Attention

Hello! I have decided to revisit my blog to clear the air on a certain allegation. I just noticed a comment that was posted anonymously over the summer on a particular post that gave tips for greener living. I would like to state, once and for all, that this blog was written for a class. I received academic credit for the 11 posts I made on this page, and would have been penalized for any degree of plagiarism. All the work on this page is original unless cited otherwise. In regards to the tips for greener living, many of them were my own tried-and-true observations. Please enjoy this blog and recognize it for what it is: an amateur, journalistic analysis of the environment and current events surrounding it. Thank you.

Oh Wait, One More Thing

We watched this video in class today, and I thought it was extremely effective. Made by Greenpeace, this film confronts Dove about the methods they use to acquire palm oil, which is found in most of their products. I got goosebumps watching this; they make their point loud and clear, without even saying a word.




Visit the Greenpeace YouTube channel.
See the Greenpeace campaign to stop Dove's slaughter of Indonesia's lowland forests.

Go Green on a Budget

This will be my last post for this blog, so I'd like to leave you with ways to update your lifestyle and save money, all while becoming more sustainable.

1. Make your own cleaning products. Add one part vinegar to three parts water, put the mixture in a spray bottle, and you have a multipurpose cleaning solution.
2. Use old towels rather than paper towels. It eliminates paper waste and they can be used over and over again.
3. Buy high efficiency laundry detergent. Use less and stretch your dollars further.
4. Dry your clothes on a clothesline. The fresh air scent is free.
5. Replace your make up with organic or mineral make up as it runs out. It's better for your skin (I swear by my Bare Minerals foundation), and won't break the bank -- Physician's Formula makes an organic collection that is sold in drugstores and packaged in recycled packaging.
6. Buy in bulk. It cuts down on the need for individual packaging, and usually saves money by the unit. A Sam's Club membership could be a great investment.
7. Open the windows. Replace the central air system with an open window this summer. As the weather gets nice, you may be tempted to keep the indoors nice and cool, but the natural breeze will feel just as nice. Open the shades to allow sunlight in, and keep the lights off during the day.
8. Buy an aluminum water bottle and refill it with tap water. You won't have to keep replacing plastic water bottles and you'll reduce waste while saving money.
9. Look for products made from bamboo fiber. Bamboo is a completely renewable resource, and the thread that can be made from the plant is silky and incredibly soft.
10. Use soy candles to set the mood. They don't contain the petroleum distillates that are used to make traditional candles, and they burn for longer.

You can make the difference for the present and future of the planet. If not for yourself, think of future generations that will be missing out on the simple pleasures that nature provides if we don't change things now. Think green, live clean.

Sustainablog: Blogging a Greener World

I stumbled upon this blog and was highly impressed by what I found. The blog's welcome message reads,

"Since July 2003, sustainablog has been providing information on environmental and economic sustainability, green and sustainable business, and environmental politics. The blog regularly features environmental leaders, experts in alternative energy and green technology, and real people trying to lighten their environmental footprints."

I particularly enjoyed an article titled, "Everyday Life -- How to Really Change the Environment." Its author, Zachary Shahan, is an English teacher in Poland. He holds both a BA in Environmental Studies and Sociology from New College of Florida and a masters degree in City and Regional Planning from UNC at Chapel Hill. His writing is fresh and optimistic; the article above gives readers three ideas on how to noticeably change aspects of their lives to better suit the natural world. On March 9, Shahan posted a blog entry called, "Goals and Rejuvenation: Realizing Our Dreams," which is an uplifting piece about how to regain excitement for making a difference. It's not always fun, easy, or glamorous to be a self-proclaimed activist, and Shahan recognizes that. He gives hope to environmental folk, assuring readers that it's okay to get discouraged and that there are simple steps to feel excitement for the (sometimes menial) work involved with changing the world.

Mark Your Calendars!

Earth Day is just around the corner, on April 22! The holiday was founded in 1970 by former Wisconsin Senator Gaylor Nelson in protest of recent environmental mayhem. Earth Day Network, a website dedicated to the day (the homepage features a by-the-second countdown), has a History Page which explains the events leading up to and following the foundation of the environmental holiday. It reads,

"At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. Environment was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news. Earth Day 1970 turned that all around."

On April 22 of that year, 20 million Americans gathered to celebrate Mother Nature and rally for a cleaner earth.The 1970s were a time of revolution and change. With the troubled state of the planet, it was obvious to some that change was necessary.

Denis Hayes, Honorary Chair of Earth Day Network, was the national coordinator of the demonstrations in auditoriums and on college campuses all over the nation on Earth Day 1970. He and his staff organized "massive coast-to-coast rallies." Protests were organized by thousands of youthful, energetic college students, determined to clean up the environment.

"Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values."

Earth Day 1990 focused on the need for recycling, and paved the way for the now famous Earth Summit of 1992, which took place in Rio de Janeiro and yielded an environmental treaty signed by many of the countries of the world. Earth Day 2000 was another significant day for the holiday, when Sen. Hayes was approached to sponsor another campaign. This time, protesters were pushing for the use of clean energy. A record 184 countries were involved, and the campaign reached hundreds of millions of people.

Earth Day 2009 will be one of a two-year Green Generation Campaign. As 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of Earth Day, Earth Day Network encourages more participation and enthusiasm than ever this year. Demonstrators will be pushing for the use of clean, renewable energy, as well as individual awareness of our own overconsumption. Thousands of events all over the world are in the works.

Local Earth Day Events

In Bar Harbor, Maine, at Acadia National Park, April 22 will mark the date of a "day-long festival of the earth with booths, concerts, special speakers, children’s activities and information on living more harmoniously in the world." Visit this information page if you'd like to be a part of it.

In Southern Maine, Maine College of Art (MECA) is hosting an Urban Clean-Up for Earth Day. There will also be an Eastern Trail Clean-Up event in Scarborough, ME. For a complete listing of Southern Maine events, click here.

More Earth Day 2009 Links

To read the Earth Day blog and view photo galleries, click here.

Click here to read the full history of Earth Day.

Earth Day News Article:

Discovery Communications and Planet Green Take a 360 Approach to Earth Day 2009 with a Month-Long, Company-Wide Celebration for the Planet (PRNewswire)

Buy From These Companies to Support the Earth

Chegg.com

This website has come up with a genius idea to save college students money on textbooks. Instead of buying them and selling them back at a fraction of the cost for which we were charged, we now have the option of renting textbooks, by quarter, semester, or all year long, for dirt cheap. In addition, for each book rented (or sold, bought, or donated) through Chegg, a tree is planted in your name. Saving money and the planet? How can you go wrong? Follow this link for more information.

Dell.com
College students use their laptops more than just about any other demographic group. That being said, if and when it comes time to buy your next computer, consider Dell and their efforts to conserve the environment. Or, if you already own a Dell computer, you may not know about the environmental services that they offer. Dell offers free recycling of their products anytime. If you buy a new Dell-brand computer and select the free recycling option at the time of purchase, they'll take your old PC and monitor even if it wasn't a Dell. They also offer the option of buying a refurbished Dell system, which saves you money and the resources that would've gone into making a new one. Also, with Dell's new program "Plant a Tree for Me" (and the similar, "Plant a Forest for Me") Dell assists its customers in reducing their carbon footprint by planting enough trees to offset certain purchases or habits. Starting at just a dollar, a customer (or even a non-customer who just wishes to donate) can offset his or her inkjet printer. For $99, a person can offset the carbon dioxide emitted by just being themselves. ("Plant a tree to offset me," the website reads.) Click here to read Dell's statement about their environmental responsibility.

Interested in Getting Involved?

The University of Maine is a proudly green campus. Efforts are made by student organizations (see more below) and the administration to reduce our negative impact on the environment. The biodegradable food service products that I mentioned in my last post are a huge step in the right direction. Think of all the trash that we would otherwise be clearing from our trays and throwing straight into landfills. Beyond Black Bear Dining and the contributions to environmental sustainability that have already been made, two student organizations in particular are trying to make things even better.


Progressive Students Alliance:
The PSA is an interesting group, in that they cover a lot of ground with their affiliates. The group seems to integrate environmental and world peace issues, and lobby to improve the conditions of both. They have worked on-campus to make various institutions more environmentally friendly. In fact, they were behind the biodegradable products that I've told you so much about. Now, they're working to get Fair Trade Coffee in dining locations. Follow this link to find out a little more about Fair Trade. In addition to that, the PSA has an ongoing campaign for Take Back the Tap, which seeks to eliminate bottled water on college campuses (it's already been done by Washington State University) in order to support local water supply and reduce plastic bottle waste. The group meets at 4 o'clock on Wednesday afternoons. Their next meeting will be held on April 1, in the Bumps Room of the Memorial Union. Whether or not you join, sitting in on a meeting or two would help you to become more aware of the environmental programs currently in effect.

Green Campus Initiative:
This organization, whose mission statement reads,

"…to develop a broad based, student lead effort towards environmental awareness and stewardship, by promoting sustainable relationships between in Ecological, Economical and Societal systems on campus in the local communities,"

is the group responsible for sponsoring various projects around campus to improve the aesthetics of the outdoors, especially. The GCI is responsible for collecting the recycling inside dorms and, according to the group's website, the project is continually being expanded and improved. The group also sponsors the BAT bus, which transports students all around the Bangor/Brewer area for free. Though the website doesn't seem to be updated regular, it provides information about the GCI's past projects, as well as contact information.




There are always ways to get involved with projects on-campus, and helping make the school greener is a great cause with which to help out and contribute your ideas and energy. Contact the appropriate group for more information.

Why Your Styrofoam To-Go Box Will Outlive You

Styrofoam, which is a brand name for the polystyrene foam product produced by Dow Chemical Company, is composed of a kind of plastic that is made up of all synthetic fibers.

In nature, organic materials biodegrade because they start to decompose into their simplest forms when they are exposed to sunlight, water, or air for long periods of time. Some kinds of microbes are specialized by nature, and have the role of decomposing these materials.

When a product has no natural material in it, it cannot break down into simpler forms in nature. What that means is, products like Styrofoam or some kinds of plastic bottles will remain in the same form forever. When these products get thrown away, they clog landfills, infesting land, water, and shorelines with trash. Until someone comes along and picks it up, which is rare, the trash will remain there until it is eaten by an animal, or carried out to sea.

Styrofoam is horrible for the environment and our bodies. The chemicals found in Styrofoam are not found in our bodies, either. When we use Styrofoam food service products with hot or acidic foods (coffee, orange juice, tomato sauce, etc.), those foods will absorb some of the chemicals Styrene and Benzyne, which we then ingest into our bodies. These chemicals can cause all kinds of heath issues, like cancers and some reproductive and hormonal concerns.

Alternatives
Luckily, there are other options that are equivalent to Styrofoam in affordability and durability. Businesses can go green by replacing their Styrofoam products with paper or bioplastics. Paper is 100% biodegradable, and won't harm your body or the environment. Bioplastic is kind of an interesting new thing that is gaining popularity in the food service industry. Made of corn syrup and corn starch, this biodegradable material is a plastic look-alike that breaks down in nature in just ten days. It dissolves completely, leaving almost no trace. The only drawback to bioplastic is that it cannot be used with hot beverages, because it will begin to dissolve while it's in use.

What can I do?
On campus, biodegradable products are used at all dining locations. Paper plates and to-go boxes, bioplastic cups, unbleached napkins, and biodegradable cutlery are showing UMaine students that the University is going green. Beyond this campus, it's important to let businesses know that you care about how your food is served, stored, and packaged. It's not just an environmental issue -- consider the risks that Styrofoam causes to your health. Talk to the managers of restaurants still using Styrofoam; they may just not know that alternatives are out there.

Last semester, I won the Oak Award for Public Speaking for a speech I wrote about Styrofoam and its impact on the environment. It seems like an issue that lacks urgency, but when 20 million Styrofoam cups are thrown away each year, and every single one of them ends up in a landfill, the problem seems a whole lot bigger. Consider how much you're contributing to the problem. Then, become part of the solution.

What's Going on in Environmental News

A couple interesting articles regarding the planet and what's currently going on with it.


Obama Links Budget to Environment (AP)

Lights Out: Biggest Show of Climate Concern Ever? (Reuters)
See below for more about Earth Hour.

EPA: Global Warming Endangers Health (Washington Post)

Northeast Warned of New Source of Rising Seas (AP)



Coming up:

Saturday, March 28th, 8:30 p.m. local time
Earth Hour

Join millions of others globally in what could possibly be called the "biggest show of climate concern ever". Turn off the lights for 60 minutes. Sign up here.

What Size is YOUR Footprint?

Your carbon footprint. For those of you who aren't sure what this is, it's defined by carbonfootprint.com as

"A measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc.

The carbon footprint is a measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce and has units of tonnes (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent."

What that means is...

Everything we do, from the moment we wake up each morning, to the time we fall asleep (and even while we're sleeping, though it's significantly less) has an impact on the environment. We produce carbon dioxide by using things, especially through fuel combustion that occurs when we drive our cars. Even by leaving laptops turned on, or cell phone chargers plugged in, energy is being taken from the huge system of matter and energy that circulates through cycles over the entire planet, and it is wasted.

So what can we do?

The "Green Tips" blog, managed by the Union of Concerned Scientists, records that the average American single-handedly produces 20 tons of carbon dioxide each year! That's an outrageous number that can be significantly reduced by becoming aware of our wasteful actions. To determine what areas of our lives need minor improvements and changes, it's important to begin by calculating your carbon footprint. To do so, follow the link below. Then, post a comment to this post with your findings -- they may surprise you.

Carbon Footprint Calculator

Here are my findings. My household of three produces 13 tons of carbon dioxide each year. That is about 5.58 tons/year below the national average of 18.58 tons of CO2 for each household. You may find that, like me, your number may be a little off. I only drive one of the two cars I listed for my household, so the number doesn't necessarily reflect my personal use. Nonetheless, it can always be improved.



Ways to lower your carbon footprint include simple, non-life altering changes like:

• Unplug chargers when they aren't in use. It's a waste of latent energy to leave them plugged in, and the little LED indicator lights take up more electricity than you can even imagine; unplugging your electronics means big electric bill savings.
• Recycle as much as you can. Check availability of local recycling resources. So many household items can be recycled, even printer cartridges, old cell phones, and most glass products.
  
• Buy local. UMaine's new dining location, Nature's Palate, features brands that are made and packaged in Maine. What this means is that huge trucks aren't driving across country to deliver the products to us, and the savings in fuel is worth a slightly more expensive product. Plus, they're usually healthier.
• Drive less. Walking won't kill you, and as the weather gets nicer, it's more pleasant to take the scenic route by foot than get stuck in traffic anyway. Save yourself some gas and walk, ride your bike, or use public transit if you must.
  
• Check online for other ways to green your life.
  

This is Reality

Tom Long (pictured at left), former environmental consultant and current Environmental Science teacher at Biddeford High School, is chock full of knowledge about the latest topics of discussion in the scientific community. In an interview conducted on March 5, he raved about a website called This is Reality, which is a blog about "America's Dirtiest Energy Supply," coal. The blog is written in a way that can be understood by an every day person, not necessarily a member of the scientific community. It teaches the reader -- in a way that doesn't beat him or her over the head -- how unclean and unsafe the burning of coal really is, and goes on to tell everything we aren't doing to clean up our act.

The website is endorsed by organizations like The Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Federation. The campaign is designed to reach a younger target audience, with the blog format and lighthearted, spoof commercials that have a real message:

"In reality, there's no such thing as clean coal."

Below is a YouTube video, made by the award-winning Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel Coen, for This is Reality. It is a particularly cheesy commercial -- think late-night infomercial -- for a "clean" coal aerosol spray.



So, despite recent advertisements put out by the coal industry, boasting that it has been made 77% cleaner, This is Reality gives us the reality of the situation: There's no such thing as clean coal.