Conservation 101: the Compete to Conserve Blog

photo credit: hlkljgk

Saving fuel is on nearly everyone’s mind these days, and one area that sucks up a lot of petroleum and energy is food production and transportation.

According to Sustainable Table, a study done in 2000 estimated the food industry claims about ten percent of the energy used annually in the US. About 40 percent of that energy is expended making pesticides and artificial fertilizer. Another 23 percent goes to processing and packaging.

This doesn’t even touch on the energy used to transport food (and keep it cool en route). The Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan estimates that the average US food product travels about 1500 miles before it is consumed—that’s a lot of fuel and refrigeration.

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photo credit: Nicholas_T

After looking into China’s Weather Modification program, and its Olympic Weather plans, I began to wonder what kind of effect such practices could have long term.

Putting aside the image of regional farmers equipped to work rocket launchers and anti-aircraft artillery—which leads to a whole different set of concerns—I wondered about the dangers of shooting silver iodide into the sky. Wasn’t anyone concerned about what kind of rain was coming back down?

Turns out, they are.

While researchers from organizations like North American Weather Consultants Inc (NAWC) claim that the silver iodide crystals are so dispersed only trace amounts can be found in test samples that fall to Earth, others are crying foul.

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photo credit: pfala

While I’m not usually one to buy into shameless promotions, I was intrigued by organic yogurt producer Stonyfield Farm’s recent “Bid with Your Lid” campaign.

Stonyfield, which started as an organic farming school 29 years ago and launched the climate-conscious non-profit, Climate Counts, in collaboration with Clean Air-Cool Planet, has long been a favorite brand in our household, mainly due to a desire to avoid high-fructose corn syrup when possible. But the “Bid with Your Lid” campaign provides another health-focused reason to stock up on the active cultures of acidophilus.

This fall, the company plans to divvy a pot of $100,000 among three environmental organizations…and it’s up to you to decide who gets what.

The “big three” all have worthy causes. They include: Physicians for Social Responsibility (which focuses on keeping toxic chemicals from the environment), Ocean Conservancy (which focuses on climate change affecting our land and seas), and Worldwatch Institute (which focuses on sustainable agriculture systems).

The more votes they get, the more of the pot they receive. Simple enough.

While the main idea is most likely to promote purchases, like most campaigns in the US “Bid with Your Lid” contains a “no purchase necessary” option—which means you can give a gift to your favorite without having to open your wallet.

For more on the promotion, these organizations, or even to place a vote for your cause, check out: www.stonyfield.com

(I swear, it’s not everyday that I recommend an individual corporation’s website, but this could be a way to give without having to give up much.)

photo credit: linh.ngân

In the years approaching the 2008 Games, the Chinese government formed a Weather Modification office to address weather and pollution concerns. The goal: Create optimum conditions by making it rain when they want and keeping it away when they don’t.

When the country first started fooling with Mother Nature, back in 1958, the primary focus was farm regions, where drought lingered and crops suffered. But over the decades the techniques they developed have been used to fight fires, prevent hailstorms, replenish riverheads and reservoirs, sweep away pollution and ease a heat wave.

Does that mean the grey haze over George Hincapie and other Olympic cyclists or the rain that fell on beach volleyball competitors were signs of China’s weather control success? When you consider the clear skies over the Opening ceremony…maybe.

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photo credit: emdot

I’ll admit that there is nothing like coasting down the highway on a hot, hot day with the windows down and the music blaring. I don’t even like air conditioning. But since the kid came along, I’ve found A.C. to be a necessity.

The one issue: Kissing all of that extra fuel goodbye.

When Bankrate.com published a story recommending readers to go easy on A.C. and to enjoy the summer air, the onslaught on their email inbox was astounding. Although the site stands by the statistic that “Air conditioning can drag down your car’s fuel economy by 10 percent to 20 percent,” the insistence from readers that using AC saves gas in the end drove them to dig further.

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photo credit: .magullo.

Biking is the preferred mode of transportation for 39 percent of the Beijing population, and with the upcoming Olympic influx, more bikes will hit the narrow hutongs of the Chinese capital than ever before.

To promote this transport option, Beijing launched public education campaigns to encourage walking and bike riding and upped bike rental availability. While one source (from the Wall St Journal) reports over 100 new bike rental locales, another (from newindpress.com) totals 200 bike rental venues overall, most near subway stations and hotels to provide city-wide rental and easy-return services.

Without a doubt, biking has been the preferred mode of transport for environmentalists, but mainstream organizations in the US are encouraging their employees to also take the bike lane—and providing incentives for those who do.

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photo credit: striatic

News about the upcoming Beijing games has flooded the headlines. You can’t open a magazine or flip through the digital TV channels without being flogged by the events to jumpstart on 8-8-08. And a lot of this coverage has highlighted China’s attempts to clean house before company comes.

While I’m still undecided on how much we should praise China after years of pollution, cutting corners, and questionable politics, it appears that others are finding inspiration in Beijing’s newly-turned over leaf.

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photo credit: clurr

Merely hours after our trash, recycling and compost bins hit the curb, a distinct rustling can be heard outside our building. The clink-clang of someone shuffling through the blue recycling container lasts only moments, but somehow I feel like we’ve done a small part to help someone in need.

Apparently, I may be mistaken.

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photo credit: tom.arthur

With companies like Clorox putting out product lines endorsed by the Sierra Club, should we be concerned about where all this “Go Green” is going?

Back in January 2008, the Sierra Club first announced its partnership with Clorox and the Green Works line of household cleaners—the first new line from Clorox in 20 years. While some consumers remain skeptical that the line is as green as it claims (phosphorus and bleach-free, with 99 percent natural ingredients like coconuts and lemon oil), the Sierra Club says they have fully investigated the line’s “green”ness and are happy to back the products.

But Clorox isn’t the only big-name company getting in the game, Colgate-Palmolive is currently promoting its own line of Eco-friendly, phosphorus-free cleaners, SC Johnson claims its recent Greenlist reformulations have removed 61 million pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from products including Windex, Pledge, and Fantastik Orange Action, and the list is growing steadily. (more…)

photo credit: Vanessa Pike-Russell

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows air quality is improving in terms of Second Hand Smoke (SHS).

The report states SHS exposure dropped approximately 70 percent from the late 1980s through 2002. The decline is attributed to “widespread implementation of laws and policies prohibiting smoking in indoor workplaces and public places.”

Analysis was conducted using data from the 1988-1994 and 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, in which serum cotinine (a biologic indicator of SHS exposure) was measured in nonsmoking kids, teens and adults.

The results showed a significant decline throughout the US population, but there was less of a decrease for 4-19 year olds than for their adult counterparts—underscoring the need to reduce SHS exposure at home, the primary source for children and teens.

The report also notes: “the prevalence of cigarette smoking has decreased during this period, from 28% in 1988 to 21% in 2004,” which may also account for less SHS. But despite this reduction in exposure, almost half of U.S. nonsmokers still had detectable levels of serum cotinine, indicating that SHS exposure remains an important issue for public health.

To check out the CDC report, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5727a3.htm