If you have to use a car, share one! October 21, 2009

There are undoubtedly too many cars on the road–too many single-user cars that is. There is a growing trend, however, towards carsharing. Carsharing is similar to car rental with the main differences being you can use the carsharing vehicle for as little as a half-hour and the cars are located in the communities rather than at a central car rental location. In short, carsharing serves as a unique cross between a rental car and cab service. This implies that urban dwellers across the Eastern seaboard, Seattle, Chicago, Vancouver, Toronto and even London can take part in an environmental alternative to owning a car.

As a former car owner, I know the need for mobility-independence–the ability to leave the city on a whim; however, as a steward of the environment, I also understand the need to reduce, when possible, my carbon foot print. Well, I recently found a resource that helps to achieve a frequently sought after balance between wanting/needing a car and wanting/needing to help the environment: the Zip-Car.

Zip-Car is a membership based car haring service that includes gas, insurance, maintenance, and 180 miles of free driving. Membership fees vary based on the how you plan to use the vehicle but are generally less expensive than renting car. The fees are considerably lower if you are a student or part of business that takes advantage of the Zip-Cars business-friendly plans.

There are other programs that are starting to pop up, such as Connect by Hertz, but Zip car is still the market leader in the US for now.

DC Green Festival is this weekend! October 5, 2009

If you are in or near the Washington DC area, or the East Coast for that matter, come join us at the Green Festival this Saturday and Sunday, October 10th and 11th. The Festival has lots of information on green living, opportunities for green shopping (get your holiday shopping started early!), and food sampling. If you are there, stop by our booth, 646, to say hi!.

Biodiversity is More Than a Want- It’s a Necessity September 23, 2009

The brilliant colors of coral reefs in the ocean, extensive foliage in the rain forest, animals running in open Western planes.  These are the symbols of biodiversity seen all over advertisements for vacations spots labeled as “paradise.”  Maintaining environmental biodiversity is clearly important to maintain the picturesque images of the earth, the ones that get turned in to posters that say “Relax” underneath the picture and fill the covers of National Geographic magazines.  But, what needs to be recognized is that biodiversity is not just a luxury, it is critical to the health of the environment.

Natural biodiversity is important to the health of ecosystems throughout the world.  Diversity helps ecosystems function in ways such as producing a wider variety of species, ensuring natural sustainability of species and allowing ecosystems to be more able to recover successfully after disasters.  All of these functions are obviously important for the future safety of the environment, but natural biodiversity can also have an impact on the economy and directly on you.

The Convention about Life on Earth stated, “at least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent of the needs of the poor are derived from biological resources. In addition, the richer the diversity of life, the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries, economic development, and adaptive responses to such new challenges as climate change.”  Biodiversity provides services like promoting a greater variety of crops; protecting water resources and helping break down and absorb pollution.  It also creates numerous resources such as food, medicinal resources, wood and plant products, breeding stocks and future resources.

People and governments need to increase their education and knowledge about what biodiversity is and why it is important.  Natural diversity is crucial not just for the health and safety of the environment but also for all people and the functions of the world we have created.  We should place much more emphasis on and work tirelessly to understand and protect the resources that the earth has given us.

Greening Your Commute – Take Advantage of Bike-Sharing Programs August 27, 2009

This month, Washington D.C. will celebrate the first birthday of its pilot bike-sharing program, SmartBike D.C., which has not only been welcomed by the public, but has greatly succeeded. Within the first ten months of their introduction, the fleet of 120 bicycles had made more than 11,000 trips throughout the District. In reaction to the ready acceptance of the program, city officials have decided to increase the fleet by 400-percent, with rental locations spread throughout the city. Of the 40 new terminals currently being planned, 28 have gotten final approval to build, and should be operational by Fall 2009, expanding service into the District’s outer-reaches.

Many of these new terminals will be located near pre-existing transportation hubs, giving customers a varied array of transit options including busses, trains, and the metro. Given these improvements, the program is expected to gain even more momentum, gradually replacing cars and taxis on the Capitol’s streets with SmartBike’s signature red and white bikes.

Similar to other bike-share programs throughout Europe and Asia, SmartBike requires that users subscribe to the service, a cost of forty dollars per year, giving them unlimited use of the bikes. After signing-up, a customer is issued a SmartBike card that can be swiped at any terminal, allowing them to take or return a bike to any of the secured bike racks.

A list of the District’s bike laws, and maps of bike routes can be found here, and SmartBike D.C.’s homepage can be found here. Lastly, the nation-wide cycling promotion group, Critical Mass, has a rapidly-growing branch in the District. They coordinate regular rides throughout the city, and their webpage can be found here.

Lids and Caps- To be or Not to be Recycled? August 13, 2009

Recycling is now commonplace in many areas – that is, recycling of plastic, metal and glass bottles and containers. But what about the accompanying lids and caps? Those should be recycled, correct? Not necessarily – it can actually be harmful to both the usability of the future recycled product and to workers in the recycling plant.

Usually, lids are not made from the same kind of plastic as the bottles they top. Therefore they should not be recycled together. When two types of plastics are mixed, one material can contaminate the other and make the process to reuse these products more difficult. In addition, because of their size, many lids do not compact properly. Finally, if the lid is still tightly fastened, it can explode as the temperature increases in the recycling process, potentially harming anyone standing nearby.

Many recycling programs do not accept the lids and caps that accompany recycled products. However, if this distinction is not made, you should check with your local program. And spread the word that recycling lids and caps may actually cause more harm than good.

Here are some recycling sites for local programs:

• Washington DC
• Montgomery County
• Arlington County
• Fairfax County
• Alexandria
• Howard County
• Prince George’s County

The Oyster Recovery Partnership Needs Your Help! July 31, 2009

Though the Chesapeake Bay is only an occasional thought for most that live in the District, our day-to-day lives here play a huge role in the health of the Bay’s ecosystems. Everything we place into streams, rivers, creeks, and sewers eventually finds its way into the Chesapeake, and many of these things are causing the growth of the numerous “dead zones” in the northern half of the Bay. These dead zones occur because of hypoxia, or water that has too little oxygen to support life, and are the product of a harshly unbalanced ecosystem.

The Bay is known for its crabs and rockfish, but its oysters make it possible for all these other animals to survive. By filtering water through their shells in search of food, they also clean the water of any unnatural chemicals. Hundreds of years ago, before the widespread harvest of the Bay’s oysters, the billions upon billions of shellfish were able to filter all of the Chesapeake’s water in a matter of hours. Now the job takes about three years to complete. Clearly, the now-dwindling number of oysters cannot handle the job at hand, and the situation can only worse as the Capitol’s suburbs grow and leech more and more toxins into the watershed.

However, there is hope for the Chesapeake! A group call the Oyster Recovery Partnership is working to reintroduce the shellfish into protected oyster reefs established throughout the Bay. In 2009 alone they have planted some 500 million oysters spread over an area of 300 acres. Thought the numbers seem impressive, the Partnership is still far from their goal of reintroducing the shellfish to Maryland’s 275,000 acres of oyster grounds. The only possible way for this to happen is with great public support through donations and volunteering. Giving the program a tax-deductible donation of $25 will help with habitat restoration efforts, fund the Partnership’s research and education initiatives, as well as plant hundreds of oysters. Becoming a volunteer is also encouraged, as public involvement is the best way to get the word out about the Bay’s sad state.

Note: There are many worthwhile organizations that work to address various environmental concerns. From time to time, we will highlight some that we think may not be as known to the general public. The Oyster Recovery Partnership is one such organization.

Don’t forget your reusable bag or you may be grabbing for your Nickels July 16, 2009

Paper or plastic, it’s the question inevitably thrown at you every time you head for the checkout counter. The ecologically friendly answer: neither. Soon Washington D.C., and possibly other cities, may have you thinking twice about your decision.

We have all heard the arguments against disposable bags and the havoc they wreak on our environment, but here is a refresher: approximately 100 billion plastic shopping bags are used in the United States every year which can be attributed to an estimated 12 million barrels of oil required to make them. How good are we at recycling these bags? Not very, only 1 to 2 percent of plastic bags in the US are recycled. Paper bags do not offer much of an alternative.  Americans consume more than 10 billion paper bags per year, amounting to 14 million trees being chopped down.

Plastic bags are also severely damaging to local waterways which has lead to the crackdown in D.C.  An analysis by the D.C. Department of the Environment (DDOE) found that plastic bags account for 20 percent of the trash in the Anacostia River and 50 percent of the trash in its tributaries. In response, the city created a nickel tax on disposable paper and plastic carryout bags to take effect January 1, 2010. The tax is applicable to grocers, food vendors, convenience stores, drugstores and other businesses yet excludes bags used for newspapers, produce, hardware, frozen foods, plants, bakery items or prescription drugs.  Business will keep one cent of the 5 cent fee to cover administrative expenses and the remaining 4 cents will be given to the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Fund. The proceeds of this fund will educate the public about the impact of the trash, provide reusable bags to District residents, and remove trash from the river. D.C. Chief Financial Officer, Natwar Gandhi, claimed the disposable bag tax will bring the District $3.6 million in fiscal 2010 revenue and could reduce the use of disposable bags by 50 percent in the first year of implementation.

Though San Francisco banned plastic bags outright in 2007, the District is leading the way as the first city in the country to impose a disposable bag tax.  A few states may follow suit with disposable bag legislation of their own in the works: Hyde, Curritck and Dare counties in North Carolina with an outright ban, Maryland (25 cent tax), Texas (7 cent tax), and Seattle (20 cent tax).

For more information on disposable bag legislation around the country visit http://www.seattlebagtax.org/.

Cash For Clunkers July 9, 2009

Is there a new law sweeping the biggest gas guzzlers off the road and replacing them with the fuel efficiency of hybrids? Well, sort of. The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) or “cash for clunkers” program has the government shelling out cash for a new more fuel efficient vehicle, from a participating dealer, when you trade in a less fuel efficient vehicle.  So how much cash are we talking about? If the new passenger car gets four more miles to the gallon than the old car then you can receive a $3,500 credit, a 10 mpg improvement can receive a $4,500 credit. Trucks, SUVs and minivans are a slightly different story. You can receive the $3,500 credit with a small 2 mpg improvement and $4,500 with a 5 mpg credit.

Of course there are a few catches.  First, your clunker must be drivable. In addition, the manufacturer’s suggested retail price cannot exceed $45,000 (so forget the Tesla Roadster).  You may also lease a vehicle if the lease is at least for five years, a long time for a lease. You will not get full price for the vehicle you trade in, rather something closer to its scrap value as dealers are required by law to destroy the trade-in. If you plan to take advantage of this deal, you should act fast as the $1 billion appropriated for this program will only be able to give out about $1 million vouchers and will end November 1. However, Congress may extend the program in the fall.

How green is this law really? Well, unsurprisingly, this bill seems mostly aimed at boosting car sales rather than curing the nation’s oil addiction. Many key environmental aspects have been overlooked including increased emissions from car manufacturing, encouraging people to drive more frequently, taking vehicles off the road before the end of their lifetime and replacing them with new (not used) vehicles that receive only slightly better mileage. The green intent behind the bill is clear when, as Reuters puts it, in theory the government will offer up to $3,500 to a driver who trades in a 16 mpg Hummer for a brand new SUV that gets a dismal 18 mpg.

Yet don’t count this program out yet. As taking ‘clunkers’ off the road will help cut the 75 percent of car emissions to which they contribute. It may also help us take a few important steps in the right direction.  More sales of cleaner vehicles could send signals to auto manufactures to improve engine technologies. The program could also encourage Americans to become more conscious about fuel economy, so the next time you go to purchase a vehicle you may be making a more fuel-efficient choice.

To find out more about the program visit http://www.cars.gov/ to learn the fuel economy of your car check out  http://www.fueleconomy.gov/.

Composting Toilets: Easier Than You Might Think June 26, 2009

At first glance, a composting toilet seems eerily similar to the outhouses of centuries past, leaving many of those that hear of them entirely turned-off to this surprisingly green alternative. However, it is important to recognize that the modern composting toilet is as advanced and as user-friendly as its flushing counterpart. In an era where “out of sight, out of mind” is the status quo, flushing toilets are the obvious choice, yet few have discovered the benefits that an on-site composting system can bring to both the environment and your wallet.

A composting toilet is any type of toilet system that takes human waste, dehydrates it, and then breaks it down into organic compounds that can be used as soil additives. Very little, if any, water is used, so a connection to an expensive sewer line isn’t necessary. Furthermore, an extractor fan installed inside the toilet works to keep any unpleasant odors at bay, leaving a clean, pleasant, and eco-friendly bathroom.

When learning about composting toilets, it is important to recognize that there are two main types, each with different composting methods. A toilet with a batch system employs a number of rotating containers that are sealed for composting, and switched-out as one becomes full, and a new bin is then made at the ready. There are typically three or four bins in the cycle, and by the time a full cycle is complete, the first bin is ready to be emptied and refilled. Of the two, a batch system is typically more expensive, but allows for less frequent emptying of the compost. For this reason, a batch system is best for people that choose to install a composting toilet in a vacation home, a country cottage, or any other place where they don’t spend the majority of their time.

The second form of toilet is a continual process system. As its name eludes, a continual process system skips the rotating binsfor a single large tank that converts human waste into compost as it moves deeper down, and is prepared for harvesting. Complete decomposition takes between six and twelve months, depending on the conditions inside the tank. In both forms, elements can be added that breakdown the organic waste quicker and more evenly, including mixing blades, air injection systems, and the addition of worms or microorganism decomposers. Evaporators are also necessary to ensure that the waste gets sufficient oxygen from the air.

Switching from a standard flush toilet to one of these composting toilets proves beneficial for the user in many ways. For many a consumer, it is nice to know that they are helping to save the environment by reducing the amount of water they use, and recycling the waste they produce, but the most important factor is the amount of money they will save. Of the 70+ gallons of water the average American uses per day, nearly one-third of that is used to flush toilets. When considering how much money is effectively flushed town the toilet when gallons are converted to dollars, the reason for converting to a waterless system becomes clear. Furthermore, the average American household pays over $500 in sewer fees per year. By disconnecting from the sewer lines, your money stays in your pocket. The added benefit of having free composting material around will also help you save at the garden supply store.

Now, it is also necessary to recognize that composting toilets aren’t the best choice for every type of bathroom. Ideally, a toilet will serve a household, or a very small business, as it’s not yet adapted to take-on the high volume of waste that is produced by large businesses, shopping malls, and high-rise housing complexes. On the contrary they are perfect for campsites, outposts, and places with shallow bedrock or high water tables, as they require no connection to a sewer line, and little if ay digging into the earth.

For more information on composing toilets, or to find a retailer, check out the following links
www.compostingtoilet.org - A great source for aerobic decomposing practices
www.biolet.com – One of the largest composting toilet manufacturers
www.envirolet.com – Another great manufacturer

E-Waste Limits Landfills June 11, 2009

Electronic waste (also known as e-waste) has been and continues to rapidly add to the stream of municipal solid waste from frequent purchases and upgrades of various products such as mobile phones, computers, televisions, audio equipment, and printers.  E-waste is very problematic because finding new methods and locations for disposal are lacking.  Furthermore, e-waste is laden with toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium that can leach into water, soils, and the atmosphere, posing significant environmental and human health risks.

The high toxicity of electronic waste makes its safe disposal expensive, especially in countries with strict environmental regulations.  Industrialized countries often circumvent these high costs by selling electronic waste to developing countries where environmental standards are low or nonexistent and working conditions are poor.  However, most developing countries lack the waste removal infrastructure and technical capacities necessary to ensure the safe disposal of hazardous waste.  As a result, e-waste has been linked to a variety of health problems in developing countries, including cancer, neurological and respiratory disorders, and birth defects.

The 1992 Basel Convention is an international treaty signed by 169 countries to regulate the international trade of hazardous waste from its production to its storage, transport, reuse, recycling, and final disposal.  However, illegal trading is pervasive and those who benefit from the waste trading continue to strongly oppose a global ban.

E-waste can be disposed of by landfills, incineration, reuse, or recycling.  Landfills are problematic due to potential for toxic chemicals to leach into surrounding soils and water, which has caused many European countries to ban the practice as a precautionary measure.  Nevertheless, the problem exists in developing countries where many people live close to the boundaries of landfills.  Incineration release heavy metals and highly toxic fumes into the air, which cause respiratory and skin problems to those exposed.  In developing countries where organized trash collection is often absent, it is typical for people to burn garbage in their backyards or neighborhoods.  Reuse is common in developing countries where there is high demand for inexperience, second-hand electronics.  However, 25-75 percent of used electronics shipped to developing countries are obsolete.

To date, recycling electronics for valuable raw material is a profitable endeavor in developing countries where the costs of recycling are lowest.  Most recycling is done by hand in scrap yards, however, exposing workers and neighboring communities to significant health risks.

Recent reports suggest that the efforts of nonprofit groups and the media to expose the effects of e-waste dumping have influenced original equipment manufacturers and recyclers worldwide to make an effort to clean up their act.  Nevertheless, a major driver of the growing e-waste problem is the short lifespan of most electronics – less than two years for computers and cell phones. In addition, consumers have few incentives to reuse or recycle used electronics equipment.  In most countries, it is still too easy and relatively inexpensive to throw e-waste in the trash.  Inconsistent legislation, minimal controls on the recyclers, and little enforcement has also led to widespread and inappropriate dumping of e-waste in developing countries.

Be a responsible consumer and find out if you can recycle your e-waste from the company or place it was purchased.  For easier methods, search the internet for local/state recycling centers or check out the following web-site to guide you at Earth911 . The Basel Action Network also certifies responsible e-waste recyclers with their E-Stewards program, so when in doubt, ask the recycler whether they are part of the network!