Ecological Footprint Update

Four weeks into tracking my ecological footprint and actively trying to reduce it...I have made some small changes, and they are in line with the goals I set for myself, but I kind of feel like I'm still not doing enough.

Current Event - Climate Change Priorities

This Greenbiz article posted on January 27 interprets results from a survey designed to gauge American's current priorities when it comes to energy. Concurrently with this class I'm also taking Energy Economics; this article blends sustainability and consumer behavior with the economics of residential energy use, two things that I have been learning a lot about, so naturally it caught my eye.

It does a great job of explaining why cheap energy sources, while seemingly a good thing, are actually perpetuating climate change. Basically, when energy prices are low, people do not prioritize efficiency or conservation. They are more likely to buy gas-guzzling cars when gas is cheap and do not take care to do things like insulate their houses or reduce electricity use when natural gas prices remain steadily affordable. Sustainable behavior? Not exactly.

According to the survey, Americans are prioritizing:

• cheap energy over renewable energy
• home comfort over home efficiency
• convenience over sustainability

Many people have a false sense of security regarding our energy sources; for example, oil prices are low because of growth in oil shale production. While it may seem like we have a new source of oil, this low price is artificial because it does not take into account the external costs associated with extracting and refining shale (an extremely invasive environmental procedure). If people were made aware of the true price of their energy, they might arrange their priorities differently.

Current Event - Political Cartoons about Climate Change

I ran across this Huffington Post article a few months ago; it's a series of cartoons and illustrations from artists around the world and showing their interpretations of the impacts of climate change. The theme was oriented around oceans, which are overlooked by many but which arguably bear the most weight when it comes to climate change. Global carbon emissions don't just end up in the air we breathe; more than 50% of emissions end up in the ocean, a figure that is likely to increase.

Some of these are funny, others are solemn, but all are thought-provoking. Ocean acidification, also know as "the other CO2 problem" is the equally serious but lesser-known effect of greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide absorbed into the ocean at such heavy rates as are observed today increases the acidity of the water which inhibits shell growth for marine organisms, disrupts food chains, and sets off a whole host of negative consequences for our planet's watery ecosystems.

Surfrider is a great organization dedicated to improving and protecting the world's oceans and beaches, and there's a Northwest chapter based right here in Bellingham!

This last image is just a personal favorite of my sarcastic self; it sums up perfectly the frustrations of many who try to convince the "unconcerneds" or climate change skeptics about the reality of the situation. The potential of sustainability goes far beyond anyone's beliefs about climate change, and these images also show the potential of art to educate and inspire.

Current Event - Sustainable Condoms!

In case you haven't been exposed to the growing movement of sustainable condoms, let me introduce you. In particular I'm talking about the company Sustain, which is a relatively new B-corporation aiming to make sustainable change through their sustainable, fair-trade condoms. I love this concept so much because it addresses not only the "planet" aspects of sustainability, but also "people" and "profit", which often get overlooked. Think about it; what is the root of so many environmental, social justice, and economic problems worldwide? Population control! What controls population growth? Condoms! Sustain's philosophy aims to show people that the world's problems are all connected; here's a list of some sustainability issues that these condoms have the potential to help:

• social equity
• women's rights
• climate change
• pollution
• Fair Trade standards
• poverty
• overpopulation

Sustain's condoms are also nitrosamine free; nitrosamine is a known carcinogen that is found in all but two condoms brands in the United States (decrease your body burden!). The company itself is entirely dedicated to being as sustainable as possible, from their factory wages to the ecological footprint of their product's ingredients - one of the founders (a father daughter team) Jeffery Hollander cofounded Seventh Generation in 1988. As a B-corp they work hard on giving back; 10% of Sustain's pretax profits go to women globally who lack access to birth control and reproductive health care. Their aptly named blog In-ter-course is an open discourse about women's rights, safe sex, and of course, sustainability. So many good things! And they're certified:

• Fair Trade (rubber)
• vegan
• no animal testing
• B-corp
• non -GMO

As I mentioned, the "responsible" condom concept is steadily growing, L. condoms is another fantastic example of the "buy-one give-one" business model that has great sustainability potential. For every condom bought from L., a condom is distributed in an HIV/AIDS high risk area which lacks comprehensive birth control and protection. Their product is also free from toxic additives that can harm people and the planet. Here's a link to their humorous promo video and the story behind their movement.

SUSTAINABILITY IS SEXY, FOLKS!

My Ecological Footprint

Quiz Results
Above are my results from the ecological footprint quiz from the Center for Sustainable Economy's website. I was glad to see that I am below the national average for all sectors, but it still sickens me to see that if the entire population lived as I do we would need nearly four earths, especially since that number has increased since the last time I took this quiz. I do realize that there is a long list of assumptions and caveats that accompany this quiz; for instance, global population is steadily increasing, there are more people on the planet to accommodate every day. But much what contributes to my footprint is within my control, and I hope that by adopting three lifestyle changes I can reduce it at least a little bit, after all, every little bit counts!

Reduction Goals

1. One of my goals outside of this class is to convert my eating habits to be as local and seasonal as I can. I already buy non-GMO and organic foods whenever possible, but I plan to carry guides with me such as Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Guide and Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen and Avoiding GE food guides when I go to restaurants and grocery stores. By doing this I am going to try to shift my food to being seasonal and local whenever possible.
2. The largest consumption category from my quiz results is from my carbon usage. To reduce this I plan to unplug all the electrical devices from my room whenever I leave for more than an hour or two. I realize how much power (and money!) gets sucked when I leave my laptop charger plugged in 24/7, and I'd like to get in the habit of reducing that. Maybe I can encourage my roommates to do the same...
3. This is going to be a tough one, especially since it's winter, but I have a feeling that most of the increase in my footprint is due to my recent acquisition of a car. It's so easy to slip into the habit of driving, even when your destination is within a mile or two. Before I had a car I walked/biked/took the bus everywhere, and I like to start doing that again and relying on my car less. Even if I take one less car trip a week, it's a start, and the miles can add up. Update on 1/18! I'd like to quantify this goal by reducing one car trip per week (most likely to work). This sounds easy but I predict it will actually be my hardest goal; not having instant transportation like that means I'll have to plan ahead more carefully, but I'm going to try!

Written Assignment #2 - Story of Cosmetics

Product: Jason Natural Cosmetics Powersmile, All-Natural Whitening Toothpaste

Ingredients: Calcium Carbonate, Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil Carrageenan, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (1) ,Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Extract ,Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Extract, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract , Silica, Sodium Bicarbonate

(1) Certified Organic Ingredient

Skin Deep score: 1

Ingredient of Focus: sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)

I had heard about using baking soda as a toothpaste and also as an ingredient in homemade teeth whitening kits, and I'd also heard negative things about it, such as its ability to wear away tooth enamel. Collective Evolution featured a chart showing that, by FDA standards, baking soda is actually way less abrasive to enamel than most toothpastes on the market. Its a more natural, and less chemically harmful alternative to mainstream toothpaste ingredients.

You could say I got lucky on this one; the one product I choose to research happens to have a Skin Deep score of 1? How convenient. The truth is, I actually use EWG's Skin Deep database all the time. For a previous class I was required to create a list of every cosmetic product I used on a regular basis and analyze their scores on Skin Deep, aka my "body burden". Body burden refers to the toxic cocktail of harmful chemicals and other substances found in our bodies from our food, vehicles, and household products; its just another name for what the Story of Cosmetics video was talking about. Since compiling my body burden I began to use Skin Deep for as many of my household cleaning and cosmetic products as I can, so it's not really that surprising that my toothpaste had such a low score: thats why I bought it. I chose to research my toothpaste because its something that I use at least once a day without fail. I will not be eliminating toothpaste from my Personal care ritual, but I'm sure there are some gooey hair products and nail polishes that I could do without. It was interesting digging deeper into baking soda as an ingredient in oral health care. I have heard people wax poetic about it and heard others condemn it as being bad for your teeth. I'd say it's a great substitute for more toxic toothpaste ingredients, and I will definitely continue to use my Powersmile toothpaste, and to do my research before buying a new product that could potentially add to my body burden. 

Source: -http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/07/11/is-baking-soda-a-good-alternative-toothpaste/

-http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-the-benefits-of-using-baking-soda-toothpaste.htm