Sustainability : 2015

Greenest City in the United States

http://ecowatch.com/2015/05/28/greenest-cities-in-america-2/

Past reports have ranked Portland and San Francisco as leaders in the U.S. of sustainable cities, but more recent reports have found different results. Lorraine Chow of EcoWatch summarizes the results of two recent reports in her article titled “10 Greenest Cities in North America,” posted on May 28^th, 2015.

Based on reports from two organizations, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Lorraine writes that “the traditional favorites have not received top billing.” In fact, “Washington, DC can quite literally claim the crown of greenest U.S. city,” according to Lorraine. By providing incentives to invest in ‘green rooftops’, such as rebates on garden installations and credits to reduce storm water fees, Washington, DC has taken first place for the fourth time this year by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. As for energy efficiency, DC placed within the top 5 of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, according to Lorraine.

Zero-Waste Grocery Stores

http://www.businessinsider.com/german-grocery-store-without-trash-2015-5

Original Unverpackt is a new store in Berlin, Germany, is one of the first grocery stores in the world to eliminate all packaging of their food items. Customers can choose an exact amount of each grocery item by using their own containers, which reduces food waste from buying packaged goods in bulk, in addition to reducing waste from packaging. Another zero-waste food store, called Day by Day, recently opened in France and now has 5 locations throughout the country, according to Katherine Martinko of Treehugger.

Packaged Groceries:
food packaging

Non-packaged Groceries:

http://www.businessinsider.com/german-grocery-store-without-trash-2015-5

http://original-unverpackt.de/

http://www.treehugger.com/green-home/good-news-another-zero-waste-grocery-store-opens-france.html

Life Cycle Analysis of Paper Towels

Baseline LCA

Weight 8oz = 0.5lbs

Material: Processed Wood Pulp from Cellulose Fiber w/ Bleach 1.11/lb. X 0.5 = 0.55

Processing: Fiber Extrusion Processing 0.2/lb X 0.5 = 0.10

Adhesive: Urea Formaldehyde 1.9/lb X 0.5 = 0.95

Cardboard: Primary Cardboard .76/lb X 0.25 = 0.19

Cardboard Landfill: 0.39/lb = .195

Packaging Film (Polyethylene) 1.7/lb X (0.5lb/8 rolls per package) = 0.036

Packaging Landfill: Polyethylene .3/lb =0.0187

Transportation: Truck w/ Average Efficiency: .39/ton-mile (Assume 1ton, 5mi) = 1.95
Total: 3.9897

Low Impact Materials

Weight 8oz = 0.5lbs

Material: Recycled Paper Pulp: 0.37/lb X 0.5lbs = 0.185

Processing: Fiber Extrusion Processing 0.2/lb X 0.5 = 0.10

Adhesive: Cornstarch Biopolymer 1.3/lb X 0.5= 0.65

Cardboard: Recycled Cardboard Roll 0.57/lb = 0.285

Cardboard Landfill: 0.39/lb = .195

Packaging Film: Biopolymer from Corn 1.9/lb X (.5/8 rolls per package) = .11875

Packaging Landfill: Biopolymers (PVA, for packaging film) Landfill .22/lb = .01375

Transportation: Truck w/ Average Efficiency: .39/ton-mile (Assume 1ton, 5mi) = 1.95
Total: 3.4975

Efficient Transport

Weight 8oz = 0.5lbs

Material: Processed Wood Pulp from Cellulose Fiber w/ Bleach 1.11/lb. X 0.5 = 0.55

Processing: Fiber Extrusion Processing 0.2/lb X 0.5 = 0.10

Adhesive: Urea Formaldehyde 1.9/lb X 0.5 = 0.95

Cardboard: Primary Cardboard .76/lb X 0.25 = 0.19

Cardboard Landfill: 0.39/lb = .195

Packaging Film (Polyethylene) 1.7/lb X (0.5lb/8 rolls per package) = 0.036

Packaging Landfill: Polyethylene .3/lb =0.0187

Transportation: Truck w/ Higher Efficiency: .34/ton-mile = 1.7
Total: 3.7397

Racing Extinction

The new documentary "Racing Extinction" follows a group activists' journey as they travel raising awareness of endangered oceanic species. The movie, which was produced by the Oceanic Preservation Society, expects to show in theaters this coming fall 2015. The activist team educates people by projecting images and eye-opening facts about ocean wildlife extinction with their special-designed Tesla and advanced projection technology.

Chief Sustainability Officers

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrea-learned/why-the-csuite-needs-a-ch_b_6058008.html

https://mrhapkido.wordpress.com/

The role of a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is developing as companies in various industries appoint new administrative positions for sustainability issues such as resource availability, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and ecological footprint.

Prospects can extend to social issues as well, such as community development, or fundraising for a particular cause, such as endangered species’ habitat restoration. The sky’s the limit when it comes to CSOs and their roles in different corporations as the position begins to emerge in the United States and worldwide. Uncertainty about the roles of CSOs has led skeptics, such as writer Christine Bader, to question whether these positions are effective in “driving real change.” In her article posted May 6^th, 2015 titled, “What do Chief Sustainability Officers Actually do?” Christine writes about the emergence of CSOs, beginning in 2004 with the first appointed CSO at DuPont. To paraphrase her article, which was posted in The Atlantic, the largest corporate disasters occurring recently involved companies with executive positions titled in sustainability. Christine gives reference to the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gul of Mexico, and the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh that killed over a thousand people, and injured thousands. Corporate disparities emphasize the need for effective leadership in issues regarding environmental protection and social justice.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/05/what-do-chief-sustainability-officers-actually-do/392315/

Eco-Homes

In the lower southern slopes of the Khasi and Jaintia hills of Northeastern India, a species of elastic trees, Ficus Elastica, grows across rivers and is used as a reliable bridge for the War-Khasai people. The bridge continues to grow as the long, thin tendrils weave through each other to create a surface walkable for over a hundred feet. These bridges take about 10-15 years grow, but can last for over 500 years as they grow stronger over time.

http://www.earthporm.com/indian-tribe-masters-art-weaving-living-root-bridges/

This plant, or a different type of plant species with similar self-growing properties, could be applied to building an all-natural, self-enforcing Eco-home that grows stronger over time forming a symbiotic relationship with the natural world. Eco-homes would be built with an original wood frame similar to that of a modern home, but with significantly less material. This would serve as a guiding structure for the vines to grow on, as well as provide an inner-protective layer between the growing branches and the interior home. Additionally, building a thin frame for the inner-layer would allow for an interior aesthetic appeal, making the Eco-home comfortable and livable by today’s standards. These homes would most likely benefit people in areas with a warmer climate, considering the complexity of integrating a heating system in a cooler location. Ideally the Eco-home system could eventually be applied to homes in other climates as well, as innovation spurs and creates ways to adapt our modern lifestyles to a sustainable and natural realm.

Ecological Footprint Re-evaluation

Four weeks ago today I made three goals to reduce my ecological footprint. My goals included restricting my diet to local and organic food, purchasing sustainable products, and reducing energy use by unplugging electronics to avoid ghost power.

Can I do more to reduce my EF?

During the past month, I started noticing other aspects of my lifestyle that impact the environment, and questioning ways in which I can limit, eliminate, or improve various activities in my daily life that increase my footprint. For instance, many of the products that I buy that are marketed as being natural, organic, and fair trade. However, these products are often packaged in materials that require recycling or that are non-recyclable, making them inherently unsustainable. I started asking questions like, "does hand washing dishes as opposed to using a dish washer reduce water use?" I found out that the average dishwasher uses about 4 gallons of water per load, and washes about 54 pieces of dishware. Alternative, the average faucet flows at 2 gallons of water per minute.

http://www.treehugger.com/kitchen-design/built-in-dishwashers-vs-hand-washing-which-is-greener.html

Goal Update

Local and Organic Food

The most challenging goal thus far has been eating only local and organic food, because it required knowledge of locally grown produce and the seasons which they harvest. Many local markets, such as Youngstocks in Bellingham, WA, sell organic produce, which is mostly shipped from Mexico and South America, seems counterintuitive to me. I realized that if I want to buy local AND organic food, I have to get used to buying produce that's in-season. I found a helpful tool, a website called Washington Grown, where they make it easy to see what's in season locally by each month. It also provides recipes for different seasons.

http://www.wagrown.com/crops-by-season/

Eco-friendly products

I started switching the products I use, such as household cleaners and shampoo, with organic products, such as Jason Products. I also learned about different household cleaners, such as olive oil mixed with baking soda, that are natural and reduce the need for packaging. Jason Products use natural ingredients such as Aloe Vera, and they do not have chemicals that are harmful to the environment. However, are products more sustainable if they are made with resources extracted from the environment?

Ghost power

Over the past month, I've been making an effort to unplug all of my electronics when not in use. My electric bill in February was $17.82 and in March it was $15.91. My next bill should indicate whether I successfully reduced my power bill.

New Goals

Ride Bike Twice a week in replace of driving.

Reduce Packaging When possible, avoid buying packaged products.

Find Ways to Reduce Energy Such as hang-drying clothes vs. using drier.

Feeding the Planet with Sustainable Technology

In an article by John Mandyck titled, "Feeding the 9 Billion: How Technology can Reduce Food Waste." By 2050, our population is expected to reach 9 billion, which exemplifies the need for more sustainable agriculture. 1/3 of food produced worldwide is wasted. This represents 3.3 million metric tons of CO2 and according to Mandyck, enough enough to produce the food. The Global Food Cold Chain Council is currently forming with the goal to "green the cold train" by lowing its carbon footprint and reducing waste.

http://www.edie.net/library/Feeding-the-9-billion-How-technology-can-reduce-food-waste/6590

Tesla Unveils New Breakthrough Sustainable Technology

Tesla is yet again leading the way in sustainable innovation. CEO Elon Musk recently announced the development of Tesla’s new breakthrough technology that will be revealed on April 30th, 2015. This technology will revolutionize the ability for consumers and businesses to efficiently store energy. The announcement event is near, and various insiders have already exposed information regarding the new energy storing battery. Business Insider Mathew DeBord posted an article earlier today titled, “Here's Everything We Know About Tesla's Big April 30 Announcement,” in which he reveals Tesla’s partnership with SolarCity, a successful solar panel company delivering solar panel systems to hundreds of American households. Tesla and SolarCity are working together to develop energy storage systems that will increase energy efficiency and allow for storage of energy from renewable sources. "Obviously, if you have a solar setup, you would want to be able to bank as much power as possible when the sun is shining. A high-capacity Tesla battery would allow you to do that,” Mathew states.

The cost of a Tesla home battery is likely to be far from affordable to the average American consumer, considering the high cost of Tesla vehicle, which is largely attributable to the high cost of the electric battery. Thus, Tesla home batteries might be luxurious investments for the 1%, but this group of people is likely spending more on energy than that of the average American as well. Energy costs are based on the hour of day in which the energy is used, because electricity is more expensive to supply during high periods of energy use. The new battery would allow businesses and consumers to store energy during off-peak hours. This would increase overall energy efficiency by decreasing energy reserves needed to account for peak hours of energy use. Tesla has already tested these batteries in 300 California homes and 11 Wal-Mart stores in a pilot program, according to the article “Tesla's New Line of Electric Batteries is Already Being Used By Wal-mart,” by Rob Price (Business Insider, 4/22/15). Many await in anticipation for the big day, April 30^th, when Tesla when reveal the success of their sustainable technology through the development of their new energy storing battery.

References

http://www.mcphersonsentinel.com/article/20150425/BUSINESS/304259990/-1/State%20News

http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-battery-wal-mart-california-pilot-scheme-april-announcement-2015-4?utm_source=gatehouse&utm_medium=referral

Carbon Washington

The Washington Capitol in Olympia, where Gov. Jay Inslee will have to keep working to convince Republican lawmakers before he can succeed in pushing his climate-change agenda.

Initiative 732 on the 2016 Washington state ballot proposes a tax on carbon emissions from certain fossil fuels. This tax swap, as stated in the Carbon Washington Proposal, is expected to take place over two years, with an initial $15 tax per every tonne emitted. The carbon tax increases to $25 per every tonne emitted the following year.

The proceeds from this tax offset sales and business operation taxes, as well as provide tax rebates for low-income families. Sales tax decreases by half a percent each year, and businesses and operations taxes for manufactures is eliminated. The Working Family Rebate will provide up to $1500 from federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to 400,000 low-income families. With the population of Washington state being about 7.062 million as of 2014 (United States Census Bureau), this tax rebate effects about 5.665% of Washingtonians that are of low-income working households. Additionally, farm diesel and public transportation systems are exempt from the tax.

http://carbonwa.org/policy/

Product Toxicity

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner is one of the products I feel as though I can't live without. This affordable Johnson & Johnson hair care product makes my hair feel smooth and offers “moisture benefits for soft, smooth, totally touchable hair all day.” The product is packaged in a light brown, ‘earthy’ color and advertised on the back this conditioner having “restorative power,” being “salon approved,” and “scientifically proven to help over-processed hair feel soft.” Neutrogena also lists three ‘naturally derived extracts,’ which are olive, meadowfoam seed, and sweet almond. Upon taking a closer look, however, I found the other 23 "ingredients," also known as "chemicals" listed below, in fine print.

Ingredients: water, cyclopentasiloxane, behenyl alcohol, behentrimonium chloride, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, cyclohexasiloxane, dimethicone, amodimethicone, behentrimonium, methosulfate, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, cetrimonium chloride, panthenol, sweet almond oil, olive fruit oil, meadowfoam seed oil, glycol stearate, ceteth-2, hydroxyethylcellulose, methylparaben, propylparaben, citric acid, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, mica, fragrance.

Methylparaben
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), Methylparben is a biochemical that can cause cellular changes, endocrine disruption, allergies and immunotoxicity. An article titled "What are the dangers of methylparaben" by Traci Joy states that paraben "has been found in contact within breast cancer tissues."

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/19436/Neutrogena_Triple_Moisture_Daily_Deep_Conditioner/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/21581-dangers-methylparaben/

Story of Cosmetics
http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-cosmetics/
In the 2010 video Story of Cosmetics, Annie Leonard explains why we live in a "system in crisis," with no federal regulations regarding the products we use. According to Annie, since 1938, the FDA has banned only 8 of over 12,000 ingredients used in cosmetics. Additionally, they don't require businesses to include every ingredient in the label.

Reducing Trash

In a recent article, titled “23-Year-Old Hasn’t Produced Any Garbage in Two Years,” Cole Mellino writes in Eco Watch Transforming Green about New Yorker Lauren Singer and her success in“zero-waste living.” Lauren Singer is the author of a blog titled Trash is for Tossers, in which she documents the success of her journey, discovering new ways to reduce waste.

Two years of Lauren's Trash:

http://www.trashisfortossers.com/p/my-trash.html

Through this process, she learned how to make her own products such as toothpaste and deodorant, and she focuses on buying only products that are reusable and compostable. She also posts recipes for zero-waste foods, such as her “zero waste smoothie bowl.” Lauren found that, contrary to popular belief, living sustainably can be done on a budget and can actually save money.

http://www.trashisfortossers.com/2015/01/how-to-make-zero-waste-smoothie-bowl.html

http://ecowatch.com/2015/02/12/lauren-singer-say-no-to-trash/

http://www.trashisfortossers.com/

Ecological Footprint

http://myfootprint.org/subscription.php

According to The Center for Sustainable Economy's Ecological Footprint online quiz, if everyone lived a similar lifestyle as me, we would need 4.01 earths to sustain the current population! What’s worse is that my carbon footprint is only half that of the average American. My goods and services footprint is about half that of the average American as well, but my food footprint and housing footprint is almost as high as the average American. The largest biome of my footprint is attributed to forestland, accounting for 39.4% of overall footprint. Next in line is pastureland, which accounts for 27.79% of my footprint.

Taking this assessment is eye-opening and depressing, especially when considering what I’m studying in college- sustainable business. Sustainable living is a challenge for numerous reasons, especially for a college student on a tight budget. However, if I am to advocate for sustainability, it only makes sense that I adjust my own lifestyle and learn to live in a way that can benefit the environment as well as society. Accounting for my ecological footprint is a responsibility that could heed financial obstacles, such as the price of local and organic food in comparison to food that is not local and organic, but I am determined to learn how to live within my means, and in such a way that is conducive to a sustainable environment.

http://myfootprint.org/subscription.php

Actions to Reduce my Ecological Footprint:

1. Local and Organic Food: I plan to limit the food I eat to only locally sourced, and organic food, and I will compost all leftover produce and recycle packaging to reduce waste.

2. Eco-friendly Products: I will research the products that I use, including beauty products, shampoos and conditioners, laundry detergent, and dish soap. Additionally, I will begin to replace my products with products that are made with natural ingredients that are safe to the environment.

3. Ghost Power: I will unplug electronics when not in use and while not at home, and record subsequent changes in my energy bill.

http://myfootprint.org/subscription.php