Andy's Green Page

No Fridge for Fruits and Veggies?

2012-02-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

One of the themes that I see play out a lot in environmental publications is a return to things of the past. There are certain tasks in life that cannot be accomplished without things like electricity or refrigeration. But there is quite a lot that can still be done "the old fashioned way" - in many cases it simply is a matter of slowing down or using less.

I ran across this cool article at NoTechMagazine.com that showcases some very low tech ways to keep fruits and vegetables fresh without tossing them in the fridge. The solutions pictured are simple, elegant and help remind us of wisdom from our past that we may have forgotten or might otherwise be lost. I think what struck me most about this article was realizing that the conditions of a typical fridge don't work that well for a variety of common foods - and that often the optimum conditions vary widely depending on the foods in question (for example, carrots and onions).

I have often thought that if I could see the food I had on hand, that it would be less likely to spoil because I would know it was there and use it in time. Storing less food in the fridge might mean that I could do with a smaller fridge, reducing energy use and perhaps wasting less food. Whether or not I am ready to build myself a root cellar or one of these very clever storage units is a question for another time. Meanwhile I'll close with this quote:

"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."

Ecclesiastes 1:9

US Military and Energy Policy

2012-01-30T19:19:00.000-05:00

As a former active duty soldier, I can tell you first hand that most members of our armed services consider themselves to be "conservative". While it may seem like that leaning would put a hamper on any "green" efforts in the military, our men and women in uniform are also very practical. When you do what they do for a living, you have to put politics aside and get the job done. Which is why it's no surprise to me that the Department of Defense (DoD) is continuing its work on improving energy efficiency and developing renewable energy. The reasons are pretty simple: improve national security, reduce costs, and save lives.

You can find a good overview of the efforts the US military is taking in a piece published on Ecomagination (yes, the GE group). One of the items in there that astounded me was how much the DoD spends on energy in all its forms - $15 billion each year. In October of last year, a group of retired military brass published an Op-Ed in the Tampa Tribune reinforcing the issues related to DoD energy use and the need to invest in efficiency and renewable energy. Another telling statistic - one out of every 24 fuel convoys took casualties; between 2003 and 2007 it was estimated that over 3,000 military personnel were killed as a result of attacks on convoys.

While there have been some very high profile doubters of the Pentagon's work, the truth is that the military is figuring out how to put some of the US' best and brightest into action to develop renewable energy solutions that work on the battlefield. This article from Outsideonline.com talks about the deployment of solar panels and power cells to Afghanistan, where Marine units put them to the test with great success.

Regardless of what happens with energy policy in DC, the Pentagon is moving forward with their new energy plans. And when the military starts putting its dollars behind new industries, all sorts of great things start being developed and new jobs are created. As the military deploys new technologies, civilian versions won't be far behind, bringing energy efficiency savings to those of us at home.

Perhaps it's time to tell the politicians to step aside when it comes to energy policy. If we simply follow the example being set by some of the best leaders in the world, maybe we can start to change this nation for the better - improve national security and save lives; save money and put our citizens back to work; strengthen the US economy by leading the world in the markets of the future. Might seem lofty to some, but for our men and women in uniform it's just another day on the job.

What's New in 2012

2012-01-22T10:01:00.000-05:00

Here it is, almost three weeks into the new year and I finally get back to posting. My goal for 2012 is to try and be more consistent in my posting. At the same time, I decided to try and focus on a few major themes for my posts:

DIY - reporting on projects I've completed, including what went well and what didn't; targets for 2012 include a report on the green shed roof, square foot gardening and hopefully a rain barrel or two
Policy - reviews of major political policy in the US that have a significant impact on the environment; expect info on Keystone XL, energy subsidies, military research and transportation/infrastructure
News & Gadgets - quick hits on articles of green interest; expect this to include advances in renewable energy, products for the home, and green gadgets

We'll start the year with News & Gadgets!

Grist has a review of research that compared average trip mileage with the standard range of electric vehicles (EV) on the market today (about 40 miles is typical). The data suggests that the majority of single trips that Americans take in their cars is within the range of a standard EV. An interesting finding that seems to highlight the major perception issue of EVs, which is that their short range makes them impractical for most drivers.

This should be good news for the car companies as they expand the range of EVs. There is still much work to be done in terms of the charging infrastructure (where, electricity source, cost), and of teaching Americans where EVs make the most sense. In a rural area similar to the one I live in, an EV is likely impractical depending on how far out in the country one lives. In big cities, where charging infrastructure can be installed quickly and vehicle emissions can cause pollution issues, EVs are a more practical solution.

As usual, there is no silver bullet that can cure all our environmental problems in one quick hit. But, by reviewing our specific needs and selecting appropriate solutions using data rather than fear or inertia to drive our choices, we can begin to reshape our energy, transportation and infrastructure to reduce the impact on the world around us. The latest new green thing may not work for you or be what you need - but that idea that "everybody" makes fun of could be just what you've been looking for. So keep looking and keep trying - change may come slowly at first, but it adds up over time.

New Nukes?

2011-11-12T17:18:00.000-05:00

Among the environmental community, nuclear energy is a very touch subject. As with most forms of energy, it has pros and cons - no air emissions at the point of generation, but significant issues with fuel extraction and waste disposal. After a long time in the shadows, nuclear energy is back in the spotlight for both good and bad reasons (global warming and Fukashima). But many environmentalists are opposed to nuclear energy in its current form.

But what if there was a different way to harness the atom for power? Our current reactors use uranium fuel - that's been the standard for a long time, so all of the infrastructure for nuclear power is built around that fuel source, which makes it difficult to think about changing the way nuclear power is generated.

I recently read an article, and watched a video about nuclear energy based on a different fuel source - Thorium. While I'm certainly not an expert on nuclear energy, watching the video filled me with hope that there is another option out there for meeting our power needs.

As I've said before, there is no silver bullet for reducing the many environmental impacts that we have imposed on this world. And given that truth, we need to take a look at every potential opportunity that presents itself. I agree with Albert Einstein - "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."

Counter Culture?

2011-11-01T18:27:00.000-04:00

I recently read an article on the Fast Company web page about a new program from Patagonia. For those who don't know, Patagonia is a private company that manufactures outdoor clothing and gear. They are known for creating items that are both stylish and last a long time. And now they have taken a step which will likely seem odd to a lot of people.

Patagonia recently introduced their Common Threads Initiative - and on the face, it may not seem like a big deal. A lot of well known consumer product companies have environmental initiatives designed to reduce the impact of their products. But unlike many, this initiative starts where many companies won't go...

We design and sell things made to last and to be useful. But we ask our customers not to buy from us what you don’t need or can’t really use. Everything we make – everything anyone makes – costs the planet more life than it gives back. The biggest, first step we can all take to reduce our impact is to do more with what we have.

The text above is taken directly from the Patagonia Common Threads Initiative web page, and as you can see they are asking their customers to not buy stuff. Let that concept sink in for just a second - as a consumer, I am being challenged to ask myself "do I really need this" before I make a purchase. To most folks who work in the corporate/for profit world, this may seem outright crazy. But it is one of the key questions that I need to ask myself each day.

My impact on this world is determined largely by the stuff I buy, and how much I buy. If I take the time to question the necessity of each purchase, and to put my "old" stuff to better use, I can help reduce the impact that I have on this world. I can break the cycle of work-buy-toss and put my time and resources to better use, like improving the world around me and taking time to truly love my neighbor. And as I reward companies for taking these types of steps, I can help alter the culture of our economy. It all starts with "Reduce" and it starts with each one of us.

Less = More?

2011-10-07T07:35:00.001-04:00

Looking for inspiration for your weekend projects? Check out this TED talk on how less may actually be more. This is definitely not a new concept, but this video provides a novel way of looking at the question of stuff.

We know that the best way to reduce our impact on the environment is to consume less of everything - energy, food, material goods. It definitely saves money and time, and as suggested by the video, probably gives us more freedom and happiness then we might otherwise experience.

If you are inspired to edit your stuff, be sure to take the time to find a good home for anything that is still usable. In economic times like these, there are plenty of our friends and neighbors who can use a little help. Let's see - save money, save time, help others, and help the planet - sounds like a no-brainer!

Transportation in the News

2011-09-12T21:09:00.000-04:00

If you live anywhere near Louisville, Kentucky you are likely aware that one of the bridges (the I-64, or Sherman Minton, as it is known locally) crossing the Ohio River is currently closed. A recent inspection uncovered at least one critical crack, and the governor of Indiana ordered the bridge closed until repairs could be made. Unfortunately, this is likely to take a while (up to six months) - and so instead of three bridges into Louisville, there are now only two. And this is going to make travel into Louisville very interesting...

With major closures like this come major traffic delays, leading to higher costs for commuters and trucking companies alike. There is also a large chorus of "we told you so" being shouted from every corner of the Kentuckiana area. You see, they've been trying to get at least one more bridge built for a long time now (at least 20 years, maybe closer to 30) - and the I-64 closure is being used as a reason why a new bridge should be on the fast track. And a new bridge may indeed be justified, though it still won't happen in time to help with the current situation.

However, I think that there is also an opportunity to look at transportation alternatives. The only way you can limit the impact of this closure is to take a bunch of vehicles off the road. Mass transit (which means buses in Louisville) or car pooling (or ride-sharing, which is the new and fancy "green" word) would certainly be one way. Another option for some folks could be to work from home rather than drive into their office (if their jobs allow). Taking vehicles off the road will help reduce congestion and limit the additional wear that the other two bridges will face.

Throughout the US, our transportation infrastructure is showing signs of age and needs to be repaired. And in places where there is population growth, the infrastructure often requires upgrades and additions to handle the additional traffic - under the current one person/one car model. But maybe we can use closures like this as a wake up call - perhaps it's time to rethink how we move people. Maybe we can adjust our priorities and put more emphasis on solutions that move people safely, quickly and with less cost (both in terms of fuel and impact on the environment). Hopefully we can learn from events like these to make our infrastructure better and smarter!

Modular Solution

2011-08-29T06:00:00.026-04:00

I often find myself annoyed by the poor quality of many types of products on the market, especially small consumer electronics that are sold (and made) for very low prices. The problem is that the lifespan of these cheap products tends to be pretty short, and once an item is damaged there is very little chance that it can be repaired.

Recently, I ran across a company that is taking a different approach with one of these common products. Acoustic Forge is working to produce a modular earbud system - one with individual components that can be switched in the event of damage. This is the kind of product that I can see myself purchasing. I have worn out several sets of earbuds over the past few years and would gladly pay a little more for a set that I could repair and continue to use.

Products designed to be repaired offer plenty of benefits for both the companies producing them and the consumers purchasing them, including less waste. As consumers, we have the ability to reward companies for ideas that we like, and we can use this influence to help reduce the impact of products that we use. So if you find a product or idea that you like be sure to tell your friends about it and support them with your business. It's one simple for each of us to improve the world around us.

Gotta Keep 'Em Separated

2011-08-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

Recyclable materials are collected in a number of different ways. In some places, you (the consumer) have to haul your recyclables to a centralized location where you place them into separate bins. Some areas have deposits on certain items, like aluminum cans, that allow you to get a small refund when you return said item to a retailer. Other places allow you to set out your recyclables at the curb where they get picked up and hauled away. There are other services like Recyclebank and Terracycle that use an incentive model for recycling.

Where I live we have a curb-side recycle pickup service - as part of our trash service, our recyclables get hauled away once every two weeks. And this service allows us to keep all of our recyclables mixed together - the reason they can do this is because of Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs).

The only way that a recyclable has any value is if it can be grouped together with similar materials to provide a clean source of material for a company that can convert it into something else. While co-mingled recycling (or single-stream as it is sometimes called) can lead to increased rates of recycling, it also requires additional effort to sort and group the materials so that they can be reused (whether this is an efficient use of resources vs. reuse is another discussion). I've linked to a video here that gives you a good overview of how MRFs sort recyclable materials for later use. The video does a great job of showing how MRFs work - I know because I had the opportunity to visit one recently thanks to my day job. Seeing the sorting technology in action was very impressive, though I am sure that a lot of people wouldn't find this kind of work much fun.

As a reminder, recycling is still a better option than disposing of something in a landfill. regardless of what the item is, aluminum can, glass bottle, plastic cup or newspaper, a lot of energy (and sometimes water) and money went into making that item. To throw all of that away by tossing it into a hole in the ground just doesn't make sense (or cents). Please take time to sort out your recyclables and put them back to use at home and at work/school.

Homegrown goodness

2011-08-01T06:00:00.002-04:00

Each year I attempt to grow a variety of veggies in my little backyard garden plot. In most cases I succeed, but so far I've stuck with the usual suspects - green beans, zucchini, cucumbers - the easy stuff (at least for me). Earlier this year, my neighbor gave me a few basil starts. I thanked him, stuck them in the ground, and promptly forgot about them.

Last week I was out weeding and came upon the basil plants, and all I can say is WOW! The sweet aroma was intoxicating, and I just sat there for a minute relishing the amazing aroma. I picked some leaves tonight and made a homemade pesto - delicious!

Obviously, I have never actually had basil before. Sure I've had dried basil from the supermarket, or basil mixed in with some kind of pasta...but it's not the same as fresh. And that's the main point in terms of local food. When you can get your produce straight from the source and bypass the storage and the processing you can experience some amazing flavors. Same with purchasing heirloom varieties and getting away from the "standard" veggie or fruit.

So do yourself a favor and visit your local farmer's market or roadside veggie stand or u-pick orchard. Or get your hands dirty and start a backyard or container garden. Trust me on this one - you can reduce your impact one delicious veggie at a time!

Can't We All Just Get Along?

2011-07-18T06:00:00.001-04:00

Some places in the US are seeing large increases in the number of people who are using bicycles to get from one place to another. And cities are having to react to this increase so that everyone - bikers, pedestrians, and drivers - can get where they need to go without causing injuries. Unfortunately, in some cases this has turned into a very unproductive Us vs. Them battle.

In terms of keeping bicycling safe, both sides need to do their part. Bikers need to obey traffic laws, watch out for cars and pedestrians, and make sure that they can be seen at all times. It is very infuriating to have to stop suddenly or swerve because a bicyclist has run a traffic light or stop sign, and this can create ill will toward all bikers.

Drivers need to watch out for bikers and make sure that they don't encroach or take over bike lanes (where they exist). When driving a car, it's important to remember that if an accident happens it's the bike rider who is going to bear the brunt of the impact.

I've linked here to a funny video about bike lanes in NYC - hopefully it can serve as a good reminder that drivers and bikers need to be aware of each other. Simple respect for others goes a long way - hopefully I can remember this the next time I am out on the road, car or bike.

Jargon Explained - Fracking

2011-07-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

As with many other professions, the world of environmental uses a lot of jargon and special terms that folks outside the industry might not know the definition of. One term that continues to get a lot of use is "Fracking".

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing - the full name, is a term used to describe a technique for getting more stuff out of a well. Certain types of rock can lock valuable materials, such as water, oil or natural gas, into small pores or pockets. In order to be able to pump this material out of the ground, hydraulic fracturing is used. First, water and a mix of chemicals are pumped into a well at high pressure. This fluid helps form cracks, or fractures, in the rock, which opens up the small pores. After the fracturing fluid is recovered, the fractures in the rock allow the material to be pumped out of the ground through the well. You can get additional information from US EPA and Wikipedia.

Right now, natural gas companies are turning to fracking more and more to help unlock large deposits of natural gas. Previously, either the technology didn't exist, or it wasn't economical for these companies to try to extract these gas deposits. But as demand grows and technology advances, more and more areas are being considered for natural gas extraction. And with that growth comes two primary concerns - both have to do with water.

First, it takes water to make hydraulic fracturing work. Depending on where the well is located, that could be a problem. In areas where there is a shortage of water, hydraulic fracturing will likely come into conflict with farmers, ranchers, and families that also have a claim on the water. And if the water is being pulled from an underground aquifer faster than the aquifer can be replenished , there could be long term consequences. A recent blog post at Grist highlights this issue as it plays out in Texas.

The other concern is in regards to the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. In some cases, the gas companies won't reveal exactly what chemicals they are using. This lack of transparency concerns environmental groups and nearby residents who are concerned that exposure to the chemicals could cause health problems (to humans or animals). There is also concern that if the chemical and water mix isn't properly captured, nearby water supplies (such as rivers, lakes, and aquifers) could become contaminated and be unusable for drinking water or irrigation. In some cases, this concern has led to action - the New Jersey legislature recently passed a ban on hydraulic fracturing.

There are still a lot of unknowns surrounding the use of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas extraction. While US EPA and other groups try to answer the questions, we as individuals need to keep ourselves informed. If you happen to live in an area where hydraulic fracturing is ongoing or possible, this is definitely one to keep your eye on. And be sure to get involved and contact your elected officials - make your voice heard! As with any issue, knowledge is power!

Website - Power Profiler

2011-06-20T06:00:00.001-04:00

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a lot of information posted on various pages of their website. One that I discovered recently is an interesting tool called the Power Profiler. With this tool, you enter your zip code and select the name of your electricity company - the tool compares the fuel mix of your utility to the national average to give you an idea of how "clean" your power is.

In most power plants, fuel is burned to generate heat - the heat either turns turbines directly or generates steam which turns the generators. Burning fuel releases pollutants into the air, and the amount of pollutants released depends both on what type of fuel is used and whether any equipment is used to capture the pollution. The Power Profiler tells you, based on the type of fuel used by your utility, the amount of pollutants released versus the national average - thus telling you how clean your power is. This can give you an idea of how much good you can do by reducing your energy use. For me, living in southern Indiana, the fuel mix is heavily weighted towards coal - meaning that air pollutants are emitted at a higher rate than the national average. So reducing my power use, or using alternative power sources such as solar, has a big impact.

The Power Profiler website also gives you tips on how to reduce your energy use, and where you can purchase "green" power. All in all a pretty interesting tool - gives some good insight into how you can reduce your impact and improve the air around you!

Share Your Car?

2011-06-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

For those you may not have heard of the concept, car sharing is similar to renting a car. Companies set up large fleets of cars in major cities and keep them parked in certain lots. You sign up to share a car for a set time period (hours or days) and simply return the car to one of the designated lots.

I ran across a couple of interesting articles (here and here) talking about the next big thing in car sharing - renting out your own car. There are a couple of services in California and other places that have started up. Basically, you sign up for the service and make your car available for rent by the hour or whatever you want. How the person gets the car differs - one service installs a system that allows the renter to open your car door with a smart phone. Insurance is taken care of by the companies who run the services.

It is an interesting concept - certainly one that would work well in a city. Not sure how comfortable I would be with this concept, even with a third party handling the transactions. And while this type of service can reduce the number of cars on the road, it doesn't necessarily reduce the number of miles driven - to do that you need to car pool, take mass transit, or walk/bike. But, its certainly one way to get the most out of the cars already on the road.

Is your home walkable?

2011-05-06T07:00:00.001-04:00

I ran across an interesting website the other day. It's called WalkScore, and it provides a rating on how walkable a city or town is. It looks at what things are nearby, how the streets are laid out and then provides a score that ranks your town/neighborhood on a scale of 0-100.

While not perfect, this could be an interesting tool if you are in the market for a new home and wanted to be able to walk or bike your neighborhood. Benefits of being in a walkable place include:

less time in a car (which includes less air pollution and less money for gas)

improved fitness, and

less stress (probably)

Checking out my address, WalkScore comes back with a 26 - ouch! But probably realistic - there are a few things within walking distance (park, schools, golf course) but few shops and restaurants, so it would be tough to get much shopping done. And even though it's not taken into account by WalkScore, I know there are places that you don't want to walk to around here just from a safety standpoint - I try not to cross the state highway on foot if I don't have to.

So take a look and see where your hometown ends up - you might be surprised at how walkable (or not) your home is. And if it is walkable, then get out and enjoy!

Air Quality Awareness Week

2011-05-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is celebrating Ar Quality Awareness week from May 2 to May 6, 2011. You can find information at their website here and learn about the major health impacts of air pollution and find ways that you can help improve air quality where you live.

Poor air quality can impact anyone, but is especially harmful for children, the elderly, and anyone with respiratory problems (such as asthma) or heart disease. If you or anyone in your family falls into this category, you can check the daily air quality forecast at EPA's AirNow website.

Meanwhile, identify a few ways that you can help improve air quality and take action. As summer approaches, with its hot and dry weather, air quality typically gets worse (especially for folks in cities). So help clean up the air where you live today!

Poison Prevention Week

2011-03-19T21:00:00.001-04:00

The week of March 20 - 26 has been designated as Poison Prevention Week. This week is intended to be a reminder of the dangers that common household chemicals, pesticides, and medications can pose to anyone (adults, children and pets) if not used properly. Poisoning can occur by contact with the skin, through inhalation, or when a substance is eaten.

The danger is especially great for children - this year's theme is "Children Act Fast - So Do Poisons". Young children often put things in their mouth, and may not be able to distinguish between harmful substances (like prescription drugs) and safe substances (like candy). In 2009, the American Association of Poison Control Centers estimated that more than half of the 2.4 million poison incidents each year involve children under the age of six.

In addition to keeping chemicals and medication out of reach, another way to help prevent accidental poisoning is to properly dispose of any unwanted chemicals or medications. Why not take some time this spring to go through your medicine cabinets, kitchen cabinets and garage.

For old cleaning chemicals or pesticides:

check with your city/county solid waste agency to see if there is a special drop off location for these items
for anyone in Jefferson County, Indiana - SISWD Processing Center

For expired or unwanted medications:

Check with your local waste agency, or with your local police department (especially for narcotics/controlled substances)
Some pharmacies will also take back medication - RiteAid just started a take back program

If a poisoning does occur:

National Poison Control Hotline: 1-800-222-1222

or, dial 911 if the person has stopped breathing or collapsed

Resources for more information:
SafeKids.org
Poison Prevention.org
HealthyChildren.org

Fix a Leak Week

2011-03-15T06:30:00.003-04:00

Water is a precious resource that everyone needs. And we all know that using water efficiently is important, especially given that some parts of the US (and the world) don't have enough fresh, clean water available when it's needed.

To draw attention to the issue, EPA has designated the week of March 14-20, 2011 as "Fix a Leak Week". On their website, EPA has a number of tips for saving water - from the simple, everyday tips to information on EPA's WaterSense label for consumer products.

Even though I know how important it is too conserve water, it's easy for me to forget and slip into bad habits. Let's take this week as a reminder to get our homes back into shape!

My First LED

2011-01-31T18:41:00.003-05:00

Just recently I bought and installed my first LED bulbs - a pair of flood style bulbs for the recessed fixtures in the stairway to our basement. I have to say, so far so good - the bulbs are very bright and provide a nice white light. Because they are LED they use less energy than a comparable incandescent (18W for the LED vs. 60W for the regular bulb), which will save energy and money over the long run. AND the big win for me is that these bulbs are reported to last 30,000 hours - and given the location of these fixtures (recessed in the ceiling above a descending staircase) hopefully I won't have to change them for a very long time, which should save me in replacement bulb costs.

Just the Facts

In a previous post, I talked briefly about the different kinds of lighting and how you have to be careful to choose the right bulb for the right application. And before I made this purchase, I spent quite a bit of time reading the labels on the boxes to make sure I bought just what I needed.

Safety - The electronics that are in LEDs are much like those in your computer - they do generate heat and LEDs are typically designed to dissipate that heat safely. But not all are created equal and if you want to use an LED in a recessed light fixture, for example, then you need to make sure that the manufacturer tells you it is okay to use their bulb that way. Remember to always follow the manufacturers instructions and look for the Underwriter's Laboratory seal (UL) on the product package to ensure safety.

Lighting - The other information you want to know is how the bulb will perform. The US Department of Energy has a website called LightingFacts.com that is designed to provide a common label for LED bulbs. This label includes:

Light Output (Lumens) - a measure of how much light the bulb puts out; this is your best comparison between different types of bulbs to ensure you get the quantity of light you want. Higher lumens = more light
Color Accuracy - this is measured using the Color Rendering Index (CRI); different types of light show colors differently and a higher number is supposed to mean that the light will show colors accurately
Light Color - this is a measure of the type of light that the bulb will put out (warm, bright, daylight). Depending on what you need the light to do, you may want a different color of light.

Finding a bulb with a high light output and a bright white color gave me the perfect bulbs for a staircase; especially compared to the old bulbs which had a warmer (read darker) color and what seemed to be a lower light output. Plus I get the benefits of saving energy, time and money by using LEDs versus incandescents.

As with most things green, doing a little homework up front can save time and money in the long run. There are a lot of low energy options for lighting nowadays - you just need to pick the one that works best for your application and then sit back and enjoy the savings!

"New" way to build

2011-01-08T14:07:00.003-05:00

Featured in this post is a link to a pretty amazing story about homes. When you first view it, it may strike you as simply being another "green" story about how to recycle or do with less. But at the core, what Dan Phillips is doing is so much more important. You can read more about what Dan is doing here and see his talk at a TED Conference here.

In order for me to reduce my environmental impact on this world (or help others do the same), I cannot look at things simply in terms of the environment. Instead, I need to look at the whole - my reasoning must include social elements (including how I treat others), economic elements (cheap for me could be expensive to another), and others. Everything is connected - humans, animals, plants, societies, economies - and if we don't understand and respect this interconnected design, then we can make decisions that are harmful to ourselves or others.

After seeing what Dan is doing, my hope is to go and do likewise in my own home and in my community. It's hard not be inspired by Dan's work and message!

Chemical Review - Triclosan

2011-01-07T06:58:00.004-05:00

Over the past year, concerns have been raised over the safety of various chemicals used in consumer products (think beauty care, detergents, and cleaners). One chemical receiving quite a bit of attention is triclosan. As you may know, triclosan has anti-microbial properties - in other words, it kills a wide variety of germs. For that reason, triclosan appears in a lot of things like soaps, cleaners and even toothpastes. So what's the issue, and why has there been this big change?

Data, Data, Data -

Typically, chemicals used in products undergo some form of testing to determine whether there are any potential problems with the chemicals. Tests are run to see if the chemicals cause immediate harm (skin irritation, for example) or longer term harm (like cancer). Most of these tests are run on animals as a way to try and predict how the chemical will impact humans. If the initial tests don't show an issue, chemicals are typically okay to use. For chemicals used in foods, or as pesticides, government approval is typically required (FDA and EPA respectively in the US).

Over time, scientists and regulators can accumulate additional data on chemicals. Sometimes it's from direct experiments, and other times the data comes from other studies. And if this new data indicates that something may have been missed during the initial studies, then government agencies can require additional review or new studies. And that's what is happening with triclosan.

Because of concerns that triclosan can cause problems with hormones (endocrine disruptor is the scientific term), the FDA announced last year that it would review the safety of triclosan and make recommendations in spring of 2011. There are other organizations that also have concerns over the safety of triclosan, and some consumer product companies have announced that they are reformulating their products to eliminate this chemical.

So Now What?

The key question for most of us is, what do I do with this information. And that's a tough question, one that is likely to be impacted by personal preference. There are soaps and other products made without triclosan, so you can simply substitute one for another if you are concerned about potential health affects from triclosan. The other is to read up on triclosan at the FDA or EPA website and follow the current agency recommendations.

Remember that data can change how we think about chemicals - either good or bad. Saccharin was once thought to cause cancer, but studies over the years have not shown a cancer risk in humans and so saccharin has been removed from lists of cancer-causing chemicals. With triclosan we are entering a "wait and see" period.

As is often the case, education is vital - do your homework, keep an eye on the studies and make the best decision you can. You can start by asking whether the potential benefits (kills germs) outweigh the potential risks (damage to hormone systems) and make your decision. Sometimes we can cut things out simply by deciding whether we need it or want it.

Economics and Oil

2010-12-16T19:42:00.000-05:00

Modern man uses petroleum, commonly known as oil, for a lot of stuff like powering our cars or helping us make plastic. Unfortunately, the extraction and use of oil comes with a price - air pollution from refining and combustion, potential water and soil pollution from extraction, and some of the elements and compounds naturally found in oil are not the most friendly to life. But as long as there is a market for oil, humans will continue to extract it from the earth.

The Price is Right?

A few years back, the price of oil was rising fast - it broke the $100 per barrel mark and many environmentalists cheered. Higher oil prices means higher gasoline prices, which in theory would push people to adopt more fuel efficient vehicles, or vehicles using alternatives to gasoline, or even to give up their cars for mass transit or walking/biking. This would, of course, reduce the impact of oil in our lives - right?

Well, maybe not...

While there were some impacts in car buying and other transportation habits, we also started to see increased production of alternative sources of oil. Most oil exists in large pools under the earth's crust - bore a hole into this reservoir and the oil can be pumped out. Oil exists in other places as well, in places known as oil shales and tar sands, where the oil is contained in either rocks or sand rather than in a pool of liquid. Getting that oil into a usable form requires much more effort and cost.

There is also a concern that tapping into these alternative sources of oil is worse in environmental terms than standard oil production. Energy is required to extract the oil out of the material it is trapped in; there is also concern about the large amount of waste produced (called tailings) and whether this waste is contributing to soil and water pollution. There is also an increase in water use at these sites. The Canadian province of Alberta has a large oil sands operation that has been the source of frequent criticism - some of which was probably correct, though some not. (If you want to read an independent report on the Alberta Tar Sands, you can find it here - warning, it is a very large file)

In light of the issues with tar sands and the like, there is a small group of environmentally minded folks that hope for oil prices to stay low so that these sources won't be tapped because it would be too expensive. And oddly enough, OPEC is on their side...

That's right - the oil cartel based primarily in the Middle East is, at least for now, hoping for oil prices to stay low. The Atlantic published an interesting piece on the argument, which essentially states that OPEC hopes to keep alternative technologies, like plug-in hybrids, on the sidelines for as long as possible. If OPEC can kill other technologies in the short-term, then oil will remain king and their future is safe - at least until the oil runs out.

So Now What?

So where do we go from here? Do environmentalists hope for high oil prices to encourage the average consumer to move away from oil and its related impacts? Or do they instead hope for low oil prices in order to keep things like tar sands (and its impacts) from being developed? As you can see, it's complicated...

In the long run, it likely won't matter. Unless our current economy moves away from petroleum products, there will always be a profit to be had extracting and refining oil. And as oil supplies decrease over time (and demand increases) the prices will go up and every last source of oil will likely be developed, regardless of the environmental or human cost. That is, unless we move our economy away from petroleum and other non-renewable resources and towards energy that is renewable. If demand for oil drops, so will its price and its impact on the environment - simple economics, right?

Taking Advantage of the Weather

2010-10-22T16:58:00.003-04:00

I really enjoy the Fall season - the colors, the cooling temps, football, etc. One thing I especially like is that the weather is usually just right, not too hot and not too cold! And taking a few easy steps allows me to not only reduce the electricity I use, but save some money as well.

Not Automatic

Like many modern homes, ours has a central heating and cooling (HVAC) system. Thanks to a recent upgrade, we even have a programmable thermostat that allows us to adjust the set point depending on the time of day and even the day of the week. And while that can be a useful tool for managing energy costs, during this time of year it might be more likely to cost you money. So here is a reminder of some easy steps to take to keep your house just right.

Sunlight management - using curtains to control the amount of sunlight also helps control heat gain; close curtains when you want it cool, and open them up to get warm
Open and close your windows to take advantage of the outside temperature, either by cooling down the house at night, or warming it up during the day

It takes a little more work to manage your home temperature this way, but by turning off your HVAC unit you can save yourself money and reduce your impact on the environment. And while I realize that these seem like very obvious steps to take, not everybody takes advantage of them - if you live in a neighborhood, take a walk in the evening and listen for all of the HVAC systems running.

Don't forget that you can take advantage of these same techniques during the winter and summer seasons as well. And if you happen to be in the market for new windows, make sure that you educate yourself on the various options available. The best choice will depend paritally on what part of the country you live in and whether you need to better insulate from the heat or the cold.

For me this is a good reminder that while technology can be helpful, it doesn't always reduce my impact. Some things just have to be done the old fashioned way!

Unused Medication Disposal

2010-09-21T17:18:00.003-04:00

Green-minded folk will often talk about the waste reduction hierarchy - reduce, reuse, and recycle. But there are some things for which disposal is the only real option. Unused or expired medication is one of those things. If you check the shelves of your bathroom cabinets, you will likely find some medication which went unused and is either unwanted or expired. The question is how to safely dispose of that medication so that it doesn't cause harm to either people or the environment.

National Take-Back Initiative

Enter the US Drug Enforcement Agency and their national initiative to take-back unused medication on Saturday September 25, 2010. Visit their special web page here and read the details of the program.

If you miss this opportunity, you may still be able to drop off your medications for proper disposal. You can check with your local solid waste agency, for example - they may have special dates set aside for expired medication (see Louisville, KY's page here).

There are also sites that provide information on how to safely dispose of unused or expired medication, including the SMARxT Disposal site. As always, education is key to helping eliminate or reduce environmental problems.

Problem Meds

There are a number of issues with just tossing meds (including over the counter meds) into the trash or flushing them down the toilet. Medication that is not properly disposed of can be pulled out of trash containers and eaten by animals or children, causing harm or death (in extreme cases). Unused medication can also be used as an illegal drug - a form of drug abuse that can impact people of all ages, including teens. Medication that is flushed into the sewer can be carried into local bodies of water, where it has the potential to impact plants and animals.

So when you get ready to do your fall clean-up, don't forget about your medicine cabinet. Make sure that unused and expired medication is disposed of properly!

Park(ing) Day 2010!

2010-09-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

Back in 2005, a design firm conducted a small experiment. They paid for one day at a parking space in downtown San Francisco and converted the space into a temporary mini-park. Every year since, groups in other cities have done the same thing - converting space once reserved for cars into a small space for people. You can check out the Par(ing) Day website here (I recommend watching the what it's all about video).

As more people move into urban settings, there will be many more discussions about how to ensure that the land area of the city is optimized for all of the citizens. Given the current transportation system and our culture, there will always be a need to have space set aside for motor vehicles. But, there are also good reasons to take back some of that space and set it aside for non-car uses - whether as bike lanes, walking spaces, urban parks or commercial/retail area (like Louisville's Fourth Street Live). A great place to see some of these ideas in action is via Streetfilms.org.

And there are many good reasons to ensure that the use of urban space is balanced and not solely dedicated for motor vehicles:

Plants and trees help reduce what is known as the "heat island effect" and can help lower urban temperatures in the summer
Plants and trees help reduce problems associated with stormwater, like capturing pollutants and preventing surges at treatment plants
Providing safe bike lanes encourages more bicycle ridership - benefits include better health and reduced pollution from motor vehicles

If you live in an urgan area, I encourage you to get involved and help transform the urban space around you into a place you want to live. Talk to your neighbors, learn the issues, talk with your elected officials and participate by voting! You won't get anywhere sitting still...

Solving the World's Problems

2010-08-19T20:47:00.002-04:00

I studied engineering in college; and while there are a bunch of engineering disciplines focused on different things they all have one thing in common. Much of what you learn as an engineer is about how to solve problems. And how you go about that can determine whether or not you will be successful.

Questions and Boundaries

One of the first things you learn about problem solving is that you have to start by setting the boundary of the problem. Makes sense - to solve a problem you first have to know what the extent of the problem is. But this can be harder than it sounds; it's fairly easy to make the problem boundary too small or too large. If a problem is not properly defined then the decisions made early in the process don't lead to feasible solutions. You simply get stuck in a process that wastes time (and maybe resources) and the problem is still there at the end of the day.

The other half of defining the problem is trying to decide what you want to accomplish with your solution. And how we define our desired end can have a big impact on what paths we follow, what potential solutions we come up with, and how much of the problem we "solve".

Green Problems

As a nation, we face a wide variety of "environmental" problems that require solutions - air pollution, water pollution, toxic chemicals. And in some cases, I think that we have misdefined either the problem or the desired outcome.

Transportation provides a good example - we know that our current modes of transportation contribute to air, water and noise pollution. And up to this point, most of the effort has been put into making these same modes of transportation more efficient. Companies are spending a lot of time and money working to make cars and trucks (and airplanes and ships) that get more miles per gallon and produce fewer air emissions; different fuels are being tested and new types of vehicles are being introduced to reduce the amount of petroleum that our nation uses.

And this is good work - anytime we can reduce pollution that is a good thing. But perhaps we could do better? To do so, we would have to change the outcome we want to see. What if, instead of simply making the existing transportation infrastructure more efficient, we redefine the problem to something like this:

How do we move people and goods from here to there safely, efficiently and with the least environmental and social impact?

This a much broader problem statement than simply trying to improve mpg - instead it forces us to think about what we are trying to achieve. It also doesn't confine the possible solutions to new versions of what already exists, which can limit creativity. Perhaps most importantly, it acknowledges that there are economic and social facets of this problemas well, and that this problem is interconnected with many other issues we face - national security concerns over where our energy comes from; arguments over where the money will come from to repair and maintain the road/bridge infrastructure needed; negative health impacts for those living in high traffic areas.

The difficult part in approaching a problem in this way is that for many of us, it may lead to solutions that require us to give something up. Something that we are used to having, or used to do doing. It could make things a little more expensive, or my trip might take more time.

And there's the rub...am I as an individual (or special interest group) willing to give up something I want (but maybe not need) in order to make things better for my neighbors? Am I willing to serve, rather than be served? Am I willing to give up short term gain for long term peace? As a Christian, this is part of my daily walk - the struggle to turn away from what I want and turn towards God. It is to give my life to Him - not just the parts that feel safe, but all of it.

It's time for me to stop drawing the imaginary line between my "Christian" life and my "real" life and embrace the fact that I have given my entire life to Him. Perhaps now I can see problems for what they are and approach them with a different mindset...

UV App

2010-07-30T19:05:00.004-04:00

While not exactly a "green" post, I thought I would pass this along. The US EPA has released a smartphone application that provides you with a daily UV index forecast in your selected area. You can read the entire news release and download the app here.

In addition to information on the application, the EPA provides some tips about how to prevent sunburns and skin damage from UV exposure - an important topic given that exposure to UV radiation can damage your eyes and cause skin cancer.

And if you are looking for some more information on sunscreens, you can go to the Environmental Working Group's 2010 Sunscreen guide on-line. They have tested a number of sunscreens and compared their performance with the claims on the label.

So enjoy the summer, but keep safe in the sun!

Risk vs Certainty

2010-07-08T19:10:00.002-04:00

One argument often used in the climate change debate is that the science is uncertain. The argument goes something like this - because there is no science/data/proof that says 100% that humans are causing changes to the Earth's climate through the combustion of fossil fuels and other industrial air emissions, we should not take any actions to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Not every group buys into this argument - including one that might surprise some people:

US Military Commanders

Military action is full of uncertainty - conditions can change rapidly on the battlefield, and the best plans can fall apart in moments. Military leaders, especially those at the top, are trained to deal with uncertainty and to make decisions with imperfect information. If, as a military commander, you wait for a perfect plan or perfect information, you will almost certainly fail.

Military leaders tend to see differences not as stark contrasts, but as varying degrees of risk. Inaction is not an option for the military - they have to take the information that they have and form a plan around it. Then they move forward and execute the plan, changing it as they go to fit the conditions they encounter.

Over the past 12-18 months, I have seen a number of articles, videos and discussions about the US Military's view of climate change, and the actions each branch is taking to counteract the potential risks.

Force Multiplier

For example, armies need food and fuel to function - when the supply trains are long, they are vulnerable to disruption and the army is at risk (ask Napoleon about his Russian campaign). In the case of modern US operations, fuel represents a large risk to troops because of the large quantities that are required and the often long distance that the fuel must travel. Additionally, if a major portion of the fuel supply comes from a nation that is hostile to the US, or funnels profits to groups that are hostile to the US, our own money is turned against our troops. All of the branches of the US military are engaged in projects to reduce fuel use and use renewable fuels in order to improve their own security and reduce dependency on foreign goods - here are some examples:

US Army

US Navy

In this video, a number of former, high-ranking US military commanders talk about their concerns regarding climate change. Climate change is often considered to be a force multiplier - meaning that the impacts of climate change could add to or increase threats that already exist. Rising sea levels threaten Navy and other military bases located in coastal cities; water shortages can lead to new regional wars; food insecurity can topple fragile governments and provide a way for extremist organizations to take power. Each of these scenarios is a potential threat to national security, and military commanders have taken notice.

Perhaps we can learn something from our men and women in uniform. In the face of uncertainty and risk, make a plan and move forward - waiting for certainty in the case of climate change may mean that we are too late...

Consequences Realized

2010-06-22T18:05:00.000-04:00

As of this post date, it has been 64 days since the oil drilling rig Deepwater Horizon was destroyed by an explosion and resulting fire. As you are likely aware, the collapse of this rig ruptured the pipe carrying the oil to the surface and this oil is now being released into the Gulf of Mexico.

This is an awful event - not only were 11 people killed in the explosion, but now we have the single largest oil spill in US waters. The crude oil being released is damaging the ecosystem, and the livelihoods of those who depend on it. It is coating beaches, covering animals and making a huge mess. It is a major environmental, social and economic disaster.

Who's to Blame?

That question seems to be on a lot of people's minds. The companies involved with this drilling rig have come under quite a bit of criticism, both on their response (initial and ongoing) and on the events that led up to the explosion and pipe failure. British Petroleum (BP) is the company who owned the oil coming out of the well, and has publicly taken responsibility for repairing the ruptured pipe and cleaning up the oil. There is also the company that operated the rig (Transocean Limited) and another firm doing work at the drill site (Haliburton). The US government is also involved in the cleanup, so they are coming under fire for the timing and force of their response.

But if I am going to be fair, and if I am going to be honest with myself, then I have to admit that I share some portion of the responsibility for this spill. I use oil - every day, in one form or another.

gasoline and motor oil in my car
fuels transporting goods to my local stores
plastic containers and bottles that my food comes in

By the Numbers

According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), 40% of the total energy used in the US comes from oil, mostly for transportation. In 2009, the US produced or imported 5.2 billion barrels of crude oil. Statistics provided by the Energy Information Administration (run by the DOE) shows that about 37% is domestic production. Off-shore drilling (like the Deepwater Horizon) accounts for about 6% of US production, or about 2.3% of US crude oil consumption.

So the key question now, is what's next...

Oil industry representatives have spent a lot of time explaining how this kind of thing won't happen again. The accident is being studied, and there will likely be a large set of recommendations that are issued to all oil drilling platforms once the study is concluded. But what we can't overlook is that humans are not perfect - there will probably be another accident on another drilling rig. It may not be as severe, but it will happen.

Put another way, do I find this risk acceptable to keep doing what I am doing? Looking at the numbers, if the US could reduce its demand for oil by 3%, then logically we could end off-shore drilling (I realize that there is a whole other argument related to eliminating the import of oil from nation's that don't like us and are a threat to national security, but that's a different post).

Am I willing to drive 3% fewer miles? Willing to buy 3% fewer plastic containers? Or is the spill in the Gulf of Mexico an acceptable consequence of my consumption and habits...

Renewable Energy Tools

2010-05-28T16:46:00.002-04:00

Ever thought about putting solar panels on your roof? How about a wind turbine in your backyard? Besides the relatively high cost of the equipment, one of the big questions about renewable energy is whether or not it makes sense where you live. Some parts of the country have better wind or sun than others, and that can make a big difference when thinking about installing renewable energy. Fortunately there are some web based tools that can help you with this decision.

IMBY

The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has a set of tools on their IMBY web page. The acronym stands for "In My Backyard", and they have tools for both solar and wind. The system uses a geographic information system (GIS) and allows you to see what sun and wind power is available where you live. You draw on the map where you want the panels (or turbine) and the program will tell you how much energy the system could generate. Combine this with the cost of your electricity and how much you use each month and it will help you figure out the financial payback of the system.

If you are interested in hydro power, the Idaho National Laboratory has a Virtual Hydropower Prospector - a system that can help you find potential hydro power applications. While probably not as useful to the average homeowner, still a pretty neat application. There could be similar programs for things like geothermal - if you have some spare time you can explore these websites along with the US Department of Energy site to find the information you are looking for.

Show Me The Money

Another useful tool is a website called DSIRE - Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency. By selecting the state you live in, you can see what government or utility incentive programs are available in your area. This is definitely worth your time if you are planning any improvement projects that involve energy efficiency or renewable energy. Quick example - if you live in Indiana and want to install a solar-powered roof vent, you may be eligible for a 50% tax credit (up to $1,000) - and that was just one of dozens of active programs in Indiana.

There are also some renewable energy companies that are offering their systems on a lease basis instead of purchase. Basically they install a system on your roof and you sign a contract that says you will pay a certain cost for the power generated over a set period of time (usually in the 10-20 year time frame so they can recoup their investment). While this may be a good deal, it is always wise to have the contract reviewed before you sign - while it might cost you a few hundred dollars to have a lawyer look it over, it could save you a lot of money down the road.

As always, the web is full of great information - but, be cautious and check your sources. Not everything you read on the web is accurate. If you are interested in renewable energy, take your time and do your homework. It will be worth it in the long run!

Baby Steps

2010-04-19T20:30:00.005-04:00

This weekend I took another step in reducing my lawn mowing footprint. I went out and purchased a reel-style mower. For those who aren't familiar, a reel-style mower is a set of spiral blades attached to a central axle. The axle is rotated by the wheels being turned through mechanical action - this being a fancy way of saying that you push it to make it go. Or as my son pointed out, these are "the mowers they use on cartoons".

One Step at a Time-

I have wanted a reel-style mower for quite some time, and was very pleased with how it worked when I tried it out this past weekend. It requires only my muscles for power; there is very little noise and no air pollution as a result of its use. It requires no gas or oil or electricity to run (so no additional costs), and will provide me with some much needed exercise. Plus it was a simple way to take action to further reduce my impact on the planet. Oh, and it does a pretty good job of cutting grass too.

Change is difficult! And for me, I can most often make changes in my behavior when I take a series of small steps, rather than trying to take a big leap. Some folks can make big, instant changes, but I can't. Instead, I break the issue down into very small chunks so that I can take one little step at a time. For me, little steps are easier to plan, easier to do, and have less fear attached than the BIG steps.

And little steps do count! Don't let yourself be discouraged by those who say your one change won't make a difference - it will! Sometimes you have to show others that something can be done - let your behavior "pull" them along. The collective actions of millions of people do make a difference, and so can your next step.

Guest Post - Stuff Christians Like

2010-04-06T07:02:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the Stuff Christians Like massive guest post. Thanks to Jon Acuff for including this site in his blogging experiment!

The “Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian? Scorecard”

69. The first magazine that interviews them is Guideposts = + 3 points

To add up your score with over a 130 other ideas on this scorecard, visit stuffchristianslike.net

Elements of Change

2010-03-28T08:32:00.003-04:00

One of the things that bothers me about some discussions on environmental issues is the belief that there is a singular "answer" or "solution", and that if we all agreed with that one thing then everything would immediately get better and the problem would be solved. I think, however, that most of us recognize the complexity and interconnectivity of most societal issues (whether environmental, social or political) - searching for a single answer is limiting at best, and can sometimes make the situation worse. So when looking for solutions, we need to be prepared to look at different aspects:

Behavior

In order to change a situation, the individuals and groups involved need to look at their own behaviors to determine if there is something that requires change. This requires an honest look that can be difficult if not painful. And it should always start at the individual level - if I believe that changing the way I live is needed to help contribute to a positive solution then I need to do it before I start beating up others to do the same.

One important aspect of this is to really look at what is driving our behavior before we commit to making a change. What I am doing may simply be a habit - something that I have always done that is no longer necessary or relevant. This can make change easier, though not always. It takes time to change habits, but if I am convinced that the habit is no longer needed it can help me change.

Behavior is tough to change - while it might be "low cost" in the financial sense, you may be asking people to change something which they believe defines who they are. Forcing behavioral change does not usually end well - at best you might get begrudging compliance. If you want to change behavior, start by making the change yourself and modeling it to others.

Policy

There are times when part of a solution has to include policy changes, whether that is within a company or a government. This is rarely, however, THE solution. Depending on how the particular rule/policy is written it can end up producing very different results. If not constructed carefully, you can end up providing incentives that are the opposite of what was intended.

As with behavior, there also should be consideration for the removal of past policy that is no longer functional. Sometimes what we find is that old rules actually prevent people from moving forward with innovative changes that can help with the issue at hand. Governmental policy is very difficult to change (just look at lobbying efforts anytime an old federal policy such as agricultural price supports comes up for debate).

Anyone interested in helping solve a societal problem needs to take time to become familiar with the current regulations and policies, and with the new policies being proposed. And then there should be open and honest debate about the potential consequences (both positive and negative) for the policy change. We don't help anyone when, as a society, we engage in divisive, partisan bickering.

Technology

There seems to be much focus these days on the saving power of technology. And I agree that new technological advances can be an effective tool in solving problems, however, it is simply a tool. Technology can help change behaviors and can also help enforce policy. But by itself, technology is rarely the only piece of the puzzle. In fact, too much emphasis on technology being THE solution can lead to whole new sets of problems.

Computers were originally hailed as a way to bring about the paperless office. What we found, however, was that computers made it much easier to produce written work, and that led to an increase in the amount of paper used/wasted. And then there is the problem of hazardous materials used to make computers, the increasing amounts of energy need to power them, and the end-of-life issues that electronics and planned obsolescence can lead to (yes, the fact that this blog is produced on and viewed through computers is not lost on me). But as tools, computers have led to breakthroughs and changes that may not have been possible without them. As with anything, tools (like computers) can be used for both positive and negative change - much depends on the user (back to behavior).

The Whole Picture

So remember to consider all of the elements when working to solve a problem. That includes bringing in other people - especially those with different opinions and viewpoints. It is rarely helpful for problem solving when everyone in the group thinks the same way. Another thing to keep in mind is that problem solving is an ongoing process; it should change and evolve as different solutions are tried. Just because something seemed like a good idea at the time doesn't mean you can't change it when you find out it's not working. I have yet to see a perfect solution for any problem, let alone one that worked on the first try. As Thomas Edison was quoted as saying, he didn't fail to make a lightbulb, he just found 10,000 ways that didn't work.

Guest Post - Victoria Wesseler of Going Local

2010-03-15T18:56:00.003-04:00

A while back I was introduced to a great blog called Going Local. For those living in Indiana, this is a wonderful resource for finding (and using) local food in Indiana. As I have mentioned before, purchasing food from a local source is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment and enjoy other benefits (for example, fewer miles travelled also typically means you get fresher food). I encourage you to go explore this site, even if you don't live in Indiana!

After reading about her mini-farm, I asked Going Local's author, Victoria Wesseler, if she would write a guest post for my blog. I wanted to hear from Victoria why she gardens - what is it that draws her back to the farm each year. Enjoy!

Why Do I Garden?

Corners have been turned down on more than a few pages in the many seed catalogues that I've been receiving since the first of the year. My husband Robert and I have discussed the garden layout and are anxiously awaiting the day that we can get our seeds and starter plants in the ground. The beginning of another gardening season is upon us. So joyful. So hopeful.

Planting is such a glorious activity. It gives confirmation that the dark days of winter are behind us and that the promise of summer will soon be fulfilled. You plant and you wait and wait some more. And then a miracle happens--The first sighting of little green tips sticking their heads through the soil creates a euphoria that cannot be explained to the non-gardener. To the gardener, it says that all is right in the world.

But the excitement soon gives way to some frustration. Between the joy of planting and the reward of harvest there is work. Plain, old fashioned, unglamorous work.
Weeding...hoeing...pest management...disease management.
As I'm kneeling on the ground pulling the same weed that I could have sworn I pulled yesterday, I ask myself "Why am I doing this? Why do I garden?" We could buy our produce at the many farmers' markets, subscribe to a CSA, and be very happy getting the overflow from our neighbors' gardens. I don't HAVE to do this...I NEED to do this. I can't explain it. And for anyone who has experienced the joy of putting a seed in the ground and watching it fulfill its destiny, the feeling is the same. It is a part of my soul.

And that's why I garden.

Victoria Wesseler

www.goinglocal-info.com

Cash for Appliances

2010-03-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

As part of the recent stimulus packages, the Department of Energy has approved rebate programs for the purchase of energy efficient appliances and heating/cooling systems. These rebate programs are being run by each state, and each one is slightly different. The intent of these programs is to give people an incentive to replace their old appliances with newer models that use less energy.

This DOE website provides a listing of the current appliance purchase rebate programs available in each state. These programs are limited - each one will end when the money is gone - so if you are considering a purchase of a new major appliance you will definitely want to check out what your state has to offer. The other thing to look into is whether your state offers a tax deduction for energy efficiency improvements. Tax deduction programs typically allow you to deduct the cost of improvements such as new insulation or windows up to a certain amount (though this often varies each year, so check before you file).

If you are in the market for a new and improved appliance, now may be a great time. Just remember to take your old appliance out of service - you don't get any energy savings if you stick your old fridge in the garage.

Are Hybrids the Answer?

2010-02-25T07:15:00.003-05:00

Yesterday at lunch, I was asked if I drove a hybrid (I don't own one, but have driven them), and then asked whether I thought that hybrids were "the answer" or just a fad. Here are the basics of my answer:

First, the places where we live and work (whether cities or suburban communities) need to be redesigned to allow for more mass and alternative transportation. We need our streets to be places where people can walk, bike, take the bus (or train) as well as drive a car. If we continue to design only for autos, we will continue to have problems.

Second, if an individual chooses to drive a car, they should make sure that the choice of vehicle fits their needs. For me, most of my driving is highway driving - and this is not where hybrids have an advantage. So I chose a compact car that gets decent mileage on the highway. Hybrids can be very efficient in cities, where the electric motor is an advantage over short distances and the stop and go driving that is typical in urban areas.

So my thought is that while hybrid cars are not the answer, they can be an important piece of the puzzle. More importantly (as with most things environmental) there is a greater need for all of us to adjust our thinking about cars. Our current culture still likes to promote power and "cool" over function - instead of choosing based on what we need, we go for what we want. Transportation is a significant contributor to air pollution, and this country needs to commit to changing our behavior related to cars in order to make things better.

Good Coffee

2010-02-10T16:59:00.003-05:00

When you talk about reducing the impact of your favorite food/beverage, the best way to do that is to either grow it yourself or find someone near you who does and buy it from them. Unfortunately, last I checked, there were no coffee plantations in southern Indiana. In cases like this, the next best thing is to find a local shop that does the best they can to reduce their impact and buy from them.

My Favorite -

Heine Brothers Coffee is my "go to" local coffee shop - and when you take a look at what these folks are doing, it is pretty amazing. To start with, HBC offers organic and fair trade certified coffee - that in of itself might not seem like a big deal since there are a lot of coffee stores/producers doing the same. But when you go into a HBC store, they have pictures, stories and handmade goods from the people that they buy the coffee from. You start to get a sense of the human impact of growing coffee. Many of the best regions for growing coffee are areas where poverty is the rule, not the exception. But when folks like HBC support local cooperatives of growers by providing a fair wage, you can start to make a real difference.

But the story doesn't end there. HBC took one of their biggest wastes and is in the process of turning it into an asset. The HBC stores produce a lot of used coffee grounds, and the HBC founders weren't satisfied with just tossing this into the garbage. Instead, they started a non-profit called Breaking New Grounds - the mission of BNG is to grow food, grow farmers and grow jobs. BNG takes the coffee grounds and mixes them with food waste from local grocery stores and turns them into compost using worms. They sell this compost in their stores to help support their primary mission of creating urban vegetable gardens. By locating gardens in areas that have limited access to fresh produce, they can improve the diets of those in the surrounding community (positively impacting human health). BNG can also train people to grow vegetables and flowers (producing local jobs and improving the local economy) and set up programs to help out at risk populations (such as youth, or people integrating back into society).

What you can do -

For those out there looking to do some good, first stop is to check your own backyard. There are lots of farmer's markets and other places where you can find fresh, local food. And make sure that you give the local stores a chance - for so many of us, we have allowed the major chains to become our default choice for whatever item we need. While those large companies have their place (and their advantages), local businesses can often do things in a very different way. And that can be a good thing, as seen by our friends at HBC.

And when you do find a great local option, let your friends know. As consumers, we need to reward those businesses that are doing good. So raise a cup of (very tasty, organic, fair trade, shade grown) coffee and salute your favorite local business!

Living Without

2010-02-03T21:01:00.003-05:00

A couple of stories caught my eye recently about "normal" people who gave up money. Let me say that again - of their own free will, they have stopped using money. For anything. In the US, we have Daniel Suelo; and in the UK we have Mark Boyle.

Both are really interesting stories, and if I am honest with myself there is a certain appeal. Neither man is tied down to a job - each spends his time taking care of what they need for that day. There is time for quiet reflection, for reading/studying, for spending time in nature, etc. On one hand it brings up questions like this - If I were to "unplug" from this consumer culture, maybe it would bring me closer to God? If I truly put my faith and trust in Him and allowed Him to provide my daily bread, how blessed would I be?

But these stories also bring up other thoughts - two big ones come to mind:

WASTE - because our society throws away a lot of stuff that is good, people like Daniel and Mark can provide for their food and clothing, fuel, entertainment, whatever. As a society, we waste a lot - at home, at work, restaurants, shops, etc.

Maybe it's because stuff is "too cheap" - there is no value to these things, or they don't cost us enough, or they don't last long enough. So it becomes easy to toss something when it becomes faded or "uncool"
Maybe it's because there's just too much stuff - obviously we don't need these things to survive if we can simply pitch them out the door on a whim
Maybe it's because we don't have the right incentives in place to keep businesses from wasting stuff; restaurants and groceries shouldn't be so worried about violating food safety laws that they throw away food because it is past an artificial date

PEOPLE - the stories about Daniel and Mark are interesting to most of us, because these men chose to give up money. But how many people out there right now didn't make that choice for themselves? There are a lot of people out there doing what these guys are doing, but because they go by a different name (the homeless) they don't get the same level of attention. There are people who on a daily basis don't get enough to eat; don't have access to clean water; don't have a secure shelter to spend the night in; don't get education or work. And yet, I can toss something because it's "out of style".

Once again, I am reminded that the choices I make each day have an impact on myself and others. And if I am not aware of how dire the consequences can be, I will often make poor choices. Jesus put it very simply when he told his disciples to "Love your neighbor as yourself". Now I just have to go and live that out, one day at a time...

The Government is Blogging

2010-01-27T20:46:00.002-05:00

I know some people who love politics - they love arguing over policy and debating the finer points of constitutional law. Not something I particularly enjoy, but knowing how our government works and what the various agencies are doing is important. While each of us has a responsibility to change the way we live and do business, there are changes that can only be made through laws and regulations. If you want to have input in how those regulations are made, then you need information.

Without having the facts in front of me, it is likely that every department in the federal government has a presence on the web. States are probably similar - even cities and towns have sites where citizens can go to get information. You can even see various agencies attempting to use social media, like Facebook, to connect and pass information - even blogs.

Some are used as press release machines, announcing what's next. Some discuss questions related to specific regulations. Others are written by the head of the agency to connect with constituents. Just to get you started, here are some US Government blogs that might be of interest:

You might be surprised at some of the things you can read and learn on blogs like this. And while you may not want to jump into the world of politics, each of us needs to be informed about what our elected representatives are doing. It allows us to provide input to the process and shape the way government is run. You don't have to be an expert in all things, just pick an area that interests you and learn what you can. Just like they taught on School House Rock - Knowledge is Power!

Kitchen Scraps

2010-01-17T15:09:00.002-05:00

There are a couple of truths to keep in mind when you start changing the way you do things. The first being that if you live with other people, you have to make them part of the process in order for them to support the change you are proposing.

When I first started making an effort to reduce the environmental impact of our household, I knew that I wanted to reduce the amount of waste we put out each week. An easy way, I thought, would be to collect food waste and compost it out in the yard - we had the space and the food would be mixed with the leaves, grass and other landscape clippings to make a nice compost. I talked with my wife about the change and she said she would be willing to support it under the following conditions:

Don't want to see it
Don't want to smell it

And honestly, those are pretty reasonable - I did not want see or smell rotting food either, and I wanted something with a wide mouth so it would be easy to put the food waste into. So I set about finding a container I could keep on the kitchen counter that would meet those requirements. At first, I had a tough time finding what I wanted. I checked the stores, but almost every glass or plastic container that had promise was clear. I tried a tin that we had sitting around, but it didn't quite keep the odors contained and it started to fall apart.

After a little while I gave up and quit looking - I didn't find what I wanted and was frustrated by what seemed to be a reasonable idea. Then one day, I found what I was looking for in our closet. My wife had been saving some empty coffee containers for various kid-craft projects. They were red (can't see it), had a wide mouth (easy to put stuff in), and are sold as "aroma-seal" (can't smell it). And they work! We have three on our counter top right now and there is no odor coming from them at all. They are just these little red containers that you would assume held coffee or some other kitchen item. And since they are plastic, they are not being destroyed by the food waste.

Not only did I get containers that met our requirements, but I got to reuse something that we already had. One lesson that I keep learning is to check around the house first - I quite often find what I need by looking at what I have. That way I am not spending money on something new when I can just put something old to good use. So as you look for the perfect solution to your next project, take a look in your closet - you never know when you might find the perfect solution!

Newsletter for Action

2010-01-10T13:15:00.002-05:00

About a month ago, I ran into a story about an electronic newsletter - TBD. The concept is beautiful in its simplicity. You sign up for a free, weekly email newsletter. Each week, the TBD site sends you an email with one story. It can be about the environment, social justice, or some other way simply to make a difference.

One of the cool things about this newsletter is that in addition to providing information on a topic that may be of interest, they tell you what you can do to help and provide a direct link to the specific web page. And you can look at past issues on their web page.

If you are looking for a fancy web page with lots of flash games and cool graphics, you are going to be disappointed. But if you are looking for an easy way to get connected with an issue that speak to you, I encourage you to sign up. It's quick, it's easy - did I mention free?

Sign up today - taking action was never so easy!

Little victories

2009-12-09T20:12:00.002-05:00

Sometimes it's the little things in life that bring us joy. About a month ago, the power cord on my shaver went down - hard. A little too much stress caused the power cord to break off right at the piece that plugs into the shaver. No power cord, no shaver.

So after moping around for a couple of weeks and cutting myself with a disposable blade, I went on to the Norelco website. After a little bit of searching I found my particular shaver (quite a task since it was from 2000) and there it was - a replacement power cord for MUCH less than a new shaver. :)

And while this seems like such a simple thing, this kind of win is relatively rare in my experience. Typically, the speed of obsolescence is so great that a tool that is even a couple of years old can become waste simply because something broke and replacement parts are not available. So kudos to Norelco!

Another example I found recently comes from the power tool manufacturer Milwaukee. I don't happen to own any Milwaukee tools, but I saw an article about an upgrade kit Milwaukee has developed for one of their rechargeable tools. Milwaukee, like some of the other tool companies, sells work lights that run on rechargeable battery packs. Most of these work lights, especially the ones made a few years back, are designed to use incandescent or halogen bulbs. Instead of developing a whole new work light, Milwaukee developed an "upgrade" kit for these work lights that converts the work light to an LED light. So if own one of these lights you can now have a light source that lasts longer, is a bit brighter, and lasts longer on a single charge. Awesome!

So if something breaks, don't give up just yet. Take a look around the web and you just might find that you can get it fixed. And if we let manufacturers know how much we appreciate these services, maybe they won't be so rare.

Remembering How to Dream

2009-11-09T18:13:00.006-05:00

When I was a kid, two of my favorite pass times were playing with Lego's and drawing. And as a child of the Star Wars era (the good episodes), most of my creative effort was focused on space. Space ships, space bases, colonizing planets and moons, meeting aliens, etc. And because I was a kid, there was no limit to what I believed was possible - I was simply able to dream up whatever solution I needed.

Now, however, I often find myself caught up in the "adult" world (not that adult, let's keep it clean). If I try to come up with a solution nowadays, I get caught up in doubt and disbelief:

That's too expensive to build...
Nobody will pay money for that...
That's just stupid...
That will never work....

And just like that, I have convinced myself that whatever idea I came up with is no good. And the problems of the world go unsolved. I've forgotten how to dream.

Fortunately, I've found an antidote....

This is a sketch of The Office Building of the Future, provided to me by my son. Clearly a clever lad, and still able to dream. He didn't come to me and ask if his idea was possible, he just put pencil to paper and brought it to life. And it is an awesome design, but here's the tough part - as he first began describing it to me (very excitedly I might add), I had to hold my tongue. Rather than getting excited and becoming part of his joy, my first reaction was to come up with every possible reason why his design would fail - not exactly my best moment as dad. But as I let those thoughts pass on, I began to catch the vision.

Tunnels at different levels with power generators inside; and think about using the surface of those same tunnels for integrated cooling (or for hanging laundry to dry)
A stable pyramid shape; and imagine the south facing side covered entirely in solar panels (notice that the Great Pyramid at Giza is still standing)
Strong columns at each corner for support; with a catchment basin underneath for collecting stormwater for toilets and irrigation (who needs parking anyway, we'll be walking, biking)
And what if you added window boxes with vegetables and flowers (grow your own lunch)
And what if you turn the top into a giant solar collector for providing natural light and/or heat to the interior of the entire building

As I continue to look at it, I see more and more possibilities - I remember how to dream.

When I assume that I know, that I have the answers - I talk myself out of daring to dream and working to do good. But when I humble myself, like a child, and open my mind to whatever God puts there - that's where the power is.

Storytime - Ham Ends

2009-10-28T20:58:00.003-04:00

I have been blessed to hold many jobs over the years, and have met a lot of folks who have given me little bits of wisdom along the way. One of my favorites is from Hal and Frank - it's a story about ham - goes something like this....

A newly married couple were in their kitchen preparing for Sunday dinner, and the man watches as his wife takes the ham, cuts off the ends, puts it in the pan and sticks it in the oven. "Why did you do that?" he asked his new bride. "Do what?" she replied, looking at him oddly. "Why did you cut the ends off the ham before you put it in the oven?" She furrowed her brow, thinking for a minute, and then said "I don't know, but that's the way my mom cooks hams."

The husband nodded his head, but continued to think about his wife's answer. Several months later, that were at her family's home for Christmas dinner. The man goes into the kitchen and finds his mother-in-law hard at work, and watches her proceed to cut the ends off the ham before placing it in the oven. "Your daughter did the exact same thing a couple of months ago," he said, "but why do you cut the ends off the ham?" His mother-in-law looked at the ceiling, and then at him. "You know, that's just the way I've been doing it for all these years, but I'm pretty sure that's how my mom cooks hams."

The man continued to think about the answers he had been given by both his wife and mother-in-law. The following Easter, they went to the home of his wife's grandmother for Easter dinner. As the family was settling in, the man went back to the kitchen to find the grandmother preparing the meal - but was amazed as he watched her put the ham in the oven without cutting off the ends. "Grandma, both your daughter and your granddaughter cut the ends off the ham before they cook it because they believe that's how you cook it. So how come you don't cut the ends off now?" She gave him a wide smile and chuckled. "Sonny, the only reason I used to cut the ends off the ham was because my baking pan and oven were too small to fit a full size ham. I haven't cut the ends off for at least 30 years."

There have been times where I have found myself in the same position - doing something not because it was the best way, but because it was the way I had always done it. But if I am to improve, if I am to get better and make a difference I must continue to question my actions. I have to keep learning, be willing to listen and be willing to change when I find out that my way is not making the world a better place.

Anybody else have a good story to tell? What is your ham end?

Fun Friday

2009-10-23T18:07:00.003-04:00

In case you missed any of the "Fun Theory" videos that are making their way around the Internet, you can head over to funtheory.com and check them out. And while I am a little skeptical about this since it is backed by VW, the evidence presented in the videos is hard to deny. Make something easier to do and more enjoyable and more people are likely to do it - think back to trying to get a small child to eat something because you turned the fork into an airplane.

So why don't environmental/social/religious organizations not spend more time on fun? Have we forgotten the old adage that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar? Do we really think that guilt works? Or that people enjoy being yelled yet? Maybe we're all just a little too grown-up for our own good. I just pray that the fun theory becomes a movement instead of a fad. Yes, there are a large number of very serious problems that society is dealing with - but that doesn't mean the solutions can't be clever and fun, we just have to be serious about solving the problem!

And if anybody out there has a clever idea, you definitely want to check out the fun theory site. The site is sponsoring a contest where people submit their own idea for making something more fun. The contest ends on November 16 (find details on the site), and it has a prize of 2,500 Euros (which is almost $3,800). Good luck!

What are you working for?

2009-10-14T20:57:00.003-04:00

Ran into a great post over at The Church of No People about drug advertising, and it reminded me of a number of discussions I have seen about the consumer culture that we in the US seem to have allowed to rule us.

We (US) work a lot - I haven't seen the figures recently, but in recent years we worked more hours each year per person than workers in nearly any other country. Does that mean we are more industrious, or does it mean that we are simply wasting a lot of time? In other words, am I doing work to earn what I need to live? Or am I doing work to get the things I want?

Imagine the potential if we put the same time, money and effort into meeting the needs of all people, and not just our own wants. Quick example - I recently saw an advertisement for a prescription drug that helps you grow thicker eyelashes. And there are a lot of other things just like that out there. Imagine the change we could empower by adjusting where we invest our time/money/resources. Imagine the social, economic and environmental benefits that would follow by using what we have in a sustainable way.

And this is a moral issue - God calls us to do His work on earth. But instead we often choose to feed our own desires rather than help care for our neighbors. And so we keep working harder, so we can buy the things we want..... and then the satisfaction slips away and we go after the next new thing. It is a tough cycle to break, too, because we have trained ourselves so well - just work a few extra hours, or better yet use some credit, and get what you want now rather than later. So we toil away for stuff we know isn't going to last, turning away from God and our neighbors in the process.

I want to stop toiling (in sin). I want to start working (for God).

Attitude of Service

2009-09-23T22:02:00.004-04:00

I am in the middle of a very blessed week - down in New Orleans, LA volunteering with Rebuilding Together New Orleans. We have a great house captain and a wonderful set of volunteers. The best part about it is the cooperative spirit within the crew. There is no whining about who does what job, no complaining (except for occasional comments about the humidity, which is indeed brutal), and everyone just working together.

I believe that the reason for this is that we are all here to serve someone else and not ourselves. The whole reason we came down to NOLA is to give of ourselves to someone who needs a hand. And when you start with that mindset, everything else comes easy. Yes the work is tough and sometimes boring, but when you have the end in mind, in our case to allow someone to return to a livable home, then you realize what is important.

And if we were all able to extend this attitude of service to our every day lives, it is possible that we wouldn't have many of the problems that we do have, environmental or otherwise. It all goes back to what most of us learned in kindergarten - treat others as you want to be treated. If you want to make a difference in this world, start with a change of attitude and a change of heart.

Donate the stuff you don't use/need

Give your neighbor a ride to work or to the store

Spend some time with your kids outside - take a walk, play a game, whatever

When we look to fulfill the needs of others rather than spending our time trying to satisfy our wants, we end up happier, healthier, and richer (in more ways than one). A pretty simple game plan - now its time for me to get back to work!

Let's rephrase...

2009-09-17T20:29:00.003-04:00

I often get frustrated when I hear the same arguments and the same polarizing opinions over and over. Often its because I think we have lost sight of what is really before us - the real reason we are having these discussions.

Perhaps we need to rephrase - maybe it should go something like this...

a. Do you believe that you should be able to use as much energy, water and resources as you can afford?

Or

b. Do you believe that you should use only what you need, and what you do use should be easily replaceable?

I want to say that I always choose answer b......but then I would be lying. There are times when my selfishness takes over and I want what I want regardless of the consequences. But that doesn't mean I should stop trying - I have to continue to move towards the right choice; the choice that values people more than things - as in love your neighbor as yourself.

Perhaps there is a better way to frame the discussion - any takers?

NIM Revisited

2009-09-14T21:25:00.003-04:00

A while back I introduced readers of this blog to No Impact Man - author Colin Beavan who, with the help of his family, lived for one year doing everything possible to leave as small an impact as possible on the planet. Colin now has both a book and a documentary film out (both titled No Impact Man) and continues to write posts on his blog about environmental issues.

One recent entry caught my attention. This was a guest post written by Colin's wife and it gave an insight into some of her experiences during the No Impact Year; and it is truly inspiring. Her post serves as a reminder what our lifestyle actually costs us.

Would you be willing to change your life and your habits if you knew it would....

Improve your health;
Improve your finances;
Improve your relationships with your family

Notice I said nothing about saving the earth, and yet the actions that provide the good things above can do just that. If we are willing to change, even just a little.

Unintended Consequences

2009-08-25T20:20:00.000-04:00

When you work in manufacturing, one of the things that you learn is that everything in your facility is interconnected - not unlike our economic systems, our social systems and our natural systems. In manufacturing, if you want to make a process change in one area, you have to spend some time looking upstream and downstream of the change you want to make. It doesn't do much good to speed up one process, only to find out that you can't actually go any faster because none of the machines around the change can go any faster. Fortunately, most of the connections are easy to see and it's easy to predict any potential problems due to a proposed change. But that's not always the case...

Separated by Time and Distance

Sometimes when we make a change, it puts things into motion that we cannot see. The effects may be good or bad, but either way it was something that we did not intend to happen, because we could not see it or predict it. Sometimes these effects take place far away - maybe at another factory that provides supplies, or uses what we make. Sometimes these effects pop up many months after the initial change was made. Either way, this separation makes it difficult to realize what happened, so that we can either repeat it, or make a correction.

Quick example - a while ago my Dad and I were pouring a concrete slab in my back yard for a new garden shed and shelter. After the truck finished its delivery, the driver asked if there was somewhere he could wash off the chutes. I told him to go ahead and wash off in a depression in the yard - I was going to have additional dirt brought in to level out the yard, so it would be covered. Fast forward a month or so later where, as I was digging a post hole for a new fence, I ran into some of that same concrete. While this slowed me down, it wasn't a critical error, but I wish I had been a little more careful.

In the Environment

The choices each of us make regarding our environmental footprint have consequences, and sometimes our actions directly affect us and those around us. Unfortunately, many of those same choices affect people far from us, separated either by time (our children, grandchildren, etc.) or distance (residents of developing nations) The more we learn about how our actions affect others, the more we can reduce our impact and the more good we can do for each other and the planet. Some impacts are more obvious than others....

A small group from the church I attend completed a mission trip to a small town in KY. They did some construction work on the home of a retired coal miner. This retiree is without the use of his legs - and while I don't know for sure that his occupation was the cause, it's certainly possible. Coal mining is a hazardous occupation - and people die or are injured in the mines because about half of the electricity in the US is produced from coal. Because I am using power at a rate much higher than people in other parts of the world, men must go into the ground and dig out coal that, when burned, emits heavy metals, hazardous air pollutants and greenhouse gases - all while generating millions of tons of ash contaminated with many of the same pollutants that is stored in huge ponds, which sometimes fail with catastrophic consequences.

Because I don't talk to my power company and my government representatives and demand renewable energy....

Because I think it's too expensive (or too ugly) to buy solar panels...

Because I don't want to eliminate some of things I do that use electricity...

Our impacts aren't simply limited to the electricity we use. It's the gasoline we burn driving our cars around (air pollution, water pollution, national security and the deployment of US troops). It can also be the things we buy every day -

Sweatshop labor to produce inexpensive clothes and shoes.....

Murder and other human rights abuses committed against the laborers who mine diamonds for jewelry...

The potential for increasing conflict over rights to rare earth metals used to make the electronics that we purchase and toss at an alarming rate...

The water pollution and deforestation due to poor agricultural practices for the production of coffee and cocoa....

Love Your Neighbor

As a Christian, I am now faced with a dilemma. Do I continue to live my life as I currently do, in the way that is accepted by our culture but contributes to harms to the people and environment here and abroad? Or do I change the way I live, radically reducing the energy I use and paying more for the products I use to ensure that those people who provide them are paid a fair wage and are not put in undue danger?

In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus makes it clear that as Christians we are to love God and love our neighbors. And the concept of neighbor does not just extend to those who live next door or those who we like, but includes every human being on this planet.

Speaking for myself, I'm not doing so well - I continue to do things the way I have always done them; or I make one small change for good, and then make a large step in the opposite direction. Sometimes I just shut everything out because I just don't want to hear about it anymore - I am tired of feeling guilty (for not changing) or feeling like I don't make a difference (when I do make a change).

But as a Christian, I am commanded to turn towards Him and walk in His path. Which means that I need to do more to "love my neighbor": to reduce my energy use; to use less water; to reduce the amount of stuff that I buy; to engage others (including politicians) to make changes to the way we do business; to use my purchasing power to influence companies to do more good.

In the end, it is not about planting trees or saving whales or even global warming - it is about how we treat others. Will I follow God's command and love my neighbor? Or will I turn away and serve myself? It's that simple - and that hard...

What about pets?

2009-08-21T16:40:00.003-04:00

A question sometimes posed - does reducing your impact on the planet mean that you can't have any pets? As with most of things, the answer probably is - you guessed it - it depends. But I think that there are some simple guidelines to follow:

No Exotics -

Purchasing exotic lizards, fish, birds and other animals fuels the (often illegal) exotic animal trade. In some cases, the people capturing and transporting these animals kill most of their catch before they can be sold. Exotics can also carry diseases to native animal populations and humans, causing damage to the local ecosystem. And if you happen to pick the wrong animal, you may end up with an endangered or threatened species, which can land you in a whole heap of trouble (i.e. jail time and/or fines). If you want to minimize your impact, stick with local, domestic animals.

Go For Preowned -

If you are looking for a dog or a cat, I would recommend starting with a trip to your local shelter or animal rescue. There are a lot of dogs and cats looking for homes right now, and those that don't find homes quickly end up being euthanized. Recently the Michigan Humane Society kicked off a fun campaign that you can see here. We have three dogs - one rescued straight off the street and another two from our county shelter. They are awesome pets and we couldn't be happier!

I know that puppies and kittens are cute - but having trained a puppy I know that they are a lot of work and can be a real pain. Especially if you are a first time pet owner, go for an older animal. They typically have some level of training and are usually easier to work with. If you really want one of the young ones, stick to your local shelter. While there are some breeders out there who really do take care of their animals, there are that many more "puppy mills" that exist to profit on the abuse and misfortune of the breeding animals.

Control Your Population -

Spay or neuter your pet - Bob Barker has been telling you this for years. There is no shortage of dogs/cats, so get your pet fixed. Keeping the population of domestic animals under control reduces their impact on the environment. Spay or neuter your pets!

This also applies to the number of animals that you have - take in only as many animals as you can properly care for and have sufficient room for. Each animal needs different amounts of space and each requires its own kind of care. Make sure that you have the appropriate food, water, and shelter for your pet and that you keep it up to date with its veterinary care.

Last point here - it is possible to overindulge your pet. Fluffy does not need 17 toys, 4 beds and her own bottled water. Keep your pet supplies to what your pet needs, not what you want to provide your pet. And, you need to be careful about what you buy. Make sure that any toys, leashes, collars or other items are designed for your type of pet. Check the ingredients of pet food and treats, and be on the lookout for recalls. And make sure you follow the feeding guidelines for your pet - pet obesity is a growing problem (pun intended) and like obesity in humans can lead to health problems. It also means that you are using up more resources than necessary to care for your pet.

Connection to Nature -

Finally, pets can provide us with a connection to the natural world that we may not otherwise have. By learning to respect and care for domestic animals, we may find ourselves with a greater respect for those animals that live around us. And that is important - whether we fully grasp it our not, we are connected to the living ecosystems around us and the animals that they contain. One cannot survive without the other - circle of life stuff. It may sound cheesy, but its true. Good luck - and be kind to animals!

No More Green!

2009-08-09T17:12:00.003-04:00

Seems like an odd title for an environmental blog post, doesn't it? But that's where I find myself most of the time - wishing that everyone would stop using the word "green". It sees to me that it has finally reached the point of becoming noise, something that people just tag onto to any action they do to reduce their impact on the planet. It's not that people shouldn't celebrate their accomplishments - we should all find a little joy in taking steps to help the environment. But when over used or used out of context, it's just a useless little phrase that carries no meaning.

A lot of my angst comes from the continued abuse of this and other similar phrases by people selling things. Every time I turn around, there is a product that now has one (or more) of the following words on the label or in the product name:

Green
Eco-
Earth Friendly
All Natural

It's kind of like the use of a lowercase i at the beginning of a product name. That used to be associated with one product; and then it was used for those accessories that went with the main product, and that kind of made sense. And then, everybody decided that since products with a lower case i sold well, that it would be a great idea to put that in front of any product (including both a car and a kid's TV show), whether or not it had anything to do with the original product.

Now there are a bunch of products with "green" stuff on their labels and it no longer serves the same purpose - informing consumers of where they could improve their environmental impact by purchasing something that was (hopefully) less harmful than something else. But now it is nearly impossible to tell when a product has made an actual improvement, and when said product is merely misusing "green" - or greenwashing.

And this becomes a disservice to those companies that are working to reduce their impact. Producers of goods get caught up in a kind of Catch 22 - either be criticized for not making any effort to improve your products, or get criticized for making "superficial" improvements and wrapping it up with a "green" name.

What to do

As a consumer, your best bet is to do your homework. Never take anything listed on a product label for granted. Check out the company's web site for more information, and then do a quick web search and see if there are any comments by third party certification companies or other non profits that monitor actions of companies. If you see that a reputable non profit entity (like WWF or Sierra Club) is working with a company and is willing to make a public statement about them, then its a pretty good bet that the work being done is above board. If you can't find anything, then you should proceed with caution.

And sometimes it's just hard to determine if the product improvement is actually that - an improvement that reduces environmental impact. A while back, we purchased a "make your own" solar system model kit, and the label producly proclaimed that this version was "environmentally friendly". The big change? They included wooden dowels instead of plastic rods for separating the styrofoam planets. And while eliminating the use of any petroleum based product (like plastic) is a positive, there is no indication of where the wood came from (old growth? sustainably managed?).

So enough ranting - just remeber that today's consumer environment is "Buyer Beware". And at the end of the day the best way to reduce your environmental footprint is simply to buy and use less!

Are product warranties bad for the environment?

2009-07-10T18:13:00.003-04:00

As you may be able to infer from the title of this post, I recently had an issue with a product that no longer works. It happened to be an electronic component - one day it was working and then it stopped. I don't know why it failed, and I don't really care why - I just wanted it to be fixed. And so the saga began.....

I made my way through the numerous automated, voice-activated customer service phone lines only to discover that the warranty for this item had expired. The warranty period was 90 days - which I didn't realize until I made my way through all of the friendly "listen carefully because our menu has changed" exchanges between myself and a computer. And not only do they not repair this particular item, it is no longer produced because the contract between company A and company B has ended. And at the end of the day, I spent money on something that stopped working a lot sooner then I thought it would have. Which made me ponder the very question at the title of this post - are warranties bad for the environment?

In general, most of us probably feel better buying something that has a warranty. It's a security blanket to protect us from the odd part failure the day after we buy something - here to protect the rights of the consumer. I'm not sure I see it that way.....

If I develop a product, I can have all of the pieces rigorously tested in a lab. And at the end of these tests, I can tell with some certainty how long most of these products will last. So if 95% of the things I make will last at least one year, I can put a one-year warranty on the product and still make money even if 5% of the products fail. And there is no penalty to me if every one of the products fails at the one year and two day mark. As long the consumer feels that they have received a good value out of the product, I can continue to sell things that only last one year. In other words, I can trade quality and reliability for price.

Which seems to be how our economy has been built - on inexpensive goods that fail rapidly; but that doesn't matter because the new model is out anyway and I wanted to upgrade. Meanwhile we continue to use up valuable resources and discharge pollution into our air, water and land. Instead of protecting consumers, I think warranties simply enable an unsustainable economic model.

What If -

What if, as consumers, we demanded more? What if each of us agreed not to trade quality and reliability for price? What if we said, "forget about the warranty, I want to use [product name here] for the rest of my life and I want you to fix it if it breaks before then"? What if manufacturers embraced this concept as a competitive advantage?

Things wear out and things break - nothing lasts forever. But you can design your product to be easily taken apart, with standardized wear parts that can be replaced simply and quickly. You can even use universal fittings so that products can be modified in the future.

But it starts with us - the consumers. Unless we hold out for quality and are willing to pay for it; unless we stop buying the hot new thing the minute it comes out; unless we stop shrugging off poorly made products as the price of a strong economy; unless we change our minds and out culture, things will continue on. Anyone up for a little revolution?

Love Your Farmer's Market

2009-06-28T13:25:00.002-04:00

I ran into this contest the other day - it is sponsored by a website called Care2.com. If you have a favorite farmers market, you can click here and vote for that market, giving them a chance to win some cash to help fund their operation.

And if you don't visit a local farmer's market, you may want to find one near you. Not only are you able to find great fruits and veggies (that are super fresh because they haven't spent a bunch of time shipping from who knows where), but you are supporting your local economy. Quite often you can get stuff in season for a better price than your standard supermarket. And you are reducing your impact on the environment by reducing the amount of fuel that it took to deliver your food to you.

Another option that may be available are the "U Pick" farms and orchards. In my time I have picked cherries, peaches and apples. Just last week my wife and kids went out and picked blueberries and black raspberries (YUM!!!!) - and again, lower prices and lower footprint!

There is a lot of great produce in season, you just have to know where to look for it. So grab your shopping bags and head on down to the local farmer's market and enjoy the bounty of nature.

Time to Go (Outside)

2009-06-25T19:13:00.002-04:00

If you happen to live in certain parts of the Midwest, now is kind of a magical time. It's Lightning Bug (or Firefly) season....every evening as I take the dogs out I am treated to an awesome display of dancing lights. And anyone who has seen the joy and wonder in the eyes of children when they encounter these creatures for the first time knows just how wonderful it is.

Turn it Off

One of the hazards of modern living is that we can separate ourselves from the natural world. We move from one conditioned space to another, not paying much attention to what's going on around us. When we lose this connection, it becomes difficult for us to connect our actions with the impacts they have on our planet. And when you can't see how your actions impact the lives of others or the planet, there is little incentive to change.

And while spending lots of time indoors may not seem all that dangerous, this disconnect can be bad news, especially for kids. Less time spent outside typically means that we get less exercise, which can lead to health problems. We forget where food comes from, and instead of opting for fruits and vegetables we turn to processed foods (more health problems). And while moderate use of things like computers and TV can be okay, too much time with any of these things can do more harm than we think (emotions, violence, decreased learning).

And when you turn off all of the electronic babysitters and head outside, good things can happen. You reduce your electricity usage which we all know saves us money and helps reduce air pollution. You will probably get some good exercise without even trying. And you might just see something new, or introduce your kids to some fun that you had forgotten.

Go Exploring

And I know I should get outside more often - but it just doesn't happen. Sometimes it's the weather (too hot, too cold, raining, snowing), or I'm just tired (or lazy), or I have something I need to do, or somewhere I need to be. Sometimes we get the idea that if we're going to reconnect with nature that we have to gear up and go out into the forest like Survivor Man.

We forget that connecting with nature can be as simple as taking a walk down to the neighborhood park. Or planting a flower/vegetable bed in the front lawn. Or as simple as walking the dogs. One of the great things about nature is that the show is always changing - different times of the day and different seasons all hold their own surprises. So just pick a day and step outside - you might just be amazed at what you see.

Time for River Sweep

2009-06-15T19:51:00.005-04:00

On Saturday, June 20, 2009, communities all along the Ohio River will be holding "River Sweep". This is a day, as the name implies, for cleaning up trash along the banks of the Ohio River. I plan to participate - I like spending some time along the river cleaning up. It gets me outside where I can enjoy the scenery and it's something where I can see the difference when I am done.

Why It's Important

Other than the fact that litter and debris is ugly, trash also pollutes the water. Some stuff, like plastics, can leak toxic chemicals into the water, which cause problems:

Some of us get our drinking water from lakes and rivers. If there are bad things in the that water, then we have to spend more resources (money, time, whatever) to make the water clean to drink. Some places in the world aren't blessed with our resources, so people make do with dirty water that often leads to illness or death.
It hurts the fish and the animals that prey on them - like humans. How many times have you seen a river or lake and wanted to go fishing, and then seen the sign stating that you shouldn't eat the fish you pull from the river.

Sometimes it is the trash itself that kills the fish or the birds (or other predators). If this happens enough, the local ecosystem gets thrown out of whack - sometimes it's bad enough that species that are normally held in check (like algae) take over. When this happens, lakes and rivers can become unusable.

Time to Get Involved!

I would encourage everyone to get involved, and it doesn't just have to be on this one day. All over the US (and the world) there are rivers and lakes that could use a good cleaning. Even if you don't live near a body of water, anything you can do to pick up litter helps. Rain water can carry trash a long way - including out into the oceans. This is also a great way to involve your kids. Allowing them to see for themselves the harm that pollution causes, and letting them know that there is something they can do about it is a great life lesson.

Sometimes we don't see litter as a big problem (or as "our" problem) and don't think it's a big deal. But pollution is pollution - and in the case of trash it can cause serious harm to our water. And water, as we all know, is necessary for our survival. So get up and pick up! See you there!

All Work.....

2009-06-01T21:35:00.004-04:00

One of the good things (and one of the difficult things) about the Internet is the vast amount of material that is available on a given topic. There are a wide variety of websites and blogs that contain information and stories about "going green" and doing what you can to reduce your environmental impact. Recently, I came across a posting on Treehugger.com - this is one of those sites where you can find articles on just about anything. Here's a link to the most recent article that made me stop - go ahead and read it, I'll wait......

Take a Deep Breath...

When I first read this, it really struck me. One of the constant struggles in my life, is to balance work and living. And in this technology ridden culture, it is all too easy to fall into the work trap. Just check the email one last time....just get out one more memo....just do one more thing...

Monday, I came home from work (a day at the main office) and set down my Blackberry and computer - didn't pick them up the rest of the night. I made an awesome (if I do say so myself) steak dinner for my family, read a great story by an aspiring writer, spent some time taking care of the yard as the cool evening breezes began to set in, and connected with my brother on the phone. All of this because I set aside work for living.

A Gentle Reminder...

One of the commandments that I find myself struggling with the most, is #4 - Remember the Sabbath. As Christians, we are commanded to take a day of rest - why that should be so difficult, I'll never know. But it is for me, and I am willing to bet it may be true for many of you as well. There's always one more thing to do, one more task, one more job. But God tells us to set aside a day for rest - and the commandments aren't just a set of do's and don'ts meant to burden us, but rather the blueprint for how He made us. And if we are willing to truly live them out, they lead to freedom, not restriction.

This article was a gentle reminder to me that endlessly toiling will not provide. For if we have faith, He will provide what we need. That's not to say that we shouldn't work, but that work is not the end goal. And if we took the time to produce quality and not quantity, would this world not be in better shape? If our economic model were built on producing quality goods that lasted, could be repaired and were serviced by people who really cared, would we (as a society) have the same problems we now face?

So let's use this moment in time, this "bad" economy to reshape our priorities....to really put our lives in the proper perspective.....to follow His commands for us and allow ourselves to be free. I'm ready to embrace this opportunity and walk in faith - will you come with me?

Digital Soapbox - Fashion is not Green

2009-05-20T20:58:00.003-04:00

I've never been much of a fashion person - designer labels and ever changing expectations as to what is "in" have always been frustrating to me. So when I see lots of articles touting "Green Fashion" I get annoyed. In my opinion, there is nothing green about the world of fashion.

Fashion, Not Clothing...

My argument is with the fashion industry. You cannot expect me to believe that you can be environmentally responsible by changing the styles, colors, sizes and shapes of clothing every 3-6 months. This tends to lead to a never ending cycle of purchase and toss - natural resources being used to create clothes that are designed to be "obsolete" by the next season. It doesn't matter to me what certification you get or what you make your stuff out of - if I can't wear it two years from now because it's not cool, then it's obviously not green.

Clothing is different. I have nothing against people who try to reduce their personal impact by making smarter clothing choices. All of us need clothes (unless you live at a nudist camp), and doing what we can to make better choices makes sense. And there are a number of ways to make better choices:

Buy "used" - whether it's at a yard sale or a consignment shop, buying used is a good way to reduce your impact. This avoids the impact of new production and can also save some money if you are a sharp bargain hunter.
Buy items that will last - we've all bought that $2 tee shirt at the bargain store, only to have it shrink or fall apart after a couple of uses. It's a far better use of resources (both fiscally and environmentally) to buy something that can be worn for a long time.
Fix it - clothes can be repaired; you can mend rips and holes, sew on buttons and make alterations - or you can ask a friend to do it for you. The best way to reduce our impact is to not consume - repairing an item has less impact than pitching it and buying something new.
Material choice - some materials have less impact than others; while organic cotton is better than regular cotton, for example, there are other fibers (linen, silk, and hemp to name a few) that require fewer resources to produce. There are even items made from recycled materials (such as PET bottles being turned into tee shirts).

Now What do I do?

A lot of our current economy is built on a model of personal consumption that is not sustainable if we want to continue living on this planet. And because these behaviors are part of our society, they will be hard to break. The first thing we can all do is simply stop - take a step back for a minute and evaluate our choices. Then we can decide to take action.

Have a closer full of fads? Some options:

Can you reuse it in a different form? I've lost count of the number of ripped up shirts I have reused as shop rags, helping me avoid the purchase of disposable shop towels in the process.
Depending on what it is made of, that old clothing may be recyclable. Some curbside pick up and collection centers will take old clothes - just check their list of acceptable items.
Costume party - if all else fails, take those legwarmers, mini skirt and pastel jacket and dress yourself up next Halloween. At least you won't have to buy a costume.

Or if you are a slave to fashion and are ready to clean out your closet for the next season, here's what you can do:

Donate your gently used items - there are some very good organizations out there such as Goodwill or Dress for Success
Have a yard sale or take those items to a consignment shop so that someone else can benefit from your fashion sense
Hand it down (or sideways) to a family member - or better yet, share clothes back and forth and buy half the clothes

Challenge!

My challenge to the fashion industry is to set aside the ever changing designs and to provide society with durable clothing using materials that can be produced with minimal impact. I don't need fads that will die off in three months or things that are not functional. But that's just my opinion - and I'd love to hear yours!

When it Rains.....

2009-05-14T17:23:00.003-04:00

A big question beginning to confront a lot of cities across the US is what to do about stormwater. You know - all of the water that goes rushing down the street and into the gutters after a nice Spring rain. These torrents of water can bring problems, both in terms of their volume and quality.

Why It's a Problem

Some cities have what is called a combined sewer - this simply means that the city catches and treats both stormwater and sewage. Many of these same cities have not updated their wastewater treatment plants as often as they should (that pesky thing about paying for infrastructure through taxes), so large volumes of stormwater in a short period of time can overload the treatment plants. This causes some stormwater (which is now mixed with sewage from homes and businesses) that is not fully treated to be released into the nearby river, lake, ocean, etc. This is starting to get the cities in trouble with folks like the EPA, who will make you upgrade your treatment plant.

The other issue with too much water is that it can end up where you don't want it - like your basement. If you are on the wrong end of a hill, you can end up with a lot of water in a short amount of time. Large flows of stormwater can also damage roads and bridges - and all of this costs money to fix. And in many cases, the money isn't readily available or is taken away from something else. Either way, the local citizens lose out.

Then there is the problem of water pollution. Stormwater coming off of roads, driveways, parking lots and commercial or industrial buildings is often loaded with various pollutants. When this water dumps into bodies of water, it can pollute those areas and harm the various critters living there. And since there are a lot of these sources of pollution, it is extremely difficult to treat as we have in the past.

Stormwater Management

Now, instead of trying to catch and treat all of this stormwater, people are looking to the past to help better manage the stormwater so that the water cycle can be returned to a more natural state. One of the key issues with cities and towns today is the amount of impermeable area - water does not normally absorb/pass through pavement, concrete and roofs. All of this impermeable area means most of the stormwater runs off and goes somewhere else.

But before we developed the land, the vast majority of stormwater would either soak into the ground or be taken up by the trees and plants growing in the area. This kept stormwater run off to a minimum and kept the water in the natural cycle. So now people are taking steps to try and return things back to the way they were - at least a little.

Green Roofs - by placing vegetation on a roof, some stormwater can be captured in place and either used by the plants on the roof or held until it evaporates. While these are starting to catch on, it does require special considerations that include the style of roof and the local climate.

Rain Barrels - an old technique that is coming back into style. By placing a container under your downspouts you can catch stormwater and use it for something else (like watering your garden). There are a number of sites that show you how to build your own, and others where you can buy rain barrels. One caution here is to make sure that installing a rain barrel does not conflict with local laws. Some parts of the US have strict water rights laws, and the installation of a rain barrel may be in conflict with those laws.

Rain Gardens - this is a way to turn a portion of your yard into an area that is designed to catch stormwater and allow it to soak back into the soil. There may be organizations in your area (like this one) that can help you design your own rain garden. Another benefit of these is that it reduces the amount of grass you need to mow! And if you design it using native plant species, you may also see an increase in beneficial wildlife (such as butterflies and birds).

New Materials - now there are pervious versions of both concrete and asphalt. These special mixes allow water to pass through the surface and into a collection area below where the stormwater can then soak back into the ground. While the construction techniques used to prepare the area are a little different, the materials are still placed in the same way as the older materials. Some cities are beginning to restrict new developments with how much area can be impervious - by replacing large sections (like parking lots or driveways) with pervious materials, developers can reduce their impact and meet the new requirements. And if you integrate a storage system into your parking lot you can reduce your water use for things like irrigation or flushing toilets.

Summary

Proper management of stormwater helps improve the environment around us. Allowing water to soak back into the soil helps replenish local aquifers that may supply drinking water. Reducing high volumes of runoff can prevent damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure. And keeping pollutants out of our local waterways helps keep local ecosystems healthy. Just a few changes by each of us can help - so let's get started!

Dirty Laundry....

2009-04-18T21:31:00.004-04:00

One of the larger environmental impacts in your average house is the laundry. All of the water and energy that is used, not to mention the soaps and other stuff. So how can you reduce your impact? Let's take a look at each step in the process.

Rub a dub dub....

For the washer, there are a few simple tips which probably everyone has heard:

only run full loads
wash your clothes in cold water (many detergents are made specifically to do this, and it saves the energy that would have been used to heat the water)
look for detergents that contain no phosphates

One other thing to remember is to not use too much detergent. Most major consumer product companies (especially if you shop at a place like Wal-Mart) have switched to a "concentrated" version, which simply means that they reduced the amount of water that is shipped with the detergent. While this is a good thing (reduces water use and other impacts from manufacturing and transport), it just means that you need to be careful not to put too much in your washer - make sure to read the directions and experiment with how much detergent you actually need to clean your clothes so that you don't waste detergent (and money).

And if you are in the market for a new washer, make sure that you look for one that is EnergyStar rated. There are also models that feature a high-speed spin cycle, which helps wring the excess water out of the clothes (we have one of these and it works very well).

Out to dry

Another major impact comes from the drying operation. The best answer, of course, is to hang out your laundry and use the power of the wind and the sun. If you can't do that (or aren't ready/willing to take that step), though, look for a dryer that uses a moisture sensor. These dryers can then reduce the dry time according to how wet the clothes are, saving energy over a dryer that runs for set amount of time.

One item that is open to debate is the impact of the use of farbic softeners (either in liquid or dryer sheet form). There is some disargeement about whether the substance contained in farbic softeners are hazardous. Whether or not these items are hazardous, the manufacturing and delivery process does have an environmental impact. So one option would be to not use them.

But then there is the concern about "static cling". Looking on the web, I have found several different options to help reduce static:

use a homemade fabric softener made with vinegar in the rinse cycle of your washer (I have not tried this, but it is said that there is no vinegar smell on the clothes)
don't fully dry clothes in the dryer - hang on a rack or line for the last little bit (humidity would reduce static, but if you can do this, why not just dry on a line)
"reusable" dryer sheets - cloth with copper wire embedded in it
"dryer balls" - some versions sold are made of various types of plastic, whereas some people swear by balling up some aluminum foil and tossing it in

In Summary...

The largest reductions to be made in the laundry area are to stop using hot water (takes a lot of energy to heat up the water) and stop using a standard clothes dryer (again, lots of energy to heat the air and tumble the clothes). But if you can't take these steps, there are still a lot of little things that you can do. Even something as simple as making sure that your dryer exhaust vent is free of lint (which also eliminates a potential fire hazard) can help you reduce your laundry impact. Every household does wash, now let's see if we can all do it with a little less of an impact!

Biking it....

2009-04-08T20:57:00.004-04:00

Ahhhh....Spring is finally here (at least in most parts of the US). For adults and kids alike this means that its time to dust off the bicycle and hit the streets. Bicycles have a lot going for them:

bicycles are a great way to get around without a car (reducing air pollution!),
bicycles can help you get into shape, and
riding a bicycle is fun!

Safety Tips

First, for those of you who are not bicyclists this is a reminder to be on the lookout for bicycles. You can't always see them, and sometimes the rider won't obey the rules of the road. Be especially careful in neighborhoods or around schools where you are likely to encounter kids on bikes (they don't always look first before making sudden moves).

For those of you who are headed out onto the road:

Check your bicycle and make sure that it is in proper working order;
WEAR A HELMET!
Follow the rules of the road!

Click here for a good article on avoiding collisions with cars. And the State of PA has a good website here with interactive safety quizzes and other bicycle safety information.

The Big(ger) Picture

In order to help reduce dependence on automobiles, cities and towns in the US need to embrace and promote alternative forms of getting around. This should include mass transit as well as bicycles and walking. If you want people to stop using their cars, you need to make it safe and easy for them to do other things. It's not that cars are necessarily bad, but there are good things that can come from fewer miles driven:

As you reduce the number of cars on the road, you reduce the air pollution (and noise pollution) that cars create. This is important for many urban areas that have trouble with smog (ground level ozone), because smog can trigger hospital visits for those with difficulty breathing.
Fewer miles driven means less gasoline used (see The Power of One), which means less oil pumped out of the ground. Regardless of where the oil comes from, there is a lot of pollution (air, water and ground) that comes with extracting and refining oil into gasoline. And if you don't appreciate the environmental angle, take a look at where we get our oil from and think about the potential security risks that some of those countries may pose.
There have been some studies that suggest cities with good mass transit/bicycle infrastructure have healthier populations. That can mean reduced costs for large cities that have large numbers of uninsured/under insured people.

Ready to Ride

So if you are ready, get out your bicycle and take a ride. And if you don't want to ride alone, get your family and friends involved or search the web and find a local bicycle club. Whatever you do, follow the rules of the road and be safe!

Earth Hour 2009

2009-03-26T22:50:00.004-04:00

On Saturday at 8:30pm local time, you can participate in Earth Hour. The concept of Earth Hour is pretty simple - the organizers ask that you turn your lights off for one hour, and thereby show your "vote" for the Earth.

I like events such as Earth Hour - shows how creative humans can be when trying to get other people's attention. However, turning your lights off for one hour on one day out of the year won't have much of an impact on your overall footprint. But perhaps it can get you (and maybe your neighbors, family, friends, etc.) thinking in the right direction.

Am I in the habit of turning off lights I don't need?

Do I have the correct amount of light for my current task (not too much nor too little)?

Am I using the most energy efficient bulb and fixture possible?

Can I make better use of ambient light?

Do I need to be using lights at all?

It can also be a moment for each of us to think about how dependent we have become on electricity. In a previous post, I wrote about some of the lessons learned when a major storm knocked out our power for several days. We can all work together to reduce our consumption of electricity - and we must if we are to prevent further damage to our planet. Please support Earth Hour, and then commit to doing more. Thanks!

What's Inside?

2009-03-21T21:25:00.003-04:00

So, do you know what's inside the cleaners that you use in your home? Unless you make your own cleaners, the answer is probably no. There is not currently a national requirement for all of the ingredients of the cleaners to be listed. So how can you find out what's inside?

Acronym of the day - MSDS

While they may not have to list the ingredients on the label, each manufacturer is required to provide information on their products to those who use it. This information is usually supplied in an MSDS - Material Safety Data Sheet. Industries that use any chemical mixture or compound, even the same ones sold for residential use, must have available for their employees MSDS for each item. The MSDS provides detailed information on the chemical components of the mixture, any related health and safety information (like fire fighting info or spill response info) and any other information required by an individual state.

Manufacturers are also required to provide MSDS to any consumer that requests one. Usually you can find the MSDS on the manufacturer's web site, or by contacting the phone number listed on the product's label. However, MSDS are not exactly user friendly - and you still may need a chemistry degree to understand some of the compounds that are in use.

Another Option?

One manufacturer has created a web site to try and provide information on their products in a more user friendly way - SC Johnson. Their "what's inside" site is still in progress, but has information on several products that a lot of us likely use (or have used) around the home. And it's great to see a site like this that begins to put information into a format that is more usable. But it still gets a little complex, especially with the more complex chemicals used in everyday cleaners.

For those who want to delve deep into the world of chemistry, you can pick a chemical and go here to find out more information.

Option #2

Of course, if you want to really know what's in your cleaners you can make your own. A quick google search reveals a number of articles on how to make your own cleaners using things like baking soda and vinegar (I recommend vinegar for cleaning coffee makers).

Be on the watch for future posts - I intend to delve into some of the most common chemicals used today so we can all learn a little bit more about them. Remember - knowledge is power!

Easy Solution - Decoration as Gift

2009-03-19T17:39:00.002-04:00

This easy solution comes courtesy of my wife and shows a great example of how not to create waste! While preparing for a baby shower, my wife purchased several baby blankets - these blankets were put to use as decorative table cloths during the baby shower (used for the gift tables). As the party ended, said blankets were folded up and given to the moms-to-be for their use with their new arrivals.

Why This is Great....

This is an example of waste reduction in action. Rather than purchasing and using a disposable, decorative tablecloth (or a cloth version that may not be useful to a new mom), my wife used something that was able to serve a valuable function after the party. Anyone who has had children knows that there are certain things you can't have too many of, and blankets are one of those things. Babies are messy - that's just how they roll, so most new parents like having lots of blankets available in case of an accident. So the moms-to-be received a very useful gift.

In addition to preventing some waste from being sent to landfill, this solution also avoided the use of the energy and materials that would have gone into making the tablecloth. So there is a double savings involved with this simple substitution.

The Bottom Line

So here we see an environmentally friendly solution that is simple and easy to do. It's not part of some major lifestyle change and it's not a new, "green" product that is three times as expensive. It's simply putting something to use twice and helping out the Earth at the same time.

And there are a lot of other ideas very similar to this one that provide the same benefits. So how about it.....let's hear from you. What you do to put stuff to work doing double duty? I can't wait to hear!

Who's to blame?

2009-03-15T19:53:00.005-04:00

This morning I listened to my pastor and her sermon on "Making up our minds". And it came down to a simple choice - blame or action. One major fault I have with environmentalists (including myself) is that we are quick to point fingers and let people know how bad they are and what we think of them for being so bad. But is that what we should be doing? If I am a Christian then the answer (I believe) is no.

The easy way out?

Do we blame someone for the current environmental crisis that we are facing? If so, who?

Governments around the world (including ours) for not acting soon enough and/or not strictly enough to regulate all forms of pollution?
"Greedy" corporations for their pursuit of profit at the cost of the environment?
Our "capitalist-pig" neighbors for driving a Hummer back forth on their 7 mile drive to work?
"The man" for keeping us down?

We could, but where would that get us.....

Is it the fault of the governments, or the fault of those who put them in power?
Is it the fault of the corporations, or the fault of all of the investors who want to retire without relying on Social Security?
Is it the fault of our neighbor, or is it their parent's fault because they wouldn't give them a pony when they were 7?
I have no defense of "the man", but he is likely to blame someone else.

Time to choose

In place of blame, we can simply choose action. Yes - we should make our voices heard to our representatives in government. And yes, sometimes protests are required. But if each of us does not begin taking concrete steps to make this world better in our own lives, then we are no better than those we would blame.

Take action - do something, whether it's at home or at the office. But be humble and let others come to you. When they ask, talk to them about it in simple terms - how did you make this choice? what other options did you consider? give the financial incentive if it exists. If you did it just because you felt it was the right thing to do, its okay to let them know that - just make sure your message comes from a position of humility and not of self-righteousness. And be ready to lend your help if a friend or neighbor wants to take that same step, or another step no matter how small.

It is urgent that changes are made swiftly to begin healing our world - actions can help, but blame cannot. So let's all get out, take action and do good!

When Is Waste a Waste?

2009-03-14T18:52:00.005-04:00

So I've been busy helping out with school projects this weekend, one of which was to make a sculpture using "waste" found around our home. A good time was had by all, and so far we have a pretty mad sculpture of a dog. And it got me to thinking about waste.

Definition Please...

So here's where the environmental geek in me gets excited - according to the EPA regs, a waste becomes a waste when it has "no value". And the school art project got me thinking about this very concept - the sculpture is made of items that were either going to be sent off for recycling or sent off for disposal. They didn't have any value to us....until they were resurrected and used for the project. And that brought to mind the difference between deconstruction and demolition.

Dewhat?

In an earlier post, I talked about the concept of "footprinting", or counting up the energy, water and materials used to make a product. So when something is disposed of, all of that stuff is disposed of also - we lose the value of those raw materials. And when this concept is applied to something big - like, say, a building - then we lose a lot of energy, water and materials.

An alternative to disposal (or demolition in the case of a building) is something called deconstruction. This is where the item that is no longer of value is literally taken apart piece by piece so that the value that remains in the individual pieces can be recovered. This also serves to "save" the energy that is in the materials since they displace a potential purchase of a new item.

Sometimes it easy - how many of us have disassembled something made out of wood that was either broken or no longer of use just so we could have the "good" wood that was still in there. It can be difficult to deconstruct things, though, especially when a lot of "modern" stuff is made of plastic. There can also be some pretty hazardous stuff, especially in items like old electronics (lead, mercury, and certain fire retardant chemicals). But there may be a way to reuse what's in there - maybe not by you, but perhaps by someone else. If you can't stand to throw stuff away, check your area to see if there is a Freecycle, or other swap group. Some folks run small businesses that specialize in repairing certain consumer goods (like computers of lawnmowers) and are often looking for spare parts of all kinds.

So before that "waste" of yours heads out to the recycle bin or trash can, take a closer look. There may yet be some value left.....after all, one person's trash is another person's treasure!

ENVIRON 101 - Water Pollution

2009-02-28T18:38:00.006-05:00

Class is back in session and time to tackle our next topic - water pollution. For those who want to learn more, you can visit EPA's wastewater site. So let's dive in and get started....

Where Water Pollution Comes From

The two most common ways for water pollution to occur is for the pollutants to be dumped directly into the water (commonly referred to as "point sources") and for pollutants to be picked up off the ground by rain water that then carries the pollutant into a nearby body of water (cleverly referred to as a "non-point source").

Point Sources -

Point sources are when a factory or a wastewater treatment plant dumps treated (or untreated) wastewater into a body of water, usually a river or ocean. For the last 30 years or so, point sources have been heavily regulated and so not too much pollution comes from point sources (though there are exceptions). Point sources are usually required to have a permit, and are given certain standards that their wastewater must meet. These standards come with requirements for testing, reporting and inspections. Violations can require new investment in treatment technology, fines or both.

Non-point Sources -

The trouble with non-point sources is that the pollutants can come from anywhere, which makes it very hard to regulate and treat. Here is how it can happen: you come out one day and notice a small oil spot underneath your car. So you take your car to get the leak repaired - meanwhile, it rains. In most cases, that means the rainwater that hits your driveway picks up some of the oil and carries it along. If that rain water happens to cross some green space (like a lawn or other grassy area) it is possible that the plants will strip the oil out of the rain water as the rain water sinks into the ground. But, if there is no grassy area, or if the ground is super saturated, that rain water will probably make it into a river, carrying the oil with it. Now imagine that happening in thousands of places all over town - the final impact is felt downstream when all of that pollution finally makes it to the river. As you can see, this is a tough problem.

Other -

There are, of course, other ways for pollution to enter bodies of water. One is the rain itself, if that rain is already carrying the pollution. Most of us who grew up in the '80s remember the issue of the day - acid rain! Power plants discharge pollution that turns into sulfuric acid or nitric acid. When the acid is carried by the weather, it can then rain down into a body of water - enough acid rain can change the pH of the water (especially in a small lake) which can have devastating effects on the animals that live in the water. Because of action taken to clean up power plant emissions, acid rain is less of a problem than it was, but it still exists.

Another example is when the wind picks up pieces of garbage and carries that into a body of water (heavy rains can do the same). Plastic trash can float on the water, and sometimes resembles food to certain animals. The animals eat the plastic, which causes problems with their digestive system and the animals die. An extreme example of this is the "Great Garbage Patch" that sits out in the Pacific Ocean.

Water Pollution Named -

Generally speaking, pollutants in water do one of two things - make the water unfit for drinking; or make the water unfit for fish and other aquatic creatures.

No Drinky!

There are a lot of substances that you don't want to put in your body. Some are chemicals and others are metals. In very tiny quantities, they probably won't do much harm. But in larger amounts they can cause damage to parts of the body (like the liver or kidneys) or cause cancer. There are standards for a lot of different substances, and the government can add or remove substances as science shows that a specific substance is harmful.

One of the issues is that some of these substances are bioaccumulative. This means that the substance will build up in your body until it reaches harmful levels. Examples of this are lead and mercury - these metals can build up inside your body until they reach a point that they do harm. The smaller a person is (like a child) the smaller the amounts they can tolerate. Bioaccumulation is the reason that certain fish have warnings - large predator fish can accumulate significant amounts of various substances in their bodies, which get passed along to anyone who eats them.

Where did the fish go?

Other pollutants make the water harmful to fish and other aquatic critters.

pH - if water is either too acidic, or too basic, critters can't live in the water. For example, you may hear about ocean acidification - as the pH of the ocean moves toward the acid side, it makes it more difficult for colar to grow. The acidic water literally eats away at the coral shell and kills of the creatures that make the coral. See wikipedia's article for more info.

Organics - anyone who has had a backyard pool has dealt with organics. What happens is that organic matter gets into the water. And when enough organic matter gets into the water, critters begin to grow. All by itself the critters (sometimes algae) aren't a problem. The issue is when a lot of critters grow all at once - in order for the critter to break down the organics in the water the critter has to pull oxygen out of the water. If too much oxygen is pulled out of the water, then the fish don't have enough oxygen to survive. And when the critters die and sink to the bottom, the microorganisms that decompose the critters pull oxygen out of the water as well. One example of this is the so called "Dead Zone" that exists around the delta of the Mississippi river - too many nutrients in the water lead to critter growth (and death) and low oxygen.

Solids - particles of sand and other solid materials can get into water. These particles can deposit in slow moving areas, building up sediment. This can cause issues with water flow, potentially cutting off some areas of a river, which can disrupt the movement of fish and other aquatic animals.

What Can We Do?

Fortunately, everyone can help reduce water pollution! Here are some simple ways:

Reduce - Simply by reducing the amount of wastewater we create, we can help reduce water pollution. The less wastewater that is sent to the sewer, the less that has to be treated. If you live in a large city, the sewer system may be at capacity - too much water sent to the treatment plant results in untreated or partially treated water being dumped.

Use chemicals with care - Any chemical that you apply to your garden or lawn (weed killers, fertilizers, insecticides) can be washed away by rain and into a nearby river. If you are going to use these chemicals, the key is to apply them in the correct amounts and to make sure that you don't apply them right before a mjaor storm. You can also change your landscape so that you don't have to use the chemicals, or find natural treatments for pests (did you know you can use beer to kill slugs?).

Proper car care - keeping your vehicle leak free is another way to combat pollution. Make sure that leaks are repaired and clean up large spills of any car fluids quickly. And if you are going to wash your car, it may be better to go to the coin wash down the street than do it in your driveway. Many newer car washes are required to recycled and/or treat their wastewater, which keeps the soaps and waxes out of the water.

We all need water to live, thrive and survive - so let's take care and keep our water clean!

The Power of One

2009-02-21T10:45:00.002-05:00

I had the fortune this week of hearing Bill Nye give a presentation at Hanover College. The focus of his discussion was on how individuals can change the world by adjusting their individual actions. It was a great presentation, and it dove into a common discussion in the realm of sustainability - can the actions of an individual make a difference?

It All Begins With One

I believe that the answer is overwhelmingly YES - the actions of each individual do make a difference. A single act can serve as an example for others and provide the inspiration/motivation for someone else to take their first step. And when taken collectively, the impacts of a seemingly insignificant change can be amazing. Let me illustrate using the example that Bill Nye gave during his presentation.

What if every car in the USA was driven one fewer mile each week? Doesn't seem like much, does it....but here is that small change in total.

According to the US Census Bureau, there were about 134 million registered cars in the US in 2006. EPA estimated the average fuel efficiency of new cars/trucks sold in the US to be about 20.8 miles per gallon. Let's add that up....

134,000,000 cars x 1 mile = 134,000,000 fewer miles driven per week

134,000,000 miles / 20.8 mpg = 6,442,308 gallons of gas not used per week

Over the course of a year (52 weeks) that change would save right at 335 million gallons of gas.

A barrel of oil yields about 19.5 gallons of gasoline (among other things), so the gasoline saved in a year is the equivalent of a little more than 17 million barrels of oil. This is a little less than the amount of oil that the US consumes each day (about 20.7 million barrels).

So What's The Point?

It can be difficult to make the large changes that we think are necessary to change the world - very often it is some combination of time, money and convenience that keep us from doing things that we think will make a difference (like giving up our cars). But as shown above, small changes made by each person can make a big difference. Just imagine if every car.....

travelled five fewer miles per week (1.7 billion gallons of gas saved per year)

travelled five fewer miles per day (11.7 billion gallons of gas saved per year)

Changing our habits to drive five fewer miles per week, or per day is likely within reason for most of us. And it doesn't seem like much since the impact to our own lives is so minimal - but it does make a difference.

So stop fretting over the size of your actions and just go do - and then encourage others to do the same. We can change the world and make it better for all!

p.s. if you are more concerned about the assumptions I used or the accuracy of my data sources, you've missed the point......go back and read it again, but this time open your mind :)

What's my Footprint?

2009-02-07T14:28:00.003-05:00

One of the words often heard in the green blogsphere is "Footprint", and it is often preceeded by some other term (like carbon or water). Basically this is an attempt for a company or individual to equate its impact on the planet in terms of its resource use. The thought is that by providing a unit of measure for various products and activities we can all make smarter choices; and this helps reduce the impact on the planet.

Not So Fast my Friend...

With apologies to ESPN's College Game Day, as simple as the concept of Footprinting is, I am not sure that there is a more complicated task out there. The primary issue is that of how to measure the footprint. Let me explain, no - take too long, let me sum up....

For a comparison to have value, the things being compared must have been measured in the same way and the unit of measurement must be the same.

How to measure -

So let's figure out how to measure a footprint. Suppose we want to measure how much water is used to create two products - the "water footprint" of milk and orange juice. Do you only measure the water used in the factory that produced the liquid? What about the raw materials? Should you count the water used for the dairy cows or for irrigating the orange grove? What about the water used in the manufacture of the packaging (plastic or glass)? How about the water used to produce the electricity that is used by the two factories? What about the use of water by the consumer? Should I account for the water in the form of ice that was put in the glass when the drink was consumed? As you can see, the question of where to set the boundary for the footprint is a big deal. If the two things you are trying to compare were not measured in the same way, then it's not a fair comparison.

Unit of measure -

Suppose that we agree to a common boundary for our measurement. Now we have to agree on the unit of measure. Do we use liters or gallons? Do we provide a ratio of water used per product produced (ex. liters of water used per liter of product)? And how do we account for the reuse of water within the factory? Do we only count water from a utility (like a city water company) or do we also include stormwater that is collected by a factory?

So what does this tell us?

If we can overcome all of the measurement issues and we end up with two roughly comparable numbers, then what do we do with it? Do we immediately issue government regulations to require all products to be produced below a certain measurement (or ratio)? Do we as consumers petition the various companies to provide us with small-footprint products? And how do we account for the expenses incurred by large and small manufacturers as they try to develop meaningful footprints for their products?

So why footprint?

While there are challenges to overcome, there is value in footprinting exercises. If we can measure the impacts of our lives (or in the case of companies, their products) in easily understood terms, then we can figure out how to use fewer resources and reduce our impacts. For individuals/families this can be as easy as keeping track of our utility use each month and doing things to reduce our use of electricity, water and fuel. It does get more compliacted when we try to compare different ways of accomplishing the same thing. Some common questions:

shopping bags - paper, plastic, or reusable
facial tissues or handkerchiefs
paper plates or stoneware/china
reusable coffe cups/mugs or disposable

Everything that is produced takes resources and each item has a different impact over its lifetime. The question is how do we meet our needs with the fewest resources possible. In future posts we will look at some of the comparisons above and see if we can find an answer. In the meantime, start thinking about your footprint. What questions do you have? As I have said before, there are no easy answers but the more we learn the more likely we are to make a better choice in the future!

Cool "New" Plumbing Stuff

2009-01-19T08:01:00.002-05:00

To most of us, indoor plumbing is pretty important. We bring in clean water, use it, and send the not-so-clean water out to be treated. And we all know that leaks are a problem - they waste water (which has a whole host of negative environmental impacts) and leaking water can cause serious damage to a home.

So we began a home repair recently to fix a major leak from our bathtub faucet. We had been staring at this leak for a while, but just didn't want to tackle it. I knew in my heart that to fix the leak was going to require replacing the whole fixture - and I did not want to do this.

Solder No More

Like most homes, ours has copper pipes. And the standard way to connect copper pipes and fixtures together is to solder the joints. Anyone who has tried to solder joints knows that this is not the easiest thing to do unless you've had a lot of practice. But there is now hope....

While shopping at our local home improvement store, we found a new type of connection for copper pipes. It requires NO soldering.....none....zero. If you don't feel extreme joy reading this, then you have never attempted to solder copper pipes together!

While I say "new", these items have likely been around for a while. The ones I used were sold under the brand name "Gator Bite" and they are simple to work with. Cut your pipe to length, remove the burs and clean off the inside and outside of the pipe, insert end of pipe into the fitting with a twisting motion.....done.

While this worked for me, it is not the only way to complete a piping job. Similar to the "Gator Bite" are the old-style compression fittings, which have been around for a long while and which are also effective at fastening water lines together (I have used these for external water filters on a refrigerator). There is also soldering the pipes together - done well, soldering provides you with a sure connection. But if you are like me and are soldering impaired, then there is hope. You can also hire a licensed professional to complete the work for you - I have had difficulty finding a plumbing professional that I can trust and that is available. As with any of the trades, if someone is thorough and does excellent work, that person normally has more work than they can do in a lifetime because of constant referrals.

Bottom Line

Water leaks are the enemy...and are something that need to be taken care of. Not just to reduce impact on the planet, but also to make sure that the leaking water doesn't destroy your home. Rotting boards, growing mold, rusting metal, inviting in pests - lots of bad stuff that a little water leak can do. But we can all take time to inventory our home and take care of those nagging water leaks. Good luck!

Easy Energy Saver

2009-01-08T07:03:00.003-05:00

Recently, my wife brought home one of those window film kits. These kits are basically a roll of plastic film and some double sided tape - the theory behind this product is that by creating another air barrier across your window glass you improve the insulation rating of the window. This keeps more heat in during the winter, which should then lower your heating costs (and lower your environmental impact).

There were a couple of windows in our house that seemed to be colder than the others, so we decided to try out the film over these windows. I admit that I was skeptical about whether or not this would work. I get the science behind it, but wasn't convinced it would make that big of a difference.

The Results

Installing the film was relatively simple - if you can use scissors and work with double sided tape you can put in one of these kits. It didn't take very long and the windows were covered.

Just yesterday I decided to chek out one of the windows to see how well the window film was working. As I was standing there, I passed my hand along the surface of the film to see if I noticed a difference. At first, I didn't really notice a difference - the air just above the window seemed to be about the same temperature as the surrounding wall. Maybe an improvement, but I just wasn't sure. Then I passed my hand along the bottom of the window.

That's when I felt the cold air - it felt like cold water was pouring out of the window. And then I noticed the hole. We have dogs, and one of them must have punctured the film when jumping up to look out the window. The film was doing its job, except where there was a hole. I grabbed some clear packing tape and repaired the hole, which stopped the "leak" of cold air.

To make a long story short (too late), the window film kit has improved the insulation of the window. I don't know how big of an impact it will have on our overall heating costs, but it is helping in those rooms where the film kits are installed. So if you have issues with cold air from a window, spend a few dollars and a few minutes and install one of these film kits. They do work and they will save you a little bit of energy in the process!

Externalities - or, What's the real cost?

2009-01-05T19:00:00.003-05:00

So my inner teacher has appeared again with a big word for the day. It's a term generally used in economics (having take a few courses, I know why it's referred to as the dismal science), but has seen increasing use by environmentalists. Here is my take on the term....

What does it mean?

An externality is either a cost or a benefit that is not part of the reason why I might buy something. It often comes in the form of a cost or benefit to a third party, someone who was not involved in the original transaction. A quick example (which I pulled off of Wikipedia here) is that of a homeowner who puts time and money into a beautiful landscape. This improvement may have the effect of raising the property value of adjacent homeowners. They receive the benefit without having put any money into the equation.

And this connects to the environment, how?

One of the most cited examples of an externality is that of pollution - a side effect of an industrial activity can be pollution to air, water or land. While there are regulations and costs to meeting environmental rules, not all of the costs associated with pollution are usually included with the cost of a product or service.

One example is the air pollution that comes from power plants. While there are rules that control most of this pollution, there are still dusts and other chemicals that are released into the air - and these things can cause breathing problems in children or others with respiratory diseases (asthma, etc.). During a "bad air day", emergency rooms and doctors see an increase in the number of patients with breathing issues, which puts a financial burden on the health care system that is not currently compensated (especially in low income areas - but environmental justice is a topic for another day).

Where environmentalists come into play, is their belief that if these external costs were added into the cost of a product or service that people would change their behavior. What if the medical costs of all these people were added up, and the total cost divided and added to my power bill? What if I faced paying an extra $10 or $20 or $100 per month to compensate society for the medical impact of the air pollution created generating my electricity? Would saving electricity become more important? When external costs are added on it can make a difference.

What can I do?

One thing each of us can do is education. Educate ourselves on the external costs of the products and services that we use. Educate our families and friends - share with them what we have learned.

And then, each of us can take what we learn and change our own behavior. Instead of waiting for the external costs to be included, we can make our decision based on what we know and do what we feel is right. If everyone takes action, it can have an impact. The more I learn, the more I am moved to act. So let's get moving and work on changing the equation!

Fresh Start.....

2009-01-01T12:05:00.002-05:00

Today is the first day of a new year - 2009 to be specific. And I find myself looking back on 2008; checking on my progress and taking stock of what I accomplished.....and everything I did not. For me, the new year can be something of a let down - there is always something I didn't do during the past year that I felt I should have done.

Now I'm not talking about keeping New Year's Resolutions - I gave up that game a long time ago. Mostly its about the little ideas I get in my head throughout the year. I'll see an article about something I can do to reduce my environmental impact, and immediately my brain will spring into action. "Well" I will say to myself, "that's something I can do". Sometimes it gets done and I feel very good about myself (and somewhat smug about my increasing greeness), but more often it gets relegated to that pile of really good ideas that I didn't get to.

Comfort & Convenience

And when I review the happenings of the past year what I find is that the changes that stuck, the things that really got going were things that didn't disrupt my comfort or cause me inconvenience. That's the hard truth, if I am to be really honest with myself.....it's because of me that I didn't make more changes in my life.

Hence the reason for my slightly somber mood as I make my way through Jan 1 (that and my college football team is not in a Bowl game for the first time in a long time). And so I found myself perusing some green websites and blogs and came across this article. And it reminded me that while there are those out there who have made significant (some would say crazy) changes in their lives (see here, here and here) it doesn't make the rest of us who didn't get there bad people. It makes us human.

That doesn't mean we get to sit back and let others do the heavy lifting. It means that I need to work harder, pray more and seek more guidance in 2009. It means I need to look back on my failures as an opportunity to learn, and to make those changes that will allow me to succeed this year. It means I need to stop looking back, and start looking forward - to rejoice in the hope of a new day (and year), not to wallow in despair over my shortcomings.

So its time for a fresh start.....no resolutions, no wishing. Just a renewed sense of purpose. So, are you ready for a fresh start?

Holiday Lights

2008-12-08T19:26:00.005-05:00

I have seen or heard a couple of different items on Christmas lights this year and about the companies that are trying to get people to switch from incandescent lights to LED lights. By making the switch from incandescent to LED for holiday lights, you reduce electricity used - this saves money for you and helps reduce your impact on the planet.

Of course it would be best if we could reduce the amount of lights put up, but people can get cranky when you mess with their traditions. So the next best thing is to encourage people to switch to the most efficient lights available.

Who's Doing What...

The first item that caught my eye (or ear in this case) was a report on CBC radio that I heard while travelling in Ontario last week - up there, Home Depot offered a 50% off coupon for a new LED light set to customers who recycled their incandescent holiday light sets (whether or not they worked) at their local Home Depot stores on specific days (not sure if this is still available). While a good deal for people looking for better options for holiday lights, this was certainly a win for Home Depot as well - driving traffic to your store for one thing could lead to the purchase of other things.

And just today I saw this post over on Sustainable Dave's blog, highlighting a LED lighting company in the US that will recycle your incandescent lights for you and give you a coupon. See their site here for more details

So I decided to look around the web (gotta love Google) and found a couple of other options for those of us who have old, broken light sets but want to do something other than toss them in the trash (or try to recycle them ourselves). Your local recycling center may also take old lights - check directly with them to make sure before you go.

Meanwhile, take a look and see if one of these works for you:

Christmas Light Source

Environmental Lights

What Else to Watch For

If you do switch to LEDs, please proceed with caution. As with any change in lights, you need to make sure that the lights you purchase are certified by Underwriters Laboratories (look for the UL stamp) - that means the lights meet certain safety requirements. You also want to ensure that the lights are rated for where you want to put them - outdoors for outdoor, etc. The wrong light string in the wrong place can shorten the life of the lights, or worse (like start a fire, or electrocute someone).

Hope this brightens your day!

Much Ado About Presents!

2008-11-27T09:43:00.002-05:00

I've seen a lot of discussion aboput what people are doing for Christmas: no presents, no purchases, etc. Some of this is being driven by pure economics - with people losing their jobs and the economy looking bad, people just aren't going to spend the kind of money they have in the past. Others are making these types of changes based on their personal beliefs - either to celebrate Christmas in the way it was meant to be celebrated, or because they are trying to make a difference and lower their personel impact on the planet.

Are You Doing Anything Different?

Its an interesting question, and one that can get folks excited (some good, some bad). And there are many ways to look at it.

If you don't by stuff, or don't give any presents you are either:

a. being fiscally responsible,
b. celebrating the true meaning of Christmas, or
c. a socialist/communist who is trying to destroy the American free market economy

But if I take a closer look, spending a lot of money on stuff that I (and others) probably don't want or don't need is not very smart. It wastes money that I could put to a better use; it wastes resources that could be put to better use; it creates pollution through the production and transportation of stuff that may not last or will be "obsolete" in a few months.

And I don't buy the argument about these types of activities ruining the economy. Yes, folks in the retail sector (in general) are not going to do well. And that does put some jobs at risk. But what if we put the money we spend on "stuff" into sustainable activities - renewable energy; energy efficiency for buildings and vehicles; public transportation that is efficient, safe and reliable. These are jobs that stay - jobs that cannot be outsourced and that improve people's incomes and help reduce our country's environmental footprint.

Options for Christmas:

There are a lot of options - and not just for Christmas (though that is the major focus right now), but for any other occassion where a "gift" may have been considered a requirement in the past.

Make a donation to a favorite cause/nonprofit
Make a personal gift (the "no buy" method)
Go and do something (like a trip or scuba diving or something like that)
Spend time enjoying each other's company (the "no present" method)

As for me, it's a little bit of a hybrid this year - some presents, but mostly focused on spending time with family. And for me, that's one of the best presents! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Kids for Saving Earth

2008-11-18T19:49:00.004-05:00

Sometimes it can be difficult to find environmental education geared towards kids. This evening, however, my wife stumbled across this website.

Kids for Saving Earth

KSE is a non-profit dedicated to teaching kids about environmental issues, and getting the kids involved in taking action to make a difference. This website has some great links to environmental activities and educational information for pre-k, kindergarten, elementary and on through high school. There are activities for kids to do and kids and families can sign up to become members of this group.

If you have kids (or are a teacher, or an adult leader) and want to teach them about the environment this is a great resource. And the more we educate our kids now, the better off the planet will be in the long run. Habits that they learn now will stick with them - and they might just pass them on to others in their family.

So take a look and see if you can inspire the kids around you to take action and help make the world better!

Book Review: Serve God, Save the Planet

2008-10-29T19:59:00.006-04:00

When friends know where your passions lie, they tend to find stuff of interest and pass it along. I rarely get a chance to visit our local library, but a friend of ours found this book and pointed it out to my wife, who brought it home for me to take a look at.

Serve God Save The Planet

From page one, I was hooked - easy to read (and understand) with great stories and a very down to earth attitude not often found in modern environmental literature. When I read this book, I felt a renewal in my attitude and an increased call to action. The first thing I did was purchase my own copy so I could use it as an ongoing reference.

Other next steps for me:

complete an energy audit - an oft quoted business management axiom is that you can't improve what you don't measure and this book has an appendix with an easy to use format for keeping track of where you are (and compare to where you have been)

use the results of the energy audit above to reduce energy and water use

renew my waste reduction efforts - increase my precycling and renew efforts to compost kitchen scraps

identify how I can make a larger difference in my community using this information

Warning - Religious Content

I am a Christian - one day when talking with my pastor, she recommended that I find ways to connect my passion (environmental issues) with my faith. This book helps me make this connection and provides me with information that I can use when talking to other believers.

The subtitle of this book is A Christian Call to Action, so if you are not a Christian (or not religious) some sections/passages might make you uncomfortable. Don't let that stop you from reading this book!!! This book helps connect many of the actions we take every day with problems in other parts of the world. In doing so, it helps uncover some of the root causes of problems in ways that each of us can have an effect on (a great example is the discussion on shade grown coffee).

The good news is that we can all act now and begin to make things better. Take small steps at first and then move on to bigger steps. Encourage others to learn more (or read this book) and take action. Encourage your school, or club, or church, or family and friends to take action. When we look at the larger picture we realize that doing the right thing for the environment will have a positive impact in many other areas (social, financial, etc.).

What Can you Do?

read the book (buy it here)

check out the author's website here

take action in your own life

look around and see how you can take action locally

support organizations that make a difference throughout the world

Together we can make a difference! Now it's time for me to get off my soapbox and get to work!

"Lazy" Gardening

2008-10-22T08:45:00.003-04:00

I like to work outside in the garden and on the landscape, but I'm not passionate about it. I like things to look nice, however I won't spend a lot of time (or money) to make it so. I do like to have a small vegetable garden - its great to be able to go out in late-summer and pick some veggies for dinner. I know where they have come from, what chemicals have been used (in my case none because, well, I'm lazy) and how fresh they are. This is the concept of local food - being connected to where your food comes from and knowing that it has a lower environmental footprint than some veggie that has been shipped from half-way across the world. Of course, not everyone has space for a garden - or so they think.

Container Veggies

Like I said, I'm rather lazy when it comes to gardening. I didn't get around to buying any tomato plants this year, but was fortunate to have some grow in my garden on their own (tip - if you don't want your garden taken over by tomato plants, don't put tomatoes in your compost pile). I didn't really do much with my garden this year, so wasn't sure what to do with these baby tomato plants.

We had some containers sitting to either side of our garage door, so I stuck them in those. And they did very well (though I probably should have put up tomato cages). Just a little bit of watering and we had fresh tomatoes right in the front of our house.

The point is that to have fresh veggies doesn't require a lot of land or a lot of time. You can simply buy a few large containers and plant them in there. Some places even sell small kits for growing herbs and veggies inside (either using hydroponics or growing in air).

So there are really no excuses for not growing some of your food at home. You'll get fresh food at a good price and you'll have the satisfaction of lowering your personal environmental footprint. And if you don't want to get your hands dirty, then find a friend with a green-thumb and maybe you can get them to grow some stuff for you - sometimes its good to be lazy!

Can your Boss help you go green?

2008-10-08T19:22:00.002-04:00

It's an interesting question, but one that more and more people are beginning to ask themselves. Recent polls have indicated that, in general, employees expect the companies they work for to lead the way in reducing environmental impacts (see an interesting article here). And this expectation is not just limited to the actual stuff that the companies manufacture/sell, but also what the Boss can do for each worker.

Options for the 9 to 5:

Various alternatives to the traditional work week are in use by many employers, including public companies as well as various government agencies. Depending on your actual job and your customers, you may be able to do your job just as well as before:

4 day work week - working 10 hours per day in place of 8 and taking an extra day off.
Remote workers - employees work from home, either full time or part time.

Both options reduce employee commuting, reducing both the environmental impact from driving as well as the time wasted sitting in traffic. For employers who allow work to be done remotely there is the added bonus of reducing the amount of office space required. This can be significant, especially for companies looking to expand operations - growing without having to lease or build more space provides big savings.

On the go....

Some employers have taken steps to help their employees get to work or get around town. Insurance giant Humana, which has its corporate headquarters in Louisville, has implemented two programs designed to reduce the environmental impact of its employees.

Free Mass Transit - Humana made a deal with Louisville's bus system allowing any Humana employee to ride any bus at any time simply by showing their Humana ID
Biking around - Humana has a small fleet of bicycles that employees can use to run errands in downtown

Not only do these programs reduce environmental impact (less emission from vehicles), but they can also provide cost savings for the employees. Reducing miles driven reduces spending on gasoline and parking by employees, and a bike sharing program can help improve employee fitness.

What you can do

If you are interested in helping your employer reduce its environmental impact, pick an idea and do some research. Once you get all the important facts, put together a plan for testing and implementing the change. Provide your Boss with a realistic assessment of both the potential costs and benefits of your idea. You stand a better chance of getting something done if you can show your Boss that you have done your homework. But don't be discouraged if the Boss says no - sometimes the financials just aren't there to justify a change. Perhaps the timing isn't right or there aren't enough of your colleagues that are interested.

And remember that it doesn't have to be a great big idea - sometimes the biggest changes start out small. Put together a "green team" and get people interested and supportive of changes to make your workplace better.

As for me, I was able to take advantage of a new work from home program with my employer. I am now considered a full time work at home employee, though I still have to stop in at the office now and then. I get the benefits of reduced driving (and thus reduced gas use and all that stuff), more time with my family, and for me personally, increased productivity. My employer frees up an office space, gets reduced utilities per employee, and gets a happier and more productive worker. Truly a win-win - so check out your options and talk to your Boss. You might be surprised at what's available.

Parents - Teach Your Kids (Part II)

2008-10-03T20:47:00.004-04:00

So I'm chatting with my folks one weekend and my Dad says

"So, still cutting your grass with a gas-powered mower?"

I know my Dad pretty well, so I knew that this wasn't really a question. Turns out that he had purchased a new electric mower - one that runs on a rechargeable battery. He told me that he really liked it, that it cut well and he was very proud of the fact that he was no longer using gasoline to mow his lawn.

Lifelong Learner

Being a hunter and outdoorsman, my Dad has always cared for the environment. But as all of us grow up, we forget that the previous generation continues to learn and grow and can teach us something if we take the time to listen. My Dad knows about my environmentalist leanings and he wanted to share what he had done. Of course, he went one step further...

That's me with my new electric mower - so now both of us have quit using gas to cut our grass. This is good, because gas-powered lawn equipment usually produces more pollutants than a new car engine. Engines for lawn equipment are usually 2-cycle rather than 4-cycle - these small engines burn fuel less efficiently, producing more emissions than burning the same amount of gasoline in a newer car engine.

My experience is that this mower cuts just as well as the gas mower, and though I can't cut all my grass on one charge, it still has a few advantages over my old gas mower:

Even with a fairly sizeable battery, its still lighter than my old gas mower and therefore easier to maneuver;
Its much quieter than the old gas mower, which is good for me and my neighbors;
I don't have to worry about buying gas, oil, spark plugs, or filters ever again (for my mower) - less waste that I am creating and less resources used to create those things; and
No "direct" emissions from cutting the grass.

Not to say that this mower is "zero" emissions - unless you get your electricity from a renewable source (such as solar) air pollution is still being emitted to produce the electricity used to charge the mower. And since I live in a part of the country where the vast majority of electricity is produced using coal, this can be significant.

Next Steps

This makes me stop and think - what steps can be taken to further reduce the impact of mowing?

Reduce the amount of lawn area - I plan to add some new flower beds around some trees and in our backyard;
Let it go - easy for me, I never fertilize or water. Sometimes it gets a little brown, but it always comes back and I don't have to mow as often in the dry season;
Reel power - the ultimate in zero emissions is to purchase a mower that operates on muscle power and mulch your clippings where they fall.

The last question I have is what to do with the old mower? While it still functions, I'm not sure I want to sell it - I want to reduce environmental impacts not create them. So what's a greenie to do? Any ideas?

Lessons from the Storm

2008-09-16T21:17:00.004-04:00

First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those suffering the effects of the various Hurricanes and Tropical Storms that we have witnessed this season. If you are one of the lucky ones, please find a worthy charity and donate!

Our little burg in the Ohio River valley was hit with some HIGH winds this past Sunday (courtesy of Hurricane Ike). Lots of damage, trees down, power and water outages. Fortunately very few injuries in our area. Our power came up this morning at 4:30am, and the "boil water" advisory should be lifted tomorrow.

Be Prepared....

Disasters can strike at any time, and you and your family need to be ready. There are lots of resources out there, including federal and state government sites as well as from folks like Red Cross. Get together a kit to use in case of an emergency, and make sure that it includes equipment that you can use without power! Some examples:

Stuff for water purification - in case clean water runs out (you may not be able to buy any water at your local store).
Propane (or other non-electric) powered cooking equipment - table top camp stoves don't take up much room and can cook up food very quickly.
Flashlights - kind of a duh moment, but look for those that use LEDs as that eliminates the bad bulb issue. Also, they have some now that can be powered without electricity (either through cranks or through shaking).
Alkaline batteries - while they are single use only, they do store a charge for a long time. While I advocate the use of rechargeable batteries for everyday living, those typically lose their charge when stored for long periods of time (and you can't recharge them unless you have an alternative charging source - like a crank).
Weather radio, with battery back-up - I hate to admit that we did not have one, and the storm caught us by surprise. I did get this taken care of, and found one with a rechargeable battery and a crank handle for use when the electricity is out.
Non-perishable food - back in the old days, everybody had food that could be stored without refrigeration (ex. canned). Keep a supply on hand, just in case you lose power and your ability to refrigerate.

For all you Boy Scouts out there, this stuff should be pretty familiar. But this should serve as a reminder that these things are not just for camping - they can be of use to us at any time. Because you just never know when something like this will happen.

So, how is this green?

This most recent loss of electricity gave me pause to think - how much of what we use in our lives requires electricity? It is likely more than you think (as I found out), which means that our impact on the power grid (and in turn, on the environment) is probably larger than we imagine. And as we become more dependent on electricity (and gasoline for that matter) the more vulnerable we are to natural disasters.

So, here are my quick thoughts on the matter:

The current model of centralized power generation and distribution has its disadvantages (to be fair, it does have its advantages as well). What if more homes and businesses were able to generate some, or all, of their own power? And how can we encourage the development of technologies that enable this to happen in a way that is affordable for all?
If we all used less power, then less power generation is required - nothing new here. So what can each of us do (or give up) to reduce our own power consumption? Are there other ways to accomplish our objectives (like preserving food without the use of refrigeration) without the continuous use of power?
How can we re-learn to operate as communities, rather than as lots of individuals? I saw a lot of good in our neighborhood immediately following the storm. Neighbors out helping each other clean up, assess damage, and just talking to one another. Sharing tools, hands and words - instead of each of us trying to do it all alone, groups came together. What if we could operate like that everyday?
How do we move from water being "free" to water as a "precious resource"? How do we ensure safe supplies of drinking water, especially when infrastructure is damaged?

No answers from me today - just two challenges for each of you.

Be Prepared - get your family ready now.
Take a moment to reflect on one of the questions I have posed (or come up with your own) - maybe you have an answer that will help us all.

Good luck!

No More Junk Mail

2008-08-28T20:00:00.003-04:00

I found this article on the Treehugger website today. It gives you several ways to remove your name from mailing lists. This keeps junk mail out of your mailbox, and helps you reduce your own environmental impact. Good luck!

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/stop-junk-mail-7-ways-reduce-opt-out.php

It's All Related

2008-08-26T19:15:00.005-04:00

A common criticism of the environmental movement is that it is "out of touch" with reality. Sometimes environmentalists can become focused on a single thing (like "Save the Whales"), which while important, doesn't seem to have much relevance to the everyday problems of our lives. Other times the issue at hand is a bit abstract and the consequences may not be immediate enough to notice (ex. Global Warming).

What those in the green movement are beginning to understand is that many issues that we champion are interrelated. That success in one area cannot come without success in another. And when we take one more step back, we see that environmental issues are connected to social and economic concerns.

Van Jones

This is a man who gets it. Van Jones is Founder and President of Green For All, an organization dedicated to providing "green job" training, especially to people in communities hit hard by poverty. Green Jobs - basically describes jobs in emerging fields like renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture and others. These are jobs that require some advanced training, are local in nature, and help build a stronger economic foundation. This work provides a powerful combination: provide needed skills training that gives people a chance to improve themselves (and by extension, their families), in a field that is both growing and involves work that cannot be outsourced overseas (hard to ship a house to China to put solar panels on it), improves the local economy by providing good paying jobs, in a line of work that reduces the environmental impact of our society, while strengthening the neighborhoods that people live in.

How Can I Help?

Green Jobs Now is a campaign to bring attention to organizations like Green For All. It is a call for a National Day of Action to bring attention to the importance of embracing green jobs. A call to our leaders that it is time to act: to improve our economy, our environment and our people. This isn't an environmental issue, and its not a social issue. Its neither Democratic nor Republican, liberal nor conservative. It is, simply put, a human issue - and it's time.

Challenge Report

2008-08-23T12:30:00.002-04:00

Just a quick report on my "Do Good" challenge. On my return walk from Church this morning, I picked up garbage as I walked home. I admit that I did not pick up every bit of trash that I saw (especially the stuff in the middle of the road) and I didn't go out of my way to pick items up. Overall, though, it was an interesting experience. I was a little surprised by what I found (and what I didn't find).

How much?

After I returned home, I decided to weigh the garbage that I had picked up. I have to say that I was a little surprised. My walk is right at one mile - and in that distance I managed to pick-up 3 pounds of garbage. I did pick up a couple of large items, including a lone flip flop and part of a furnace filter. But mostly what I picked up was plastic, usually in the form of food wrappers.

I didn't find a lot of recyclables, which perhaps speaks to the success of the local curbside recycling program. And the garbage tended to be concentrated in a few places, mostly in storm drains, rather than spread out along my entire path. I also didn't see as many tobacco related items as I expected (though there were plenty). So it seems like a good news/bad news kind of thing - folks are usually putting garbage where it belongs (and may even be recycling), but there is still plenty of waste that gets away. The fact that I saw so much plastic is very concerning since that is a material which simply does not break down.

What's Next?

My intent is to keep going with the garbage collection. Hopefully I will see less and less each week. I am thinking about carrying two bags with me so that I can separate the recyclable materials from the waste. Hopefully my actions will inspire others to do the same (or at least get them thinking about it).

No matter how small our actions, they can add up to make a big impact. So drop me a note and let me know what you've done. And keep up the good work!

Parents - Teach Your Kids (or vice versa)

2008-08-22T19:22:00.003-04:00

A couple of months back I was talking to my kids about how to save electricity (one of those classic "Dad" lectures). I talked about the usual stuff, like turning off the lights and the TV when no one is in the room. Then I started talking about how some things use electricity even when you aren't using it.

Standby Power

Even when not in use, a lot of everyday items in your house use electricity. And I'm not just talking about the coffee maker with the digital clock that you keep plugged in all the time even though you have five other clocks in the kitchen (none of which are on the same time).

TV - or anything with a remote (DVD, stereo, etc.). Even if you turned it off, it is still using a small amount of power waiting for you to turn it on with a remote.

Computers - very similar, many computers and peripheral devices use power continuously. If you need to leave your computer on for a short time, consider putting the machine into "sleep" mode and turn off your monitor. Setting the screen saver just uses power on both the monitor and the computer.

Chargers - no, not the football players in San Diego! Those clunky, square plugs you leave in the wall to help charge up your iPod or cell phone. Because these devices use a transformer to take the house electricity and turn it into the power needed for your electronic gadget, the chargers draw a little bit of power all the time.

Sometimes They Listen...

I ended my energy saving talk and watched my kids walk out of the room, assuming that they had not listened to a word I said. It wasn't a big deal, so I let it go. Just a couple of weeks ago, my son asks me "Dad, how do we keep the computer from using electricity when we're not playing on it?" It took me a second to answer, mostly because I was surprised that they had listened. I told him that because all of the computer equipment was plugged into a power strip, that all he and his sister had to do was turn the power strip off after shutting the computer down. He nodded his head and walked away.

A few days ago, I went over to the kids computer (I can never get on my wife's computer) - I pushed the power button, and nothing happened. I was a little tired from a long day of work, and had assumed that I just didn't push the button hard enough, so I did it again....NOTHING.

Slowly, my brain kicked into gear and I looked under the computer desk. My kids had turned off the power strip. I have checked every time I have used this computer over the past couple of weeks, and the power strip has been off every time! I have to admit that I am kind of lazy. We have power strips for a lot of our electronic stuff, I just don't usually turn them off. But I have resolved to follow my children's example and have started turning off the power strips.

So What...

Is this a big deal? Not on its own. But it does show that my kids (and even I) can learn good habits and reduce the use of electricity. It also reminds us that if we start teaching these lessons when they are young, that it will become second nature and our children will not have to struggle like us adults do. By passing this stuff on now, we can help ensure that our future leaders are environmentally conscious! Maybe we can even learn something.

One Foot in Front of the Other

2008-08-16T10:16:00.002-04:00

Recently I decided to take a small step to reduce my environmental footprint. On Saturday mornings, I attend a small group meeting at my church. Church is only a mile away and we live in a fairly small town, so I decided to walk instead of driving. I understand that cutting out one short trip is not going to "save the world", but as the title suggests it is part of my larger path towards doing good.

How I Benefit -

I get a number of benefits out of my walk, to include:

Reducing my consumption of gas, which does save me (a little) money
Exercise - a two mile walk that helps get me back into shape
I get to see things that I wouldn't normally see while driving - flowers, cool architecture, nature

My walk also helps benefit the wider community. By not driving, I am not emitting air pollution or noise pollution from my car. My decision to walk also provides an example to others, including my own children. And, hopefully, when drivers see folks walking (or biking) along they will slow down and become more aware of what is going on around them.

What Does it Cost Me?

There is a cost to walking (or biking, or using other alternatives to cars) that can be significant depending on your individual attitude and on the risk that it poses to you.

Time - It takes me longer to walk the mile to church than it does it drive. However, I have found that I use this extra time to decompress from the past week, or to think about issues or questions in my life. While I have to get moving a little earlier than I did before, I have found that my time walking is not wasted.

Safety - Depending on where you live and the infrastructure available to you, this can be a serious issue. Places without adequate sidewalks or bike paths can put those not in cars in harms way. I am fortunate that I can take sidewalks or side streets for most of journey, and do have some crosswalks at intersections where cars have to stop because of stop signs. I do have to cross one major state road (with no crosswalk) - it's not so bad on my walk to church (because it's still early), but it can be a little tricky on my walk home because there are more cars on the road. I think that safety is a key issue in many cities and towns, and that we need better ways for people to get from point a to point b without a car. Its also important for all of us to be more aware of pedestrians or bicyclists when we are driving (especially kids who don't always have the best judgment).

Weather - I have been fortunate that my town has had pretty good weather this summer. It hasn't been too hot and we haven't had morning rain very often since I started. The key for me will be preparing myself for walking in adverse weather (boots, jackets, umbrella, hats, etc.). If I am going to commit to personal change, then I cannot do it just when it is convenient. I have to keep doing it all the time.

I see things I don't normally see - You might be saying to yourself "What is he talking about? I thought this was a positive?". Most of the time, it is. However, one thing you probably don't see as you drive along is how much trash there is on the side of the road. It may not be that its something that was thrown out of a passing vehicle, it could be something that got picked up by the wind, or washed down by a storm, or carried around by an animal. No matter how it ended up there, the important thing is that it is taken out of the environment. Whether that means disposing of it properly, or sending it off to be recycled, care needs to be taken so that this trash cannot cause further harm.

Take the Next Step -

So what's next? I'd like all of us to take a look at our routines and see if there is a small step (or walk) that each of us can take to do good. For some it may be dusting off the old bike and getting out on the road; or taking a short walk in place of driving the car. Or perhaps you can engage your elected officials to create paths for walking and biking to improve safety. For me, I am going to take a garbage bag and gloves along with me and commit to picking up the trash I see on the side of the road. If we wait for somebody to do what anybody could have done, then nobody will do what everybody should have done.

Good luck! And let me know what step you have taken and I'll share my trashy experience as well.

2008-08-10T18:38:00.003-04:00

The other day while listening to the BBC, I heard a story about a guy out in California nicknamed "Sustainable Dave". This guy has a blog where he talks about his one-year experiment to not throw anything "away". He weighs out all of the waste that he generates each day and lists what will be done with each item (i.e recycle, reuse, etc.). One of the interesting points he made in his radio interview with BBC is that he now pays very close attention to his actions and purchases everyday, so that he can minimize the amount of waste that he generates.

Solutions for Waste:

One neat item on this site is his list of solutions for reducing waste from various everyday items (ex. coffee). In his main blog, he also talks about the worm composting bins he has in his basement. He feeds all of his organic waste (veggie and fruit waste, bread) and other items like shredded paper to the worms. After the worms feed on all the stuff, he moves them to a new bin and then harvests the worm castings (i.e. worm poop) for use as an organic fertilizer.

There are, of course, other people out there doing things like this (several are boomarked on Dave's site). One of my favorites is "No Impact Man" - this guy lives in New York city and he talks about his efforts to "go green". His current post (8-8-08) is a challenge for everyone to stop talking and to go out and do one positive thing to help your local area.

I encourage you to go out and explore the web if there is a particular topic that interests you. Odds are that somebody is talking about it, and you may find some inspiration to go out and do some good. So I extend No Impact Man's challenge to all of you so we can all go out and do some good!

Don't Trash It!

2008-07-29T19:53:00.006-04:00

If you have curb side garbage pick-up where you live, take a closer look on garbage day. You may be surprised at what you see - maybe some old furniture, or an old appliance. Sometimes it is obvious why these items are on the curb (severely damaged or burned), but sometimes the items look like they are in good shape.

Why We Call It "Waste"

When something is placed into the garbage (and then on to a landfill) we aren't just losing the use of the materials it is made out of. We are also losing energy, water and other precious resources. You may be wondering what on Earth I am talking about - its what's referred to as "Embedded" resources.

When something is made, like a chair, it takes materials (wood), labor (the time the craftsman puts into it), and the energy and water to run the equipment and the shop. When that chair leaves the shop it as if the chair has stored the energy and other resources that it took to make it. When that chair is tossed, all of the "embedded" resources are lost - new resources are expended to make a new chair - hence the embedded energy has been wasted.

But we can also save those embedded resources by reusing or repairing items that might otherwise be tossed. Here's a great example of a thrift-store find brought back to life.

Before.....

After....

By using resources already on hand, my friend restored this chair, effectively saving the embedded energy that was used to make it. Not only did my friend save money (compared to the cost of a new chair) but also saved the energy and other resources used to make the chair and kept some perfectly good material out of a landfill.

A Return to Old Ways?

Back in the day, people used to repair everything - it wasn't as easy or as cheap to make stuff way back when as it is today. So fewer embedded resources were wasted. If each of us were to look around our home we probably would find some items that we can repair and continue to use. Or put to use in another way. Or donate to a worthy cause. Anytime we can repair something and keep it in use, we save energy and reduce pollution at the same time! The larger the item, the more energy is saved (home preservation is one of the big areas, but more on that later).

This isn't always easy. Some items (especially certain consumer electronics) are not made to be repaired, and in some cases the repair parts are more expensive than a new item (which tends to discourage repair). Others cannot be repaired by most of us (unless that happens to be our job) and so we must rely on a professional. There are also times, when continuing to use the old is less efficient in terms of the operating energy. The best example in this case is the refrigerator - old fridges are much less energy efficient than current models. If you need to replace a fridge, make sure that you get an energy efficient model (Energy Star) and that the old fridge is properly recycled so that at least the useful materials can be reused.

One last thing to ponder - while our current consumer culture is focused on rapid consumption of more and more goods that quickly become obsolete, it is amazing how much value is often placed on "old" stuff. Ever watch PBS' Antiques Roadshow? I've seen antique furniture go for $10,000 or more. Maybe a good repair job can turn out to be an investment!

Join the We Campaign!

2008-07-25T22:21:00.002-04:00

Today I joined a movement called the We campaign, and I urge you to follow this link and learn more - if you agree with the principles of this campaign, please sign up. The more mass it has, the more good it can do.

Global Warming (sometimes called Climate Change) is a hot topic. The science behind this issue is that human activity has released carbon dioxide (and other gases) into the atmosphere at a faster rate than has ever occurred in past history. The accumulation of CO2 is trapping radiation from the Sun and raising the average global temperature. The concern is that an increase in temperature could cause changes in weather patterns, increase disease, and lead to increased rates of habitat and species loss. Of course, not everyone agrees.

Regardless of your politics, I urge you to listen to the speech given by Al Gore. Mr. Gore presents a challenge that has potential benefits for the economy, for the environment, and for the security of our nation. By investing in renewable energy, we can produce local jobs, lower costs for fuel and electricity, and stop pollution. Mr. Gore's challenge is for America to produce 100% of its energy needs from renewable and carbon-free energy. This challenge is a stretch, but if enough brainpower, money and labor is behind it, this nation can succeed. Think he's crazy? Go back in time 47 years and listen to then President John F Kennedy's speech challenging America to put a man on the moon and bring him back safely by the end of the decade - last time I checked, America reached that goal.

There are other plans out there - check out The Pickens Plan if you don't like Al Gore's. T. Boone Pickens is an old Texas oil man, but his plan has nothing to do with oil. As he states in his plan, oil production is on the decline and extraction is getting more expensive. There is no future in oil, so Mr. Pickens is investing in wind. He states that by harnessing the wind power available in the US wind corridor (North-South from N. Dakota to Texas), the US can produce about 20% of its electricity - this happens to be about the same percentage that is currently produced using natural gas. Mr. Pickens proposes to replace natural gas with wind for electricity and then use that (now unused) natural gas as a transportation fuel to replace oil. The net effect would also reduce fuel prices and reduce pollution, but not quite at the same scale.

Either way, it is good to see that people are starting to realize that many of the issues that concern our nation are connected - just like the many parts of our planet. By working together, we can make this world better.

My challenge to you - get out there and lend your support to a plan!

ENVIRON 101 - Air Pollution

2008-07-24T20:05:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the first post in my ENVIRON 101 series. This series is designed to provide basic information on technical or compliance related topics. I think that it is important for everyone to have an understanding of the science behind environmental laws and regulations: where pollution comes from, what harm pollutants can cause, and how we can help reduce pollution and protect ourselves from the effects.

But first, what is pollution? Simply put, its the bad stuff that results from certain actions. Harmful substances are released into the air, water or land - while in these places, pollution can build up and cause harm to people, animals and plants. The effects of pollution can be short-lived, but sometimes the effects linger for a long time. In order to prevent harm from air pollutants, most governments regulate the amount of pollution released by passing rules that either restrict certain activities, or require special equipment to be installed to help stop pollutants before they are released.

I'm starting with air pollution (because it comes first alphabetically), so here we go - up, up and away!

Where Air Pollution Comes From:

Most air pollution comes from just a couple of specific activities:

Combustion - Anytime fuel is burned (or combusted), small amounts of pollutants are released into the air. This includes fuels burned at stationary sources (like power plants or factories) and mobile sources (like cars). Also included are things like forest fires, home furnaces (using oil or natural gas), camp fires and backyard grills.

Chemical/Biological Processes - We humans make a lot of things (that we then like to buy, but that's another post). Sometimes when we make things, we release pollutants into the air. An easy example is painting - anytime you paint, you release pollutants into the air. There are a lot of chemical processes at factories that can release air pollutants. Then there are the biological processes - like digestion. If you have been following any of the stories on global warming (again, another post) you likely have heard that some beef producing countries (like New Zealand) are concerned that cow farts are contributing to air pollution. It sounds silly, but when you add up all of the pollutants being sent into the air, it can create quite a mess, even if the source is "natural".

When pollutants are released into the air they typically travel with the wind - they can also drop out of the air, polluting either water or land. Sometimes pollutants come together to form a new type of pollutant, which is often more harmful than the original pollutants.

Air Pollutants Named:

Air pollutants can be put into three generic categories: gases, toxics, and metals. I'll list a couple from each category and describe where they come from and the potential harm they cause.

Gases:

Particulate Matter (known as PM) - basically small bits of stuff floating in the air (dust is a good example); the problem with very small particles is that they can get into your lungs much more easily than large pieces. Once in the lungs, these particles can cause difficulty breathing and some studies are starting to show possible links to heart problems as well.

Ozone - high in the atmosphere, there is a layer of ozone that protects us from UV radiation from the sun. Ozone that forms close to the ground, however, causes breathing problems and is especially harmful to children, elderly, and those with asthma or other breathing problems. Ground level ozone forms when nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds (or VOC) combine in the presence of sunlight. Ozone is usually worst on sunny, hot, muggy days.

Other gases include: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and methane (carbon dioxide could also be included, but is currently not regulated here in the US as a pollutant).

Metals:

Mercury - small amounts are released when certain fuels, such as coal, are burned. The tiny bits of mercury float into the air, and then drop back down. Mercury causes problems with the brain and other organs. It is also bioaccumulative - meaning it stays inside the body, which is why people are sometimes warned not to each certain types of fish or fish from certain areas due to the chance that those fish will have large amounts of mercury in their system.

Other metals include: lead (mostly eliminated when leaded gasoline was banned), and beryllium.

Toxics:

There is a large number of compounds that fall into this category - most often they are chemicals used in manufacturing processes (solvents like toluene or xylene are good examples). They also come from sources we may not think of. The standard solvent used in most dry cleaning applications (known as perc) falls into this category, as does "New Car" smell (which is a combination of various solvents evaporating from carpets and upholstery). Chemicals are added to this category when there is scientific evidence that they cause harm at certain concentrations, or if someone is exposed to a low concentration for a long time.

What You Can Do:

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the best way to prevent pollution is to reduce or eliminate the activity that creates it. By taking simple steps, each person can reduce the amount of air pollution that they release (or cause to be released) into the air. Not to mention that many of these suggestions will also save money. Let's look at some examples:

Cars and Trucks - gasoline and diesel engines produce nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and VOC. If you burn less fuel (either by driving fewer miles, using mass transit, or using a more efficient vehicle) you contribute less pollution to the air. This is even more important for 2-cycle engines, which release more pollutants per gallon of fuel. If you can, switch from gasoline powered lawn equipment to electric lawn equipment.

Electricity - power plants release PM, VOC, mercury, lead, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Almost all power plants have equipment designed to reduce these pollutants, but no control removes 100% of the pollution from the air. But if each person reduces the amount of electricity that they consume, then less fuel is combusted in power plants and less pollution is released into the air.

Household Chemicals - this includes cleaners, paints, pesticides and fertilizers, all of which can release VOC or toxics. For any material that you use, make sure that you follow the directions and use only the recommended amount. Be careful not to combine certain chemicals either, since that can lead to serious problems (never mix bleach with another chemical). You can also look for paints that are listed as "low VOC" since they release fewer air pollutants.

Remember that air pollution is serious business, especially for small children and those with breathing problems. Clean air helps improve health and development of children and makes our communities more livable. So help your community by doing your part to reduce air pollution.

Class dismissed!

Save the Water!

2008-07-04T15:32:00.003-04:00

We all use water - and sometimes we use a lot. I've seen data that the average US household uses 100 gallons of water each day, which is significantly more than is required for basic necessities.

Why Conserve?

To those in drought stricken areas, the answer is obvious. Some parts of the US, however, have plenty of water right now. So the reasons for conserving water may not be immediately obvious. Let's take a look at the big picture...

Every drop of water that we use comes from somewhere, whether its in the form of precipitation or water in the ground. For a quick refresher on the water cycle, click here. It takes time for water to make it back through the cycle once we take it for our use.

One of the issues with excess water use is what happens after it leaves our house. For those of us connected to a municipal sewer system it has to pass through a treatment plant before it can be returned to a river or lake. If we use more water than we need, in effect we have taken clean water, dumped it into a sewer (where it becomes contaminated with waste), and then it undergoes treatment to take the contaminants out. This ends up wasting energy and resources for the treatment of that excess water. In cities that are close to capacity at their treatment facilities, this excess water also can overwhelm the treatment plant leading to discharges of water that has only been partially treated.

By conserving water we help save energy, save water, and help prevent pollution in local rivers, lakes and our oceans.

So How Can I Help?

Most household water use comes from a single place - the bathroom. Here are some simple tips to use less and conserve a precious resource.

install low flow showerheads
install high efficiency toilets
take quick showers instead of baths
repair leaks!

The US EPA WaterSense web site is filled with tips and resources that can help you find household products designed to conserve water. Another key area for saving is water use outside the house, such as landscaping and things like washing cars. This article also contains a number of simple tips about conserving water both inside and outside of the home. So pick an idea and get started, and good luck!

Digital Soapbox - Oil

2008-06-23T19:16:00.002-04:00

Several prominant US politicians, including the current President, have called for opening up certain US territorial waters and land for new petroleum exploration. The reason for this renewed interest in new exploration is that by increasing the supply of available oil from US sources, the US can reduce pressures on fuel prices and reduce dependency on foreign oil.

My Answer: You've got to be kidding me.....

Permitting and encouraging new exploration for petroleum resources in the US is NOT the answer to fuel prices or any of our other national problems. Let's explore -

As most economics professors/teachers would be quick to point out, you can affect price for a particular commodity both from the supply side (as is being proposed) or from the demand side.

Even if exploration started immediately, it may take months or years to find oil - and in some places oil likely wouldn't be found. Exploration expends resources: capital funding (that could be used elsewhere); energy (fuel, electricity); human capital (time and brainpower of people who could be working on the energy issue in other ways); and there is an environmental impact to exploratory drilling.

Once oil is found, again it will take time to put the required infrastructure into place to pull the oil out of the ground and transport it to storage facilities and refineries. Again, this all takes resources and has a significant impact on the environment. I know that the oil companies have gotten better at limiting their impact, but there is still more impact than not extracting oil.

Better solution, IMO, is to focus on demand reduction. We already know what to do and the actions required will likely take less time and resources to complete.

Improve efficiency of the current US vehicle fleet, gasoline and diesel, off-road and on-road, individuals and fleets.
Improve mass transit - more routes, more options, better service, better pricing. This should include for local (in city) and across the country.
Invest in improving alternative fuels/drivetrains. Hybrids and ethanol (yes there are a lot of issues here) may not be the final answer, but continuing to look for options improves the chances of reducing the demand for petroleum based fuels.
Invest in improving alternative forms of transportation, such as the use of bicycles and walking.

Another important point - the US needs to look very closely at the non-fuel uses of petroleum (e.g. plastics) and use petroleum only for those that require it. Plastics will have its own post soon - bottom line is there are a lot of things in our world that either we don't need at all (see Digital Soapbox - Kid's Meal Toys), or that would be better served being made out of something besides plastic. Save the plastic for those applications where it makes the most sense (environmentally and economically) and the demand for petroleum will ease.

By using the concept of Reduce, the US can affect the demand side of the equation and ease pricing concerns for petroleum products. Additionally, by lowering demand for petroleum, we put fewer dollars in the hands of countries that are less than friendly - let's see, that would include the Middle East (especially Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran), Russia, and Venezuela. If you want to improve national security, stop feeding money to those countries that are a threat.

So, what can we do? First, reduce your own demand in some way so you can begin to be part of the solution. Next step, write your elected officials, especially those in the Senate and the House. Express your concern to them that the US is again headed down the wrong path. The more dissenting voices that are heard, the less likely that we are as a nation to make another energy policy mistake.

Don't agree with me - then write your own posts and emails. But I'll be doing my part to lower demand and make sure that we don't exlore for more oil!

What About Bulbs....

2008-06-07T19:56:00.002-04:00

Have you changed your bulbs yet?

A deceptively simple question - making the right bulb choice can improve your lighting while reducing energy use. But, put the wrong bulb in the wrong application and you can end up wasting money and time. Here's a quick primer on some of the lighting technology currently in use today.

What are my choices?

Incandescent - these are your standard everyday bulbs, the ones that have been around for a long time. While they provide a nice, warm light they also provide something else - heat. Most of the energy sent to an incandescent ends up as heat, leading to a low efficiency for this type of bulb. Not only is electricity wasted being converted to heat (instead of light) but if you have several bulbs in a small room, the heat can increase your air conditioning load - leading to more electricity use. Additionally, incandescent bulbs have the shortest lifetime of any bulb out there, which means you have to buy a new bulb (and spend more money) more often.

While these are the least energy efficient bulb, they work well for closets or other storage areas that you don't access very often. The bulbs are inexpensive, come on instantly, and work well both indoors and outdoors. However, you will not lower your energy costs by continuing to use incandescents in most lighting applications.

Fluorescent - Fluorescents operate very differently from incandescent bulbs. Electricity is conducted through mercury and inert gases inside the fluorescent light. The energy that is emitted from this is absorbed by a phosphorescent material on the inside of the fluorescent bulb, which then emits light. Fluorescent bulbs use 25% - 35% less electricity than incandescents and also produce less heat. Advances in fluorescent lighting now produce light that is closer to what we expect from an incandescent.Tube or CFL - basically there are two options to consider for fluorescent lighting.

You can buy a fluorescent fixture to replace an existing light fixture. This fixture has two parts - the ballast and the bulb(s). The ballast is the system that allows the fluorescent bulb to start up instantly. If you buy a fluorescent fixture, make sure that the ballast is an electronic ballast. These are the most energy efficient. For fluorescent fixtures, the bulbs can be either straight tubes, or circline tubes. No matter which you choose, look for bulbs from a reputable manufacturer, and look for the Energy Star label.

The other option is to purchase a compact fluorescent bulb (or CFL). The good thing about a CFL is that it can be used in an existing light fixture. There is no need for a separate ballast because the ballast is part of the screw base of the CFL. This allows you to save energy (and money) without having to purchase a new light fixture. One caution with CFL is that you have to be careful to select the correct bulb for your applications. Unlike incandescents, only specially marked CFL can work with dimmer switches (and most still don't work as well).

While the initial cost of a Fluorescent bulb, whether CFL or tube, is higher than an incandescent, these bulbs have longer lifetimes than incandescents. By placing fluorescent bulbs in the most used lights in your home, you can enjoy significant savings on your electricity bill, as well as on bulb replacement costs.

One other word of caution - mercury. All fluorescent lamps contain mercury - a metal that is liquid at room temperature and is known to be toxic. However, the amount of mercury contained in a modern fluorescent bulb is very small and because the bulb is sealed the mercury cannot escape (unless the bulb breaks). In order to make sure that the mercury doesn't escape, handle fluorescent bulbs with care and make sure to send used fluorescent bulbs to a recycler. Most municipalities have either special recycling centers that take fluorescent bulbs all the time, or they have special collection days each year where a consumer can drop off used fluorescent bulbs.

Light Emitting Diode - LED

LEDs have been around for a while, mostly as lights on control panels or electronics. New advances in light quality and quantity, however, are pushing LEDs into the mainstream of lighting. LEDs are the most efficient light source, producing a lot of light with very little electricity and very little wasted as heat. Also, because LEDs don't have moving parts like the other light bulb types, they last a lot longer. A typical incandescent bulb lasts for about 900 hours or so (see the rating on the package). A good fluorescent will last between 2,000 and 10,000 hours. LEDs are now being produced that are expected to last 50,000 hours. The biggest issue with LEDs is cost - they're expensive and there aren't many choices. So for most household lighting applications, you'll have to wait for LEDs. If you want to learn more about how LEDs work, click here.

One application of LED that received a lot of exposure this past year was their use in holiday light displays. Strands of holiday lights using LEDs instead of standard bulbs will cost more, but they will use less electricity, generate less heat (which can be a significant factor with a live tree) and are less likely to break all while lasting longer.

There are other types of bulbs (including mercury vapor and high pressure sodium) but the three listed above are the types that you are most likely to encounter.

Final Thoughts -

Just try one! Go ahead and buy one CFL and try it at home. While it may take some getting used to, after a while you likely won't notice any difference. Remember that you don't have to change all your light bulbs out at once, just keep a supply on hand and replace failed bulbs with CFL instead.

Before you purchase your new lighting, check the web site of the company that provides your electricity. Some utilities offer rebates to residential customers (or in some cases, commercial or small business accounts) for making investments in energy efficiency.

Check the comments section of the "Let There be Light" post. There is good information there regarding what information to look for on bulb packages regardless of type to make sure that you get the light you want.

Debates over Food

2008-06-01T21:06:00.002-04:00

Agriculture, like most human activities, has an impact on the environment. With the recent rise in food prices and concern over issues like global warming and availability of water becoming more mainstream, people are beginning to take a look at where their food comes from. As with a lot of environmental topics, there are a lot of debates to be had. This post does not discuss either the "food vs. fuel" debate or the debate over the safety of genetically modified organisms. This one has more to do with how food is produced versus where it is produced.

Organic vs. Local

Organic

As you peruse the aisles at your local supermarket you are bound to run into a food that has been labeled as "Organic". The US Department of Agriculture has a certification program for what can be considered "Organic" (follow the link for full details). The certification program covers what materials can be used for fertilizing and pest control, as well as rules describing what words can be used on a label (100% Organic vs. Organic).

The intent behind organic food products is that by using agriculture methods that are more natural, you can get food that has a smaller impact on the environment. Often the people who produce organic food products claim that their products taste better simply because they are grown as nature intended. In some cases, organic food costs a little more - this is likely due to a number of reasons (small-scale production, lower crop yields, etc.), but in other cases there are organic food companies that have reached a scale that allows them to compete with the major food companies. Of course, the majors (folks like Kraft) have gotten on the bandwagon too since they don't want to lose out on a potentially profitable market segment. The end result is that organic is here to stay.

Local

A more recent discussion has been around the concept of "food miles", this being the number of miles that your food traveled to reach your dinner plate. The basic concept here is that by shopping for food that is grown/produced close to where you live, you reduce the environmental impact from transportation (and in some cases, refrigeration). There are various schools of thought on the maximum distance (most seem to be in the 50-100 mile range) one should go to get food.

Those who support the local option point out that in most cases if you shop local, you are supporting small farmers living near you (a social benefit for the local economy). Since the food has less distance to travel, you get the food sooner after harvest (which likely improves freshness). You may also be getting food that would meet organic certification standards, but has not been certified by USDA since that process is fairly involved. I've seen a number of communities that report increases in business at local farmers markets.

So which is better?

I'll put my MBA training to use here for this answer - it depends. As with most environmental questions I've run across, there really isn't a clear answer. There are a number of factors that could sway the decision one way or another - so let's look at some examples.

Fresh produce - local probably has an edge here. You get food that is fresher and has been handled less. Transportation is limited, especially if you buy at the farm itself. And getting produce that is in season likely means it took less water and energy to grow.

Commodity crops - organic could have an edge here. In this case I am referring to the crops grown on a mass scale, things like wheat and corn, where yield (grain per acre) matters and large volumes of the crop are demanded. By switching to organic farming methods here, there could be dramatic impacts: reducing energy use (production of fertilizers and pesticides) and reducing water pollution (from fertilizer run-off) .

Food products - organic is likely the better option. For foods requiring processing (like yogurt) it is likely better to find a large, well run company using organic ingredients and handling methods. By producing large volumes of material, they gain efficiencies in energy and water use. And since they purchase certified organic raw materials in bulk, they provide a boost to organic agriculture.

Livestock - this is a tough one. Raising livestock has a large impact on the environment, and the impact varies depending on the kind of animal (cattle vs. poultry) and how they are raised (free-range vs. confined feed). Some environmental groups suggest that most people need to reduce the amount of meat they consume because of the large impact that livestock has. If you know where the animal came from and how it was raised, local could be the better option.

More Options?

Of course, there are some things that just aren't local to where you live. For example, I am not likely to give up coffee anytime soon despite the fact that there are no coffee plantations in Southern Indiana (at least not that I am aware of). And if you are very busy, you may not have time to grow your own food or visit the local farmer's market. So what else can you look for?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

A concept where families and individuals purchase "shares" in the production of a local farm. Regular deliveries of whatever the farm produces are then provided to the members, providing the members with fresh food and the small farm with a stable income.

Fair Trade Certification

Another certification program, but focused on additional concepts such as gender equality and ensuring fair wages for goods produced. I have seen this certification used mostly on coffee.

Heirloom Plants

Refers to varieties of plants (especially vegetables) that were common in the past, but that were phased out of large-scale agriculture.

Food Labels Gone Wild

While there are tight regulations on what can be labeled with the USDA Organic seal, some producers are putting additional information on their labels. Examples include:

- pesticide free
- biodynamic
- hormone free (mostly in the dairy industry)
- shade grown (coffee)

The concern here is that by using a number of different terms, consumers can become overwhelmed or confused. There is also the concern that if these other terms are not regulated, it could lead to fraud.

So Now What?

If you are concerned with where your food comes from and want to do more to reduce your environmental impact, its time to get educated. Learn about the different methods of farming and what USDA Organic certification actually means (as with most government programs, it is relatively complex and can be difficult to work your way through). Find out where you can buy local produce (or grow your own) or if there is a CSA in your area. Finally, read the labels on your food to see where it came from (and who owns the company). Armed with this knowledge you can make better food decisions and reduce your environmental impact. Who knows - you might even get better tasting food!

Green Spaces

2008-05-22T20:46:00.002-04:00

As Spring turns to Summer, many of us spend time out in our yards....working....on the grass (or in my case, well behaved weeds). That vision of the perfectly manicured bright green lawn with kids and dogs frolicking care free throughout the Summer. Perhaps, like me, you gave that vision up long ago. Or maybe you are still going after it. Here are some thoughts on how to take care of our green spaces without harming all of the other green spaces.

Landscaping Choices -

Go Native - If you are going to add a new plant to your yard, check with your local nursery or other resources and choose a species native to your area. These species adapted to the exact climate you live in and fare better in the local harsh conditions. This usually means less work for you, as well as less watering and less fertilizing.
Xeriscape - A fancy name for designing your landscape to use less water. By carefully designing your landscape and choosing the right plants you can dramatically reduce water use and maintenance.
Good Enough to Eat - Consider turning part of your yard into a vegetable garden. Or plant some berries that are native to your area. Either way you end up getting something out of your yard that is good for you.

Green Grass -

If you still want to maintain part of your yard as grass, here are a few items to consider to help make the grass less of a chore and lower your impact on the environment.

Watering - Its been said before, but it bears repeating. Water in the early morning or late evening to prevent losing the water to evaporation. Also, if you have a sprinkler system make sure to use appropriate controls (especially rain sensors) so that you don't over water the lawn.
Fertilizing - A couple of items to consider. Look for fertilizers that come from organic sources. Some utilize compost or vermicompost (worm poop) and provide the right balance of nutrients to the soil and plants. No matter which fertilizer you use, make sure that you follow the directions. If you add too much or add it just before it rains, the fertilizer just gets washed away. This not only wastes money, but the fertilizer can cause damage to streams/rivers that it gets washed into.
Mowing - One common pointer is to cut small amounts and keep the grass a little taller in order to prevent damage and help keep down weeds naturally. Another thing to think about is the mower itself. If you have a small enough space, consider using an electric mower or an old fashioned push mower. Gasoline powered mowers emit much more pollution than a car (not to mention the noise). You can also check with your city to see if they offer any incentives for switching - Louisville, KY offers its residents a cash rebate to anyone who turns in a gasoline powered mower and brings a receipt for the purchase of an electric or push mower or string trimmer.

Making some changes to the way we work in our yards can provide many benefits to us and to the environment. Choosing the right plants can reduce water use and maintenance, while providing a habitat for birds and small animals. Using fertilizers appropriately provides the nutrients our plants need without wasting fertilizer or harming our waterways. Plus, reducing water and fuel use saves money and is good for the environment. Enjoy Spring and happy gardening!

Digital Soapbox - Kid's Meal Toys

2008-05-12T20:43:00.004-04:00

I am introducing a new feature called Digital Soapbox. This is a post designed to let readers give their opinions on a particular issue. While each subject will have some connection to an environmental issue, they may also just be a pet peeve of mine that I want to sound off on. So without further ado....

Kid's Meal Toys -

My family doesn't go out for fast food very often, but every now and then we do. Sometimes its just the easiest way to go. While there are lots of things I could talk about (food quality, calories, service, etc.) I want to focus on the kid's meal toy.

This seems to be one of the most wasteful things out there. Just what I need for my kids, a cheap, plastic toy shipped on a boat from China. Most of the time, the kids play with them for a couple of minutes, and then promptly toss them in the nearest garbage bin (or worse yet, the floor of my car). These toys seem to add little, if no value to the meal and are a source of waste. They're typically made of plastic, which comes from oil, and at worst can be a safety issue (either from a loose part or lead paint). The ones that light up or make noise also have a small battery - if not disposed of properly, batteries can leach acid and/or heavy metals into landfills.

On the other hand, having received an MBA, I understand that marketing promotions can be very important in a business where there is little customer loyalty. By getting a kid excited about a particular toy, a restaurant chain may be able to drive traffic to its doors, which is good for business. Tie the promotion to a successful summer blockbuster movie and you may be able to add revenue to your bottom line.

In the end, though, it seems like the kid's meal toy does more harm than good. It is one more item that a restaurant must inventory and may even take up working capital that the business could use for other supplies. By decorating the kid's meal containers with similar marketing material, the restaurant creates a shelf life for its bags/boxes, which can lead to waste if the toys run out before the containers do. Plus these toys end up in the garbage - they're not designed for a long life - wasting resources that could have been used for something else and taking up more space in a landfill.

My opinion - get rid of the kid's meal toy! Contact your favorite restaurant and let them know that you would rather save a few pennies off your next meal than have provide your child with a disposable, plastic toy.

What's your opinion? Step up on the soapbox and let me know!

Let There be Light

2008-05-10T20:42:00.004-04:00

Lights - they're in every room of our house. Whether its the kitchen or the garage, the attic or a closet, lights are all around us. So what's the big deal? Okay, we've all been told that we should change out the type of bulb we use, or switch to a different fixture so we can save energy. But if you've looked at the light bulb aisles lately, you know that there are a lot of choices. And the light you choose has to be right for your use. It can be very confusing and intimidating, might even make you want to run away. Besides, lighting doesn't add up to much so do we even need to do anything about it? Short answer - YES!!!

For starters, the US Department of Energy estimates that artificial lighting is responsible for 15% of home electricity use. If you spend $100 on electricity each month, the lights you use add up to $15 - that's $180 per year. And with prices for both gas and food on the rise, its good to see where we can make an adjustment and improve our budgets!

But there's more to it than that. Because this country is still growing, so is the demand for energy. To meet the new demand, there are two options - everyone can use less (either through reducing use or increasing efficiency) or more power generation systems can be built. While there is a lot of work being done in the area of renewable energy (like solar and wind power), major additions to the electricity grid will probably rely on current power generation technology using fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. Electricity plants that burn fossil fuels have an impact on the local environment, to include air emissions, waste generation and water use. By reducing the amount of energy we use to light our world, we can reduce the demand for electricity and eliminate the need to build new power plants (as well as eliminate the issues created by them).

First Steps

The easiest way to reduce lighting related electricity is to get in the habit of turning lights off when you leave the room. Its a simple thing, but often something we all forget to do. Same goes for turning lights off when there is enough ambient light in the room.

Another quick item is to look at how the light is being used. If you're like me, then a lot of your main rooms have a combination of overhead lights and task lights (e.g. table lamps). Sometimes you need light that covers the whole room - perfect for the overhead. There are other times, though that the overhead light is just too much. Considering that most overheads have between three and five bulbs, you can save electricity simply by turning off the overhead light and turning on a task light.

There is a lot that can be said regarding bulbs and fixtures, so that topic will have its own post in the future.

Beyond the Basics

Here are a few items to consider for those of you that have mastered the easy stuff.

Outside Lighting - consider putting outside lights on either photocells, or motion detectors (or both). This allows these lights to be on as needed without you having to remember to turn them on and off. Timers also work well for things like Christmas lights!
Daylight Harvesting - also known as skylights. These are strategically placed holes in the roof that funnel sunlight to the interior of the house. Some of the more sophisticated versions use a single skylight and a set of mirrors to send the light to several rooms at the same time.
Solar Exterior Lighting - uses the power of the sun and a battery to provide light for most of the night. Placement of these lights is critical to make sure that the solar cells receive the maximum amount of light.

For those who are interested, there is a lot more information out on the internet. One interesting site here, focuses on electricity savings and lighting (though it has not been updated recently). Please pass along any others that you happen to come across - I'm always looking for new information!

So if you want to help save the planet, as well as your budget, don't forget to check your lights. You might be surprised at how much you can actually save.

The Big R -

2008-05-05T20:37:00.005-04:00

There are some concepts that apply almost universally to any situation in the green world. One of these concepts can be summed up in a single word - Reduce. Regardless of the topic, the concept of reduce can help you live greener.

Reduce, simply put, is choosing to use less. By using less of anything, we minimize our impact on the planet. And that impact often stretches further than we ever imagined (more on that later). But, because this is a behavior change, it is often difficult to get started and to sustain since it often means you have to overcome old habits. While it can be tough it can also be rewarding, both to the environment and to your pocketbook!

Fuel

Gas prices are on the rise and putting a hurt on everyone's budget. So how can the concept of reduce help us live greener and put money back in our pocket?

Reduce your speed! Keep to the speed limit on local roads and limit highway speeds - anything over 60mph is costing you money by lowering your fuel efficiency.
Reduce your miles! Limit the number of trips you make, or use an alternative mode of travel - mass transit, bicycling, walking, and ridesharing (carpooling) all can reduce your miles.

Energy

Whether it's electricity or natural gas, our homes use energy. By reducing our energy use we not only save money, but also reduce the impacts associated with energy production and transmission.

Turn off those lights! Make it a habit to turn off lights when you leave a room, or when there is enough natural light to work by. This is a good habit to teach your kids, also.
Adjust that thermostat! By setting your winter temperature lower and your summer temperature higher, you reduce the amount of time that your heating/air conditioning is on.
Kill energy vampires! Wall transformers that power computers and charge cell phones continue to draw power if left plugged in, even when no device is attached. Unplug your chargers, or connect them to power strips with a shut off button.

Food

Usually food reduction is brought up in the context of obesity and health problems. But overeating (and food waste) also puts a strain on the environment. If I eat more food than I need to survive, I am placing a greater demand on the food supply system. At a time when food prices are starting to rise, this puts a strain on my budget as well as my waistline.

Say no to Supersize! Portion control is a good way to avoid food waste and unnecessary calories. Share meals with a friend or go to restaurants that serve smaller portions.
Stick to a plan! Its been said many times that creating a menu and sticking with it is a great way to avoid food waste. This goes for shopping lists as well.

Of course, these are just a few of the ways that we can each practice the concept of Reduce. So go ahead, pick one and try it out for a month. Once you get the hang of your new habit, add some new habits and keep going. Don't forget to share what you have learned with others - by working together we can make a difference!

Welcome!

2008-05-01T20:31:00.004-04:00

Welcome to Andy's Green Page!

The purpose of this blog is to share information and stories, and to help all of us make a difference. Whether you live in a big metropolitan area or out in the middle of nowhere, your actions impact the environment around you as well as the wider world. While it often seems as if the actions of single person cannot make a difference, history has shown us time and again that it is often the actions of a single person that change the world.

As a Christian and an environmentalist, I know that I should be taking better care of this world. Often, though, the issues and choices overwhelm me and leave me feeling like the problem is too big. Not being sure where to start, I fail to do anything at all. If you have ever felt like that, this is the place for you! In this space, we will take issues and ideas one at a time to see what simple things we can all do, as well as lead you to site and people who can inspire you to do more!

One more thing to keep in mind - everything is connected. No, this isn't some new-age philosophy, just a simple, universal truth. There are no easy answers - every choice is full of factors that must be weighed against each other so that we can make the best decision for our circumstances. What works for one person may not work for you, so keep looking. As long as each of us makes a conscious effort to make things better, we will make a difference.

Final thought, and this one is important - I am not an expert! While I have some insight on environmental issues because of the work I do, I do not know everything there is to know about the environment. Especially since there is plenty of cutting edge science making all sorts of breakthroughs each day. I will often draw on others for my posts, and encourage you to help guide, edit and correct the posts as we go. Collective wisdom is always better than just one person's random thoughts.

Hope to hear from you soon!