Reuse, Reduce, Recycle

Today’s society is heavily based on materialism. The media is always advertising what you need to make your life more complete. Advertising uses psychology to its advantage, to capture the attention of many and persuade them into buying items. Take for example the new green revolution, many people are told that they should buy brand new energy efficient appliances, put down cool sustainable bamboo floors, newer computers, better clothes that help kids in developing countries, etc. Yes, these are all cool and appealing but what the consumer is doing is just consuming more. More resources are being wasted as more products are being made and more people are buying them. This is what makes our capitalistic society; consumption. Now consumption is not necessarily a bad thing, its just the rate at which we consume that must be watched. On this planet, there are now more than 7 billion people and each of these people has the desire to better their life. When people become higher class, they tend to consume more. The more energy a nation consumes the higher the GDP per capita. And with our growing population, we as a people must be careful as to how much we consume. The best solution to this is to reduce consumption, reuse items, and lastly, recycle.

Our society; however, focuses on the recycling aspect rather than reducing and reusing. Recycling is a great option as opposed to that of trashing since the item’s elements would be used again into a different and brand new form again. It uses less energy and resources than trashing and reproducing a new item from scratch; therefore, it is a more economical choice to recycle. Nonetheless, energy is still used to recycle when an item can simply be reused or re-purposed. Take for example my apartment, nearly every piece of furniture and household item was used; my sofa, my dining table and chairs, my décor, my side tables, one of my lamps, my dishes, my bed, and my coffee table. Not only do you save money not having to buy these items, you save the environment just by reusing them. Some people are not fond of doing this because sometimes the items don’t look as great but in my case mine do! I take great pride in them because I gave them a home and I also refinished some of my furniture’s surfaces with new stain/paint. Reusing definitely gives you pride and confidence especially when you refinish the item yourself!

So please reuse as much as you can! This will ultimately reduce the amount you consume and when an item becomes spent in your eyes recycle it! Even pieces that you believe will have no life afterwards because it is so worn down may be a treasure for someone else. They may not use it wholly but they will use some part of it even if its scraps for their own dream creation. Don’t let the media tell you that you need their item because that’s the only solution. Explore your creativity and try something old!

Organic Foods

When you go to a grocery store, are the foods labeled organic really organic?

Organic foods have become a popular trend lately. There are many products these days labeled “Organic,” “All natural,” “Nature’s Best,”etc. These names are a great part of advertising; making people buy them because they are supposedly more natural. Unfortunately, these foods are likely to cost 3 times as much as conventional store-bought foods. Though consumers must pay attention to whether there is a certification behind that claim. That is why the USDA created an Organic Certification program called USDA Organic Certified. What is USDA Organic? Farmers who are USDA Organic Certified must fit the following criteria as posted on USDA’s webpage:

·         Preserve natural resources and biodiversity

·         Support animal health and welfare

·         Provide access to the outdoors so that animals can exercise their natural behaviors

·         Only use approved materials

·         Do not use genetically modified ingredients

·         Receive annual onsite inspections

·         Separate organic food from non-organic food

In addition to these criteria, USDA Certified Organic foods must avoid most synthetic pesticides which means they use pesticides but ideally they should be natural. The problem with some natural pesticides is that they can have higher toxicity levels than some synthetic ones and are not as efficient so they are sprayed many more times than some synthetic ones. Unlike what many people believe, USDA Organic certified foods sold in stores still use pesticides. Most of the foods bought in grocery stores are mass produced; they are still factory farms.

The best organic foods are not those sold in stores but those sold in farmers’ markets and small family farms. Both are guaranteed to produce foods locally and give profit to the small farmers instead. Many of these farmers are disappearing due to monopolization of the farming industry so it is important that we support those who are still pursuing their dream of working on the land. In addition to locally sourced food, honey is a great example of a food that if locally sourced, could help prevent seasonal allergies.

Going to pick-your-own farms can be very fulfilling since you work your way to that food. It also is a great way to bring people closer together, expose children to the outdoors, and relax from ordinary life. And just like farmers’ markets you become exposed to different people and can spring up interesting conversations, eventually making more friends. Food is a part of society and must be cherished not monopolized.

Food is also a great part of the environment and must be understood. Many children don’t quite understand how food is produced. They think you simply have to go to a grocery store and buy it. Most don’t have a true relationship with food. This relationship must be learnt in order to promote healthy lifestyles. Children like plants are better grown outside and the more interaction they get with how their food is grown the more their mind is stimulated by curiosity and likewise with adults. So go out and find a pick-your-own farm, go to a farmers’ market, and spring up a conversation! You’ll be amazed by the things you learn, the people you meet, and best of all, the food you taste!

Here are a few places to visit and enjoy:

Hollin Farms Pick-Your-Own

Burke Farmers Market
Saturdays, May 3-November 22; 8 a.m.-Noon 

Heather Hill Nursery

Energy Efficiency

What You Could Do in Your Own Home to Make it More Energy Efficient Without Paying a Hefty Price

Many people still don’t understand that improving energy efficiency in a home does not have to be expensive. The other day I was talking to my coworker and she was saying that she has a 4 bedroom 20 year old house and its efficiency is in need of improvement since her bill was $300-400 a month. I told her that’s outrageous and she said that she wanted to replace all of the windows with new insulating windows but could not afford it because each window would cost about $800 a piece. I told her about other options such as UV blocking window films and she simply did not know about it. Homeowners should research more into the low-cost sustainable solutions that they can implement themselves in their home for a tenth of the price. Take for example the UV blocking window films; they cost about $40 or 3’X15’ roll. Not bad at all, that would cover about 3 windows depending on their sizes. You’d spend about $20 per window instead of $800. Now that’s a deal! Below I made a list of low-cost solutions that anyone can implement into their homes:

Solutions that aid with home energy efficiency:

·         UV Window Film

·         LED light bulbs

·         Silicone Caulk

·         Air filter for HVAC

And of course replacing older appliances with more efficient ones that are Energy Star rated but that’s a more costly solution.

Its important that all homeowners understand their options to improve their home so that they don’t bear a huge load when paying their utility bills.

UV window films are a great solution for older homes. In older homes, warmth from a home escapes greatly through the windows during the winter which makes the heater work harder to keep the home a certain comfortable temperature. Likewise, cool air escapes during the summer and more sunlight radiation hits through the windows causing a greenhouse effect in warming the house. In addition to warming a house, sunlight can damage wood finishes, plastics, and dyes in curtains. UV blocking window films are easy to install, merely peel and stick. They block 70% of oncoming solar radiation, ultimately saving the homeowner a significant amount on their electricity bill.

LED light bulbs should be implemented in most homes since they could last up to 20 years, use 10 watts of energy to produce 750 lumens or the light of a 75 watt incandescent light bulb, are more durable and resistant to breaking when dropped, and finally, they now come in an array of different lighting.

Silicone caulk like the other solutions should be used when filling gaps, cracks, and crevices in a home. This prevents moisture from seeping in, pests from creeping in, and most importantly, air from coming out. Silicone caulk unlike acrylic caulk lasts much longer since it is crack- and shrink- proof and is naturally resistant to mold and mildew growth.

Finally, in order to improve your HVAC’s efficiency, it’s always best to replace the filter every 3 months.

Home ownership requires a great deal of responsibility and can be expensive. But with these solutions added to your home, you can greatly reduce the costs and the stress!

Active Transportation

What is active transportation? It is transportation that requires more physical activity than transportation via automobile. Active transportation can consist of biking, walking, even taking the bus or metro as these types of transit require more walking than a car does.

Active transportation can help reduce traffic congestion in metropolitan areas and promote healthy active lifestyles for the people living in those areas. Statistics show that those who are more involved with active transportation are less likely to have chronic heart disease and are not likely to become obese as just a few more minutes of walking a day can help slim off one pound of fat every six weeks.

Not only does active transportation help improve traffic congestion and health, it reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

People often wonder what exactly sustainability is. It can mean a number of things and can be applied to every aspect of life. Sustainability is not only about the environment but about the community as well. Living a sustainable lifestyle means that you reduce your amount of consumption, reuse items, recycle waste, use energy efficient products, use public transportation more often, be involved in carpooling, stick with an electronic item for no less than two years, buy more organic foods from small family farms, and give back to the community. Volunteering is a great way to practice sustainability within a community.

 


One example of this in the George Mason University community would be to volunteer at the greenhouse. The greenhouse is full of interesting and exotic species of plants. It is a place where students and faculty can relax after a busy day. Also, it is a place of continuous learning. One can learn about many different plant species and their attributes as well as how to manage them in a sustainable manner. For example, practicing pest management without the use of pesticides and practicing learnt watering techniques. A golden principle to remember with watering is that plants would fair better with under watering rather than with over watering. Over watering a plant can cause fungal diseases to appear and attack the root of seedlings and make adult plants much weaker, hence yield less vegetation. The art of watering deals more with the frequency rather than the amount of watering. If watering potted plants, the soil should be watered until water is dripping from underneath through the holes of the pot. Afterwards, the plants would not need to be watered until the soil becomes very dry. One can test the dryness of soil by placing a finger one the soil and feeling to see if the soil is moist or dry within one inch depth. Also, plants must be fertilized every watering period about once a week depending on the plant.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/quickref/houseplants/watering.html

The George Mason University greenhouse provides great experience with ecology for those interested and a place of relaxation for those looking to wind down. Other similar opportunities include volunteering for both the Potomac Heights Vegetable Garden and the Innovation Food Forest. Not only will those volunteering learn more about permaculture (sustainable and organic agriculture) but they will also enjoy the fruit of the profit after harvesting season! Below are links with more information on volunteering times.

 

https://www.facebook.com/gmugarden http://gmugarden.wordpress.com/

 

http://esp.gmu.edu/facilities/greenhouse/ http://green.gmu.edu/campussustainability/phvgarden.cfm

Other ways that students can volunteer are to come by the Catholic Ministry on Roberts Road to help prepare food for the homeless. This happens every other Thursday from 19:45 until 22:00. It is a great way to meet new people, learn new culinary dishes, and best of all help those in need. There are so many different events and activities on campus where students can practice sustainability and make a positive impact doing so. Be proactive and adventurous! Step out of your room and volunteer!