Save the Green Spaces

      Where ecologically conscious decisions are made    

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Environmental Ethics

Did You Know?

The environmental sustainability movement is growing?

You’re being greenwashed?

Tap water is safer than bottled water in a lot of cases.

Aldo Leopold is my hero? Yeah, figured not.

Things that you might learn while reading this post:

1. Environmental milestones | History of environmental justice

2. Consumerism (Anthropocentrism vs. Ecocentrism)

3. My comedic version of the sad story of bottled water.

4. Who Aldo Leopold is and a few quotes to take away from him.

The Rundown: 

Since the early 1960′s, society has been slowly entering the realm of realization of the strong human ties with nature. Much of this enlightenment comes from scientific based research, public scares, and environmental milestones in history. So here’s a little bit to get you educated in case you’ve never had exposure.

Environmental Lessons:

1949- A Sand County Almanac is published by the environmentalist, forester, ecologist, and environmental writer: Aldo Leopold

1962- Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring to address the threats caused by chemicals to the environment and to us.

1968- UN Biosphere Conference in Paris

1968- Paul Ehrlich publishes The Population Bomb

1970- Earth Day is created. Millions of people gathered in protest of environmental concerns, that too often went ignored. This helped initiate important laws such as The Endangered Species Act & the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

1972- The Limits to Growth was published.

1973- OPEC, CITIES, and MARPOL

1974- CFC’s

1974- Worldwatch Institute

1982- Stockholm Conference in Nairobi

1983- U.S. EPA and U.S. National Academy of Sciences drop the bomb. They publicly released the information on C02 and other greenhouse gases were going to lead to global warming.

1984- 10,000 plus people are killed in India from a toxic spill of pesticides. 

1986- Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion, exposing hundreds of thousands to radiation. 

1987- Montreal Protocol. This was to help acknowledge as well as minimize the amount of chemicals produced that deplete the ozone layer, since we kind of need to breathe.

1989- Exxon Valdez dumps 76,000 tons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound. 250,000 birds dead.

1989- The Basel Convention. Controls the transport and international trade of hazardous waste.

1991- Worst oil spill in history. 1.25 million tons of oil spilled by Iraqi army, while in retreat.

1992- The Convention on Climate Change for C02 reductions; treaty falls short thanks to US’s poor support.

1992-Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro. HUGE in sustainable development track for better quality on Earth. 

1992-  The Kyoto Protocol: Climate Change Convention

The list is much more extensive. These are just some of the major milestones in understanding the degradation we (as humans) have put on the planet throughout the 20th century. It is absolutely appalling knowing that in just a short amount of time, one species alone has had the ability to f*** everything up.

In case you were not aware, this is what the world is facing because of us:

Extinction crises- The current era of anthropologically induced plant and animal extinction, estimated to be between one thousand and ten thousand times the historical average, or background extinction rate. (Paul Robbins)

 https://www.worldwatch.org/brain/features/timeline/timeline.htm

If you’re a consumer, read.

Which one are you? Which one do you want to be?

1. Anthropocentric- An ethical viewpoint that believes humans to be the central factor in considerations for right and wrong action towards nature. (Paul Robbins) 

This version is the most popular among society as a whole. People tend to think selfishly for themselves and forget about all the other species that make up the planet.

2. Ecocentric- An environmental ethical viewpoint that argues that ecological concerns should, over and above human priorities, be central to decisions about right and wrong action. 

This version is a holistic comprehension. People who believe that all species on earth are of equal importance and we should not assume we are the center of the universe. But instead understand we are only a small piece of the puzzle that keeps us alive and thriving. 

 I encounter people on a weekly basis who are not obviously as enthused with our connection to all things green as I am. Although many claim to recycle, or buy expensive “organic” or “natural” products, or even attempt to garden, many of these people only seem to be involved thanks to current societal trends. The mix between environment and society is a tricky tangled mess. Throughout my childhood, as I mentioned in my previous blog post, I was raised to respect the land. However, in my teenage years I was punk just like every other high school kid. I threw trash and cigarette butts out the windows of moving cars, I vandalized a few structures, I’ve poured chemical based household products and paint into the woods. My past decisions towards environmental degradation is result of just how disconnected man has become with the very structure that supports life.  

Greenwashing- The exaggerated or false marketing of a product, good, or service as environmentally friendly. (Paul Robbins).

^ Do your research before feeling good about what you purchase. They could be big fat capitalist money-bearing liars. 

Green consumption- Purchasing of products that are purportedly environmentally friendlier or less harmful than their alternatives; a model of environmental protection that relies on the consumer choices to change the behavior of firms or industries rather than regulation. (Paul Robbins).

Don’t get me wrong, it is good to recycle and want to buy products that healthier. It is just important to remember every decision we make affects someone or something elsewhere as an externality. Ex. When you pour a coke in the grass before throwing the plastic bottle away in the trash. The unnatural content of the liquid infiltrates into the ground, moves into the fresh groundwater, and exits into rivers and streams as (believe it or not) a pollutant. The bottle is taken from the trash and goes one of two places. It either is taken to a landfill where the eventual deterioration by heat and compaction is evaporated into the atmosphere as yet again, a pollutant. Or the bottle somehow gets lost along the way, washes down to the nearest shore, is carried by global currents until it finally reaches its destination at one of the world’s floating plastic gyros (your plastic bottle could kill a dolphin. Do you love dolphins? Then don’t litter bottles). 

Food waste that goes to the landfill breaks down anaerobically and produces methane; methane is 21 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. (Environmental Protection Agency)

Just a thought next time you decide to throw your half eaten leftovers in the trash can to smell up your kitchen. Think instead of composting it or tossing it in the woods, which if you were to cover the food with organic matter (such as leaves) you would essentially be composting it back into nature (covering it also helps prevent wild animals from thinking they are your new pet).

Bottled H20:

Here’s some facts I put together that I bet you didn’t know. I didn’t before this year. 

^ The graph above I made for visual purposes for the information shown below.

Bottled water timeline:

1700s- The bottle water craze all began here. People went to spring houses that contained “spa water”. This water was captured and sold. It allegedly contained magical benefits to humans and could cure illnesses.  

1800s- In the 1800s scientific evaluation proved that “spa water” was just regular water.

1900s- Most people around the world (who had access to clean water) received it from underground tanks and wells. When these people heard that others were bottling water to sell in other parts of the world, they thought it was crazy talk. Considering, they received their water for free as common property why should they have to pay for it.

1990s- By this time, bottled water had hit the global marketplace and could be found everywhere.

2009- In 2009, bottled water was being regulated nationally and internationally. Bottled water even had varieties to choose from: spring water, mineral water, purified water, and fortified products. 

I bet that at least one person who reads this entry, truly believes bottled water is healthier or “less risky” than drinking out of the tap. That’s what I’m here for. Can you taste the sarcasm? 

Facts: 

Bottled water is regulated by FDA, which is known for finding loopholes to many policies they carry out. Thus, other fun products such as arsenic (toxic) has been found in bottled water. Bottled water is LESS regulated than tap. That’s right.

Tap water is regulated by the Federal Government through municipal water treatment facilities, which are HIGHLY regulated and heavily treated thanks to the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

According to a 2009 case study by Paster, in 2007, “only 7% of the 30 million tons of plastic that entered the municipal solid waste stream” was recovered, as in recycled. (Robbins)

Most bottled water companies (including Dasani, Nestle, and Aquafina) merely bottle tap water. Sometimes they add sodium. This makes you thirstier and you buy more. Capitalists are smart cookies. 

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found through their studies that in some cases, bottled water can actually be less safe than tap. (This is where the arsenic was found).

Water, like most natural free resources, turns privatized. 

Therefore, buying bottled water is more so a matter of personal lifestyle choice rather than a safety protocol. In fact, in many cases drinking bottled water is actually worse for you than drinking straight out of your bathroom sink. Not only is bottled water less safe for you in some instances, but it is ALWAYS worse for the environment. It takes almost triple the amount of Petroleum needed for one bottle just to create the bottle itself. A whole lot of energy goes into the process. The life-cycle of a water bottle starts with the extraction of the resources (Petroleum) to make the product, the energy (C02) to create it (Polyethylene), additional resources (such as gas or diesel) to transport it, and only 10 minutes to drink it and throw it away. It’s a joke. Just buy one non-PCB reusable bottle and fill’er up. Don’t spend time and money to continue degrading time and money. Unless you’re in a foreign country... just don’t buy water bottles. It’s unethical. 

The man, the myth, the legend... Aldo Leopold:

Aldo Leopold is my number one hero. Here’s why...

The following paragraphs are short snips from a paper I wrote last week comparing Aldo Leopold’s “The Land Ethic” and the geographer Paul Robbins’ book Environment and Society.

“On the exact day, January 11th, approximately one hundred and six years after the birth of Aldo Leopold, I came into this world naked and nameless—nature’s natural way. My mother was seventeen and I was born all naturally and unexpected. No chemicals or medications were exposed to her. She was a Green Peace advocate. As I grew up I lived in a way that most kids in today’s 21st century society would never understand for they’ve lost touch with nature. I lived in a tent for weeks at a time. At the age of four, I became friends with wildlife and I fished for the food that would be my dinner. We were very poor, but man was I rich.”

“When comparing decisions or perceptions that are looked at as right or wrong, too often are a dozen loopholes worked into the conversation. Both Aldo Leopold and Paul Robbins write of ways to respect nature, understand it, and address ethical stances from multiple viewpoints.” (Leopold = Ecocentric, Robbins = Anthropocentric).

“In “The Land Ethic” (an insert from his 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac), Leopold encourages a more ecocentric way of living harmoniously with nature. This kind of change, he insisted, is necessary and must be carried out on large-scale by every human for stability to remain intact.” -Agreed

“Aldo Leopold addresses in the last section of “The Land Ethic” how uninterested and unattached with nature mankind is becoming. He finds it unnerving that lifestyles have taken such a drastic turn towards “synthetic substitutes” and away from the hand (or land) that feeds us. (p. 224). This falls into Robbins concept of cultural theory. Then the multifaceted question arises, why do so many continue to ignorantly degrade and manipulate the land for the sole benefit of humans? (This is what I meant before by Anthropocene) The answer lies somewhere between “that’s what my daddy done” and “that’s what I was taught”. So bringing it all back together; what did I mean when I said I grew up poor, yet I was wealthy? It was not until society told me that I was poor that I became that. Although my family was not affluent by any fiscal means, I knew how to survive. I was Rich in knowledge, respect, and community involvement of “the land”; my childhood was ingrained with deep ecology.”

Deep Ecology- A philosophy of environmental ethics that distances itself from “shallow” or mainstream environmentalism by arguing for a “deeper” and supposedly more truly ecologically-informed view the world. (Paul Robbins)  

“There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot.”

-Aldo Leopold

I cannot.

“Now we face the question whether a still higher 'standard of living' is worth its cost in things natural, wild, and free.” -Aldo Leopold

^ My favorite quote is not from Shakespeare, Hemingway, or Marilyn Monroe, but from an ecologist.  

References:

Environment and Society By: Paul Robbins

EPA.gov

A Sand County Almanac “The Land Ethic” By: Aldo Leopold

https://www.worldwatch.org/brain/features/timeline/timeline.htm

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Outdoor Leadership Training

Did You Know?

That there is a proper way to poop in the woods?

There are classes on camping? Yes.

We learn and retain only 20% of what we see and hear. 

Things that you might learn while reading this post:

1. How to lower your impact on the environment while camping.

2. The fundamental responsibilities of outdoor leaders.

3. Teaching and facilitation practices while outdoors.

Outdoor Tips (for you & the land):

I took a class in college a few semesters ago titled, “Outdoor Leadership”. It was my favorite class I ever participated in throughout my undergraduate career. I had amazing teachers who also ran the Outdoor Recreation program at my university. Let’s call them Bill and Ted. They were excellllent at every job they performed. They even seemed to live life, teach, and coordinate the Outdoor REC program using the golden rule:

The Outdoor REC program actually had a spot open up and they were looking for a new employee. I was absolutely stoked to compete in the job hiring process and was hopeful my dense background in leading canoeing trips with my friends, camping since birth, and love for the environment would put me ahead. They selected me and I worked there for a year until basically now (i’m graduating). I learned so much in that Outdoor Leadership class and from Bill and Ted over the last year. One thing that I will never forget about either of them for as long as I live, was our very first lesson on first day of class. Bill and Ted taught us how to properly poop in the woods. It was exactly as weird as you are probably envisioning.

I have spent more hours camping than driving. I have pooped in many a woods. But I had no idea that there was a specific way humans should send the browns to the Superbowl in the wilderness in order to lower our environmental impact. I knew of the “leave no trace” principle. My grandfather taught me that when I was very young. If you are unfamiliar with the term, it means that whatever you bring into the woods (no matter where you are, a state park or NYC’s Central Park) leave no trace that you came through. It is important when camping especially, not to leave food remains (that draws critters or bears), wrappers or other man-made entities  (that pollute hydrological process, soil composition, or kills animals when swallowed), and not to alter the natural landscape in any way that will cause it to degrade. This includes not creating new campsites on pristine wilderness or creating new trafficked areas. You want to leave as less of an impact on the land as possible.  This includes how you use the facilities. 

Pooping in the woods:

Determine your location 

Must be 200 feet from any water source, shelter, or campsite. (This is approximately 70 adult steps if you’re bad at measuring distances).

Dig a hole 6-8 inches deep (They actually make shovels that visually imitate a gardening trowel and it has measurement markings on it to indicate the inches for you). This hole is often referred to as a “cat hole”

Come equipped with either biodegradable baby wipes or “pack it out”

packing it out- bring a plastics Ziploc bag to insert your used TP. Some people duct tape the outside of the bag to make it both more durable and less transparent of your disposed material. 

Once completed pack down the soil (which you should have gathered in a pile beside your hole) with the back of the shovel and mark area with a twig or leaf so that your fellow camping buddies don’t uncover your treasure in pursuit of burying their own. 

“Dilution is the solution to the pollution.” -Bill and Ted

The last thing I feel the need to mention about pooping in the woods is the rating system. Bill and Ted taught our class a way to enjoy your pooping journey of doing right by the environment. In my opinion, it also helps the whole process go by faster and more comforting. 

POOPING 5 STAR SCALE: (Rate your poo)

1. Give your pooping experience 1 star if your hole digging initiation process goes perfectly

2. Give your pooping experience 2 stars if everything comes out nicely and the whole process (including digging the hole) go better than planned.  

3. Give your pooping experience 3 stars if all of the above occurs, plus the location has fantastic views of mountain ridges, waterfalls, or any scenic beaut.

4. Give your pooping experience 4 stars if all of the above occurs, plus you see wildlife in it’s natural habitat while pooping (this can even be bird watching or critter crawling). 

5. Lastly, give your pooping experience 5 stars if all of the above occurs, plus you happen to see wildlife pooping while you are also pooping.  

So next time you need to poop in the woods, do right by the environment and do the do while rating your poo. 

Leadership is...

As expressed in the AMC Guide to Outdoor Leadership by Alex Kosseff, there are 3 foundations to effective leadership:

Technical Skills

Impersonal Skills

Judgement Skills

Kosseff explains that all 3 of these skills act together to produce, “The Balanced Stool”. A good outdoor leader contains parts from each of these in their character. 

The book states that each of the skills include the following:

1. Technical skills of an outdoor leader:

Trip planning

First aid

Crisis response 

Risk management

Leave No Trace

Nutrition and hydration 

Navigation

Liability and legal concerns

Specific skills for the activity you will be leading

2. Impersonal skills of an outdoor leader:

Communication

Expedition behavior (teamwork)

Leadership style

Judgement 

Decision making

Crisis Management

Facilitation

Teaching

Empathy

Ethics

Understanding group dynamics

Awareness of self

Awareness of group

Sense of humor

3. Judgement skills of an outdoor leader:

Awareness of your environment 

Awareness of your group 

Awareness of yourself

Capacity for working with incomplete information (you must be able to adapt to plans. Adapt and change). 

Understanding of different decision-making processes

Calm attitude 

Ability to envision the desired outcome

4 important takeaways when taking on the role of a leader, whether you are in an outdoor setting or not. Kosseff goes into detail in the first chapter of his book about these aspects you want to maintain for yourself and your participants:

Minimizing risk

Minimizing impact

Maximizing learning

Maximizing enjoyment

Remembering just those 4 things will maximize any experience. 

This book is a great guide to being a better leader, a better person, and better prepared for almost any circumstance. I took a lot away from reading this book and I will continue to utilize these practices in all realms of my leadership capabilities. If you are more interested in becoming a better outdoor leader, want to pursue jobs as trips guides, or even teachers or facilitators of any kind this book is a great read and will be cited at the bottom of the post. 

I Learn, I Teach:

“The Outdoors--despite the lack of desks, whiteboards, computers, and other classroom equipment--can be the setting for profound learning experiences.” -AMC by: Alex Kosseff

In chapter 6 of his book, Kosseff quotes Confucius from 500 B.C., “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand”.  (AMC p.102). 

This point is next laid out by Marion Brady. She suggested that what we learn along with what we actually retain is broken down by these percentages:

We learn and retain 10% of what we hear, 15% of what we see, 20% of what we see and hear, 40% of what we talk about, 80% of what we either practice or we directly experience, and we both learn and retain 90% of we try and teach others. Hands-on learning is no doubt the best practice for most people, just be smart and well-informed before dragging participants to an unsafe area.

Random Story time:

        When I learned to surf, I stood afraid for over an hour staring into the abyss. I had rode a wave before, the first time was at age 4. I didn’t actually do the work though. I sat tandem on the front of my grandmothers hippie friend’s 12-foot long board. The waves could not have been more than 3 feet tall. I had always been an impeccable swimmer. With the ability to tread water for more than a couple hours, I should never have been afraid. At least that’s what I told myself. 

         At age 15, I stood there in an almost comatose state. My family had mentioned that week about a recent shark attack in the Gulf of Mexico on the news, I was skeptical. I didn’t always trust myself, as we all tend to do when experiencing new things. Hurricane season had just ended and all my friends on the island where I grew up skipped school and hit the beach to ride out a random tropical storm that developed. Sounds incredibly risky and stupid, I know. Teenagers do not always think rationally minded. A camera crew showed up and guess who got caught skipping. No one seemed to care much as we were just super pumped about the 8 foot swells that were entering the jetty before us. There was probably 20 of us out there. Maybe 5 girls in total. I could not give in to my fears now. So I remembered all the things I had been taught, all the stories I had heard, videos I had watched, and what little practice I had in the previous years and I ran into the water. I paddled hard. I hardly weighed 100 lbs wet, I was an all-muscle teen and the paddling hardly even wore me out. Man, what I would give to go back to having that vivacious energy. 

        Next thing I know I have already caught and rode 4 waves--big beautiful, strong, resilient barreling waves. I was getting pushed closer and closer towards the barnacle covered pier. The winds were so strong and the water near freezing. We were all in wet suits as December was approaching. I look out to my right and less than 10 feet away from my board and I was a Portuguese man o’ war. They’ve been known to kill. His tentacles we so long and just floating on top of the strong waves. I was in shock. I caught one more wave in and decided not to go out again. Shortly after I came in the jellyfish I had just seen was carried onto shore. The news crew was all over it. Its tentacles measured 24 feet long. They were long enough to wrap themselves around a fallen surfer and unleash it venomous stings continuously until they drown. It was horrifying and beautiful, much like many things in nature.

         The moral of the story is that based on little prior knowledge, I made a choice. I learned a lot while making very risky decisions in my environment. Don’t make risky decisions in nature. Be prepared, well-informed, and safe. In later years, I have surfed Sebastian’s Inlet and had many awesome surf experiences without putting myself in harm’s way. After a whole lot more practice, teaching friends and family, and knowing the hazards before entering the water I am much better at surfing. I did not have to attempt to prove myself and put myself in danger for that one experience. When you are outdoors, make well-informed decisions that have 70% or higher chance of keeping everyone safe. Be rational. 

Resources:

Kosseff, Alex. AMC Guide to Outdoor Leadership. 2nd ed. Boston, MA:                       Appalachian Mountain Club, 2010. Print.

Link for purchase:

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Outdoor-Leadership-Alex-Kosseff/dp/1929173210

[savethegreenspaces-blog]

Organic & Urban Gardening

Did You Know?

That there is an Organic Farming for Dummies?

That no matter where you live, you can eat what you grow?

That keeping your lawn beautifully green year around kills animals?

Gardening is both therapeutic and thrilling?

Things that you might learn while reading this post:

1. Good reads that will inspire you to garden

2. Chemicals are NOT the answer

3. Start small! Easiest way to start growing your own food, now!

4. What does your Eroy (EROEI) look like?

Good Reads:

Let’s get a little personal, shall we? I have a self-designed major. I have spent almost 5 years developing and enhancing my knowledge in particular topics to earn a specific degree. The title of my major is Environmental Sustainability. It’s almost clever. This major encapsulates very diverse and interdisciplinary topics such as agriculture, wildlife management, conservation, sustainable business management and nonprofit organizations, forestry, and the study of food. 

Throughout all these strange variations of the environment and society, I have been able to enjoy a large selection of books. And I would like to share a list of a few of them with you. I found myself and reevaluated my purpose through many of these pages. I hope that if you even read one of them, you too will find some serenity. 

During the creation of this major and choosing the classes to go in it, I have received some really good information. By the end of each semester I did not want to do with my books what I did in my last major--Music Theory--which was to immediately sell or burn them alive. Yes, I set flames to a book or two when I was theory major. It was invigorating though irrational. 

I took a few classes on Women and Philanthropy and Nonprofit Management. Some of the books that I was assigned rocked my world:

The Town Food Saved by: Ben Hewitt

The Omnivores Dilemma by: Michael Pollan

The Botany of Desire by: Michael Pollan

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by: Barbara Kingsolver

One class I took called Organic Farming, assigned these books:

Organic Farming for Dummies (The professor really thought highly of us)

Start with the Soil by: Grace Gershuny

Some other really great books to read up on gardening skills are:

Gaia's Garden by: Toby Hemenway

Permaculture: A Designers' Manual by: Bill Mollison

Creating a Forest Garden: Working with Nature to Grow Edible Crops by: Martin Crawford

Mycelium Running by: Paul Stamets (My personal favorite!)

(N)or(m)ganic Gardening:

Why is the idea of organic gardening so trendy and yet unused in the world of gardening and farming? Our ancestors, who fully lived off the land, did not spray mass amounts of chemicals on the plants for them to flourish. There are other methods such as inter-cropping, using entomology to attract beneficial insects to fight off the less beneficial ones, and even natural additives that help prevent certain problems in the garden from occurring. That is organic gardening! That should just be normal gardening. 

Round up, other chemical pesticides, and yard enhancers have vast environmental impacts that lead to larger consequences. Everything we apply to the land eventually enter storm drains, river basins, and watersheds. These applications can cause algal blooms, polluted habitats, and even death to living organisms. This is just not the answer to me, though I do lead an more eco-centric minded lifestyle versus anthropocentric. 

If you google “organic farming” this is the definition you will find:

“A basic definition of organic gardening is gardening without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. But organic gardening is much more than simply replacing man-made chemicals with those derived from natural sources. It is a philosophy of gardening that supports the health of the whole system.” -North Carolina Cooperative Extension 

https://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2012/03/what-is-organic-gardening/

I would personally agree, through the study of environmental ethics, a whole system or holistic approach is the best way for most things to thrive. 

Perspective, perspective, perspective:

I am reading a book called “Environment and Society” the second edition by: Paul Robbins for an upper level geography course. The book is a really good guide and could honestly be added to the list of awesome reads. A recent chapter addresses lawns. I know that lawns are a strange thing to add in with organic and urban gardening, but soon it will all make sense.

My Paper on the chapter reads:

           Just like almost everything else humans do on a daily basis, beautifying our lawns is yet another social construction of nature. Paul Robbins chapter on lawns goes through the risk and chemical decision-making (or ethics), social construction of lawns determining the judgment or perception of others, and the political and economic marketplace of the global chemical exchange. No matter which direction you choose to look at lawns today, either environmental and health concerns or appreciation and adornment of them, even those opposed to the negative impacts continue fighting to keep them green.

           Thanks to the Columbian exchange, European influence, the rise of the American Dream, and the upsurge of chemicals since the early 1950s, lawns have become an increasingly important cultural aspect. As monoculturous turfgrass swept the nation, literally, so did the impact of chemical herbicides and insecticides. The risk perception of chemical use in society seemingly falls into the “ignorance is bliss” category for most who would rather dress their dogs in booties than discontinue hazardous spraying. (True story: a woman put booties on her dog every time it was time to get the lawn sprayed in order to keep it green, because her dog was allergic to the spray and it made its paws bleed profusely and have seizures). With many of ideologies of land use and aesthetically pleasing—socially constructed—curb appeal, distribution and manufacturing companies, as well as realtors, retailers, home owner’s associations, and everyone in between profits, while the environmental and public health (and animal health) continues to go bankrupt.

           Lawns have become socially constructed as what we know and love today through the expansion of agriculture or animal grazing, suburban inhabitation, and the overall integration of humans dominating many parts of the planet. What most of the public seems to lack, is the knowledge of where these petroleum-based products following the commodity chain end up. Paul Robbins reiterates on the idea of spatial fix and highlights the dangers of these chemicals flowing right into family trusted stores, household products, and then out into the creek running through your neighbor’s backyard. The pull marketing approach, an innovative public interest sparker, has not only expanded chemical use, but also boosted overaccumulation of these products, and widened the wallets of already wealthy capitalists. A banner may soon read: A green lawn today, leads to a green lawn (or a eutrophic wasteland downstream) tomorrow.

So the point is that our society is more inclined to continue the use of these chemicals, despite the health and environmental impacts, just so that our lawns can stay lush and green. There is something not so normal or organic about this painted picture. 

Start Small:

Quick and Easy Guide to Gardening:

No matter where you live or what your job schedule looks like, believe it or not, you can garden. Trust me I am a college student. I hope you can pick up on my facetious tone. No but seriously, for 4 semesters straight I took 17 and 18 hours, worked 2-4 jobs at once, I was in 6 campus organizations, and the Project Manager for Design for a Council that oversees much of the events in my entire college. My life was so busy I forgot to breathe. I was working for the university’s outdoor recreation department leading outdoor trips on the weekends and also getting certified to become a Level II Firefighter. Somehow my favorite hobby remained square-foot gardening. 

I was able to sustain high yields without the use of chemical pesticides or herbicides. I produced full salads regularly that I consumed almost daily. I had a small vertical herb garden with parsley, cilantro, and basil that I plucked from for weeks (when I had time to cook). I had a regular watering schedule and I even shared with the neighbors. I think it is important to mention I live in a very small apartment with a cement patio 10 ft long by 5 ft wide. My raised bed container that I built myself one Saturday afternoon, was 4x4 foot. 

Here’s a photo:

The easiest thing to start growing is microgreens and herbs. No matter if it’s snowing outside or there’s a desert out your window, you can grow these things inside and enjoy them within a few short weeks from seed.

Types of organic and urban gardening:

raised-bed gardening

the square-foot method

rooftop gardening 

community gardening (Check out your local community gardens, I bet there is one close by if you live in the city!)

container gardening (can be done in tires and other recycled materials)

edible landscape gardening (we had this in Hawaii, almost every flower on site was edible and was added as a garnish in our salads!)

food forest (worth looking into if you have land)

no-till

double-dug

rows

Hugelkultur 

vermiculture 

The Healing Garden:

Because you know I love stories...

My main project this summer for my internship was a HUGE challenge to tackle but it was a million times worth it. I basically chose an area on the farm that was overgrown and needing to be revamped into usable fertile space. A few of the other interns joined me on this journey so that the project could reach completion. I created a layout for what I called “The Healing Garden”. I did tons of research on plants that had medicinal properties and though of how I could implement them into sections, where eventually you could walk through with a basket and take away plants to make a product as well as a positive piece of my mind. 

I have had an ungodly amount of health problems throughout my life. Something I never realized before was that institutions of all kinds and hospitals all over the world have built gardens to help heal the sick and mend broken spirits. Just being in nature helps promote happiness and well-being. In the duration of this project, my group members and I were able to turn 190 feet of overgrown space into a healing oasis.

There were 7 sections of the garden. Each were dedicated to plants that heal or help with the following ailments: 

1. native herbs and teas 

2. skin irritations (ex. SPF and burns)

3. digestion problems and PMS

4. headaches, hangovers, and other head related issues

5. the common cold and flu

6. hair care (ex. shampoos and conditioners)

7. salves

The last section was a bit larger than the rest because throughout the creation and restoration of this healing garden we also developed a product, which could be sold in the local farmers market and at the farm’s smoothie stand. We were able to combine sustainable business practices with farming and landscape design in order to produce a really cool everlasting impact on the farm even after our internship was complete. 

One of the biggest motivators for me during the project was working on my Eroy (actually spelled EROEI). This was something the instructors taught myself and my fellow interns. It was a key component in the initial creation of my project. 

EROEI stands for:

E- energy

R- return

O- over

E- energy 

I- input 

So today or tomorrow, when you leave the house and get ready to head into work or wherever your busy day is taking you, think about your EROEI. Don’t work yourself to death for a company that is paying you minimum wage and taking more from you what you are giving it. (Unless you want to). Don’t invest your life into something or someone who doesn’t also empower and inspire you. I’m sure you’ve all heard the phrase, “you get what you give”. There’s always a balance to things. This is 100% true! But sometimes, like with gardening or farming, wouldn’t it be that much better to improve you EROEI so that you have more “hammock time”?

Good luck, stay inspired and stay loving the planet!

References:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/

http://permaculturenews.org/2012/01/04/hugelkultur-composting-whole-trees-with-ease/

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/gardening-methods-zmaz86jazgoe

Environment and Society by: Paul Robbins

[savethegreenspaces-blog]

Off-Grid Living & Downsizing

Did You Know?

Living off-grid can be expensive. Say what?!

Downsizing is easier and can be more organized than you thought?

Do you know what is the best bag to pack when traveling?

Do you know where you’re going? Does it matter?

Things that you might learn while reading this post:

1. How much energy can you save living off the grid?

2. Things to keep in mind when moving off-grid! 

3. Downsizing 101

4. How I survived 3 months in a tent without power in Hawaii.

Energy Savings:

One aspect of off-grid living that most people are a bit misled about is energy savings. In my experience meeting nomads, monks, and hippies in the rain forest, one of the biggest drivers for individuals to make the choice to live off the grid, is indeed energy savings. 

Now I’ll admit, I am not very good at math. So coming from someone who is not nearly the expert on finances, it is still pretty easy to discover that off-grid living comes at a pretty pricey start up expense. It may take some time for your costly solar panels to be paid off. In many cases off-grid living is found to be more expensive than first expected when starting out.

Electricity- I know that for me personally, one of the most attractive benefits of living off the grid (other than getting away from nosy neighbors and raging college undergrads) is the idea of having a less expensive power bill each month.  However, if your choosing the route of utilizing renewable energy sources such as solar or wind generators, then you must also consider the price of initial investment in those mechanisms. 

Side note: Some states, such as California or by using specific companies such as Energy Star Products, you are eligible for tax deductions. However, other states (I’m talking about Florida), who recently tried to pass a law that you have to pay to use these energy savers. My mother lives in Destin, FL and happily told me it did not pass, but you just never know with local and state government these days. In other words, DO YOUR RESEARCH before investing in these products in your particular state.

Energy savings and ways to minimize your carbon footprint when living off grid: (There are more, these are just the ones I could come up with)

Growing and harvesting your own food

Solar voltaic cells

Wind generators

Sustainably harvested wood heating

Rainwater collection

Composting toilets 

Solar water heaters

Raising livestock or chickens

Rooftop gardens or green spaces

Off the Grid Living:

Making the decision to unplug from society and move off-grid is a HUGE decision. One not to be taken lightly. There are many things you would want to consider before making the leap.

Here are some of the things you should consider when deciding to pack up your comfortable urban lives in the suburbs or loft in the city and head for a tent in the woods:

1. It is not just electricity that you are looking to flee from, you also have to consider home building, plumbing, freshwater, gas, electrical setup, internet retrieval (if that’s what you want), repairs and more.

2.  Food and water! A necessity we simply cannot live without. In Hawaii I was lucky enough to be living in a sub-tropical rain forest full of vivacious fruit and veggies growing all around me. But depending on where you live, the seasons, and water access points (if any), you have to keep in mind attaining these necessities. 

3. Waste not. Getting rid of waste needs to always be on your mind. Considering the fact that choosing to live off grid means that you are probably not trying to cause anymore environmental degradation than you can help. Living off-grid usually means you will not be incorporating municipal systems in your lifestyle anymore. So be sure that you purchase as many materials with minimum waste as possible and you have a clear idea of where you will be taking the excess. And compost your food waste, of course.

4. Be prepared and know the weather! (View my first blog post on “Natural Disasters and Preparedness” for a checklist that will help you and your family in times of need as well as help you in case of emergency when living off the grid). 

5. Stay clean. Living off the grid does not mean you have to get down and dirty all the time. Personal hygiene is still a must in making sure you are staying healthy. Find alternatives to washing your clothes and body. Biodegradable soaps are a great source. Dr. Bronner’s is a wonderful brand that is trusted and you can literally clean anything and everything with it without negatively impacting the environment. 

In a USA Today article, Home Power magazine was interviewed about how many people in the US actually live off-grid. They said it was nearly impossible to know the exact numerical amount but that their current estimates are 180,000+ people are generating their own power grids to their homes and that 27,000+ homes utilize wind or solar energy in hopes of offsetting some of their carbon footprint. 

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/living-off-the-grid.htm 

Downsizing 101:

I am reading several books right now, maybe too many. One of them is quite hilarious and also realistic (for those without children or other anchors holding them back) when it comes to packing up and moving elsewhere. The book is called “A Beginner’s Guide To Paradise” by: Alex Sheshunoff. The subtitle is as follows, “9 steps to giving up everything so you too can: move to a Pacific island, wear a loincloth, read a hundred books, build a bungalow, diaper a baby monkey, and maybe, just maybe fall in love.*” At the bottom of the book the asterisk states, “* Individual results may vary. Baby money not included.” 

This guy is truly comedic. It is a great book if you are considering what I am right now in my final semester of my undergraduate degree, downsizing. 

I won’t give too much away in case you want to read the book but Alex, the author, was basically bored with his over materialized world and ready to embrace purpose. He worked in NYC running a successful company he built, where he made good money and had a bright future. He was 25 and in a promising relationship. Alex gave up everything in order to pursue exactly what the title of the book suggests. Throughout the book he covers the ways he downsizes. 

In the chapter I am currently reading, I read last night about how Alex chose his suitcase. I didn’t think much of it at first until it hit me. I can really relate to this decision. The following insert is directly out of his book in reference to moving to the island of Yap in the Micronesian islands of the Pacific:

“Before coming, I’d put an embarrassingly large amount of thought into which bag to bring. A backpack had felt too young, too transient. A duffel too inconvenient. That pretty much left a roller bag. Though a tad too flight-attendanty, I liked the compromise the roller bag represented between mobility and permanence. After all, I wasn’t traveling around the world; I was looking for a place to stay. Yet now, as I bumped over the broken gravel, dusty sand, and deep potholes of Yap’s few streets, it just felt dumb. In retrospect, I should have considered that maybe the rest of the world, or at least the islands of the western Pacific, might not be surfaced as smoothly as home.” (p 67).

Downsizing 101: Have a Plan

Have a 3 month plan, a 6 month plan, a one year plan, and a 5 year plan. Sounds silly I am sure when reading it. I know it does when writing it. However, this is a very great way to keep organized and on track. Some people, myself included, think you have everything figured out. You know what you want, where you’re going, how to get there, and an idealized dream bubble floating above your head with everything going as planned. In reality, we don’t always stick to the most rational, affordable, or feasible plans when attempting to follow our dreams. When you set goals you are more likely to understand the roadblocks before you actually encounter them, making it easier to sort out if and when those troubles arise. 

Downsizing 101: Do’s and Do not’s

Do’s

plan ahead

keep the valuables, photos, and family heirlooms

throw away/donate/recycle/sell anything that is broken, useless, or has not been touched or worn in over a year. If you don’t need it now, you definitely won’t need it off the grid.

categorize, make piles, and reevaluate

If you are not sure, consult the rest of your family or those moving with you off-grid. Take a vote.

Collect and compile important documents for safe keeping: deeds, wills, medical records, military records, diplomas and degrees, birth certificates, passports. Make sure immediate family knows where they are.

Do not’s

confuse what you want from what you need

keep the small knickknacks that have sat dusty on the shelf, unattended and unacknowledged for most of it’s lifetime

wait until the last minute

play favorites, make sure everyone has a say on what to bring to start your new life off-grid. Otherwise there could be war. 

My Very Hot, Confusing, Hawaiian Summer:

            Here’s a brief summary of my summer internship in Hawaii. 

I paid the tuition, booked my flight, packed my suitcase, and headed off to the Hawaiian Islands. I read and reread the contract probably 40 times before I arrived 4,000 miles away from the one place I called home my entire life in the Southeastern United States. Contracts can be tricky, vague, and misleading--mine was. I expected I would be in some quaint bungalow in the islands with a bed, window, and a nightstand to display the picture of my beloved best friend--my cat Norah Jones. Upon arrival to the 60-acre macnut farm on the northeast coast of the big island, I quickly realized things were going to be quite different than I expected. 

We pulled up the mountain side onto a dirt road in a broken down Ford Explorer. I was introduced to the tent I would be living in all summer, the composting outhouse toilet, the outdoor shower that led to a grey water system (highly sustainable), my cot, and a plastic storage container for anything I did not want to be ruined by the near 100% killer humidity. 

On the first night, I awoke to a spider, known as a King or Kane spider to the locals. Just to put things into perspective a bit, put two dollar bills together and envision 8 tan legs with eyeballs the size of marbles. That, my friends, is a Kane Spider. I expected the insects and the hot humid days. I was there for the purpose of studying tropical horticulture and all of its biodiverse brilliance. Along with sustainable business management, ecological design, and green building. There was no way I would not encounter spiders the size of my face. 

By the end of the first work week, after 8 hours per day in the field, I was exhausted and in bed each night by 8 o’clock. I kept journal entries every day that will eventually guest star in chapter 23 of my upcoming book. Looking back now I see clearly where my money was best spent. On the weekends we were off and I met so many amazing people traveling around my own. Those weekends were where most of my knowledge of the islands derived. I myself was glad that I packed a hiking pack, a duffel bag, and a rolling suitcase on my trip. I am a guilty female of packing too heavy. But just as packing too light can create consequences, so can packing heavy bolster benefits.  

As I referenced above in the downsizing section of this post, Alex Sheshunoff’s book that I am reading made me crack up when picturing a rolling suitcase bouncing around unpaved streets. I pictured myself in Hawaii hitch hiking into the small town of Honoka’a; I took the $2 bus to Kona for a real shower and a bed at my friend’s house. The internship programs are taught and run by a few young adults that were my age. There was no wonder why the contract was so misleading. 

I had essentially no power and had to hike half way down a mountain just to get WiFi in a shipping container with desks they called the office. I wrote most of my papers for my independent study course naked in a tent in the hot and humid climate and then made my hike down to submit them online. There was zero phone service and no I could not check my Facebook. My breakfast consisted of the avocado that disturbingly awoke me when it fell on my tent the night before and a banana and papaya that I climbed and sickled down before making it into a smoothie. I was living with, by, and for nature. 

The point of telling this story is that I didn’t know what to expect when moving to a Pacific Island to learn about environmental science. Before it had been a month of me living in a tent building my nightstand out of Australian Iron Wood trees, my bookshelf out of recycled plywood, a solar thermal dehydrator out of cans and refurbished wood, urinating in a hole with a frog stuck in the bottom, and showering in waterfalls with Dr. Bronner’s all-purpose body wash, shampoo, and detergent, I knew that my future was living a simpler life. By the time I had arrived back to my cluttered apartment in the city, I found it hard to believe I had been living in such a material world before moving to the rain-forest. Living almost fully off the grid awoken something in me. It was purpose. 

* Be fully confident that you want to make a HUGE change in all areas of your life before moving off-grid. It is nothing shy of a massive transition. 

 References:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/energy/efficiency/off-grid-living-lessons-zm0z14onzkon

http://energy.gov/savings/residential-renewable-energy-tax-credit

https://www.energystar.gov/about/federal_tax_credits

http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-downsize-and-declutter

“A Beginner’s Guide to Paradise” By: Alex Sheshunoff

[savethegreenspaces-blog]

Ecological Design & Green Building

Did You Know?

That just in the U.S., construction of buildings produces nearly 40% of the nations carbon dioxide output?

What about the fact that through efficiently using natural resources, green building saves money and the environment.

LEED-certified buildings conserve more water, consume less energy, and have saved 80 millions tons of waste from entering landfills.

Did you know that benefits of ecological design include minimizing your carbon footprint, energy savings, conservation of water, food security, and more?

Things that you might learn while reading this post:

1.       What is a LEED-certified building?

2.       All about permaculture and how to integrate it in everything that you do.

3.       Why I am going to build a tiny home.

4.       Types of ecologically designed and green homes.

Being in the LEED:

      LEED-certified is a term being used a lot more frequently around the construction business, sustainability community, environmental green building and ecologically designed structures. When a building is constructed using LEED-certified materials, it makes a much smaller impact on the environment. By utilizing natural resources efficiently, these buildings are 100% more sustainable and ecologically conscious.  

      This summer I spent 3 months living in a tent on the Hamakua Coast of the big island in Hawaii. I was intern on a sustainable permaculture farm. There was one intern, we’ll call him Yams, he was actually 19-years-old and LEED-certified. So it goes beyond just a building. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design”. It is one of the leading green building practices/programs that is globally implemented. The United States Green Council created this program in order to issue nation wide assistance in the development on their homes. This was a great idea to help positively influence the community on their journey towards effectively using resources as well as lowering their environmental impacts that human action has on the environment

      On the U.S. Green Council website (http://www.usgbc.org/LEED/) it states that LEED, “is changing the way we think about how buildings and communities are planned, constructed, maintained and operated. Leaders around the world have made LEED the most widely used third-party verification for green buildings, with around 1.85 million square feet being certified daily.” 

      If you are interested in becoming LEED-certified you can do one of 3 things: 

You can become a LEED Green Associate and take the GA exam that will test you out for the basics of Green Building Rating Systems. (Note: You must 18+ years and it cost $250)

Once becoming a LEED GA, you can pursue becoming a LEED AP.  (Note: You can take the GA exam and the AP exam at the same time, this will save you time and money). You can receive a Green Associates through the LEED program in order to focus on a specific area, such as interior design and home building or construction. There are 5 sets of AP certifications: BD+C, O+M, ID+C, ND, and HOMES. 

Not the most credible site, I know, but it has been verified:

BD+C: Building Design and Construction. Plans and builds green structures in any sector-- commercial, home, healthcare, educational, etc.

O+M: Operations and Management. LEED O+Ms update existing structures to be more sustainable, resourceful, and efficient.

ID+C: Interior Design and Construction. Design and build indoor home and commercial spaces to make them more healthy, efficient and productive.

ND: Neighborhood Development. Designs, plans, and develops large living spaces as walk-able, comfortable neighborhoods.Homes: Specializes in designing healthy, durable homes with minimal waste and efficient energy consumption.[7]    

http://www.wikihow.com/Become-LEED-Certified

And the third thing you can do with a LEED is simply get a project certified by someone who is LEED-certified. You will need to know whether or not your project is eligible and be familiar with the type of project certification you will need addressed (view the 5 types above). If you are doing a renovation for instance, you will need a LEED-certified specialist who is trained in that specific realm of green building. You will then receive a “LEED-score”, like a credit score or a rating. The scale goes from 40-100. You need at least 40 credits. (Note: this is all new to me as well, so if you would like to get more credible details from a specialist and not a college senior go check out the website below.) 

http://www.usgbc.org/LEED/

Permaculture 101:

Permaculture is “the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient.”

The idea of permaculture was termed by a man named David Holmgren and his professor Bil Mollison in the late 1970s. They came up with 12 principles of permaculture. 

Here is a graph that was presented to me in a New College class called “Sustainable Landscape Management and Design”.

The main goals for permaculture are caring for the planet and caring for people. Sounds like a great goal to me!

I will be incorporating the principles of permaculture in the next blog post so if you’re interested stay tuned to check that out.

Benefits of Living Tiny:

      This coming spring I will be moving to Hawaii to pursue a career and a life of sustainability and greater purpose. I have been customizing and designing the blueprints for a tiny home the last couple years and I have made a plan and solidified my choice of giving up everything in order to live almost fully off the grid. One of the most intriguing concepts to me is the idea of being able to self-sustain while living in virtually 200 sq ft of space with my partner and my cat Norah Jones. 

       I currently live in a small 2-bedroom apartment with entirely too much material possessions. After living in a tent the entire summer with no power or cell service, I quickly realized how much stress was minimized with the decrease of things surrounding me. When I arrived back in the continental US, for several days I just felt cluttered, overwhelmed, and anxious. I thought I would be relieved to be surrounded by all my stuff once again. Instead, I wished that I didn’t carry so much baggage, literally, that I don’t even need to survive. 

       Now, as I sit here in this small quaint study room of my college typing this, I am happy to say that getting rid of everything is one of the better choices I have decided to make in my life so far. Some of the reasons I want to give up this fast-paced material possessed world are:

I can travel anywhere in my tiny home. 

I will be able to afford a home that is completely custom and designed with me in mind. Tiny homes cost anywhere from $20,000 to $60,000 dollars to construct. Being a recent college graduate I will obvious not be spending a great deal on the build in the beginning. 

It will be easy to move. If I decide to buy land to put it on, that would be awesome. However, if I decide I am getting bored of the view or location, I can always just hitch my tiny home to my vehicle and move.

Tiny homes can be entirely environmentally friendly. You can use up-cycled and recycled materials, unique re-purposed salvaged products, and you can customize your energy input and output.

One of the biggest features that lured me into wanting to live in this specifically designed home is that it can be fully off the grid and energy efficient. By installed solar arrays, water catchment systems, composting toilets, and wind generators. You can be fully self-sustained. 

Living tiny also means that you have a tinier amount of stuff. De-cluttering and organizing your home life will also help to de-clutter and de-stress the rest of your life. Thus, spending less time and money cleaning in a smaller space. This also includes spending less on furniture and decorations, which you can change up more often!

Overall, the most appealing aspect to me is having the ability to lower my carbon-footprint and maximize the time I spend outdoors. If that is something that also sounds interesting to you, I encourage you to check out some of the Tiny home shows that are online and on television!

Living with Ecological Design in Mind:

      Some other trending alternatives (at least all I could come up with or have seen on HGTV) for living small, green, and environmentally friendly are as follows:

Bus conversions- Many people have been renovating old school buses, Volkswagen vans, and even greyhounds into tiny movable living quarters.

Cob houses- Cob is a really awesome form of natural building with natural materials you find anywhere you are. In some areas, based on the composition of the soil, people use hay, clay, sand, or dirt to form these intricate structures with your bare hands and feet. (Note: Building worth looking into! I will post a picture in the near future.)

Vardo tiny homes- This type of home may seem unfamiliar to you, however you have probably seen one in a movie. Vardo homes are essentially wagons; they used to be pulled by horses and now are commonly pulled by cars. Think old British gypsies in a wagon filled with tapestry’s and sensual hypnotic spells. 

RV living- These days more and more people are purchasing RVs to travel the world and live anywhere their wheels will carry them. Just don’t pull a Sheila from the show Shameless on Showtime. 

Tiny trailer homes- The popular tumbleweed homes from HGTV and DIY are becoming more appealing throughout the US.

Shipping containers- A great way to up-cycle!

Houseboats- A floating quaint dream.

Yurts- Yurts are a very cool type of ecological designed homes that you can customize any way that you’d like. In Hawaii this summer, the core members who live on the farm year around reside in a yurt. These awesome little buildings are similar to a tent. Just a very large, extremely nice tent. You can redesign the rooms in a yurt at anytime to change things up. They can also be taken down and moved to a different location with moderate ease. 

A-frame cabins- These types of cabins are built geometrically to maximize small spaces and still provide an authentic cabin feel.

Tree houses- If you have not checked out the show “Treehouse Masters” on Discovery Channel you should definitely check it out. It is a family friendly show that I believe is enjoyable for the whole family. There is also a show on HGTV called “Treehouse” and a show on DIY called “The Treehouse Guys”.

References:

https://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/postgraduate-courses/ecological-design-thinking

http://www.usgbc.org/articles/green-building-facts

http://www.thegreenhouse.in/ecological-design.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/living-tiny-home-benefits-drawbacks/story?id=17742823

http://www.sustainableecovillages.net/benefits.php

https://archive.epa.gov/greenbuilding/web/html/about.html

http://www.usgbc.org/LEED/

http://naturalhomes.org/tiny-world.htm

[savethegreenspaces-blog]

Natural Hazards & Preparedness

Did You Know?

Did you know globally around 9,000 people are killed by landslides each year? 

What about the fact that a major flood can happen anywhere, anytime?

Did you know that earthquakes cause further hazards such as tsunamis, landslides, and even avalanches? 

How about the fact that Hurricanes can have wind speeds of almost 200 mph. That is half the speed that the two planes that hit the Twin Towers were going. Hurricanes also have the capability to dump more than 2.4 trillion gallons of water daily.

Things that you might learn while reading this post:

Do you have everything you need in your family’s emergency kit? 

Do you even have an emergency kit? 

Being Prepared for Disaster 101--Do you have a plan of action?

Types of natural disaster

In Case of Emergency: 

Every home should have an emergency kit. You should also consider having an emergency kit in your vehicle. Just like those overnight bags you pack in your car with a change of clothes for your kids or a pair of shoes for after your heels start killing you. 

An at home emergency kit should include most the following:

Water and food for at least 5 days for everyone in your house hold. Don’t forget your pets!

A medical kit; equipped for sterilization, including gloves

Candles, flashlights, portable phone charger, and a radio (batteries if needed, but try to purchase solar powered technology in the future)

Matches or a lighter, or both.   

CASH! You can never be certain that your card will work in times of catastrophe. Power outages occur with any natural disaster!

Other things to consider:

Have an emergency kit in your car and home in case one or the other blows away. Always carry and ID on your person and cash in case something happens.

Make sure you have a way to reproduce a paper trail with copies or pdf files that gives you access to anything that is important. 

Chapstick, a hat or bandanna, SPF sunscreen, bug spray may also be helpful.

A multi-tool such as a leatherman or a knife is also a good thing to add to your kit.Extra gas for driving and for generators.

Although it is hard to imagine looting or robbery occurring in your home during a natural disaster, it is a harsh reality that DOES happen. Having a way to protect yourself and your family by means of a weapon is also something to consider.  

Make a checklist for all of these things and include it in your emergency kit. When a major emergency occurs, people react differently. Many times people go into shock and it is hard to think of even necessities in times of crisis. But with a list, you don’t have to think. You just have to read and follow instructions. 

>>>All birth certificates, ID’s, social security cards, important medical documents, copies of insurance on house, car, and health should be in one safe location. Consider getting a fire safe lock box for these items to increase information’s survival in a disaster.<<<

If you have pets, whom you love, do not forget to include them in preparing for an unexpected disaster. Have their needs added into your emergency kits and compile all their vet records, medication requirements, sturdy leashes, harnesses, and pet carriers on hand, and it wouldn’t hurt to include current pet pictures with you and your animals in case you become separated during a disaster. 

You don’t have to get carried away. I’m not telling you to become a doomsday-prepper. However, it is better to be overly prepared then under prepared.

Plan of Action:

Know your environment, based on where you live different kind of environmental hazards are more prevalent. Flooding is the most likely to happen anywhere, anytime. Know escape routes and have a location for you and your family to flee to in case of mandatory evacuation. Feel free to take a look at what I wrote about the recent flooding in Louisiana or skip ahead. 

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                          Louisiana Flooding (August 14th, 2016)

The heavy rain started to come down on August 11th and didn't dissipate until August 14th, 2016. Flooding is no stranger to the Louisiana area. In one article on the Natural Hazard Center of Colorado's website, "Failure to Communicate: Pretty Much Everyone Dropped the Ball in Louisiana", the title says it all when it comes to anticipatory and post-flood relief. Not only was the community and emergency officials entirely ill-prepared, but even dealing with the aftermath was somewhat disorientating. There are many complaints and obvious issues with lack of communication on the flooding that occurred. One would think that after Hurricane Katrina, which hit on August 29th, 2005, the community and officials would be more prepared. When it comes to flooding, the state as a whole should be more ready to sound the alarm than most states. 

Nine years post Hurricane Karina; the state once again has experienced much loss from flooding. Jolie Breeden says in her article on the Natural Hazard Center website, "Thirteen people died in the rising water, at least 60,000 homes were damaged (possibly more), and 30,000 people were rescued." Garrett Graves told The Atlantic that it was just plain wrong for there to be such dearth of preparation on all accounts.

One of the leading excuses floating around this event was the rain was not a named hurricane or storm so many organizations did not send out warnings. Therefore, the community was in no way prepared for or expecting what was going to happen. A claim was made on Natural Hazard Center that it is more difficult to prepare the public for heavier rainfalls than to inform them to flea for a hurricane. This makes sense. When news of a hurricane spreads, it spreads. Apparently when it rains, it just rains.

Many of the people living in the state and around the most devastated areas said they were not panicking because they had no messages or phone calls telling them to panic—or at the very least evacuate the cities. The article also states that there was in fact plenty of warning signs before this event; even though the aftermath, lack of communication, and poor authoritative decisions make that hard to believe. Five days before the event, there were post all over social media. The biggest issue with this form of communicating was that it was hard for news channels and forecast teams to inform or warn specific regions of flooding. Resulting in the public to brush it off and think it was merely raining.

 The Post was told in an interview, “Preparedness needs to be an active, ongoing effort in every household to improve our nation’s resilience to extreme events,” and “We can’t stop extreme floods from happening, but we can improve our societal preparedness and response to improve our nation’s overall resiliency." (Breeden NHC). The ultimate lesson that was learned through this natural hazard event is that preparation is a key component in survival. Being prepared for a likely event, especially flooding, not only helps minimize the consequences of the event, but also has the potential to save lives. 

References:

www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/us/hurricane-katrina-statistics-fast-facts/index.html

https://hazards.colorado.edu/article/failure-to-communicate-pretty-much-everyone-dropped-the-ball-in-louisiana

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If you weren’t already aware, Italy also experienced devastation on August 24th, 2016. A deadly earthquake hit central Italy at 3:36am. In an instant the quiet town of Amatrice and a few other towns were left in almost shambles. 234 of the 297 deaths that were tolled were people that were in Amatrice during the quake. A New York Times article reports the day of the accident that this particular earthquake’s original impact could be compared to that of the 2009 earthquake that hit Italy, killing over 300 people.             

 According to New York Times, CNN, and Natural Hazards Center of Colorado the magnitude of the earthquake was 6.2, classifying this hazard as quite severe. CNN’s U.S. Geological Survey says annually, 120-134 of these types of earthquakes ranging between 6.0-6.9 magnitude occur. Many people that have been interviewed throughout these sources are saying that it will be very hard to come back from this. The mayor of Amatrice, Sergio Pirozzi, said to the New York Times, “Half the town no longer exists”. 

The point is that Italy did not expect a traumatic earthquake to hit on August 24th at 3:36am. They did however know that they were in a high risk earthquake zone based on the fault line and previous disasters. New Orleans did not expect heavy rain to cause drastic flooding on August 14th. The state is aware after the breached levees during Hurricane Katrina and knowledge of the region’s general topography that flooding can and will occur in the area. Even with meteorologists covering any changes in atmospheric conditions or the why, it is extremely hard to predict the when and where. 

So no matter where you live (in whatever state, providence, or country), you need to be aware of the type of natural hazards that can happen near you. Be prepared and stay informed. At the bottom of this post there are resources included to help guide you to everything from maps of current locations of disasters to how you can help provide relief!

Types of Natural Disasters:

It is important to understand that one natural hazard can quickly lead to another. Like drought can lead to a wildfire. Earthquakes can lead to landslides and tsunamis; landslides can also lead to tsunamis. Tsunamis cause flooding. Rain causes flooding. Hurricanes cause flooding. Flooding can cause landslides. Tornadoes can cause drought and so on. 

You need to be prepared for any event of crises no matter where you live in the world. Over time, increasing climate change, and constant pollution through exerting emissions, natural hazards are a thing the future; not the past. Unless something big changes, we will be seeing more disasters more frequently. 

Types of Disasters:

Tsunamis

Floods

Earthquakes

Avalanches

Landslides

Hurricanes

Wildfires

Droughts

Tornadoes

Cyclones

Volcanic Eruptions

Or any other geologic processes that can alter life on earth  

It is important to be aware that disasters can be natural or man-made.

Natural:

Major-all of the above

Minor-cold/heat wave, thunder storms, hail, mud slides etc.

Man-made:

Major/Minor-forest fire, deforestation, war, environmental pollution, environmental degradation, epidemics, transportation (car, train, plane, bus etc) accidents, industrial (nuclear and nonnuclear) accidents, water contamination, species endangerment, global climate crisis etc.

Even though there are two distinguishing factors between disasters,  both type can link to each other. A man-made disaster can cause a natural disaster to occur and vice versa. 

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I hope you enjoyed the first post! There will be many more to come. 

       SUSTAINABLE LIVING MEETS NATURAL DISASTER

How does being prepared for natural disasters fall into the category of sustainability? Well, that's great of you to ask! Natural disasters cause detrimental impacts to the environment. These types of events can cause oil spills, nuclear crisis like in Japan http://www.globalissues.org/article/794/japan-earthquake-tsunami-nuclear), severe erosion, flooding that contains toxic chemicals and debris, casualties of humans and animals, displacement of many species, and more. Being prepared and equipped to handle these natural disasters may be able to lower the effects of these disasters on the environment and save lives! Thus, helping us to be more sustainable in the future. 

You may currently live in an "ignorance is bliss" lifestyle, where the little you know that can make you worry the better. That was me until the last half decade or so. You may have thought at least once before reading this post that you have enough on your plate right now and you feel prepared enough to handle a natural hazard. Or it may have crossed your mind in the past that where you live is safe. Your home is safe, your neighborhood is safe, and your family is safe because nothing has occurred since you’ve lived there. However, one can never fully grasp devastation until it is knocking on the door. If you have ever been afraid for you life in a hurricane, tornado, or flood you know exactly what I’m talking about. It is a scary experience being afraid of the very walls around you caving in. Take whatever you want from my posts, whether you only take a little or you take a lot, I just hope you will be prepared and be aware. Hazards are unavoidable, but the effects can be minimized. 

Short Story from the Author

                                          A Roll Tide Perspective

      In 2011 something peculiar happened for the first time in U.S. history. A tornado hurricane, referred to as the 2011 Super Outbreak, rained down 362 tornado's killing a total of 337 people. My home state was devastated. My friend’s homes in ruin. In certain areas, like on University Blvd close to Alberta, the streets were wiped clean of their original architecture and sprinkled with a little bit of anything and everything your mind could ponder up. Nothing was left in certain areas other than the screams radiating from under rubble that once formed apartment complex’s. Hundreds were already dead and many more were missing. This awful devastation was a reminder from mother nature that she is forever relentless. 

      I am currently a super senior at the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. On April 27th, 2011, no one in this city expected or was fully prepared for an EF4 multiple-vortex Tornado to completely wreck the town. My friend, we'll call him Jack, has lived in Cottondale, Alabama right outside Tuscaloosa his whole life. He told me about the horrors he drove through and witnessed after the event. He tries to block out the images of the death and the smell of putrefying corpse's while driving past Hurricane Creek. 

     This treacherous event left the nation in shock. Now, five years later, every mile or so you will see newly installed tornado shelters around freshly constructed apartments, buildings, businesses and restaurants. The tornado warning alarm system loudly echoes through the streets like a fire drill in the halls of a high school during certain times of the year. In terms of preparation, I think we are getting better.

Sincerely,

Destiny Farrow                                                                                     University of Alabama Class of 2016                                                             New College: Environmental Sustainability

For a terrifying video of the tornado tearing through central Tuscaloosa watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ohIVzIZLuQ

 For aftermath photos visit:

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20110427/the-aftermath-staff-accounts-of-the-tornado

And to learn more about this horrific event in natural hazard history visit:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/30/2011-tornado-outbreak-deaths_n_855646.html

Go take the interactive quiz! And for even more on preparedness visit:

https://www.ready.gov/are-you-ready-guide 

For crowd-sourced maps on locations where disasters hit visit:

http://www.enn.com/sci-tech/article/46306

Visit your Federal Emergency Management Agency for information on severe weather, flood insurance, disaster relief, etc. visit:

https://www.fema.gov/

Want to make a difference? To find out more about how to give back and save lives go to:

http://www.redcross.org

References:

https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-disasters

www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/media_resources/stats.jsp

www.earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.php

http://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2012/09/13/ten-years-of-landslide-fatality-data/

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/2011_tornado_information.html

[savethegreenspaces-blog]

We face the question whether a still higher standard of living is worth it's cost in things natural, wild, and free.

Aldo Leopold