Sustainability : April 2015

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