Sustainability will be one of the defining concepts of the next 40 years. If the present levels of carbon emissions, deforestation, resource depletion and pollution continue the world will be a very bleak place indeed 40 years in the future. Flooding, desertification, water shortages, food shortages and reduced life expectancy are all inevitable unless the world acts together to address the most pressing environmental and social problems. The answer to these problems can largely be summed up by 'sustainability'.
Sustainability in some ways is like a religion. People try to emulate the Buddha or Jesus, but they fall short of perfection or enlightenment. The same with sustainability: it is something we should strive for, even if we fall short in practice. The technical definition of sustainable is an enterprise or action which does not produce a net loss of energy or resources. Because there is no net loss an activity can go on indefinitely.
Commonly people imagine activities such as growing bamboo to make flooring as 'sustainable' because bamboo grows quick enough to keep up with consumer demand for new flooring. In contrast, chopping down hardwood trees that take over 100 years to reach maturity is not sustainable because trees grow too slowly to keep a pace with demand.
The case of growing bamboo is a good move in terms of sustainability but of course bamboo also requires inputs of water; it takes up soil resources; and the bamboo is processed using machines that require fossil fuels; the bamboo is then shipped from China to the rest of the world and that uses more resources. Studying the carbon history of any consumer item makes it clear that nothing is produced without a loss of energy or resources. It is a matter of deciding which activities are the most sustainable and which are the least.
We have to realize that there is no such thing as an eco-car. The inputs of power, water, and minerals are very significant to make just one hybrid or electric car. There is a limit to how much metal ores are in the ground. We are running out of iron ore deposits; just as we (the world) are running out of oil, gas and coal. Just because 'eco-cars' pollute less we should not be fooled into thinking that everyone should have one. We should think that cars are a necessary evil and their numbers should be limited.
It is at the level of ideas that the drive to get closer to sustainability must be fought. Big corporations have formed a symbiotic relationship with the mass media and many governments to push the persuasive rhetoric of consumption. We must all consume more to 'boost' the economy to give people jobs and a better standard of life. 'Standard of life' has become equated with material possessions. It is the job of environmental action groups around the world to fight this pernicious ideology. The standard of life is about preserving an environment that is fit for human habitation. The only way we can do this is to stop raping the earth. More important than paper money are trees, clean air, seas and rivers full of marine life, less carbon in the air etc. These are the real values of life because they underpin life. What use will be the billions of dollars the top execs in Wall Street have if the air they breathe poisons them, if the sun on their back gives them cancer, if they cannot eat fish or vegetables or fruit?
It is obvious that sustainability is interconnected with society. Until economic exploitation called 'globalization' is addressed nothing will get better. Until education systems stop producing factory fodder and start producing free thinking individuals nothing will change. Until women gain control of their bodies and their reproductive function human numbers will continue to spiral out of control. Until the issue of aboriginal land rights is really addressed forests and other natural resources will continue to be destroyed.
The fight for justice is also the fight for a sustainable future. That is why it is necessary to act together. Governments should act in accord; people should act in accord. The poor, dispossessed and exploited vastly outnumber the rich few who reap the benefits of the present system of unsustainable development. The fight is for real democracy where the needs of the vast majority are met is the battle ground where we must meet to save the planet from environmental Armageddon. We must make our leaders really take action not meet at climate change conferences and just hum and haw. They must be forced to side with the people and not oil companies, agribusiness and other big corporations.
At the same time as forcing the world to come together to find ways to make the future more sustainable we must all self-scrutinize. How can we use less electricity, less gasoline, less water? How can we offset our actions that damage the environment and drain its resources? How can we recycle our waste instead of plundering nature?
This website deals with all the aspects of sustainability and environmental action. Articles discuss the politics of sustainability as well as offering advice on how we can tread more lightly in our everyday lives to help the environment. There is an environmental aspect to nearly every topic, every consumer item. By bringing these aspects to the light we hope to do our own small part for the cause of sustainability. So read on. We all have walk on parts in this war to save the world.
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Green
The market for green and renewable energy jobs grows continuously, even faster compared to many other industries. So, it is not surprising that entry level jobs are sought after by many. These starting jobs can be in wind, solar, bio, hydro, or geothermal energy. Nonetheless, any other jobs that can help the country become less polluted and more energy efficient, can qualify as green jobs.
If you are in search of a green entry level job, you may join the support staff. Most renewable energy companies have a staff that supports their business operations. So, if you have the skills and knowledge on clerical work, information technology, and computer operations, then you may qualify as part of the staff. It would also be helpful if you are familiar with outreach and communications, finance and accounting, marketing and sales, customer service, and human resources.
Depending on your performance, you may even get promoted after some time. See to it that you do your job well and you abide by all the rules of the company. As for the salary, yours may depend on your skills, educational background, location, years of service, and of course performance. Nonetheless, if you think that being part of the staff does not suit you, you may also consider being a technician. Entry level jobs such as this are also in-demand with renewable energy companies.
You can be an electrician, plumber, mechanic, or a technician for ventilation, air conditioning, and heating. You can also be a system installer or an integrator of wind or solar energy systems. Nevertheless, there are also entry level jobs in manufacturing and transportation; so you may also consider these. Moreover, you can check out the positions available in the science and engineering departments. They usually offer entry level jobs in academic institutions, manufacturing, and research. If you have a technical college degree, you may even be employed in the private sector. You can be in an energy services company or an environmental consulting firm.
Tags: entry level jobs, green energy
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Uncategorized
Its not unusual to find a couple of good Subway Coupons in the advertising section of your Sunday newspaper. But what if you missed the paper this week, will you have to miss out on the sandwich specials and pay full price rather than getting those great discounts?
Fortunately the answer is probably not. Many of the same Subway coupons you find in your newspaper every week are also posted online as well as some that are exclusively offered on the Internet only.
Online coupons of any kind, not just Subway coupons, are actually a great alternative to traditional clipped from the newspaper coupons. They do not get lost as you simply only print them out when you need them. and you don’t have to wait until the weekend to find them as they are available twenty four hours a day and seven days a week, ready whenever you are.
Tags: subway coupons
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Environment
High street fashion has become more and more competitive in recent years especially in the UK with brands such as Primark and H&M battling it out for the women’s ‘fast fashion’ crown. Stores like these are nuder pressure to be at the forefront of fashion in order to survive and quite amazingly you can see catwalk fashions, such as dresses and designer shoes, arrive on the high street in a matter of weeks at prices affordable to everyone. This is due to the manufacturers in countries such as China and India having such cheap labor costs along with their ability to produce designs in super fast time.
This may sound great for consumers but the rock bottom prices do come at a cost in other areas, namely the workers and environment. Luckily there are organizations that are looking for a way to produce a more sustainable manufacturing process which they hope to both improve output whilst improving the environmental footprint some of these processes leave. Recycling is a major focus as only 3.5% of the twenty billion pairs of shoes made worldwide each and every year are either re-used or recycled. The only place for the rest of them is in landfill sites which of course is not doing the environment any good
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Society
I can attest to the influence of the internet in man’s life nowadays. Among which is in the field of commerce. Thus, if any business executive would want to stay ahead of the game, the internet is definitely one research resource he or she should tap.
For this blog entry, I will share with you one use of the internet that has proven to be useful in the field of commerce. And that is internet marketing. As a matter of fact, as the competition among businesses gets more intense, more and more internet marketing companies are also getting into business.
As its name suggests, an seo agency will boost your sales through search engine marketing or selling your business, products or services through the internet using a lot of tools. One such tool is social media marketing.
Essentially, social media marketing works by tapping various social media networks and establishing your presence there. Perhaps you already know about these social media networks—Twitter and Facebook being among the most popular ones in the bunch—and the large pool of potential customers and clientele they carry.
So basically, these internet marketing companies will do a social media analysis where they will find out which social media websites or social media networking sites are the most appropriate for your business. Then, they will establish your presence there.
In the same manner, they will also do the process known as social bookmarking. Here, the contents of your website or blog will be bookmarked at social bookmarking websites so your potential customers will find you easier.
And lastly, they can even help you set up your very own account in a niche social networking website as well as come up with a customized social networking strategy.
Tags: Social networking
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Green
There is no doubt that an outdoor fire pit can be both an attractive and a practical addition to anyone’s back yard. A new generation of gas fire pits though has a big advantage of the more traditional wood burning fire pit – they are far more eco friendly.
The first big advantage of gas fire pits over wood burning fir pits is that they are clean burning. Many local ordinances forbid wood burning fires, especially in the summer, but they do allow gas fueled fires, just for this reason. This means that people who had thought that a fire pit was not an option for them because of where they lived now have the option, thanks to gas fire pits, to get a taste of what they have been missing for all this time.
A gas fire pit is also better for human health as well as that of the environment. Sit by a wood burning fire pit for a while and the smoke will begin to get to you. If it is a light smoke you may just find yourself fanning it away but if it is the heavy smoke that many woods tend to produce you may find yourself running away instead! The smoke is not only annoying but if inhaled it can be downright unhealthy, especially if the wood that you are burning has been treated with pesticides (and a lot of it has)
It is also very fair to say that gas burning fire pits are far easier to use than wood burning fire pits. Lighting a wood fire is not the easiest thing to do, or often the safest either. If you have a gas fire pit the flame is there at a touch of a button which allows you to enjoy your evening around the fire rather than spend it tearing your hair out because you cannot get a flame to burn for longer than five minutes at a time.
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Society
One of the body’s absolute necessities to function properly is sound quality sleep. Unfortunately not everyone gets the proper sleep that is required. One very bad sleep condition that has been catching quite a bit of buzz lately is sleep apnea. The major problem with this condition is that the lack of sleep affects both partners due to the obnoxious snoring this condition causes. The cessation of breathing during sleep is what causes the awful snoring so often associated with this ailment. Curing this problem will lead to a much healthier lifestyle and definitely lead to a higher level of productivity.
Tags: lifestyle, sleep apnea
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Politics
There is no doubt that debt relief programs help people to live a greener life. But the question is what do I mean by greener life? For one I mean having more money in your pocket, after all the dollar is green. However saving more money can help people to then use that money for some better cause than getting the greedy credit card companies wallets fatter. That money can be put back into ones house making it more energy efficient therefore saving you more money on your power bills but also contributing to help save our dying planet as well.
Tags: debt relief, money
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Uncategorized
Wine is an interesting topic when it comes to sustainability. Ask any wine of the month club and they can tell you that Styrofoam is a cheaper packing material than cardboard, but the conversation is much more involved than that.
The stopper is an interesting topic. Are natural cork stoppers really better than 100% recyclable fake cork? Does your answer change if you know that all the cork which is used is shipped from Portugal?
What about shipping and those costs to the environment when it comes to pollution? As nice as it is to buy American, if you live on the east coast your wine from California is shipped on a truck across the country while European wine is creating much less emissions on a boat.
Interesting set of topics isn’t it?
What do you think?
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Environment
Although having access to free flowing drinking water is a wonderful thing, many people are afraid of the dangerous chemicals that lurk in regular tap water. Studies have shown that tap water contains chemicals, prescription medication, and other compounds that can cause health damage. Because of this, many people have turned to an under sink water filter powered by reverse osmosis.
Although reverse osmosis water filters can provide your family with safe and healthy drinking water free of contaminants, there is a hidden environmental cost of using such a filter. Of the water that reaches the unit’s semi-permeable membrane, only five to 15 percent of it is recovered. That’s a massive use of water! The rest of it is waste water that cannot be used because it is filled with the rejected contaminants from the filtered water. Five gallons of reverse osmosis water will create a startling 45 to 95 gallons of waste water, which puts an extra burden on your septic system and, of course, the environment.
Before you invest in a water filter, consider different options other than reverse osmosis. You can use a cartridge system that filters the water through carbon filters that catch contaminants but do not waste water. We all deserve access to clean water, but let’s keep the environment in mind while we do it.
Tags: clean water
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Environment, Green, Politics, Society
Recently I’ve been thinking how farm bill is contributing to the obesity problem in America. Well, since then I have been also thinking—can 127 million people in the US being overweight be chalked up entirely to subsidies in the farm bill? In the quest for an answer, I decided to look locally. A recent study by the NC Division of Public Health reported Orange County as having the lowest incidence of obesity in North Carolina. This makes sense; college students represent a huge portion of our population, and our proximity to RTP means that the average OC citizen can afford the health foods that are abundantly available here.
But being the fittest county in NC doesn’t mean what it used to, and according to World Health Organization standards more than 50% of local residents are overweight or obese & suffer from excess triglycerides levels. Not to mention the effects of excess food consumption, obesity effects the environment in several ways. An article in The Engineering Economist says that “nearly one billion gallons of additional fuel per year can be attributed to the average weight gain between 1960 and 2002 of people living in the United States.” If Orange County—home of the world famous Carrboro Farmer’s Market, Weaver Street, and dozens of gyms and health spas—can’t beat the obesity epidemic, what chance do we have?
In an editorial article on the BBC by Simon Cox, the health and environmental benefits of organic food and production are disputed. Many people intuitively feel that organic food is better for their health and so they buy organic products. However, what is the science behind it? I sure don’t know myself, not being big on the science thing. It’s interesting because this article shows that there is opposition to this organic movement which is becoming more and more popular as part of the larger environmental movement. Some research out there acutally says pesticides do not harm people since we already consume many foods with pesticides, and have been for several years.
You decide what you want to eat everytime you sit down for a meal right? Well maybe not…In Marion Nestle’s book, Food Politics, she reminds us that food is an industry much like tobacco. Nestle argues that the mere fact that we eat everyday creates an environment in which we take our food for granted and do not examine why or how we are eating certain things. Nestle tells us that this is a mistake…the food industry is a business which advertises and lobbies for policies that will be acceptable to their shareholders. So what effect does this have on us? This book tells us quite a large one.
Nestle divides her book into 5 different parts each covering one way the food industry has been politically active. The sections are: Undermining Dietary Advice, Working the System, Exploiting Kids, Corrupting Schools, Deregulating Dietary Supplements and Inventing Techno-Foods. Each section is broken down to show the way in which the food industry has worked to increase its profits and space in the food world by lobbying to the government for more lax regulations as well as advertising and promoting its products to young children and vulnerable audiences. The food industry accounts for 13% of the U.S. GNP which gives the industry unlimited resources to use when attempting to influence the way we eat. Some of the things you will read in this book will astound you: Did you know that in 2000 food companies spent $33 billion in the U.S. to advertise and promote their products? This book provides countless other details regarding each section of her book.
How does Nestle say we should combat the political power and influence of the food industry? Simply by taking action and voting with our forks. However, for this solution to be effective citizens must be educated to the politics of food. People must learn to recognize food advertisements when they seem them and realize that government regulations may not be in the consumers best interest as they have been influenced by food industry money and lobbyists. She advocates for eating food that is grown locally and organically which improves the nutritional quality of the food and supports local farmers. She encourages the development of alliances between people who want to make concious choices about food and which can counteract the political influence of the food industry.
Nestle’s book was a very interesting read and I would recommend everyone to sit down and spend some time at least skimming the book. It is written in a lively style that is really easy to read. Although the subject could be techinical, the writting is done in way that is accessible to all. The only downfall about this book is its length; it is 375 pages which can be overwhelming if you are pressed for time. I would recommend reading it when you can take the time to get into it. It is easy to get in a routine with the food we eat because it is an everday occurance that becomes second nature. However, if there is one thing this class taught me, it is the importantance of critically examining the messages we are receiving and the same should be done with food. Nestle’s work provides a body of knowledge that helps to educate the common citizen about the ways in which food is advocated for, manipulated and advertised by major corporations.
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Environment
The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), also known as the Earth Summit took place in 2002. I am not a supporter of the Green Party and my knowledge of this event was non-existent until we received an order recently from a customer for several personalised christening gifts for a baby to be named Gaia.
I vaguely remembered a TV series constructed around the Gaia Theory and, having a few spare moments over the Christmas break, I did some research. The Theory was formulated by James Lovelock in the ‘70s and suggests that the Earth is a self-regulating complex system which relies on the components of the system – surface temperature, atmospheric composition, and ocean salinity – to be relatively stable. Any marked changes could threaten life itself.
The Gaia Theory has led to several summits over the years to discuss how to best maintain this delicate balance, with the latest threat seen to come from global warming or climate change. Although there has been much talk, and a little action from some of the smaller countries, the biggest polluting countries responsible for much of the causes of global warming have failed to take action to reduce pollution. Whether the little girl who will receive her christening gifts will enjoy the same sort of conditions on Earth when she is an adult is not known. Some say the chances of her doing so are slim.
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Conservation, Politics
The World Summit on Sustainable Development took place almost ten years ago in 2002 and if you go online today, you have to look hard to find any material on this conference that took place in Johannesburg, South Africa. Just like so many other “world” meetings, gatherings, conferences, summits or whatever else you might call them, this one appears to have vanished into the history books.
The simple fact is that the countries of this world really don’t want to work together to do much of anything at all. No matter what type of initiative that seems to be on the table, getting the major players to all agree is one tough sell. Anything to do with global conservation, the environment, and pollution seems to be especially difficult to get an agreement on.
Counties ultimately look out after themselves and all these “world” initiatives are drains on their finances rather than money making ideas. It is extremely hard to convince nations that they need to change their ways and spend money to avert some crises that isn’t here yet and often times can’t even be agreed on. No matter how many of these summits like the WSSD there are, you just don’t see any real changes being made.
Unfortunately things might have to get much worse before anyone really pays attention. It is sad but true that before the world can truly agree to save and conserve, our planet will probably have to deteriorate much more. Only when faced with undeniable evidence that something has to be done, will different nations come together and agree to make changes.
Tags: WSSD
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Conservation, Environment, Green
The key goal of the WSSD was to promote the advancement of Sustainable development around the world. One area of importance is to encourage productive vegetable gardening in African farming environments.
A major productivity reducer in African vegetable gardens is grazing on the harvest by roaming livestock. Unfortunately the building of fences to protect said gardens is an expensive undertaking. Not only are the initial costs in labor not insignificant, but fences also need ongoing care and maintenance if they are to remain effective.
The concept of live fences is one example of sustainable development. By using vegetation as fencing the amount of effort required in their building and maintenance is greatly reduced. Not only are costs reduced, but the fence itself can become an asset.
Firewood, fruits and similar products can be harvested from the fencing on a regular basis. Thus it becomes not just an obstacle to livestock getting into vegetable gardens, but a productive part of the garden itself.
While it may take a couple of years for a living fence to grow in from seed or seedlings, they are a much more realistic approach to protecting crops in Africa than the type of fences traditionally used in Western countries.
Research indicates that the use of living fences over dead fences in certain economically challenged African countries can increase a farmers earning by almost $250 American dollars over a six year test period. This is a significant amount of money in areas where the average income can sometimes be less than a dollar a day.
It is by spreading knowledge of sustainable development ideas – like this simple technique for improving the productivity of vegetable gardening – that summits like WSSD can make lasting changes to the world.
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Conservation, Green
It makes sense really, if we build homes that last much longer, that cost less to run and even improve the healthy of a family then everyone wins. Green building firms are doing just this and helping improve the environment, with more efficient buildings that actively reduce the environmental impact compared to old buildings.
Building practices have been refined and technology as well helps implement these improvements.The amazing thing is that construction costs are even lowered using these methods, creating a winning formula for both the builder and the homeowner.
There is a trendous opportunity to have a very positive impact on the environment with these eco friendly buildings. Here’s some of the advantages -
- Reduce Emissions
- Reduce Waste
- Improve Air Quality
- Improve Water Quality
Lots of potential and can be achieved by simply meeting green building standards. There are estimates that embracing these green building concepts could reduce energy usage by nearly ten percent. For example consider the construction industry could recycle over 70%. A much more efficient way of building and using less resources.
It is of course the primary aim of any green building standards, to improve energy efficiency. For most of us that means reducing the amount of fuel we need to heat and live in our homes. Even something as simple as house placement on a particular construction site can have huge implications for ongoing green savings and eco friendly benefits that stay with you.
For example, you can ensure that you reap the benefit of the sun’s warmth in the winter and maximise shade in the summer by how you locate windows, patios and even trees.
Possibly one of the most overlooked areas in Green building techniques is how you can conserve water. There are lots of special plumbing devices which save water and even in landscaping you can utilize drought tolerant sods to save on water usage.
Obviously materials are important and there are environmentally friendly options in most areas now. Often the ‘green options’ are stronger, more durable that the traditional options and yes even cheaper!
