2.29 Earths, Really?

If everyone on the planet maintained my lifestyle we would need 2.29 Earths? I'm not sure that my consumption decreased from equating 3.14 earths to 2.29 earths in 2 months, but that is the survey result of my Ecological Footprint. Thus, I saved an entire earth!

Here are the stats:

My footprint in global acres of consumption categories is highest for my carbon footprint at 41%. Secondly, my housing footprint is one of my largest impact categories at 26%.

My forestland imprint of 42% is my highest ecological impact regarding my footprint share by biome. This could be because of my home's location or because of our lack of environmentally friendly yard practices. Because I am not a homeowner, WWU Properties makes all of our decisions regarding garbage pickup (garbage, but not compost is included in our rent), insulation, solar panels (or lack thereof), and other characteristics of the home itself. Instant water heaters, low flow toilets, water recycling systems, and drought tolerant landscaping are all features dealt with by home owners.

Personally, I'm not allowed to paint our walls, much less re-landscape our backyard. It's difficult sometimes to control over my ecological footprint, when so much of my living situation is predetermined by our landlord and the house's structure itself.

However, this quarter I did do a really good job of achieving my ecological footprint goals. My roomies and I significantly decreased our plastic grocery bag usage and we make a combined effort to visit the Farmer's Market together for fresh and local produce weekly. The big screen television has been a constant challenge, but after a chat about our electricity bill (as well as ecological impact) we decided that maybe our house doesn't always have to be the neighborhood spot for the game and movie nights. Overall, I'm really proud of how well my roomies and I have stuck to our house goals.

Personally, I have had a few ecological footprint goals of my own. I now unplug my laptop instead of charging it overnight. Also, I no longer charge my phone for longer periods than necessary since discovering how much extra electricity is used. My mom and I recycled our old phones and chargers over Thanksgiving. I have learned to become a lot more conscious of my habits and lifestyle through Sustainable Marketing. Although I might not altogether agree or think that the Ecological Footprint survey is the absolute best model that there can ever be for judging sustainability, right now it is useful for educating the public on their lifestyles and the impact that they have on the environment.

http://www.myfootprint.org/en/quiz_results/

Shave Down Your Shower's Ecological Impact

Friends Taking Action

Since I began taking Sustainable Marketing this quarter, I must admit that it has definitely affected my lifestyle and the lifestyles of my roomies and friends. For instance, I now receive random texts, such as "I just read a 30 page article online instead of printing it out, you should blog about it :)" or "Insert name here took a 15 minute shower today, I would say that is sustainable," and the list continues.

Although not all of the efforts that I receive tweets, whiteboard notes (from our kitchen whiteboard), or texts about are making a huge difference, they all show that we're becoming more conscious of our actions and making efforts to change our behavior. This really shows the differences in awareness that can be created within a circle of friends, classroom, and even in the community when a person is aware of their ecological footprint. Viral Marketing is the real deal.

DIY Decorations for the Holiday Season

I'm not sure how creative we all are with holiday decorating, but I recently noticed that Planet Green is looking to spread a little DIY to decking the halls this holiday season. In honor of new traditions, the website is giving folks the opportunity to get festive through reducing waste and consumption. Who ever said that old tin cans can't be festive?

To submit your ideas, visit: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/submit-diy-holiday-decorations.html

Planet Green already has a few ideas for recycled holiday decorations, which are discussed in their "10 Holiday Decorations You Can Make From Recyclables" countdown. For instance, one of the ideas mentioned is to break down plastic water bottles by cutting them into snowflakes that can be hung together on a strand similar to how holiday lights are connected.

Popcorn garlands are also another idea that are often forgotten in the excitement of holiday decorating. The garlands can also be made with cranberries and pinecones and hung to decorate a tree, hallway, or doorway. Always a fun roomie bonding or family activity!

Moral of the story: Think twice before purchasing the mass produced quantities of holiday decorations and first consider DIY household decorations! DIY decorations can bring creativity back into a family or living situation and are a great way to spend time with loved ones, not to mention oftentimes much cheaper. For more holiday decorations ideas, visit: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/homemade-recycled-holiday-decorations.html

Cork Flooring, A Trend or a Flooring Built to Last?

Natural cork flooring? I've been following Eco News Network's news articles on Twitter the last few weeks and come to find out, cork flooring is a new eco-friendly trend. After doing a couple of Google searches it appears that many businesses nationwide are beginning to invest in cork flooring.


Ellie's Eco Home Store, claims to have the "worlds best selection of cork flooring." Flooring options include eight different cork floors, with the added benefits of thermal insulation, sound absorption, and abrasion resistance. The store also claims that their cork flooring is priced very similarly to hardwood floors, tile, and slate per square foot. Cork flooring is still a relatively new product option for homes and businesses, hence it is still too early to determine if the eco-friendly trend will further expand and sustain in the flooring market.


Examples of Expanko Cork from the Eco News Network's Green Build:

Starbucks, 100% Recyclable Cups by 2012?

Today, I saw an interesting RT feed on Twitter, Starbucks 100% recyclable? Apparently in 2012, according to "How Starbucks is Changing Packaging" by Sam Oches in QSR magazine. Americans use 58 billion paper cups each year, which is about 645,000 tons of waste in landfills yearly. Starbucks contributes about 3 billion cups total globally each year. Hence, Starbucks is working with recycling and packaging industries to produce a product that lessens their ecological footprint

'“What you’ve seen in the past is somebody will call a product recyclable based
on the materiality of that product and not necessarily whether or not it’s
actually able to get recycled,” says Jim Hanna, director of environmental impact
for Starbucks. “So for our cups, for us to actually call our cups recyclable,
they have to be recyclable in the communities where we operate our stores.

In the past, Starbucks made efforts to switch to 10% post-consumer recycled fiber and to polypropylene cold cups. In preparation of introducing 100% recyclable cups, Starbucks conducted its first Cup Summit in Seattle to meet with " raw material providers, cup manufacturers, cup converters, environmental NGOs, waste management companies, Starbucks’ peer companies, academics, and municipalities." The Cup Summit was a way for the entire value chain of Starbucks products to meet and discuss ideas and concerns.

Currently, New York City, San Francisco, and Ontario are test cities for Starbucks front-of-house recycling methods. Starbucks is working on a plan to certify paper food packaging as corrugated cardboard, hence decreasing recycling costs. Recycling processes began testing with Praat Industries this September in seven Manhattan stores. Ideally, Praat Industries will be able to lead the nation in modification, changing, and enhancing of the recycling infrastructure.

“The cup is our icon, it’s the symbol of Starbucks, it’s our brand image, and we
need to get the cup right,” said Jim Hanna, director of environmental impact for
Starbucks.

http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/features/134/starbucks-1.phtml

Avalon Hotel and Spa, the First Hotel in Oregon to be LEED Certified

The Avalon Hotel and Spa in Portland, Oregon is the first hotel in the state to receive the silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Nationwide, only ten hotels have yet received LEED certification.

For a project to be considered LEED certified they must receive 32 credits in the areas of sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy & atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in upgrades, operation, and maintenance. There are six phases to the certification, as well as a series of requirements. The requirements consist of the formation of a "Green Team," environmentally friendly and socially responsible project purchases, material reduction and diversion, energy reduction (no incandescent bulbs in building), and improved indoor air quality (air filters).

Portland has received numerous awards for their commitment to recycling and the Avalon Hotel and Spa is the fifth hotel to receive an award for recycling 60% of waste with a goal of 80% by 2009. The Avalon Hotel is marketing themselves as an "eco-friendly sustainable luxury hotel."