Our Greener Life

Summer is just around the corner, and it is already heating up in many parts of the country. If you use an AC system to cool your home, set your thermostat to 78 to reduce your energy use. You can also purchase a programmable thermostat which will allow you to turn on the AC only when you need it. Most support multiple programs, so you can have seperate programs for the week (when you may be away at work) and for the weekend.

Another great way to reduce your AC usage, is to utilize ceiling fans in your home. They are relatively inexpensive and not too difficult to install. It’s a great way to lower the temperature and increase the air circulation in your home.

Since our move to Albuquerque a month ago, we have been making it a habit to walk more, rather than driving our car. We were lucky enough to find a house in a great section of the city, which is very central and close to Nob Hill (a great area with shopping and restaurants) and UNM. I will be starting graduate school at the university in the Fall and will be able to walk or bike to school, which will be great. In the past, I’ve had commute times of an hour each way, which gets old after a while and definitely does not help reduce my carbon footprint.

It is really quite a different world when on foot, rather than in the car. You can really take in more of your surroundings. Neighborhoods and buildings look completely different when you can take the time to really notice them. Though I have enjoyed our reduced dependence on driving, I’ve become more aware of just how much our society is vehicle based. For example, the sidewalks on our street are narrow – you can only walk single file. It’s a very busy road as well, so you feel close to the traffic. Plus, you have to be extra careful at intersections, as not all drivers are on the lookout for pedestrians.

Wouldn’t it be great if we can design more neighborhoods with wide, mixed use paths? Rather than focusing on cars – design around pedestrians and bicyclers. That is actually the idea around New Urbanism – a more sustainable method of development.

Today, while walking up to the grocery store, I only saw one other pedestrian during my trip. It was a really nice day – sunny, not too hot, however I found it interesting that I was basically the only person on foot. Cars, on the other hand, were plentiful. I’m sure hundreds, if not more, passed by on my way there and back.

If you have the chance, I whole-heartedly recommend taking more trips by foot. If you have a restaurant nearby, take the time to walk and enjoy the sights along the way. You may be surprised by how different the world looks outside the doors of your car.

Can you count how many times you’ve been asked this question at the grocery store? No doubt, more times than you can remember. What was your answer, and why did you make that particular choice?

In the past, I typically would choose the plastic bags. What was my rationale for that choice? Well, less chance the bag would rip and send our groceries rolling around on the pavement, and plastic tends to be easier to carry. There was no ecological rational for my decision.

Paper bags are typically thought of as the environmentally friendly choice, but actually consume 40% more energy in the production process than plastic bags. They also generate 80% more solid waste than plastic bags. However, plastic bags take at least 1,000 years to decompose (whereas paper may take as little as a month) and are made from polyethylene, which is created from crude oil and natural gas – both nonrenewable resources. Both require a considerable amount of energy and resources to be produced.

There are better choices today which can let you answer the “paper or plastic” question with an easy answer – “neither, please”. Why not pick up a few reusable bags, which can be used for groceries and other things?

It does take some time to get in the habit of bringing your bags with you into the store. We keep a few in the car, and a few by the back door (for shopping trips when not using our car). But, it can be easy to forget until you’re already in line. The great thing is that some stores, such as Whole Foods, will give you a 5-cent refund for using your own bags.

Aside from traditional shopping bags, there are also ways to reduce your use of other bags. Rather than using sandwich bags for lunch, you could bring your sandwich wrapped in a Wrap-N-Mat. It’s a reusable wrap which doubles as a placemat. I think that’s a very cool idea. See what other products you can use to green your sack lunch.

The thinking – reduce, reuse, recycle is a great way to live a greener life. We’ve become more aware of what we send to the landfill and what we reuse. Shopping bags are a great place to start.

Your carbon footprint is a measure of the impact your activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced. It is measured in units of carbon dioxide. The Carbon Footprint Calculator will determine your current footprint, based on a number of factors including fuel usage and travel.

There are several things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint:

1. Purchase renewable energy if offered in your area, or install your own electricity generators, such as solar systems to lower your grid usage. Here in Albuquerque, PNM offers the Sky Blue program. This allows customers to purchase New Mexico wind energy.
2. Turn off lights and electrical devices when not in use.
3. Turn down the air conditioning a few degrees.
4. Lower the water heater temperate.
5. Wash clothes in cold water.
6. Hang your clothes outside to dry, rather than use a clothes dryer.

Along with reducing your carbon footprint, you can offset your carbon footprint in a number of ways:

1. Plant a tree. Trees reduce CO₂ by a process known as carbon sequestration. Basically, tress breathe in CO₂ and release oxygen into the air.
2. Purchase carbon offsets from a company such as TerraPass. Your money is used to fund renewable energy projects such as wind farms.

Using these methods, you can reduce your carbon footprint to zero and know that you are doing your part to stop global warming and protect the environment.

It has been about a year since I first began thinking about my impact on the environment. In all honesty, I had spent the first 25 years of my life wearing blinders. For example, I never took recycling seriously – usually never thought twice about tossing an empty soda can in the trash. Basically, I just took the wonderful world we live in for granted.

My life took new direction a couple of years ago, when I began studying landscape architecture. I had been working in software development with a degree in business, but felt my life was missing something. I had always had an interest in architecture and gardening, so when I learned about the field of landscape architecture – I knew it was the right track for me.

Last summer I took a course dealing with sustainability. It was a foreign concept at the time, but I was soon hooked and learning all I could. If you are unfamiliar with the notion of sustainability, here is a definition taken from the EPA:

“Sustainability is the ability to achieve continuing economic prosperity while protecting the natural systems of the planet and providing a high quality of life for its people. Achieving sustainable solutions calls for stewardship, with everyone taking responsibility for solving the problems of today and tomorrow-individuals, communities, businesses and governments are all stewards of the environment.”

In practice, this means day-to-day recognition that economy, society, and environment are interconnected and we should make wise and innovative choices to ensure are communities are sustainable for present and future generations.

So, if you haven’t thought much about your impact on the planet, where is a good place to start? I would say the first step is to just be more aware of the world around you. For instance, start thinking about where you get your food and what kind of food you eat. Think about your transportation options – would it be possible to walk or bike more? You will begin to notice all sorts of things which you may have never thought of.

The goal of Our Greener Life is to chronicle our journey towards a greener life and share our experience with others. We’ll be covering a wide variety of topics, so please stay tuned!