WASTED- e-wasted that is… March 15, 2010

We’re all on a technological pursuit of happiness. We’ve all made tech upgrades. Remember cassette players and walkmans? Technology is improving, but our environmental situation isn’t. Before you throw out your next trashed cellphone or broken computer keyboard, consider these facts:

E-waste represents 2% of America’s trash in landfills, but it equals 70% of overall toxic waste.

Around 80 % of the e-waste in the U.S. is exported to Asia.

Fewer than 20% of cell phones are recycled each year, but if we recycled just a million cell phones, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 1,368 cars off the road for a year

It’s energy efficient to rebuild old computers, but only about 2% of PCs ever find their way to a second user.

E-waste, also known as electronic waste, is electronic equipment that isn’t properly recycled. This is an ignored problem that is only going to get worse as time goes on and technology improves. Do your part by researching what goes into making your products, and finding a place that recycles them near you.

hear’s a neat video that sums it all up in under two minutes.

Sasquatch Shrinks His Footprint March 15, 2010

The 2010 Sasquatch! Music Festival in at The Gorge, in Washington, has been certified as carbon neutral by Carbon Harmony. This is quite the “feet”, as the carbon footprint left by these large music festivals is usually enormous. Everybody attending the festival, including the artists, fuel consumption. The Gorge, about an hour from the nearest town, is mostly unaccessible except by automobiles, which as we all know, release harmful emissions and consume fossil fuels. The event will be 100% wind powered, and Carbon Harmony will offset %125 of the emissions caused by vehicles attending the festival. The venue hopes to add additional green efforts in years to come, and is encouraging attendees to do their part in financially offsetting their own carbon footprints.

Sasquatch Green Efforts: http://www.sasquatchfestival.com/#/green

Carbon Harmony: http://www.carbonharmony.com/main.php

The mainstage area, overlooking the breathtaking gorge.

Ski Bums Sustainable Transport March 14, 2010

Skiiers and Snowboarders in the Portland area now have a convenient and cheap way of getting to the mountain, thanks to Mike Parziale and the Greasbus. Run almost completely on waste vegetable oil from businesses around town, the Greasbus offers a sustainable form of transport to people who normally would be driving themselves up to the slopes. This saves a lot of people from expending what little fossil fuel we have left, and eliminates the harmful emissions of individual vehicles. Various sponsors such as Nike, Clif, Red Bull, and Dakine provide the riders with free products and daily giveaways. The Greasbus operates almost every day of the week during the ski season, and is rented out half of that time by our very own PSU to members of the Snowboard Club. If you’re sick of carpooling, or just want an easy and enjoyable way to get to Mt. Hood this season, sit back, relax, enjoy some shred flicks and save the environment by riding the Greasbus.

Mike and the fuel behind the Greasebus!

Portland's Greasebus!

Greasbus Website: http://www.greasebus.com/portland/

Portland State Snowboard Club: http://snowboarding.groups.pdx.edu/SBC/

Well It’s Official. Chocolate Really Does Cure Everything. March 10, 2010

Yep. There is now a racecar that is fueled by chocolate. It is the first racecar in the world of it’s kind. Not only is it sustainable, but it’s pretty fast considering what it’s made of. It can get up to 135 mph and can go from 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds. All of the fuel is taken from leftover chocolate waste from factories along with other factory-based oils. I think it’s insane that we can take something so common and find a use for it that is so out of the ordinary. If we can make a car that runs on chocolate, we can make a more sustainable future.

The crash after the buzz March 9, 2010

Through the months of January, February, and March, I’ve been neglecting the blog. Nothing has motivated me to write, except the failed VIDEO BLOG of my mentor session. (SHOUT OUT) I’ve come to terms that the problem isn’t lack of things to blog about, it’s my interest in them. There are many things we are doing that are detrimental to our earth, but it’s been hard to relate carbon footprints and a failing economy to my personal life. I am aware that as a human being I am somehow harming both, and this in itself is a depressing thought. From the moment we are born we are polluting through use of diapers, formula bottles, and the clothes we grow out of every few months.

Sure there are ways to delay our impact, (cloth diapers, reusable bottles, and second hand clothing), but unless everything we use or own is biodegradable then it WILL end up in our dumps, sewers, or polluted air. No matter what we do, we will leave the earth a bigger mess than when we entered it.

If we all don’t care, who will? Sometimes I feel the only way to feign interest in the environment is through guilt. There is no instant satisfaction when you recycle, or cut your shower short. So how do you feel when you know you are making a difference? Personally, I don’t feel much of anything. On the other hand, when I am being wasteful I feel guilty. Oddly, I’m grateful for this guilt, because it makes me feel like a human with a conscious.

How does one go from feeling guilty to becoming interested and involved? Usually going on a hike, going sailing, or surfing does the trick for me, but being in a city has its disadvantages sometimes. So without any verbal attacks or endless lectures, I was wondering if anyone had any tips on converting guilt into actually feeling good.

Eco-wineries turn wine red, white — and green January 27, 2010

(ANGWIN, Calif.)

Just when you thought that everything in this world was going green…you get a shocking testament to the fact that you are completely correct! Several (meaning 4 so far) wineries in California are going for the “Gold” LEED certification (similar to the “Silver” standard that the Marriott receives).
“We’re seeing a trend toward more sustainable wineries,” says Ashley Katz, spokeswoman for LEED.
The several wineries that are undergoing this process are using solar panels and are even thinking about the way they use their water. This is a very important attempt at these wineries to become more green. Other efforts include putting wine into underground caves for fermentation which will save up space and heating / cooling units.
Basically, what this breaks down is that when you are debating about drinking wine you can stop and think, “if I drink this then I, too, am being sustainable!”

To read more on this article go here: MSNBC

Save Our Surf and Turf December 1, 2009

Basking in the sun, playing in the sand, swimming in the ocean- what’s not to love about the beach?

Born and raised in Ventura, CA, I’ve grown up on the beach. I love the salty air, hot sun, and even the sand that ends up in your sheets no matter how many times you’ve brushed off or showered. My hometown would have very little to offer if we didn’t have our beaches. That is why the Surfrider Foundation is important to me.

Surfrider is committed to protecting our beaches. Founded in 1984 in Malibu,CA this organization’s main areas of work are clean water, healthy beaches, beach access and special places.

“The Surfrider Foundation supports coastal research and science-based management of coastal resources to promote sustainable, long term planning and preservation of beach environments including public access to them. “(Surfrider.org) This organization offers ways to donate, volunteer, and educate. To find your local chapter, or at least check out some cool surfing pictures go to Surfrider.org.

Metropolitan Farming in P-town November 23, 2009

Don’t let the trek from city to farmland daunt you, you can have your very own organic farm in your own backyard. Some Portland city-dwellers are discovering the joys of raising their very own plants and animals while maintaining a day job.

Just as cats and dogs have evolved into common household pets, so have chickens for some local hipsters. It is legal in Portland to have up to three hens, ducks, rabbits or pigmy goats without a permit. In one of the interviews conducted on the local radio show called, “Destination DIY”, Portland residents, Scott and Salina, state their observation of this growing trend, comparing it to the pot-bellied pig fad of the mid-nineties “except you can get something from chickens.” They might not give love like cats or other household pets but they give eggs. They also have personalities. This fact might make it a bit of a challenge for those who eat meat to detach from the animal as a pet and think of it as a meal. However, by owning a chicken or other farm animal, you become involved in the entire cycle of its life.

It was also stated in this locally run audio show that in a recent craigslist search, there were 49 chicken related postings in Portland and the surrounding metro area. There are even different events occurring around town such as the annual Tour de Coups. This year’s tour featured 18 different coups.

Connor Voss and Sarah Brown, residents of Milwaukie, began their own little backyard farm with the intention of not buying any food. When they realized that they were farming more than they could consume, they began selling to friends through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture model). In this program, seven of their friends pay between $15-20 monthly for fresh produce. In addition to farming, they raise chickens and lambs.

By listening to this radio show, it surprised me how many people are taking action to support themselves, their families, and community by taking action rather than sitting back and waiting for the world to change. I’ve realized in the past few months just how possible it is to live a sustainable lifestyle.

To listen to the radio show and for more links related to Backyard Farming in Portland go to http://destinationdiy.com/audiolibrary.html click ‘all episodes’ and ‘episode 31′.

Other links:

http://tilth.org/

http://digginrootsfarm.com/

Sustainable Rolls Royce? November 23, 2009

Rolls Royce could have an electric version of its Phantom super-luxury car on the road by the end of 2010 stated an inside company source to Autocar.

In a way, it doesn’t really matter to the global market if only a few number of these cars are produced. It’s not going to make a difference for the environment seeing as climate change is billions of tons of carbon!

But if you look at it in another way, it’s a good thing. It makes electric cars even more aspirational.  Rolls Royce definitely appeals to a different social group. Even though most people will never be able to afford a Rolls Royce “Phantom”, they are paying attention to the technology. Before people are going to buy a certain product they like to be confident in it’s ability to function. Hybrid cars went through that process. At first, most people were totally puzzled, but now they’re totally normal.

Don’t turn a blind eye to the long term effects of Chernobyl! November 23, 2009

On April 26, 1986, a nuclear reactor exploded at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. It was an accident, and it didn’t have to happen. These reactors work, for lack of better terms, by using control rods to monitor the nuclear reaction. Usually, the correct amount of rods for the reaction is present. Because less control rods were present, less control could be obtained. This resulted in one of the most massive nuclear power plant disasters ever.

The explosion sent massive amounts of radiation into the atmosphere, contaminating local crops and causing cancer and birth defects to people in the surrounding area.

Although it has been over twenty years, the explosion still causes problems for people.

For more information try:

“Chernobyl-The Real Story” by Richard Francis Mould

“The Truth About Chernobyl” by Grigori Medvedev