Happy to be Home

By: Libby Carnahan, Sea Grant Agent

By the numbers, China recently surpassed the United States in total carbon emissions. However, in a citizen to citizen comparison the average United States citizen has greater than 3 times the carbon footprint of the average Chinese citizen. China isn’t trying to be “sustainable” per se. As a country with approximately 1/5 of the global population, China is taking action to sustain.
They do more with less, when it makes sense-consume less products, use less electricity, drive less .

As Americans, we value our independence and the power of choice. However, after my visit to China - the most populated country on the planet, I realize that the power of choice shouldn’t mean doing whatever we want, whenever we want, however we want. Our choices have consequences, not only for ourselves, but for our communities, and our planet .

I plan to choose more carefully to benefit me, you, our community, and our planet. I hope you will join me.

Resources:
United States Energy Information Administration: International Energy Statistics

China Finds Creative Ways to Limit Energy Use

By: Libby Carnahan, Sea Grant Agent

Communities all over China are limiting energy use and consumption in a variety of ways.

In Shanghai, public policy dictates that the lights of city high-rises turn off at specific times depending on the day of the week (e.g. by 11:00pm on weekends).

As a tourist, my carbon footprint was controlled by key card at the local hotels.
In order to operate my lights, electric outlets, and climate control, I inserted my key card into a special outlet. While it was a moderate adjustment to charge my cell phone, laptop, etc. on my own time, it created an undeniable connection to my personal energy consumption that I only come to terms with one day a month at home when my electricity bill arrives.

See you tomorrow for our last stop on this journey through China’s sustainability practices.

China’s Low-impact Choices

By: Libby Carnahan, Sea Grant Agent

Low-impact actions are apparent at the individual and community level.

At the neighborhood markets, all items are sold in bulk (there are sporadic Western stores where you can get your fill of pre-packaged items). Shoppers select the
amount of fish, chicken, eggs, meat, vegetables, fruit, rice, and even pet food that are then wrapped up in a small bag. Reusable shopping bags are the norm due to government-imposed fees per plastic bag ranging from $0.03 to $0.30 (US). Re-use was also seen in the daily ritual of tea-drinking from reusable glass jars.

Many Chinese recycle, though the practice is dictated more by economic reasons (rebate programs) than environmental ones.

Clothes are hung to air-dry on balconies and, in Beijing, I passed many small storefronts on the Hutongs (traditional alleyways) where undergarments hung to dry
for the entire world to see! In public restrooms, hand dryers are the norm over paper towels. On a hike on the Great Wall, I was happy to see a local tour guide employing the “pack it in, pack it out” policy with the groups’ trash slung on a stick over his shoulder.

And it doesn’t stop there check out China’s energy choices tomorrow.

Many Wonderful Places and Just as Many Ways to Get There

By: Libby Carnahan, Sea Grant Agent

As I walked the streets of China,I soaked in the sights-some very different and some resoundingly similar to the United States. Local merchants sweep their storefronts with brooms handmade of twigs; streets are lined with specialized corner stores for fresh produce, clothing, barbers, fruit juice and repairs.

Locals and tourists have varied options for moving around town from designated bicycle lanes on every street (not for the inexperienced!); electric and gas powered scooters; inexpensive, clean subways and taxis; and tree-lined sidewalks with
convenient and safe pedestrian over- and under-passes. With license plates in the city of Shanghai costing anywhere from $6,200 to $9,500 (US) depending upon results of the monthly auction, it is cost-prohibitive for many Shanghainese to own an automobile.

But transportation isn’t the only way the Chinese use cost/rebates to encourage sustainable choices. Check out tomorrow’s post!

China’s Integrated Sustainability

By: Libby Carnahan, Sea Grant Agent

I was fortunate to spend the last 2 weeks traveling in China to Shanghai, Xi’an, Beijing and the surrounding countryside, and if you think you have China figured out, guess again.

The stories that hit the news are just a fraction of the character of the country as diverse as it is populated. China is a country of paradox: smog-filled city streets, swept clean by hand every morning; nuclear power plants set in the
foreground of beautiful green mountainscapes; a network of railways, subways, and pedestrian-friendly sidewalks competing with an ever expanding highways to accommodate her increasing dependence upon the personal automobile.

You do not hear China praised as a poster child for environmentalism, however there are things that China is doing to limit its impact and she is doing them well.

Look for the rest of my adventures and China’s sustainability initiatives in this week’s posts.

Climate Change News

By: Mary Campbell, Extension Director and Urban Sustainability Agent

With the recent dramatic weather occurrences in the Midwest and now Florida fires due to severe drought conditions, there is more focus on climate change and the potential impacts. More than just sea level rise and the arctic ice are impacted due to the current climate changes we are experiencing globally. In a recent article released by the National Academy of Sciences, it discusses the nation's options for responding to the risks from climate change in a report requested by Congress. The committee that authored the report included not only renowned scientists and engineers but also economists, business leaders, an ex-governor, a former congressman, and other policy experts.

The new report reaffirms that the majority of scientific evidence points to human activities -- especially the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere -- as the most likely cause for most of the climate change that has occurred over the last several decades. This trend cannot be explained by natural factors such as internal climate variability or changes in incoming energy from the sun. The report adds that the impacts of climate change on human and natural systems can be expected to intensify with the warming trend.

“America's response to climate change is ultimately about making choices in the face of risk," noted committee vice chair William L. Chameides, Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, N.C. "Risk management strategies must be durable enough to promote sustained progress yet sufficiently flexible to take advantage of new knowledge and technologies."

The committee cited many reasons for not waiting, including that the faster emissions are reduced, the lower the risks. Waiting for impacts to occur before taking action will likely be too late for meaningful mitigation. Beginning emissions reductions soon will also lower the pressure to make steeper and costlier cuts later.

Resources:

National Academies

Florida Energy Systems Consortium

Florida Climate Institute

Climate Change: A Citizen’s Guide to Thoughtful Action

SEMINOLE DISCUSSION GROUP ON RECYCLING AND SUSTAINABILITY

You're invited to attend our next meeting:

Monday, June 6, 2011
10:00 a.m. to noon
Seminole Community Library Program Room
9200 113th St. N., Seminole, Fl. 33722

TOPIC: Plants, An Element of Sustainability

SPEAKERS: Four members of Florida Nursery, Growers, and Landscape Association
(FNGLA)

Discussions will include the creation of Florida-friendly landscaping, use of native plants, agriculture in the classroom, and plants to promote sustainability.

Networking opportunities: An invitation is being extended to members of other
organizations including: Florida Native Plant Society, Florida Farm Bureau, Sierra Club,
City of Seminole Council, and St.Petersburg College Science Faculty and Students.

Bring YOUR 'green thumb' friends and neighbors!

R.S.V.P with number of people attending to: queenofrecycle@hotmail.com