Thursday, November 29, 2012

Way: 4 Energy Proof Your Home

Way 4!

I'm not talking about anything major.

  • Make sure all of your windows close properly 
  • Your attic and total home is properly insulated. 
  • Keep your heating and cooling systems properly maintained, and switch to reusable filters when possible. 
  • Try switching from incandescent to compact florescent light bulbs.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Way 3 : Bottled Water

Advice 3!

Move past bottled water.

Bottled water has a huge carbon footprint.

  • Buying and using a reusable water bottle for your water.
  • A lot of restaurants have made the move from offering fancy bottled water, usually imported from an exotic source, to using in-house filtration systems that make tap water a good choice.
  • Many plastic water bottles are recycled, but most are not, making the footprint even bigger.
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCPOHNNom5M&feature=youtu.be&t=21m30s Check out the last 10 minutes or so - shows how the taste of 'bottled water' is really all in your head.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Way 2 : Pay Attention to Packaging

Number 2!

Pay Attention to Packaging

When out shopping, try to go to stores or co-ops that keep packaging to a minimum.

  • Purchase items in bulk.
  • If bulk purchases are too big of a food/item order, share with a friend or family member. You split the cost this way too!
  • Bring your own reusable bag to the store.
  • Make purchases based on packaging (Plastic container of berries vs. compressed paper mold container)

Monday, November 26, 2012

Way 1 : Buy Local

It's almost Christmas, and Christmas means countdowns!

From now until December 5th I will be writing about a single simple way that you can reduce or improve your environmental impact before the huge rush of the winter holidays start. From there I will refrain from updating until after the winter holidays, as I have the pressures of finals, graduating, and moving out of my current location.

As I've said before, one of the biggest ways to do better by the earth and your community is to buy local. If local is not possible (as defined in the past here on Growing out of the Box) buy organic or "fair trade." There's a better chance the food was grown in an more considerate way.

Try eating at restaurants that serve locally produced or seasonal foods.
Buy gifts from local vendors or the starving artist down the street.
Try to cook a holiday meal by only using ingredients bought from a local market.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Share Your Little Things

The examples given yesterday are only a small selection of many more 'little things' that can be done at home. Things us 'regular' people can do on a daily or regular basis.

What are the small little things yourself, friends, families or acquaintances do to help in regards to the three stool legs? Share them below in the comments!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Focusing on the Little Things

I have until now focused a lot of my posts on the bigger picture. How businesses and corporations can 'fix' what is going on within themselves, and how it is the chains and local stores that can do anything.

But we, as regular, ordinary, simple people, can do things too.

The following are some things us working people can do!

Shopping local - Spending money that gets used by the community. Keeping that money within a community instead of having it sent to the giant corporations and then overseas. A dollar spent locally gets spent within the community at a higher rate than a dollar spent outside the community. This is called the Local Multiplier.

Growing your own garden and composting - Having a garden, or belonging to a co-op, is a great way to save money, eat better, and give back to the Earth. Often, food scraps get put back into the earth as compost in the area the food was grown in. Each item of food taken out of the soil takes out nutrients that were once in the soil (following me?) If you just throw away food scrapes nutrients do not return to the soil. Composting puts nutrients back into the soil without adding tons of unneeded chemicals (like those found in synthetic fertilizers).

Recycling - Although a process that will eventually be phased out (I'll explain this later) recycling in today's age is a great way to keep material out of landfills, oceans, and other habitats. Which turns out to be better for everyone.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Something to Think About: Your Own State Energy Plans

Keeping with the theme of Michigan's Proposal 3 from the week, the something to think about will be on a similar topic.

Currently Michigan does already have an energy plan in place, 10% coming from alternative energies by 2015. The proposal would have simply increased the percentage and the year goal date.

What about your state or country?

Do you know what sort of energy goals your geographical area has right now?

Think about it this weekend. Maybe even do some research.

Let me know what you find out!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Current Topic Thursday: Proposal 3 Final Results

They say whoever spends more and raises the most money will win whatever position they are vying for.

This proves true with Michigan's proposal 3. The article linked here through the Huffington Post explains the highest funded companies that supported either the 'yes' or 'no' for proposal 3.

Surprise surprise,

"According to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, Prop 3 supporters like the League of Conservation Voters, the American Wind Energy Association and the Green Tech Action Fund contributed over $10 million to the group Michigan Energy, Michigan Jobs to get the amendment passed. The Clean Affordable Renewable Energy (CARE) committee raised more than $23 million from DTE Energy, Consumers Energy and Wolverine Electric to oppose it."

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Presidential Election Night

In support of more awareness (as if it needed it) for the USA presidential election I have linked a website to a current time assumption and counting system.

Keep watch on the changing events instead of reading here!

http://news.yahoo.com/control-room/
http://www.google.com/elections/ed/us/results

Monday, November 5, 2012

Proposal 3

So far I have yet to bring in anything political at all, and this was done on purpose. However, with the day before election day I have now had people ask me what way to vote on Prop 3 here in Michigan.

In Michigan we have 6 proposals total, number 3 being about requiring renewable energy to be used 25% (of total energy produced) by the time by 2025.

My suggestion? Make up your own mind about this. I am not very knowledgeable about political things, and the political style of writing (adding in little clauses, tidbits, and confusing terminology and loop holes) makes my head hurt.

I would vote yes, since on the surface it's a good thing to require our energy to come from renewable sources. The interesting part will be seeing where the renewable comes from, how they are built, how workers are treated, what land needs to be cleared, and more.

Nothing is perfect, but at least it is a step in the right direction.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Something to Think About: Devil's Advocate

Throughout the months I've been putting up thoughts, opinions, articles, and facts I have always put sustainability and sustainable business in the 'light'. To me, it is the most obvious choice to make - turning towards sustainability.

But I am not naive to believe everyone feels this way. Already I have had interviews, networking, and speaking opportunities and have had people laugh. In one instance this past week, the man I was speaking with laughed openly the whole time while I was explaining what my major was and how it could greatly help his company.

So, I'm playing devil's advocate this weekend.

Why wouldn't someone want to move towards sustainability?

Think about it this weekend, and let me know your thoughts.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Current Topic Thursday: Make Way for Superstorm Sandy!

"From the climate hawk’s perspective, there is an intense, crazy-making urgency involved in all this. A humanitarian tragedy is heading our way and we are neither preparing for it nor working to reduce its severity. A catastrophe is unfolding, right in front of us, in slow motion. Somehow — no one knows how, but somehow — the American public must be made to appreciate that urgency and demand action. It is rare that an opportunity to highlight the climate crisis emerges out of the daily news scrum. When such an opportunity does emerge, climate hawks view it as a moral and political imperative to make the most of it."

That quote is taken from the article, Hawks vs. scolds: How 'reverse tribalism' affects climate communication. With the big Superstorm Sandy that just hit the East Coast of the United States I knew there would be articles like the above popping up.

Was the storm influenced by climate change or not?

Obviously there is some influence, the climate is different so our storms and weather are different, but to how high of a different degree?

This article puts an interesting approach on that very question, the climate hawks vs scolders vs people who agree one way or another, but don't want labels.

Give the article a read and let me know what you think!