Invention or Innovation

It's official the first ever wind farm will be built off the coast of Cape Cod. The Cape Wind project has been in the making for about 9 years now. Reasons for the Cape Wind project being held up for so long stem from concerns on rising taxes to support the project, to environmental damage and a loss of a good tourist attraction.

Others who support the project stress how the project will save billions in energy while cutting back on carbon dioxide emissions. Whether you support the project or not the wind farm will be built, and on only time will tell if this was what the nation needed or another failure. Do we need to invent and create more things do be green or is it better for us to innovate and refine our current methods in order to make them more green? Hopefully in the upcoming years we won't hear anyone saying, " We must find a way to recycle these stupid windmills we built".

Check out these sites below for more information on Cape Wind.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/04/28/interior-department-poised-annouce-decision-controversial-offshore-wind-farm/

These 2 have a video:

http://www.capewind.org/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/29/cape-wind-project-video-t_n_556671.html

Riese N.

Carbon Neutrality

I may be stepping on the toes of the “You Are What You Eat” group, but after sitting in on a presentation during yesterday’s SURF day, I knew I had to write a blog post about it. The presentation was called “Quantifying the Carbon and Pesticide Footprints of Elon University’s Dining Services.” It was all about how what we eat on campus and how we get it here is adding to the carbon emissions in our environment.

Elon University plans to achieve a goal of total carbon neutrality by 2037. They worked with the ARAMARK, FreshPoint, and CA-CP companies to calculate how much carbon emissions we at Elon University are making. All the data was estimated, but it still gave an accurate account of how much. They found that we use an average yield of 1762 kgCO2/acre/year for each commodity used. Also, they took the number of tons of food traveled multiplied by number of miles traveled multiplied by a constant (0.3725 lbsCO2/ton-mi). This is how much carbon emissions we let off during transportation.

They discovered that we have many international distributors because we eat foods that are not in season. Our most used product is potato. This is because fries are the most eaten food on campus. They said we could switch to sweet potatoes, a locally grown product, but because they are grown by small farming companies they would not be able to provide us with the quantity we need. They also found that lettuce let off the most emissions. Imagine, the produce that seems like it would be the freshest is the source of the most carbon emissions.

At the end of the presentation they gave suggestions for what we can do to reduce the emissions and make Elon reach its goal. These include buying local products and only buy what is in season. For those foods that are out of season, buy them when they are in season and store them until fall. These speakers have presented their plan to Elon’s sustainability coordinator to propose buying food that is grown closer to the university.

What do you think of this plan? Do you think Elon will reach its goal of carbon neutrality by 2037?

jenna ambrosi

Toothbrushes

When this project started, I thought not being able to shop was going to be extremely difficult. Unfortunately, I had to break the rules the other day and by a toothbrush (I lost mine while traveling). This purchase got me to thinking about how wasteful toothbrushes can be. Every single time I visit the dentist, I receive a free toothbrush as well as the reminder to change my toothbrush about every three months. While a toothbrush may seem small and insignificant, it is estimated that about 50 million pounds of them are added to America’s landfills every year. Luckily, there are solutions for those looking for way to recycle this plastic necessity.

In recent years, many companies have risen to the call and started many alternatives to the normal Colgate toothbrush. Some companies like Recycline Preserve toothbrush have a special design, where the handle is made from recycled Stonyfield Yogurt cups. This way, when the toothbrush reaches the end of its life cycle you can recycle it along with all of the other #5 recyclables. Alternatively, you can also send it back to Recyline in a pre-paid envelope and it will most likely be further recycled into another durable product.

Other ecofriendly toothbrush lines, such as Terradent, contain innovative toothbrushes with replaceable heads. So, when you have worn through those bristles all you have to do is change the head and minimize your waster. There are also other companies like Radius, whose toothbrushes are not made from plastic. Instead, they build their products out of cellulose, a natural substance that will disengage or can be composted.

Another idea that has become increasingly popular is toothbrush subscriptions. After paying a small monthly fee, subscribers can order toothbrushes and send them back after they are completed in order for the company to recycle them into other toothbrushes. Depending on the company clients can receive toothbrushes semi-annually or when ever they choose.

Lastly, some are even using toothbrushes to make jewelry. HGTV recommends making your child or even yourself bracelets after melting down the plastic. After about a minute in boiling water, you are able to remove the head and bend the handle in order to reshape the toothbrush. For full instructions click here.

Traveling Green

By the year 2020, it is estimated that more than 1.6 billion people will be traveling internationally each year. For those who are interested in sustainable travel this provides a certain dilemma. How can they protect the environment that they are traveling thousands of miles to see? Well, for those green globetrotters who do not want to leave a carbon footprint, there are some rules and tips they can abide by so that they won't have to have a guilty conscience during their vacation, which I'm sure happens to Americans alllll the time.

One thing that make a huge difference is the type of transportation that travelers take. Since planes and cars emit the most carbon dioxide, a greener way to travel is by either bus or train. Of course, this isn't always possible because flying may sometimes be your only option of getting to many destinations. When this is the case, you can revert to carbon-neutral travel. This is a relatively new phenomenon that is actually a very interesting way to justify flying in airplanes. In essence it is calculating your carbon footprint and then buying offsets, which are donations to help sponsor projects that produce energy without using fossil fuels or burning greenhouse gases. This green energy cancels out the carbon footprint that was created by the airplane. Some airlines now offer chances to pay for these carbon offsets to their customers. Passengers have the option of paying a fee based on the length of their flight that will go to projects that produce clean energy. For the people who are truly concerned with being more environmentally friendly, this is a great way to help out the environment without having to travel from North Carolina to California by car.

So now that you have done your part by flying carbon-neutrally, what about lodging? Most people think that the only way to stay someplace that is really eco-friendly is by living in a cabin in the woods for a few days. Now to me, this sounds awesome. But to someone who isn't very fond of sleeping right in the middle of nature every night this may not be the best conclusion that comes to mind. Luckily, there are other ways of green lodging that don't require flashlights and banging on pots that would surely be needed when camping out in the wilderness. Green hotels are starting to become more and more common around the world. What makes a hotel green is a number of things including composting their waste, containing gray water recycling systems, and being equipped with solar or hydro renewable energy systems. What makes these places even more amazing is that you don't have to sacrifice style. Most of them look just like any other hotel does, the only difference being that these hotels leave their customers with a clearer conscience. And a clear conscience leads to peace of mind, which is the one thing in this world that is truly priceless.


For more tips on traveling green, check out this website for a ton of great ideas.

http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=737&category=44


-Karl Lucas

Friday's Sunny Forecast

The Sunny Delight corporation is making great strides in corporate sustainability, according to Environmental Leader- Energy and Environmental News for Business. All six bottling plants have reached their goal of contributing zero waste to landfills. Their goal was completed well ahead of schedule, originally projected for 2013. The Mataro, Spain; Littleton, Massachusetts; and Anaheim, California plants all achieved this goal by 2009. Plants in Atlanta, Georgia; Sherman, Texas; and South Brunswick, New Jersey achieved the goal this year. The result of this achievement is 1,140 less tons of waste going into the communities where plants are located.

Bottling plants for Diageo have made significant progress in sustainability as well. The boiler utilized is being modernized, which will result in eliminating 173 tons of carbon dioxide a year. They are installing energy efficient light fixtures in the Relay, Maryland plant, as well as utilizing a new process at the Menlo Park, California plant that reduces landfill waste by almost half. The energy efficient light fixtures will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 489 tons. The Diageo plants are also implementing electric powered vehicles, and therefore reducing the carbon footprint by 10 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Clearly, these corporations are making a significant impact. Hopefully, other companies will follow their example, and continue to bring "sunny delight" to environmentally friendly progress.

I highly suggest checking out www.enviromentalleader.com to stay up to date with what contributions corporations are making to environmental sustainability.

Kacey Stark

Out with the old in with the new

So after watching the Crash Course by Chris Martenson, and going to the cultural event on campus that had Annie Leonard who is behind the Story of Stuff project, I began to think about ways we could cut back on stuff. The bottom line is people are always going to want new stuff. Why settle with the old computer, that doesn't do all the new cool things the new one does? This will always be the case because advances in technology are constantly made and will continue to progress. Annie Leonard's Story of stuff explains how 99% of our old stuff just gets thrown out. It is clear that we are running out of resources so I believe that all stores should adopt a policy that gives consumers more of an incentive to recycle there old stuff. Some sort of reward or discount should be given to the consumer in order to urge them to get rid of there old stuff for the new. This would make them want to recycle that old vacuum cleaner instead of just trashing it. No matter who the manufacturer is there should be a way to get rid of the old(besides just trashing it) while getting the new. For example, my father has an old lawn mower that has been sitting in the garage collecting dust for about 2-3 years since he got a new one. The old lawn mower doesn't work anymore and he doesn't know what to do with it. I think it would be great if he could return that old broken mower in order to get some sort of discount on the next one he buys. He did get plenty of use out of that old lawn mower before it eventually broke on him though. That is something our generation does not do much of any more, that is using things until they break not just until a new better version of it comes out. Out of curiosity I went to take a survey on what is the oldest thing someone owns. After asking a few of my friends and having them all tell me that it is something they got as a child and it is dear to them I decided to just trash the survey altogether. Ironically as I began to put my notebook back in my room I over heard one of my friends talking about getting a new phone. I asked him how old is the one he currently has and he told me it was under a year old. There are about 36 cell phones sold world wide every second! This adds up to be 1.15 billion phones bought every year! In the U.S alone 426,000 cell phones are thrown out each day. I see it as breaking even if we instead of discarding our old stuff traded it in for new stuff. This could maybe level off our consumption. Here is a website that lists a few swap sites that let you trade for free.

http://dealnews.com/features/Swap-sites-that-let-you-trade-for-free/282549.html

this is another website with more chances to swap in old stuff.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/12/stores-that-recycle-your-stuff.html

If only all stores could adopt such trade in policies.

Riese N.

Ask Not What Your Past Can Do For You, Ask What You Can Do For Your Future.

Chris Martenson is not economist. He is not an energy specialist. He is not an environmental expert. He’s just an average guy who happens to know something about the “Three E’s.”

Economy, Energy, Environment. These are the big issues that are plaguing our nation, and they are issues we have to come to understand before we can fix anything. Here’s a brief overview of “Crash Course” (don’t want to give it all away for those of you who haven’t watched it yet).

Our economy and money is in “exponential growth,” or simply, speeding up. He used an example of how fast it would take Fenway Park to fill with water- 49 minutes. For it to be only 3% full where people could recognize a problem- 45 minutes. There is only a 4-minute period where a problem could be recognized and acted upon. This is the concept of exponential growth and speeding up. (When I heard those figures, all I could imagine was Madonna and JT singing “only got 4 minutes to save the world.”)

Martenson said that we are always in debt no matter what. We have a national failure to save and the government is trying to bail out companies with money they don’t have, to help other companies with inexistent money they are being loaned. It’s a cycle that never ends. He spoke about the difference between problems and predicaments where predicaments have outcomes. Our money predicament is that we did not save. It is terrible to think that we’ve gotten ourselves into this trouble because we live the lavish lifestyles we want with a failure to plan for the future.

Our energy predicament is one that we have been faced with for the past few years: oil. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. It is the same with our environmental predicament. Once our natural resources are gone, there is nothing left. It was an interesting figure to see how our copper supply has depleted over the years from a prius-sized chunk to a 2mile deep canyon filled with 0.2% copper. We are stuck in the cycle of money that must grow, oil that can’t grow because of shrinking surplus and depleting resources. In my mind, it is sad to think that we know about the trouble we are in with our resources, yet we don’t seem to be making an attempt to change.

Martenson’s most impactful statement was that “the next twenty years will be nothing like the last.” This is true. The predicaments we are facing currently, such as housing crisis, retirement, etc, is a completely different situation than the failure to save and massive debt we will face in the coming years.

I completely agree with his path, that we cannot fix anything until we understand the predicament. It is not enough to be aware, but once we understand, it will be easier to find an outcome. If we follow Martenson’s lead in “tuning out the experts” we may find that we can live a great quality of life with a lower standard of living. Who needs that giant 5-bathroom house and the latest iPad when you can surround yourself with the people you love in an environment where you have what you need to get by.

To learn more about Chris Martenson and his philosophy, visit:

http://www.chrismartenson.com/

This real life example is somewhat like the family in “A Year Without Stuff.” The man said he became much closer with his wife and daughter, became a better husband, father, and friend, all while saving the earth. They found that it is not their things that make them happy, although it pained his wife to give up so much, such as lights and certain foods, but the time spent with their family and friends.

In my effort to become more environmentally conscious, I would like to attempt something like this. Of course, not to the extreme that they did, but only using what I need to get by is a concept I would like to start.

--j.a.

Green Routine

I was serfing the web today looking for ideas for my next blog when I came across this page that gave tips to college students on how to lead a more environmentally friendly day. There was one tip in particular that caught my attention and that I hadn't thought of before and I have decided to write about. The 10th tip was to use and reuse the refillable binders instead of the plastic notebooks covered with plasic and held together by metal wiring. These notebooks are designed for one time use, unfortunately like many of the other products college students are accostmed to, and a more sustainable alternative is the 3-ring binder that a student can refill each time they run out of paper or change classes. This idea got me thinking about what are more ways college students in particular can be more environmentally friendly. I have already addressed the issuse of using plastic cuttlery in dinning halls and now that I carry around with me my own silverware it is no longer a negative impact. Another act I have started is carpooling more, even when everyone in the car is not going to the same destination. If I need to go to one store, like Target for example, that is on the way to the destination of the driver, then I ask to be dropped off on their way out and picked up on their way back. Its convenient for me because I don't have to drive and it reduces carbon emmissions.

Another practice which, as a college student, I am guilty of, is using and wasting countless numbers of those red solo cups. For the past three parties I have attended on campus, I have decided to carry with me my own drinking cup and not use ones provided by the host of the party. Not only did I use the same cup all night long, I washed and reused the cup for the following two parties. This reduces my impact on wasting unnecessary plastic cups and reduced my chances of accidentally drinking something that might have been slipped into a drink pre-prepared for me. I safely and environmentally responsiblly. I realize that these few measures I have taken in my daily life are not that extreme and might not safe the planet all by themselves, but think, if everyone were to bring their own drinking cup and reuse it every time, one college campus of about 5,000 students could save around 20 thousand cups a weekend! Now I'm just one humble college student trying to play a small role in the fight against environmental degradation.

To read about some ambitious college students making a huge impact in their community towards environmental justice visit the Tree Hugger Website and get some inspiration and motivation to do amazing things at your school!!

-mollyC

Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai

This remarkable documentary recounts the story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize recipient Wangari Maathai. She took a stand to protect the environment, human rights, and democracy in her native, patriarchal country of Kenya. All of this was accomplished by the simple task of planting trees and encouraging women all around Kenya to do the same.

Wangari’s story is unique and inspiring because she rose above a society that did not respect women, their system of government, and environment. She was able to change a major percentage of the countries view by the simple act of planting trees. Wangari had a special appreciation for the Earth and the many gifts that it gives us. In our society, that point of view is severely lacking. We seem to belong to a throw away society, that focuses on technology as its main resource instead of nature. Wangari wants us to know how important the environment is to us and learn the proper appreciation for it. What Wangari does so well is hold the women of Kenya accountable for their actions and for the fate of the environment.This story is the perfect example of how one person can make a difference. Wangari stood up in society where women were disregarded and ignored, she was able to speak her mind and advocate for those who were not able to advocate for themselves. She was able to defy social norms and be elected to Parliament. Wangari proves that solution does not always have to complicated and conveulted. Some times the answer is simple. Give back to the Earth.

For more on the documentary Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai please visit

http://takingrootfilm.com/about.htm. Also for more on Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement please visit

http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/

It is the people who must save the environment. It is the people who must make their leaders change. And we cannot be intimidated. So we must stand up for what we believe in."
-Wangari Maathai

-SS

Only The Cool Kids Go Green

I have always been a little pessimistic about the whole idea of "one person changing the world" type of thing. I never truly believed in it because the world is just too big of a place for one little person to really make a difference. But after a few weeks of reusing every thing I own and recycling everything I can, I have began to persuade my friends to do the same thing and they are actually starting to catch on to this new wacky idea of being environmentally friendly. And what I have started to realize is that this notion of "being green" is becoming the cool thing to do. Everyone seems to be drawn to the more eco-friendly goods and services and there is starting to be some competition between big time businesses and corporations about who can provide people with more green options. At this rate, going green will eventally be the norm and the people who don't do it would just be plain weird. Getting the majority to buy into recycling and reusing our resources has long been a goal and it is starting to become a possibility. This is great news not only for us, but more so for future generations. The drive to reuse our resources is becoming a nation-wide concept and becoming green is the new fad that is totally in right now.

With this project, I have become a part of this revolution and because of that, I have become optimistic that the world is indeed starting to change and hopefully will remain on the right direction. No longer is it an issue to have only one person do something new and exciting in an attempt to make the world a better place to live in. Maybe it started out as some outlandish idea that some person came up with. But it has become a phenomenon that is beginning to take the world by storm and it seems like everyone wants to get on board be part of this green movement. As long as being green continues to be the hot new sh......stuff, I believe that people will hang onto this idea simply for the fact that not only is it easy being green, but totally awesome to be as well.


-Karl Lucas

It All Adds Up

To be honest, I was never one to make an effort to recycle, except for re-using the back of printer paper every now and then. Turns out, as a result of this project, my habits are clearly changing. I have started recycling paper and water bottles, ( I typically don't drink anything that comes in an aluminum can or glass bottle anyway). Moreover, I have started not using straws and lids on my cups. Though this seems so small, this amounts to a large impact. Let's do the math.....

3 meals a day=3 lids a day

3 lids a day x 7 days in a week = 21 lids

21 lids in a week x 4 weeks in a month = 84 lids in one month or 4,368 lids in one year

Let's repeat that...4,368 lids in a year on average! That's alot of plastic for just one person!

So if just one class of approximately 30 people decided to give up plastic lids for a year, or ensure that they recycle the plastic lids, that would save 131, 040 lids from trashing the environment. If just those 30 people gave up straws too, thats would be 262,080 LESS items of plastic going into a landfill. Not only is this less waste, but less energy and gas to manufacture and transport these items.

So next time you think one person can't make much of an impact, think again. It all adds up.

Kacey Stark

Woooooowwww.... really???

So, I come back to my dorm after classes today and grab a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. After I was done with the water I proceeded to throw the bottle into the recycling bin my roommate and I have in the room( the recycling bin is just a paper shopping bag with a trash back in it, but whatever works right?). When I threw away the bottle I stood there for a minute and looked inside the bag to see what else we have in there. I thought to myself, "I wonder how much this actually helps the environment?, I'm sure it helps but how much of a difference is this really making? Well, I'm doing my part." I sat back down at my computer and began to look at how much recycling really changes the environment. All this time I have been recycling because that was what I was raised to do growing up, I never really asked why does this help nor did I care. After browsing some sites I stumbled on two really good ones that gave some meaning to my recycling habits besides them just being that, habits. As I read through the facts on these two websites, I was amazed on how much of a difference recycling really makes. The facts that I read just made me say "Wooooowwwww.... really?". For example, this fact was one of my favorites, The Hershey Company in the U.S produces about 20,000,000 kisses each day! The aluminum foil used to wrap all those little chocolates is equivalent to 133 square miles! But honestly, who recycles the foil after eating a Hershey kiss? I know I don't. Check out these two cites for more wooooowww really? facts.

http://www.enviroment-green.com/More_Recycling_Facts_and_Statistics.html
&
http://www.cityofinglewood.org/pdfs/pw/Recycling_Facts.pdf


Riese N.

Is Going Green Worth it?

Hello, friends.

Why don’t you take a break from all the studying I’m sure you’re doing this fine morning, relax with a nice cup of joe, and read this weeks post on RecycleMania. I would like to share an anecdote about my “green” experience.

It has been about two weeks now that I have stopped use on plastic lids and straws at the dining halls and taking plastic bags when they’re not needed. Yeah, I’m doing my part to save the world...

Well, last Thursday I decided, hey, why don’t I stop using lids on my tea cups as well? It’s bad enough that they are using Styrofoam cups, so why don’t I reduce the waste here. This so happened to be the day a bee wanted to chase me, causing me to spill hot tea all over my arm, leg, and backpack. Ouch! I cleaned up and got over it.

Later that night while getting dinner I only bought a sandwich, a drink (with no lid or straw, as usual), and a bag of chips. It was certainly not enough to warrant use of a non-biodegradable plastic bag. So I took my meal and started to walk to my room. Guess what? It was pouring! So my drink got watered down and my food wet. I was so mad.

So is “going green” really worth it if you’re going to be extremely inconvenienced and waste the food you spent your hard earned money on?

UH, YES. By limiting the waste we make now, it is leaving more resources for the future. I’m just a klutz and have to be more careful not to spill things or bring a reusable bag for those wary weather days. If we don’t, imagine this conversation with your future children:

“Mommy, why are there no more resources left? And why is our entire neighborhood and river filled with garbage?”

“Well sweetie, it’s because when I was young, my generation was too lazy not to do anything to help it.”

--j.a.

Reusable Items-Plastic Bags

I was in line at our grocery market store yesterday and was buying my dinner. It consisted of one drink, a bag of chips, bowl of pasta, and a pudding cup. I was having trouble carrying all of the items so I reached for one of the plastic bags placed so conveniently right next to the cash register when I remembered that I promised myself to give up plastic items like cutlerly, bags, straws and lids. I then managed to carry all of my items to my table and began to enjoy my dinner. I then proceded to watch another student buy only two items, a granola bar and a soda, and then place both in a plastic bag, walk to the dinner table, remove the items, then throw away the bag. This student could have easily carried her two items and done without the bag. Instead she decided to use a one-time use, non-biodegradable, bag that she didn't even have a use for in the first place.

So I'm on my second week of not buying anything and trying to reduce my impact on the world. This Sunday was my day off and I was allowed to go to the store and due some shopping. I really only needed to buy some shampoo and conditioner so I figured I would just go, buy it, and leave. I brought my reusable bag to the Walmart and went and got my two items. When I was checking out, I saw a man buy only two tomatoes. The tomatoes were placed inside the plastic bag from the produce section and when he paid for them he put them inside another plastic bag. The sheer inefficiency of this purchase was astounding. The man only bought two tomatoes when I could have bought more. Also, he double bagged the tomatoes when he could have used a reusable cloth bag. This really upset me but made me realize that the root problem of our negative environmental impact stems from our midset. People believe things are necessary when they aren't. The concepts of "needs" and "wants" hace become so skewed and overlapped so much that there no longer is a clear distinction of actual necessities compared to luxuries. Society's members need to redefine what they actually need to survive in their lives and what is just there for comfort and entertainment. Perhaps if people did this there would be less of such a huge environmental impact on the world with much less pollution and waste. In fact, I think if poeple did this there definitely would be a decrease in the amount of pollution disposed of. So next time you are doing an activity think, is this necessary for my survival? Am I just generating more waste for my own selfish entertainment?

Time Share

It seems to me that every time the weather changes a thought is triggered in my head telling my I need to go clothes shopping. However, a good portion of this project is about trying to find alternatives to shopping. Therefore, since this project started I have not been able to go shopping for the spring. However, almost every other day I get the thought that I should stop over at Target to pick up a dress or some shorts. But, here is the thing, I have an ample outfits for every season, so why do I want to shop for things I don’t even need? My closet is literally overflowing, almost to the point where it can’t close. The idea of me going shopping is actually ridiculous, but for some reason the thought still prevails. Fortunately there are some alternatives besides don’t go shopping.

One of the things that I have loved, no matter how shallow it may seem, about joining a sorority is the endless amount of closets to explore. One of the new things that I have tried because of this project is borrowing. My friends and I have relearned the sharing process. Creating what we call “Time Sharing” our possessions. She gets a our Time Share sunglasses for one week, I get them for the next. We all have what we need, but by sharing we are able to get what we want with a smaller impact on the environment.

No Signal

I spent the past weekend in Black Mountain, North Carolina for a spring retreat with InterVarsity. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous. I was actually excited to discover that I had weak cell phone service where we were lodging, a Montreat cabin, and I could spend the weekend free from my Blackberry. Friday night most students slept in the lodge, while one group decided to sleep in a tent, A small group of students and myself decided to sleep on the front porch in our sleeping bags instead. I hadn't realized how beautifully peaceful hearing the creek trickle by and the sounds of the wilderness would be. There truly is something to be said for that crisp, mountain air. As I lay falling into slumber, I realized how little I take time in life to appreciate the natural beauty that is a part of the United States. The landscape's artistry is something that should more often be appreciated. I began to wonder how different the mindset of American citizens would be if we only took the time to appreciate what is around us. People just might start realizing the dire need to take care of the resources we are blessed with. Just taking a moment to stop and behold could greatly motivate people to preserve what is left of nature.

The next morning, we went into the quaint town of Black Mountain and explored the unique shops. Among them were several antique stores. One of them held a sign that read, "Go Green, Buy Antiques". I immediately thought of our goal of reusing resources. A great deal of energy could be saved by simply using the unique antiques available to decorate one's home. Once more, history is becoming a part of your surroundings. In my opinion, this is an intriguing notion, and moreover, a very easy way to recycle.

As the semester is ending, many students are allocating housing for next year; many of which are houses and apartments that need to be furnished. Simply purchasing furniture from graduating seniors who are eager to be free of their furnishings makes a large environmental impact. There are many other used furniture stores in Burlington as well. The prices are often more reasonable, and the products of just as high quality as a retail furniture store. One simple way of saving resources and energy would be to encourage students at Elon to purchase their new furniture and decor from thrift or used furniture stores.

These second hand furniture stores are located minutes from Elon University's campus:

Bella's House

236 East Front Street

Burlington, NC 27215

(336) 229-3699

bellashouse.com‎

Granddaddy's Antiques-Collectibles

2316 Maple Avenue Burlington, NC 27215-7114 (336) 570-1997 J&S Thrift Store 2288 North Church Street Burlington, NC 27217-3111 (336) 226-0016

Gingham Daisy‎102 East Front Street Burlington, NC 27215-5878(336) 226-0400‎

Kacey Stark

Reusing old sneakers

I know that sneaker companies aren't the most admirable when it comes to the process in which they get their products produced, but this old sneaker resuse idea by Nike is pretty impressive. Nike's Resuse a shoe recycling process takes old sneakers and seperates them into three parts, the rubber of the shoe, the leather, and the soft foam. Each part is grounded up in order to be used for other things such as, basketball courts, running tracks, and tennis courts. Every part of the shoe is reused. What is really im pressive is the process. They first start off by... better yet check out this cool website and see for yourself.

http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/

So, the next time you think about throwing that pair of old shoes away, look for your closest Nike outlet and hand them over to them in order to turn your trash into treasure.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2010/04/05/urban.coren.philippines.recycling.cnn?hpt=Mid

Plastic Bottles- For More Than Just Drinking

Are you one of those people who refuse to drink water from a tap? One who rather not risk the convenience and mythical health benefits of drinking “purified” bottle water? Have you ever stopped to think about where all those bottles end up when you’re through with them-if you guessed in a landfill forever attempting to decompose with no luck, then you’d be right!

DID YOU KNOW that Americans buy an estimated 29.8 billion plastic water bottles every year and less than one percent of those are recycled. When these plastics are kept in the landfill there is additional problems of toxins and other chemicals used in the production of plastic leaking into the surrounding environment and the possibility of starting landfill fires.

Plastics can also end up in our oceans, harming sea life. After a quick Google search of “How many sea animals are harmed each year by plastics?” I found some startling numbers:

Over 100,000 sea turtles, whales, and other marine animals are killed each year when they mistake plastics for food(National Geographic News). I also came across an article about a sea turtle that became disfigured from getting stuck in a plastic ring. Those poor sea turtles!

So the next time you decide you’d rather have the convenience of drinking from a bottle rather from a tap, just think about how much harm rather than good it’s doing. But if you simply cannot live without them, try using a few of these tips to recycle plastic bottles:

YOU COULD….

- Make a Watering Jug for the Garden

- Store Coins

Or even try this one on for size:

http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/22/la-casa-de-botellas-argentinian-home-made-out-of-recycled-plastic-bottles/

that’s right! The ENTIRE HOUSE made from recycled plastic bottles. Wouldn’t it be cool to live in one of those? You’d always know who was knocking at your door.

For more cool facts on recycling and plastics, check out some of these websites:

- http://www.natural-environment.com/blog/2008/01/10/environmental-impact-of-plastic-bags/

- http://earth911.com/recycling/plastic/plastic-bottles/facts-about-plastic-bottles/

- http://www.ehow.com/list_5891385_uses-plastic-recycling-bottles.html

Well, I’m off to go do some recycling now, catch you next week::

-Jenna

Plastic Utensils

College students, more so than any other demographic of people, are probably the biggest violators of conserving resources, especially when it comes to dining utensils. The fast pace lifestyle of your average college student requires quick and easy solutions to everything, especially when it comes to food. The absence of a personal kitchen means the absence of personal dining wear. Students eat few meals in their rooms, mostly relying on the convenience of dinning halls or snack shops to provide the majority of their diet. Rarely eating at "home" anymore leads to students owning fewer dishes than they once did, constantly relying on the cutlery and dishes provided to them by the places they eat at. The problem with this is that many of their dining locations only use plastic utensils, cups, and plates, etc. Eating in a dinning hall more than once, and sometimes twice a day, means the student body is going through a lot of dishes and silverware, most of which is meant for onetime use. I'm a culprit of this crime just like many of my fellow students.

I was sitting on the couch, eating my usual morning blueberry bagel, and spreading the cream cheese with a plastic knife I picked up on the table with the other plastic utensils, napkins, condiments, etc. and I got to thinking... I eat a bagel virtually every morning and use a one of these plastic knives, conveniently placed after the cash register, every single time. In one week, that's 7 knives, and in a year that's roughly over 350 little pieces of non-biodegradable plastic that I used once and threw away. So I decided right then that I would start carrying around with me my own utensils. I now keep one fork, one spoon, and one knife in my purse with me everywhere I go on campus and I was SHOCKED at how many times I had to dig into my bag to pull one out to use. It's hard to realize how often you use utensils when its so easy to just pick one up and then throw it away after the meal. I used a knife at breakfast to spread my cream cheese, I used a fork at lunch to eat my pasta, I used a spoon in the afternoon to eat some ice cream, and then I used all three at dinner that very same day! That's 6 pieces of plastic in one day that I would have used and just thrown away but instead was able to be more efficient and just brought my own. This idea seems so simple I'm wondering why I didn't think of it earlier. Think of the thousands of pounds of plastic that could be spared if cafeterias and fast food joints stopped offering utensils with their food. It would cuts costs for them and reduce our "one time use" mentality of cutlery. An estimated 100 billion pieces of plastic cutlery was produced last year by the U.S alone, most used once then thrown away, ending up in the earth's landfills and oceans to remain there forever.

After realizing the amount of plastic silverware I was wasting, I began thinking of all of the other little pieces of plastic I was unaware of and that I could eliminate from my life. Straws, lids, and plastic bags were three other easy things I could go without and that went along way as far as reducing my consumption and impact. I use about 3 straws, lids, and bags a day but not anymore! Eliminating these things from my life is in addition to not buying non-essentials at the store anymore. My goal is to reduce my consumption, and thus dependency, on trivial but environmentally harmful things, reuse what I already own, and recycle what I am forced to discard of. I challenge readers to do the same. What can you do without? I bet if you examine your daily life you could easily find 10 different things that aren't necessary and that are meant as a wasteful, one-time use object. If you want to learn some neat ways to recycle your plastic utensils if you must use them visit www.world.org/reuse/plastic.utensils or if you are looking to buy more environmentally friendly dinning related products visit www.ecoproductsstore.com

Properly Recycling Your Electronic Hardware

Elon University students thrive on technology. Life without a computer would be a bleak, miserable existence. However, what happens after your computer breathes its last high-strung breath, or you get a smaller, fast, sleeker model? The issue with discarding computers and many other electronics are the toxic chemicals inside that make them work. When computers are discarded improperly it is possible for toxic materials like chemicals, carcinogens, and heavy metals to leak and contaminate land and other important resources. Some countries like China export massive amounts of electronic waste to countries that have cheap labor for a very labor-intensive process. Luckily, public awareness is changing and so are the laws. Since 2000 it has been illegal to import electronic waste into China. Click HERE to see pictures China's electronic Waste Village courtesy of Time Magazine.

Now, how do we make sure that our electronic waste does not end up on the other side of the world being harvested for gold and lead? First things first: Do your research, do not be like the 80% of Americans who just threw out their old electronics in the trash. The trash can may seem harmless and convenient, but according to Time Magazine, one old 15 inch computer monitor may be holding up to 7lbs. of lead. That shouldn’t just be tossed out front for your garbage man to pick up. According to Time Magazine, “every day Americans throw out more than 350,000 cell phones and 130,000 computers, making electronic waste the fastest-growing part of the U.S. garbage stream. Improperly disposed of, the lead, mercury and other toxic materials inside e-waste can leak from landfills.” When you do your research, be sure to ask questions. Each recycling company should know whether or not the hardware is being exported, and if so, where the trash is going. The company should also know what kind of labor is being used, how the hardware is dismantled, and TreeHugger.com recommends that you make sure the organization wipes all of your personal data to protect your identity. Be specific with your questions, make sure that they know the answers, and if they don’t, this is not the place to recycle your electronic hardware.

If your hardware still works then donating, it to a company that will reuse it could be a better option. There are many NGOs and companies, like RetroBox, that can build computers from functioning salvaged parts of old computers. When choosing a company to salvage your hardware, make sure that you are still asking questions. Some companies donate the computers that they rebuild to those who cannot afford them; try to choose those if possible.

Another option is donating to large corporations that will provide some sort of incentive for your donation. Search for deals that you can get, like tax credits or discounts on your purchases.

Lastly, an additional option is to go through your own computer company. However, they usually require the client to pay extraneous fees and shipping.

This may seem like a lot of work to do, but it is worth it if you don't want your water ways to be contaminated like this one:


Read more at: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1870485,00.html#ixzz0kKzCVzw3

--SS

RECYCLING - EASIER THAN YOU THINK








College students love their canned drinks. Whether it is soda, beer, an energy drink, students cannot seem to get enough of the aluminum cans that can make even the most boring parties fun. But what about when the party is over and it's time to clean up? The obvious choice for the mess is the single trash can that occupies each dorm room. This is where, not surprisingly, most of the trash gets thrown. Although most students know that recyclying is the better option for things such as aluminum cans, it is far too much work to go allllll the way down the hall to the only recycling can near them. This leaves them with one option - throw every single bud light can into the trash.
Now, according to Elon's sustainability website, it takes 95% less energy to make a can out of recycled aluminum and produces 95% less greenhouse gas. In other words, it is a heck of a lot more environmentally friendly to recycle your empty cans. Pretty much every student in college knows this fact. But hardly anybody does it. Why? Because it is so much more convenient to throw things away when there is a trash can five feet away from you.
What I have decided to do for the remainder of the year is to put a recycling bin in my room right next to our trash can. As part of this project, we are supposed to find other ways of reusing things instead of buying stuff we don't really need. Recycling is a great way to get started with that goal becuase it is an easy thing to do when you have the necessary equipment. Plus, it is so much better for the environment than most people know. Of course, if only I do it without letting other people know about this great idea I had, it would only help a small percentage compared to if everybody participated. My idea for Elon is this: in addition to putting trash cans in every room, they should have a recycling bin in each one as well. This would cost a little more but the rewards would be so much more beneficial.
I don't think that college students don't recycle because they don't want to. They just choose to do the more convenient thing, which is completely understandable. So if they had an equal choice between recycling a can and throwing it away, i think that the amount of recycled material would increase significantly. It is one small change that would make a huge difference.

Elon Sustainability Efforts...and Batteries

According to Elon University's website, efforts to increase Elon Sustainability throughout campus began in the 1980's by student initiative. Since then, recycling of Elon's waste stream has increased to 31%. Among the many items that Elon makes an effort to recycle are batteries.

Bins to recycle household batteries are located in:


Moseley Center – outside the Phoenix Card Office.
McEwen Communications Building- Room 105
Danieley Center – Daniel Common
Belk Library – Main Stairwell

Why Recycle Batteries?


According to Environment, Health, and Safety Online, over three billion dry celled batteries were purchased by Americans; on average, eight household batteries, two button batteries, and ten normal batteries are thrown out by each person yearly. The website supplied a graph giving more information about batteries and their proper disposal.
According to the website, when batteries are not safely disposed of, they may contribute to many environmental problems. These problems include exposing the environment and water to acid and lead as well as contributing to heavy metals that could leak from landfills. Additionally, when burned, the metals that vaporize into the air could pollute lakes and streams. The strong corrosive acids contained in batteries are dangerous as well, and may cause danger to eyes and skin.


According to Battery Solutions, a company that supplies recycling methods, these are the materials that can be gained from different kinds of recycled batteries:

Lead Acid Battery- plastic, lead, sulfuric acid
Alkaline/Zinc Carbon/Zinc Air Batteries- zinc, metal used to produce steel
Nickel Metal Hydride, Nickel-Cadmium,and Lithium Ion Batteries - nickel, manganese, cobalt, chromium, and iron; cadmium, lithium, and zinc are collected as metal-oxide
Lithium Batteries- scrap metal, carbon, lithium carbonate

Kacey Stark

Opening Entry

Welcome to our blog! The purpose of our project, assigned by Dr. Bird Stasz at Elon University, is to live using less resources. Our goal is to not buy anything other than toiletries for a month. Instead of purchasing something new, we will re-use something we already have, or borrow from our peers. Each week we will choose a theme for our blog, and within each theme a group member will write about a specific topic pertaining to the theme. Each member is assigned a day of the week and will write about the topic of their choosing. Our first theme is recycling, more specifically, what happens to the everyday items used at Elon when they are thrown out? Stay tuned to learn more.