26 April 2010

What is the Most Eco way to be Buried?

I've always thought my grandparents were very eco for their time. When they passed away, they donated their bodies to teaching hospitals. The hospital picked up the bodies, had student doctors practice on them for a period of time, then cremated the bodies and sent us ashes along with an autopsy report. I thought this was the coolest way to say good-bye...!

but then, thanks to Dan Brubaker on Facebook, I came across his link - there is a much more eco-way to die! Giving your body back earth... without the use of fire (cremation) or wood (caskets) or tombstones (cement), etc. How?

I must warn you - the concept and pictures may be very graphic to some people. If you are sensitive to death and dead bodies, please, please do not click on these links.



I wonder if this can legally be done in the USA? Do you have other eco-options for burial? Share away.

TED - Earth Day Talks



It’s Earth Day, so what better time to spotlight some of the smartest, most compelling thinking in sustainability from the past few years, and what better place for these ideas to manifest themselves than the TED stage? Today, we’re posting our five favorite sustainability-related TED talks of the past five years — from eye-opening revelations to ideological landmarks.

1)
Michael Pollan Gives a Plant's-Eye View
3)
Janine Benyus: Biomimicry in Action

4)
Sylvia Earle's TED Prize Wish to Protect Our Oceans

5)
Chris Jordan Pictures Some Shocking Stats

23 April 2010

Gallaudet Goes Carbon-Neutral for Earth Day

by Rhea Yablon Kennedy

Facilities administrators display a "C-Neutral Certificate" from energy supplier Hess declaring that Gallaudet went 100 percent carbon neutral on April 22 in honor of Earth Day. Pictured (from left) are William Banks, facilities project engineer; Meloyde Batten-Mickens, executive director of Facilities; and Stephen Kalmus, chief engineer in Utilities Services. Photo by Rhea Yablon Kennedy

Director of Sustainability for Green Gallaudet Rachel Benedict and student Michael Pachuilo work together to make an emission-free smoothie during a bake sale. The March 1 to 3 sale was one of the ways the student organization has connected with the community to urge greener practices and spread an eco-conscious message. Photo by José Garcia.

As part of an ongoing effort to make University operations more eco-friendly, the campus went carbon-neutral on April 22 in honor of Earth Day.

"The effect is as if we shut the boilers down for the day," said Stephen Kalmus, chief engineer in Utilities Services. Kalmus arranged to rely on natural gas for as much of the day's energy needs as possible, and he purchased carbon offsets for the remainder of the energy.

In recent years, the Facilities staff, led by Dr. Meloyde Batten-Mickens, executive director of the Facilities Department, worked in multiple ways to make Gallaudet more sustainable every day. Mickens credits her team, as well as the students, the Environmental Stewardship Committee, and the environmental intern positions in Administration and Finance, for making this happen. "It's like a handshake," said Mickens. "It's a community effort."

It was members of the growing three-year-old organization, Green Gallaudet, who first reached out a hand to bring about a day of energy savings in 2009. On March 28, Kendall Green went dark in honor of the organization WWF's Earth Hour. The effort called on both Facilities and individuals to turn off lights on that Saturday evening.

Making Kendall Green

This is all part of a raft of initiatives that have increased Gallaudet's annual carbon savings from about 35,000 to more than 38,600 tons from 2008 to 2009, and continue to lighten the University's impact on the environment.

Gallaudet has had some initiatives in place for years. The recycling program has collected discarded paper and bottles for processing, while the shuttle service reduces Gallaudet's carbon footprint by making Metro and commuter trains a viable option for student and employee commutes.

Recently, Facilities has converted to using virtually all organic products for grounds maintenance. It further reduced chemical usage with the new incarnation of Hotchkiss Field. The field, used for football, soccer, and other activities, is made with recycled rubber and synthetic materials. Because there is no soil or grass to maintain, the field also greatly reduces water usage. The Sorenson Language and Communication Center, which opened in 2007, attained LEED certification, as will all subsequent new buildings on campus.

In 2007, Gallaudet transitioned to single-stream recycling, commingling trash and recyclables and then sending them to an off-campus facility to be separated. Paper towels used in the bathrooms are 100 percent recycled material, while hand soap and cleaning products are Green Seal certified. Even the ice melting crystals used to clear walkways after the winter's major snows were eco-friendly.

In 2008, the Facilities Department began yearly evaluations through the Go-Green Project, using the company Sightlines to monitor and benchmark Gallaudet's carbon footprint. The project looks at all aspects of the University's environmental practices, from electricity usage on campus to the distance that each employee travels to get to work. Sightlines provides both a snapshot of Kendall Green's impact and trending in its results. For utilities usage, Gallaudet also performed an Industrial Grade Energy Performance Review with Johnson Controls, Inc.

Mickens and Kalmus expect the savings to continue to climb. The very next report should show improvement, thanks to an increased amount of energy bought with Renewable Energy Certificates (from seven to 10 percent over the past year). In addition, Facilities, Green Gallaudet, and Bon Appetit Management Company, which oversees food service, plan to establish a composting system that keeps food scraps out of the waste bins.

Rachel Benedict, sustainability director for the student organization Green Gallaudet, says her organization has worked closely with Facilities to push Gallaudet toward a greener future. Other groups seek to go green, too, including the Student Body Government, which has pledged to use only biodegradable food service items for its campus events.

The flavor of sustainability

Facilities administrators display a "C-Neutral Certificate" from energy supplier Hess declaring that Gallaudet went 100 percent carbon neutral on April 22 in honor of Earth Day. Pictured (from left) are William Banks, facilities project engineer; Meloyde Batten-Mickens, executive director of Facilities; and Stephen Kalmus, chief engineer in Utilities Services. Photo by Rhea Yablon Kennedy

Green Gallaudet also found a willing partner in Davina Kwong, general manager for Bon Appetit. Disposing of leftovers is just one of the ways that Gallaudet's cafeterias are doing their part. Kwong emphasizes not only waste reduction, but also the other side of the production process. "Yes it's true that recycling and compostables are important, but it's even more important to think about where our food comes from," she explains.

Kwong and Chef Manager Jay Keller focus on buying regional and seasonal produce and sustainably-produced meat, dairy, and fish. In the Hanson Plaza cafeteria, students eat with reusable plates and flatware; in the Jordan Student Academic Center's grab-and-go Marketplace, Keller purchases low-carbon packaging. Hot and cold beverage cups and napkins contain a minimum of 10 percent and 35 percent post consumer fiber (PCF), respectively, while the cup sleeves are 100 percent PCF. All cutlery is presented individually as opposed to in sets, reducing waste, and instead of individual condiment packets, diners take a dollop of ketchup or a cup of mustard from dispensers. As the composting program moves into place, Keller is set to phase in as much compostible packaging as possible. "Some believe that being 'green' is the cool new thing," said Kwong. "For us, it's at the root of what we do on a day-to-day basis."

Benedict and her Green Gallaudet team are reaching out to show what individuals can do to improve sustainability. Green Gallaudet has combined outreach with fundraising efforts by selling low-impact snacks, including fruit smoothies blended by a bicycle. The group also created a video explaining ways to reduce waste in the cafeteria.

Next steps toward a greener future



Director of Sustainability for Green Gallaudet Rachel Benedict and student Michael Pachuilo work together to make an emission-free smoothie during a bake sale. The March 1 to 3 sale was one of the ways the student organization has connected with the community to urge greener practices and spread an eco-conscious message. Photo by José Garcia.

Among Green Gallaudet's long-term goals are for the University to sign on to the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment. Kendall Green does not yet have the systems set up to satisfy all of the stipulations in the agreement, but Mickens says they have already made progress and hopes to see a presidential signature soon.

The Environmental Stewardship Committee, comprised of student, faculty, and staff representatives, will play a role in working toward that goal. Mickens appreciates the students' urging to make things happen. "I love it that the students were ahead of us," said Mickens. "That's one of the things that helped us come together and pushed us toward more sustainability priorities."

--Rhea Yablon Kennedy

08 April 2010

GreenFestival this weekend in San Francisco!



What are you Bay Area eco-folks doing this weekend?
Why not go to the Green Festival? Here's the info:

San Francisco Green Festival, April 10 - 11, at the Concourse at 8th and Brannon!

Organics, renewable energy, sweatshop-free clothing, socially responsible investing, community networking, and more, all at the nation's largest green event.

Andrew Korfhage, our deaf-friendly GreenFestival volunteer, will be present at the ASL Table at the front of the hall to answer any questions you may have about Green Festival.
ASL/English interpreting available for parts of the Festival on a first-come/first-served basis. Please see Andrew at the ASL table at the front of the hall to schedule an interpreter. (Unfortunately, their interpreter resources are limited at present, and we do not currently have full coverage, with interpreters on-site for the entire duration of the Festival. They're still recruiting, especially for Saturday afternoon, so if you are an interpeter, or you know of one who would be interested to be available as a volunteer at the Festival, please contact Andrew at 202-321-1707.) Thanks and enjoy!
http://www.greenfestivals.org/san-francisco-spring/

Can't make it? Don't worry, there will be two more Green Festivals this spring, Chicago in May, and Seattle in June.

07 April 2010

Farmers, Mechanics and Babysitters



"Why don't we pay more attention to who are farmers are? We would never be as careless choosing an auto mechanic or babysitter as we are about who grows our food."

— Michael Pollan,
The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World

06 April 2010

How to Fight Fire with Fire

by Eric Kaika

David and Goliath happened in the biblical era. To say that it could easily happen today, drop me line, I have a invisible money-making machine I want to sell you.

Wars are won by who has the most money, machines, technology and power. So when you go up against conglomerates and try to bring them down, you need to fight them on their level to be successful.

I care about our environment and the food I put in my body. I recycle and reuse, I pick up litter, I give smokers the evil eye (cigarette butts are the highest form of litter). I try to do my part in making this world a better place.

There's nothing that pisses me off faster than companies with total disregard for this planet, its animals and plants (sorry humans, you're not on the list). I have ill will towards companies like ConAgra, DuPont, Microsoft, Electric companies, etc.

Unfortunately no one man can go up against these companies and coerce them into dropping their bad habits and becoming a greener company. These companies care about only 1 kind of green, the US Mint.

The question remains: how can consumers, who are often struggling to make ends meet yet deeply care about the environment have such a tremendous impact on these corporate polluters and make them change their ways? My thinking: Wal-Mart.

When Wal-Mart places an order... its huge. Huge enough to make a small company become an overnight sensation. And for those big corporate bullies? Well, all Wal-Mart needs to tell them is: "Hey, our consumers want greener products that are healthy to the environment and free from animal cruelty." You can believe that those companies will heed to the request of Wal-Mart.

Consumers are the most powerful entity. We have pocked lined with cash that we want to spend, and we go to Wal-Mart to spend our money. That's why Wal-Mart is the largest retailer on this planet. Because they want us to continue to spend our money at their stores, they sell affordable products we want. It's not surprising that because so many Americans are now shifting towards organic foods, you can now find numerous of organic products at Wal-Mart.

I'm not saying we should all disband Whole Foods and other grocery chains, but if you want to take a bite out of corporate America, you need to fight them on their ground with the same amount of money and power, which is... Wal-Mart.

As for its "destruction" towards the environment, I haven't been able to find Wal-Mart on any list that states they are destructive to our green earth. Of course I haven't seen one on McDonald's either, but I know they are a huge contributor to unsanitary practices of our food industry. Why does anyone eat at McDonald's, I don't know... lack of values & principles perhaps.


reprinted with permission from Eric Kaika - Thanks Eric!

04 April 2010

Greening my laundry

For laundry, I used to use Seventh Generation's Chlorine-free detergent:


But that was way too much plastic for me, and recycling is not enough for me anymore. After becoming an avid reader of Fake Plastic Fish, I've become much more conscious of plastic. I prefer to focus on the first "r" which is reduce. I switched over to the Seventh Generation powder laundry:

Plastic free packaging. Great. However, when you open it up, there's a plastic scooper. Drats. Also, there's a lot of stuff listed in the ingredients list. I'm not too sure about that. Then I found this:


From Laundry Tree. They are shipped to your home and do not contain any plastic, and soap nuts is just dried fruit. I'm thinking about trying this next when my powder laundry runs out.