Sustainability for Everyone

SUSTAINABILITY FOR EVERYONE

A workshop presented by Erica Thompson

Americorps OSEEC member at NBS

2012 Earth Dayat the Norman Bird Sanctuary

What motivates you?

To get up in the morning, to work, to

work hard, to care for yourself, to

care for the environment, to give

time and support to your friends, to

your family, to your community?

It’s probably a multitude of things.

A sense of responsibility

A deep feeling of gratitude

Feeling called to action or inspired by others

InspirationThe words and actions of others:

Mahatna Ghandi: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Margaret Meade: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.Mother Theresea: “We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.”Rachel Carson- Author of Silent Spring and founder of the modern environmental movement (led to the banning of DDT and the creation of the EPA)

Family, friends, neighbors…..http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x307/ElkinsWV

My Motivations, My Worldview

Gratitude

Kinship

Cooperation

http://geotripper.blogspot.com/2009/11/other-california-things-it-is-not.html

http://priyasingh82.blogspot.com/2011/06/attitude-of-gratitude.html

Gratitude

Kinship

What we share: a common genetic code

98% Chimpanzee21% Zebra Fish36% Fruit Fly15% Mustard Grass7% Bacteria

http://www.thetech.org/genetics/common.php

http://www.dailygalaxy.com

This is MY family, this is OUR home

Together is the Way Forward

http://www.noobpreneur.com

The power of reflection and

intention

http://www.leadership-and-motivation-training.com

Defining Sustainability

 Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can

exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social,

economic and other requirements of present and

future generations.-The Environmental Protection Agency

Real Eyes Sustainability Animation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5NiTN0chj0 Follow the link, watch the video!

The Three E’s

Environment

Equity

Economics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sustainability-diagram-v4.gif

http://nooventures.edublogs.org/2008-04-23-a-pattern-language-for-sustainability-toward-a-conservation-economy-by-ecotrust/

Start Small, Hold on to Hope

As long as you are on the path, no matter how small your steps, it makes a difference.

Big cultural changes are usually a collection of small changes

Humans are extremely adaptable and resilient

Fear is not effective, but dissatisfaction can be

Get Informed!

Everyone needs to EAT

Grow your own!!

Buy local, eat with the seasonsFood is more fresh and has travelled far lessKnow who grows your food and how they do it.

Do some research, USDA organic is not always sustainable and too costly for small farmers to get certified.

Talk to your farmer!

Advocate! Know how the upcoming Farm Bill effects you and your community

Cut Down on your Meat Consumption

“The livestock sector is a major player, contributing to more than 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent. This is a higher share than transport.”

http://iamguiltless.blogspot.com

-FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 2006

Meat Vs Plants

HungerEnvironmentCancerCholesterolNatural ResourcesAntibioticPesticidesEthicsSurvival

Again, Get

Informed!!!!

Waste?

According to the EPA 27% of our waste could be composted! That’s 1.2 lbs of useful, smelly garbage per person that could be kept out of a landfills EVERYDAY!

Recycling is nice, but preventing, reusing and repurposing are even better

Get craftyChoose less packaging

Buy in bulk, use reusable containersBring your own take home containers and mugs at restaurants and coffee shops

Ladies: Diva Cup!

A Few Words about Landfills…

“Despite America’s efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle waste, more than half of the garbage that Americans produce ends up

in landfills…... Landfills are not designed to break down trash, merely to bury it.

Permitting a modern landfill generally takes about a decade, costs millions of

dollars…….”

“The average American discards 4.34 pounds of garbage every day.”

http://www.environmentalistseveryday.org/solid-waste-management/garbage-trash-waste-facts.php

Purchasing Power

Shop localSupport your community by strengthening your local economy

Buy handcrafted goods from small shops and farmers markets

Reduce the transportation mileage that goes into delivering your goods

What you buy sends a direct message about what you support

Research the practices of the businesses you support- What are their ecological and social impacts?

Green Your Wardrobe

Shop thrift and vintage stores- 5.2% of waste in landfills is clothing

Buy organic cotton- it’s the number one crop for pesticides world wide

Buy natural fibers- many of them can be composted!

Support companies that produce high quality goods that will repair them for the lifetime of the item like Patagonia.

Do It Yourself, or At Least Do No Harm

Health and BeautyToothpaste, Deodorant, Shampoo, Cosmetics

Cleaners

Repair instead of replace, and then dispose/ recycle responsibly!

Do not put anything on your face or down the drain that you would not put in your mouth!

Transportation

Avoid flying when possible, the pollution gets dumped directly into the atmosphere

Public Transport

Carpool

Ride your bike

Take a walk!

http://alttransport.com

WaterOnly 3% of the planets water is drinkable, and 2/3’s is contained in glaciers and ice caps

Educate yourself about watersheds and how you can protect our precious water resources

ConserveWater plants using leftover water from pet baths or cleaning (assuming you are using eco-friendly cleaners)Catch and use the cold water that flows while you are waiting for the water to heat up. Save water AND energyCollect rainwaterFlush the toilet less, 1/3 of our water is used for flushing toilets! http://liveearth.org/en/save/water

Energy

Renewably sourced energy and conservation can save you money and provide more energy security for individuals and communities

We all know about the value of making simple reductions in your usage

Don’t leave lights on when you’re not in the roomTurn computers off when not in useUnplug appliances and cell phone charges, they are using energy even when you are not in the room!

Quality of Life

Living sustainably will improve the quality of our lives, not diminish them, though that

may involve a shift in values

Maybe you will have more quality time with your family- less time consuming media and more time gardening, riding your bikes together, or enjoying a low-lit nutritious meal. Your health may improve with adopting a diet that includes a lot more local, whole, plant foods. Perhaps your social ties and sense of community will strengthenIn sustaining our environment we allow our fellow earthlings to flourish too.

Intentional Communities/ Ecovillages

How nice would it be if sustainability were simply

the way of life of your community?

http://fancycribs.com/19060-camp-jrf-eco-village-by-metcalfe-architecture-design.html

Education and Advocacy

LearnDo Share Speak up

So that we can all….

Rethink Sustainability

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9I3Q6-ZSTI Follow the link, watch the video!

Resource List Get Informed!

Food Farm Fresh RI- www.farmfreshri.org/ A directory of farmers' markets and other sources

of locally grown food in the state, including a restaurant guide. The markets sponsored by Farm Fresh RI accept SNAP benefits, and some of them will begin to accept compost!

List of farms in/around Middletown: http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farms.php?zip=02842

A Market in Newport- http://www.myamarket.com/ The Green Grocer in Middletown- http://www.thegreengrocerri.com/ Revive The Roots Foundation- http://revivetheroots.org/- Helping Rhode Islanders

move towards a more sustainable food supply with educational gardening. Eating with the Ecosystem- www.eatingwiththeecosystem.org- Sustainable local

seafood for New England National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

http://sustainableagriculture.net/about-us/ is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.

Edible Landscaping- a great blog on sustainable, edible landscaping. http://www.ediblelandscapingmadeeasy.com/

Sierra club- A great article on food, I especially like the ‘what you can do’ portion http://www.sierraclub.org/sustainable_consumption/food_factsheet.asp

WasteFast Facts- http://www.planetpals.com/fastfacts.htmlRI Recycling Resource Corporation- http://www.rirrc.org/content/Composting-

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/composting/index.htmPlastic bag slideshow- Watch this before you ever use another plastic bag

http://www.poconorecord.com/_flash/soundslides/20080505plasticbags/soundslider.swf

EnergyEnergy Informative- http://energyinformative.org – Information on many

aspects of renewable and non-renewablesGreat article from Providence Journal about RI energy-http://www.worldfutureenergysummit.com/Portal/news/3/9/2011/efficiency-is-the-best-way-to-conserve-energy.aspxEnergy Dept Energy saving tips- http://www.energysavers.gov/RI renewable energy From ri.gov- http://www.energy.ri.gov/programs/renewable.php Newport Biodiesel- www.newportbiodiesel.comNewport Solar- http://newportsolarri.com/

 WaterRain Harvesting- http://www.harvesth2o.com/Conservation tips: http://liveearth.org/en/save/water  

DIYHealth and Beauty, and Cleaners- Home cleaners, Deodorant, Shampoo etc

are easy to make yourself at home with safe ingredients. You’ll be amazed at all the uses of baking soda and vinegar! You can cut down on artificial and potentially dangerous ingredients, packaging, shipping, and COST! Just look up recipes online and start experimenting. Use old containers that have been cleaned out to store your new DIY beauty products.

Natural Beauty at Home, a book- http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Beauty-Home-Easy---Use/dp/0805070222/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330368695&sr=8-1

Handcrafted Goods- Support those in your community that are handcrafting goods, and in turn support your local economy- check out craft fairs, artist open-houses, and farmer’s markets. The community tent at NBS Harvest Fair is a great spot to find out what crafters in RI are making!

-RI Handmade Blog- http://rihandmade.blogspot.com/

Green Living Websites and Blogs

Apeiron Sustainable RI Things you can do: http://www.apeiron.org/new/sustainableri/things_you_can_do.php

Sierra Club Sustainable Consumption Committee- a great resource for fact sheets and green living tips http://www.sierraclub.org/sustainable_consumption/

Treehugger- http://www.treehugger.com/living/ Do The Green Thing-Practical things you can do http://www.dothegreenthing.com/

Green America (NGO)- http://www.greenamerica.orgGreen America article: 10 things you should never buy again

http://www.greenamerica.org/programs/shopunshop/unshopping/neverbuy.cfm

Bioengineering Corporation- Building sustainable communities on an ecological foundation- http://www.bioengineering.com/ourstory.php#

Mother Earth News www.Motherearthnews.com

Transition US- Common people preparing for a time when cheap oil is no longer an

option http://www.transitionus.org/

Natural Step http://www.naturalstep.org/

Earth Island Institute http://www.earthisland.org/

Envirosax- resources list:-http://www.envirosax.com/education_resources

World Changing . org http://www.worldchanging.com/ Worldchanging.com is a nonprofit media organization dedicated to solutions-based journalism about the planetary future.

EPA Green Livinghttp://www.epa.gov/gateway/learn/greenliving.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/greenhomes/overview.htm

Environmental Quality

RI Department of Environmental Managment- great source of information on RI’s environmental quality http://www.dem.ri.gov/

DEM Earthwatch http://www.dem.ri.gov/earthwatch/index.htm350.Org- http://www.350.org/WWF Living Planet Report

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/all_publications/living_planet_report/

Intentional Communities/ Eco-Villages

Great blog entry about the future of intentional communities- http://www.greenecocommunities.com/blog/2008/08/23/the-futures-so-bright-sustainable-communities-and-eco-villages/

Fellowship for Intentional Communities- http://www.ic.org/D Acres in NH- Education center, communal living, and camping-

http://www.dacres.org/index.html  

Film

Free documentary websites-http://topdocumentaryfilms.comhttp://watchdocumentary.com/http://documentaryheaven.com/

Documentaries Manufactured Landscapes The Story of Stuff A New We The Sustainable City Off The Grid Food Inc The Future of Food Vanishing of the Bees The World According to Monsanto The End of Suburbia Thirst No Impact Man Zietgeist: Moving Forward Thrive

TV SeriesPlanet EarthDesign: e²

YouTubeReal Eyes sustainability animation featured in Sustainability for Everyone workshop at NBS- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5NiTN0chj0- Rethink Sustainability, also featured in Sustainability for everyone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9I3Q6-ZSTIAbout Transition US-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Jk9Qe9O1UiY#!

Lectures

Visions of a Sustainable World, Yale lecture series- http://environment.yale.edu/visions/

Arithmetic, Population and Energy- Sustainability 101 http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/arithmetic-population-and-

energy-lecture/ TED talks

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/graham_hill_weekday_vegetarian.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/britta_riley_a_garden_in_my_apartment.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/edward_burtynsky_on_manufactured_landscapes.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/ray_anderson_on_the_business_logic_of_sustainability.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_stamets_on_6_ways_mushrooms_can_save_the_world.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/william_mcdonough_on_cradle_to_cradle_design.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/alex_steffen_sees_a_sustainable_future.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/

john_gerzema_the_post_crisis_consumer.html