Green Office Furniture: Could the Idea Catch On?

by

I recently came across an innovative work desk setup that helps to harness its own energy, effectually producing and using its own recycled energy in a self-sustaining cycle.  (Although the setup does not yet produce enough energy to completely power its many electronic vices, the idea is that it will one day be completely self-sustainable, and therefore, completely unplugged from any power source other than itself.)  The desk design, appropriately called “Unplugged,” was designed by Eddi Törnberg, and is meant to generate all the energy it needs from everyday office activities of the person sitting behind it.

The desk setup has outstanding features, such as the ability to harness power from the heat energy transferred from the user’s computer to the desk top, and even from the user’s back to the back of his or her chair.  The floor mat or rug that is also part of the design has been constructed with technology that allows it to harness energy from the pressures applied to its surface, from walking over it or sitting upon it.

While the idea is still far from mass development or even complete sustainability as an independent workspace, it carries with it a tremendous amount of integrity as an engineering feat.  I recommend you look a bit further into this truly intriguing design.  It may very well be the precedent necessary to slowly reconstruct the future as we come to imagine and realize it.  These green, eco-friendly designs can come to change the world someday, and it could happen in fewer more beneficial areas than within the workplace.

Happy Green Fourth of July

by

Happy Fourth of July.  Hopefully, this holiday will be a fun day spent with friends and family, relaxing and celebrating our wonderful country.  Also, hopefully this day will be a green day.  I have several tips to make the 4th a wonderful green day.

First of all, let’s talk about fireworks.  They are not green.  All polytechnic applications are significant polluters of the environment.  I know it is hard to imagine celebrating the 4th without fireworks.  So let’s compromise here and leave this part of the celebration to the experts.  Plan to go to a community event rather than staging a backyard event.  This way it will be done with more control, alleviating the risk of accidents that occur every year, and plus you get to celebrate in grand style.

Also, for picnics and barbecues, it is important to use biodegradable or reusable plates and plastics.  The picnic will still be fun and you will be doing your part to reduce the piles at the landfills.  Pay attention to the food served at your picnic or barbecue.  Hot dogs and hamburgers are staples at cookouts and barbecues, but be mindful of the environmental impact of the production of such products.  Make sure you incorporate healthy and possibly organic fruits and salads into your menu.  You will be doing a favor to yourself, your family and friends and the environment.

Think green when you crank up the grill.  Propane is three times as efficient as charcoal.  If you opt for charcoal, make sure it is wood briquettes.  They are more sustainable.  Also, do not overcook or char  food on the grill.  This is toxic to the body and the environment.  

Try to incorporate some exercise into the day.  The Fourth of July is a great time to organize a friendly game of baseball, volleyball, dodgeball, etc.  Exercise is great for the health of friends and family.  

As you can see, the Fourth of July is a wonderful day to celebrate our nation and green.  Let’s live green, be green!

Happy Green Fourth of July

by

Happy Fourth of July from live green, be green.  Hopefully, the day will be one of rest, relaxation and fun with friends and family.  Also, hopefully it will be a green day.  I have some great tips for a green Fourth.

First of all, what is the 4th without fireworks?  Not much, huh.  Unfortunately, fireworks are not green.  

Green– Practical to Extreme

by

After spending a considerable amount of time browsing the Internet, reading magazines and researching “green” initiatives, I am convinced that most people are aware of measures they can take to promote a greener life.  I also believe that most people do some things, either voluntarily or as a result of demands made by employers, neighborhood associations or government mandates that impose taxes or even penalties for failure to comply with environmental regulations.  However, I have noticed some extreme practices or procedures that are being investigated through experiments now but may become a reality.

  • Some scientists have proposed putting a ring of sunlight-scattering particles around the equator to reduce the radiation effects of the sun hitting the planet and thereby reducing greenhouse gas effects.  This idea would be tried in the most extreme circumstances and would cost trillions of dollars.
  • Other research has focused on the ocean and includes the manipulation of plankton growth through fertilization to create larger growth to suck up excess carbon dioxide or even “stirring” up the ocean with large pipes to bring rich nutrients to the surface to feed and produce huge algae blooms that would in turn suck up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and bury it on the ocean floor.
  • Some local jurisdictions, such as the city of Los Angeles, have worms in bins in eating areas.  The worms eat discarded food particles and turn them into compost that is used in gardens.  Imagine worms becoming a kitchen staple.
  • Researchers have consistently emphasized the impact of changing our diets and exercise regimens. Statistics from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization indicate that the meat industry is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse emissions through the use of fertilizer, animal manure, energy used to transport food.  If all Americans between 10 and 74 walked a half hour a day, carbon emissions in the U.S. would be reduced by 64 tons.  Eating less red meat also would help.
  • Most jurisdictions are looking towards banning the use of plastic bags and incandescent light bulbs.  We all are becoming accustomed to the transition to fluorescent light bulbs.  Also the use of paper bags or reusable cloth bags is gaining momentum in most communities.
Going green ranges from practical to extreme solutions to protect the environment.  Maybe if we all read the Live Science countdown to craziest ideas, we would be more motivated to incorporate practical green measures to avoid resorting to extreme measures down the road.  Let’s be practical– live green, be green!
 
 

Green Living Mandates Green Taxes

by

With the upcoming presidential election, politics is one of the hottest topics around.  While we owe it to ourselves to be educated on the issues and to go out and vote in November, it is also imperative that we pay attention to local, state and regional issues, especially those affecting the environment.  The clamor over immigration issues, health care and “Fast and Furious” was so loud this past week that it practically drowned out the enactment of several “green” laws that took effect on July 1st.

Noting that “the abundance of aquatic life is one measure of a healthy Chesapeake Bay“, several laws taking affect over the weekend are aimed at significantly reducing pollution from varying sources.  Laws passed to protect the Chesapeake Bay include:

  • Doubling the flush tax from $2.50 to $5.00 to raise funds to upgrade wastewater treatment plants.
  • Placement of limitations on areas where developers can build residential communities that use septic tanks.
  • Requiring local jurisdictions to set fees to fight storm water pollution in Baltimore City and nine of the largest counties in Maryland.

These green laws are a manifestation of the need to accomplish eco-friendly objectives through taxation as there clearly has been a failure to achieve the desired results through advertising, education and voluntary public support.  The green movement has been around for a long time, yet most citizens have not jumped on the bandwagon.  In future legislation, we can expect to see further taxes to reduce waste and increase recycling in the form of taxes on grocery bags and more bottle deposits.  

No one likes the idea of higher taxes, but “green” taxes are an inevitable component of improving the environment and failure to act voluntarily serves as a mandate for government to enact and enforce policies to guarantee the protection of the environment.  In an effort to lower our taxes, let’s voluntarily live green, be green!