fireclaytile

fireclaytile is an ingenius and revolutionary company that has decided to take sustainable practices incorporated with business seriously. they haul away and recycle discarded products (in this instance, toilets) and then in turn make useful (not to mention beautiful!) tiles for the bathroom or kitchen (this company has even sold their products to an aquarium in monterey, CA). the tiles are made in the traditional way and are also manufactured in the united states, so no exporting labor and no known maltreatment of employees. fireclaytile is based in california. the largest impact that this company is making is taking vast efforts to keep usable materials out of landfills and finding ways to use them in everyday life.

energy efficiency and weatherization fair

on october 28, 2011, the community action committee will be hosting the energy efficiency and weatherization fair at the l.t. ross building on western avenue. the fair lasts from 10 am to 2 pm and is free and open to knoxville residents and businesses.

there will be demonstrations on ways to "weatherize" a home, business, or apartment,  use of other energy-efficient products, as well as tips and advice for reducing monthly utility bills. renewable energy companies and non-profit organizations support energy-efficient initiatives will have booths at the fair with information for the public on what they are doing to become and help others become more energy-efficient.

cac is also home to many housing and energy efficiency programs such as the green incentive rebate program and the pace-10 residential program who aid business, residents, and low-income families alike in becoming more sustainable. cac even has an emergency home repair program, whose applicants must meet certain income and other eligibility requirements.

putting the 'con' in conagra

here's an article i found via eco-gems. it is about the anti-GMO lawsuit recently filed against conagra for labeling foods as "natural" or "organic" in spite of the fact that they contain multiple GMOs.

at this point, the simple fact of knowing that a company will tell you their product is "natural" despite what it actually contains is not enough to expose the deceit exercised here. as of now, the only products that require any sort of labeling regulation are meat and poultry.

this would be an interesting way to begin changing the food industry as a whole--with various labeling policies. as far as i can tell, the food industry entails taking any measure to ensure that people will still buy your product even though you've skimped on quality in order to increase production and decrease various costs.

as long as companies are allowed blatantly lie to their customer base, the customer will lose, in more ways than one. i know that sounds basic and probably oversimplified. i think companies should at least be required to say whether or not their products contain GMOs. the real issue is that these companies have enough monetary power and influence to heavily affect the actual processes that make certain laws and regulations.

“ If they have to put the word ‘natural’ on a box to convince you, it probably isn’t.“

- Eric Schlosser, author, FAST FOOD NATION

the denialist

perusing huffington post, i found this article which addressed a question many have had for a while now: why is it that americans seem to ignore climate change? is it pride? is it laziness? this article briefly discussed the influencing factors of americans' opinions on climate change.

i think it is important to realize that this debate has indeed become more polarized in spite of increasingly undeniable evidence of climate change. i think one aspect that is unique to america is the (over) quality of life that we are used to. we are accustomed to instant gratification (for the most part) and able to get almost whatever we need almost whenever we want it. 

this environment also plays into the attitude of what we ignore can't hurt us. i don't believe that this is an intentional or conscious decision, but more of an internal submission. this american climate denial has been called an "allergy."unfortunately, climate denial has been incorporated into the conservative movement, enabling many to support the notion without even assessing the evidence first. the fact that it has morphed into solely a political platform rather than a global issue has only hurt its chances of being accepted as truth. 

urban farming in detroit

i heard this story on npr yesterday morning about the revitalizing of certain areas of detroit (suffering from intense urban decay) where only a few people may live for many blocks. not only has this proven to be dangerous, but it is also a true waste of land, land that can be used for much more sustainable practices.

this lack of livable land, however, works to the advantage to urban farmers such as paul weertz. he has 10 acres in the city, and among many other things, produces about one thousand bales of alfalfa every year. another nearby farm provides produce for 27 neighboring families. carolyn leadley's farm is so convenient to the farmer's markets in the city, she is able to deliver her home-grown flowers and tomatoes by bicycle.

there are some issues, however. because parts of these plots are still owned by the city, they have the power to uproot them if they choose to sell the land, or find violations such as high vegetation in a residential neighborhood. unfortunately, there are not any policies supporting urban farming and agriculture yet in detroit, while there are many that could get in the way. across town, a community farm in cass corridor is having to move, as part of its land has been sold to a dog daycare business.

from all that i can garner, this urban farming revival serves more than enough positive purposes including beautification of the city, providing sustenance for families, utilizing wasted space, and providing jobs. hopefully the city of detroit can continue to make progress in this area of sustainable living.

china's electronic waste village

i was pretty shocked that i hadn't heard of this (maybe that just means i should pay more attention). guiyu, china is responsible for breaking down much of the world's electronic waste or "e-waste," 80% of which comes from places other than china, including the united states.

there are 5,500 different businesses in guiyu alone whose primary purpose is to break down waste electronics. most of these are small and family-run. the industry provides not only jobs but also metals like gold and silver that are extracted from the various items. in guiyu, this industry generates of $75 million a year.

in relation to sustainability, this industry is undoubtedly poisoning the environment through different sources such as ash from the burning of coal. places like these (that can also be found in india and africa) are more common in underdeveloped countries as it is cheaper to break down e-waste there.

there are high rates of lead poisoning among guiyu's children, an elevated rate of miscarriages, and the highest level of dioxins in the world (which are cancer-causing).

in spite of all these phsyical and ecological threats, the e-waste industry continues on in different parts of the world. it is practices like these that need to be stopped for so many reasons, but are prevented by indifference and economic gain.