Archive | June, 2011

The Story of Stuff Project

By on June 30, 2011 in APUS Sustainability Efforts, Book/Resource Reviews, Sustainability General, Sustainability in Business, Sustainability Resources

by Beth Gray

Recently, a coworker who is also an American Public University (APU) student (as many of our employees are) sent me a link to a YouTube video that her professor posted as part of that week’s assignment.  The video, produced by The Story of Stuff Project and narrated by Annie Leonard, is 20 minutes in length and provides a somewhat scathing look at the life cycle of our “stuff.” 

Through the use of basic yet effective animations, Leonard describes in accessible terms how all of our stuff comes to be and what happens when we are finished with it.  Through the five steps of the materials economy (extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal), our stuff requires tremendous resources, natural and human.  Along the way, the process harms many of the parties involved.  During the extraction process, for example, people living in the places where the first resources are culled often lose the lands and natural materials on which they have relied for generations.  Because their resources are lost, some 200,000 people a day (worldwide) move from environments that had previously sustained them for generations to cities in search of work, often finding it in the factories that are making stuff from the resources taken from their lands.  During the production process, workers are subjected to many harmful chemicals that are used to create the stuff.  At the same time, working conditions in many of the factories producing our stuff leave much to be desired. 

Even the consumer, who is the driving force behind the manufacturing of this stuff is harmed.  The toxins that go into making the stuff impact those who buy and use these items.  Leonard uses the phrase, “toxins in, toxics out” to make the point that many of our products are actually toxic to us.  Through all of this, the environment takes the most consistent abuse, however.  The loss of vast quantities of natural resources, toxins emitted into the environment, and the irresponsible disposal of most items leaves our planet quite vulnerable, according to Leonard.… Read the rest

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American Muscle: On the Road to Sustainability?

By on June 27, 2011 in Sustainability General, Sustainability in Business

by Shawn Skinner

Many people often do not equate auto performance with efficiency.  This is often true of many early American performance cars.  The first performance engine available to the masses was the Ford Flathead V-8 introduced in 1932.  It is often associated with bootlegging and hot rodding, but it was compact and fuel efficient when compared to larger inline six or eight cylinder engines.  Road tests were even able to achieve 20mpg fuel economy, quite remarkable for the times.… Read the rest

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Environmentally Friendly Father’s Day Gifts

By on June 16, 2011 in Sustainability General

by Jennifer Lefebvre

Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 19th. If you are looking for an environmentally friendly gift for your dad, there are many items available.

Earthtec offers functional apparel while keeping green thinking at the forefront.  In fact, all of their products are made from recycled or renewable materials.  They focus on materials like organic cotton and wool and work with eco-textiles, as well.  Some of these new materials include recycled nylon, corn and coffee beans.

For the hungry dad, Hearst Ranch offers grass-fed meat products for shipping.  Hearst Ranch’s cattle live as foragers and grazers.  The rancher believes that this “enhances a complex and balanced mosaic of native grasslands which in turn maintains vigor and distribution of these habitats, ensuring a sustainable food system.”

… Read the rest

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Safe Sprouts?

By on June 13, 2011 in Current Events

by Shawn Skinner

In recent years, organic produce has increasingly become part of the diet of health-conscious consumers.  Various bean sprouts and alfalfa sprouts are found in many salads and sandwiches at cafes and restaurants.  Despite the surge in popularity, some consumers are beginning to feel uneasy about eating sprouts due to the recent European E. coli outbreak.

According to a Reuters article, the outbreak has primarily centered in Germany, and has resulted in about 2,300 infections and 23 deaths.  German officials originally pointed to Spanish cucumbers as the source, but further investigation led to the possibility of bean sprouts from a German farm in Lower Saxony being the culprit.  Two previous outbreaks, one in Japan in 1996 and the other in the U.S.… Read the rest

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Princeton Review Publishes Guide to Green Colleges

By on June 5, 2011 in Book/Resource Reviews, Current Events, Sustainability in Higher Education

by Kelly Wenner

In April 2011, The Princeton Review partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to publish the Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges.  The Review evaluated colleges and universities on their environmentally-related policies, practices and academic offerings.  The rating, on a scale of 60-99, demonstrates whether students have a healthy, sustainable campus life; how a school is preparing students for employment in a clean energy economy; and how environmentally responsible a school’s policies are. The Review asked 703 voluntary school participants to answer questions created in consultation with ecoAmerica, a non-profit consumer research group.  Questions covered ranged from “What is the percentage of food expenditures that go toward local, organic or otherwise environmentally preferable food?” to “Does the school have an environmental literacy requirement?”  The 311 schools chosen for the book received scores of 80 or above in the assessment. 

College applicants using the guide will find a wealth of information about each of the schools.  In addition to the standard application, admission and financial aid information, each school profile contains “green highlights” and “green facts” detailing campus environmental and sustainability initiatives, as well as availability of environmental studies programs and green job career guidance.  Also included are a glossary of 40+ “green” terms and acronyms and a listing of schools with “green” distinctions such as LEED-certified buildings.… Read the rest

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