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Build It Greener - by Aaron Frink

Electric car misconceptions

April 18th 2012 14:38
I had the misfortune to overhear some of my coworkers talking about electric cars and how they were no better than gas cars because they still draw power from big coal plants. It took all my will-power not to barge over there and put them in their place. Today I'd like to clear up a couple of these misconceptions regarding electric vehicles (EV's).

Nissan, Leaf, EV, Electric, Vehicle, Hybrid
EV's like the Nissan Leaf have invaded traditional auto markets.


1) Because EV's use electricity a gas engine is just the same. Wrong. EV's take advantage of economies of scale. Thousands of V4, V6, and V8 engines are not nearly as efficient at generating power as one large coal or oil power plant. Also, some electricity on the grid is provided by renewable means such as wind or solar, whereas a gas engine is always fueled by gas (or maybe a biofuel, but see my other post about that).

2) EV's don't cut emissions that much because they are powered by traditional fuels on the grid. Wrong. Power plants generate electricity around the clock, and produce a steady state of emissions. Add on vehicle emissions and that's a lot! However, advocates of EV's and smart-grids are emphasizing off-peak charging to take advantage of this round-the-clock power generation. Therefore, EV's grab electricity that is already available and don't generate any extra emissions!

Armed with this knowledge, bring it up with those who are skeptical of the impact that EV's can have on the environment and the state of fossil-fuel consumption.
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Green Vocabulary: Breaking the code

March 30th 2012 16:11
Green. Sustainable. Responsible. Environmental. Justice. Eco. Friendly.

Just a short list of words that, when rearranged, can form many of the tag lines we see describing the green/sustainable movement. Deciphering some of these phrases can be challenging. Let's start with a few basic ones:
labels, green, eco, sustainable

Eco-friendly: These products may be recyclable or don't contain harmful chemicals which could damage the environment if thrown out or disposed of properly. Many are also biodegradable. However, this phrase does not always imply that the product was made with an equally eco-friendly practice.

Sustainably-produced: Typically refers to animal products. Images of free range beef and chicken come to mind. Often this tag is applied to a product whose only change was moving from chemically-altered feed to organic feed. Or, on the other hand, sustainable land practices are followed, but bio-engineered crops are fed to the stock.

Environmentally-responsible: This is new one for me. I came across an article about pre-fab houses that were claiming this title. However, the use of bamboo for wood and natural materials for other building uses does not mean that the structure is any better than a normal house. If woods like bamboo are imported from long distances, the carbon footprint of manufacture and transportation may be worse than local wood products.
eco, friendly, label

These three phrases beautifully illustrate the ambiguity in the buzzwords surrounding sustainability. Cracking the code involves careful investigation into the products and services touting these labels. If you know local producers who are using these terms, encourage them to truly commit to the meaning and not just use it as a marketing scheme.
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Ok, time for a cliche opener:

jus·tice :noun
1. the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause.
2. rightfulness or lawfulness, as of a claim or title; justness of ground or reason: to complain with justice.
3. the moral principle determining just conduct.
4. conformity to this principle, as manifested in conduct; just conduct, dealing, or treatment.
5. the administering of deserved punishment or reward.


Let's break it down point by point.

1. The first definition of justice relies on agreed upon social mores to dictate environmental policy. One culture may revere nature and the other exploits it. Who is right? Case in point: Japanese whaling. Many Japanese people think this is perfectly ok and have little to no objection. However, across the globe there are activist groups that are engaged in preventing and deterring Japanese whalers. Can one satisfy the claims of justice based solely on this first definition? I think not.

2. This definition gives a little more structure by bringing in lawfulness. Since laws are generally more agreed upon, they can be binding and give consequence to an action. With this in mind, any action against a said law would demand repercussions. Examples include violations of national laws against dumping in rivers and lakes; or international law protecting certain forests and areas of wildlife. Environmental justice is closely tied with these ideas.

3. See #1. Again, whose morals are we following?

4. The application of justice is a component of most cultures. Basically, this means following the rules of right and wrong. Concerning our topic, this is the ability and willingness of individuals, groups, and companies to adhere to environmental law.

5. Lastly, administering punishment. Everyone's favorite part right? The activists cry out for #5. For most people, this is the main idea behind environmental justice. If someone chops down a tree, we expect them to plant another one or pay a fine. If a company dumps toxic sludge into a river, we expect some authority to fine them and demand cleanup and possible reparations.

Environmental justice is all these things. It is hard to define, and even harder to administer. Through careful negotiation and research we have defined laws and regulations the world over to protect resources, wildlife, and the environment. We demand action against those who violate these wide-spread beliefs. We demand environmental justice.
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Susidizing...riders?

February 9th 2012 15:24
ride share, carpool


The growing concerns about traffic and pollution have caused many drivers to abandon their cars, vans, and trucks at park-and-rides and garages in favor of carpooling and mass transportation. But ridership is still low in some areas. Ride sharing (carpooling) accounts for approximately 13% of travel in the United States according to an MIT study in 2010. No doubt that number has increased in the last year, but it still points out that an overwhelming majority of drivers are riding by themselves. There is also about 5%, according to the same study, riding mass transportation


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Family Owned vs. Corporate Farming

January 23rd 2012 19:23
In the last 150 years or so, farming has become more than just simple means of producing food to survive. It not facilitates the urbanization of the majority of the planet and the increase in specialization. The last 30 years, however, have seen an increase in anti-corporate farm sentiment. Finally, in the last 10 years, we've seen the rise of "green" and "environmentally friendly."

The farm sits in a special place when it comes to evaluating it's environmental impact. On one hand, the small farm is less likely to sacrifice organic and green production practices for the sake of the bottom line; and on the other hand you have the mega-corporation that can increase the efficiency of the same plots of land 10-fold. Which is better


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Boats: Untapped Potential

December 9th 2011 20:00
Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. Why? Because boats and other personal water craft (PWC's) have polluted waters around the world. Not only does recreational water usage cause pollution, but it's wasteful of our natural resources.

How fast does your boat motor go through gas? I bet it's a lot faster than your car, and you don't get nearly as much mileage (or nautical mileage to be correct). And have you seen a big push in electric and hybrid powered PWC's? No. It's disturbing how narrow our focus has become when we think about sustainability


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Graphic Reminders

November 8th 2011 22:26
First off: sorry to everyone for the horrible/awesome pun of this article. It's intended though.

Have you ever wished that somehow you could remind people that every leaky faucet or light left on is more C02 or wasted water? Now you can with these slick (and fun) wall graphics: Eco Reminders
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Ecofriendly or Socially Conscious?

October 25th 2011 17:33
Nowadays it seems like every coffee shop sells Fair Trade beans and every department store offers an Eco-friendly version of something. But are these two adjectives exclusive? In some ways yes.

Sometimes we have to zoom out and look at the big picture. A farmer in Africa who devotes his land to growing coffee beans because he knows that rich people would rather buy them from him than from a conglomeration may actually be fueling hunger somewhere else. His land may be more suited for growing wheat or corn (or some other plant). Therefore, in an effort to be socially conscious, we sacrifice efficiency


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A Funny Lesson

October 19th 2011 17:41
Your week is going well. If not, this should make you feel a little better:


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Urban Lumberjacks

October 18th 2011 17:29
A new buzzword (or two rather) is being spoken in the cities: Urban Lumberjack. These reincarnations of Paul Bunyan aren't just city dwellers with plaid shirts and stocking caps, they're people who are concerned about the environment and have started a unique--an popular--movement of recycling.

Lumberjack, Trees, Cutting, Wood

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