photo - brokensimulacra

You’ve probably heard about greenwashing — when a company tries to present itself as “eco-friendly” even though it is questionable at best on the environment. The obvious example: when BP tells you it’s all about moving “Beyond Petroleum”, even though its business remains mostly focused on extracting and refining oil.

Today, advertisers are turning to a much more mischievous kind of greenwashing, with ads that don’t really make any concrete statements. Instead, these ads get you thinking about a set of values and emotions, and associate their brand with those ideas. “Hey,” the advertisers think, ”if we don’t really claim anything, no one can say we’re lying.” (See also: McDonald’s latest ads featuring the family farmer who grows their potatoes.)

In that vein, we bring you the worst example of this yet: Mazda’s “Truffula Tree Certification” ad. Take a look:

Since “The Lorax” and its “Truffula Tree Certification” ad are fictional – THEY ARE TOTALLY MADE UP – there are technically no false statements in this ad.

But, it’s pretty clear that Mazda is trying to hop onto the values and emotions most people associate with the Lorax – conserving our resources, sharing what we’ve got on this precious planet, and teaching those values to our children. (See this page for a refresher on the original book.)

Mazda: we’re glad that you’re producing cars with high fuel efficiency. More automakers should. But really? We’re still burning lots of gasoline in these cars. Let’s save the Lorax for a truly green future. And someday, if Mazda is helping preserve trees, cut needless consumption, and create a sustainable economy for all — then, maybe, they can use the Lorax in their ads.

flickr / Rob Friesel

the Devil’s Playground?  Not quite.  But it is something we can cut back on in our everyday lives to seriously lessen our energy use (or waste) and our carbon footprint.

Idling your car for more than 10 seconds wastes more gas than is needed to start your vehicle. Idling your car is not only a waste of energy, but it’s also pretty harsh on your vehicle too. Excessive idling can do serious damage to your engine components, including cylinders, spark plugs, and exhaust systems. Beyond the damage idling can do to your car, idling can do extensive damage to your wallet.  Overall, Americans idle away 2.9 billion gallons of gas a year, which is about $78.2 billion in wasted gasoline money.

flickr / Michael Kappel

Even if it seems like every minute your car is on is a necessary one, research indicates that the average person idles their car 5 to 10 minutes a day.  And although idling to “warm up” your car might seem like an imperative on a cold, winter day, the truth is that 30 seconds of actually driving the car will warm up your car to the same extent.

I’m not saying you should turn off your car at every stoplight, but it’s good to remember that for every two minutes a car is idling, it uses about the same amount of fuel it takes to go about one mile. And to those who would argue that restarting one’s engine is harmful to the vehicle, research shows that frequent restarting has little impact on the battery and the starter motor. So, don’t let the winter months add to your bill at the gas tank, and don’t idle!

flickr - markybon

The biggest selling point of my college’s dining hall is that, in response to the gradual greening of the campus. it offers lot of fresh, often organic or locally-grown items.  However, when it comes to buying food for those in-between-meals, I find myself at a loss, largely because the two grocery stores closest to my dorm do not sell organic produce.   Although a Whole Foods is conveniently located only a few blocks further, the lack of organic produce in a regular super market raises the question: why doesn’t more of our food come from organic sources?

One of the most common objections to organic food, besides the slightly higher price, is that organic production is not possible on a large scale.  A new semi-viral video, made by Marija Jacimovic and Benoit Detalle, animates a speech given by author, journalist, activist, and professor Michael Pollan.  Most people know about Michael Pollan from his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, in which Pollan describes the food chains from which we obtain food: the current industrial system, the large scale organic operations, the small-scale local farms and the food we forage ourselves.

The video however, addresses some key concerns about the feasibility of using organic food to feed the world, and does it in a way that’s fun and interesting to watch.  If you don’t have the two minutes to watch the video, get the key points of Pollan’s argument below.

1) We produce more than enough food to feed the entire population, but a lot of it is wasted, fed to animals, or used as fuel.

2) If the developing world were to adapt to organic production, they would have a tremendous increase in yield.

3) Industrial agriculture is an incredibly fossil fuel-intensive process, and eventually food will have to be produced without extensive fossil fuel use.

The video itself is currently in the running for a joint award from the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and the Nominet Trust. If you’d like to vote for the video, and see the other contestants, you can do so here.

Photo Credit: http://clocktowertenants.com/2010_08_04_archive.html

Today there is much awareness in vending-machine type foods and “energy-dense food with low nutritional value”, and the health consequences of such eating habits. To my finding years later, the Scooby-doo popsicle (with gumballs as eyes) that I used to eat was a prime suspect. Nowadays my health-conscious mind conjures up images of high sugar content, cavities, and obesity whenever I think of those ice cream treats.

The answer to the lack of availability of healthy food options in New York’s boroughs is the NYC Green Cart program, which rings similar to the ice cream truck traveling from neighborhood to neighborhood bringing delicious treats to the children. Only in this instance the NYC Green Cart’s treats are strictly vegetables and fruits.

The NYC Green Cart program seeks to bring neighborhoods high quality and reasonably priced produce that they would otherwise have limited access to. Since its launch in 2008, it has had remarkable success with citizens in low-income communities of East/Central Harlem, North/Central Brooklyn, and South Bronx wanting more variety and convenience – as underscored by several focus groups and vendor interviews (Citizens’ Committee for Children).

The results from the first few months are in: in the short term, many people have opted for these green carts as a viable option, second only to going to the supermarket, which are generally far and inconvenient to get to. In the long term, the focus would be finding a system that provides an incentive for more food vendors to turn into a ‘Green cart’, more advertising on this healthier alternative, EBT and WIC accepted form of payments, and reasonably price, good quality vegetables and fruits. The longevity for the “Green Cart” is the next step for this green and healthy option to flourish.

For more information: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cdp/cdp_pan_green_carts.shtml

image from flickr / virgomerry

When people think of Colombia and Ecuador, flowers are not usually the first thing that comes to mind. But more than 90% of the flowers exchanged in the United States on Valentine’s Day are imported from Colombia and Ecuador. The remaining 10% of flowers sold on Valentine’s Day are either grown locally in greenhouses across the United States, or are grown in California or Mexico.

But even before the flowers are grown and cultivated in Colombia and Ecuador, the foundation for Valentine’s Day in North America is started in Europe. Laboratories, primarily in the Netherlands, work with the seedlings to ensure viability and other desired characteristics. Once tested for the required traits and purity, the seedlings are sent to South America to be planted and cultivated. The European labs have the ability to change the size and color of the flowers to accommodate the demand of North American consumers.

Once the seedlings are in the hands of the Colombian and Ecuadorian farmers, they are ready to be planted. The temperature is hot, the soil is fertile and these countries do not experience much variation in climate. Once the flowers are planted, watered, picked, and cut they are packed up and shipped north. Many of the flower combinations available at grocery stores are sorted and even packaged in South America. They are pumped with gases to keep them fresh and arrive in North America as soon as 48 hours after being picked.

Due to lack of regulations, many of the farmers in these countries are treated poorly. The employee base of these flower farms has always consisted primarily of women. But, since the early 1990s, a series of investigations has found young children working on the flower farms. And if flowers aren’t labeled “Fair Trade Certified,” they likely came from an area that may not practice ethical business behavior.

What can we do, as environmentally conscious consumers, when giving roses to a loved one on Valentine’s Day?

Look out for three types of certifications: Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance Certification and the Veriflora Certification. If your flowers are marked with any of these seals, it guarantees that farmers were provided with safe and ethical work environments and also receive their due pay for the work they put in.

Demand for Fair Trade flowers has driven the marketplace dramatically in the past decade. There are even plenty of local florist shops that support fair trade practices.

Have a conversation with your local florist to see what type of product they supply their customer base. Some grocery stores, such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, carry a supply of flowers that are cultivated with Fair Trade Practices. The Trader Joes flowers are marked with the Rainforest Alliance Certification.

The next time you walk by the flower stand on your weekly grocery run, look for Fair Trade certifications before purchasing them. Be a part of the fair-trade movement, and we’ll begin to change the world for the better!

The Keurig Single-Serve coffee machine first came on the market in 1998, and the way it works is this: you put a small, pre-filled plastic cup (filled with coffee grounds of your choice), into the Keurig machine, and once filled with water, you press brew, and the machine produces a steaming hot cup of fresh coffee into your (hopefully) reusable mug or thermos. According to Michael Dupee, Vice President for social responsibility at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, the maker of Keurig, this single-serve machine not only provides a quick, convenient way to get out of the house in the morning, but also saves the last third of the usual coffee pot, which too often goes down the drain. Although Keurig loyalists are correct to tout the coffee-saving qualities of single-serve machines, the real waste problem is the plastic cups themselves. As use of single-serve coffee machines continues to grow, so too does the amount of plastic waste.

In 2009, 1.6 billion K-cups (the cute name given to Keurig’s plastic cup) were sold, creating enough plastic to circle the earth 1.25 times.  But K-cup usage does not stop there.  It is expected that 3 billion K-cups were sold in 2010, and that 13% of all US offices have a K-cup brewer.  With over 200 flavors of gourmet coffee, teas, hot cocoa, iced coffees, apple ciders and chai lattes, it’s easy to see why Keurig machines are so popular.  However, these K-cups are almost impossible to recycle, due to three components: the plastic cup, a heat-sealed paper filter, and a polyethylene-coated aluminum foil top.  Although this packaging is necessary to keep the contents of a K-cup fresh, the cups themselves are not biodegradable.

In terms of price for single-serve varieties, a New York Times article states that “the cost varies, but is often about 60 cents a cup, or $25 a pound of coffee.”  The average cost for a mainstream bag of ground coffee is about $5 per pound — making K-cups five times as pricey.

What’s particularly interesting about this dilemma is that Keurig itself is owned by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, a brand whose slogan is in fact “brewing a better world.” A life-cycle analysis of the environmental impact of K-cups showed that most of the negative environmental impact occurs when the packaging is produced, and not when it’s disposed. Regardless, the Keurig appliance itself is not energy star rated, and the findings of this report do not change the fact that a pound of ground coffee will produce 25 cups of coffee with considerably less plastic, paper, and polyethylene waste than 25 K-cups.  The company encourages consumers to compost the remains of the cup, but this hardly helps, especially considering that the most important “R” of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is to reduce generated waste.

Some of the competitors of Keurig provide slightly more environmentally friendly options, though these are also limited. A British company called TerraCycle does reuse the plastic cups from Kraft’s Tassimo pods, but these recycling options are not available in the USA. A slight improvement, Sara Lee’s Senseo pods are made of paper rather than plastic and are therefore compostable. But many consumers are still inclined to throw them away, and Sara Lee’s coffee itself received a “worst” environmental and ethical rating by Green America’s Responsible Shopper.

The Keurig Company does sell a reusable filler cartridge called My K-Cup. However, this cartridge is only compatible with eight of fifteen Keurig machines. On top of that, reviews of My K-cup are rather lacking, with only 50% of users indicating that they would recommend the product to a friend.  Furthermore, the existence of My K-cup as a solution to single-serve coffee brewing has not impacted the market in a significant way, and therefore, provides no solution at all. Although Keurig has experimented with paper cups, they were abandoned due to poor functionality.

So what is the solution to this problem? Should a consumer dedicated to reducing his or her waste get rid of a single-serve machine?  This seems rather contradictory, as throwing away machine because of waste issues would add to the waste problem. There are several ways to work around this difficulty, without getting rid of a single-serve machine. (We should keep in mind that the most environmentally responsible solution is not investing in a single-serve coffee maker to begin with.) However, if you do insist on using K-Cups, or any single-serve, plastic-wasting machine for that matter, here are some tips:

1) Don’t buy K-cups from Folgers and Dunkin Donuts.  These companies have (at best) sketchy environmental and ethical reputations, often exploiting farmers and engaging in environmentally unsound practices.  The most sustainable choice when choosing any coffee is to go Fair-Trade, Organic, Shade-grown or Bird-friendly.

2) Try the reusable K-Cup lid, called My Kap ($3), which allows the cup itself to be used multiple times. Although this drastically cuts down one’s waste per cup, it still doesn’t compare to conventional coffee making

3) Use each K-cup up to ten times! Check out this video on Youtube.  Although this is a better solution than My Kap, it still produces more waste than using a regular coffee machine.

4) Petition your workplace to collect and send discarded K-cups to Keurig’s compost program. They’ll send the cups to a company that composts the grounds and disposes of the cups in a “responsible” manner. While this solves the problem from your end, shipping this non-recyclable waste back and forth may be wasteful in its own right, and does not solve the problem of reduction in waste.

Ultimately, the most environmentally friendly decision is to not use single-cup brewing systems at all.  Yet this choice can also cause problems, since alternatively buying your favorite Dunkin Donuts brew in the unavoidable Styrofoam cup isn’t great for the environment.

Darby Hoover, the senior resource specialist at the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests the Keurig is just not needed. Her suggestion? Talk to your coworkers before brewing a coffeepot.  ”I have to say that many offices have worked this out for years.”

I was born in New York and raised in Connecticut. Many would say that I am a city dweller and I would certainly agree with them. However, being a city dweller does not necessarily mean I enjoy the ambulance noise pollution at midnight or the messy trash spill-overs caused by the wind along the sidewalk of Tremont street (though I would blame the laziness and careless of some people unwilling to properly tie their garbage bags, but that’s a different topic.) That is part of life in any city. However, the whole picture involves nature. Outside of the city life, I enjoy and appreciation the Australian outback for its vast red landscape and the foggy-snow covered mountain tops of Chile, and would like to help preserve it in some fashion.

This acknowledgment of the beauty of nature accompanied with the responsibility that we have as inhabitants of this unceasingly beautiful place we call earth is what prompts me to join the Green Life. I believe that the best thing I can do for myself and future generations is to contribute to the flow of information in order to raise awareness, and eventually action. I am excited to be working with similar minded individuals who want to promote a better, clear understanding of what the media and corporations put out.

In short, I am here to put what knowledge and perspective I have of the world and environment into the Green Life vehicle and help steer it. Hopefully, it’ll at least be a hybrid vehicle!

Well, for folks with an iPhone, here’s the 21st-century version of tying a string around your finger. You can get your phone to automatically remind you, whenever you go to the grocery store. (Hat tip to Gordon Meyer for this idea.)

Here’s how it works:

• Next time you’re at the grocery store, open up the “Reminders” app
• Click the + (plus sign) in the upper right to add a reminder
• Name it – something like “Please, please don’t forget the bags!”

• Tap the reminder to edit its settings
• Tap “Remind Me”
• Select “At a Location”

• Choose “Current Location,” and “When I Arrive”

• Easy!

Any other ideas for how to remember those bags?

The eco-preneurs at Back to the Roots have built a business on used coffee grounds. They sell a pretty nifty mushroom farm – cheap, easy, and delicious! Click through to a great article at GOOD …

My love for nature has always been a large part of who I am. I enjoy taking day trips up to the White Mountains in New Hampshire to hike, fish and escape the city life. I have been fly-fishing and hiking with my dad and brothers for many years. I believe that I will one day pass on my knowledge and respect for the outdoors to my children when I become a parent. The thought of not being able to enjoy and fish the same rivers and lakes in the future is unimaginable. I will constantly keep the mission statement of this non-profit organization at the center of my actions.

My greatest addition to The Green Life family and environmental community at large will be my passion for the cause. I have always wanted to contribute to a cause that supports environmental awareness but somehow was never able to find the time to do so. I feel that my work with The Green Life will help both people and corporations make more informed decisions that have an effect on the environment. I look forward to continue living my life on the path to become a more aware individual and consumer.