sustainability – art, design and social practice

Some interesting websites I thought y’all might appreciate:

Environmental News Network:
www.enn.com

hautenature
“green” art and design-a lot of beautiful and interesting things to look at:
http://hautenature.blogspot.com/2008/03/green-walls-decorate-with-live-plants.html

Baltimore Food Not Bombs: (I don’t think the website has been updated in a while)
http://www.baltimorefnb.revolt.org/index.html

Baltimore Dumpster Collective:
http://baltimoredumpsters.org/

not directly related to the course but still worth checking out:

Zeitgeist:
http://zeitgeistmovie.com/

kill your tv!:
http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/

This is my roommate’s father’s best friend.  He’s been making these wind turbines for years now, and the video is pretty cool and hits a solid 7 on the unintentional comedy scale, but what’s really interesting are his designs for off-shore wind mills.  His turbines are especially efficient, because they combine multiple rotors, increasing the energy that is reaped from the wind, which is many parts of the world, is fairly constant just off-shore.  

Selsam demo

The website is worth checking out as well, at the least, for it’s incredibly dated design.

www.selsam.com 

Also, here is a CNN article examining the effectiveness of small-scale wind production:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/09/18/micro.turbine/index.html

So here’s the ones I did-

BP- 5 tonnes

Global Footprint Network- 3.4 planets

Environmental Defense Fund- 5.5 tons

EPA- 4,421 pounds

Conservation International- 5.1 tons

Carbon Counter- 6.8 tons

Problems:

I take the train instead of the plane, but I think the train is still one of the larger portions of my footprint. I usually travel back and forth less than I did this past summer. I think the fact that my house is heated by heating oil is also a large portion of it, but I haven’t been in this house during the winter yet so I’m not sure how that works. My electricity bills are fairly low I think ($60 total for gas and electric, split between 2 people) but this still seemed to make up a large portion of the total. 

What to do:

I thought of making little changes. The most easily eliminated waste in my everyday life is plastic silverware, paper napkins/ towels, and plastic coffee cups. I’m going to make sure I always have silverware and a handkerchief on my person and make coffee at home. I think making things at home generally saves resources. Its extra + when saving money coincides with ruining the earth a lil bit less. I want to tend to my houseplants more carefully so they flourish, perhaps including acquiring some compost worms. 

While attempting to compile information to calculate my carbon footprint I have begun to feel as though I am 3, possibly 4, different people:

The Bahamas:

Carbon Footprint: 12.37 (4 person home), 2 SUV’s and my flying

Conservation International: 25 (? But the graphics are really nice)

             I don’t understand if this site recommends or discourages the use of microwaves to cook. I was a bit confused about this question

Empowerment Institute: 20.064

Average:  19.14 tonnes

 Canada:

Bp: 5 tonnes per year (which is less than Canada average of 11.71)

Carbon Footprint: 8.253 tonnes

Econeutral: 10.2 tonnes

Average: 7.82 tonnes

 USA- San Francisco:

Bp:10 tonnes Co2 which is less than the U.S average of 18.58

Carbon Counter: 6.8 tonnes 

Econeutral: 9.35 tonnes

Environmental Defense Fund: 0.9 tons (Housing) 23.3 tons (Flights)= 24.2 tons

Baltimore: (Projections because I have only been here 3 weeks)

Carbon counter: 15.13 tonnes

Environmental Defense Fund: 3.2 tons (Housing) 23.3 tons (Flights)=26.5

Average: 15.33 tonnes (SF. Average alone was 12.59)

Overall, the calculators seem to mainly work for “Developed” nations (Carbon Counter had a Bahamas option) but largely there was no international option or an applicable choice. This was very frustrating and underlines a global issue.

 How to minimize impact:

In looking at the numbers flying is a large portion of my carbon footprint; I fly cross-country about 3+ times a year. Nonetheless, I feel as though this will taper off dramatically when I complete my studies. In my opinion the biggest step is combating ignorance. When I first went to Vancouver my roommates were very excited to teach me to recycle and how to minimize washing laundry although clothing was always damp from the weather, these aspects of life were completely alien to me.

When I moved down to San Francisco I got my household (of 6- 7) to recycle and by the time I left we were attempting to compost as well.

In the Bahamas I have been encouraging my family to buy as locally as possible and drive less or carpool more. My mum has changed all the bulbs to fluorescents and is now trying to grow as many fruits and vegetables as possible, slowly eliminating the purely aesthetic lawn part of our backyard. We also only line dry. In the future I have little intentions of living in major cities. My family and I are slowing moving back to the small island my parents are from where living a self- sufficient and economically efficient lifestyle is a reality (my parents spent about $20+ a day on gas in Nassau and run the A/C almost year-round). Last year my parents and I voted for a political party that created a new Ministry of Environment & Renewable Energy. Although this Ministry is new I hope this step within the Government shows a change in mindset of the people on the major islands.

Currently, I find Baltimore one of the hardest cities (I’ve ever lived in) to navigate in a multitude of ways. I have not been recycling here (and it seems a lot more complicated than California). Moreover, my roommates appear to be disinterested and I’ve been apathetic towards attempting to change a house full of people who are born and raised in this lifestyle. I hope this is just a phase. Though it’s hard for me to change the amount of travel I do I hardly drive anywhere when I’m not in the Bahamas. Also, I attempt to be wise about what I purchase and how I discard it, which is a huge challenge in my art practice, while remaining economically possible. Yet, grappling with such figures in “tonnes” is surreal.

Results:

BP: 7 tones C02 per year

Carbon Counter: 7.04

EPA: 4.914

ClimateCrisis: 4.25

Earthday: 18

TerraPass: 6.5

Ave: 7.95

In order to lower my annual CO2 production, there are a number of actions I can take.

1) Changing light bulbs will reduce the amount of electricity I consume.

2) I do not drive, but flying has caused my CO2 production to increase dramatically. When given the option, I will take other forms of transportation (bus or train).

3) Food consumption is another aspect I would like to change. Buying local and organic foods will help both health as well of energy consumption. I am planning on going to the farmers market whenever possible.

4) Changing my practices as an artist is another big change I plan on undertaking. I hope to find ways to reuse found objects or old object i have. This allows me to in order take products out of the cycle and not introduce anything new at the same time. I tend to be very wasteful in my studio, so whatever i can do to cut down waste and excess consumption of materials.