Archive for May, 2008

My green shoes

Published
by
JB
on May 30, 2008
in Products and recycling
. 3 Comments

Simple Toepaz OK, I know I am supposed to be posting about palm oil, like I promised in my last post. It’s coming people!

In the meantime, I just want to tell you how much I love zappos.com. What does this have to do the environment, you ask? Well I’ll tell you in a moment - hold your horses!

So I love Zappos for several reasons - they have an awesome return policy (365 days!!), free shipping & returns, and uber fast delivery. Yesterday, I ordered some shoes (4pm PST) and they arrived TODAY (at 2pm). How is that for service?

OK, so why am I posting about Zappos? Well, I just happened to buy a pair of envionmentally friendly shoes made by Simple Green Toe Shoes. These shoes are green because… (I stole this description off the Zappos website):

  • Ship in Simple’s totally state-of-the-art/back-to-the-future post-consumer recycled box.
  • 100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms.
  • Super comfortable upper is constructed from hemp and organic cotton.
  • Bamboo lining is soft and comfy.
  • All natural latex pedbed covered with an organic cotton canvas for a massaging feel.
  • Water based cements are employed for bringing the shoe together.
  • Recycled car tire outsole provides grip and traction.

I’m totally digging these shoes - these are my first pair of “green” shoes and I highly recommend it!

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Talk about irony!

Published
by
greenhl
on May 29, 2008
in action, conservation, energy and waste
. 0 Comments

I am a member of an organization (which shall go unnamed as I’m feeling in a particularly kind mood) that sent me a publication (which shall also go unnamed) this month and last month. In last month’s mailing, the publication took care to place special 31-page insert titled, “Environmental Sustainability – Going Green: In-Store Marking Business Practices & Strategies”. The insert is actually quite good. It discusses green trends, costs, and manufacturing as they relate to the in-store marketing environment. The insert covers profiles of companies that have green practices, best green practices, and green resources to help readers take green and environmental care to the next level.

Apparently, the publication and organization thinks the insert is so good, they felt compelled to send me another exact copy of the 31-page insert. How is that for irony? The new publication had another identical copy of the 31-page insert, all nicely wrapped in what must be a very environmentally friendly plastic bag. I don’t know what the publication’s circulation is, and in fact, I’m a little afraid to ask. How many resources must have gone into producing extra copies of this insert, not to mention the added waste of distributing it and wrapping it in plastic? Do members of their organization drive around in Hummers or large SUVs with signs saying “I’m green, and I want to save Earth”?

In the spirit of this irony, I’m going to list some quick tips you can employ to stay green. I will be shocked if you don’t employ at least half these tactics already. These are the low hanging fruit items you can implement, with little or no cost, which will help our environment tremendously. In the future, I’ll write more items, some of which may be more difficult, but should be equally fulfilling to know you’re doing your part.

  • Turn off your monitor when you’re not using your computer. The power save mode is a scam – your monitor still uses electricity when it’s plugged in even when it’s off or in power save mode.
  • Replace your incandescent light bulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescents)
  • Drive slower – you can save a lot of gas by doing so, and if you leave just 5 minutes earlier, you’ll still get there on time (and more safely). While you’re at it, turn off your car if you’re waiting somewhere and not moving.
  • Don’t leave your computer or laptop on all night unless you really have to.
  • Reuse plastic bags or use reusable bags when you go grocery shopping.
  • RECYCLE! True, they may separate recyclables at the garbage facility, but do you really think they’re doing a great job?
  • Use LESS – see where in your life you can use less, whether it’s energy, water, or anything else.
  • Take shorter showers. Even 1 minute helps. At the very least, if you’re not timing yourself, start with that!

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Plastics are evil, part 1: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Published
by
Paul
on May 28, 2008
in pollution and waste
. 3 Comments

180px-oceanic_gyres.pngHave you heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? It is a humongous, Texas sized section of the Pacific ocean where garbage that finds itself in the Pacific ocean collects. It collects there because currents in the ocean form a whirling vortex, known officially as North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, and that’s where the garbage eventually ends up.

I’m reading a book called, “The World Without Us” by Alan Weisman, which answers the question of what would happen to the planet if one day humans were to mysteriously disappear. It turns out that reading the book, which uses that interesting question to illustrate all the great and small ways we affect the planet, also makes you want us to disappear, because we cause so many problems which would miraculously go away if we went away.

runoff.jpgTake the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It turns out that every time it rains or the wind blows, our plastic bottles and bags and other garbage are swept into the ocean. Because plastic basically lasts for thousands of years before degrading, we’ve been creating ever larger and more pernicious swirl of plastic garbage in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, as well as the 5 other ones on the planet. How much plastic? How about 18 million tons?The book tells the story of Charles Moore, an amateur sailor who steered his catamaran into the patch:

For a week, Moore and his crew found themselves crossing a sea the size of a small continent, covered with floating refuse. It was not unlike an Arctic vessel pushing through chunks of brash ice, except what was bobbing around them was a fright of cups, bottle caps, tangles of fish netting and monofilament line, bits of polystyrene packaging, six-pack rings, spent balloons, filmy scraps of sandwich wrap, and limp plastic bags that defied counting.

albatross.jpgIf you’re wondering why that’s bad, consider the effect on animals. Greenpeace estimates that over a million sea-birds and one hundred thousand marine mammals and sea turtles are killed each year by ingestion of plastics or entanglement. Like this one here, whose stomach is full of plastic it mistakenly ate.

And those plastics also act as sponges for other chemicals, such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or “gender benders’ and resilient poisons like DDT and PCBs. Animals and fish eat those - any chance they don’t end up in our food?Anyway, this is one significant way that plastic is evil. Stay tuned for more, but I’m definitely going to get serious about takeout containers, plastic bags, and other plastics.

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Palm Oil Sucks

Published
by
JB
on May 27, 2008
in global warming and pollution
. 5 Comments

OK, OK, so palm oil itself doesn’t suck… but many aspects around the production of palm oil does.

So what’s palm oil? It’s a type of vegetable oil that is harvested from the fruit of an oil palm tree. It’s used in a number of products - go to any supermarket and you’ll find it in food and household products. In many poor and rural countries (such as those in SE Asia, Africa and Central America), palm oil production is a big business, providing a source of income for many people. For example, in Indonesia alone, about 1.5M farmers grow this crop.

Unfortunately, demand for palm oil is increasing. Great for producers, especially in those third world countries, or so one would think. It’s also very, very bad for the environment. Why? Let’s take a look, shall we?

  • Tropical rainforests are being cleared to make way for new palm plantations, resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions.
    • More fossil fuels need to be burned to help clear away rainforests.
  • Many plant and animal species, including endangered ones such as the orangutans in Borneo, are losing their habitats.
    • Some species, as a result, may become extinct if nothing is done soon.
  • Many indigenous people are suffering - big agribusinesses are coming in and essentially stealing the land right underneath them.
    • Some are pushed off the land.
    • Others are allowed to stay, but their land and water have become so polluted due to all the industrial activity.
    • Laborers often face abuse and exploitation, not to mention exposure to a high level of pesticides.

It’s pretty depressing and a sad state of affairs. More to come in my next post, including the names of offending companies which use palm oil, some of the products they produce (and may be in your homes today), and ways you can help.

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Google gives its employees a lift

Published
by
greenhl
on May 26, 2008
in action, conservation, corporate and transportation
. 1 Comment

google_employee_shuttle

In the Bay Area, more and more companies are offering corporate shuttle programs. No program I’ve seen is as large as Google’s, which is probably the largest corporate shuttle program in the Silicon Valley. Some say it even rivals public transportation programs in some cities and metropolitan areas. I recently came across some information which is about a year old, but I wanted to share it with you. I applaud Google for using its influence, scale, and money to do some real good for our environment (and for its employees).

As of the middle of last year, Google was running 32 shuttles, each carrying up to 37 passengers each. The shuttles carried and estimated 1,200 employees per day over an estimated 132 trips and 4,400 miles. The Google shuttle network covered 230 miles of freeway, and came as far as 54 miles away from the Googleplex. The shuttle service is truly impressive. Service starts as early as 5:05 am on some routes and ends as late as 10:05 pm. During peak times, a shuttle comes every 15 minutes. I recently spoke with an employee at Google and heard the rule for a new shuttle is that at least 25 people must sign up for the program to ensure the system remains as green and efficient as possible. In fact, he is in the process of getting a new shuttle run to his area, where as many as 70 people have requested a pick up. They only live about 10 miles from campus, but even 30 people taking the shuttle each day would save over 500 miles from being driven per day, or over 180,000 miles per year.

In true Google style, the shuttles are equipped with wireless Internet access and leather seats. Bicycles can be carried on exterior racks, and dogs are allowed on the front seats. Since I work near the Google campus, I’ve seen the new Google shuttles. Some are now full sized coaches capable of carrying more than 37 passengers each, which means the program is growing in popularity. I only expect this to continue as gas prices continue to increase. What a fantastic program! If anyone has more information about Google’s shuttle program or any other corporate environmental program, let us know.

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