Living Green: A Hopeful Future Begins At Home
Environmentally-friendly practices at home and at work are more than just personal virtues, they are the key ingredients for a better future

by Lee H. Goldberg

Given the magnitude of the many environmental issues we face, it's easy to write off any personal efforts at greening up our own lives as ineffectual misguided actions suitable only for do-good-ers, Pollyannas and granola-munchers. And truth be told, there is some logic to the argument that we cannot save the world by turning down our thermostats, buying hybrid cars and eating only organic vegetables produced on communally-owned farms. I'd argue, however, that taking charge of the good or harm we do as we live our own lives is a very powerful and ultimately critical part of creating a future we'd be proud to hand over to our children

Taking responsibility for our personal environmental footprint makes double sense for folks like us who actually create tomorrow's technology. First, there is the obvious value of collective actions, the many little things, that when multiplied by millions of individuals can win wars, build economies, and, dare I say it, save planets. My Mom, an active participant in WW-II, still regales me with tales of the scrap drives, victory gardens, rationing, and dozens of other small acts regularly undertaken by the country's citizens that helped turn the tide of the war. Given the huge population and the buying power we wield, even small changes such as only buying more energy-efficient products, reducing our gasoline use, and eating as much locally-produced food as possible can have an enormous effect on encouraging businesses to move the economy towards sustainability.

But the most profound effect of adopting more grandkid-friendly living and buying habits is how it will affect how we see the world and, in turn, affect what we create and how we do our jobs. As engineers and technologists, we use our vision to create tomorrow's tools, toys and products and, therefore, have a direct hand in shaping their impact on our environment. But without a vision of what might, could, or should be burning in their brain, an engineer is simply an instrument that repeats the tricks they were taught back in school in return for a paycheck, while we repeat the mistakes that have brought us to the edge of ecological disaster. Conversely, once we begin to envision changes in our own lives, we are much more likely to notice many potential opportunities to cash in on producing the products and services that will make the path to sustainability easier for everyone. .

Besides the obvious improvements they'll bring to your own life, incorporating planet-friendly buying and living habits into your life is a way to widen your perspective so that you begin to incorporate these larger perspectives into the things you create and the organizations you help run. I can speak from experience that even making small changes in my own life, such as using my bike to run some of my errands or making it a sport to see how low I can drive my house's utility bills, has made me much better at spotting the green-tech stories I write about at analogZONE while they remain invisible to most other journalists. Whether it's squeezing another 10% worth of energy savings out of your next design or adopting guidelines that minimize the use of toxic materials across your entire product line, it's easier to conceive and believe in small actions that make a huge difference in your professional life once you begin to do the same in your personal life.

It's for these, and many other reasons that I'll submit a list of 10 actions based on a list originally created by EcoMall (a leading environmental website) for your consideration as we approach Earth Day, April 22. While not everyone can or would want to incorporate all these things into their lives, most of us can at least make a few of them our own. And, through these small shifts in individual awareness, as well as simple, easy actions, everyone can begin to contribute to a powerful grass-roots transformation of our world.

Comments? Questions? Sick of my preaching or want to suggest other less granola-munching topics for my editorials? Write me at: lgoldberg@green-electronics.com

10+ Easy Things You Can Do - A Geek's Guide to Building a Healthier Planet This Earth Day: April 22, 2006

  1. Spend time enjoying nature - besides being a fun and healthy way to rest up from your high-tech workday, it's easier to get motivated about saving something when it's an important part of your life. You don't have to be a rugged outdoors-person or drive hours to a wilderness to enjoy a local park, botanic garden, or nearby nature trail where you can walk, picnic, or simply sit outdoors and watch the sky. If you are unfamiliar with local nature spots, a quick check on the Web for your town or state Parks and Recreation Department will often yield lots of good surprises. If you're too goal-oriented to simply bask in nature's splendor, take a more active approach and try geo-caching or orienteering - both fun, active sports that get you outdoors at minimal cost. And don't forget local organizations like the Sierra Club, American Youth Hostels, and the American Hiking Society to help you find places to hike and people to hike with.
  2. Stop using pesticides on your lawn and garden wherever possible and look to lower-impact alternatives. Eliminating pesticides from your yard is a significant step towards reducing the use of chemicals that poison our water supply, endanger human health, and sicken wildlife. There are many effective, natural alternatives available from your local garden center or places like Arbico Organics and Gardens Alive that can do the same job and leave your garden, and the surrounding environment, in better shape.
  3. Put your house on an energy diet. It's easy to save 25%-40% of the average home's heating, cooling and lighting costs by adding insulation and selecting energy-efficient equipment when you replace your appliances, air conditioner, furnace, or even consumer electronics. Buying products that have earned the government's voluntary EnergyStar www.energystar.gov energy efficiency rating will help reduce global warming and save you money at the same time. Even replacing a single 100 W incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb that uses 75% less power to produce the same light will prevent 1300 pounds of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere over its 10,000-hour lifetime - not to mention shaving $30-$40 off your electric bill.
  4. Where practical, buy organic. Look for - and ask for - organic produce wherever you buy your groceries, or shop at your local health food store which carries only organic produce. The extra 10-30% you'll pay for organic produce is an investment in your own health, and also allows you to "vote with your wallet" for farmers that reduce pesticide exposure to the land, farmers, harvesters, and your family.
  5. Check your "carbon footprint" to see how much you're contributing to Global warming and see where you can start to make changes in your life. My colleague Dave Bell's article points you to a handy set of on-line tools that let you calculate how many pounds of carbon you're responsible for putting into the atmosphere. He also lists several funds that allow you to do "personal emissions trading" that funds carbon sequestration programs just like many major corporations are beginning to do.
  6. Buy at least some of your food locally from a nearby organic farmer, Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) organization, or even a local farmer's market. Some farmers and CSAs allow you to join in and pick your own fruits and veggies while others cater to busy folks by delivering pre-packed boxed to a pick-up point near you. In either case, you'll enjoy food that's nutritious and delicious while helping to preserve small local farms that actually improve the local environment while using less of our non-renewable resources.
  7. Trim your waste stream. Buy carefully, asking yourself how much and how long you'll actually use that shiny new widget. It helps to remind yourself that manufacturing the average 5-lb laptop leaves a 5,000-10,000 lb pile of waste behind and that other electronics products have similar impacts. Whenever practical, buy used stuff - a strategy that will often save you money as well as use fewer resources. And when you're done with your stuff, dispose of it carefully, recycling whenever you can. The old adage "reduce, reuse, recycle" still works very well today. Taking the time to find out how to get that old computer, TV or other stuff to the right recycling facility is an investment in your grandkids' future.
  8. Shop Green: Be a consumer that uses your dollars to support companies and products that are better for the Earth. Encourage your local stores to carry "green" cleaning supplies and products made from recycled materials. And if you can't find things locally, the web site EcoMall lists hundreds of companies like Real Goods and 7th Generation that either carry or source everything from organic clothing to non-toxic cleaners and solar energy products. Or, visit web sites like Simply Living and Simple Living to find out how other folks are cleaning up their lives.
  9. Plant a tree in your yard or start a garden. If you live in an apartment, start a window box or planter on your patio. Plants and trees help clean the air, are visual expressions of nature's beauty, and uplift us. And you'll be surprised at how much more you'll be aware of the seasons and the weather from simply spending the few minutes a week it takes to care for your plants.
  10. Join or make a donation to any organization that supports the environment. Pick a cause - any cause that you feel close to - and support it with a check, the occasional letter to your representatives, and maybe even some volunteer action. You can't save the whole damned planet yourself, but, with the help of a bunch of like-minded people, you can certainly make a difference.
  11. Start somewhere, stay positive, keep inspiring yourself and others. Even taking satisfaction in finding a small way to make a difference will help encourage you to take bigger steps as the opportunities arise. Enthusiasm is infectious, and your personal example can be too - both at home and at work. Your attitude can point the way for family, friends and co-workers to follow. In doing so, you'll have taken the first steps in pushing back the paralysis of pessimism and fear - the real obstacles to building a cleaner, more hopeful future.

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