An eco reflection on eco guilt

Once we are awakened to the plague humans have implemented on mother earth it is hard to live with a guilt free conscience. After all the facts and depressing information one is left to feel guilt over the way they live. A new phone for Christmas? A lovely five star meal? A weekend stay at a resort? Oh boy all of these things sure leave me feeling what I call Eco guilt. I feel that my actions are hurting the environment. The very cultural habits that we have been so keen to participate in become hard to swallow. I have even began to feel guilty over drinking coffee, and eating bananas because they travel so far and require so much water and land.
How are we to deal with this? Well lets take our guilt and turn it into positive social change. We essentially have to participate in society or else isolate ourselves to nature off the grid. The reason why the latter is not the best choice is because you are removing your innovation and ideas out of society. Your ability to effect peoples minds and make them feel Eco guilt is no longer viable.
Dealing with all the nay sayers will always be hard. If we have chosen this field then we most obviously have chosen the path of most resistance. All of our cultural structures and lives revolve around damaging the environment. However our awareness and implementation of sustainable habits can force positive social change.
In a way feeling empathy towards these daily activities is a start to realizing a great cultural change needs to take place. "Global warming is a hoax", "we are the superior species we have a right to take what we want", "oh look at you with your reusable water bottle and locally grown tomatoes you are weird", "One person cannot make a difference", "its too late to care about that stuff" and so on and so one. These are all sayings that have been directed towards me in the year 2016. I do not feel discouraged however because these people do not know the great movement of sustainable culture that is happening right now as I type.The technology to live a sustainable life is already present. Now are eco guilt can help a cultural change. When enough people are unhappy with a system they will change it. 
We the people of sustainable minds should not feel guilty but feel inspired that we have been given a gift to view the world in a much different and wholesome way. We have been enlightened on the harm our culture causes the earth, we have been given the knowledge to feel a deep connection to the earth and its natural cycles. We have now to take action and help show others the way we think and why it is important.

Culture and the Environment

How many of us think about our effect on the environment?

I think about it every minute of the day, everything that I do from brushing my teeth to throwing away my trash affects the environment. We live in a culture where you have to consume to be an active member.

Well that means that our earth has to produce all the goods and services we wish to consume.

Over time our culture has turned wants into needs. Material objects represent class status and help us fit in. What we buy we do to satisfy society in many ways. Clothes we wear fit us into stereotypes. The technology we buy is often to keep up with new trends. How is our consumer culture affecting the environment?

Our activities from driving to the use of electricity, to our agricultural practices, to our waste management, are contributing to climate change by changing the earth's natural cycles and affecting the natural flow of water, weather patterns, natural resources, animals, and the atmosphere.. By changing these cycles the ecosystems can no longer sustain life effectively and are losing their resources that maintain life.

International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that

1 in 4 mammals are facing extinction, if the temperatures keep rising over 70 percent of the world's species will be threatened including humans.

During The UN Refugee Agency Climate Change Meeting it was stated “for the first time that climate change is projected to increase the displacement of people over the 21st Century, Climate change will force people into increasing poverty and displacement, exacerbating the factors that lead to conflict”

The UN Refugee Agency recognizes that by not addressing and fixing the effects of climate change we are infringing upon human rights. The UN is worried that the rights of the people being displaced will not be protected as we have seen in SYrian refugees. The refugees may face prejudice, poverty, homelessness, malnutrition, and fear. Many countries do not accept refugees or do not have the government infrastructure to do so. Areas without proper government are going to face a harsher strain on resources and increase in violence.

The UN refugee Agency is creating structures on how to integrate these new people into the places they will be forced to call home. These people will lose their culture, their cuisines, their land, possible their lives, and mainly their identity. Imagining being a doctor one day and the next you are fleeing your country and forced into poverty. Cultures will  have to accept each other, and as we have seen in early US migrations their will be racial, gender, and class issues.  The culture we live in has been built upon infrastructure that are leading causes to climate change. In a way our culture is directly responsible for the loss of other people's habitats.

Most species care about the survival of their own, for some reason our individualistic culture has distanced us from this instinct. We live in a culture where our wants are destroying our natural habitat. We all have to participate to make a change. By learning how to change the way we affect the environment we can begin to protect our species. It is hard to care or see the effects our culture has on the earth because we are so privileged and have so many luxuries. Human rights are being violated due to differences in culture, how we participate in the environment has great effects on the future and even the now of many humans and species. We are consciously able to make a choice to protect the earth and our species it is time our culture incorporates this as a core belief. The earth does not have the ability to limit what we use, but we as conscious humans have the ability to choose what we take.

Sources

Steffen, Alex. 2011. Worldchanging: A user’s Guide for the 21st Century.  New York: Abrams                                                            Publishing.

Marine Frank. The UN Refugee Agency. 2014. “Second Preparatory Meeting of the 22nd     OSCE.Session II : Cross dimensional Impacts of Natural and Manmade Disasters   Population movements in the context of natural disasters”. UNHCR Headquarters. Division for International Protection.

The UN Refugee Agency. “SIDE EVENT UNFCCC WEDNESDAY 3 JUNE, BONN CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT AND THE PARIS AGREEMENT”.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 2013. “Session 2: International Cooperation and Respect for Human Rights Seminar to Address the Adverse Impacts of Climate Change on the Full Enjoyment of Human Rights”. Division of International Protection. UNHCR Headquarters.

How Restaurants can Reduce

I am a server and a bartender at a restaurant. The amount of waste I encounter each day is awful. There is usually no recycling bins located at these establishments. It is very hard to be environmentally conscience and work in a restaurant. I give people about 75 plastic straws a day, wash about 200 plus dishes, and throw away countless glass and aluminum bottles. As well as materials that are used to put the food and beverage in restaurants throw away a ton of food!
America Definitely has people who are starving. Many people have little to know access of fresh fruit and vegetables let alone a steady supply of food to fulfill their nourishment. It would be nice to imagine a future where the waste from restaurants was turned into something useful. Possibly their food can be turned into compost for local farms and gardens that could supply the restaurant. A program could be set up so that glass bottles could be returned and reused to save on cost and waste. Even the ability to distribute food to those in need is a possibility. Rethinking how we use waste is just one way we can make a difference. Lets look at some ways restaurants are or can begin to do this.
Food for fuel. Much of the food waste ends up in the landfill and that is causing a large release of methane gas into the air. Just another way humans are contributing to the disruption of natural cycles. According to an article by Elizabeth Daigneau titled "Turning Americas' Bad Food-Waste Habit Into Renewable Energy" she states that most Americans do not care how their food is effecting the environment. Well some cities have decided to make it seem more interesting by adding economic incentives. By researching ways food can become a renewable resource these cities are pairing the economic interests with environmental. Organic waste can essentially be turned into bio-gas which can be used to operate city transportation fleets and eventually power homes and businesses. Not only would this save on money for power but it would eliminate the amount of waste and trips that make their way to the land fill. "San Jose, Calif., as an example of an effective bio-gas project. The city collects food waste from restaurants and commercial businesses, processes it in 16 anaerobic digesters until methane is produced and then, in turn, uses it to power the facility and create fuel for city vehicles" (Daigneau).
Compost. Fresh fruit and veggies are cut up daily in many establishments. Their scraps are thrown straight into the trash. Recycled city is a local business that pairs with Bukashi Bucket a self composting bucket and local businesses to help create compost and distribute it to urban farms. This means that everything is staying local as well as reducing waste. This company is making aclose loop when it comes to waste. The farms that provide us with food will then get that food back from the businesses they sell to in the form of compost. Here is a video from the founder of the company Recycled City. Basically they are taking the foot work out by distributing it to local urban farms.

Food waste is a large issue of the United States and restaurants are a growing industry. There is a need for solutions to eliminate food waste. Hunger is a worldwide epidemic, while we throw away tons of food others are starving. While we get the freshest produce others are forced to have poor quality food.  Many countries are jumping on board the elimination of wasting food. France has made it illegal to throw out food waste and is donating it to those in need (White). It helps with reduced waste and reduced hunger. The idea of equal distribution keeps coming up in my blogs. It is the most important aspect of  improvement of society. While many live in excess some live in poverty. Lets work together to help the environment and each other.
Sources:
Daigneau, Elizabeth. "Turning Americas' Bad Food-Waste Habit Into Renewable Energy". Governing the State and Localities; Infrastructure.March 2016 . Web. 4 March 2016. http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/gov-food-renewable-energy.html
Recycled City. Composting Made Easy. 2013. Website. 3 March 2016. http://www.recycledcity.com/
White, Daniel. "French Parliament Unanimously Approves to cut Food Waste". Time; World. 11 December 2015. Web. 3 March 2016. http://time.com/4146012/france-food-waste-law/

When your Roommate is not so Ecofriendly

Often times the lovers we choose have very many things in common with us. We tend to choose mates that we find attractive and that have similar interests. A difference that seems to pop up in some of my relationships romantic or not is the degree of environmental awareness. I get in countless discussions with people about why I choose certain products and why I do not support certain products do to their environmental impact.
 What happens when you live with people who do not have an environmentally friendly out look on life. How do I reduce my waste if my entire household does not participate?
There are many trendy bloggers and journalist out there offering solutions on how to remain Eco friendly in a shared living situation. Especially when there are not shared living views going on. It may come down to some product placement and reverse psychology. It may turn into a way for you to practice advocating your less environmentally harmful lifestyle, or it may just help you from tossing and turning at night about all the plastic water bottles your roommate uses.
1. Make recycling fun.
This sounds cheesy but seriously check out ways to make simple organizers that clearly label where things should be put. Pinterest has some ideas as well as google. On the left is an idea that is organized and looks nice. Make it as simple or complex as you want. This will not only enforce the idea of recycling but give them an easy way to do it. It can be easily done and requires some time and little materials. It will almost force the participation in this aspect of your lifestyle. Make it the only option to throw things away and soon it may become second nature for your room mates. Plus it takes out the hard part of teaching them what to separate.

2. Water saving devices.
Although the water conscience person in you may be able to limit shower times and be efficient with dish water and laundry, often times it is hard to convince someone else to limit their water use. Probably ask first, but replacing each faucet with a water saving device can help cut back on water use you cannot control yourself. .5 gallons per minute is good for sinks and 1.5 gallons per minute is more then enough water pressure for the shower. By doing this your roommates 30 minute shower has now become a bit less wasteful.
3. Talking about money always helps.

If you are done trying to present facts and statistics then its time to get down to the basics. Telling your roommate about the impact the electricity your running has on the environment might not be the right path. Track your energy usage to show how much you are spending. Ask your roommate to turn off all lights and devices when they are not in use. Avoid using the air conditioner when you are both not home, even in place of comfort. Ask them to not preheat the oven, most items besides baking can be heated while the oven is being heated. Ask them to keep the dryer filter clean so the dryer keeps running efficiently. Ask them to wash laundry in cold, and also to do full loads instead of one or two items. After they have picked up a few habits show them the money they saved. This may be what it takes to reduce the energy your household consumes.
After all we are here to help earth as her environmental conscience it is our job to be the ones to help change behavior. Even if you cannot enforce the views you can enforce the habits and make it part of your household still. Do not let roommates or even spouses get in the way of your need to be ecofriendly. It is important for us to remain strong in our views and not compromise our lifestyles. For not speaking up and living as we have is what got us in this boat anyways.

Sources
BC Hydro."21 tips: No-cost ways to save Electricity". Energy; Residential, Saving and Rebates. Web. 22 March 2016.
Conserve H2O. "Water Conservation Devices". Regional Water Providers Consortium; Indoors. Web. 22 March 2016. 

Why What we Choose Matters.

What did you have for breakfast today? What clothes did you put on? Did you use tooth paste today? Drink out of a cup? Use a bowl? Did you use a writing utensil? Where did all of these things come from? How far did they travel? By what means did they reach your very fingertips? Often times we do not think where and how are prized material objects and nourishment necessities come from. They may come from china or another country or from your very own country but either way most the objects we use daily come from somewhere far away. How does this impact the environment?

Lets look at our carbon footprint. The United states has the largest per capita. A carbon footprint is not only what transportation we use to get ourselves around but also what it takes to get everything we need to us. Simple items we use everyday have a large carbon footprint. Many of us strive to be more environmentally friendly, eating organic, buying natural products, and searching for fairly sourced items. We tend to forget about the importance of the journey these items take to get to us and the effect it has on our earth.
Lets take a journey with a very popular fruit most of us know and love. The Banana, which travels many leagues to nourish us. It starts with growth which occurs most often in South America far from my home. The growing process takes fertilizer and machines to plant and harvest. After harvest it is transported into boxes which each also have their own production journey from far away places. After this it is shipped various places by truck, boat, plane. Once shipped it reaches the lovely store front which requires electricity. After we drive or get transported to the store we then take it to our home to be turned into fuel for our brains. Our homes also run on electricity and if that banana is utilized in a delicious smoothie it then is using electricity as well. After we digest the banana it is put into the sewer system which also takes electricity to maintain. After all this just one banana can have a large impact on the environment. 17 kg of CO2 emissions per case of banana (Craig and Blanco). It may seem little in comparison to many things but every item we choose makes this number larger.
Cheese from Europe mmmmm. Italian wine ahhhhh. Irish butter mmmmmm. All of these items are delicious and easily accessible but at what cost to the environment. The ability to get items from all over the world is wonderful but it is an obsession that is causing the emissions of CO2 to continue increasing. The luxuries we experience are also hurting the earth. It is time to realize every decision we make can change t
he world we live in literally. Imagine if everyone bought local or at least regional that could eliminate oceanic trips and decrease the distance of product to consumer. Not only would our produce be more fresh but it would have a lesser impact on the earth. Here is a video to visually show the way what we choose effects the environment.

It is time to be responsible for the earth and our role we play. We are conscious beings able to fix and solve many problems. However our obsession with imports and exports and our inability to produce food nearby in most places is a hidden and large contributor to climate change. By giving up our own food production we are forced to make choices that are hindering the earths natural processes. Everyday we can choose to buy local and seasonal products. We may not always have access locally to what we desire but most often it can provide us with proper and adequate nutrition. Buying used furniture and clothing can help eliminate some of the footprint of carbon that is caused by those industries as well. Next time you are feeling good about buying organic cheese from Europe think twice about the impact that cheese has on our earth upon its journey to you. There are options for local organic reliably sourced foods and various other products but it takes time and effort to go and get those items. May we all keep in mind our earth the next time we buy a banana. It may be nourishing us but it is poisoning the earth on its way to you.

Sources
Craig, Anthony J and Blanco, Edgar E. Carbon Footprint of Chiquita's North American and European Bananas. MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics; Spring 2013. Web. 20 March 2016. http://www.chiquita.com/Chiquita/documents/CSR/0517_2013_Exec_Sum_MIT_CarbonFootprint_2011_MIT_FINAL.pdf

Mistakes Turned to Gold

We are always talking about the pollution we create. The carbon and methane emissions, water purity, and so on. There are many innovations on how to reduce these, but what if we could use the pollution we are creating to create something useful and safe for the environment. Carbon sequestration is a natural process that we take for granted. It is the earths ability to absorb Carbon before it reaches the atmosphere. With the damage we have caused to the natural cycle the earth is unable to compete with our emissions of carbon. Carbon sequestration is the storage and hardening of carbon emissions before they hit the air we breathe. To reverse this cycle some savvy humans are thinking of ways for humans to make up for their mistakes.

A new innovation created by New Light Technologies allows for the everyday household use of our pollution. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels which are a main issue of our pollution problem. AirCarbon named by the company takes the pollution and makes the plastic. Eliminating the need to use untapped resources and also allowing for the possible reversal of some of the carbon flow we create. The production of the plastic takes three steps. First the capture of the carbon, second isolate the carbon and third polymerize the carbon. After these steps a strong durable plastic is made.                                                                                                                                                

AirCarbon is classified as a carbon negative resource.
What does carbon negative mean?


With this product and the studies they have done, AirCarbon actually reduces the amount of carbon added into the atmosphere. Essentially they created a carbon sequestration system that is man made.

This is a good step towards reversing out unhealthy impact onto the earth. Focusing on eliminating the use of fossil fuels is important however it is equally important to innovate on ways we can use the destruction we have created in positive ways. This technology embodies our future. As generations face the idea of Global Warming it is important to keep in mind that the systems we were given by previous generations may harm the earth, but those systems can be restructured to benefit us as well as heal the earth and prevent further damage. Here is the CEO to give you some insight on the products New Light Technologies in creating.

Resources
New Light Technologies. From Green House G
as to Plastic. http://newlight.com/. Web.

W(oah)ater!

The need for more sustainable and clean water sources is a subject on most people's minds. With a fair amount of earths water sources drying up the idea of where and how to get water it becoming a large area of research. Countries all around the world have limited access to clean water. Many places around the world are even facing circumstances of no water availability. With the growing fear of water loss a lot of new technology is developing that is astonishing and may save our Earth's most precious resource.

A company recently developed a water bottle that is self filling. That may seem confusing but it is just as it sounds. This water bottle is literally making water from thin air. It was created by Austrian industrial designer Kristof Retezár, it was created to provide a simple way to obtain water in water scarce areas. It is portable and available for purchase. Assuming the air is clean the water quality is clean as well. The company is working on developing a purification system to combine with the existing invention. This product can create a way to get clean water to everyone without straining to much of the worlds resources. It is also solar powered which makes is usable everywhere. Who knows if the next step could be to create a large scale system that could supply a neighborhood or even a town. Here is a video above on how the system works.

It does not always take a person with scientific knowledge to create a ground breaking technology sometimes all it takes is someone who cares. Waves for Water was started by a man named Jon Rose who travels around the world to visit many surfing destinations. As he was visiting these places he realized the lack of clean water available. He began to wonder what he could do to make a differnece thus the filter emerged. It is similar to a dialysis system and is easy to use. He paired up with Hurley  known surfing company to then distribute the filters. Now surfers looking to surf in remote areas of the world can do so with a charitable goal in mind. The company has distributed over 100,000 filters worldwide. It is a wide impact to it is not just going to help individuals but entire villages and towns.  Not only was he aiming to focus on the purity of the water but on the actual distribution of the filters. There are many technologies out there that improve living and often they are not available to everyone. A video above shows the impact and technologies
These are just two technologies that are out there. There are many more being invented every day. The amazing part is that the focus seems to be in equal distribution of the water. This is so important especially in the eyes of scarcity. People should not have excess if others have none. It is important that everyone have clean water. With these new technologies it is possible to create a world where everyone does have clean water.
Resources:
http://www.techinsider.io/the-fontus-self-filling-water-bottle-2016-1

http://www.wavesforwater.org/

Electricity From Living Plants

Plants a New Way to Generate Power

Imagine being able to grow plants that also supply energy for your house? Or better yet supply energy for an entire community?
In 2007 there was an experiment done by Waginigen University. It studied plants and the use of them as a power source. With sustainable and renewable energy being a vital part of the modern science world, this idea took of by storm. Plant-e is the name of the organization based in the Netherlands.
How did this idea come to be? Well some scientists noticed that plants only use part of their energy they create to grow, the rest gets consumed by the plants microorganisms and generates unused electrons, which Plant-e converts to power (Schrama). Here is a video to help understand the process more in depth.

This is a great step towards a more sustainable world. Not only is there ability to generate power with no environmental damage but there is the ability to help the environment. This can be a way to increase the amount of vegetation and the amount of plants that are providing us with oxygen. Currently the project is being implemented in various ways. There are limits to what can be generated however the Plant-e organization is working on developing a larger more applicable system. However right now it is already being used in Netherlands for outdoor lighting, small scale WI-FI set ups, and green roofs helping to partially power and fully insulate a building (Schrama). It is amazing to think what the future will look like if this idea is embraced.


This type of power provides humans with a reason to think sustainable. Not only will it provide us with power but also make tangible the cyclical relationship between plants and humans. Our care of the plants would provide us with instant gratification, which may help restore peoples conception of the earth and how it is used. If this was implemented on a wide scale there may be a paradigm shift towards the environment. Plant-e is a way to show humans how powerful and important our earth is. Working together with the earth will provide more benefits then to strip earth of all its resources. If you would like too experiment with Plant-e yourself there is a DIY box available here.








Sources
Schrama, Nanda. "How to Generate Electricity from Living Plants". World Economic Forum; Innovation, 15 August 2015.

Plant-e. Living Plants Generate Electricity. Plant-e.com

Wolves of Yellowstone

Wolves of Yellowstone

The wolves of Yellowstone had been absent for upwards of 70 years (Stewards). Until the 1990s when they were introduced back into the ecosystem. Seventeen years later changes have been made since the reintroduction.

Photo Credit: http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/94/137494-004-3D14AE05.jpg

The ecosystem starts to give back or take  to what has been given or removed. It can be called a Trophic Cascade as Stephen Carpenter of Britannica Encyclopedia describes “an ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators and involving reciprocal changes in the relative populations of predator and prey through a food chain, which often results in dramatic changes in ecosystem  structure and nutrient cycling.”

Photo   Credit:  Rolf Shutenhelm, Development of various species numbers after wolf

reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park.

They were brought into help with the rising elk population but had a dramatic effect on the rest of the ecosystem. Most shockingly is the change in the river beds and landscapes. (Farqhuar). The Beaver population escalated along with a rise in the health of the willows surrounding the river beds. “The presence of wolves triggered a still-unfolding cascade effect among animals and plants-one that will take decades of research to understand” says Smith a Biologist that was part of the article by Brodie Farquhar a writer for Yellowstone.  The entire health of the region has been supported by the wolves reintroduction. The cascade effect helps restore healthy habits of an ecosystem back into place.

 

Here is a video that is from Sustainable Human on Youtube it  helps show the impact visually. Hopefully this will show people the effect of taking a species out of environment and how devastating it can be.

It took years for the restoration to begin in Yellowstone and many places are past a helping point. This is an amazing effort and effect of the reintroduction of the wolves but it should also be an example of what happens when a species is removed. We as humans should want a consistently flourishing ecosystem all around us and in order to do that we need to respect the food chain and help avoid ruining it. It was humans who aided in the disappearance of the wolves in the first place. It is humans who aided in the reintroduction, and most importantly it is humans who can help prevent these extinctions and endangerment's before they take place.

References:

Carpenter, Stephen. “Trophic Cascade”. Britannica Encyclopedia, Ecology.

Farquhar, Brodie. “Wolf Reintroduction Changes Ecosystem”. Yellowstone, Wildlife; Wolves.

Schuttenhelm, Rolf. “Wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone shows large predators help forests rejuvenate – and may increase biological diversity” . Bits of Science, 21 December 2011.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability is a way to live. A practice and examination of living in a way that does the least amount of damage to the resources that are available. Sustainability is a way to keep the world going. Essentially it is a way to uses resources so that there are still resources left over. Sustainable water use for example uses water in a way that does not deplete it completely but aims to reuse, reduce and save as much as possible.
Living in Flagstaff, Arizona my entire life I have been sheltered from a lot of the pollution and over population that the Valley of the Sun has to offer. Sustainability to me was not foreign, growing up around people who used it as common way of living. Now I am getting to see the trials and tribulations of what living in a city does to you and how it effects your ability to be sustainable.
This class is important to me because I have always wanted my own sustainable living situation. Whether that be on a small scale or large eventually I would like to produce my own food, energy and water in a sustainable format. I am excited to learn what other places around the world are doing in those areas. I want to change my world and learn how to live in coexistence with the earth so that others may be inspired to as well. Being involved with naturalistic medicine has linked me to many cultures and religions who sole basis of living is evolved around the survival and health of the earth. I would love to see a transformation in the way we view our mother earth and I hope this class will help me.