Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sustainability

How do I save the planet with computers and stuff? and get paid!?

Gaeacon — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:19:34 -0800

I want to help guide the development of "new" environmentalism... Where should I (educated/trained as an Ecologist) start on a career change into media (online/web development)? better explained... I graduated in June with a Master's in Ecology/Conservation and a certificate called Leaders in Sustainability. I started out in the PhD program, but about half a year in I started thinking a lot about doing something at the interface of environmentalism/activism/science through an online medium. I distracted myself immensely, setting out my grand entrepreneurial vision. I thought I could balance all that....and my very demanding dissertation research abroad.

Well, I couldn't. A couple of years of tortured back and forth, I decided to take the Master's and try to explore the sort of channels I was envisioning. The entrepreneurial vision still exists, although on the back burner a bit. I was faced with the reality that I have a lot to learn, and my ideas need maturation.

I set out to learn more and gain experience. In my last year of grad school, I worked with an environmental non-prof that aimed to engage youth in recreating activism...a lot of interactive, educational pieces at events and festivals. I functioned as an event coordinator/"engineer"/educational programmer....many hats, so to speak. I really enjoyed the broad audience and the "cool" factor of this type of work. The work, however, wasn't paid and would not last forever.

Since graduating, I have worked with The Nature Conservancy. It was a short term position that has been extended by working myself into some new projects....but I am starting to earnestly look forward to what's next. TNC has been a great learning experience - amazing to see conservation on the ground and to be involved behind the scenes with all the different stakeholders. That being said, I still feel my heart gravitating to the entrepreneurial vision I had in grad school.

I know I can't rely on a vision alone, so I need the help of you MeFites to figure out my next steps....

My "vision" rests deeply upon the future of the internet/social networking and the fusing of media with environmentalism/science.

What would be a logical next step to dive into this realm? What kind of jobs can I apply to? I feel like I have been hovering around the conservation world for a bit....and maybe I should be exploring the media side some more.

I am very interested in computers and web development. I don't have much of a "formal" background in computers so I am not even sure which area would be the best (or if I even would have a chance of working anywhere).

What about back-up plan? Should I continue in the conservation world? Perhaps seeking out work with environmental consulting companies?
(OH YEAH, I am in debt and need something that pays at least 30-35k)

Any tips on career change and anything that would help get me closer to my goal would be greatly appreciated. TY

I live in Los Angeles...if that helps

Independent Organic Products?

pleasantries — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:05:30 -0800

List of organic brands (Food/Cosmetics/Cleaning products) that are not subsidiaries of major corporations? Examples: Nature's Gate, EarthBalance. Have already used this and this.

Coffee Certified By Both Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance?

toomuchkatherine — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:56:21 -0800

Coffee filter (!): Is there any type of coffee available for purchase that's certified Fair Trade and also certified by the Rainforest Alliance?

Round peg square hole

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:58:26 -0800

wrongjobfilter: It's a bad fit and I'm a mess, leave or stick it out, and if so, for how long? I feel trapped and diminished. I took a job last year that paid way over my usual salary but involved a move into a corporate/legal organisation. I hate it. I can do it, I go through the motions and I work hard and have been commended by my boss but most nights I come home and cry. Or drink. I've always worked in creative/cultural organisations before and was generally much happier with the freedom of expression and general altruism, and I felt like I was with people I understood but there came a point where it seemed I should up my income so I could save to buy or a house...or something. Now I feel clueless, and the money has become so abstract but this is the real world and recession is hitting so leaving, or even taking a lower paying job better suited seems like the worse kind of self-indulgent recklessness.

Prior to this move I had a vision and was full of ideas but it's all stopped since I've been here. I find myself resenting my colleagues because they seem so capable and professional when I'm struggling to maintain the facade. I hate that they can just get on with it when I find it so hard to contain my boredom, apathy and total disinterest. Playing nice every day is making me a bit crazy. Why can't I make this work? It's not like I'm an artist or a musician or someone with valid reason to buck the 9-5? I'm ashamed that I find this so hard. I feel like a robot. Maybe I could set myself a savings target and then leave, but how much would that be? I don't know what I want other than not. this. How could I leave without f*cking up my CV for future employers?

I know people generally say 'don't make your work your life', well I've tried. But I feel so listless and unhappy most of the time I don't know how to make this happen.

Has anyone had this experience? Did you have a strategy for managing the day to day or getting out? Any specific tips on not letting my work self take over my real life? Any anecdotes would be great.

How can I combine my interests into a coherent academic plan?

youcancallmeal — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:05:30 -0800

Seeking a field that blends radical left-wing politics and sustainability with technology without diluting any of them. I'm graduating in two months with a degree in political science and since I know I don't just want to go to Washington and work, I'm planning on going back to school in a year or so for my master's or pHd. The problem is, I don't know what to study!

I'm interested in: Communist (okay, most non-capitalist) political thought, Nietzsche, sustainable planning and agriculture, the 'back to the land' movement as started by Helen and Scott Nearing, gadgets and toys, how technology can improve people's lives and various other things.

I'm not interested in: working for the American government or directly contributing to what I feel is a broken system, working for the sake of making money in the capitalist machine (My boyfriend and I currently live in Brooklyn and we're leaving in the near future to escape exactly this morass), creating or helping to create tech for the sake of tech.

So, that said...is there a field out there for me? I've been thinking of going an individualized M.A. at somewhere like Goddard, but I can't even begin to put a research topic into a coherent statement. Help!

Are Safeway organics really organic?

biwa-shu — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:24:34 -0800

Safeway: regular brands and house brands out the wazoo. It says organic, but is it? So Safeway and other stores too have their regular supplier brands, in regular and organic varieties, as well as their own house brand in varieties organic and not.

Today we bought organic Driscoll berries, but they looked just like the non-organic ones, except for the label on the container. After watching some videos on Driscoll's site, it seems that they get their berries from a number of sources, which might indicate that their organic berries only come from organic producers. But the container and the contents were totally identical--only the label differentiated them.

Then the eggs were even worse. The best endorsement a Safeway egg had going for it was "Laid by uncaged hens." Ok, great! You take them out of their cages before they lay eggs.

I asked the manager at the register about all this, and she gave me a glassy-eyed schpiel about how she had asked the same questions and was totally convinced that the answers she got were satisfactory. But it's so easy when it's the same company that writes your paycheck...

So where's the beef? To what extent can we trust the labels and the signs?

Sustainability consulting and design - how to start?

rmm — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:26:49 -0800

Interested in the field of sustainability consulting and design - questions and concerns inside Hello Mefis,

I'm interested in breaking into the field of sustainability consulting and design, but don't know how to.

My background is in Web and user experience design - but my passion lies in doing something meaningful besides building Yet Another Corporate Web site for an Agency. I'm reading about sustainable design and social entrepreneurship and like what I've read so far. I'm looking at companies like Sustain, SustainAbility, BluSky, IDEO and others, and reading sites like Design21 (http://www.design21sdn.com/) to get up to speed on the field. The idea of helping companies become sustainable through life cycle analysis is probably my strongest passion out of my many, many interests.

However, because the field seems to be relatively new, there don't seem to be existing standards of what's necessary to get into the field - and I'm hesitant to use the job ads I've seen so far as 'the' standard, since often HR folks write the job ads without really knowing what the job entails. While I have consulting experience, I'm hesitant to just sign up for a 3 year MBA or environmental studies related degree for the sake of being able to enter the field - and find out that the standards for getting into the field have changed. It's similar to user experience in that sense - the ads often read 'needs a minimum of 5-7 years work experience' yet UX as a field hasn't been around for 5-7 years.

Any ideas of what to do? I can network, and attend events, and keep up to date on professional resources, but wonder if there are specific companies or forums to explore. I'm thinking sustainability is a good field to explore considering current (and future) energy and business concerns, but feel like breaking into the field is harder than it should be.

Thanks in advance for any comments or advice. Drop me an email via MeFi if you wish to take this offline.

Can you recommend a great online-article on consumerism?

whatgorilla — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:30:53 -0800

Can you suggest interesting--but not too long--articles on consumerism, for the College Writing class I teach? I'm looking for essays on the manipulations/advertising, contradictions, hypocrisy, unsustainability and ethics of consumer culture, where people spend more than they have to buy more than they need at a price too cheap to treat workers (and the environment, etc.) fairly. While this question (the assignment itself) is biased, I'd like to think it's getting them to think critically about their life and assumptions, since we live in a first world, pro-consumer culture. Pro-consumerist articles won't be ignored though.

Ultimately, my students will be writing an essay answering this question:
To what degree—if ANY—do we, as consumers, have an obligation to educate ourselves and spend our money more wisely or ethically?

So far, they’ve read—and summarized or responded to—these articles (and one or two others):
1. The Science of Shopping by Malcom Gladwell:
http://www.gladwell.com/1996/1996_11_04_a_shopping.htm
2. The Coolhunt by Malcolm Gladwell:
http://www.gladwell.com/1997/1997_03_17_a_cool.htm
3. They Say by D. Ruskoff
http://www.bookbrowse.com/excerpts/index.cfm?fuseaction=printable&book_number=227
4. Two Cheers for Materialism by James Twitchell:
http://homepages.nyu.edu/~gmp1/twitch.htm
5. The Singer Solution to World Poverty by Peter Singer:
http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/19990905.htm
NOTE: Some common responses to Peter Singer's argument (and rebuttals of those responses) are here--but you don't have to read them: http://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/gaskilld/ethics/Singer%20Poverty.htm

ANY ideas, recommendations, suggestions, opinions, etc., will be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance. (note: I don't post to askmefi or mefi very often--I hope this isn't too self-serving. If so, I suppose it'll be erased and I'll be sorry.)

Could we feed the current world population using purely organic farming methods?

canine epigram — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:49:36 -0800

Could we feed the current world population using purely organic farming methods? I realize this question is probably impossible to decisively answer, but in conversations with a friend, he maintains that it would be impossible to convert over to an entirely organic farming standard and still feed everyone - this is why we had the Green Revolution in the first place. His position is that over-investment in organic farming is essentially suicide.

I don't have enough information to gauge this claim. I do know that current organic food is pricy (Whole Paycheck) enough that in these lean economic times, organic industry is taking a big hit, and a lot of people still can't consider switching to organics because they wouldn't be able to feed their family. Unless that changes, organic food remains a luxury for those well enough off to be able to pay for these sustainable practices.

Any recommendations for books that critically examine the benefits or problems with organic farming as a large scale method for feeding people are welcomed - I'm looking for dispassionate analysis, not mindless boosterism.

Seeking Ag Blogs

youcancallmeal — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:14:49 -0800

What are the good sustainable agriculture blogs? Since interning at Greenmarket this summer, I've become very interested in sustainable agriculture. I don't want blogs about cooking or the politics of sustainability, I'm looking for blogs or other updated websites about the mechanics and techniques involved in this sort of farming, both in regard to plants and livestock.

How to start a "free university" dedicated to sustainability and localization.

diogenes — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:32:29 -0800

I'm looking for information about starting a "free university" around the subject of creating a more sustainable and vibrant local economy. I'm on the steering committee for a group called Citizens for a Sustainable Local Economy. I've agreed to coordinate the creation of a free university. We're hoping to create a group of volunteers who would teach free classes on subjects such as life skills, techniques for conserving energy, etc. Does anyone have any experience with something like this?

Here are some of the questions I have:

Is there a better/more common name for this idea than "free university." Searching google with those keywords doesn't result in anything useful.

What topics would be most effective? One idea I have is courses on storing food (canning, drying, freezing, etc.)

What kind of organizational structure is most effective?

Any information and advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I'm not Superwoman. Help me get real!

streetdreams — Sun, 25 May 2008 08:28:19 -0800

I tend to get very excited about lots of different projects and overcommit myself. I can be happily insanely busy for a while, but then I get overwhelmed, freak out and flake out. I don't want to do this anymore. How can I find balance and learn to work sustainably?

Looking for all the B. F. Skinner wannabe's.

sully75 — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 08:38:27 -0800

What are the most exciting developments that are actually functioning in ecology, sustainability and alternative technologies? The more specific the better! I'm interested in alternative technology, new technology and sustainability projects currently functioning (i.e. not theoretical, but actually working), anywhere in the US. I'm interested both in people who are going back to older ways of doing things (i.e. using draft animals to farm) and new technologies (maybe an algae field next to a power plant that will be used to make alternative fuels). I'm interested in both small, personal projects (some dudes wicked cool garden or masonry stove) and large or gigantic (power plants, large scale solar and wind projects, waves, etc)

This is research for a project I'm working on.

Any and all suggestions would be awesome.

How can I carry my arugula without a plastic bag?

melissam — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:11:18 -0800

Farmer's market and co-op conundrum: what can I use to carry my veggies instead of plastic bags? I have my nice burlap shopping bags, but I can't just shove a bunch of cilantro unprotected next to my eggs. I usually end up putting them in a plastic bag instead my shopping bag. It's useful because they are easy for the farmer/clerk to weigh and when I get home I can just put that bag in the fridge. But honestly, I'd like to phase them out. I'd lug my tupperware to the store...but I shop by bike. Is there a good portable alternative for carrying and storing delicate produce?

Looking for a book on leadership during times of great change

salvia — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:18:55 -0800

I'm looking for a fairly recent book about leadership during times of major change written by a female author. It was recommended to me by someone in the peak oil / localization / community self-sufficiency movement, so word about it might be being spread through Bioneers or one of those forums.

The book basically says "no one knows where we are going. It is very hard to figure out what is coming next. That's why it's difficult to figure out what to do or how to lead." Then it offered some suggestions.

Ring a bell for anyone?

Self sustaining cities

poweredbybeard — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:08:43 -0800

What potential or existing strategies are there for developing large urban economies without relying on international investment, transnational corporations, etc.? I know that as things stand, cities across North America require much more revenue than can be generated solely through a local economy, but in light of climate change, peak oil, and the various ethical consideration of economic globalization, I'm wondering:

What might your typical large city (to whatever extent that there is a "typical" city) have to do to be more economically self sustaining? What common practices currently obstruct this possibility?

Are there any writings or resources on this? Any significant theories or schools of thought around this? Any real-world experiments, examples?

Looking for resources regarding sustainability.

valentinepig — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 10:36:16 -0800

Zero waste is the topic. Turned up zero hits in my AskMeFi search. What I am in need of is a web 2.1 muti-media blast to present to an audience of more than 2,000.

Our company is looking at sustainability as a major topic for the coming year. The first quarter is my chance to blow them away with resources to dazzle, amuse and convert folks to the idea of zero-waste. Or a Newtonian type of approach to zero waste.

Please do your darndest to help me find the latest, the greatest, most bulletproof and the mostest superlativest resources available that are not of a particular political persuasion and have a serious, reasonable and verifiable economic benefit slant (consumer or corporate), in addition to any tree-hugging feel good appeal.

I'm searching for an obscure organic hippy magazine from the 70's

watercarrier — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:07:45 -0800

I'm looking for a magazine from the early 70's that was geared towards natural hippy lifestyles, homesteading, composting, crafts, self-sustainability and organic gardening. Does this ring a bell with anyone and can you help me find some back copies?

What is the most environmentally-friendly alcoholic beverage?

unknowncommand — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:33:55 -0800

What are the relative environmental impacts of procuring a *single serving* of wine, liquor, or beer? I'm thinking of factors like growing crops, brewing & distilling, packaging, but are there others? Does shipping trump all of these? Draught vs. bottles? Cans vs. bottles? Wine in a bag?

I also know that specific microbreweries (and micro-liquories?) are eco-friendly, but if I'm just at a random bar or grocery store, then what would be the most responsible choice?

What to do with stale coffee beans?

lindsey.nicole — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:25:03 -0800

I have a couple of half-full bags of stale coffee beans that no longer make good coffee. Aside from throwing them in the trash, what can I do with old beans? It's occurred to me that old coffee beans might be compostable, but I'm an apartment-dweller and I think my vermicomposting worms would go into shock from that much caffeine. If all else fails I may just dump these in a nearby semi-wooded area, but that seems kind of tacky. And weird.

Introductions to technological development

sindark — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:07:21 -0800

Is anybody familiar with one or more good textbooks (or introductory volumes) on technology development and/or deployment? Specifically, I am looking for books that discuss deployment, barriers to access, and technology transfer in the context of sustainable technologies. For example, the deployment of renewable power technology or emissions reduction technology in the developing world.

I am not looking for something that is hugely technical, bur rather something that lays out the technological issues in a manner that would be useful for developing long term policy.

Help me save the world

PercussivePaul — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:43:42 -0800

I am a grad student in a computer engineering program who has recently become interested in sustainability. Please help me figure out how best to use my talents to have a positive impact on society. My research background is in digital circuits - how to design microprocessors, for example. The sort of problems I'm working on all revolve around making circuits better - faster, lower power, able to do more stuff. The research is challenging and interesting. However, I don't think I have a passion for it. I will probably finish my Master's degree in the next 8-12 months -- what next? I can continue in a PhD, I could probably get a job in any of the big tech companies, or...something else entirely.

I now believe that sustainability - i.e. the long-term survival of our culture - is the only problem that really matters. At best my work on the technical side of things will marginally improve a few electronics products. But I'm starting to think there are enough gadgets out there as it is, most of which last only a few years anyway, and thus I am setting myself up to be part of the problem, not part of the solution. I see limited opportunities to make a big impact on my current path.

I've been volunteering with a local non-profit electronics recycler. I could probably devote a lot more time to working locally. But as a grad student with an engineering background and an insider's view of the electronics industry, and not much to tie me down at the moment, I think I am uniquely positioned to make a much larger positive impact on the world. I'm thinking along the lines of the one laptop per child project, solar power/LED lighting, improving transportation or power grids, reducing desktop PC power consumption, reducing the footprint of chip fabrication plants - things like this.

If I were to do a PhD, I feel like I would want to be in some kind of interdisciplinary program where I am less concerned about incremental contributions to the literature and more about solving the problems faced by a lot of people on a daily basis. What I'm looking for is advice on how to focus all these idealistic thoughts into some kind of a future plan, where I can make the biggest impact, who I should be talking to, and thoughts from anyone who may be, or have been, in a similar situation.

Does bamboo burn?

Galen — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 12:17:44 -0800

Does bamboo burn in fireplaces and wood stoves? I'm wondering if I can use it to heat a house, since it's far more renewable than trees.

Seeking sustainability

greggish — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 20:14:23 -0800

As a "peak aware" twenty something with parents within range of retirement, I've been persuading my family over the last five years to plan for a future with dramatically reduced energy supply. I want us to start a long-term transition to green -- and more importantly, I want us to live in a community that's green or at least capable of making a similar transition. (We currently live in hot pink Miami.) I don't just mean I want to feel good about recycling, but I don't quite mean an intentional community like Earthaven, which would be a step too far for my family. How can I find a community that has the elements necessary for localized, self-sufficient living? Search advice and specific endorsements are both welcome. This question is an extension of last week's, in which I asked advice on planning a trip to Asheville, NC to scope it out as a possible relocation destination. From my experience, Asheville has both a green sensibility and plenty of appeal for my parents as a place to retire. But the response from MeFites was discouraging: most insisted that Asheville is overdeveloped, far from viable agriculture, and nourished largely by wealth that comes from outside of the community. People seemed to agree that we shouldn't look there for sustainability.

So help me out: what are the elements of a community that is better prepared to adapt to a "post-peak" energy scenario? I can name the basics: a place where food can be grown within 10 miles; where the important things in life are all within walking distance; where the community itself is robust and accustomed to deliberative democratic civic engagement. Does such a place exist? How do I look for it? Is it possible to find a suitable nook within a larger, less suitable area?

Some more info about us (copied from the last question): My parents are in their 50s/early 60s, father's a lawyer and mom is a school teacher, and my siblings (2) and I are in our late teens to mid twenties. We are well-off, though shy of wealthy. We'd like to make the move with our aunt and uncle (late 40s, with two kids, 9 and 17) who are all sold on the idea, though less well-off. They'd like to be near a good school for their young son. Both sets of parents would want a good synagogue nearby.

Asheville apparently has a dead job market - which wouldn't be an issue for my parents but would be for my brother and sister and cousins. But outside of a big city, aren't all job markets tough?

There are other questions begging to be unpacked in here: like, when one is planning such a relocation in preparation for post-peak, is it better to look for a good chunk of land to build a new energy independent home and plan out some modest food production, or is it better to live right within a community where everything is in walking distance? That's probably next week's question.

Going to green Carolina to build a green home for our would-be green family

greggish — Mon, 28 May 2007 14:03:25 -0800

For three years, I've been encouraging my family to think about relocating from our home in Miami to a community that is less dependent upon automobiles and other oil-enabled ways of life. I sold them on Asheville, North Carolina, and on the idea of building a green (or close to it) home. We're going up there in three weeks to look around and get a better feel, and I want this plan to be well-considered! Help me think through the important elements of a successful home-relocation scouting trip, to Asheville specifically or just in general, as well as the larger questions involved. Asheville might be the only place in the country I could have sold my family on - for their considerations, there's lots of Jews there, appealing climate, and it has a great reputation for retirement. For my considerations (peak-oil-aware, climate change-aware), it's far from the seaboard, appears to have community-sustained agriculture and some elements of a culture of sustainability.

The first part of this question is: how can I help plan this trip to give us the best sense of the place? Aside from finding a real estate broker, what makes a new-home-scouting-outing effective? We're aware that Asheville is no longer a snug town and that property values have gone way up as others have had our very same idea - so we're not just going to look at the city itself, but to get a sense of the surrounding environs.

Some more info about us: My parents are in their 50s/early 60s, father's a lawyer and mom is a school teacher, and my siblings (2) and I are in our late teens to mid twenties. We are well-off, though shy of wealthy. We'd like to make the move with our aunt and uncle (late 40s, with two kids, 9 and 17) who are all sold on the idea, though less well-off. They'd like to be near a good school for their young son. Both sets of parents would want a good synagogue nearby. As I write all this down, the shape of our checklist comes into focus... I guess I know what the obvious needs are, but since I've never planned this sort of major move before, I'm surely missing some crucial but less obvious variables that should be considered. Help me identify them!

As for what we're looking for: we'd like to find 5 to 10 acres that we can build several housing units on, so that we're living together but not on top of each other. We're looking for more land, less house, so that we can build from scratch. I expect that the building of the home we'd like would take five years or more, and we might look for more temporary housing in the meantime. I'm also increasingly aware that this might just be re-dressing our former suburban lifestyle in an illusory cloak of sustainability, so I'm also encouraging the family to keep an eye out for sustainable urban infrastructure as an alternative to the "country living" dream.

My parents appear to be willing to buy property if they find the right deal, although there probably wouldn't be any actual moving happening within the next four years. Still I'm psyched that they're taking this seriously and willing to plan so far in advance - but I'm also nervous because I'm taking such a large role in shaping their retirement and the whole family's future.

So this question has two parts: one, what should we be thinking about in general as we go to look for a new home in this preliminary stage, and two, do you know anything about Asheville and the surrounding environment that might be helpful for us to keep in mind?
Okay, a third part to the question: any advice for me, as I take such an active hand in shaping my family's future (and feel rather nervous at that prospect)?