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Posts Tagged ‘sustainability’

When it comes to environmental initiatives and sustainability, certain US cities have been deemed ahead of the curve, at least when compared to their lagging neighbors. Back in February 2008, Popular Science produced a list of the top 50 greenest cities in the United States. These are the greenest cities in the United States based on their research study.

1. Portland, OR
2. San Francisco, CA
3. Boston, MA
4. Oakland, CA
5. Eugene, OR
6. Cambridge, MA
7. Berkeley, CA
8. Seattle, WA
9. Chicago, IL
10. Austin, TX

The top 50 cities, and further rankings, were determined based on scores related to four major categories: electricity, transportation, green living, and recycling. Cities scored well in the electricity category when they drew energy from renewable resources, such as solar power. Transportation points went to cities with good public transportation systems (ie places where the population actually uses public transportation). A green living score was determined based on the number of certified buildings and lastly, recycling points went to cities with great recycling systems and programs.

The list, however, seems to be outdated. It was compiled over two years ago. What qualifies a green city today and are we still looking at the same criteria? Are the green cities listed above list-proof, or in other words, would they appear on a 2010 list done by another research group? The questions can be answered based on a new 2010 study done by the Business Courier of Cincinnati. Here are the top 10 greenest cities based on the Business Courier's research.

1. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA
2. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
3. Honolulu, HI
4. Austin-Round Rock, TX
5. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH
6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
7. Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO
8. Pittsburgh, PA
9. Albuquerque, NM
10. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

Cities were ranked using the ACBJ’s Green City Index. Essentially, the index compiles environmental data from various resources and organizations. The index incorporates a significant number of external statistics, such as number of Energy Star rated facilities (from the US EPA) and carbon emissions data (from the Brookings Institute). Examining these lists, it's clear that places like Boston and Seattle are some of the most environmentally-friendly cities in the US. Further within these green cities, there are particularly sustainable districts and neighborhoods. For example, it’s no wonder that people look for Jamaica Plain condos (Boston, MA). With many parks, such as the Olmsted Park, the neighborhood is constantly cited as one of Boston's greenest and most desirable.

Natural Cleaning Techniques: “But…how did they do it 100 years ago?”

This is a common question that I ask myself and my fellow community members here at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, a striving-to-be-sustainable community. How did they do this or that before electricity? Before mass production? Before everything came in plastic? More often than not we adopt the old way of doing things here: canning or root cellaring our food for preservation, heating our homes with wood, and making butter with a hand cranked, turn-of-the-century churn.

When it comes to cleaning, there are certainly many old fashioned ways of cleaning that one could easily choose to use. From baking soda to lemon juice, there may be simple ways to save yourself from adding too many products to your life. I know at least a few folks who believe that you can clean just about anything with white vinegar and newspaper or an old rag. And while we do employ a number of very simple cleaning techniques here at Dancing Rabbit, even we are not free of mass-produced cleaning products… but we stick to those that meet our standards for sustainability.

That’s why you’ll find a number of Seventh Generation products under our sinks. We’ve been known to use their various spray bottle bathroom cleaners and those squirty-topped dish soaps, because we know this company shares our vision of living more lightly on the Earth. Having replaced toilets with a simple humanure system, we don’t need to use any of their toilet cleaning products (though we do still use Seventh Generation toilet paper).

You will also find a number of citrus-based cleaners used for anything from mopping the floor to washing our clothes. Citric acid can, in almost all cases, be used in the same way as bleach. Mixed with salt, citrus becomes especially powerful. And just think of how much more pleasant the smell of lemon is compared to the smell of bleach!

Personally, I have, at one time or another used Dr Bronner’s Magic Soaps for just about everything. From its inception, Dr. Bronner’s has listed “eighteen-in-one” potential uses for their product on the bottle, and it can really be used for every one of them. Along with body wash and hand soap, Dr Bronner’s also makes great laundry soap, and is even safe to use on your pets!

I have no doubt that some people look at our way of life, and think that we’re trying to return to the 19^th century. With some specific practices, they’re right! But we don’t reject progress… we just want to see it achieved sustainably. These natural cleaning products allow us to enjoy a bit of convenience, while still maintaining our values.

Best of luck combining simplicity, sustainability, and practicality, and happy cleaning!

Mary Beth Bishop is a resident of Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Northeastern Missouri, and a freelance writers currently under contract with long-running green blog sustainablog, which now features an eco-friendly shopping portal that carries a full range of cleaning brands, including Dr. Bronner’s.

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Climate change is one of the most prevalent problems that the world is facing today. With so many establishments that do not have any agenda but to earn money and don’t really care if their processes, end products and waste materials are hazardous to nature. As a result, the condition of our environment is constantly getting worse with no chances of getting any better.

It may be because of a lack of awareness or just lack of concern for the environment. Even the end users of certain products haven’t shown any concern and love for nature. We must admit that it’s not really our concern if the product that we buy and use is environment-friendly or not. What we are more conscious about is if the cost of the product is within our budget, whether it’s safe for the environment is not really an issue for us. What makes it worse is that most of the cheapest products that you buy haven’t passed any testing or certifications to prove it safe for the environment.

There are few people who know about sustainable products. Sustainable products are products that are produced so as to cause no harm to nature. And even when it is time for it to decompose, still, it will cause no harm to nature. The truth is that these kinds of products are already available on the market, and is gradually becoming known to the world. Its purpose also is to gradually eliminating those products that bring no good to the environment.

It feels good knowing that there are still lots of people who are willing to go all the way for the love of nature. The efforts of finding means to produce not just recyclable, but environment-friendly products from raw materials, manufacturing processes and to its decay are made possible by organizations that are willing to save this earth for the people of today and the generations to come.

Sustainable products are not that easy to produce. Complex procedures need to be carefully considered in order to measure and examine if a product passes all the needed requirements in order to be considered as sustainable. Due to these complex measures and procedures that need to be done to determine the sustainability of a product, the price that is allotted to it once ready to be sold may not be affordable for some consumers.

In the end, what everyone should realize is each one us should make even in our own little way to save the earth from all possible hazards that society can cause to it. By this, you will do something beneficial to nature. When people learn to make use of sustainable products, it will be a great start for saving the earth.With regards to the government, maybe what they can do is find ways to make sustainable products not just appealing, but affordable to the public. Maybe some other methods could be used just to make people interested in buying them. That way, it will definitely result in a healthier world for this generation and generations to come.

Find out the components that make up a sustainable product esign. Discover more by visiting the site or simply clicking the link.

By the time you read this, 56 pagers in 45 countries will have published a front-page editorial guided by the Guardian of London. The editorial will call global climate change a “profound emergency” with requires immediate action. It claims there are no replays regarding climate change: “Unless we combine to take decisive action, climate change will ravage our planet, and with it our prosperity and security.”

I took a master’s level college course on the environment back in the early 90′s, and I remember the main theme of our textbook was that our environment is such a complicated system that it is not only more complex than we know, it’s more complex than we can ever know. That has stuck with me ever since.

The science behind global warming and climate change is extremely complex. Arguments abound about how, and even if, it is really a crisis at all. But, if you look at the data behind this gargantuan topic, it is extremely difficult to explain away what is happening before our very eyes, and even all that is not visible to the naked eye. Temperatures are rising, glaciers and ice fields are melting, the oceans are warming, the weather is changing in many locales, species of animals and plant life are disappearing or being profoundly altered. Gigantic clouds of methane gas are potentially being released from below thawing ice on a scale that is just now beginning to be measured. One thing is certain: 11 of the last 14 years have been the warmest on record.

In my neck of the woods, the mountain southwest, the aspen tree is undergoing SAD: Sudden Aspen Decline. While there are many factors that enter into this phenomenon, the long-continuing drought that is plaguing the American Southwest has left the aspen and other tree species unable to protect themselves from wood-boring insects, for starters.

The havoc that global warming is already causing is hard to calculate because it is so vast. And, what the future holds is even more astounding. Rising sea levels could, and almost certainly will, devastate coastal countries and cities more than we can imagine. It’s the domino effect on a spectacular scale.

The pressure mounts on The United States to become an active member in the staving off of planetary destruction after years of obstructionist environmental policy, particularly from the George W. Bush reign. This should not be a battle between the rich world and the poor world. This is a shared responsibility. We are all in this together. We can unite as ONE PEOPLE of the entire globe and work to solve this immense catastrophe, or we can do what we do best: nothing. It requires shared sacrifice, but the Super Powers must surely take the lead. There is no doubt that rich countries have contributed far more to this dilemma than poor countries. Yet, we all bear responsibility. There is no time to waste playing “the blame game.”

There is huge economic opportunity in turning the world into a much greener and sustainable environment. But, attitudes, concrete policy changes, and hardcore action must become the rule of the day. If “What goes on in the Copenhagen Climate Summit, stays in Copenhagen” is the prevailing mood, we all lose. The very survival of the human species, and the Earth as we know it, depends upon a drastic shift in global consciousness beginning today!

Grant Brad Gerver is an entrepreneur and creative consultant for Filibi, a classified and online coupon advertising site and home business. He’s also a YouTube Channel blues singer-songwriter and guitar player with The Buzzard Brothers. Additionally, Grant writes political humor, thousands of bumper stickers, and humorous movie reviews. He has also worked with various companies as a product-naming specialist. He’s a retired elementary school teacher and published children’s author who works in the health care field.

In the mid 1970’s, Kermit the Frog rose to fame for his catch phrase, ‘It’s not easy being green’.

These days, it’s taken on new found meaning as households and businesses alike are choosing to go “green”.

It’s somewhat contention, this being green, but there’s a synergy between green, lean manufacturing and eco-efficiency. And to reduce our dependence on petroleum based energy sources, it’s a matter of averting risks. In our personal lives it’s much the same.

If your looking for the most recent challenge – get into building a green business organization. The current limited but growing potential for green products, prescribes dancing to the demands of an increasingly disparate group of clients. The key is to compete on price, and to make product with “green” attributes that are perceived as having value in the market place – and to do that competitively because the vast majority of purchasers are NOT prepared to pay extra money.

There are businesses out there where the various elements are being brought together to manufacture eco-friendly safety signs at keenly competitive prices. Leading edge innovations can see such manufacturers attain advantages and so, be extremely competitive.

If you’re looking for other ideas, fridge magnets are being printed using leading manufacturing technology to create an overall green product with an attractive price. The whole process of making these magnets has been re-jigged to create lower environmental impacts.

Rapidly the day is arriving, where green credentialed products will be available at great prices. With the acceptance of green business and it’s opportunities, we’re seeing more activitiy – after all, there’s cash to be earnt and a planet ”saved”.