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March 2007 Artist's Letter
“SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE AVERAGE JOE”
By Melissa Skidmore Reardon
In the light of peak oil concerns and global warming, sustainability becomes an important buzzword as we consider the environmental and economic effects of our current network of selling and buying goods, how we build and live in our homes and what types of transportation we use to conduct our daily lives. Once an idea that seemed limited to hippies, tree huggers and those who can afford to buy the more expensive organic products, sustainability is beginning to affect all of us in very personal ways. We are beginning to see how our level of disposable income, our health, the environment and our local economies are affected by non-sustainable business and consumption practices. As energy sources begin to move from oil driven transportation of goods from far away markets towards the benefits of buying those goods from local suppliers, anyone can become more educated in what is available in your own community and how you can integrate sustainability into your daily life.
For those who are not sure what the word really means, I offer my own personal definition: SUSTAINABILITY: Managing resources so that effectively using current resources ensures that future generations may also sustain themselves.
Anyone can be sustainable, on any kind of budget, in any region. Anyone can lower the overall cost of living by making wiser decisions about energy usage, food selections, gardening products and transportation habits. By making sustainable buying decisions everyday, your purchasing dollars can change the scope of the market, influencing manufacturers and retailers to create innovative products that are recycled and recyclable. When fewer raw materials are required for the manufacturing process and less pollution is created to make those products, our environment can become cleaner and more livable for every species on the planet as well as our children’s children. You can also keep your local economy strong and healthy by doing business with the businesses in your community that pay local taxes and salaries.
As you read the guidelines below, you may realize that you are already practicing sustainability. Website addresses have been included to get the creative juices flowing and help you learn even more about sustainable living.
Buy local products and support your local economy.
When you purchase products from a local business, you are impacting the local economy by keeping small business in business. Local companies
generate money for your city, county and state tax base that pays for social services such as schools, police, fire, roads, health and water. They also
generate local salaries that sustain the economy when tourism dollars and tax subsidies for large corporations fall short.
For example, if you purchase vegetables at a stand that sells produce farmed within your region, you are supporting local farmers that may practice
organic farming methods and provide much fresher vegetables, while using less fuel energy to get them to market.
www.Foodalliance.org', www.Thinklocalportland.org
Simplify your purchasing needs.
Before making just another impulsive purchase, think about your purchases at the store or by catalog. Ask yourself, if you only had $500
left to live on, would you buy this product? If so, will you use it on a regular basis? If not, is there one you could borrow only when you need it?
When you are done using this product, can it be recycled, donated or used by someone else when you are finished with it?
www.Freecycle.org, www.Oregoncommunitywarehouse.org
Use canvas shopping bags wherever you can.
It is harder to find a recycling source for plastic bags. Many plastic bag manufacturers use a material derived from petroleum. Paper bags
require cutting down forests that promote ecological balance and release oxygen. However, canvas bags are reusable over and over again,
are stronger than paper or plastic bags and when purchased from your favorite environmental organization, a portion of the price for your bag goes to
fund their mission.
www.Reusablebags.com
Eat less prepared foods.
Prepared foods require packaging. Whether it is a pizza, a frozen dinner, a fast food meal or a roasted chicken, plastic and paper are
required for packaging. Much of the plastic packaging cannot be recycled at your local recycler.
Even if you did not eliminate the amount of prepared foods you buy but decreased your purchases by 10%, you are saving money because you are not buying the packaging for all those prepared foods you used to eat. Learning how to create these dishes, planning meals ahead of time and freezing them in reusable containers can increase the level of your health. When you prepare your own meals from whole foods, you are eating foods that are free from preservatives. You can boost your health by lowering and controlling levels of fat and salt used in the preparation of your food. When your family takes the time to prepare food together, you are spending quality time together in an organic and natural way.
Buy organically grown products.
Organic farmers and suppliers must meet specific certification requirements to legally label their products “organic”. They pay a fee to be considered
as a certified organic supplier. They do not use pesticides or synthetic fertilizers that destroy the natural structure of soil. They do not pollute
groundwater with harmful chemicals. Organically grown products can include growing cotton for linens, clothing and other items, hemp for textiles
and organic foods such as teas, non antibiotic milk, cage free and free range eggs, meats or whole organic grains.
www.tilth.org, www.ams.usda.gov/nop
Lower your needs for paper products.
Our forests are vanishing at a rapid rate as we increase our demand for paper products such as paper towels, tissue, toilet paper and paper packaging
for products. Although many more people are recycling paper than in the past, we still need to lower our overall need for paper. Buy products that
either use less packaging or use post consumer waste to create their packaging. Try to avoid purchasing products with non-recyclable plastic packaging.
Use washable and reusable fabric towels and napkins in the kitchen. When giving gifts, use recycled gift wrap or cards and be sure to recycle used gift wrap
when you take out the trash.
www.Environmentaldefense.org
Avoid using disposable items.
Most “disposable” items are not made to break down over time. Find other products that are reusable rather than thinking of the short term
convenience of just throwing them away. Do not purchase items like plastic non biodegradable diapers, towels with plastic fibers in them,
“flushable” items or disposable mops. They end up in our landfills where their chemicals could leak into the groundwater that we depend on
for drinking water. Items that are flushed down the toilet may not break down or cannot be disposed of in a sewage treatment plant.
If you buy coffee on a regular basis, lower the need for using paper cups each day and buy a thermal coffee mug.
www.coopamerica.org
Recycle your trash.
If your trash collector does not provide recycling services, ask for recycling services or look for a local recycler. Consider a scout troop or other
youth organization in your community who can recycle your beverage bottles and newspaper as a fundraiser. Contact your county office for more information.
www.Redo.org, www.Earthpro.com
Recycle your computer equipment rather than throwing it away in the landfill where the precious metals break down and pollute
the soil and groundwater.
Take your computer to your local computer recycler or donate it to a non profit agency if it is still usable.
www.Freegeek.org,
www.Oregonearth911.org
Recycle your old cell phones.
Donate them to a shelter so that an abused woman can safely call 911 at no charge to protect herself and her children. Your local community group such as the
Masonic Lodge, Elks Lodge or Lions organization might use them for a fundraiser.
www.PWCL.org,
www.Phone4Charity.org,
www.YWCA.org
Ask your employer to recycle used paper, bottles and plastic at your workplace.
Businesses can make up almost 40 percent of the waste in your region. Contact your local county office for resources to show your employer.
Most are available for a small fee or for free.
www.Recycleatwork.com
Plant a “victory garden”.
In World War II, governments and corporations promoted victory gardening. American citizens from every walk of life worked the land to raise food
in both rural and urban gardens. Food from these gardens was raised for families, shared with friends and neighbors and shipped to troops overseas.
Raising a victory garden created the idea of self-reliance which can be just as influential today in the wake of overdependence on food sources from
outside our region. Start a victory garden this year, whether it is in a container garden or backyard vegetable garden. Share the extra fruits of your
labors with those in need through a gleaners program.
www.victorygardening.com,
www.oregonfoodbank.org/ofb_services/food_programs/gleaning/
Compost the organic matter from your kitchen.
If you have a garden or like to plant in containers, recycle your vegetable waste and eggshells by using a compost bin or worm bin. Generate healthy new
soil by adding this powerful organic fertilizer to your garden or bagged potting soil. If you don’t garden, recycle the composted material in the yard debris
bins your local trash collector provides or contact your local community garden to see if they would like your compost for their garden.
www.Oregon.earth911.org, www.composters.com
Lower or eliminate the use of pesticides and herbicides.
Synthetic pesticides and herbicides are harmful to the environment. When used outside, rainwater can carry pesticides and herbicides away into storm
water drains that empty into rivers, causing water pollution. There may be another more organic natural product that does the job with less harm. In
the garden, fertilizing your plants with organic material makes them healthier, which in turn, make them less susceptible to viruses or insects. Keeping
your home clean keeps the ants away. Using natural pesticides and herbicides lowers the amount of synthetic harmful chemistry in your personal environment.
www.metro-region.org,
www.planetnatural.com
Use native and hardy plants in your garden.
Plants that are not grown for our climate and soil conditions require more labor, time and garden products to stay alive. You may find yourself using
more water to keep them going during the summer months as they are not acclimated to our summer conditions. It takes energy to transport them
here while native plants are available right in our own region. Plant the right plant in the right place.
www.hardyplantsociety.org, www.plantnative.com
Purchase a vehicle that meets your actual needs.
Consider the actual amount of people that you regularly carry in your vehicle. If you don’t have four or more people that you transport on a regular
basis, consider getting a smaller car. If you drive an SUV purely for the aesthetic but not for the use of its seating and cargo space, be honest with
yourself. Is there a smaller car that would give you the same thrill but costs less in gas mileage and creates less pollution? If you have a truck, do you
use it at least once a month to haul large items? Consider buying a scooter if you live in a city. If a car sharing program like Flexcar is available in your
community, find out if it will work for your needs.
ww.Flexcar.com, www.fueleconomy.gov
Plan your trips in your vehicle.
Whether you drive an SUV, a scooter or hybrid vehicle, plan your trips out of the house to coordinate grocery trips, etc. Making less trips,
doing less impulsive buying excursions and coordinating the travel needs within your family can lower your gas mileage while clearing the air and
traffic in your community. Using public transportation at least once a month can significantly lower your mileage, parking toll costs and rush hour
traffic frustrations. Consider carpooling to events or to work to keep one more car off the road for a few hours.
www.drivelesssavemore.com
Keep your car in shape.
Keeping your tires at the right level during summer and winter to increase mileage, recycling motor oil as you change oil on a regular basis,
keeping it tuned up to decrease air pollution and keeping fluid levels topped off to lower the engine temperature all contribute to cleaner air and better mileage.
www.environmentaldefense.org
Use natural household cleaners for cleaning your home, dishes and laundry.
Many laundry detergents contain phosphates that take longer to break down in water which creates pollution and kills water life. They can also
contain chemicals that are harmful to children and pets. You can find all natural cleaning products for the kitchen, bathroom and laundry at the
local health food section of your grocery store. Many counties offer ideas for natural cleaning products you can make yourself through their recycling departments.
www.metro-region.org/greencleaners,
www.planetnatural.com
Discover ways to lower your energy needs.
Electricity comes from many sources including generation plants run by fossil fuels. Even if all our electricity came from new emerging energy sources
like windmills and solar panels, we still need to consider lowering our needs so that available resources are sufficient. Consider turning off lights in
rooms that are not being used or install light switches that turn off your lights automatically when the room is empty. Buy appliances that have the
Energy Star rating. This indicates that the appliances use less energy and may qualify for an energy tax credit. Turn off computers and televisions that are not in use.
www.imagineenergy.net,
www.energytrust.org
When you build or remodel your home, use sustainable and recycled building products as much as possible.
Sustainable building products use natural binders, recycled materials like rubber and wood waste, and are created by manufacturers committed to the
sustainable process. By using these products, you are supporting an industry that promotes less waste and better use of raw materials, such as
sustainable forestry. These materials will break down over time when they are put in our landfills. Using recycled building products keeps tons
of construction waste out of our landfills every day.
www.rebuildingcenter.org,
www.ecohaus.com
Become a consumer advocate.
Ask why your cell phone and computer manufacturers are not practicing standardization of equipment to decrease waste in landfills.
www.environmentaldefense.org/corporate_innovation.cfm
Ask car manufacturers to start creating more vehicles that use less gas and more alternative fuels.
www.betterworldclub.com
Join other “green” consumers in purchasing products that are beneficial for our environment.
www.coopamerica.org
When you make decisions now to recycle more of your waste, change your transportation needs and change your purchasing habits, you participate in a movement that helps to keep our planet clean and livable for future generations.