No Impact Man

If you're looking for an entertaining documentary that makes an environmental statement, "No Impact Man" is the movie for you. The trailer above shows the main story line of this documentary. Colin Beavan, an author living in New York City, decided that as a project, he and his family would try to reduce their environmental impact completely for a year. This includes reducing trash as much as possible, composting, riding a bike everywhere, using cloth diapers for their child,  eating no take-out food, buying only local foods and more extreme measures, such as cutting out electricity, using reusable cloths instead of toilet paper and taking the stairs instead of elevators (a crazy thing to do in NYC). The film also mixes a lot of emotion into the film, to show that it is a difficult task, but with determination, regular people can dramatically reduce their impact on the planet.

Source: amazon.com

Being an author, of course Colin Beavan wrote a book about what he experienced during this year-long project. People can get some personal insights from the book that were not included in the documentary. Personally, I really enjoyed this documentary and would recommend anyone who is interested in the health of the environment to give it a watch. It shows that if we all really put in an effort, a single family can significantly reduce the amount of waste and greenhouse gases affecting the world. However, we do not need to go to such extreme measures as going without electricity or not using toilet paper. At the end of the film, the family chose what things they would keep doing after the project ended, which included biking everywhere, taking the stairs, trying to reduce their trash as much as possible, buying local food and composting. These simple things can really make a positive impact on the world.

References: watchCulturetainment. “No Impact Man" - Official Trailer [HQ HD]” YouTube, July 29, 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Ctt7FGFBo.

Becoming a Minimalist

Source: bemorewithless.com

Link: 7 Tiny Steps for the Beginner Minimalist

Interested in simplifying your life and drastically reducing your environmental impact? Then minimalism might be the lifestyle for you. Minimalism is a way of life in which people focus more on personal goals, relationships, and experiences than on personal belongings. This means cutting down on possessions that are not necessary for everyday life. This is a drastic change for most people in American culture, which is very consumer-driven.

The link above gives the average person tips on how they can slowly become a minimalist. It will most likely take a long time to completely adhere to the lifestyle change because of how much consumerism is embedded in our culture. However, the seven tips presented in this article provide simple ways to reduce the clutter and waste in our lives.

Source: yerkabikes.com

Besides drastically reducing carbon footprints and waste, minimalism can also help people reduce their stress levels and become more connected to people and the environment. Without all of the distractions of personal belongings, individuals have more money to spend on doing what they enjoy. This often involves outdoor activities and/or traveling in the case of most minimalists. I am personally interested in trying out some of these steps to become more conscious of what I am consuming.

References: Carver, Courtney. “7 Tiny Steps for the Beginner Minimalist.” Be More with Less, 26 Sept. 2017, bemorewithless.com/begin/.

Sustainable Universities

Colleges and universities are places where innovation thrives. Therefore, they are a great place to start shifting gears in terms of energy use. They can come up with new technologies and innovations to provide the school energy while reducing its carbon footprint. This video shows the schools with the best sustainable energy degree programs. This is useful for anyone interesting in expanding their knowledge about environmental issues and joining the energy shift towards more renewable sources. Of course, these degree programs translate into their campuses being extremely sustainable. 

This video should serve as an example as what other campuses can do to become more sustainable. Of course schools like Stanford and MIT are at the forefront of new and exciting green technologies. However, University of Maryland is a public university that offers a masters degree in sustainable energy. If campuses want to become more sustainable, maybe they should start with implementing some of these programs to get the students actively involved in the movement. Then it would be much more likely to see a shift in the way campuses are run. 

Source: lmsarch.com

The University of California Berkeley is one of the top 5 sustainable schools included in the video. The image above shows the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation at the campus. This building is LEED Platinum certified and was created to reduce energy use by 90 percent. As you can see in the picture, the entire roof of the building consists of solar panels which provide its electricity. Other colleges and universities should take these top five schools as great examples of shifting to a more sustainable way of life.

References: Successful Student. “Successful Student Presents: Top 5 Sustainable and Renewable Colleges” YouTube, 15 February 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Prr9CsQXg&t=1s&list=LL8WWggMAJxwIFwtMH2OCvww&index=1.

Tesla's Solar Roofs

The video above is the announcement of Tesla's Powerwall 2 and Solar Roofs. Tesla came out with the original Powerwall a few years ago. This is a battery that can store electricity for later use when energy production is low. This is a big step in the sustainable energy movement, as many sustainable energy sources fluctuate throughout the day. Their new model can hold more electricity. It holds enough power in one of these batteries to power a four bedroom house for an entire day. The Powerwall 2 is made to work with their new Solar Roofs.

Solar Roofs make it possible for people to produce their own electricity. These roofs are made of tiles that are individual solar panels. This makes it possible to generate sustainable electricity while maintaining a sleek, beautiful home. They made four different styles of these tiles based on individual style preferences. Used with the Powerwall 2, individual homes can cut off their reliance on the electrical grid, and reduce their impact on the planet.

Source: tesla.com

Tesla has said that these Solar Roofs would not cost much more than a typical roof would cost at an average-sized home. Of course, one would have to add the price of the Powerwall into their budget if they wanted to stop relying on the grid. However, there are also significant tax breaks for people who install solar panels on their home. So, this option may not be completely out of the question for people who need to install a new roof on their home anyways.

Elon Musk has said that driving an electric vehicle, producing your own sustainable energy, and having an energy storage system is the goal for living an emission-free lifestyle. Hopefully in the future these products will be more accessible for the general public, and people can start living comfortably in ways that do not hurt the environment like they do currently.

References: Tesla. “Tesla Unveils Powerwall 2 & Solar Roof” YouTube, hosted by Elon Musk, 28 October 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sfwDyiPTdU.

Oppose the Repeal of the Clean Power Plan

Source: lawandenvironment.com

Link: Tell the EPA to Stand Up for Our Communities NOT Polluters

The link above takes you to the Union of Concerned Scientists website to send a letter to Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Scott Pruitt, telling him that you oppose the repeal of the Clean Power Plan. The Trump Administration has been known to favor rollback of big government regulations. 

The Clean Power Plan was enacted during the Obama administration to reduce the nation's reliance on fossil fuels for its energy production. The plan was to reduce carbon emissions by 32 percent by the year 2030. This law was also created to convince other countries to  the Paris Climate Agreement, in which 195 parties from different countries agreed to change their actions to try to keep global Climate Change under a 2 degrees Celsius increase, after which the effects of anthropocentric Climate Change would be heightened.

Besides the U.S.' reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the plan would help to decrease air pollution and also have a positive impact on human health. Asthma attacks and asthma related deaths would decrease. Energy costs were also expected to be reduced in the long-term for the average American family. 

Source: cnn.com

Pruitt, who rejects the scientific consensus that Climate Change is occurring and that human activities are the main cause of it, plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan to allow the fossil fuel industry to continue to profit without acknowledging the effects that they have on Climate Change. It is also important to note that energy companies have contributed significant amounts of money to Pruitt's campaign for Attorney General. 

The deadline to tell the EPA how you feel about this issue is April 26th, 2018!

References: “Tell the EPA to Stand Up for Our Communities NOT Polluters.” Union of Concerned Scientists, secure.ucsusa.org/onlineactions/R-CpPggzLECfqvJ_qDY3kQ2?_ga=2.264867087.1229071010.1518984288-737608975.1518984288.

“The Clean Power Plan: A Climate Game Changer.” Union of Concerned Scientists, www.ucsusa.org/our-work/global-warming/reduce-emissions/what-is-the-clean-power-plan#.Wont34PwbIU.

Also Interesting: Guillen, Alex, and Esther Whieldon. “Energy Executives, Secretive Nonprofit Raise Money to Back Pruitt.” Politico, 6 Jan. 2017, www.politico.com/story/2017/01/scott-pruitt-epa-nonprofit-backers-233306.

The Unfortunate Failure of Cape Wind

Source: windpower.org

Link: What Was Once Hailed as First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm Is No More

The link above explains the downfall of the proposed Cape Wind project, which was to be the first offshore wind farm in America. The project was to supply electricity to power Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod. The proposal, started in 2001, called for as many as 130 wind turbines on Nantucket Sound. This could have produced enough electricity for 200,000 homes in the area. If passed, this project would have jump-started large-scale sustainable energy in the United States.

Source: bloomberg.com

Although Cape Wind would have reduced the area's fossil fuel emissions, it faced enormous amounts of backlash from residents of the area. People claimed that it ruined views of the coast in the highly tourist-driven area, and would also hurt the fishing industry. It also faced criticism from the powerful Kennedy family, who have homes in the area and did not want their picturesque vacation spot to be ruined. The project was delayed due to several lawsuits, and companies pulled their power-purchase agreements in 2015. This ended the push for the project.

Since the failure of Cape Wind, the first offshore wind farm has been built in Rhode Island. Although it is much smaller than the proposed one, this is still a great start for the sustainable energy movement in America. A few things can be taken away from this situation. First, that developers should consider building out of range of the coast if possible. It can also be learned that if we want to start using more sustainable energy in this country, people need to stop the mentality, "not in my backyard." We cannot push for renewable energy, and then change our minds if the opportunity arises for it to become possible in our area. There has to a compromise between environmental and aesthetic values. 

References: Eckhouse, Brian, and Joe Ryan. “What Was Once Hailed as First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm Is No More.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 1 Dec. 2017.

Affordable Electric Cars

Source: Hyundai Motor America

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/cheapest-electric-cars

The link above takes you to a website that explores the most affordable electric cars of today. In the past, it was extremely unreasonable for the average American to even consider getting an electric vehicle. But as sustainable energy becomes more popular, electric vehicles have been getting more affordable. The different brands include Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Nissan, Honda, and more. Electric vehicles are a great idea for people who do not have to drive very long distances and who have a little room in their budget for raised energy costs (if they charge their car at home).

These vehicles are great options for people who really want to reduce their carbon footprint. Although the cars themselves are not run on the burning of fossil fuels, the electricity that is used to charge these vehicles is most likely still produced by the burning of fossil fuels. This is a huge step in the right direction for the renewable energy movement. However, until we stop relying on fossil fuels as our main source of electricity, these vehicles are still dependent on nonrenewable sources for the time being.

References: Vincent, John M. “9 Cheapest Electric Cars.” U.S. News & World Report Best Cars, U.S. News & World Report, 15 Dec. 2017.