Tiffany's Articles
Tiffany is happy to join the Pays to Live Green team as a Guest Writer for 2010! With a passion for the outdoors, but a life in the city, she loves discovering new ways to create more sustainable lifestyles. With a Masters in Strategic Leadership toward Sustainability from Sweden, she learned from global leaders in the field. As a strategic sustainability consultant for individuals, organizations, and city governments she has experience working with all things “green”. Her passion for sustainability is based in her science background, leading her to take a methodical approach to leveraging sustainability initiatives to the next level.
Antibiotics with your Tap Water, Madam?
In a recent study by the University of California, antibiotics given to cows were traced throughout their waste stream. Although not the first study to be done on the extensive use of antibiotics, especially on dairy cows, this study found that most antibiotics broke down before reaching ground water. This is good news for individuals who use well-water and live near dairy operations. The study did not look into the effects on surface water, marine life, or other species and areas of the environment impacted by the antibiotics.
Filtering your water and occasionally having it tested can also help keep your tap water safe and clean. The EPA recently released a study that reviewed the safety of municipal tap water. Depending on where you live, contamination risks may differ. The EPA found that water quality (for the US) was disappointingly low and came up with a list of suggestions. So it may be worthwhile to see just what lurks in your tap water!
You can read the summary of the dairy study here.
Canadian? Watch your BPA Intake
In a recent study by Statistics Canada, 91% of all Canadians had BPA in their bodies. Now this is not a growing issue specific to Canada though, so consider your own Country’s products and your personal rate of BPA exposure and intake.
So just how bad is this and what can we do about it in our own locations across the globe? First, the study provides an important baseline for understanding BPA exposure. But is BPA really bad for you? And since it is so prevalent in consumer products, is this number of concern? Let’s take a quick look.
What and Where is BPA?
BPA, or Bisphenol A, is most commonly used in plastics and to coat things like shopping receipts and food cans. For the scientifically minded out there, it is most commonly used in polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. It is a synthetically-made chemical that does not naturally occur in nature, but due to its persistent use in consumer products, can be found in water, aquatic animals, and humans mainly. The 2002 BPA market saw 2.8 million tons produced globally, and the numbers have only increased until recently. Some of the most common products can be found in our food plastics including baby bottles.
Should I Be Concerned?
According to the American Chemistry Council and industry trade groups, No.
According to health officials worldwide including the FDA and health scientists, Yes.
Take a minute to reflect on the different sources of information.
So, Why the Controversy?
Mainly, different mindsets. The chemical industry and chemical trade groups are taking the approach that until it has not been proven to cause immediate harm to human health. Resulting with the approach that there is little need to address the situation, so business continues as usual. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) originally deemed low rates of BPA exposure as safe. The chemical industry is first to tell you that BPA is highly regulated and tested and has been studied for over 40 years.
Unfortunately, there is a growing body of evidence that is proving that BPA exposure is not safe. Its effects on the brain, diabetes, prostate gland, and in particular the reproductive system and children is of great concern. In February of this year, the FDA made a public announcement encouraging households to limit their exposure to BPA. Now the FDA has not made a formal announcement that BPA should be publicly banned, but countries like Canada have decided to review whether this should be done until we learn can be certain there is absolutely no health risk.
The real health concerns arise when BPA levels increase, and since manufacturers have no control over what their consumers eat and are exposed to in conjunction with their product, the responsibility lays with each of us to decide which approach we will take.
CBS News Video on the 2010 FDA Announcement to Limit BPA Exposure
CBS News Reviews FDA Warning on BPA
Tips for BPA-Free Living
The Mayo Clinic offers these tips for reducing your potential exposure to BPA:
- Choose glass or BPA-free plastic baby bottles.
- Use glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers for hot foods and liquids.
- Avoid plastic containers with the No. 7 and No. 3 recycling label — they’re made with BPA.
- Don’t microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers. Instead, use glass containers designed for microwaving.
- Reduce your use of canned foods — many cans are lined with a BPA-containing resins
Please note that BPA is not required to be listed on food products or consumer goods, so it may be hard to find and eliminate all together. BPA can be flushed out of the body within 6 hours according to current research, so cleansing your body of BPA quickly is an option.
So it is up to you to decide which approach is best for your lifestyle. Either the wait and see method or the precautionary principle. Best of luck with your decision.
Sources include: Reuters, Chemical Market Associates, Inc (CMAI), Mayo Clinic, American Chemistry Council’s Plastics Division Business Group
Book Review: Merchants of Doubt
Where do climate denialists get their information?
How is it that the belief in climate change has plummeted, when the scientific and factual evidence is skyrocketing?
How will we, as a global society, ever expect to address one of the greatest issues of out time if we refuse to recognize it?
Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway set out to find the answer to the first two questions quite some time ago. In their recent publication Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming they review from a science historian’s perspective, just what has happened. Oreskes is currently on a book tour answering and explaining just how the presence of doubt, not fact, has been enough to derail the most conclusive scientific evidence. The tactic? It’s most often referred to as the Tobacco Scheme since most publicly used by tobacco companies to fight regulation and maintain their market share.
How do these schemes work?
Essentially by taking well known scientists, having them publicly state their doubts on the scientific research (while being funded by think tanks) and then leverage those scientists profiles for lobbying and marketing campaigns. This of course is a rather crude rendition of the careful planning that takes place, but I recommend hearing Oreskes speak to understand just how effective this process has been for so many years.
The catch?
First, these scientists are commenting on research done outside of their field.
Imagine taking advice from an Opthamologist (eye doctor) on how to address your stomach aches. What? They are both doctors, right? Just like scientists are all…scientists. So check your sources.
Second, they are taking advantage of the fact that the general population isn’t familiar with the scientific process for research. Scientific research is different from a Think Tank’s research or a non-profit or a company’s R & D department. Why? Because it must be peer reviewed, and all of the comments and critiques must be addressed. It takes a great deal of time to build the scientific body of knowledge on a subject due to this thorough and necessary process. How long have we known about climate change? Apparently Linden Johnson knew in 1965 it would be an issue, and in the early 1990s it was accepted that anthropogenic sources were the cause in the scientific community based on a great deal of research. To be clear, there is no scientific debate on climate change. Personal, political, corporate, religious, and all other types of beliefs or agendas, not scientific, debates remain.
Third, the public status of the ‘Scientists’ that are casting doubts have given them access to media, lobbyists, politicians, businesses, and other interested parties. But more importantly, their status as a ‘Scientist’ not necessarily a Climatologists, Glaciologists, or other climate change specific study has given them credibility in the eyes of the public. Remember, many people are ‘Doctors’, but you wouldn’t trust any type of doctor with your specific medical condition.
Fourth, the media’s lack of understanding of scientific inquiry, reporting, and the process along with their keen nose for drama (present or imagined) has been its own self-propelling train of misinformation. To be clear, there is no scientific debate regarding whether humans are the source of this increased time in warming. Radiation from the sun has not changed (they know because they measure it), but emissions have, and since we are on glacial and interglacial cycles (meaning we go from ice age to a ‘hot’ age) we know that this rate of warming is unaccounted for (not to mention that we are currently in a ‘cooling’ phase of the cycle…meaning it should be getting colder, not hotter out).
So how did we all get so confused?
Well a concerted effort for casting a doubt, not necessarily a credible doubt, but doubt. If you are in a room of 100 people and you take a vote, and all but one person votes YES, then would you say there was a controversy? Would you give equal media attention to the Yes and No sides of the argument? No. You can report it, but if the vast majority has said ‘yes’, then there isn’t much controversy to report. Unfortunately, in the realm of climate change reporting or mis-reporting, both sides have been given equal press time.
Again, there is no scientific debate about climate change. But ‘Merchants of Doubt’ as Oreskes and Conway title them in their book, are able to override this by casting doubt. And when there wasn’t anymore evidence to try to shred, they attacked the content of character of the scientists themselves, not their work. A great example is ClimateGate. An overblown and somewhat pathetic attempt (if you are reading the science, not the opinion column) to dissuade populations of climate change and give industries more reason to fight regulation.
I highly recommend this book, hearing Oreskes speak, or to watch the video below to help clear the air, persay, about what has happened. The same technique was used to fight the regulation and common belief of negative ties to tobacco, DDT, acid rain, and the ozone hole. It is not new, but it has been effective, to all of our great misfortune.
D-o-u-b-t. It has been their most powerful tool. But Education an be ours.
Meal Planning Done For You: E-Mealz
The easiest meal-planning helper has arrived! We have all heard that meal planning can save you money, help make organic food more affordable, and even help you develop healthier eating habits (and kick the food waste habit…which is a growing problem). The reality is that too often we are moving so quickly in our culture of “busy-ness” that meal planning feels like an idea only suitable for a 1950s housewife. Since Home Economics has left the school curriculum, we are not as food savvy as we once were as a culture, and therefore meal planning and learning how to use leftovers feels a bit ominous to most of us.
Meet your meal planning lifeline: E-mealz.
What is E-Mealz?
Have you ever had the feeling that your grocery shopping and meal-planning could use a little hand holding? I mean nothing serious, just a little extra support like a shoulder to lean on? Well add meal planning with E-Mealz to your list if this sounds a little too familiar. Simply enter in your grocery store and any dietary restrictions, diets regimes, or desires. They provide you with a weekly shopping list and menu with recipes. Viola! Meal planning done and on to the good stuff, shopping. The grocery list is organized by sections of the store in a one-page chart. There is even a little section for you to add other groceries you may need and it includes the total cost with the goal being a $75 average. Each item has a corresponding meal number, so if you don’t like spinach (sorry Popeye!) then you can eliminate that meal or side dish easily.
What’s it to me?
No need to wander around the grocery store helplessly trying to find Tartar Sauce! It can also help you with new dietary restrictions, understanding how to eat healthy, and keep you on track for any diets you may be trying out. It can also help you save money by decreasing your impulse buys of “I will use this for something…” and the planning list is available 24/7, unlike Grandma. Of course there are a few cons. First, it costs a whopping $5 per month, which makes it a great holiday or Birthday gift! If you stick to the plan, you may actually find that you are saving money upfront through meal planning and indirectly through eating balanced meals helping you focus at work, and worry less about meal planning. The other con is if you do not shop at Big Box stores for your groceries, there may not be a grocery chart for you and prices may differ at the store.
So, what’s for dinner tonight? A balanced meal on a budget? If you want a meal planning companion, E-mealz is an easy option for the busy Moms and Dads out there, as well as for those new to cooking and meal planning.
Cheers to sustainable living, keeping our food waste down, and getting in touch with the efficient 1950s housewife within all of us!
And for those of us shopping at co-ops and the like, we can still get meal plans, but the budgeting may be different – just a heads up.
Photo Credit: E-Mealz
Renting Electric Cars: 2011 Here we Come!
Traveling can be a sustainable living enthusiast’s worst nightmare. With air travel being an astronomical contributor to global emissions, and train travel often a few Federal funding dollars away, its important to try to make on the ground travel as low-impact as possible. Starting in 2011 you can do just that with Enterprise’s Rent A Car! They will be offering the Nissan Leaf Electric vehicles to their customers. With well over 5,000 locations scattered through out the U.S. one of these vehicles may just be in range.
Their initial investment of 500 vehicles is an excellent indicator of a few major trends. First, customers want more fuel-efficient, cost-saving, and environmentally-friendly forms of transit. Second, it demonstrates an increasing commitment toward electric vehicles from transportation industries. An important step after issues highlighted in the movie “Who Killed the Electric Car?” shed light on the auto industries extensive efforts to silence the technology not so long ago. Lastly, it signifies hope. Hope that as a society we are driving in the right direction toward lower greenhouse gas emissions and impact.
Where can I rent an EV?
EVs, or electric vehicles, will be available via Enterprise where the cities currently are or are in the process of becoming equipped to charge and handle the specialized vehicles. This includes Phoeniz & Tuscon, AZ, Knoxville & Nashville, TN, San Diego & Los Angeles, CA, Seattle, WA and Portland, OR. Enterprise is planning on playing a key part in the deployment of EVs and their growth outside of their rental chain through charging stations. They are already equipped with hybrid rentals, so they are tacking on one more service to these stations come Fall.
Me Not Work EV…
Have no fear, Enterprise is on it. Their employees will be undergoing extensive training to help EV new comers get comfortable driving the vehicles before pushing the pedal to the metal next winter. With the ability to travel 100 miles until needing re-charging, most rental car users shouldn’t need a new energy supply. And if you aren’t ready for the world of electrics quite yet, you can ask the office about hybrids (they have been stockpiling those as well…very sneaky).
How Dedicated is Enterprise to Alternative Transit?
Shockingly enough…a lot! At least a lot more than you may have originally assumed. They have a separate research institute looking into biofuels that began in 2007, they have developed a WeCar car-sharing technology for more localized rentals, and now with their changing fleets to include more sustainable living options they are looking good. What’s better though is that they are making internal commitments as well including reducing energy, recycling used motor oil and filters, planting trees, and even some design change implementations that are projected to cut their yearly CO2 emissions by 6.5 million pounds…that’s a whole lotta reduction.
So starting next winter, keep your eye out for the opportunity to test drive an EV through Enterprise Rent-a-Car! Of course a hybrid could suffice in the mean time. Also, keep your eye out for other rental car agencies that follow suit, hopefully Enterprise is a leader in what will become a new trend for the rental car industry.
Win an Eco-Tourism Trip for Two!
How does soaking up rays in Costa Rica (the eco way of course) with a special someone sound? Well then read up on Neenah Paper’s work in the sustainability field, sign up to win the contest, take the quiz and wait on baited breathe for them to announce your name!
Environment Paper made by Neenah Paper offers a wide variety of FSC-certified and eco-friendly paper options manufactured using 100% renewable energy. The paper industry used to be known as one of the dirtiest industries in business due to the toxins and leeching that was commonplace. So this commitment to sustainable paper both from a sourcing and a manufacturing perspective is refreshing.
Sign up to win here!
Top Renewable Energy Users Rankings are In!
The EPA’s Green Power Partnership just released the rankings of the top purchasers of renewable energy, and your city just may be one of them! The charts show how much energy is used and what percentage of that energy is renewables along with which renewables and their sources.
Purchasing green power can come by three ways according to the EPA:
- RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates)
- On-Site Generation
- Utility Green Power Products
So check out who is ‘in the know’ when it comes to renewable energy, it just may surprise you!
Here is a sneak preview of some of the obvious and not so obvious leaders:
- Intel Corporation
- Kohl’s Department Stores
- Whole Foods Market
- U.S. Airforce
- Statue of Liberty
- University of Pennsylvania
- Harvard
- Texas A&M University System
- Houston & Dallas, TX
- DC
- Chicago
Check out the rankings on the EPA’s Green Power Partnership’s website.
Photo Credit: Eco Electrons
