Accounting for the Environment

When we buy an apple, t-shirt, or TV, we're used to seeing a price. We see what that item costs us, and make our decision to purchase it given the monetary "sacrifice" required. There are good deals and bad deals, discounts and premiums, but in all cases we are keenly aware of what the item is costing us personally. After all, would you agree to purchase something if you had no idea what the actual cost was?

Humanity has placed values on labor, resources, and skill, but have we accounted for entire ecosystems? If there is no monetary value placed on the filtration ability of a wetlands or oxygen produced by a large forest, we do not see the true cost of products created in conjunction with ecosystem degradation. The human race is producing and purchasing without knowledge of the true cost.

The BBC recently featured a report on Kenya's Mau forest. In the past 15 years, one quarter of the protected forest reserve has been settled and cleared. As a result, rivers flowing from the forest are drying up. Drying rivers have hurt Kenya's harvests, cattle farms, tea industry, lakes, and wildlife tourism. Unlike governments, ecosystems do not know national boundaries. The rivers of the Mau forest feed the Serengeti in Tanzania and Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile. Egypt is being affected by deforestation in Kenya. You can find this article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8057316.stm.

Companies, governments, and individuals alike need to know the true costs of their actions. For this to take place, a value may need to be placed on forests, lakes, rivers, etc. When damage can me monetized, the associated costs cannot be ignored. This may be the only solution for capitalism to co-exist with a healthy environment. In the meantime, it is up to us as individuals to always be conscientious of the "hidden" costs of the food we eat and merchandise we buy.

Wanted: 21st Century American Leadership

“In the case of China, [climate change plans] so ambitious that it could well become the front-runner in the fight to address climate change. The big question mark is the U.S.”

Yvo de Boer, the UN climate chief, made the above remark this past Monday. De Boer offers a lot of praise for a country who may account for 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 according to a study by the Energy Foundation and WWF. So what exactly did President Hu Jintao of China promise? No more illegal coal power plants? A ban on Hummers? Actually, he explained that Chinese factories, power plants, etc would accomplish “notable” improvements in carbon efficiency between now and 2020. “Notable.”

My point, however, is not to complain about Mr. Hu’s vagueness. The true tragedy in this story is that a offer of “notable” improvements is enough to make one the “front-runner” in the fight against climate change. Where is the United States? Well we won WWII, so I guess we’ll leave this one up to the rest of the world, right?

Why is the United States so impotent when it comes to addressing what may be the greatest issue of our time? We got Obama, so why can’t we get anything done? It would be easy to pass this off on the rascals in Congress, but I suggest we look inward first. The US population drives this country, and we are all members of this population. So what can we do?

I believe the answer is sacrifice. What better way for the United States to lead than by example. In 2004, the United States accounted for 33% of world consumption (we account for 4.6 percent of the world’s population). China may have intense air quality problems and India serious water problems, but the US’s problem is more disgusting in my opinion. We suck down the earth’s resources and then wonder why our role as world leader is vanishing. As citizens of the US, we get to vote during elections. But we also vote every time we spend our hard-earned money. So instead of eating a banana everyday in the Pacific Northwest winter or gobbling up electricity with the Xbox when it’s raining outside, why not seek a regional/seasonal breakfast alternative or have a conversation with a friend about global warming when the rain keeps us inside.

It’s time for some new American leadership. Winston Churchill once said, “You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they’ve tried everything else.” Let’s not waste time on trying everything else. We’ve seen a scary vision of what global warming could do to the world (flooded New Orleans). We cannot let this happen. We need demonstrate that the caring spirit of the people, not their wealth, is what makes a world leader in the 21^st century. Less is more when it means saving the people and environment of this world from the climate change crisis.

Make an Impact: Become a Carbon Coach

In recent years global warming and carbon footprints have been a hot topic in the news. Global warming is “an increase in the earth's atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely predicted to occur due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution” (http://www.mdbc.gov.au/subs/The_River/glossary.html), and a carbon footprint is “the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product (UK Carbon Trust 2008).

The Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment is offering a program where individuals can learn more about these important issues and will train individuals how to become a Carbon Coach. The free six-week long program trains individuals to educate, motivate and support others in their household as well as in their community to reduce their carbon footprints/climate pollution in their lifestyles. Training topics include learning about:

• Carbon emissions caused by transportation options
• Waste generation
• Home energy use
• Materials purchasing

The goal for completion of the program is for Carbon Coaches to raise awareness, make an impact and engage in public outreach about issues dealing with climate change.

Registration for this course ends September 20. If you are interested visit the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment website: http://www.seattle.gov/ENVIRONMENT/

Washington State to Recieve $10.6 million from ARRA

The U.S. Department of Energy just recently announced more than $354 million for energy efficiency and conservation projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As part of the Department of Energy's Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, the funding aims to implement programs that conserve energy use, reduce carbon emissions, and create green jobs. Energy Secretary Steven Chu outlined the funding's intention:

"This funding will allow states across the country to make major investments in energy solutions that will strengthen America's economy and create jobs at the local level. It will also promote some of the cheapest, cleanest and most reliable energy technologies we have - energy efficiency and conservation - which can be deployed immediately. Local communities can now make strategic investments to help meet the nation's long term clean energy and climate goals."

The funding is to be spread among 22 states – including Washington State. Washington will use its $10,645,900 to aid local communities in meeting some of the country's most stringent energy codes. In addition the state will create an Energy Planning Program to enable cities and counties to perform energy efficiency and conservation measures. Washington State's program aims to successfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, while creating hundreds of green jobs statewide.

The full announcement can be found here

Day of Caring Restoration Work Party

To celebrate the United Way of King County's 17th Annual Day of Caring this past Friday, the EOS AmeriCorps Sustainability team joined forces with Notre Dame Seattle AmeriCorps members for a restoration work party. The Volunteers worked in the Maple School Natural Area removing invasive English Ivy and Blackberry, then finished up the day mulching their respective zones in preparation for planting new plants. November 7th, Green Seattle Day, the volunteers will be returning to plant native species in the zones that have been previously mulched.

Welcome to the new EOS Alliance blog

Hello, and welcome to the new EOS Alliance blog!

We will be using this space to provide regular updates and news about the programs and services offered by EOS Alliance (including our professional training programs and our Sustainability Team's projects), thoughts and commentary on environmental issues, links to useful resources, and just general information about environmental sustainability and all things green.  Feel free to leave comments, check us out at www.eosalliance.org, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.  Check back often!