End of the Quarter Evaluation

I edited my footprint and the results showed that I reduced my footprint by 0.5 planets. I accomplished this by reducing my food and goods categories.

Final Evaluation of Goals


Goal 1

• As part of my initial goals, impact from my food consumption and buying habits was reduced by 8%. I was able to buy more locally grown produce, and since produce was easier to recognize as locally grown I was able to reduce my animal product consumption, which reduced my footprint as well.

Goal 2

• I realized my second goal was difficult, but only due to the fact that I don't buy a lot of packaged goods. As a "poor" college student most of buying is comprised of food products. If I am buying something other than food it is usually personal products or household items, but even then these products are bought only occasionally.

Goal 3

• I successfully eliminated plastic bags from my shopping. I did mess up a few times, due to not having bags handy. However, after I forgot my re-usable bags once I stocked my car with a few extra. This helped me for times when I would go grocery shopping on impulse, like after school when I was not carrying my bags with me. 
• The disadvantage to this goal was that while it was successful the footprint calculator does not reflect it.

Goal 4

• As my additional goal I reduced my electricity consumption. This could not be evaluated on this calculator, but I saw a changed in my electric bill. Our monthly bill has been reduced by about $10 from the previous months, and last year during the same months the electric bill was higher than this year. I believe this reduction in cost is a result of making a conscious effort to unplug idle appliances and turning off lights when leaving the room. 

Analysis of Behavior Throughout the Quarter

My buying behaviors and environmental consciousness has changed dramatically. After learning about the various problems with products and how they impact the Earth, I have become a more involved buyer. Even when it comes to habitual items, I pay more attention to labels and take time to compare brands. I now try to buy brands which I perceive to be more green and I look for familiar labels. 

In my house, I have become more aware of my power usage and have influenced my roommates to do the same. As a result our electric bill has been reduced.

I have also noticed that I have been informing my friends and family about various environmental/social issues and have caused them to think a little more about how and what they buy. I have learned a lot this quarter, and I expect to continue to reduce my footprint  and help others reduce their footprints.

Unplug, $ave Money

Since my roommates and I started unplugging idle electronics and appliances our energy bill has gone down. This was a big surprise to my roommates, and they said they would continue to unplug to keep our bill down.

Now that my roommates are on board with reducing energy use, my efforts to meet my goal has been much easier. Before I would have to unplug after they were done using, but now I don't have to monitor the electronics as much. They still forget once in a while, and so do I, but it has been a pretty successful effort on all our parts.

Chevron Green Washing

Chevron Human Energy VS. Chevron Think's We're Stupid


The first clip is an actual chevron ad about renewable energy. Sounds great right? Well Chevron definitely AGREES that renewable energy is vital to the planet, and they claim that they have invested millions of dollars in technology to make renewable energy work. However, an article on Huffintonpost.com stated, "the anti-Chevron website reports that Chevron's oil refinery in California is one of the state's biggest emitters of greenhouse gase", and "according to ChevronThinksWereStupid.org, Texaco (acquired by Chevron) is responsible for dumping 18.5 billion gallons of toxic waste into Ecuador's drinking waters".  Sounds to me like they have bigger issues than supporting renewable.The Huffington Post article suggests that the "Human Energy" campaign is more of a distraction, to keep our attention off the toxic dumping.How about cleaning up after yourself?


Chevron Green Washing


This Chevron spoof adresses the false promises made by many major companies. Green washing gives the green market a bad name. It is situations like this that cause consumers to loose trust in companies. Also, this video portrays an issue described by Joel Makower in his book Strategies for the Green Economy. Makower explains that sometimes companies do the research and bring attention to certain issues(in this case admitting something is a concern), but don't actually do anything to solve the problem. They delay actually making decisions, and don't come up with any solutions.

E-WASTE

Electronic waste (E-Waste) is a growing environmental and social issue. Do you know what happens to your electronics after you throw them away? Well, it is likely that your old electronics are being exported and dumped in developing countries such as China, Kenya, and India. To "recycle" the valuable metals contain in electronics, workers have to burn the products to extract the metals. These "workers" are then exposed to harmful chemicals and carcinogens that are damaging to their health, as well as the land around them. Nearby rivers are contaminated from dumping and runoff of toxic chemicals. And thats only the beginning.

 

Carbon Footprint Campaign Poster

"Green" Cosmetic Labels

Green washing and deceptive labeling is an issue that has consumers confused and skeptical. The article “Study: 'Green' products emit hazardous chemicals” is just more evidence of this problem. It addresses the problem with scented consumer products that claim to be “natural”, “green”, or “organic”. The study showed that all of the 25 products analyzed emitted at least one toxic or hazardous chemical, and half of the products claimed to be “green”. So how can a company put a green label on their product if it contains harmful chemicals? Well in this case, if you pick up a product that is fragranced, you can bet that it contains toxic chemicals. Even if it claims to be “natural”, you can’t be sure what chemicals make up the fragrance. Have you ever looked at the ingredients of those products? You might notice that when it comes to explaining the scent it just states FRAGRANCE. Turns out manufactures are not required to disclose the ingredients in their fragrances. And this does not just apply to cosmetic products, other products like cleaning supplies, air fresheners, and laundry products have fragrances that are a mystery.

         This just seems wrong. Manufacturers should disclose all ingredients. Now I can see why they wouldn’t. They want to protect their special scent. I know when I buy cleaning products or cosmetic products, the unique and appealing scent takes part in my decision process. However, I still think I should now what types of chemical I am exposing my self to, especially if they are classified as hazardous. The article mentioned that the U.S Senate is reviewing The Household Product Labeling Act, which would require manufacturers to list ingredients in air fresheners, soaps, laundry supplies and other consumer products. I’m glad someone is taking action. I just hope they pass it. On the other hand, it’s discomforting that actual laws have to be set in place for manufactures to make a change. What else aren’t they telling us?

Footprint Reduction Update

1. I will eat at least one meal a day made from local foods.

This goal has not been a complete success, but I am making progress. All most all my produce(about 90%) has been locally grown products. I eat these items about once a day, so none of my actual meals have been completely comprised of local food.

2. Buy 50% more recycled products, or products with less packaging.

Since I have been buying more produce, the foods I buy have less packaging. I haven’t bought anything other than food in the last month, so it is hard to say whether this goal is being achieved.

3. Stop using plastic bags.

This goal has been going very well for me, especially since I don’t shop very often. Every time I have shopped, whether it’s for groceries or for miscellaneous items, I have used my durable reusable bags. I actually like them better than plastic bags. My bags are durable, hold a lot, and can hold heavy loads.

New Goal

I have decided to make a goal that does not involve my purchasing behavior, since my buying frequency is fairly low. In addition to the goals above, I have been trying to save energy in my home

4. Unplugging the unused

I plugged all my electronics that are in my room into a power strip, and I turn it off when I am not using those electronics. In addition, I have committed to unplugging all our kitchen appliances that are not in use. Usually, we have a toaster, blender, and coffee maker plugged in at all times. 

Green For Thought

America's 100 Greenest Schools
The Sierra Club sent out questionnaires to 900 colleges and universities around the United States. The questionnaire asked details about their sustainability efforts. They received 162 responses and measured each school's commitment to sustainability on ten categories; energy supply, efficiency, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management, administration, financial investments, and a catchall section titled "other initiatives." 


Western Washington University came in at 48 on the list, while University of Washington made the top 10 with a score of 84.7.

10 Big Green Ideas

"The stories of thoughtful citizens who are trying to make great green ideas a reality."

Newsweek gathered a list of 10 green ideas from people taking the initiative to improve the environment. Two stood out to me; "Catch a Wave" and "Turn Smoke Into Rocks". These two ideas explained a different kind of renewable energy I have never really thought of, and described a CO2 reducing process using biomimicry.

Catch a Wave: This idea referred to using the enormous power generated from ocean waves. Turns out this idea is an old one, however, the equipment needed to harness wave power has not been able to withstand the harsh power of the waves. Also, the power generated is expensive. With new technology and newly discovered materials, a new generation of equipment has been created that survive everything the ocean throws at it. Plans are being set in place to set up plants across the world that will generate enough power to power thousands and thousands of homes.

Turn Smoke into Rocks: What? Is this Possible? Well, apparently it is. Inspired by nature, Calera's Brent Constantz has developed a process that takes CO2 from a power-plant smokestack and turns it into cement. Constantz had studied coral reefs and how they formed. In nature carbon dioxide mixes with calcium to form calcium carbonate, creating coral. Constantz developed a process that mimicked this natural creation. He utilized biomimicry.

Biodegradable Watch!

Its the worlds first biodegradable paper watch. Altanus has produced a paper watch, inspired by paper-mache, that is extremely light weight (only .3 ounces), tear resistant, and WATERPROOF. Not only does this watch provide easy recycling, but it provides actual benefits to it's buyers. The watch is long lasting (with proper care), comes in a variety of colors, and provides such comfort that you will forget your wearing a watch. 

This eco-design optimizes product lifetime, optimizes end-of-life, is innovated, and uses low-impact materials. Not only has Altanus provided an environmentally friendly watch, they have provided the benefits watch consumers are looking for.

Article:

Altanus Introduces “Patch,” the World’s First Biodegradable Paper Watch

The Switch to Green Power

I tried to convince my roommates to switch to green power, but I was unsuccessful. For a "poor" college student every penny counts, so even $5 extra a month for energy is not appealing. On the other hand, for people like my parents who have more disposable income, switching to green power is easier at a lower opportunity cost. I informed my parents about PSE's Green Power Program and explained the current issues with the lack of use of renewable energy. My dad was really surprised at the low percentage of renewable energy used in the Northwest. He thought our main source of energy came from hydro and wind power. After giving him the facts, he was willing to switch to green power.

Making Changes

I finally got around to grocery shopping, and the trip went well. Keeping my footprint in mind I bought all locally grown produce. Luckily Hagen had everything I was looking for. They have a small selection of locally grown foods, and the things I was looking for were available from local growers.

I aslo was able to use all re-usable bags for my groceries. I made sure to bring enough re-usable bags to carry all my groceries, which is usually not on my mind before I leave for the store. I felt good about my product choices today, and I saved a little money by using my re-usable bags.

Power Race

The Great Power Race is a clean energy competition between students in China, India and the United States. This competition is a current 350.org campaign, so if you missed today's "work party" you can still get involved.


I looked at the website and Western has a team set up. Western's score is currently zero with zero projects pending/completed, but there are many ways to contribute. The site has a list of projects with assigned points. The projects consist of small easy actions like putting up posters to save water and harder ones like implementing a water harvesting project. The race ends November 12, 2010 and there will be prizes awarded ( currently unknown) to the winners of the race.


This is another great way to get people involved in reducing climate change and improving the planet's overall environmental state. I wish I would have known about this sooner, but its not too late to contribute. Even though there is only a month left it would be nice to get Western's score above zero. 


Want to join the team?
Check out the site: http://www.greatpowerrace.org/

350 is the Magic Number

 Today was the biggest day of climate action. People all over the world took action to reduce climate change. The group 350.org started this campaign last year by coordinating an international rally with more than 5,000 events in 181 countries. Today, over 7,000 events were held in 188 countries. The goal is to reduce carbon dioxide concentration levels in the Earth’s atmosphere.

 

The article “Carbon-Cutting ‘Party’ Set for Sunday”, describes the safe threshold for carbon dioxide is 350 parts per million. At the current time we have surpassed this threshold, which has resulted in drastic changes in our planet’s environment, such as melting ice caps, rising sea levels, droughts, extreme weather events and much more. Some parts of the world have reported concentration levels of over 390 parts per million.

People took small steps to make a big difference. Events included everything from digging community gardens to installing solar panels. The 350.org group hopes to send a message to politicians in order to force them to get involved and take action against this global crisis occurring right before our eyes. The governments are aware of the problem but haven’t moved fast enough to change it, according the 350.org group. The team states on their website that  “we need bold energy policies from our political leaders to do it on a scale that truly matters”. They hope that events like the ones held today will send a message to these politicians: “if we can get to work, you can get to work too--on the legislation and the treaties that will make all our work easier in the long run”.

Reflection

I think this is a great campaign. These are the types of movements we need to take place in order to make a change. When the world gathers together to make a change, that’s when we start seeing results. This event will not only send a message to our politicians, but it will send a message to the general public that small actions can make a difference. We have learned in this class that many people feel they can’t make a difference. They know of the problem and would like to see a change, but they don’t know how they can help or make difference. As this group has shown, it doesn’t take much to make a difference. Doing something as simple as planting a tree or painting the rooftop or a school white to save energy contributes to the cause. If everyone did their part, improvements will happen.

Article:

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/a-weekend-party-to-cut-carbon/?scp=3&sq=350&st=cse

350.org Site

http://www.350.org

More Environmentally Conscious

I have not been grocery shopping since the beginning of my efforts, so I have yet to buy locally grown foods or use my reusable bags for shopping. Since I haven’t purchased anything recently, I have also not been able to buy recyclable products.

On the bright side, I have noticed that I am more environmentally conscious about my daily routine. I have been turning off the lights in my roommates’ rooms when they are not in them, as well as my own, and convinced them to make an effort to remember to turn off the lights when they leave a room. I have walked into my house many times, while no one is home, and seen multiple lights on. Don’t get me wrong, no one wants to walk into a dark empty house, but that doesn’t mean bedroom and bathroom lights need to be on.

Another habit I decided to change was leaving my charging devices plugged in when they are not being used. Usually I have up to three charging devices plugged in at all times. I have one for my phone, computer, and digital camera. I have realized there is no reason for them to be constantly plugged in, when they are not in use. In my efforts to lower my energy use, I will unplug these items during times when they are not needed.

Current Event: Genetically Modified Trees

In the article “If Genetically Modified Trees Could Help Stop Climate Change Would You Support Them?”, from www.treehugger.com, Matthew McDermott outlines new research on genetically modifying trees and plants to help fight climate change. Modification could potentially increase the carbon allocation to roots and improve tolerance to environmental stresses. As a result, carbon storage could increase by 2-3 gigatons annually, and “GM tweaking of other aspects of carbon storage could produce an additional 6-8 gigatons of storage”. This is a significant amount, however “it’s less than one-third of total carbon emissions caused by human activity”.

REFLECTION

I have mixed feelings about these genetic modifications. The initial sound of this type of technological tool seems like it would make a difference. It seems like a step in the right direction, but there are consequences to these actions. This type or work would mean new species of plants and trees, and introducing them to the natural environment would have major effects. Ecosystems are sensitive to invading species, plant and animal, so I would be concerned with the long term effects on the ecosystem.

            
In addition, why should it be the plants and trees responsibility to store carbon emissions? Carbon emissions have become an issue and a threat to the planet’s environment, because of human behavior. We should be putting more effort and research towards changing human behavior than changing the genetic nature of other species.

Dove Deodorant: Toxicity Findings

I use Dove’s ultimate clear, cool essentials antiperspirant deodorant everyday. I am pretty consistent with choosing Dove brand deodorant, which is why I chose to examine this product. Just from looking at the labeling on the front, there is no indication that this product could be physically harmful, but then again most products don’t. While reading the ingredients, I became a little worried. Out of the 15 ingredients I only recognized two; seed oil and fragrance. All the ingredients in this product are as follows.

·      Aluminum Zirconium (Active Ingredient)

·      Tetrachlorohydrex GLY(Active Ingredient)

·      BHT

·      Seed Oil

·      Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower)

·      Steareth-100

·      Fragrance (Parfum)

·      Polyethylene

·      Dimethicone

·      Hydrogenated Castor Oil

·      Butyl Ether

·      PPG-14

·      C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

·      Stearyl Alcohol

·      Cyclopentasiloxane

FINDINGS

None of these idgredients were listed on the Toxicity list in the OED, but the Environmental Working Group’s online database gave identity to all the unfamiliar ingredients. According to the site, this specific product has an overall hazardous rating of 5 (out of 10). This puts my deodorant at a moderate hazard level. This isn’t too alarming, but I would prefer a product that’s less hazardous.

Reluctantly, none of the ingredients in this product are linked to cancer or developmental/reproductive toxicity. Those are major risks that I would not want to expose myself to. On the other hand, taking a look at each individual ingredient revealed some other concerns including neurotoxicity and organ system toxicity (non-reproductive). However, all these concerns have high “data gaps”. This means much is unknown about the ingredient or there is little research that has been conducted to support the connection.

I researched more about the ingredient Polyethylene. This ingredient had one of the higher levels of concerns on the Environmental Working Group’s online database, with regards to the Dove deodorant. According to Wikipedia, it is the most popular plastic in the world. The plastic bag is one of the most recognizable products that this plastic is used for. Polyethylene can be recycled, but a majority of the time it ends up in landfills and our oceans. This plastic usually takes centuries until it is successfully degraded. However, it’s not just plastic bags that are a problem. Polyethylene is commonly found in cosmetic products such as mascara, lipstick, eye shadow, blush, and much more. Not only is this substance harmful to the environment, but it also brings up health concerns. This plastic has been known to be linked to harming the immune system and cancer, in some studies. There is minimal research that supports the health risks, but there is no doubt that polyethylene is damaging to the environment.

MY ACTIONS

            I could easily cut this product from my daily routine. The Enviromental Working Group website listed all the deodorants that had lower concern levels than my current Dove product. This gives me a variety of alternative options. One product, which had a score of zero, stuck out to me; Crystal Body Deodorant. My mom actually gave me one of these sticks, encouraging me to use it. She claimed it was better for me, but I had doubts. This deodorant has no fragrance and looks like a giant salt rock. I never tried it, but still have it. After examining my current Dove deodorant and comparing it to the Crystal deodorant, I am convinced that the once doubted “salt rock” is the better choice. From now on, after using up my current deodorant (I don’t want to be wasteful), I will use Crystal deodorant. I guess mother really does know best.

Calculated Ecological Footprint

If everyone lived like me, we would need 4 planets to support that lifestyle. This was a little surprising to me, but I am excited to take steps towards reducing my footprint.


Ecological Footprint Breakdown

• Services- 50%
• Food- 19%
• Goods- 14%
• Shelter- 10%
• Mobility- 8%

In order to reduce my carbon footprint, I will...

1. Buy more locally grown foods. I will eat at least one meal a day made from local foods.
• I will visit the farmers market whenever possible.
• I will look for restaurants that buy local ingredients. http://sustainableconnections.org/foodfarming/eatlocalweek/
2. Buy 50% more recycled products, or products with less packaging.
3. Stop using plastic bags.
• According to www.wearewhatwedo.org, each person uses an average of 167 plastic bags each year. Each plastic bag can take up to 500 years to decay in a landfill.
• I will use re-usable bags or paper bags for my everyday purchases.