Show Me Your Green

Becoming Green at Oregon

2009-03-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

Businesses can now take a 10 week course on becoming green and lowering their carbon footprint. Course is offered at the University of Oregon. See article here from The Register Guard.

Food miles and cheap food

2009-03-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

It may be snowing at my house today, but I am thinking about Spring. Specifically the garden. For the past four or five years we've grown our own vegetables and fruit in our vegetable garden. This started when my wife was pregnant with our first kid. My plan then was to provide a lot of organic veggies on the cheap. It ended up working very well. In the ensuing years I've learned a number of tricks about what to grow and how to grow it. I've learned that we'll pretty much eat as much lettuce as we can produce, as long as there is some variety. And My wife and kids can not have too many strawberries. I'm proud that my kids help in the garden and will even eat raw broccoli straight from the plant, hands free.

The last year or two I've been becoming more concerned with our impact on the environment. The side benefit to this garden is the reduced food miles we enjoy all summer long. For four or five months a year we deal in food feet, which, on an annualized basis makes a difference. And for this our trade off is fresher, healthier food. Now if we could figure out how to lengthen the growing season when it snows in March.

Wasteful Practices

2009-03-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

UO Catering business is far from sustainble, just fyi. Maybe they do a few things, but it's far from effective. The amount of potentially compostable food that is thrown in the trash, the pounds of saran wrap that wrap everything that goes out of the kitchen, and the tremendous amounts of Sysco products that are shipped in from far away, the "compostable" products which are thrown in the trash (which doesn't mean it composts!), excess hot water usage, lights left on all the time, etc etc. all drove me insane when I was working there.
Just keepin' it real.
K

Sustainable Business Practice

2009-03-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

Hey, Paul and Show Me Your Green Team! Great site and informative content.

I wanted to add my thoughts. I've committed to sustainable living in mypersonal life, but my bigger contribution is greening my company'spractices. We've won several community and sustainability awards for ourprogressive business values...and I'm pretty sure we'll win Best Company toWork For in Oregon (Oregon Business Magazine) when the awards are announced2/26/09. Our green policies are a huge part of building our companyculture, supporting volunteership, and promoting responsible practices tothe business community. Here's the link to our Green info:http://www.rosecitymtg.com/culture/ . I've also attached ourspread-the-green-word insert that we include in clients' loan packages, sothey can see that we care (and maybe get inspired for sustainable stuff theycan do).

Thanks for getting the word out! Hopefully the green movement will get soentrenched with companies' daily business practices that it won't fade likeother PR fads. It seems like being sustainable is becoming a fundamentalbusiness practice: both for the balance sheet and for customer confidence.

Jennifer "JJ" Lee Kwai

Rose City Mortgage Specialists 10737 SW Inverness Ct, Portland, OR 97219

503.768.4248 (Office) 503.768.4210 (Fax)

RoseCity Mortgage Specialists Has Been Awarded: 100 Best Companies in Oregon,BBB Small Business of the Year, 10 Most Dependable Mortgage Brokers

how we walk our GREEN talk:
We recycle everything. We offset our carbon consumption with the purchase of green tags. We clean our office with non-toxic cleaning products. We support local business and the environment by purchasing locally. Our office supplies are recycled and printed with soy inks. Loan files are handled electronically to reduce paper consumption. We work with a green Escrow Company, Appraiser and Realtors.
We donate back to the community with each loan we close – over $100,000 so far.
˛¸
www.rosecitymtg.com

Lowering My Carbon Footprint Weeks 2 and 3

2009-02-27T12:56:00.000-08:00

So I'm a failure.

I've got loads of excuses but for the most part I was just lazy.

On week 2 I rode my bike a grand total of....... 8 miles

I drove or was a passenger in a car for a total of just over 34 miles

Wow, this was bad. I looked into ltd but never woke up in time to catch the bus that takes me to Eugene Station as I have classes at 8:30. (It's not like I'm ever on time even when I drive)I tried to keep driving to a minimum and consolidated my trips for the most part. It did snow on Tuesday of this week so should I be penalized for not riding my bike that day? (hey, thats a good excuse)

For week 3:
I actually rode my bike 19 miles this week! 16 were too and from school and the other three were recreational.

I did however drive or got a ride in the car for 27 miles. So i still didn't achieve my 50/50 split. I found that it helped to wake up a little early and wake up a little with some java, plus the weather was a little bit better this week, that can't hurt right?

On Thursday of this week, My stupid bike lock key broke in my lock before my noon class. I decided to risk not having my bike locked the entire class. After sweating frofusely for an hour and a half I came back out and realized it was still ther (whew) I promptly had to go to the nearest bike shop and fork over 16 dollars for a new one! arg.

Until Next Time!
-Nick

Restaurant Sustainability

2009-02-27T12:03:00.000-08:00

While working in the restaurant industry, I've witnessed first hand the wasteful practices which occur everyday. Using styrofoam for carry-out containers, constantly running water, and continually throwing away products which can easily be recycled are some of the biggest issues I see at work.
In my efforts to promote sustainability, I decided to take my efforts to the larger scale and tackle some of the issues going on in the restaurant I work at. I began by asking the general manager for an interview. I was not surprised when I didn't hear back from him. I must have made some sort of ripple because a week after the interview I had the service manager pull me aside for a talk. This is usually a bad omen as it usually deals with constantly being late or guest complaints. I was surprised to hear that he had heard of the sustainability project and wanted in. I first asked to interview him about restaurant sustainability and his beliefs on what is important to him in the big picture.
Here is the interview:

What does sustainability mean to you?
As a society, I think we spend very little time thinking about the rate at which we are going through our resources. Also, what effect the waste that we generate will have on the increasingly human dominated habitats. This has to catch up with us eventually. Sustainability means doing what needs to be done to prevent a possible critical mess in the future.

What aspects of sustainability are important to you?

Modifying the resource consumption of water, keeping the by-products of our lifestyles from poisoning the very things that we depend on to live, and better management of energy consumption.

Are you acting on those beliefs?

I would say that i am passionate about sustainability, my awareness of ways to decrease my 'footprint' has grown and I feel like I am a work in progress. Having said that, I am still moving with the wasteful inertia of society more than making strides against it.

You work in the restaurant industry, what are some of the sustainability issues you see which need to be addressed? Do you see any fundamental changes happening? Increased Awareness?

A sustainability plan is in the embyotic stages at my restaurant. Our consumption of water is a very large concern, we need to put a lot more work in our electricity consumption, and we allow too much plastic and paper to end up in a landfill. But I am not giving up.

Is there anything holding you back from doing more both at home and at the workplace?

We are addicted to petroleum because of our reluctance to drastically modify our lifestyle or change our thinking. This is human nature and I am guilty also.

Who do you think should play a bigger role in helping us become more sustainable?

There is not a whole lot of leadership out there, partly because of general apathy and partly because our sources of information don't do a whole lot of touting the virtues of sustainability. In many cases quite the opposite. What we need is an enlightenment of sorts where the message gets from person to person. "Yes, what I do today REALLY does affect livability tomorrow. That is definately not at the forefront of our psychy. It needs to be.

I was extremely surprised with the passion he displayed for these issues. We also devised a sustainability taskforce at work with those who share similar opinions. I'll keep you all updated after the first meeting!

Eco Hot Rodding - This might be a stretch

2009-02-24T13:23:00.000-08:00

In order of impact, walking is without a doubt the least impactful way of getting around, followed next by bike, public transport, motorcycle/scooter, car pooling and finally driving yourself. The unfortunate truth about city design in most US cities is that walking isn’t always a realistic possibility to get everywhere you need to go. In some cities, the public transportation system may even be inadequate. The point being that many people in the US have no choice but to use a car, and the type of car they use, and how they use it is the biggest determinate of their impact from transportation.

My current situation is such that at least three days a week I have a 150 mile round trip commute. This type of commute begs for public transportation- bus or rail. Unfortunately in my situation those are not well developed enough options to satisfy my needs (and believe me, I dream of being able to jump on a train and have a couple hours of my day back to work while traveling). This distance is also beyond my abilities to peddle in, even if I had help from three friends. So, I am beholden to the commute via auto.

These days the answer to the question: “Ok, which car?” almost always seems to be a hybrid. The Prius being the most common, but there are many from Honda and Toyota, and many more coming from the Big Three and others. I have two problems with this answer. First, why must we always consume something new? Cars take a great deal of energy to produce, and have a great deal of impact just getting them to the dealer’s lot, no matter how low their MPG is. Second, all of these hybrids have batteries. Battery technology is seeing a great deal of investment, but I feel the jury is still out on the impact of producing and, more importantly, disposing of car batteries. This problem will potentially become larger as a new crop of full electric vehicles comes to market. Essentially, hybrids and electrics are great at reducing fuel consumption, but what are the other ecological trade offs?

I might not be raising these questions if I didn’t have an answer that would work for me, and maybe others. Until a more sustainable answer comes along, I propose a new green option for the car: repurpose and hot rod.

Repurpose: Pick any old used up car and save it. Ideally, pick something cool, but not too heavy. This will rule out ‘57 Impalas and ’67 Lincoln Continentals. Both cool cars, but also quite heavy with full frames and solid axels. Think smaller and lighter: old VW Bugs might work well. But I think I’ll go about as light and small as is feasible: a classic Mini Cooper, not a MINI, a Mini. Like from the early ‘60s. These old Minis sip gas but aren’t really set up for modern traffic, a little slow to accelerate, not too reliable, and despite the small engines, they are ‘60s technology, so they pollute. In other words, the engine is not going to work.

Hot Rod: The solution to the power plant issue is another opportunity to repurpose. Almost any Honda 4-cylinder engine from the last 25 years will bolt into these small little cars with the help of a kit from Mini Tec. The Honda power train is reliable and relatively efficient. By essentially bolting a smaller, lighter car to the Honda engine, you maximize its potential.

These repurposed parts combine to create a car that gets 45 miles per gallon and can go 0-60 in under 5 seconds, an added benefit to “adding lightness” to the Honda engine. This sort of performance matches the VW small diesel’s performance, with out having to force VW to make a whole new car in your quest for efficient driving. In this pursuit you are potentially saving the car and engine from a landfill, and giving them new life. The fact that you created a high performance hot rod that can park in almost any parking spot is just an added bonus of trying to be green.

And don't forget...the Mini is one of the best handling cars ever. This just keeps getting better.

Teach'em

2009-02-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

Why is it so hard for people to do the right thing for the environment? This is question I ask myself almost daily. I can’t say that I am any better than the next person, as I do the same things everyone does. I buy stuff, and I toss stuff. I enjoy flying places to see new things. I like red meat, chicken, fish. It would be hard for me to give those things up. My footprint on this planet, I’m sure is not sustainable.

No matter how hard I try, I am human. I have wants, I can be greedy, and I enjoy stuff. I’m not proud of my purchasing choices at all times. I am trying to make better ones, but even doing that is hard. I say that I am really no different from the next person, but I guess that really isn’t true. I am aware of the impacts of my decisions and still do things that I shouldn’t. So, in some ways, I am worse. What good is learning to do the right thing, if you are not strong enough to do it?

I have been working on this project for several weeks now, and I am learning that people either are really passionate about this topic or would like to not talk about it. Those, who do not like to talk about sustainability, are really the people I want to talk to the most. If the person is really into this subject, whatever I say is really just preaching to the choir. They already have own opinions, and preconceived judgments, by speaking to them I am just adding fuel to the fire. No, the people I have the most to learn from, and could have the greatest impact on, are those who don’t wish to participate.

My own family, for example has not been very supportive of this project. Granted, they all have busy lives, and don’t have much time to spare. Setting that aside, I spoke to them personally and learned that they really don’t care. Common excuses include: “I don’t know much about the topic to have a fair opinion,” “I don’t do many sustainable things.” In adversity, there is opportunity.

I am lucky enough to go to school and learn all about the latest thoughts and ideas in this field of study. In many ways I am a steward for the planet. I need to take the knowledge I have learned and pass it on to those who don’t know. What this really comes down to is this, I need to talk and teach those who don’t know. Only through communication can I get these people to start considering the impacts of their decisions.

As I mentioned earlier, I know my impacts and I find it hard to make changes. I don’t know what difference I can make, but I know I should be passing on what I have learned. If I can get one person to see the light, I have made a difference.

Going back to my first paragraph, I want to conclude this post with one final thought. I believe that it is easier to do the ‘right’ thing when you are in a culture/environment where it is a common practice. I know I could make the best choice if I got support for making it, or if others around me were doing it. Being a leader is hard in a place where your thoughts are not supported is tough. I want to say good job to all of you out there making tough choices and being strong enough to stand behind them. I inspire to be like you

Compost!

2009-02-16T21:44:00.000-08:00

Compost is the aerobically decomposed remnants of organic matter. Basically, it's food waste. As concern about landfill space increases, worldwide interest in recycling by means of composting is growing. I recently began composting at my home in Eugene.

Check it out!

For more info on how you can start composting, check out:
This How To and This Compost Guide

Interview With My Better Half

2009-02-16T12:12:00.000-08:00

Who better to interview with than the person who influences my everyday consumer decisions the most? I wasn't surprised with what she had to say, I was pleasently surprised to hear how much passion she had during this interview.

When you hear the word sustainabiliy, what comes to your mind?

When I hear the word sustainability, I think of what we as consumers can do to replenish our resources, also not using up all of our resources. I think more on the smaller scale like recycling, turning off lights, limiting water usage, using reusable bags for groceries. Small things like that I know I can accomplish on an individual level.

What aspects of sustainability are important to you?

As an individual who is not involved in a non profit organizion, I think of change on a smaller scale because that is where I can help the most. I feel like if I get involved I can create a domino effect on influencing others.

Are you acting on those beliefs?

Yes I try to everyday, my boyfriend and I make coffee at home so we're not consuming paper cups everyday. We don't eat red meat, I take a reusable bag to the grocery store, we live in an ice cube because we don't use much heat, and in the spring and summer I try to plant a garden with staple vegetables.

Are there aspects of sustainability you can improve on?

Definately, I could work on driving less, I could probably take shorter showers. I feel like there is always room for improvement.

Where do you think sustainability change will come from on a large scale?

I think people need to be more educated when it comes to sustainability. Many people don't know enough about it that they think of it as a scare tactic. I think the biggest change is going to come from education. Both the government and local institutions need to work together to educate people on environmental issues relating to sustainability.

Do you think people care enough about sustainability?

I think they do, on a large scale people care, they just aren't educated on the amount of impact an individual can have.

Ratio Counts

2009-02-15T20:46:00.000-08:00

Although it is almost impossible for people to completely stop producing waste (trash) it is possible to cut down on the amount of waste that we put into landfills. A lot of the trash that is thrown away could be recycled!! In our house we are cutting down on the amount of trash we throw away and increasing the amount that we recycle. It is amazing how much easier it is to do this by just putting a large container next to the trash in the kitchen. We don't even need to label it, people just know what to do. For anyone who thinks that it is hard to recycle try this method. People will do it and it will help!!

in the community

2009-02-10T09:09:00.001-08:00

Time to do an interview of myself. I’m kind of interested to see what will come out of it. Are you ready?

When you hear the word ‘sustainability’ what comes to mind?
When I hear the word sustainability, the thought that comes to mine mind is two things. The first one is to take waste, and convert it back into something useful. Kind of like up-cycling. Take the waste and emissions and do something good with it. I see this linear waste system, and I want to close the loop.

The other part of sustainability is the local aspect. I hear the word and I think, “keep money in my community.” My community needs to be able to support itself, money shouldn’t be leaving it for corporate America.

What aspects of sustainability are important to you?
There are many parts that are important to me. The main thing I care about is doing things that lesson my impact on the environment. One way to do this is to purchase things that are produced more locally. Part of sustainability people don’t talk about is the relationship between you and your supplier (vendor). When you can establish a relationship with these people, part of the circle closes. You know where the stuff you are consuming is coming from. Which means you can make a better purchasing decision. Do you want your money going to this company? Do they have the same values?

Are you acting on those beliefs, and why?
I try to act on these values, though I have to admit it is hard. It takes more time to make a smarter decision. I would like to have a local source website that kind of told me all about my local producers. It would be nice if they all came to one place, like the Saturday market. . just more often and closer to my home. I don’t mind spending a little more if I know the money is being used locally.

Is there anything holding you back from doing more?
The part that holds me back from doing more is that I don’t have the positive influence around me pushing me. I think the environment you live in makes a world of difference. If you surround yourself with sustainable beliefs, it is easier to live a life like that. You feed off each other.

If they are acting sustainable, what are they doing, and what do they think they can improve on.
I need to spend more time with people who value the same things I do. Spend less time by myself.

Are you thinking about the impact of their decisions on future generations?
I really don’t think about the impacts of my decisions. I know I should, but I have to admit. . I am a little selfish. If I had kids, I know I would probably be thinking differently.

Where do you think sustainability change will come from, large and small scale?
I think the change will come from the government. I want to see tough regulation. I want to see higher gas taxes, I want to see the promotion of green energy. Force us to make better decisions, I am begging you!

Who do you think should play a bigger role in helping us become more sustainable?
I think the government should play a bigger role, local and federal.

Anything else you wish to say?

I wish more people cared and talked about this issue. My own family doesn’t really get it. They do, but they don’t. I feel like I am the tree hugger whenever I start talking about it. I have probably forced them into a corner and they don’t care to listen anymore.

Doing something small does make a difference. People should be proud of what they do.

Lowering My Carbon Footprint Week 1 Update:

2009-02-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

So a week has come and gone since I made a pledge to lower my carbon footprint by biking the same distance around town as I drive.

Well, I am ashamed to admit this, but I failed the first week.

Remember: When I carpool I divide by the amount of people in the car:

Monday: I rode my bike from home to school and back: 7.68 Miles. I drove with my girlfriend to laughing planet for dinner and back home: 5.58 miles/2 = 2.79 miles by car.

Tuesday: Rode my bike to school and back: 7.68 miles. Drove with my girlfriend to Perigino and Winco than home: 14.8/2 = 7.4

Wednesday: Did not ride my bike(this day killed me) Drove to school by myself 7.68 miles. Drove to work and back with my girlfriend 11.8/2 = 5.9 miles

Thursday: Rode to School and back 7.68 miles. Drove to work and back by myself 11.8 miles

Friday: Drove to Fred Meyer with gf and back for some bare necessities 2.2 miles/2= 1.1 Drove to work by myself and back 11.8 miles

Saturday: Rode to school 3.84 miles. I had to get a ride home because it was too dark. 1.77 in car.

Sunday: Drove to a friends house with Gf and another friend. 8.9miles/3=2.97 miles by car.

Total miles driven: 45.53
Total miles on bike: 26.88

Im not completely dissapointed in myself. I managed to ride a fair amount but I can always improve. Had I been better on Wednesday, it would have been a lot closer. Sometimes when It's cold outside I get lazy. If I lived a little closer to campus I could just walk. I'm going to look for a bus route this week and maybe I can close the mileage gap a little bit.
Until Next Week!
-Nick-

Lowering My Carbon Footprint, One Pedal Push at a Time

2009-02-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

So I was thinking of things I could do to maintain a more eco-friendly life. One thing I need to focus on is losing my dependency on driving my car. A nice thing about Eugene is that you can drive anywhere in 20 minutes. With our awesome bike paths you can also ride anywhere almost as quickly!

When Eugene winters roll in , my bike finds a nook in the garage where it hibernates for months on end. The weather, my laziness, and running late are my staple excuses for not riding.

I need to get over this!

I'm in my 20's, able bodied, and it's not like I'm going to catch frostbite or get pnemonia on a three mile ride to school!

So here's my goal:

I want to achieve a 50/50 split in my in-town driving to riding. I will log my miles driven and my miles on bike and record them as a weekly blog entry. On mondays, I'll post my results.

One Catch: I have to count my miles in other peoples cars but, if I'm riding with others, I get to divide the miles by the people in the car. (Two in the car, divide miles by 2, three in car divide by 3 etc) It gives me more motivation to carpool.

This means I must ride my bike to school every day as well as other places. I work late hours so I would prefer not to ride my bike to work. (The bus doesnt come that late) I can make up these miles by carpooling.

The average American drives 12,000 miles per year. If I can average under 30 miles per week around town, even with trips to Portland and elsewhere, there is no reason I can't stay under 5,000 miles in a year!

Wish me luck!
-Nick-

Oh, yeah here's a picture of my hog. Thanks for fixing it up Doug!

Sustainability at the UofO- Catering

2009-02-04T21:38:00.000-08:00

Taken from University of Oregon Catering website-

University Catering and Conferences is proud to offer sustainable options for any events that we cater. We can work with you to reduce waste or to purchase all local products. Although we support sustainability, we also believe that it is up to you to make the decision. We want to achieve the type of event that you are looking for and make it the best event possible.

With that in mind, there are several different ways to make an event more eco-friendly.

Make an impact with little or no additional cost:

- Order a "Business Sandwich Buffet" instead of a "Box Lunch". There is less packaging thereby reducing waste.

- Order water and beverages in reusable pitchers instead of bottled individual beverages

Other sustainable choices you can make for a slight additional cost:

- Request all local foods. We work with a number of local suppliers who can supply us with a bounty of fresh, local ingredients.

- Request all organic goods. We would be happy to create an all organic menu for your event.

- Order compostable serviceware and compost collection. Great strides have been made in alternatives to traditional paper plates and cups.

Current sustainability efforts by University Catering:

- Compost coffee cups

- Fair trade, organic coffee

- Coffee is delivered within 36 hours of roasting from our local roaster, Allan Brothers Coffee

- Cage-free eggs available

- Locally grown Sheppard's Grain Flour from wheat that is direct-tilled in sustainable manner

- Locally raised beef from Strawberry Mountain ranch in eastern Oregon- grass-fed with no hormones and no antibiotics.

- Our milk is from local dairies with no antibiotics and no bovine growth hormones

- Unused foods are donated daily to Food for Lane County for families in need

- Unused vegetable scraps are composted in an "Earth Tub", for use in UO Urban Farm

- Bio-diesel fuel is created from our spent fryer oils

To find out more about the University of Oregon Catering services visit their website:

http://catering.uoregon.edu/sustainability.php

Green Drinks Eugene

2009-02-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

Event: Green Drinks, Eugene

Who: Anyone and everyone with a focus on sustainable practices (environmental, economic, social) - Students (MBA, Law, 3PM, Arch, etc), Professionals, anyone else who wants to join us for a fun night

When: Thursday February 12th, 8 - 10pm

Where: Davis' Restaurant, 94 W. Broadway Eugene (We've got a private room reserved!)

What: All around the world, people who work in sustainable development meet up once a month for informal sessions known as Green Drinks. Eugene is one of the greenest cities in the US and it's time for the first of many Green Drinks. We would like to include students from the university (primarily targeting MBA, Law, 3PM, and Arch) as well as professionals from the community. It'll be a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone is encouraged to invite someone else along. We're hoping to draw a diverse and interesting crowd. Green Drinks is an organic, self-organizing network.... and it should be a blast! Hope to see you there.

SUSTAINABILITY

2009-02-02T20:25:00.000-08:00

Show Me Your Green is a place where people can share their ideas about being green and more sustainable. We here at Show Me Your Green are pretty unabashedly eco-conscious, but we also realize that not everyone is. And that is the point. Everyone has different ideas about what it means to be green, what it means to be sustainable, and everyone values these ideals differently (or not at all). We want to hear your opinions.

To that end, this is our first Big Question post. The way this will work is we will present a question or idea to start a discussion. Your feedback and comments will provide a fuller understanding of all of the different viewpoints. See what others think, share your own thoughts.

Todays question:

What does sustainability mean to you?

We have discussed and researched this topic in great detail, and yet we do not have a singular answer between us. We would love to hear what you think.

Sustainability Beyond Borders

2009-02-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

I interviewed Matt Briscoe, a former Peace Core volunteer who served in Fiji. From speaking with him prior to the interview, it was easy to see his committment and ties with the prior work he's done. I feel like I am concious of my impacts on the environment but this shows that so much more can be done regarding influencing those around you. Whether it be In Eugene, Yakutsk, or on a Fijiian island, more can always be done.

Consumer Education: Plastics

2009-02-02T11:23:00.001-08:00

Plastics are classified by their "resin identification code"—a number from #1 to #7 that represents a different type of resin. That number is usually imprinted on the bottom of your container; flip it upside down, and you'll see a recycling triangle with the number in the middle.

Here's a quick breakdown of plastic resin types:

#1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)
Examples: Disposable soft drink and water bottles

#2 high density polyethylene (HDPE)/
Examples: Milk jugs, liquid detergent bottles, shampoo bottles

#3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)
Examples: Meat wrap, cooking oil bottles, plumbing pipes

#4 low density polyethylene (LDPE)
Examples: Cling wrap, grocery bags, sandwich bags

#5 polypropylene (PP)
Examples: Cloudy plastic water bottles, yogurt cups/tubs

#6 polystyrene (PS)
Examples: Disposable coffee cups, clam-shell take-out containers

#7 other (plastics invented after 1987; includes polycarbonate, or PC, and polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources as well as newer plastics labeled "BPA-Free")
Examples: Baby bottles, some reusable water bottles, stain-resistant food-storage containers

What To Buy:

#2 HDPE, #4 LDPE and #5 PP: These three types of plastic are your best choices. They transmit no known chemicals into your food and they're generally recyclable; #2 is very commonly accepted by municipal recycling programs, but you may have a more difficult time finding someone to recycle your #4 and #5 containers.

#1 PET: Fine for single use and widely accepted by municipal recyclers; avoid reusing #1 water and soda bottles, as they're hard to clean, and because plastic is porous, these bottles absorb flavors and bacteria that you can't get rid of.

PLA: plastics made from renewable resources such as corn, potatoes and sugar cane and anything else with a high starch content; although you can't recycle these plant-based plastics, you can compost them in a municipal composter or in your backyard compost heap.

Plastics to Avoid:

#3 PVC: Used frequently in cling wraps for meat, PVC contains softeners called phthalates that interfere with hormonal development, and its manufacture and incineration release dioxin, a potent carcinogen and hormone disruptor.

#6 PS: Polystyrene-foam cups and clear plastic take-out containers can leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen, into food.

For the full article check out:

http://www.thegreenguide.com/buying-guide/plastic-containers

Sustainability is scare tatic

2009-02-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

I wasn’t sure how this next interview was going to go. The friend I was going to interview typically has a strong opinion of things. At the end of the interview I was surprised at some of the responses he gave me. He, like the previous interviews, pointed out some things that I thought were rather thought provoking.

When you hear the word ‘sustainability’ what comes to mind?
“The first thing that comes to mind is the current state of fear generated by the media complex. People need to be scared to be controlled, so the environment is the new scare tactic. It is the new buzzword to give people a scare.”

What aspects of sustainability are important to you?
“Some resources are finite others are renewable. I think that is important to encourage the use and grow of renewable resources. “

As we talked further I learned that they recycle everything. Rarely does he buy “want” based stuff, as he tries to make smart purchasing decisions. He owns a push mower, installed compact fluoresces in his house, and takes the bus to work (40 miles saved each day).

Are you acting on those beliefs, and why?
He tells me that he is working on converting his car so that it will run on biofuels. He doesn’t like the idea of taking food and turning it into fuel. Instead he thinks that switchgrass should be used, and encouraged more. He also like badgering people to move away from ethanol.

Is there anything holding you back from doing more?
He says that the biggest thing holding us back from big change is the government. “Government makes it hard to be sustainable because they are not encouraging the most appropriate things. Stop encouraging nonrenewable things!” He also said that, “acting environmental responsible is not acting fiscally responsible. “

I try not to interject in my interviews, but this comment kind of got me going. When you act environmentally responsible, you ARE acting fiscally responsible. If you don’t consider the environment you are not considering the costs that you incur on society.

Finally, he said that he would like to see less action from the government and fewer laws. He believes that good intentions could have bad consequences.

If they are acting sustainable, what are they doing, and what do they think they can improve on.
The main changes he mentioned to me were, take the bus and ride his bike more. He also thinks he could take shorter showers, use less power around t the house, and buy more locally grown things.

Are you thinking about the impact of their decisions on future generations?
“I care about the future, because all decisions have an impact on tomorrow.”

Where do you think sustainability change will come from, large and small scale?
“Large changes need to be pushed by the individuals. A shift from both directions is essential for large and small change.”

Who do you think should play a bigger role in helping us become more sustainable?
“Everyone should be responsible for change. We don’t need a leader to get us there.”

Anything else you wish to say?
“People need to take a local role, local government. Changes aren’t made in the presidential office. Get the local government on the same page as what you believe in.”

He also thinks that having pride in being green is the problem in the green movement. “It works as a stigma as much as anything else.” He also said that he sees the green movement as another religious movement.

I said, “how so?”

“There are so many different interpretations of it. Not enough science, mostly politics and buzzwords.“

Be more aware

2009-02-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

Today’s interview was with another friend who, I feel, tries to be sustainable. I was looking forward to this interview, because I was hoping they would provide me with an idea or an opinion that hadn’t heard before. Throughout the course of the interview, I wasn’t disappointed.

When you hear the word ‘sustainability’ what comes to mind?
“The word sustainable is so big, it is hard to know what you are looking for?” They see the word “green,” as a fake. So many things in our lives have been green washed, just using the word green isn’t enough anymore. The answer I eventually got, was “A way to keep our planet going. There is only so many finite resources, we need to conserve them to sustain our way life.”

What aspects of sustainability are important to you?
“My family, what’s going to be here for them in 50 years? I believe that even if I do everything wrong, my life will be fine. I can’t say the same for my nieces and nephews. “ They went on to say, “It seems to me that we will just move around until all the clean areas are gone. Only then will our lifestyles catch up with us.” They want to make things better for our future generation, and make sure they have the same liberty’s we have.

Are you acting on those beliefs, and why?
They try to recycle, consume less, and be more aware of their decisions. They keep the lights off, heat down, and take the bus. They bring bags to the store, reuse bottles, and make coffee at home. Even though these things aren’t as convenient they still try and do them. They consider themselves as a “soccer mom” in the area of sustainability.

Is there anything holding you back from doing more?
“It is hard to do things in my housing area. Many of the things I need require me to drive to them. I would like to see things closer so I could more easily walk and bike to them. Location is important to me, because I want things closer.”

If they are acting sustainable, what are they doing, and what do they think they can improve on.
It is important to them to consuming less. They said that when they look at there recycling bin it makes them realize that they are using so much stuff. “My bin is full of crap! I wish they would package things better.”

Are you thinking about the impact of their decisions on future generations?
“At this point it wouldn’t change my purchasing or life decisions because of future generations. I’m aware of the implications, but I wouldn’t change.”

Where do you think sustainability change will come from, large and small scale?
“We all know, small things add up.” We need more government regulation. Everyone needs to make a change for us to become more sustainable. Individually we are small, everyone follows through it leads to big changes.

Who do you think should play a bigger role in helping us become more sustainable?
“Everyone should be looking for change. People just don’t get it.” They went on to say, “When they first moved to Eugene they rebelled against the establishment. Where they came from, they didn’t have many environmental initiatives. The culture of this community impacted my life. I believe that communities can play a role in making a person more sustainable.”

Any thing else you wish to say?
We need to figure out our energy problem. Why can’t our government pass more regulations like Europe?

Govenment gets in the way

2009-02-01T08:28:00.000-08:00

This morning I sat down with one of my friends’ who’s name will remain anonymous, and talked to him about sustainability. I had a list of questions that I was going to ask him, below are the answers to those questions.

When you hear the word ‘sustainability’ what comes to mind?
After a moment of hesitation, the first word that came out of his mouth was “Green.” He went on to say that he thinks that the marketers in the world have won. Meaning that the whole idea of ‘sustainability’ has become a buzzword, a lot like propaganda. It doesn’t have the meaning it should.

What aspects of sustainability are important to you?
Efficient uses of energy.

Are you acting on those beliefs, and why?
Recently my wife and I bought a high efficiency washing machine, I take the bus to work and we only own one car. At the same time, he says that he doesn’t really do anything specifically to reduce energy consumption. Then he corrected himself. He mentioned to me that in the winter his heat comes from a woodstove as apposed to using electricity or gas. It is not the money savings that is important to him, but the idea of doings something with renewable resources.
They have garden, but it is for recreation purposes. They don’t consider it a food source for their family.

Is there anything holding you back from doing more?
He says lack of options. He would like to see more technology address the energy consumption issues.

If they are acting sustainable, what are they doing, and what do they think they can improve on.
My friends answer to this question I thought was pretty unique. He said that if he could improve on anyone thing, he would want to become a problem solver. When he sees an issue, he want to improve on it.

Are you thinking about the impact of their decisions on future generations?
“Yes, but not in the way you may think. I do things in my life that I hope will have a better impact on tomorrow”

Where do you think sustainability change will come from, large and small scale?
He sees change coming from Government, Corporations, Individuals, and Universities. "The government often gets in the way. They may have the best intention, however, bad regulation can create more problems. We can’t expect one are of our lives to make the change, we need everyone to work together. "

Who do you think should play a bigger role in helping us become more sustainable?
Again, I got another interesting response from my friend. He said that he would like to see an industry standard formed, a lot like Blu-ray and HD-DVD. “Why can’t all the major energy producers come together and decide on a new standard and then but all their effort towards it?” He said, “When large industry comes together to produce and standardize a product, we have revolutionary change. Maybe the energy industry isn’t competitive enough?”

Anything else you want to say?
I believe in taking care of the earth. It is the responsibility of everyone to do such a thing. We need to be good stewards to the natural resources available to us.

Guilty Conscience

2009-02-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

This morning I went out to start our project, “Show Me Your Green.” Before I started my interviews for the day, I thought I would speak to the owners of the coffee shop where these interviews would take place. Since one of the store owners has been a friend of mine for 10 years, I thought that this would be an easy task. The moment after I asked, “Show me your green,” my friends’ mood changed. I didn’t think that this would be such a touchy subject, apparently it was.

I will leave both the name of the business, and my friends’ name, out of this article; however, I still feel that this story would be a good addition to our blog.

Eugene has a very progressive community when it comes to environmental issues. We have a great curbside recycling program, and a community who believes in keeping Oregon green (clean rivers, community, and surroundings). No matter where you go around town, you see some type of sustainable movement.

Because of this, I think my friend has a guilty conscience. Doing the ‘right’ thing sometimes costs a little more to the business owner. With the economy the way it is, and through previous conversations, I know that their business is barely making it. Bringing up a hot button topic must have got them fired up. I think they know what they could be doing to become more sustainable, but are hesitant to do it.

Looking around the coffee shop, I believe that they are doing things that are beneficial to the community. I tried bringing this up to the owner, but they didn’t want to hear it. Well, lucky for you, I am going to mention the things that I noticed.

First, all the customers in the store were drinking from a ceramic cup. They had a station in the middle of the shop for cream, sugar, etc. I didn’t notice a single sugar pack in the building and the lights in the building were fluorescent. I know that this might not sound like much, but I am trying to be positive.

I didn’t get much information from this business, but I still feel like I learned a lot. People have an idea of what they could be doing better, but when the bottom line comes into play, economic concerns can become more important.