My final carbon footprint reduction entry

At the beginning of the school quarter, I recorded my current ecological footprint and how many planets we would go through if the whole population lived like I did. During this quarter, I created four way to help reduce my footprint. My four goals were:

1. Start a recycling program

2. Lower my energy bills

3. Eat less packaged food/ less meats

4. Reduce the amount of paper plate I use

Now let me review how I did. I am most proud of my first goal. I started a mini recycling program in my house. Before this quarter, nobody in our house recycled. I now have two large empty boxes set up, and I have also convinced everybody in my house to use these boxes for their recycling. It has been very successful and I will continue to 'force' everybody in my house to recycle. For my second goal, lower my energy usage, I did not really see that much of a difference. Every month has been about the same as it was last year. I did my part of unplugging all electrical devices that I did not use on a daily basis. I just feel that since I have three other roommates, and that half of our house is heated by electricity, its hard to see if I made any difference. I will continue to unplug devices that I am not using in hopes that I am personally using less energy. For my third goal, I feel okay about it. I could have definitely done a better job, but I did try and eat more local foods when I could. It is also hard for me to cut out so much meat on my diet, and I have a hard time believing that I will stick with this diet going forward. I just LOVE steaks! Finally, I did a pretty good job at reaching my last goal. I did use a lot less paper plates, and did a lot more cleaning of the dishes this year. It was not too bad, and I will have a pretty easy time keeping up with this trend in the future. 

I would now like to compare my two footprint calculated results.

My First Calculation

My Second Calculation 

 

So comparing both of these tables, it is clear that I did reduce my footprint a great deal. I would like to mention I think my first test was a little miss leading because I did the meat consumption wrong the first time and said I ate way meat products than I actually did. So the difference is not as much as the chart makes it seem, but I did have significant changes in other categories. This is a very small sample size, but I will continue to do all that I can to help reduce my footprint. 

Toooo much excess paper??

So I was surfing the internet reading up on some news, when I came to the title, "Nine Tips of Cutting Down Paper Clutter at Home." I then looked at my desk and realized that I could use some help. A lot of Americans have the problem of using too much paper products, and there is no need for a lot of these paper products. Here are nine easy ways to help reduce paper clutter. I will just list them off, but if you are more interested, I will leave the link below so you can read into this further.


1. Sort papers by verb, file by noun
2. Enlist help in getting off mailing lists
3. Open your mail over the recyling bin
4. Pay your bills online
5. Scan paperwork and toss the originals
6. Spend 10 minutes a day organizing your papers
7. Create 'daily' and 'long-term' filing systems
8. Purge your old papers
9. Integrate a filing system with your home decor.

There you have it. Nine very easy steps to help reduce paper waste. Best of luck!

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/guest_bloggers/83/nine-tips-for-cutting-down-paper-clutter-at-home.html

GM invests $40 million for green energy

GM, yes the company that used to produce the Hummer, is heavily investing money in green energy. At a recent green car show, GM announced that they will be investing $40 million dollars into the environment. GM announced this news as they showed off their newest addition, the Chevy Volt. The $40 million will be spent in part over a two year span, and is estimated to save eight million tons of carbon dioxide. All $40 million will be spent on US projects, anywhere from "encompassing local initiatives, renewable energy programs, and broad-based conservation efforts."

Even though GM is well known for producing very large, gas guzzling cars, it is hard to accuse them of green-washing charges. GM is more interested in spreading the money out and doing the right thing, instead of spending it all at once as a positive image in hopes to increase sales.  "GM says that the eight million tons of carbon reduction could offset the 1.9 million cars and trucks Chevrolet might sell in 2011."

All in all, we can see that GM is trying to move in the right direction and are heavily investing in their new decision. Many people will still blame GM for producing large cars and trucks, but like the old saying, don't hate the player, hate the game. When the demand for something is high, sales will be as well. It is just nice to see that GM is trying to offset their bad habits with good deeds. The article also says that GM has reduced their carbon emissions by "60% between 1990 and 2010, and has also gone zero waste at 75 plants, which are more than half of its total inventory." GM is fighting at all cylinders to being green,  as so far, they are doing a pretty good job.

9 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes

Since Thanksgiving is this week, I thought it would be appropriate to a post on several vegetarian ideas. Now I will be the first to admit that I am craving a smoked turkey (home cooked meals are so much more amazing after living on your own for awhile), but I will also open my imagination and try new, sustainable menu items. Actually, my step sister is a vegetarian, so there will be several items catered towards that life style. Like I mentioned before, I will not try and push anybody away from any traditional food items, but I just ask that they at least consider some vegetarian food items, as well as all produce from a local farmers market. Here is a link to 9 vegetarian recipes that include:

• Pumpkin soup
• Butternut squash-chestnut soup
• sweet potato fries
• Rice Pudding
• And many more.

Enjoy the healthy, local food, and have a great Thanksgiving.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/vegetarian-thanksgiving-44090308?click=getstarted

FindAComposter.com

One of the largest struggles in today's world, according to many major grocery chains, is keeping compostable waste out of the landfills. With the problem, a new website called FindAComposter.com was created. It is a quick and easy site that can show you on a map the closest compost recycling centers within a 50 mile radius. This website can also be linked up with social media networks (facebook, twitter, etc.) to help spread the word on how this new website works. In the days of global warming and an increase of unwanted methane in our environment, switching to compost recycling is the new way to go.
http://green.yahoo.com/blog/care2/146/online-tool-makes-composting-easier.html

Update on reducing my footprint

So its been a few weeks since I have written anything on my blog, so I though an update on how I was doing was in order. Things are still going pretty well. I have really done a good job on getting my whole house to start recycle. It is nice, because everybody is starting to help out with it, but probably because they are tired of me bitching about recycling everything. I have also gone around my room and unplugged all electrical devices that I do not use on a regular basis. I was surprised on all the lamps that I own. My third goal was to use less paper plates, and while I have done a better job, I still find myself using them from time to time, so I can definitely make improvements. Finally, my last goal was to eat less pre-packaged foods and meats. I have actually been cutting down on the meats I eat, but still have not made a trip to the co-op. I also still do eat out a lot more than I should.

So in conclusion, I have really been trying to get better at my goals, but I still have areas where I can do more to reduce my footprint.

The story of Electronics

Its from the same person who created the story Stuff. I tried to upload the video directly onto the blog, yet was having trouble, so here is the link.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/care2/134/are-most-electronics-designed-for-the-dump.html

Written assignment #5- Biomimicry

Biomimicry is an examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate in order to solve human problems. The idea of biomimicry has been around for centuries, the best example is the early idea of flight. We are now seeing a sudden boom in biomimicry. It is no surprise that the world is running out of natural resources as well as adding pollutants to almost everything. Humans need to take action now and learn from nature in order to better themselves and their future. Though there are thousands of ideas on how to follow natures can help mankind, this example has to do with war, and finding enemies is a very safe fashion.

                Humans have five basic senses- see, smell, taste, touch, and hear. Certain animals have different senses. Take for example the shark. The shark’s senses are- smell, sight, hearing, taste, electroreption, and lateral line. We will be focusing on the sense of electroreception. Electroreception is the ability to detect the electromagnetic fields of all living things. Sharks use this sense for hunting; sharks can feel a heartbeat, as well as know how fast a heart is beating. It follows the saying as ‘a predator can smell fear,’ but in this case, the predator can actually sense your fear. So my idea is simple, to create a man made electroreceptor that can target an enemy while during war. This would be a perfect solution for any enemy hiding. Take for instance the war in Iraq or in Afghanistan. The United States military knows the enemy is living in the mountains for protection, but the US does not know where. If the US were to install a very powerful electroreception that could locate a human’s electromagnetic force, then put it on top of a jet, the US military could end this war. On the last page, there is a visual image of my idea. (Please ignore the fact that I am horrible at Microsoft paint- but I had fun playing around)

               

                As you can see from the picture, a very large electroreceptor is attached to the top of a plane. This plane then flies over and scans the ground, searching for all human heart beats. Once a person’s electromagnetic force is located, the data would be transferred onto a computer. Then it would only take time for the military to take charge. This technology would also make war a lot safer. There would be no need to have US soldiers taking camp in a warzone; they could me hundreds of miles away until the time of action is required. By using a shark’s sense to detect an enemy, the US military would always be on the offensive side of battle, never having to be surprised of a ground attack. This technology will save many United States soldier’s lives.

reducing my footprint update

Another week has gone by, and I am still working on my goals. As just a recap, my three goals were:

1. Recycle more
2. Be more energy efficient in the house
3. Eat less pre-packaged foods

So I have been doing pretty well with my goals. I have finally gotten my whole house to start recycling. Nobody wanted to pay for it, so I just collect everything then take it to my girlfriends place, where they have unlimited recycling (so I am breaking the law for a good cause.) Besides that, I have been cutting back on the energy my house uses. When I know I am going somewhere for the night, I will unplug the two power strips in my room. I also only charge my electric toothbrush every few days, since there is no reason for it to be always charging. I have also challenged my roommates to not heat the house until November. It has been a little rough on those cold nights, but so far so good. Lastly, I finally went food shopping. I only buy food about once a month, so this was the first chance I got to purchase less packaged food. It was tough, but I really tried to stay away from packaged meats, as well as frozen foods. I will admit that I still did get a few meat items and a frozen pizza, but I really did cut back. I also purchased a lot of fresh fruits and veggies. So slowly but surely, I am reducing my footprint.

Now I need a fourth goal. My new goal will be to reduce the amount of paper plates I use. Finding clean dishes can be a challenge in my house, so I keep around paper plates in case I need a plate. I have been getting into a bad habit of always using paper plates, and that needs to stop. I will try to use regular dishes at all times. If it means washing more dishes than my roommates, so be it.  

Sustainable bricks

There is a new design for bricks that are eco-friendly. These new bricks are created by combining sand, bacteria, calcium chloride, and urea (pee). Normal clay bricks are very energy-intensive, "producing more pollution than global air travel each year." In order to cook the clay bricks at a hot enough temperature, about 400 trees are burnt to produce 25,000 bricks. It is obvious that clay bricks are harming our environment.

These new 'Better Bricks' can fix this problem. The process for making these Better Bricks is called microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP). How it works- the sand is shaped into a cube, then add the bacteria solution and the grains of sand stick together from the chemical reaction. These Better Bricks look like sandstone but, if made correctly, they can be as strong as a normal fired-clay brick. These Better Bricks are still being tested, but if they were to replace all clay bricks, the world would reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by at least 800 million tons a year.

I think these Better Bricks are a great idea. The world is running out of natural resources, but the materials used for these bricks are almost limitless. I hope within a few years that the Better Bricks are being used for building purposes.

http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20100512/the-better-brick-2010-next-generation-winner

Sustainable Vodka

So before I go into my product, I would like to clearly state the obvious fact that most college students drink. Now I am not saying I support underage drinking, but for all of those who are above the age of 21, I have found the perfect eco friendly spirit.

While at the liquor store a few days ago, I stumbled across a new brand of vodka- 360 Vodka. This is one of the worlds first ecologically safe alcohols. This vodka bottle is almost completely made of recycled products. On the bottle it says:

• Labels made with 100% post consumer waste paper
• Four times distilled- five times filters
• Vodka distilled for optimal eco-efficiency
• Revolutionary bottle consisting of 85% recycled glass (70% post-consumer glass)

Below that, it states the environmental benefits. Here is a list of the natural resources this company saved:

• 156,004 gallons of water
• 262 million BTU's of energy
• 17,457 pounds of solid waste
• 34,099 pounds of green house gases
• 365 fully grown threes

Now that is an impressive list. After reading the bottle, I was even more curious about this new product, so I checked out the website. I was even more impressed with my findings. The main web page displays a picture of their nine flavors of vodka, plus an ecological fact ticker at the bottom, informing you of facts about depleting natural resources. They also have a link to their 'Green Initiatives.' I would high recommend that everybody read what they are doing, it truly is amazing.


At the liquor store, I stumbled across a gem. Not only is this product eco friendly, it is also offered at a great price. I purchased a half gallon at $40 (with a $10 mail in rebate, making it even more of a steal.) And since this is a large bottle, I can drink it for a while without having to purchase more bottles.


All in all, this product is a great way to help reduce my footprint. It is a large bottle, so it is helping my reduce my packaging products and I can recycle the bottle once I am done. I am very happy with this product and recommend everyone goes out and buys one. Cheers

10 toughest things to get rid of

This is an article that I found on Yahoo's Green website. This is a very interesting article because it lists some of the hardest everyday household items that you cant just throw away. Some of the items on the list I had no idea that it was bad to throw away, making this article very informative to me. Not only did this article list off the hazardous materials, but it also told you why they were dangerous, and how to properly recycle them. I never realized how easy it is to recycle some of these items, as well as all the stores that will recycle your 'junk' for free. I really liked this article because it spoke out to the every day home owner on how they can be green and how to properly recycle their old stuff. The link to the article is below, enjoy.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/151/10-toughest-things-to-get-rid-of.html

Current Events

I just read an article saying that UPS is purchasing 130 new hybrid electric vehicles. UPS is already one of the largest private fleets of alternative fuel vehicles in the transportation industry at 2,022. These new 130 hybrids will be in service next year, with 30 going to the New York/New Jersey area and the other 100 going to California. "UPS estimates [that] these vehicles will save 66,085 gallons of fuel and 671 metric tons on CO2 annually, representing a 35% improvement in fuel economy."

UPS is setting the standards on being a green transportation company. UPS currently drives hybrid vehicles in eight countries. Other companies should follow in UPS' footsteps.

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/21155

Reducing my footprint, step 1

I just set up a basic recycling program in the house. I found a large empty box we had laying around and designated that the official recycling box. Then I went around the house and collected all empty soda cans, bottles, cardboard, etc. and added them to the collection. Every week or two I will personally take our goods and properly recycle them. I have also told my roommates who are on board to help make this house more green. This is just the first step, I will be keeping updates on this down the road on how successful things are going.

Written assignment #2

I will be using the hazard scale that the website provided:

0-2 low hazard                   3-6 moderate hazard                     7-10 high hazard

For my personal care product, I looked at all the ingredients for my deodorant stick. The following are all of the ingredients, plus their hazard level: 

·         Water- 0                                                                              Low hazard

·         Cyclohexasiloxane- 1-2                                                        Low hazard

·         Polyethylene-5-8                                                                  moderate to high hazard

·         C12-15 alkyl benzoate-1                                                      Low hazard

·         Propylene glycol-4                                                               moderate hazard

·         Glycine-1                                                                             Low hazard

·         Fragrance-8                                                                         high hazard

·         Calcium chloride-2                                                               Low hazard

·         Mineral oil -4                                                                       moderate hazard

·         Phenyl trimethicone- 0-1                                                      Low hazard

·         Lauryl PEG-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone- 4-6        moderate hazard

The most hazardous ingredients in this stick of deodorant are polyethylene and the fragrance. Since fragrances are not fully labeled, there is an unknown identity within them. That being the case, I will look into polyethylene and how it is harmful to the body. Polyethylene is a very common ingredient in many items, such as makeup, dental floss, and deodorant. Lesser usages are not as harmful, but too much polyethylene in your body can be very hazardous. The main risks associated with polyethylene are: 

·         Allergies - a toxin in the human immune system 

·         Cancer- small percentages of animals showed a tumor formation  from moderate doses

·         Human irritation

·         Neurotoxicity- animal testing showed that some animals had brain damage due to high doses

As you can tell, there are some nasty side effects, but at low doses, I am not worried. In fact, since all these ingredients make contact with my armpit in such low quantities, I am not worried about any repercussions. I would know of any physical irritation, and since I have no received a rash or skin irritation, I do not mind the hazard risks of the ingredients. As of right now, I do not know of any deodorant substitute that does not have any hazardous ingredients. Since the purpose of deodorant is to dry on contact with liquid, this chemical reaction will have to have some powerful ingredient in order for it to work. I will definitely look into different brands of deodorant that are more natural and healthy for the skin, but until then, I am happy with my product. I did find this website very interesting and will do more research on my everyday products and discover what harmful ingredients are used to make them.

Entry 1- my footprint

Here are the results of my Ecological Footprint:

Going over a quick review of everything, we can see that if everybody in the world lived like me, we would go through 4.4 Planet Earths. Looking over my pie chart, my footprint break down is services at 45%, food at 18%, shelter at 15%, mobility at 11%, and goods at 11%. And finally, to support my lifestyle, it would take 19.6 global acres of Earth's productive area. Looks like I am a horrible human being, but by the looks of it, not as bad as others in the class.

The following are my three strategies for reducing my footprint:

1. The most obvious choice for me is to recycle more. I know I should, but I hardly recycle. It is just something that my roommates and I never set up. I will finally make the push this quarter and start some sort of a recycling program.

2. To be more energy and gas efficient. Last year was the first time I lived in my own place and payed my own bills. Needless to say, my roommates and I suffered paying high bills during the winter. We are going to try and use less electricity during the day, as well as less propane to heat our house when it gets cold.

3. For my last strategy, I will try and eat less prepackaged foods, and more locally grown produce. I will also cut back on my protein intake. I have a local farmers market, as well at a Trader Joes a few blocks from my house, so I will make more of an effort to shop there.

I believe that these three steps will help reduce my current ecological footprint. I know these three strategies are very vague, but that leaves me with more ways to help save this planet. I will be doing weekly updates to inform you on my life changes and how successful they have been.

until next time