“Green” is definitely the buzzword of the moment. We are constantly inundated with information about how to go green in every aspect of our lives including our food, our cars, our homes, our kids, our vacations and even our pets. Green is all over the Internet, featured constantly on television shows and in every magazine. Global environmental issues are at the forefront of the news and we’re reminded constantly that temperatures are rising and the ice glaciers are melting. These facts among others have spurred a social movement towards greening our lifestyles.
There are some who don’t believe an individual can really have an impact, positive or negative, on the environmental crisis. This brings to mind Edward Lorenz’ Butterfly Effect. The Butterfly Effect illustrated chaos theory, by presenting the idea that a butterfly’s wings flapping in Brazil might create tiny changes, a ripple effect, that may ultimately alter, accelerate or prevent a tornado in Texas. While the butterfly doesn’t create the tornado directly, without the butterfly, that particular tornado would not have existed. Consider that there are 6.5 billion people on the planet. That’s a lot of butterflies.
A term used synonymously with green is sustainability. You may ask what does “sustainability” mean exactly? That’s a good question. Whether its preserving the rain forests in South America, eating organic food in season from local farmers, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, or protecting our overfished oceans, sustainability is the diet prescribed for the change in our communal behavior. Let’s go with the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” That sounds great in theory, but where do we start?
As we ask ourselves where to begin, the constant flow of new information relating to “eco-friendly” behavior, products and services can be extremely inspirational and at the same time incredibly overwhelming. This new information introduces new questions. “Are there different ways of doing whatever we do everyday?” “Could these different ways take less of a toll on the planet, create healthier living or working environment and provide a better life for our future generations?” The answer is a resounding “yes”. It’s all about our choices.
A common misconception is that living sustainably precludes luxury and comfort. On the contrary, an environmental approach to the choices we make can increase the comfort in our living and working environments. We know very well that the choices we make in how we live empower us in a consumer society. We’re beginning to make environmentally conscious choices, like switching out incandescent bulbs for energy efficient alternatives and using nontoxic cleaning products in our homes. The new collective movement to better understand the effects our choices have on our environment’s health and our own, is creating the foundation for a more sustainable society.
If you think about all the choices you make in a day, from the time you wake up to when to go to sleep, many have an impact on others as well as yourself. You may think you don’t have a choice because you have to be certain places at certain times, but you’re still choosing to be there to avoid the negative consequences of not being there. Personal choice is involved in everything we do, every moment, and every choice affects others and our environment.
So, there’s a lot to do, but don’t try to do everything at once. The goal is to integrate new choices into your life with ease so they become routine. Start with smaller projects and goals and work your way up to bigger ones gradually. It’s best to balance your new sustainable aspirations and the lifestyle you currently have.
Understanding the different aspects of sustainability will help you to determine what’s most important to you. Sustainability can be divided into several different environmental aspects: Indoor Air Quality, Energy Efficiency, Resource Conservation and Environmental Design.
Indoor Air Quality
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that our indoor air quality is 2-5 times worse indoors than outdoors, and we spend 90% of our time indoors. Consider the choices you make that affect the air quality of your home or office. Many cleaning products, air fresheners and paints contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s), which are toxic chemicals released in a gas form in the air. That “fresh paint” smell and the smell of a permanent marker are caused by VOC’s. Per the EPA, symptoms can be eye, nose, and throat irritation, nausea, headaches, damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system and some VOC’s can even cause cancer in animals and humans. To improve your indoor air quality, choose paints with no VOC’s and make sure natural cleaning products are used to clean your living and working environments. There are many effective, less toxic cleaners on the market. These products are increasingly available in local supermarkets or can be purchased online. Make sure your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is properly maintained and filters are replaced regularly. Create an area at the main entrance to your home, where you and guests can easily remove shoes that have been worn outdoors. An area like this greatly improves indoor air quality by reducing outdoor pollutants, allergens and toxins being tracked into your home.
Energy Efficiency
Increasing your energy efficiency is a great way to save money and get the most value for what you’re paying for. If your home or office is not energy efficient, you’re throwing money out the window, literally. Properly maintaining your HVAC system, installing energy efficient windows and improving insulation are just a few effective ways to increase energy efficiency. Simply adjusting your thermostat by a few degrees in the summer and winter can offer significant savings in energy costs. There are energy control systems to reduce phantom energy loads, which is the energy your appliances use when they’re off but still plugged in such as televisions, phone chargers, and VCRS to name a few. A joint program of the EPA and the Department of Energy called Energy Star provides a label for products and appliances that meet strict energy saving specifications, so look for the Energy Star label when purchasing new appliances.
Resource Conservation
Water has become the new oil. Practically everything we consume or use in life requires water for manufacturing. Only three percent of the water on earth is drinkable. Americans use on average a staggering 151 gallons per person per day, more than any other country in the world. There are a number of easy ways to reduce our water waste. Faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads allow more air into the water flow, using less water for the same pressure. Dual-flush toilets and Energy Star appliances can save thousands of gallons of water each year. Consider a gray-water system for your home so that water used in showers and sinks is recycled and used for landscaping. Reduce your turf grass where possible and landscape with plants appropriate for your area’s climate. The easiest way to reduce water waste is to turn the tap off when you’re brushing your teeth or while washing your hands. If you brush and wash for two minutes each, with a low flow-faucet that’s three gallons per brush or wash.
Recycling is an important part of resource conservation. Recycle your plastic, paper, cardboard and glass and avoid using plastic bags. Billions of plastic bags are made each year and according to the Worldwatch Institute, one hundred billion plastic bags are thrown away with less than one percent being recycled. Have you heard of the Great Pacific Patch? It’s an “island” of plastic estimated to be twice the size of Texas floating in the Pacific Ocean. According to Good Magazine, people use 200 billion pounds of plastic per year and about ten percent ends up in the ocean. So, there could be 50 thousand pieces of plastic within every square mile of ocean. Unfortunately, this plastic is extremely toxic to our oceans, its inhabitants and ultimately us. Mistaking these pellets for food, many birds, mammals and fish ingest them. Bigger fish eat these fish and at the end of the food chain, we eat those bigger fish and the toxins they’ve consumed.
Environmental Design
For any project you take on personally or professionally, take a moment to consider if there’s a more environmentally conscious approach you can take. When the time comes to redesign your home or office, consider eco-friendly materials, furniture and products. Use wood and paper products certified but the Forest Stewardship Council, an organization that certifies sustainable forests and fights against deforestation. Solar energy for your water heating and electricity could be something to explore. When looking for a new car, check out the new hybrid and electric cars to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
While the environmental issues we’re facing today are not pleasant, it’s important to be aware of them and to make informed choices. Progress is being made as more and more people are seeing the immense potential benefits in energy savings and quality of life. Enjoy the positive impacts you’re creating for yourself, your family and countless others as you create a greener, more sustainable and healthier lifestyle.
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