Bulk waste syndrome hypothesis

I love buying things in bulk, especially non-perishable items.  Ranging from shampoo to all-purpose cleaners, many companies offer over-sized options.  Not only do these items help you save money, they're better for the environment.  Bulk buying helps to reduce packaging, thus reducing the energy and materials required to make the packaging, and thus reducing the amount of waste once the product has been used.  If you decide to purchase biodegradable, non-animal tested products, you're doing even better.  But I would like to suggest my bulk waste syndrome hypothesis.

Take, for instance, two options: one 48 oz bottle of shampoo versus four 12 oz bottles.  The latter option results in greater packaging waste.  The prior option, however, may result in fewer lathers-and-rinses.  Even though the two options offer the same overall amount of shampoo (48 oz), I hypothesize that the bulk shampoo bottle unknowingly makes people to use more shampoo for each lather-and-rinse, which is caused by the 'bulk waste syndrome.'  When people use smaller containers, they are more likely to use smaller amounts of shampoo because they perceive that not very much is available.  In the bulk case, people perceive that much more shampoo is available, and they are more likely to use larger amounts because of a lessened fear of running out any time soon.

I've run this idea by a couple of people, and they were quite shocked I'd even suggest such a ludicrous idea.  But, I stand by my logic.  Think about how you behave when your liquid soap is about to run out.  You use smaller and smaller amounts to stretch it as far as it will go.

Assuming for a moment that this hypothesis is true, what can you do about it?  I constantly try to gage how much of something I use.  It's easy to squirt an overwhelming dollop of toothpaste on your brush.  But take a step back and think, is it really necessary?  Most of it will probably never touch your teeth.  How much hand soap is really necessary to clean your dirty paws?  One full squirt from my pump would bath a small army.  Just think about it, and get back to me.

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:TRESemmé.jpg

Ceramic or paper or polystyrene?

UPDATE:  Through Neighbors for Neighbors, a group in Boston organized local coffee shops to support a bring-your-own-mug concept.  It's called The Mug Project and I think it's wonderful.  Thanks for the tip, Em!

Consuming less seems to be one of the primary mantras of the "green" movement. "Reduce, reuse, recycle." So, when it comes to your morning beverage of choice (be it coffee, tea, hot cocoa), surely a ceramic mug is more environmentally friendly than a paper or polystyrene (read: 'styrofoam') cup. Not necessarily, claims the Institute for Lifecycle Environmental Assessment. Way back in 1994, this study suggested that ceramic mugs must be used numerous times before the environmental impact equals that of a similar number of paper or foam cups. Large amounts of energy are required to manufacture and clean a reusable mug, thus it must be used many times to spread out that impact over a large number of uses. According to their findings, a ceramic mug must be used 40 times to equal paper, and hundreds of times to equal foam. So, does this mean that foam-cup-wielding lunatics are greener than thou?

Don't fret. Think: "reduce." Surely, if you are a ceramic mug hoarder and go through them like water, you're relatively wasteful. But, if you're like me and hold onto a select few mugs for years and use them repeatedly, things might not be so bad after all. If you can't stomach the idea of pressing your lips to the same mug year after year, at least put your unwanted mugs back into the ebb and flow of the universe. Donate them to a second-hand store. At some point, your orphaned mugs will be considered vintage and be worth a lot of money, to someone else.

And, in the spirit of not being able to determine anything with certainty, consider the hidden features of polystyrene.

• “Acute exposure to styrene in humans results in respiratory effects, such as mucous membrane irritation, eye irritation, and gastrointestinal effects” -Environmental Protection Agency

• Styrofoam is “possibly carcinogenic to humans” -World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer

• Styrofoam cup takes 500 years to decompose. -University of Washington

• “In the categories of energy consumption, greenhouse gas effect, and total environmental effect, [expanded polystyrene's] environmental impacts were second highest, behind aluminum” -California Integrated Waste Management Board

Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Coffeee_img451.jpg

Rethinking sustainable design

People have often criticized me (rather, attacked me) in regards to sustainability and free enterprise. Take, for example, oil. If we all stopped driving and embraced solar energy and foot-power, what would happen to the employees of oil companies? They'd be out of jobs and a major pillar of our economy would collapse. Valid point. One rebuttal is the idea of adaption. Companies that have proven to be successful are able to adapt the changing times. They are willing to embrace new concepts and implement them.

Adaption and evolution of companies is the central idea in the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. William McDonough and Michael Braungart suggest that we can maintain our current lifestyle with no ill consequences, given a little ingenuity. The book revolves around encouraging companies to consider the entire life of a product, from conception to consumer use to disposal to rebirth. They provide many tangible examples of companies that have embraced sustainable techniques, helped improve the environment, and saved money. One example is the waste water of a textile company. Initially, they were heavily polluting the surrounding environment with toxic chemicals from their dying process. After some careful thought and upgrades, their waste water is now as clean as or cleaner than the water that flows into the plant.

I found the book to be particularly refreshing. McDonough and Braungart reject the idea of choosing the least harmful alternative, rather they seek to find truly good solutions. They insist that recycling as we know it now is actually a bad thing. Even the "paper" of which the book is printed is unique. I urge you to read it to find out what I'm talking about. And don't forgot some of my favorite ways to get books!

Image: http://www.mcdonough.com/cradle_to_cradle.htm

Meat = oil

The New York Times published an article asserting that meat equals oil. While we are becoming aware of the issues surrounding fossil fuels, the meat industry poses some similar concerns.

Like oil, meat is subsidized by the federal government. Like oil, meat is subject to accelerating demand as nations become wealthier, and this, in turn, sends prices higher. Finally — like oil — meat is something people are encouraged to consume less of, as the toll exacted by industrial production increases, and becomes increasingly visible.

Here are some ideas to chew on:

• livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than transportation
• 2.2 pounds of beef is responsible for the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the average European car every 155 miles, and burns enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for nearly 20 days
• it [routine antibiotic administration] can result in antibiotic-resistant bacteria that threaten the usefulness of medicines that treat people
• grain-fed animals, in turn, are contributing to health problems among the world’s wealthier citizens — heart disease, some types of cancer, diabetes
• as the horrors of raising meat in confinement become known, more animal lovers may start to react

And I could go on. But why don't you read the article for yourself, think carefully about it, then act. You might start acting by clicking here for your free vegetarian starter kit. There's no need to go 'cold turkey,' but each pound of meat you DON'T eat can mean big change.

Image: http://www.nytimes.com/

How many Earths do you need?

How many Earths would be required if everyone lived like you? That's exactly what Consumer Consequences aims to help you understand. Brought to you by American Public Media and based on research from Redefining Progress, this interactive, online tool is eye-opening, to say the least. The program analyzes your habits and compares that to what the Earth can sustain. Given that the population is currently about 6.6 billion people, each person is alloted 4.5 global acres of biologically productive area. If the way you live requires more than 4.5 global acres and if everyone lived like you, we would need more than one planet to sustain us. You can find out more about the facts on which the game is based.

Try it out. It takes only about 10 minutes to answer a series of questions about your home and the way you consume. Despite my best efforts to reduce my global impact, if everyone lived the way I live, we would need 2.1 Earths to support all 6.6 billion of us. Though I am doing a bit better than the average American, this quick activity helps quantify the disparate nature of the global distribution of wealth and resources.

Need some help getting your score down? Click the links to the right for specific topics, or peruse the posts for general ideas.

Image: http://sustainability.publicradio.org/consumerconsequences/

Modern problem solved by ancient idea

Escalators are everywhere. They're especially prevalent in subway systems and malls. For those who have trouble taking the stairs, escalators are extremely helpful. But I notice way too many able-bodied people just standing there. Convenience aside, escalators are wasteful. According to a study performed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority, escalators use:

• 1700-2500 watts while no one is riding
• 4000-5400 watts with just 16 people riding

That's the equivalent of powering 28 to 90 light bulbs! There's gotta be a better way...

In fact, someone solved this issue nearly 7,000 years ago: the stairs. Not only is 0 watts required to operate the stairs, Facility Architects is developing a solution that will actually generate electricity from people's foot steps. Living in a supply/demand type of world, I expect that if fewer people use escalators, we'll be much more likely to see these types of innovations pop up.

The docs at Duke support stair-steppers. I enjoy taking the stairs because it helps me to:

• burn calories.
• reach my goal of 30 minutes of daily activity.
• beat the people standing on the escalator.

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Escalator.jpg

Meat: It's what's for dinner no longer

Americans certainly do enjoy their meat. A meal isn't complete until 90% of the plate is covered with a slab of charred flesh. Vegetables merely play a supporting role by making sure the meat doesn't slip off the plate. Here are a few more things you're getting with that heap of dead animal, according to Sustainable Table:

[industrial farm] activity was identified as a source of pollution for 48% of stream and river water, and for 41% of lake water.

grain-fed beef...requires thirty-five calories for every calorie of beef produced.

one study of 34,000 pigs found that 65% of the animals had "pneumonia-like lesions" in their lungs.

roughly 25,000 square kilometers or 6 million acres of the Amazon rainforest is cut down every year for grazing cattle and to grow soybeans that are used for animal feed.

To learn more, watch The Meatrix, a Matrix-style expose on the meat industry.

Because of what I learned these and other sources, I decided to cease eating meat of any kind and to try to consume eggs and cheese produced through sustainable methods. I don't necessarily ask everyone to take this route; you need to find what works for you. I'll have more information about animal agriculture in future posts, so be sure to check back regularly.

If you find these issues appalling as I did, I suggest ordering a FREE vegetarian starter kit.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Jersey_cow.png

In case you hadn't heard...

Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for

their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change

If you haven't done so already, or if it has been a while, I suggest watching "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore. Instead of hopping into your SUV and driving 20 miles to Blockbuster, check out some of my suggestions to get what you want. I'm a little surprised it's not available through iTunes considering that Al Gore is on Apple's Board of Directors...

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:AlGoreGlobalWarmingTalk.jpg

Bags: Paper or plastic... or neither?

We all know plastic bags are better than paper bags. They are light-weight, can be compacted, are water-proof, and are durable. What's more, the Institute for Lifecycle Environmental Analysis found that plastic bags beat paper in terms of energy and pollution. But there are plenty of other issues with plastic bags. They stick around for a long time, and they're made from oil. Check out this quote:

to make 100 billion plastic checkout bags per year, which is how many we use in the U.S. each year, it takes 12 million barrels of oil. No oil is used to produce recycled paper checkout bags

Overwhelmed with the choice of which to use? I say, don't use either... use a reusable bag! You might not have a choice soon, anyway. Cities and stores are beginning to ban the spawn of oil... I mean, plastic bags.

Fear not! Most stores than ban plastic bags sell reusable ones. Trader Joe's has quite a selection of handy sacks that can be used an untold number of times. My favorite is a trusty backpack. Sure, I've gotten weird stares from security guards, but cashiers reactions are priceless. Some seem shocked that I wouldn't take a free plastic bag. I do my best to educate them, but you can only teaching the willing, usually. You could even pick up a trendy and over-priced "I am not a plastic bag" bag.

Oh, and one last thing. Don't throw away those bags tucked into every cabinet in your kitchen. Check out some fun and exciting things you can do with plastic bags!

Image: http://treehugger.com/

Tip of the season: Turn off your A/C

Baltimore Gas and Electric claims:

For every degree you raise your thermostat setting above 72 degrees F, you'll save 5-7% on your cooling costs.

Here's a better tip from Keith:

Turn off your air conditioner and open the windows, especially now that outside temperatures are comfortable. You'll pay nothing for cooling costs. Also, check out some of the benefits of fresh air from MSN.

I just opened the windows here in Atlanta, and it feels great.

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Clouds_Zagreb_1.JPG

To CFL or not to CFL?

According to the ACEEE, lighting consumes 5-10% of the total energy for the average American home. While this is a nominal amount, governments and environmental groups around the world are urging people to switch to compact florescent lights (CFLs). After some searching, they seem to be surrounded by uncertainty. CFLs last longer and use much less energy during operation, but they contain toxic components and require substantially more energy to create. As of today, they're also very costly to recycle. The cost benefit to the consumer seems clear, but the overall impact of this product is murky. Here are a few common-sense suggestions for reducing your home's lighting energy consumption:

1. Open the curtains, blinds, shades or whatever else you might call them. Vampires excluded.
   
2. Get yourself into the habit of always turning off the lights as you leave a room. Not only will this break you of the wasteful habit of leaving the lights unnecessarily, it will strengthen your fingers... for faster typing speeds, of course.
3. Wait until your incandescent bulbs burn out before replacing them with CFLs.
   
4. Install a Parans system which uses solar collectors and fiber optic cables to route sunlight to interior rooms.

Despite my non-confidence about CFLs, I decided to install one CFL in my apartment. I spent extra money to get a 3-way bulb which approximates to 30, 75 and 100 watts. It illuminates quickly, runs much cooler than a standard incandescent bulb (which, by the way, converts 90% of the electricity into heat, not light), and casts an acceptable color of light. I'll wait until my other bulbs burn out, and see what options are available then. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the still-working incandescent lamp...

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Compact-Flourescent-Bulb.jpg

Peak Oil: Watch these movies

Few people have probably ever heard of Marion King Hubbert, but his idea of 'peak oil' has profound implications. Put simply, he proposed that the rate of oil production follows a bell-shaped curved: first it increases, then it terminally decreases. In 1956, he predicted that America would reach its peak oil production rate around 1965-70. He was laughed out of a job, but America actually peaked in 1970. That means since then, our oil production rate continues to drop. But our demand for oil continues to increase. He predicted world peak oil production would happen about now. Below is a graph of expected peak oil production for many countries around the world. We're running out of oil.

Since our society essentially runs on oil (for energy and plastic), what are we going to do?! First off, check out these movies to learn more about peak oil. Everyone likes movies.

• A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash
  
• The Oil Factor: Behind the War on Terror
  
• The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream

Each of them really made me think about our country's dependency on oil, especially the foreign variety. CO2 isn't the oil reason to lower our consumption of oil. Check it out for yourself, tell a friend, and leave a comment on ways you intend to reduce your dependency on (foreign) oil!

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:GlobalPeakOilForecast.jpg

Vampire Power

Electronic devices have an uncanny ability to mimic animal behavior. They do cute things like "hibernate" and "sleep." When we partake in these activities, we're recharging our batteries. But when it comes to your favorite gadget with a power supply (aka "power brick", "plug-in adapter", "adaptor block", "AC adaptor" or "power adapter"), don't be fooled. Energy Star estimates that over 25% of the electricity used by these little devils occurs during stand-by or sleep mode. For hours every day, your 'resting' coffee makers and 'sleeping' computers are sucking blood from your electrical outlets. And by "blood" I mean "electricity." While Energy Star recommends that manufactures make better vampires, I mean, power supplies, there are things you can do right now.

1. Unplug power cords that aren't being used. This includes cell phone chargers.
2. Plug a group of devices into a switchable power strip. Flip the switch before you go to bed instead of unplugging each one.
3. Purchase a Smart Strip or Wattstopper which does the "work" for you.

My experience with this has been positive. I don't pay for electricity directly (it's included in my rent), but this is a simple step to reduce my building's energy consumption. My computer, speakers, printer and router are all plugged into a power strip. As I'm brushing my teeth, I flick the switch with my toe. (An added benefit is that no one can hack into my wireless network while I'm sleep, which they've tried to do.) All this lets me rest easy. How well are you sleeping?

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:NosferatuShadow.jpg

State my assumptions:

1. The environment is worthy of reparation and protection.
   
2. People, when given useful information, will take action.
   
3. Sustainable living can easily be made part of one's life.
   

Wikipedia defines sustainable living as:

a lifestyle that could, hypothetically, be sustained unmodified for many generations without exhausting any natural resources ... [often involving] transport, housing, energy, and diet.

This blog will chronicle my exploration of this important concept. I will share stories, news and ideas. It is my intention to show that with some basic knowledge, it is possible to move toward a sustainable future. I hope that you can gain inspiration from this adventure and find ideas that can be easily incorporated into your daily life. I encourage you to leave comments about each of my posts. Please check back every Wednesday and Saturday for updates, or subscribe to the news feed to get updates automatically.

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Earth_Western_Hemisphere.jpg