2nd Green Revolution

One of my favorite concepts to teach in my science classes revolves around population growth. Looking at the exponential growth of the human population over the past two centuries always gives me pause for reflection. How can the earth support this continually growing number of people? What is its carrying capacity?

It is with this in mind that I debated having children. The impact of more people, especially with regards to the level of consumption in Western society, weighed heavily on my mind. Watching National Geographic’s special The Human Footprint a few years ago made me ponder this fact even more.

Now that I have a child, born on Tuesday night, I have the ultimate responsibility to the next generation. Read the rest of this entry »

With the movement for outdoor education and increasing youths’ general experiences in nature gaining steam, legislation referred to as “No Child Left Inside” (NCLI) passed its first major hurdle. Directly related to the work of Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, NCLI aims to combat what Louv terms nature-deficit disorder.

The state of Connecticut has their own initiative of the same name. Intended to “encourage Connecticut families and visitors alike to enjoy all the recreational resources and outdoor activities available in Connecticut’s state parks, forests and waterways”, the state’s directive aims to reconnect families with Connecticut’s natural environs. Read the rest of this entry »

With the proliferation of websites, weeding through the valuable and worthless can be all-consuming. Several sites contain worthwhile simulations and games that get people thinking about resource management. Today’s post details a few of those that do a particularly good job.

Chevron, the oil and gas megalith, teamed up with The Economic Group to develop Energyville. The goal of Energyville is to power a large city (with a population of nearly 6 million). Players must consider the economic, environmental, and security impacts associated with their choices. Read the rest of this entry »

On or around the first of every month, 2nd Green Revolution updates the green events calendar for the coming month. Last November we began including a post highlighting some of the intriguing events for that month. This month has fewer events, but some intriguing themes have emerged in the post-Copenhagen world. In the United States, there are two conferences dealing with carbon caps and emissions.

Several international conferences dealing with sustainability and clean energy are also on the horizon this month. Here is a sampling of a few domestic and international symposiums that caught our eye.

Conference: The New Green Economy
Dates: January 20-22nd
Location: Washington, DC
Further information: http://ncseonline.org/conference/greeneconomy/ Read the rest of this entry »

• I will be smarter than bottled water companies and drink for free what they are trying to sell me. Last year we consumed about 50 billion plastic water bottles. Several bottled water brands use the same H₂0 that’s available from your faucet. Use a water bottle and refill it throughout the day — for free.

• If I can remember to TiVo “Lost,” I can remember to bring my own bags to the grocery store. Plastic bags are made from petroleum and only about 1 percent of the estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags consumed worldwide are recycled each year. Most end up in landfills (where they take perhaps 1000 years to decompose) or in the sea.

• I will take a day off from road rage and take mass transit or car-pool one day a week. If you have public transportation options available to you, try switching to the train or bus one day a week. According to the American Public Transportation Association, public transportation use saves 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline each year, and can reduce household expenses by $6,200. If you don’t live near public transportation, try organizing a once-a-week carpool with your neighbors or coworkers. You’ll save on fuel, tolls, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by removing cars from the road. As a bonus, you’ll gain access to that exclusive carpool lane.

• I Will Connect with Congress. Send your senator or representative a letter that you support green business, clean technology, and action against climate change. Congressional leaders are pretty easy to find these days on the Internet. Congress.org helps you connect. Just type in your zip code and voile!

• I Will Buy in Bulk. This reduces packaging and can make shipping easier and more efficient.

Sources: #1-3, The Daily Green; #4-5, GreenRightNow

• 13% of homes purchased in the US are 2nd homes
• The United States has more cars than licensed drivers
• Self-storage has become a $17 billion dollar annual business (larger than the motion picture industry)
• Buildings generate as much pollution as autos and factories combined
• A study at Georgetown University found that even if the students, teachers, and educational approach remained the same, improving a school’s physical environment could increase test scores by as much as 11 percent.
• A study in Pittsburgh’s MontefioreHospital, surgery patients in rooms with ample natural light required less pain medication, and their drug costs were 21 percent lower, than their counterparts in traditional rooms.

These facts come courtesy of Daniel Pink’s 2006 book, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. As an extra, we have included a 6th fact from Pink’s book. (Note: The first four pertain specifically to the United States.)

- 2nd Green Revolution

[image source: Metropolitan Museum of Art]

This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia (OPC-DC)*  will present it’s Energy Efficiency Expo at the Walter E. Convention Center (801 Mount Vernon Place). Click on the link for a video overview of the expo as well as information on home energy and water savings measures and other eco-tips. Standard Solar, featured in another post, talks about District solar incentives. Also mentioned in the video is the fact that DC residents can get free home energy audits. Here are a few of the features at the Expo:

•Free Energy Audits
•Solar Energy Providers
•Hands-On Demonstrations
•Energy Saving Windows
•Energy Grant Programs
•Green Loan Programs
•Green Insulation Providers
•Energy Upgrade Success Stories
•Economic Stimulus Programs

The Expo looks like a good place to get information on products and practices that can save you some cash while going green.

- Justin Manger
Image Credit: OPC-DC

* “The Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia is an independent agency of the District of Columbia government. By law, it is the advocate for consumers of natural gas, electric and telephone services in the District. The Office’s mandate is to advocate the provision of quality utility service and equitable treatment at rates that are just, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory to assist individual consumers in disputes with utility companies about billing or services; and to provide technical assistance and consumer education.”

Rachel Gutter, Head of Education for the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), addressed the Colorado chapter’s Green Schools Summit on October 1st. Gutter works “on a national level to promote and facilitate the design, construction and operations of high performance, green schools and higher education facilities. She oversees USGBC’s National Green Schools Campaign as well as the LEED for Schools Green Building Rating System®, USGBC’s market-specific guidelines that recognize the unique nature and educational aspects of the design and construction of K-12 educational facilities.”

In her presentation, titled “The State of Green Schools,” Gutter stated that the USGBC’s vision for the future of school buildings is to have all green schools within a generation. With more than 125,000 K-12 schools in the United States, this a bold and broad goal. Read the rest of this entry »