Rethinking the 3 R's

If your childhood was anything like mine, you've had the 3 R's - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle - imprinted on your brain (along with the names of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the lyrics to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air intro) for as long as you can remember.  But today, there's another R in town that's even more important and impactful:  Rethink.  

According to Roseland, "waste shouldn't and doesn't have to be a part of the consumption cycle."  And if we start thinking about waste as an unnecessary byproduct and a human invention that can ultimately be eliminated, the inefficiencies of our current standard of living become vividly apparent and opportunities for effecting change appear in all manner of places.

Striving for a zero-waste society is an admirable goal and one that should be on everyone's agenda.  There is, however, a lot of damage that has already been done and that should be considered in addition to rethinking the way we make things in the first place.  Three ideas and interesting areas of development come to mind, all of which address slightly different stages of the rethinking process.

1.  Rethinking Mushrooms

One thing that should never be underestimated is the power of Mother Nature to restore balance.  While we pride ourselves on finding new and better ways to create and invent products and processes, we often overlook the astounding ideas that nature has had in place for millions of years.  Biomimicry seeks to study and learn from these time-tested strategies and incorporate them into more sustainable methods of advancing our society.  Following this method of thought, what other ways can natural processes be utilized to solve some of our self-inflicted waste problems?

One fascinating discovery may provide a natural solution to the problem of non-biodegradable discarded plastic which could potentially be sitting in landfills for centuries.  A group of students from Yale brought a fungus back from a trip to the Amazon that thrives on a diet of polyurethane in an oxygen-free environment.  In a global economy that produces 300 million tons of plastic each year, a fungus that can survive in the conditions at the bottom of a landfill and that feeds off of the landfill's contents is a very promising idea indeed.

Additionally, a company called Ecovative has combined mycelium, the sticky substance on the bottom of mushrooms, with corn husks and other food byproducts to create a product similar to polystyrene foam.  This is the nasty stuff we see in packing materials, some takeout food packaging, and insulation.  Eliminating this product from our environment poses major benefits not only for our landfills but for our oceans as well as it is a major component of plastic debris threatening marine wildlife.

Read and hear more about these miraculous mushrooms here.

2.  Rethinking Consumerism

"Armaments, universal debt, and planned obsolescence - those are the three pillars of Western prosperity.  If war, waste, and moneylenders were abolished, you'd collapse.  And while you people are overconsuming the rest of the world sinks more and more deeply into chronic disaster."

-Aldous Huxley, Island

"Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need."

-Tyler Durden, Fight Club

The first time I read about the Cradle to Cradle design concept, I thought it was the answer to all of our problems.  And while I question whether or not McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) has succumbed to some of the "less bad" principles they warn against in the implementation of their product certifications, the theory behind their ideas can still provide a useful framework for redefining the way we approach consumerism.

In particular, I am intrigued by the concept of a 'product of service'.  Essentially, McDonough and Braungart perceive a  system in which, "instead of assuming that all products are to be bought, owned, and disposed of by 'consumers,' products containing valuable technical nutrients . . . would be reconceived as services people want to enjoy . . . .  When they finish with the product, . . . the manufacturer replaces it, taking the old model back, breaking it down, and using its complex materials as food for new products."  This type of economy is quite different from our current ownership-based economic model, but the implications and benefits for a society with an ever-increasing hunger for newer and better products and technology shouldn't be ignored.  If we can get past the norm that what we own defines what we're worth, we have the opportunity to revolutionize the way products are made and disposed of.

3.  Rethinking the Circle of Life

I couldn't resist...

Even in death, the most natural of processes, we have found ways to damage the environment.  The current standard involves two main options - burial or cremation.  But between non-biodegradable coffins, embalming liquid seeping into the ground, greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of corpses, and the inefficiencies of large plots of land left unusable for other endeavors, end-of-life decisions have lasting impacts long after our loved ones have left us.

A greener alternative to these traditional methods is aquamation.  This involves a process called alkaline hydrolysis in which "a body is placed in a stainless-steel vat containing a 200°F potassium-hydroxide-and-water solution for four hours until all that remains is the skeleton."  The bones are crushed and given to the family while the remaining solution, which contains no DNA, can be diluted by adding vinegar or citric acid and then recycled.  It's even safe enough to use to water plants!  And the entire process uses only 5 to 10% of the energy required for cremation.  If you can get past the logistics, I think going back into the earth to create new life sounds like a pretty nice way to leave one last positive mark on the world.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink

Plastic-eating fungi, a rental-based society, and aquamation are just a few intriguing ways to rethink the way we reduce, reuse, and recycle.  But we have a lot more rethinking to do if we're to start living within the means of our planet and to become a more natural, zero-waste society.  Share your Rethinking ideas below!

...and at once I knew I was not magnificent

"Adventure is a path.  Real adventure - self-determined, self-motivated, often risky - forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world.  The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it.  Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness.  In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind - and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both.  This will change you.  Nothing will ever again be black-and-white." -Mark Jenkins

Bon Iver - Holocene (for your listening pleasure)

Both of the above capture some of my feelings about adventure and the earth.  One line in particular from Holocene states "...and at once I knew I was not magnificent."  Anyone who has stood atop the Mayan ruins in Guatemala, swam with the fishes in the Indian Ocean, or drank a pint of Guinness at a small Irish pub can appreciate how experiencing the world can put things in perspective.

As you can tell and like many others who have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do so, I absolutely love to travel.  At the risk of including too many quotes in one small post, Susan Sontag once said "I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list."  And that is exactly how I feel.  With unlimited time and money, there isn't a place on earth I wouldn't want to go.  But in addition to those two limitations, traveling the world can also have a huge impact from a sustainability perspective.  Between GHG emissions from airplanes and other modes of transportation, impacts on wildlife, impacts on the aesthetics and culture of tourist destinations, and the generation of additional pollution and waste outputs, a seemingly simple trip across the ocean can leave in its wake a lot more than was bargained for.

On the other hand, the economic impacts of travel and tourism on some countries are often important or even essential to their livelihoods.  And as an MBA student entering an increasingly global business world, even if I could minimize my personal impact by reducing or eliminating my own travel plans (what a sad thought), Corporate America will likely make that option unfeasible.  So what options are there for more sustainable travel?

The Indian School of Business - Hyderabad

For my personal project this semester, I am going to explore the options for sustainable travel in preparation for my study abroad trip to India in January of 2013.  Aside from the 5 weeks I will spend taking classes, I will also have several weeks to myself before I head back to Indiana to wrap up the school year, and I plan to spend this time seeing as much of the country (and possibly some others nearby) as possible.  Planning this trip all on my own is a daunting task to begin with, but I think that finding ways to reduce my impact while supporting the local communities will actually help give me some direction and serve as a great learning experience.  And in the end, I hope I'll be able to see the world without jeopardizing any of its magnificence.

Local Eats & Tasty Treats

 

 

 

 

Today marked the Big Red Eats Green event on IU's campus where B-town restaurants serving locally sourced or seasonal food set up camp to increase awareness of the benefits and availability of local eats.  Not only did I personally enjoy several of the food offerings, but I was also struck by the number of restaurants there are in Bloomington who use locally sourced foods in their menu items.  I knew the town was ahead of the game in this arena, comparatively speaking anyhow, but it's eye-opening to see all in one place just how true that is.



Naomi & me enjoying Soma smoothies & a Dunn Meadows wrap
(note our complimentary "I Ate Local" bracelets)

To give you some insight into my perspective, before coming back to grad school I was living in Bowling Green, Kentucky which boasts the second most restaurants per capita in the nation.  Yes, I said boasts.  If you follow that link above, you can see from the short book description that BG is proud of this fact, although I for one find it fairly disturbing.  True, Bowling Green does have a handful of local eateries, but by and large the establishments that make up this statistic are your run-of-the-mill chains:  Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster, Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, Denny's, Cracker Barrel, Burger King, KFC, Taco Bell, Wendy's, you name it and they probably have it.  Last time I counted, there were a whopping 7 McDonalds serving a town of less than 60,000.  And even with all of those options, it's impossible to go out to dinner on a Friday night without waiting for a table for at least an hour and often much longer.  No wonder Kentucky is ranked one of the Top 10 Most Obese States on a regular basis.

 

Grow your own!

Following those facts, I can only express how happy I am to have such a better range of options here in Bloomington.  Sure, this is America and those bad choices will always be out there.  But today I have a new appreciation for all the good options that do exist for those who want to make the healthier choice, and one that benefits the local economy.  So thanks Big Red for helping me Eat Green!

Policy, Greenwash, & Eco-Labeling

Much of the compelling literature out there talks about why we need to make a change and stresses the devastation that will become of our planet if we don't alter our thoughtless, consumer-driven ways.  Everyone has heard about the terrors of global warming, the melting ice caps, the ozone depletion.  Even so, there are still plenty of non-believers out there.  But for the rest of us, at some point you've heard enough of the horrifying statistics and you just want to know if you can do something about it.

It was for this reason that I was (and am) looking forward to Roseland's take on developing sustainable communities.  This week, the focus was on Making Community Policy.  I think we can all agree that, generally speaking, people want to do the right thing.  Issues arise, however, when people aren't particularly clear about what the "right thing" is or when doing so is particularly inconvenient or expensive.  And in the process of making sustainable choices, this is often the case.  As such, policy can help fill the gaps and create alignment so that sustainable options outweigh the alternatives.  But as with almost everything, there are some holes in the armor and some problems born of policy, especially as they relate to business and a concern with the economic bottom line.

There are lots of buzz words floating around out there, and as the satirical video posted here depicts, many companies are using consumers' lack of knowledge to portray themselves as environmentally conscious.  While policy development has taken steps in the right direction and certainly offers some useful tools to enact change, some corporate responses to those policies have diverged from the original intentions.  According to stopgreenwash.org, greenwash is a term "used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service."  And while there is arguably a lot of this going on, it is up to consumers to educate themselves about the actual practices of the companies whose products and services they are buying.  But how can you tell which claims are legit and which are full of it?

Of particular interest to me in this regard was Roseland's discussion of Voluntary Initiatives.  I spent my most recent summer in Michigan interning for an office furniture and technology manufacturing company.  The office furniture industry has taken major strides in sustainability practices, which is most clearly evident in the multitudes of voluntary eco-label certifications that are widely used (BIFMA level, Cradle to Cradle, and FSC Chain of Custody certifications to name just a few).  While the intention behind this long list of labels is to provide a standardized, third-party verification of the sustainable practice claims a company makes, problems still arise in their enforcement and in the messages they send to consumers.  In Label Confusion: The Groucho Effect of Uncertain Standards, Harbaugh, Maxwell, and Roussillon discuss the value (or lack thereof) of voluntary labels and the confusion that they can create for consumers.  The authors talk about the "Groucho effect" which occurs "when standards are uncertain [and] if a product is expected to be low quality, then...consumers infer that the labeling standard is probably weak if such a product can meet it."  Just as Groucho Marx joked "I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member," a company whose eco-reputation is bad won't necessarily gain much from the addition of eco-labeling.

  

In another article entitled Greenwash: Corporate Environmental Disclosure under Threat of Audit, Lyon and Maxwell dive deeper into the greenwash phenomenon and discuss how NGO audits of environmental claims can actually backfire and cause companies to become even less transparent.  With all of this uncertainty surrounding policy and environmental claims, there is a lot of room for improvement.  And until full environmental disclosure is a required, common practice, it's still up to us to weed out the good, the bad, and the eco-friendly.

This Is Me

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

- Apple Inc. "Think Different" Campaign

 

I like to think Apple could have been referring to any and all of us on this earth.  I think it's about the choices we make and the paths we choose for ourselves, and that those choices define what we make of our lives and of the world around us.  At any rate, I hope that's the case for me. 

 

I'm a twenty-something MBA student at Indiana University, mapping out a future in the grey world of business while making a case for the green ways of sustainable living.  This blog is to capture my journey across the street to the School of Public and Environmental Affairs for a class on Sustainable Development.  Two weeks into the semester and I can already tell this group thinks differently than my b-school counterparts.  Though business has begun taking strides in the field of sustainability, there is still a long way to go.  And I, for one, hope to be a part of that change.