simplysustain-blog

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Semester Reflection

There's something about having to promote what I've written on my blog to my friends and family that turns me into a unusually shy person. I am actually very passionate about sustainability and I think that I've made some mistakes that other's can learn from so I think my blog could be very useful and important. 

That being said, I didn't do as much as I could have to promote my blog on my social networks. I posted mostly on twitter about my blog or my blog topic for the week and used popular hashtags to reach audiences that track/use those hashtags. I actually did get about 15 more followers over the course of the semester that all were related in someway to climate change and sustainability. 

According to my Google Analytics I received a mere 10 website visits and had a bounce rate of 67.7%. I think that if I was more consitent and creative with my social media promotion, and if I took more time to find the appropriate audiences that would want to read my blog-- it would have been much more successful. 

I also looked at my Twitter Analytics for the tweets about my blog and I received upwards of 100 impressions for my tweets about my blog however it was harder for me to get engagement. A tweet that I sent on November 9th read:

"Renewable energy: When will we get there? http://bit.ly/1ud8NOZ  #smpasocial #renewables" 

This tweet got 39 impressions, which means that 39 users "saw" my tweet but did not engage with it. I think that I was unable to get engagement on this tweet because the hashtags I chose to use were not trending or popular at the time, and I didn't include the handle of another twitter user/account (@washingtonpost @voxdotcom etc.) that has many more followers and much higher traffic than I get. 

On October 12th my blog post was focused on a Vox article that talked about America's obsession with plastic bags ( and how that obsession is distracting us from dealing with the other issues associated with climate change): 

"Are we obsessed with plastic bags? @voxdotcom article featured on my blog today! http://bit.ly/1o6Ne2j  #sustainability #smpasocial" 

In this tweet I tagged @voxdotcom and used the hashtag #sustainability and I was able to achieve 97 impressions and 3 engagements with an engagement rate of 3.1%. I think that when I tagged twitter users with larger audiences, I was able to reach my "invisible audience" and drive traffic to my blog or at the very least an article on Vox that I thought was relevant to those interested in sustainability and climate change. 

Ultimately I think that if I would have gotten over my fear of self promotion and uncertainty that I would have been more confident about posting on my social networks and I would have driven more users to read about how to implement more sustainable practices into their everyday life. 

-Lauren 

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My Planet Forward Article "Vegetarianism: More Than What 'Meats' the Eye"

Photo source: Farm Sanctuary 

I've been a vegetarian for 20 years now. That's my entire life. It's always been difficult for me to explain exactly why. My parents chose to raise my siblings and I as vegetarians but until a few years ago, I didn't realize how important what we eat is to our carbon footprint and overall resource consumption. 

These are the facts: 

According to the USDA Livestock Slaughter 2013 Summary, commercial cattle slaughter during 2013 totaled 32.5 million heads. 

To produce one pound of beef it takes an estimated 1,799 gallons of water, which is roughly as much water as it would take to run the dishwasher 150 times.

When compared with current food intake in the US, a vegetarian diet could reduce water consumption by up to 58% per person.

If you're thinking about adding a bit of sustainability into your lifestyle, consider making Mondays meatless. Substitute some of the meat in your favorite dishes with the soy substitutes I recommend in my article on Planet Forward which focuses on what vegetarianism has come to mean to me and to our planet. 

[simplysustain-blog]

Renewable energy: When will we get there?

For my Sustainability Reporting course my partner and I made a short video outlining where the United States is in our energy use and production and what we're heading towards in our energy future. 

Natural gas produces half as much carbon dioxide as coal does. 

That's a pretty incredible, but it's not where we need to end up and as a country we seem to be dwelling on making fracking safer and capitalizing on our domestic energy resources, when we should also be concentrating on our energy future- renewable energy technologies like wind, solar, and geothermal. These renewable energy options produce no greenhouse gases, and with sustainability in mind-- they are able to outlast any of the finite natural resources that we have been using for energy like coal, fossil fuels, and natural gas.

According to the EIA, natural gas will make up 38% of US energy production by 2040,  but what about renewables, where do they come into play? We can sustain ourselves with renewable energy, natural gas is a bridge to this future, let's not spend too much time crossing this bridge. 

In just two years, solar energy may be cheaper in the US than other energy options. Renewables can power our future, and that "future" should be sooner rather than later. 

Lauren

[simplysustain-blog]

What the November 4th Midterms Mean for Climate Change

November 4th is just two days away. This is the day that Americans across the country will take to the polls and cast their ballots. This midterm season has proven to be quite competitive and the outcome is sure to shift the climate in Washington-- in which direction, it is still unclear. 

Climate change has not been not a top priority for candidates or for voters because the discussion has been driven mostly by the Economy and more generally about which party will end up with control of the Senate. Former Vice President Al Gore believes that which ever party ends up controlling the Senate will determine whether or not the issue of Climate Change is addressed in the coming months and years.

In a fundraising email sent out by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Al Gore writes: 

“Here’s what I believe”.

“There is nothing more pressing in our time than confronting and solving the climate crisis.

“We have no time to spare. We must act now. Luckily, we have all the tools we need to solve this challenge. All we need is political will—but political will is a renewable resource!

“That’s why the election on November 4th is so monumentally important. President Obama is now leading on this issue—but we need to elect more Democrats dedicated to putting the future of our planet before the interests of Big Oil and Coal and other large carbon polluters who demand the right to use our atmosphere as an open sewer without any accountability.”

“And right now, that means we need to support Democratic candidates facing Koch-funded attacks. There are only a few days left to make a difference in this election. Can you chip in whatever you can today?

Will you step up?”

So will you step up this November 4th? Climate change is an imminent threat facing our planet and it is up to us to secure a bright future for our kids and the many generations after them. Voting is just one way that we can move in the right direction, acting sustainably (monitoring water/energy consumption, buying locally, using public transport etc.) is another way that we can start heading in the right direction.

Find out where your polling location is and who the candidates on your ballot will be before November 4th! 

Vote,vote,vote! It's just one thing that you can do to change the trajectory of our planet's future, 

-Lauren

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I got in! Copenhagen here I come!

4 things I am most excited about for Copenhagen:

I love my program. Some of the classes I've signed up for are really going to give me a new perspective on Sustainability. I'm taking Renewable Energy and Waste Management Systems, I'm excited for a European perspective! 

Biking. I just learned that Copenhagen has more bikes than people! It's going to be hard not to hop on a bike once I learn my way around. Plus, it's sustainable, no carbon footprint!

The people. According to the 2013 World Happiness Report, Denmark is ranked the happiest nation in the world. Now, I don't know about you but I want a little part of that in my life. 

The food. I mean, it's Denmark, so the Danishes will probably sweep me off my feet but if I'm not at a bakery or ice cream shop, I'll be grocery shopping and cooking with my roommates. Or restaurant hopping, trying to find the best vegetarian cuisine in the city!

Lauren 

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Studying Abroad (hopefully) in Copenhagen, Denmark aka "Sustainability Heaven"

Today I submitted the final components of my study abroad application so that I can spend next spring in Copenhagen, Denmark aka Sustainability Heaven. 

"Copenhagen developed its sustainable solutions to suit the demands of the city’s residents and businesses. They, in turn, have supported the political decisions and strategies created to address those issues" 

Copenhagen was named the 2014 European Green Capital. I'm in awe of their commitment and the results that they have already seen. The report published by State of Green " Copenhagen Solutions for Sustainable Cities" has focused on four main areas. 

Mobility

Water

Energy

Strategy

Some of the sustainable solutions they highlighted are as follows: 

Cycling is a large part of Danish culture, but Copenhagen took this tradition one step further, planning and designing their city's infrastructure to support the cycling culture and help it grow even larger. They have also invested in an efficient, reliable, and well integrated public transportation system, which has helped them adapt sustainably to a growing economy--reducing congestion and pollution-- while keeping their city and commuters mobile. 

Fifteen years ago the Copenhagen Harbor was not frequented by many, as 100 overflow channels fed wastewater into the harbor making it polluted and virtually unusable. They have modernized the sewage system and have revitalized that area of Copenhagen, increasing the real estate and recreational value, while also improving water quality in the Harbor. With a growing population there is an increased demand for clean water and although Copenhagen is one of the only cities where you can find high quality tap water, they have had to develop technologies and policies to make sure that they are conserving the supply and not wasting this resource. 

Denmark currently produces 22% of it's energy from wind turbines. Copenhagen has logistically struggled with bringing this technology into their city because of space limitations. By 2050, Denmark hopes to be generating 50% of their energy from wind turbines and Copenhagen plans to help achieve that goal by building 100+ turbines in and around the city. 

Copenhagen is very famously known for their waste management system which has cut the amount of waste they send to the landfill to less than 2%; 60% of their waste is recycled and the rest is used to generate heat for the city's district heating network. 

I can't wait to hear back from this program, I would LOVE to go study in Copenhagen, to live in and explore this incredible and sustainable city.

Here are some of the photos I took last time I was in this city:

Fingers crossed, 

-Lauren 

Also check out this Instagram account somewhereincopenhagen to soak up some more of the city's beauty! 

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Are We Obsessed with Plastic Bags?

I read a Vox article this week that really struck a chord with me. "Why our environmental obsession with plastic bags makes no sense" written by Joseph Stromberg discusses why our obsession with plastic bags (taxing them, replacing them with reusables, overestimating how much litter they cause, and how much they pollute our environment) is actually more of a symbolic obsession.

Although the effort that has gone into reducing plastic bag use is noble, its impact is just not as significant as we think. We shouldn't be tricked into thinking that our reusable bag is saving the planet, we have to stay motivated to do more for our planet and to reduce our carbon footprints elsewhere in our lives. 

I bring reusable bags to the grocery story, but what's clear is that while plastic bags do pile up in landfills and pollute our oceans-- they are but a fraction of the waste we produce.

Food waste is a huge portion of our municipal waste in the US, reduce your food waste by composting your organic food scraps. 

If we can't see it, we don't usually believe that it's happening. Climate change is not something we can always physically see but the plastic bags piling up in our landfills are an iconic visual associated with pollution and anti-environmental ideals. The truth is we should care about pollution and waste, but our most pressing concern is one that's basically invisible. We have to be motivated to do something, change our behaviors, before we can actually start seeing the true and devastating affects climate change will have on our planet. 

So bring that reusable tote to the grocery store, but bike or walk there to reduce co2 emissions. Be thoughtful of what products you buy because chances are what you buy will matter a lot more than what bag you bring it home in! 

-Lauren

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The first CSA Box!

This week, my sister Emilie schlepped home our first  CSA box. What is that you ask? CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture." 

Each week we get a box full of fresh fruits and vegetables from a local farm here in the DC region. 

This week's box included: 

cabbage

radishes

potatoes

apples

lettuce 

broccoli 

cauliflower

Supporting local farmers by opting into to this monthly program helps cover farmer's costs and fill your home with local and in season fruits and veggies. 

We're very excited to get cooking! Here are some of the recipes we've been looking at from the Minimalist Baker:

Best Ever Vegan Breakfast Potatoes

Cauliflower Twice Baked Potatoes

Crispy Peanut Tofu and Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry

Find a CSA near you today and start living sustainably!

[simplysustain-blog]

In The Wake of the People's Climate March: Action vs. Inaction

The People's Climate March in New York last weekend had me thinking about all of the people thinking about climate change. Over 310,000 people, that's a lot of people. 

Photo Credit: Debra Pollack 

Those people who gathered though, are likely already "acting on climate", changing their behaviors, and working to safeguard their children's futures.

What about the rest of the United States, what about the world? 

Many people who went to the rally represented nations and peoples that will be most adversely affected by climate change. Bringing their stories forward, keeps them in sight and in mind. We can't forget that this is a challenge that faces more than 310,000 people, and it's everyones' responsibility. 

Photo Credit: Debra Pollack

I got my first Pepco bill in the mail the other day (I can't switch to paperless billing until after the first billing cycle--but I promise I did). It wasn't too high--I'm not even sure what I was expecting, but for someone who's lived in a dorm room these past two years, it was a bit shocking.

While living in a dorm room, my energy and water consumption was out of sight out of mind. I never personally got a bill for the times that I took 30 minute showers, or when I cranked the AC down to 60 on a hot summer day. Yes my utilities were "built in" to my living expenses, which were quite high, but I never got a monthly wake up call saying "Hey you, be more considerate-- your long shower used upwards of 120 gallons of water (4 gallons per minute) or more, next time-- just don't." 

I guess what I'm saying is that if we don't see our consumption, or even if we don't see how many people are being affected and could be affected by our rapidly changing climate, then we won't have any motivation to act. We need the next Climate March to gather a million people, more and more people need to commit themselves to making a lasting change. Just because the Climate March is over, does not mean we can walk away and come back next year hoping that someone did something. No, the Climate March, and its importance, needs to be in sight and in mind every single day. 

I know that I'm going to work towards lowering my Pepco bill. As we head into the winter months that may be a bit of a challenge but I'm up for it, and who knows maybe I'll surprise myself?

-Lauren  

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Eating in season: Trader Joe's vs. Farmers Markets

I spent this past weekend focusing every ounce of energy I had and all of the thoughts in my mind on recruitment for my sorority. The weekend culminated in an incredible Bid Day celebration on the National Mall. I have been deprived of sleep and stuffed with sugary foods and caffeine this past week so I NEEDED to go grocery shopping-- something I think helped me get back into my normal routine. 

I live dangerously close to Trader Joe's... I mean dangerously. If I was in a hurry I could get from my couch to their front door in less than 2 minutes. I grabbed my reusable canvas tote bags, and I was off!

This was my grocery list: 

Olive oil

Salt/Pepper Grinders

Spinach

Milk

Tomatoes

Strawberries

Snap Peas

Veggie Burgers

Something chocolaty (literally anything but I love their peanut butter cups) 

Of the things listed above ( and I bought more than the things on this list because it's Trader Joe's and once again-- I couldn't help myself) only one item was an "in season" item and had they had more local/seasonal produce perhaps this list would have been longer.

Eating in season is sustainable because it reduces the amount of energy (and therefore co2 emissions) needed to grow and transport foods that are not local. I admit that I could choose to buy more seasonal food items, and this tool I use lets me check what produce is in season in my region, which allows me to craft my grocery list with sustainability in mind!

The Dupont Circle Farmers Market

If you shop at farmers markets in your area, you can almost guarantee that all of their fresh produce is locally sourced and in season (in DC that's from within a 200 mile radius). You can also avoid being tempted by products that are transported over long distances and are not regionally seasonal, because all of the farmers market produce looks too good not to buy-- and it's all sourced from local farms each season. 

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So how much water are you using?

This week I have been researching and learning more about storm water management in Washington D.C for a class project.

Long story short, a lot of the water that pours down on this city during a heavy rain event will fall on impermeable (impenetrable) surfaces ( that's concrete, asphalt, or brick pavers) and will then have no where else to go but into a storm drain, which could either lead to a water management facility or straight into the Potomac River. Urban rain gardens are helping to alleviate this occurrence by providing a permeable (penetrable) surface for rain water to go, in this case small gardens, and allow rain water to quickly circle back into the water cycle. 

All of this research had me thinking about my water consumption. How much water do I use and what I could do to make every drop that I use count. 

This water use calculator helped me find my average annual water use and outlined steps that I can take now to reduce my water intake. Did you know that washing dishes by hands uses more water than washing dishes in the dishwasher-- that's because the amount of time you have the water running when you wash dishes in the sink could be 5 or 10 minutes, and the water just keeps flowing.

A perk to being more responsible with your water consumption is that you can save money-- something I'm more conscious of now that my utilities are no longer "included". 

This chart below will also help you to start saving water! 

-Lauren

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Composting Made Simple

So I’ve been thinking lately about how sustainable I really am. I preach sustainability to my friends because it’s something I really care about. I do admit though, I’m not always actively doing my part. No one can change their habits overnight, that’s why they’re called habits—right?, but there are some things that can be incorporated into a daily routine, and composting is definitely one of them. For those of you who don’t know or understand what composting is or why it’s a sustainable habit here’s some information to get you started:

Compost is organic matter (leaves, orange peels, apple cores etc.) that has decomposed and is reused as soil in gardens. 

Why is composting sustainable? According to the EPA, in 2012 86.6 million tons of material was recycled or composted, that is the equivalent of taking 33 million cars off the road for a year or eliminating 168 metric tons of carbon dioxide (the most common greenhouse gas) from the atmosphere. If we didn’t compost and recycle, we would be sending more CO2 into the atmosphere, thus worsening climate change each and every year. 

That’s a huge impact, and composting couldn’t be simpler—(and it’s  kind of fun.) Even in an apartment or a college dorm room you can collect food scraps and make compost or contribute to someone else's compost bucket. Here’s how I do it, as inspired by my sister Emilie, the GroW Garden Representative and "composting expert":

We keep a large container in our freezer, anytime I peel an orange, eat an apple, or zest a lemon, the leftover bits and pieces of organic matter get thrown into the container.

Once the container is full my sister takes it down to the GroW Garden, where they can repurpose our waste as soil for their community garden (we contribute food scraps to their bin where the compost is actually made).

Why the freezer you ask? Well we could just collect our scraps in a dark container but then we would be making compost ourselves—and that can get smelly in a small apartment. By freezing our scraps, we stop the process of decomposition, ergo no smell in the apartment. **We don't make compost directly in our apartment, but by repurposing our food scraps we prevent them from decomposing in a landfill (where they can emit gasses into the atmosphere).

And...BONUS, the food and flowers that are grown in the garden provide an even greater service—they take carbon out of the atmosphere and add oxygen into the atmosphere—and to think that it’s as simple as freezing an apple core! 

This is me next to a Sunflower that bloomed this summer in the GroW Garden!

Lastly, use this illustrated guide to composting in an apartment to get you started living sustainably! 

-Lauren 

*If you have an outdoor space or balcony, consider using your food scraps to make compost and plant flowers, herbs, or vegetables ( that's my next project)! 

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What can you change and when can you start?

I use and consume everyday. We all do. There really is no way of getting around it, but we, and definitely I, could be living more sustainably. So what does that even mean? Sustainability as defined by Miriam Webster means of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged. The more colloquial definition of sustainability is using and consuming consciously now so that future generations can live comfortably and without having to think about  running out of resources.

So take this notion and apply it to any situation in your life (in example one, I have done that for you so you can get an idea of what I mean). 

Example one: 

You need to go to the grocery store and it is about a 20 minute walk away and about a 5-10 minute drive. Your friend needs to go to the store as well. From most sustainable to least the following are scenarios that could play out in this situation:

1)You and your friend decide to travel together on foot there and back.

2) You and your friend decide to travel together using public transportation, like the metro or bus, there and back.

3) You and your friend decide to share a cab there and back.

4) You and your friend decide to travel separately in two different cabs there and back.

So why is scenario 1 more "sustainable" than scenario 4? In scenario 1, you and your friend avoid using transportation that is fuel based. Walking doesn't emit any CO2, because it doesn't require the burning of fossil fuels. Scenario 4 is the least sustainable because you and your friend have now used two cars, which means you are consumng more resources (mainly fossil fuels), when you could have at the very least ( if you insisted on taking a car) gone together in one car as outline in scenario 3. 

The mode of transportation to and from the grocery store is the main focus of the scenarios outlined above, but considering more sustainable transportation is only one aspect of a grocery store trip, something we do on a weekly basis. What about the bags you use when you check out, are they reusable or are they plastic? What about the products that you buy, were they manufactured using fossil fuels (most likely) and where are they going to end up after you're done using them--are they onetime use products or do they have longer life spans?

Think about what John Muir, America's most well known conservationist and founder of the Sierra Club, once said, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe."

All of these decisions are things many of us don't consider on our trip to the grocery store, or really in any aspect of our lives whether it's furnishing an apartment, or shopping for new clothes.

This is what I'm trying to change.

I know that living sustainably means that we, as a society and individuals, need to produce and consume with the understanding that our planet can only support us, with it's finite natural resources, if we are more considerate and precise about how we use those precious resources.

I'm a student studying Sustainability, and even I may sometimes choose scenario 4. It may be out of convenience, but even that is not really an excuse. I know better and it's time that I start making better decisions, so that my kids, and their kids can also live lives as comfortably as we do. But also so that they can live with a better appreciation for our planet. 

Each week I will be challenging myself to consider my choices, really my habits, so that I can start leading a more sustainable lifestyle. Join me on my journey and reflect on your lifestyle, what can you change and when can you start? 

Ask yourself, are you living sustainably? 

-Lauren