Backyard: A Review

Backyard Trailer from deia schlosberg on Vimeo.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a chance to go to a screening of Backyard, a short film that shows how fracking (aka hydraulic fracturing) has impacted the lives of several families throughout the western United States. The film has a story similar to Gas Land (which I thought I wrote a review for, but apparently never did-- watch it!), but portrays the issue in a slightly different manner.

The issue of fracking is hugely important right now. Millions of people's water supplies could be in grave danger if fracking continues to expand and these gas companies aren't held accountable for damages they do to resources or peoples health. Natural gas is currently being touted as a clean fuel because it burns cleaner coming out of your vehicle. But, natural gas that is obtained through fracking is far from clean.

Check out the Backyard website to learn more about fracking, find a screening near you, and get involved in actions. Pin It Now!

Eco-Friendly Architecture and Living Machines

My class on the eco-roof (reflected in the mirrored building)

Last week I took my class on our weekly field trip (yes, college students get to go on field trips too... at least mine do!). We headed to the airport to one of the on-site office buildings. It is a new Leed-Platinum-certified building with a whole host of sustainability features incorporated into the design.
The building included an eco-roof (complete with honeybee hives), geothermal heating and cooling, large windows to capture daylight and minimize the need for lighting, reclaimed wood paneling, recycled carpets, and a bunch of other designs helped to increase efficiency and decrease resource use. However, the coolest part of this building is the "living machine" that sits in the lobby. This 'machine' is an on-site sewage treatment plant that cleans and recycles the non-potable (essentially toilet water) within the building. No need for transporting the water to a sewage treatment plant, which means big energy savings, and major reductions in the buildings water use.
This system was so cool, and was just sitting there in the lobby, looking like a big planter. It made me wonder why all new buildings today aren't constructed like this... Is it the cost? The worry about the system failing? A possible smell? It just seems to make sense to capture your wastewater and re-use it, even if it is only re-used to flush toilets. 
I have read about several municipalities who recycle 100% of their water and turn it back into drinking water. The system we saw doesn't do that, but it wouldn't take much more to bring it to that next level. I think the main issue when we discuss water recycling is the mental image that people can't seem to get past.... If that water was previously inside a dirty toilet, and now, after cleaning it, people are expected to drink it? At first, it does seem a little grotesque. However, the water coming out of your tap is likely cleaned sewage water that was them dumped back into a river (where more pollutants combine with it, probably making it dirtier) and then re-cleaned before coming out of your tap. The same water that we are drinking now has been around for millions of years. It has been polluted, it has been peed out by dinosaurs, it has traveled through the gills of a fish. After much thought and debate inside my head, I have decided that I would be OK with drinking recycled wastewater (assuming that it has been cleaned!). I think that this living machine is the first step in bringing people's awareness to our water use, and how our water use and energy consumption can be significantly reduce by acting more like nature. By taking care of things on a local scale, by re-using and simplifying, and by re-thinking the way that we approach problems.
Would you be willing to drink recycled wastewater?

Eco-roof plants

Lower eco-roof

Living Machine in lobby of building.

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Revenge of the Electric Car: A Review

The environmental science class that I am teaching this term is focused on energy use. Since our time is limited, and we can't cover everything in class, I wanted to give the students an extra credit opportunity to learn more about electric cars.
It wasn't until I mentioned the 2006 film Who Killed the Electric Car that several of my students told me there had been a sequel: the 2011 film Revenge of the Electric Car. Whoops. So, to get myself caught up on the times, I watched it.
I already knew that electric cars have made their way make into the market, so there wasn't any surprising information here. However, the film focused on the struggle behind the development of these new cars... the monetary issues, the tremendous risks that individuals and companies were taking, the technological failures and successes. And, it seems, that the folks producing the cars are truly invested in creating affordable electric cars that the normal population can afford.
I can certainly say that when I dream about the future, I hope that my family will someday have an electric car that gets hooked up to solar panels or a wind turbine to charge. How awesome would it be to have a vehicle that produces no emissions, neither while being driven, or while being charged?!?
This film was an interesting glimpse at the struggle behind bringing these cars to market, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the future of electric vehicles. Pin It Now!

The Last Mountain: A Review

Todd and I watched The Last Mountain last night and it almost brought me to tears. Even my dear hubby, who normally gets sick of my pro-environment documentaries, announced how much he liked it, and then immediately went to the film's website and tweeted about it. That's a good sign.
The film is about big coal and how the greed of the coal mining industry is endangering both human health and the environment in West Virginia and beyond. The documentary shows the fight to save the last mountain in the Coal River Valley, and shows how mountain top removal has devastated the surrounding area.
Brain tumor clusters are found near the mined areas, with 6 brain tumors in one mobile home park. A local elementary school backs up to a surface impoundment, which holds tons of concentrated mining wastes that are poisoning the students and teachers alike. Air quality is terrible and the water is polluted beyond belief. The removal of vegetation of the top of the mountains has caused sever flooding in the valleys below.
And why? For greed. The coal industry claims that they are providing jobs and giving us energy. Yet, in recent years, they have cut over 40,000 jobs and instead have added machines to do the work of people. And yes, coal is providing 50% of electricity in the US.... because they are supporting politicians who will make it stay that way!!! Renewable energy is available! Solar and wind is real, but if big coal keeps paying off the government, that change is never going to happen.
The citizens of Coal River Valley are trying to save their last mountain and instead of mining it, turn it into a wind farm.. if they can stop the progression of mountain top removal.
Interested? Watch the film and then take action! Pin It Now!

Gasland: A Review

Gasland was recommended to me by a current student of mine, and last week I finally got around to watching it. Gasland is a documentary that shows the dark side of natural gas. Natural gas is often wrongly touted as a more environmentally-friendly fuel source because it is cleaner burning than oil or coal, and we have decent supplies within the United States (so therefore using natural gas doesn't involve terrorism, wars, or long-distance transport). Unfortunately though, that is not the whole story behind our use of natural gas..
Natural gas, even locally produced natural gas, is still a fossil fuel, meaning that it is a non-renewable source of energy. Once our supplies are gone, they are gone forever. And although it is cleaner-burner than the other fossil fuels, it is still playing a large role in global warming. And, as this film shows, the drilling of natural gas has some dirty, dirty side effects.
This film documents natural gas development and its effect on individuals in several rural areas. Essentially, these gas companies come onto privately owned land, destroy the land while installing wells, poison the drinking water with the numerous cancer-causing agents that are used for fracturing the rock, and ruin livelihoods in the process. The water becomes undrinkable (and in many cases is able to catch on fire due to the presence of natural gas in the water supply), harming human health and killing family pets and livestock. As all this is happening, the land becomes devalued and these landowners are essentially stuck living on their poisoned land as no one else wants to buy it (for obvious reasons). The natural gas companies refuse to take responsibility for the state of the water, or the health concerns associated with it, and many families are forced to buy and haul their own water for drinking, bathing, clothes washing, etc. Public policies (enacted under Bush junior) have made this all fine and dandy, and essentially these companies have no legal responsibility to pay for or amend those water and lands that they destroy.
This film was moving and heartbreaking, and very informative. I would recommend it to all. My one complaint is that the narrator talks in this weird, hushed voice the entire film, making it seem like some low-budget horror film. However, once you get past the voice, you get up close and personal with several families whose lives have been turned upside-down by these gas companies. It seems almost impossible that here, in the "land of the free and the home of the brave" we could allow corporate greed to destroy human lives to this extent. Pin It Now!

Collapse: A Review

I watched the film Collapse over a month ago and luckily wrote up a review that same day, but haven't yet had a chance to post it. With this tired mama-brain, I would have never remembered enough details to write a review about it!! Anyways, Collapse is a film that is essentially an interview with former LA Police Officer and author Michael Ruppert. The entire film is Ruppert sitting in a room, talking, with snippets of videos cut from news casts, movies and other sources. Ruppert is known as a conspiracy theorist, and his interview does have a very doomsday-ish quality. However, he also knows a lot, and much of what he talks about is very valid (although he does make some future predictions that are a bit questionable...).
His "rant" focuses on fossil fuels, which as we all know, are coming to an end. He links the end of fossil fuels to a collapse in our economy, and eventually to a downfall (and major downsizing) of human population. He ties in population growth, genetically modified seeds, supporting local business, and all sorts of important ideas into his interview, and does a great job of integrating all of these pieces.
I enjoyed this film and felt like it did a really great job summarizing a lot of important facts about fossil fuels and human population... and how life as we know it is definitely going to  change once our cheap source of energy is gone. However, I also felt like the way Ruppert talks was sort of like changing the channel every few minutes while watching tv... he jumped back and forth between ideas and his focus was constantly changing. The few times that the interviewer asked him a question, he would start to answer it and end up talking about something completely different.
So, I guess overall I did really enjoy this movie and I feel like I agree with a lot of what Ruppert discusses. At the same time, however, I felt like they sort of portrayed Ruppert as this crazy person. It was like "here is this really smart guy who has a lot of knowledge and theories, but since he is sort of a crazy person, you may want to question what he tells you". Even though he probably is a bit crazy, and a lot passionate in his beliefs, I side with him on a lot of what he says. I guess we all have a bit of a crazy person in us somewhere.... some of us just hide it better than others. Definitely worth a watch. Pin It Now!

Crude: A Review

Crude is a film that portrays Texaco's (now Chevron's) involvement in oil production in the Amazon of Ecuador. Texaco's irresponsible production practices and poor environmental remediation have left a trail of environmental destruction that is leaving sick natives, including many cancer victims, in its wake. The natives are drinking contaminated water, and living on contaminated soil. This pollution is essentially poisoning not only individuals, but also an entire culture, that once destroyed, will never be replaced. Texaco denies all responsibility, arguing that the Ecuadorian oil company that moved in after them is responsible for all pollution.
I enjoyed this film, however, it wasn't quite what I had expected. The film focuses on the trial between the natives and Texaco (Chevron) and most of the dialog is with the plaintiffs lawyers. They do show great footage of the oil pits and interviews with the natives, but the point of view is mainly of the lawyers. The law-side of this battle IS extremely important, as it has been a struggle that hasn't really gone anywhere. However, I personally think this film could have won more hearts if they focused more tightly on the plight of a few of those families whose water was poisoned and whose children were dying of cancer. But, this film was informative and heartbreaking nonetheless, and my hormonal pregnant self would probably just have cried the entire way through if it got much more personal.
Expert scientists have suggested that Chevron pay the Amazonian natives a huge settlement, but the case is still undecided in Ecuadorian court. It will likely be another 10 years or so before a resolution is found. In the meantime, Unicef and the Rainforest Foundation (Sting and his wife Trudie's foundation) have put in rainbarrels with filtration systems so that the locals no longer have to drink contaminated water.  In the meantime, they will wait around in their oil-filled soil, sick and too poor to afford treatment, until someone finally makes a decision on this case.
I have been to Ecuador twice, including to the  Ecuadorian Amazon. I fell in love with Ecuador while I was there and it holds a special place in my heart, so I can only hope that the Ecuadorian legal system makes the right decision and does so quickly before they lose any more of their culture or environmental integrity. This film is definitely worth watching (currently it is available as a watch instantly on netflix) and this struggle is definitely worth doing something about. Check out Crude's page on how to get involved. Pin It Now!

Fuel: A Review

I watched this documentary after reading about it on a blog that I follow, Lady of the Arts. Honestly, I was surprised that I hadn't already seen it, or at least heard of it, as I tend to watch a lot of environmental documentaries, but pregnancy #2 has made me so tired that until the past week or so, watching a movie actually seemed like a chore.
Anyways, this is a great film that talks about the problem with our dependence on fossil fuels, and shows how we can realistically solve the problem by turning to biofuels. The filmmaker, Josh Tickell, has devoted his life to the campaign for biofuels, and has stuck with them through ups and downs.
Biofuels are fuels created from renewable sources, things like wood and plants that will grow back relatively quickly (as opposed to fossil fuels, oil, which takes millions and millions of years to form). Biofuels have sort of gotten a bad rap lately.... as food crops, such as corn, are converted from growing food for human or animal consumption and turned into a source of fuel, many have complained that these "ecofuels" are taking away from our food supply. This is partly so, although most of that overproduced corn would be used to make corn syrup anyways, which is simply horrible for us and doesn't need to be made. Point aside, using soy and corn as a fuel source does take away from our potential food growing capabilities, and in countries where food is not so plentiful, this could be a huge deal. Even aside from our food supply, growing corn takes so much fertilizer and pesticides (which are both petroleum based) that the total biofuel energy gained from turning corn into a fuel is basically zero. That's right, it takes almost as much petroleum energy to grow corn as the corn-fuel ends up replacing in the end. Pointless. So yes, biofuels do deserve to be criticized.... BUT, only when they are coming from corn or soy.
Biofuels can be derived from used cooking oil, which is awesome become folks are taking something out of the waste stream and reusing it for fuel. Plus, it is relatively easy to get locally. Problem is, there is just not enough used cooking oil out there to power the American fleet. I have the owners of a local Salem-based biofuels company, Sequential Biofuels, speak to my class every year, and they can't get enough used oil to meet the demand they have for biodiesel. Some other sources of biofuels include weed-ish plants that will grown without fertilizers or pesticides on marginal lands that couldn't be used for agriculture anyways. And the newest in the making is algae. I think that one is going to be a big hit in the future, so keep your eyes peeled.
Anyways, this is an interesting film that is definitely worth watching. I will be showing it to my class when I teach about energy and fuels again in a few terms. And, biofuels are just awesome. When I was in Eugene last weekend, we had a chance to get gas (regular unfortunately, as we don't drive a diesel) at the Sequential Biofuels filling station. This place had solar panels, a green roof, and the market was full of organic goodies. When I saw this place, it was just my dream for the future. All we need are some more people with a dream and determination and we will be well on our way! Pin It Now!

Where does your electricity come from?

Most of us probably have no clue what the actual source of our electricity is. When you start the dishwasher or turn on the stereo, where did that electricity originate from? One of my classes this term has focused on energy.. how energy is produced, our dependence on fossil fuels, renewable alternatives, and how our obsession with oil is leading to unprecedented changes in our global climate.

Most of the sources used to produce the electricity we use leave hefty environmental and health impacts:
Coal poses safety hazards to mine and completely destroys the environment. Much coal mining today simply removes the entire tops of mountains, which causes deforestation, erosion, water pollution and decimates entire ecosystems. Coal is the dirtiest of all the the fossil fuels and releases large amounts of CO2 ( a greenhouse gas) as well as pollutants that cause acid rain. Coal provides more than 50% of the electricity for the United States.
Nuclear Power contributes less to global warming and air pollution, but we are faced with the fact that we currently have no safe way to dispose of our accumulating nuclear waste. And, since some of it may be around for 100's of 1,000's of years, we had better figure out something quickly. Plus, there is always the risk of another Chernobyl.
Natural Gas is fairly clean burning, but still releases CO2. And, moving it from place to place requires either liquefying it or building large pipelines. These pipelines intersect ecosystems and can be detrimental to wildlife. Plus, our supply of natural gas will likely only last another 25 years or so.
Even some of our 'renewable' sources of power such as hydro-electric are not as sustainable as one may think..... the dams that are used to create electricity change stream conditions below the dam, destroy ecosystems, hinder fish migration, and change natural flood cycles.
Our best options for clean power are solar, wind and geothermal (and even these are not 100% problem-free), but currently, these clean power sources are making up only a small percentage of our total electrical usage.

Do some online research and find out what sources your electricity provider uses to generate power. Are there ways that you can choose to have your electricity come from more environmentally friendly sources?

If you live in OR, WA, CA, ID, UT, or WY, check out the Blue Sky Renewable Energy program. You can use their environmental impact calculator to see how much it will cost for you to purchase renewable energy and to see how much of a difference your switch actually makes.
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A Farm for the Future

This week, I gave the students in one of my classes an assignment to watch a BBC film entitled A Farm for the Future. This film discusses the idea of peak oil, and the fact that our agricultural system is closely tied to fossil fuels (from the fuel for machinery to synthetic fertilizers to pesticides... all of which require oil). This means that as our fossil fuel supplies dwindle, we will have to come up with a new system of producing food to support the masses.
The idea this film presents is moving our agricultural system towards permaculture. Permaculture is a way of growing food that mimics natural ecosystems. So instead of clearing land and planting things in long rows, you design your garden in layers that includes trees, shrubs, vines, understory and groundcover. All of the plants you choose have a function, whether it is food production, mulch production, nitrogen fixer, insect attractor, or pest control. And the way you design your garden allows these plants to do jobs for each other to maximize your production of food. What this means for the humans is that these gardens take a lot of time and energy to plan and prepare (as one must gain sufficient knowledge of how plants work and interact, and then put that knowledge to work in the design phase). However, once the garden is planted and established, it will require very minimal care as plants will be there to fertilize and mulch and you don't have to do it yourself.
Permaculture can produce immense amount of food off of minimal land (as having so many layers allows for constant food), however, our main staples, like grains, do not grow well in a system like this. So, switching to permaculture requires not only a shift in how things are grown, but also a shift in what people are going to eat.
I think the concept of permaculture is fantastic, and we are actually (very slowly) turning our yard into a permacultre-based system. However, due to our very small lot size and minimal funds, it is happening piece by piece over time and not all at once. I think shifting our entire agricultural system to permaculture is still a ways off, as it would take convincing the masses to change the way that they eat, but as oil supplies continue to be depleted, we may soon have no other choice.
A great intro to permaculture is the book Gaia's Garden, which I have already written a review of.
You can currently watch the film A Farm for the Future online here, or google "Farm for the Future" and look for an available link. If nothing else, it will at least open your eyes to a new way of food production! Pin It Now!

Build a Solar Oven

Solar ovens use the energy from the sun to warm and cook food, saving energy that would normally be used to heat up your oven. Plus, they are just cool.
I made these solar ovens with my environmental science class last semester and we used them to heat up s'mores. It totally worked, and the day was mostly cloudy! I can only imagine the potential of a warm summer day! These ovens can get up to 200 degress!
This is a great project to do with children. Plan on making s'mores, an english muffin pizza, or some other tasty treat in them!

Supplies & Tools:
• 1 used pizza box
• newspapers
• scissors
• tape
• black construction paper
• clear plastic wrap
• aluminum foil
• ruler, pencil, stick or something to prop box up with

Directions:
1. Draw an 8 1/2 inch x 11 inch square in the lid of the pizza box.
2. Cut out three sides of the square, and fold the flap back along the uncut edge.
3. Cover the inside of this flap with aluminum foil, using tape to hold the edges securely.
4. Line the inside bottom of the box with black construction paper. Use tape to hold the edges down if needed.
5. Create insulation by rolling up some newspaper (about 1 1/2 inch thick) and fitting it around the inside edges of the box.
6. Tape one piece of plastic wrap (stretched tightly) to the underside of the lid opening, to cover. Tape another piece on the top of the lid opening, to create a layer of insulation that will help hold the heat in the box.
7. Prop the box at an angle facing the sun. Use a ruler to prop the flap open.


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Quick Tip #2: Use A Solar Dryer

We all know that going solar is the new rage, right? Well, how about using solar energy to dry your clothes! That's right, it's a brand new invention called the clothes line! You simply hang your clothes on it, and in a few hour, voila! They are dry!
But seriously... now that summer is approaching and days are getting warmer and sunnier, how about hanging a clothesline and at least drying some of your clothes that way. Even drying one load per week on the line as opposed to your dryer will not only save money on your electricity bill, but will also save greenhouse emissions from the source that produced your electricity. Plus, the sun will help to bleach out stains from garments and cloth diapers!
Happy drying! Pin It Now!