Cheaper wind turbines.

A new technology that would create wind turbines that have no blades. They collect energy by the vibrations of wind as it blows through it. These new wind turbines would be a cheaper substitute for the wind turbines that are currently used to trap wind energy. However, this new technology remains in the experiential phase and it waits to be seen it can actually capture wind energy effectively.

For more Information:
http://www.businessinsider.com/new-wind-turbine-doesnt-have-blades-2015-5

Change in Ecological Footprint

My Ecological Footprint April:

My Ecological Footprint June:

 

There is a slight difference in my ecological footprint since I first took the test. However, I am not sure that the goals that I set were measured properly on this test. I did walk to school for the entire quarter and that reduced how much I used my car. My other goals of buying things second hand for the quarter and my reduction of recyclable cups of coffee. I feel that if the test went more in depth I would be able to see how my original goals actually worked out.

Composting In New York

I read an interesting article in the New York Times. In class we mentioned the option of having a composting area on campus and how to compost in general. The development for composting in a highly populated city like New York. Individual bins have been created for household use almost like a small garbage can that contains the smell of compost. These individual bins are then disposed of in large bins that are outside which are well protected from wildlife that would try snack on the left over food. According to  the article, "100,000 households in New York that are now required to put their organic garbage into designated bins".

For more information:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/22/nyregion/with-compost-program-keeping-waste-from-going-to-waste.html?ref=earth&_r=0

Rewards for Reducing your Carbon Footprint

The Sustain: Green card offers cash back at 2.7% for purchases made and reduces the carbon footprint for individuals. It is easy for the consumers to use the card and have the funds directly transferred to reduce the footprint.  In order for the card to work enough people have to sign-up and then ACR will advise Sustain: Green card to invest in projects. One project that Green card currently supports is deforestation in the amazon.

The card itself is biodegradable and will decompose people overlook how much waste from credit cards according to the article, “it’s about half a billion credit and debit cards every year.” The card can decompose in six months if cut up and soil bacteria will break it down. It still is a fairly new product

For More Information:
http://www.greenbiz.com/article/credit-card-offset-your-individual-carbon-guilt

Greenwashing (Biodegradable vs. Compostable)

We talked in class about all sorts of different green washing terms that are misleading consumers to believe that they are supporting the environment, but are actually just greenwashed to look like they are. we
Biodegradable products are products that eventually break down. It may take a long time but everything is essentially biodegradable. This is a term that is used when companies choose to "greenwash" their products to make them look more sustainable.

For example, this bag tells consumers that it is 100% biodegradable, but this term doesn't actually mean that this bag will degrade quicker than lets say a normal plastic bag. The look of the bag is greenwashed to look like it is better for the environment, but it could actually be just as bad as a normal plastic bag. It has a pretty picture of the environment and environmental friendly language, but this product is greenwashed to deceive the people that use it.

In contrast a compostable bag will compost in a certain timeframe.

 

For more information:

http://thegreenwashingblog.com/2014/03/17/biodegradable-vs-compostable-dont-greenwashed/

 

Written Assignment #7

EPEAT eco-label stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool it globally rates electronics and there lifestyle cycle. These electronic products are then rated on a scale of Gold, Silver, or Bronze depending on which environmental criteria they complete from the list below.  

·         removal of harmful toxins

·         product design recyclability

·         use of recycled materials

·         length of time that a product lasts

·         energy efficiency

·         packaging attributes

·         performance

I think that there logo is similar to worldwide eco-friendly label. The check-mark for example is in the environmental choice label. However, from the consumer’s perspective it is difficult to discern what the acromion EPEAT stands for. I wouldn’t say that the label is misleading consumers, but it is unclear what the label actually stands for. I would redesign the label to include a Black T.V. Television is the ancestor of technology today and it would be an easy addition to the label that gives it a little bit of context to the consumer. The green check mark and the e starting the acronym give the consumer a helpful hint that it has something to do with sustainability. I think that the T.V. will give consumers the idea that the environmental impact is being reduced through electronics. The Otterman text mentioned that creating labels is an expensive process so instead of completely redoing the label I would suggest updating it to make the label clearer to the consumer.

 

“Electronic lifestyle impacts on earth”                        

 The USSP that I created puts electronics as the consumer. The point of difference of EPEAT is that there electronic lifestyle is accounted for via a check mark ranking system. “Electronic lifestyle impacts on earth”, emphasizes that an electronic impacts the environment by the life cycle of materials that are used in its product design.  The environmental movement focuses in on an individual lifestyle’s impact on the environment. Consumers are able to clearly identify if the EPEAT product gives benefits towards their personal values and lifestyle.

Water Problems?

California has been in a drought for the last four years. To provide water for the densely populated areas of Orange County and other locations in southern California that are in need of water and there supply is running out. California has started to turn to purifying water from their population sewage. Many people are not thrilled about this option, but this new filter will save California money that would be used to import water from other countries.

I am personally skeptical with the knowledge that the water in California is safe to drink. However, according to, "David Sedlak, a UC Berkeley professor of civil and environmental engineering" it is even cleaner with less salt  than water that are from these areas. If you have ever tasted water from southern California it is really not to difficult to make water taste better than the tap water there. Especially, if you are from the Pacific Northwest area there water is horrible. This article interested me because it is a prime example of how sustainability practices can be a part of a solution to a natural problem.

 

For more Information:

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/04/09/can-turning-recycled-sewage-water-into-drinking-water-help-california-with-the-drought-climate-change/

 

Food Packaging can be eliminated

The topic of food packaging waste has come up many times in our class discussions.  I found this article that described an entire store; called Original Unverpackt located Berlin, Germany that has zero waste for food products that they sell. Everything that a customer buys in this store is purchased in bulk. Reusable jars and containers are used in place of the plastic containers and bags. This company was founded by private investors who want to change the way we shop for food. This store sells food that is sourced regionally.  Original Unverpackt vision is to transform the shopping experience to something that customers enjoyed.

Although the U.S is pretty far from changing their shopping habits forerunners like Original Unverpackt are paving the way for this change. In the article it showed these two pictures. Both had the same food display the only difference being that one had packaged food and the other sold food that was in reusable containers. 

 

 

Article from the Business Insider:

http://www.businessinsider.com/german-grocery-store-without-trash-2015-5

Original Unverpackt Website:

https://socialimpactfinance.startnext.com/original-unverpackt

Written Assignment #5

      I was inspired by the biological form of an ant and the way that it cools itself down on a hot day. Ants are able to cool themselves by using air scoops.  Evaporation is used to create these air scoops which cool down when they are crawling around in the sun on a warm day. A product that I thought would be a sustainable is to create a personal cooling system for humans to use during the warm spring and summer months. Imagine all the energy that could be saved if a product focused on cooling/heating an individual wearer instead of cooling an entire house/building. The cooling system would rest on the shoulders of the wearer and be a more sustainable way to keep people cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

            I did some research and I found several products that were already tackling the personal air conditioning issue. I didn’t realize that this issue was already being tackled, but after dipping my toes into this industry. I believe, I have some ideas for improvements that could be used to make the product more appealing to the consumer. An air-conditioned collar was a product already on the market for $49.99. There was a lot of information that was helpful. I was able to get information about the segmentation of this product which include ages 18-55. Unfortunately, the success rate of this product is pretty slim. The air conditioned collar rests on the neck to cool the body. I believe that the problem with this product is the image of the product. It holds no status like headphones and other electronic devises in our society that we wear on our bodies. The air-conditioned collar is not fashionable and would probably have a difficult time becoming a device that the general public uses. (Image1)   I think it’s fair to say that it fits in the head gear category in the eyes of the general public. Head gear is not bad because it does gets peoples teeth straight, but people don’t like wearing them. To fix this problem, orthodontists have come up with new innovative methods like putting the head gear inside the mouth that still accomplish the same end goal of straight teeth.

With this in mind, the product needs to have a certain image preferably something that matched the technology that is in our society. I found an article that described a device called Wristify. Wristify is a thermoelectric bracelet that can fit on the wrist of an individual. (Image 2).   I believe that had the idea that it could take the place of a watch. Watches are no longer an item that consumers need to check the time with the development of cell phone. Watches usefulness is obsolete. However, to accommodate this change the watch industry has made the switch to making watches a fashion icon. However, with the release of the new apple watch, the watch industry is going into another direction that gives watches completely new functions and how watches will look. The personal temperature controller could be one of the new options that the watch could contribute to.  This new device would decrease the amount of energy that would be required in homes the same as the air conditioned collar, but it could become popular with the general public. Perhaps, even impact the amount of energy that is actually used per person in our society.

Image 1:                                                                                        

      

*Air conditioned collars       

  Image 2:

                                                  



*Wristify

Works Cited:

Air scoops provide cooling: Ants. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.asknature.org/strategy/679517306e815ab19b4b04ba75a543eb#.VUrxWk1FDIU

Young, M. (2011, April 16). Air-Conditioning Collars : CoolWare Personal Cooling System. Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coolware-personal-cooling-system

Ramachandran, S. (2013, November 2). Heat or Cool a Person with the Wristify Personal Air Conditioner. Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.devicemag.com/2013/11/02/heat-or-cool-a-person-with-the-wristify/

Soy Cleans Oil Spills?

A recent study believes that soy may be a good alternative for cleaning up oil spills. Chemical dispersions have been used to clean up the oil that is spilled in the ocean. These chemical dispersions harm the oceanic life. Ram B. Gupta and his colleagues decided to see if there was another solution. The lab discovered that soy was a great substitute that wasn't harmful to the oceanic life and got the job done.

For more information:
http://phys.org/news/2015-04-soy-good-bakingand-crude-oil.html

Ecological Footprint Update:

I have been struggling with remembering to use my reusable cup. I slipped up a couple of times when I was in a hurry and I needed something to wake me up and keep me alert. I  realized last week that I was substituting my coffee drinks with other things like naked juice's and other products that have individual plastic containers. I think that by consuming those drinks is counter intuitive for me when I am trying to reduce my rate of using coffee cups. I have decided to avoid buying these products as well.

I have been able to keep up with walking to school everyday and I haven't gotten any new clothes so I believe that I am doing pretty well on those two fronts.

New ways to trap energy

 An, article from the New York Times released on April 22 of this year discusses the  experimentation of wave energy. Melbourne, Australia has started to pave the way for new ways to find renewable energy untapped by humanity. A military base has buoys that are beneath the Indian Ocean surface that generates 5% of their electricity. The design of the buoys under the waves protects them from the rough waves that break on the ocean’s surface. These buoys also help a desalination plant that changes salt water into fresh water which is a third of the military’s water supply. However, this renewable energy source is still in the experimental phase because of fierce storms and winds that can easily damage the equipment. It is difficult for companies to get funding for these projects because it is new. Continual advancements are planned for the future of this energy source in hopes that it will become a sustainable source of energy that can be used throughout the coasts of the world.

For more information:

 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/business/energy-environment/catching-waves-and-turning-them-into-electricity.html?ref=earth&_r=0

Written Assignment #2

Aussie Hair Insurance (leave in-conditioner)

Ingredients:

Amodimethicone

PPG-2 Methyk Ether

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Polyquaternium-11

DMDM Hydantoin

Fragrance

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Silk Extract

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Disodium Edta

Polysorbate 80

Aminomethyl Propanol

Cetrimonium Chloride

Trideceth-12

Citric Acid

 

I use this leave in conditioner to help untangle my hair after taking a shower every day. I have extremely thick hair that tangles easily and this spray works to help remove the tangles without having to pull out a lot of my hair. I had a difficult time finding a product that I could use that would fulfill this purpose. I started using this product a couple years ago when one of my close friends who also had long hair recommended it to me.

I would have a difficult  time if  I  removed this product from my life because it really does make a difference whenever I comb out my hair. I looked into some alternative products that could alleviate the moderate risk that occurs when using this product.  In particular the Fragrance ingredient which was the most harmful ingredient in the product according to the  EWG website.The Fragrance ingredient is known to affect people that have sensitive skin according to the U.S Food and Drug administration website.  I found a website called the Honest Co.  Through this site I was able to find a product called honest conditioner detangle spray which is a similar to the product that I use now. I looked it up on the EWG website and it did not appear to have any ingredients that were harmful.  The Honest Co has a reputation that is clean without dyes, preservatives, or other harmful ingredients in their products. The fragrance ingredient was eliminated from the honest conditioner spray. Many of the other less harmful ingredients were also removed from the spray and replaced with alternative ingredients that were less harmful.
 Overall, the price for the honest spray is more expensive than the Aussie spray. Although Aussie's spray is known to cause irritation to the skin  I haven’t had a problem with it. I would possibly consider switching to use this new product.

AUSSIE HAIR INSURANCE LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER SPRAY (2009 formulation). (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2015, from http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/125820/AUSSIE_HAIR_INSURANCE_LEAVE-IN_CONDITIONER_SPRAY_(2009_formulation)/

FRAGRANCE. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2015, from http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/702512/FRAGRANCE/

Conditioning Detangler. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2015, from https://www.honest.com/bath-and-body/conditioning-detangler

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2015, from http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductsIngredients/Ingredients/ucm388821.htm

What do you think about composting bodies?

I read an article entitled, A Project to Turn Corpses into Compost,  from the New York Times, released an article to day to see if decomposing bodies can be composted.  Katrina Spade an architect came up with this new innovative idea that would “grow new life” from a nutrient filled body. It would solve the problem of urban cemeteries filling up. The plan is creating a composting facility that would accommodate up to thirty decomposing bodies at one time. Her plan is to build the first human compost facility in Seattle, WA.  Families would have a ceremony to drop off their deceased family members and be able to come back in a couple weeks or couple months and take some of the compost and plant a garden in remembrance of the loved one. There are many different legal laws, society, and religious opinions that oppose this new idea. I am not really sure that I know what to think about this idea. What are your thoughts about this idea?

Here is the article Link: (If you want more information)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/science/a-project-to-turn-corpses-into-compost.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

 

Environmental Goals Update:

·         I have been walking to and from school every day! It has been a good exercise and I have been enjoying it. Except for today when it was pouring rain… I was pretty miserable and I really wanted to take the bus home, but instead I persevered and got completely soaked. L

·         I have been using my reusable mug for any coffee I buy. One of my roommates went with me to get coffee over the weekend and when she saw me taking my reusable mug for coffee. She grabbed hers and we both got coffee in our reusable mugs. J

Quiz results: Ecological Footprint Quiz by Center for Sustainable Economy

Quiz results: Ecological Footprint Quiz by Center for Sustainable Economy

My Goals to Reduce My Enviornmental Footprint

The greatest amount of my environmental footprint is my carbon emissions. I have decided on three methods to decrease my impact on the environment. I will reduce the amount of waste that I use, buy used clothing products that I might need, and reduce my carbon emission I release into the atmosphere.

My first goal is to use a reusable cup whenever I get a Starbucks drink or any other coffee drink for the quarter. I spend way too much money on coffee drinks in general. I would save a lot of cups from being used and my waste will be reduced.

Thrift shopping is something that I stared getting interested in when I came to college. I like to be able to buy multiple items of clothing for a relatively small price. Buying used clothing is a form of recycling. My second goal would be to only buy clothing/shoes/accessories from a second hand store that I need. I don’t shop much and I believe that this is a reasonable goal to be able to achieve.

For my third goal I thought I would walk to and from school every day. It takes me 20 to 25 minutes to walk depending on where I need to go on campus. The springtime is nice in Bellingham and walking to school and back would be good exercise. If I walk instead of taking the bus I will reduce my carbon emission which is my greatest environmental footprint.

My Carbon Footprint Results:



 

Restoring the environment while on vacation

The actor Leonardo DiCaprio is a leader well known for is involvement in environmental concerns.  An article, entitled Leonardo DiCaprio builds an eco-resort was printed in the New York Times last week. He and a partner purchased an island off the coast of Belize that is 104 acres for his new resort. DiCaprio is determined to restore the island after it has had harmful activities that have impacted its environment in a negative way. The goal is to not only restore the island to its original state, but to make it even more healthier than before. DiCaprio's ecofriendly resort builds on the ecotourism that reduces the impact that people have on a location when they travel. Leonardo Dicaprio has been a known leader of his generation and he continues to be a part of the change and restoration of this world. For more information about the article go to:
 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/realestate/an-idea-hits-the-beach.html