top loaders, but either way you will use less if the load is a full one. Washing in cold water uses less energy as well.

4. Flush less, or at least put a Full water bottle in the toilet tank to use less water per flush.
 If you hate the idea of the “Yellow/mellow” rule, at least take a large water bottle or jug filled with water and put it in the tank of your toilet. Most homes flush 40% of their water usage, so every drop counts.

Utilities

5. Turn off lights when not in a room. Enough said. Change to CFL bulbs. At the very least use them in outside fixtures and lights that you leave on for long periods.

6. Use power saving settings on your computer. If you think you could do better, you are not alone. An energy audit on the US Department of Energy found that the DOE was wasting over a million dollars a year by leaving computers on overnight. Simple settings that turn off the computer, or put it into stand by automatically when not in use can save a lot of wasted energy in your home or office.

7. Use master strips on electronics and small appliances and turn them off when not in use.
 It is said that the average HD television uses more energy in its lifetime while it is off, than when it is on. Same with PlayStation and other video game consoles, DVD players, etc. Anything that has a light or a clock when not in use is drawing power. Ditto with chargers. Cell phones, ipods, MP3 players, and other portable electronics have chargers. If you leave them plugged in when not in use, they are still drawing power. I use master strips all over my house. The microwave, coffee maker, etc get turned off with a single flick of the button. The TV, DVD player, VCR, and audio are all on a single power strip. It goes off every night so that we don’t waste electricity while we sleep. I try to also turn it off every time we leave the house, and while we are out of the room.

Garbage

8. Recycle. Make the effort and it will become painless pretty quickly. Start simply with cans and bottles. Then move on to paper. Then start adding in more complicated materials. Stop with the excuses and just do it. If you do not have curbside recycling, find out the nearest place to drop off. Cleveland has drop box locations all around the city. Some charities collect newspapers and scrap metals-ask your church or kids group. Close the loop by buying products that use recycled materials.

9. Reuse. Try to find new uses for the items you are throwing out. Small jars make great spice bottles. Why buy Tupperware when many of the products that you buy come in reusable containers. You can even rinse out Ziploc bags and reuse them. Turn them inside out to wash and dry, the out them back right when you put them away. When something is at the end of its useful life for you, it may be the start of a new life with someone else. Donate used goods to charity. Have a garage sale. See is items can be repaired instead of tossed out. Even doors and windows can be salvaged. Try Craigs list or some other free site to get rid of stuff rather than letting it go to landfill.

10. Reduce. Buy products with less packaging. Buy bulk or at least bigger sizes when you can. Individually packed servings mean a lot of useless packaging. Buy reusable containers (or those salvaged margarine containers) instead of baggies for your lunch. Invest in a thermos instead of individual soup packages. Use totes and lunch sacks instead of plastic or paper bags.

Gasoline

11. Walk more, drive less. When we can, we try to stay in our neighborhood. This supports local businesses and we can walk to places using less gas.

12. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. If your tires are properly inflated, you get better gas mileage. Simple.

13. Combine trips. If you are going to the store, make a list. This means less trips out to get the things that you forgot. Try to combine trips so that you can be more efficient. Less trips=less gas consumption.

None of these ideas are new. They take a little effort to get into the habit, but can make an impact in the long run. Sometimes it seems that one person can make very little difference in the big scheme of things, but together we can make a difference overall. Even if your efforts just cancel out the bad habits of one other person, together some of us can cancel out quite a few others. Think globally, but act locally.

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Are CFLs all they are cracked up to be?

Monday, August 31st, 2009

I ended up having a discussion yesterday about Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs). If you have read any of my past posts, then you know I am a huge fan of CFLs. Since switching over, I haven’t had to replace a single bulb in my house. As that has been nearly a couple of years, and I had to change at least a bulb a week, I believe that the replacement costs alone have paid for these bulbs. I haven’t really monitored the electrical savings closely, but it has added to the overall energy savings program. Check out this great video for the basics in plain English.

During the discussion, a friend of mine brought up the mercury issue of CFLs. Yes, they do have amounts of mercury. But here are the facts:
There is no risk of the mercury being an issue as long as the bulbs stay intact.

The amount of mercury and heavy metals in the environment from CFLs is still smaller than the amount released through coal burning power plants to create the same amount of light with traditional bulbs.

Many retailers recycle CFLs. Ask at Ace, True Value, and Home Depot. Most have recycling programs in place, though you have to ask.

As always with any product, there are scare tactics when it comes to the possibility of replacing a conventional product. CFL bulbs have been reducing the amount of mercury in them for years, and most had little more that a small ab=mount as far back as early 2007. Just to make sure, take prec autions. Be careful when installing and disposing of them. Recycle them properly. If you break a bulb, get the pets and pregnant ladies away, use duct tape to pick up the remnants, put the trash in a plastic bag and use a mask while cleaning it up. Do not use a vacuum, as it will likely spread the mercury in the air. Then ventilate your home for a while (recommendations are a couple of hours).

There is a real environmental concern about the amount of mercury these bulbs will add to the environment, as millions of CFL bulbs are being sold every year. Especially since there isn’t a really easy way to get rid of them. Most curbsides in the country do not include CFLs as they are likely to break in transport. However, the reduction of mercury by coal burning power plants by reducing electrical needs of light bulbs is much higher. Furthermore, along with the mercury and other heavy metals released by coal burning power plants, the CO2 released is a huge contributor to greenhouse gasses. So if you are afraid of mercury in the environment, go ahead and replace your light bulbs with CFLs as you will be reducing the mercury problem, not adding to it!

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One person CAN make a difference, so can 2! Why not you?

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

I had the pleasure of meeting two young ladies at the Sustainability Summit. They are LeeAnn Westfall and Erin Huber. Students at CSU they have helped for the Campus Sustainability Coalition. This core group of students, administartors, and faculty are working to advise the Energy Committee of CSU on how to best direct the campus’s 42.8 million dollar Energy Conservation Program. Good work, right? But the work for these two is actually bigger than that. A look at the Roof Top Garden Project

Did you know that when the new CSU Recreation Center was built, there was originally a plan for a green garden roof? It was cut from the plan for budgetary reasons. Rooftop gardens and green roofs are an important tool in green buildings. In addition to adding natural beauty, they help to manage stormwater runoff (an important role in Cleveland), remove CO2 from the atmosphere, conserve energy by adding insulative value to the roof, and help to reduce the heat island effect (the effect of raising city temperatures that occurs from lots of dark roofs absorbing heat and holding it in). These progressive students learned about the green roof, and its demise, in their Environmental Science class. They refused to accept it. They organized and raised money through private and foundation donations. They convinced the university to match some of their funds and now the green roof is back on! The hard work of these two young ladies has meant a lot to the school and for future generations. I highly suggest that you contact the CSU campus and tell them how much you appreciate the work these women have done to further sustainability in our city. Give a small donation to further the cause, or drop them a line giving them Kudos! The project can be found here.

For Erin, the work has lead her to form a new downtown farmers market.  It opens September 3 and runs through October 22, every Thursday from 10:30-1:30 every week.  On the corner of 18th and Euclid (in front of the College of Law), here is a chance for those urban dwellers and students and even those who work downtown to drop by and pick up fresh market goodies to enrich their lives.  I am all about local foods and farmers markets, but many in Cleveland are not convenient for some.  Those working or living downtown now have a great new alternative!  Stop by and help them celebrate their opening with the live music and prizes!

So what can a couple of students do?  A lot!  So what can you do? It seems that you can do a lot as well.  I wrote briefly about Wastepedia in a previous post.  The brainchild of our group at the Sustainability Summit, we have started meeting and working to move forward to turn the prototype we created into a reality. Last night, at the E4S meeting, I gave a little introduction to the group about our efforts and the feedback was tremendous! In addition to media opportunities and location options, I left with the names of artists and artisans who are interested in joining us on this project. How great is that? This could help bring a lot of factions of the community together! Four other groups presented and some were born out of the summit as well. Andrew Watterson of the Sustainability Department of Cleveland also talked for a few minutes and I was thrilled to hear that there were actually 7 groups who had begun to meet to turn their ideas from the summit into reality. If even one of these great projects happens then the entire summit was a success. In fact, if none happens, it can still be positive if it helps to propel any energy forward in this arena! One thing that Holly mentioned was that we have to not be afraid to fail, by failing we may find a path to future success. I am paraphrasing, but I think that is the gist. Holly Harlan always is uplifting and forward thinking. I applaud her efforts for this town!

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Join me!

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

This Saturday is an upcoming tour of the Eco Village neighborhood. This is where you will find our building and we look forward to taking this tour. Come join us! I got this note from Lilah, who is the community go to person for all things Eco Village:

Hi All,
Happy Summer! Over the months I have had many requests for tours of the Cleveland EcoVillage. Unfortunately I have not been able to accommodate all of the requests. This Saturday, the 29th, we will be offering a tour of the Cleveland EcoVillage for anyone interested in seeing the latest in green building and sustainability centered urban redevelopment. The tour is sponsored by a great new group – YNPN – Young Non-Profit Professional Network. We welcome you to join us as we meet new friends and explore the ever evolving Cleveland EcoVillage. Bring a bag lunch and stay for a meal and discussion in the Ithaca Community Garden. Drinks will be provided. The details are below! We hope to see you there. Also- please forward this email to anyone and everyone that may be interested. Thanks! – Lilah Zautner

Then here are the details from Ian at YNPN:

Tour the Cleveland EcoVillage with YNPN Cleveland!

Join YNPN Cleveland on Saturday, August 29th at 10:00 a.m. as we tour the Cleveland EcoVillage, a neighborhood that champions sustainability. We’ll be joined by the EcoVillage Director, who will lead a one hour walking tour of the neighborhood. We’ll also discuss transit-oriented development, urban gardens, sustainability initiatives, grassroots resident initiatives, “pocket parks” and cool new super-efficient housing. The tour will end at the EcoVillage garden with sandwiches and refreshments and a conversation about how you can make your organization more sustainable.

Join us at 10 a.m.at the Michael Zone Recreation Center at the corner of West 65th Street and Lorain Avenue. The parking lot is off of W.65th directly south of Lorain. Registration is not required, but you can RSVP here: http://www.ynpn.org/ecovillage-cle.

Additional details about the EcoVillage:

Located in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood on Cleveland’s near west side, the EcoVillage is based around the West 65th/Lorain Rapid Station. The EcoVillage is:
• An innovative partnership involving nonprofit organizations, the city, the regional transit authority, private developers, and neighborhood residents.
• A national demonstration project that will showcase green building and transit-oriented development.
• An opportunity to realize the promise of urban life in the most ecological way possible.

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