Pesticides at work

By Anne Consroe
While traveling the countryside of Belize, we often passed banana fields, where the trees had some sort of blue bag on them. We later visited a banana plantation and processing factory, and learned that the blue plastic bags were soaked in pesticides, and wrapped around the bunch of bananas to keep pests away.

In this conventionally-processed factory, we also met workers and saw how they handled and washed the produce, often contaminating themselves with toxic chemicals. They are warned about the risks of ingesting such harmful chemicals, but in no way can completely protect themselves from their harsh side effects, especially when exposed over an extended period of time.

The bananas grown in these plantations that are aesthetically good enough to export are primarily exported to England and the United States. The bananas that do not look as perfect, however, are sold to other areas of Central America or in local markets.

Conventionally-grown and processed fruits and vegetables (those that use any type of pesticide or chemical in any stage of production) are not only harmful for workers and consumers, but are also extremely harmful for our environment. They wipe out targeted pests and beneficial organisms alike, while harming surrounding wildlife and affecting water quality through inevitable runoff.

It has been said that we can vote with our forks. By buying fruits and vegetables that have not been grown or processed with the use of harmful pesticides, we can show large companies we do not believe in pesticide use.

Instead of harming factory workers and the health of our environment, we can choose to buy organic. If more people bought more organic foods and thereby increased their demand, the supply of organic foods would eventually increase in available markets and grocery stores.

Understand what you eat. Vote.

Go green and get work done

By Kate Levinson
Less than a year after I graduated, Ithaca College officially opened the first ultra-green undergraduate business school–and one of less than 100 buildings in the world—to be certified “platinum” by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Green Building Rating System by the U.S. Green Building Council. (Yes, thank you, IC, for making me tromp through construction and opening this sweet building right after I left.)

Its four-story atrium lets light into 98 percent of the building, the glass and steel front and orientation harnesses power from the sun and wind and the roof is a two-tiered vegetable garden that captures rainwater for the circulation system. And if that’s not cool enough, it might just help students get their homework done.

The relationship between earth-friendly work environments and productivity has yet to be totally pinned down in research, but many case studies seem to prove the point: Not only do office-greenifying moves reduce energy costs, but they also help people get more work done.

Michigan-based furniture company Herman Miller is a leader in the corporate eco movement. Sure, they offer green products, but they are pretty green themselves. By 2020, their Perfect Vision initiative aims to meet some impressive company goals: to produce zero pounds of waste (compared to the 41 million pounds produced in 1991 and 3.3 million in 2007) for landfills, no hazardous waste, no air emissions, no process water use, 100 percent green electrical energy use and more. All of their buildings will also be built to at least the “silver” level LEED standards. They have 12 years to go, and they’re well on their way.

But do they get more done? Documentary “The Next Industrial Revolution” (watch the trailer), which highlights Herman Miller, says they do. The company has constructed buildings, such as their factory, with sunlight, fresh air and community-promoting design—and their savings from increased productivity and energy use covered the cost ($52/square foot) of the building in its first year of operation. Though productivity can be difficult to measure, sick time is not. According to the film, more than half of employees have perfect attendance records.

Once there’s some solid research done on this, I think things may change. Also, projects like Herman Miller’s Perfect Vision, are, as you can imagine, a ton of work. They require changes in nearly every facet of running a company and do require a lot of money up front, even though chances are good improvements will pay for themselves.

This, I think, is where the case studies will be extremely helpful. Once there are more success stories to model after, companies will be able to go through the steps to greendom more easily.

Want to learn more about companies that have made being green—for the environment and their own good—a priority? Check out GreenBiz.

Photo: aeron-chair.com
Photo: hermanmiller.com

Helping farmers in Belize become sustainable

By Anne Consroe

Last week, I returned home after 10 days in Belize, traveling and working with Sustainable Harvest International.

SHI was founded in 1997 to address deforestation issues in Central America and to provide farmers with sustainable alternatives to slash-and-burn agriculture. Slash-and-burning entails cutting down and burning debris to create fields for agriculture or livestock. It is considered detrimental because large fires are hard to control, and deplete the soil of complex microorganisms, nutrients and beneficial bugs and bacteria.

I was part of a team working in Toledo—the poorest district in Belize—and spent our week planting, constructing and teaching the participating families about sustainable farming techniques.

SHI strives toward environmental, economic and social sustainability, and only works in communities where they have been invited. Currently, they have projects going in Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. SHI provides materials and instruction for sustainable practices, and provides regular, long-term assistance until participants are comfortable using the new techniques on their own.

And now for a breakdown of our week:

Saturday: We helped build a wood-conserving stove. A simple stove made from concrete, it includes an oven and a stovetop, and allows the user to burn significantly less wood than a more traditional open fire stove. My role here was to assist with concrete masonry. This was the fourth wood-conserving stove SHI has provided in the Toledo district; it was built in a participant’s kitchen.

Monday: We installed a solar latrine. A participating family had been using a makeshift outhouse since they moved onto their property. A solar latrine will provide safe facilities for the family to dispose of their waste while keeping in mind the health of the surrounding soil and water. The solar latrine has a raised foundation, under which waste has space and time to dry out and decompose through solar heat-inducing glass windows. After the waste has sufficient time to decompose, it can safely be used on crops, keeping close care not to let the manure directly touch food. For example, it can be used at the base of pineapple trees but not directly on peppers. SHI provides ample training to participants, ensuring their complete understanding of risks associated with such a practice. My role in building the solar latrine was again assisting with concrete as we constructed the foundation.

Tuesday: We planted 75 coconut trees on the same farm as the solar latrine, and 100 cocoa trees on a large plantation garden in the same community. We learned cocoa trees need a lot of shade (75-80 percent), so we planted the cocoa trees under already-present coconut trees. In addition to shade, the two trees receive beneficial nutrients from each other. Previously, this plantation farmer had slash-and-burned his fields, and SHI is in the process of educating him on other sustainable practices. SHI is setting him up with a “constant harvest” idea on his soon-to-be very diverse farm.

After planting, we built one regular chicken coop and one movable chicken coop for two other families in the same area. The idea behind the movable chicken coop is that the chickens will spend some time on one small plot of land, scratching and pecking up the soil and naturally adding essential nutrients through their waste. Then the farmer can move the coop and chickens to another plot of land, and start a garden on the rich soil where the coop had been.

Wednesday: We built four more coops and planted 40 coconut trees throughout the community.

Thursday: Our SHI leaders organized, and we assisted with, an organic pesticides and fungicide training for the community where we had been working. Madre de Cocoa (a natural insecticide), mixed with water and white limestone powder (a natural preservative), can be applied directly on leaves as an organic insecticide without using harmful chemicals. We also demonstrated how Madre de Cocoa leaves can be mixed with ground corn to be used as an organic way to control rats and mice, and how papaya leaves, mixed with water, soap (to enable the mixture to stick to the plant), and white lime can be used as an organic fungicide. Individuals living in secluded communities may not otherwise have the opportunity to learn about organic alternatives to conventional and popular chemicals.

Friday: We began the construction of a water tank for a farmer who has problems watering his fields during the dry season. We began the tank with chicken wire and cardboard, and started filling in the chicken wire with cement. A water-catchment tank is an easy way to catch rainwater during rainy seasons to be used not only for irrigation, but also other essential needs should something happen to the available supply of well water.

Overall, it was an amazing trip and I would recommend an agriculture service trip to you all. Hard manual labor, yes, but also with great rewards. So get out there and get some dirt on your hands.

Visit http://sustainableharvest.org/ to learn more about SHI. Click on “International Programs” to learn more about their “smaller world” trips.

Low-tech, high impact

By Kate Levinson

I work for a health organization that does very little clinical work and, instead, focuses on health solutions that don’t require much technology, training or money—and I’ve always been fascinated by these ideas and models that are so simple they could easily go overlooked.

In that spirit, I went to see an exhibit called Design for the Other 90% this weekend at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Created by the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the exhibit (in Minneapolis through Sept. 7) showcases low-tech solutions for everyday problems around the world, grouped into critical categories: shelter, health, water, education, energy and transport.

According to the exhibit, 90 percent of people in the world have limited or no access to products and services that address these basic human needs of survival and progress. But designers, engineers and social entrepreneurs, individually and in partnership with people and organizations all over the world, have been a driving force behind a movement to change people’s lives one low-tech, low-cost solution at a time.

I was amazed by the creativity and passion of the designs and designers of the products in the exhibit—all simple, inexpensive, intuitive and, of course, earth-friendly! The entire exhibit is housed in Global Village Shelters. These small houses ship flat, require no fancy assembly and are perfect for emergency situations; and, though they're considered temporary, they last up to 18 months. The shelters are actually made of corrugated cardboard that is waterproof and even biodegradable.

Inside the shelters, the magic continued.

To me, the benchmark in low-tech, high-impact breakthroughs is the LifeStraw. It's so simple, it's crazy: There's a filter in the straw, so whatever one drinks from—say a muddy puddle—is suddenly good, clean drinking water.

Already have a clean water source, but it is 10 or more miles away (which is common in Sub-Saharan Africa). Try a Q-Drum, which allows you to roll nearly 20 gallons of water comfortably behind you, instead of carrying it on an arm or a head.

KickStart, a nonprofit whose sole purpose is to develop this kind of technology, tackles issues of housing and also micro enterprise with the MoneyMaker Block Press, which uses soil mixed with a small amount of cement to make bricks quickly and efficiently and significantly increases production.

Worried about electricity, and connectivity? Check out StarSight, a solar-powered street lamp that also provides wireless internet to keep the environment happy, people safe and everyone connected.

And the list goes on: a solar-powered charger for hearing aid batteries, community-building furniture (i.e. church pews) built from Hurricane Katrina rubble, solar cookers to nuke dinner or medical waste.

Ducking out of the final shelter of the exhibit, I couldn’t believe how simple ideas could have such a huge impact around the world. Clearly, many of the products in this exhibit are intimately tied to the environment and health, but across any field, I think these low-tech solutions are a great reminder of how simple solutions can be the most impactful.

In career terms, this low-tech-high-impact principle can be applied across the board. Some of these companies, such as KickStart, are solely dedicated to this type of work. But many of the designs came from engineers and designers, well-known in the corporate world, who gave a sliver of their time to creating an earth- and life-saving product. So while it would be great to work for an organization dedicated to these innovations, they can come out of any field and any profession.

To learn—and do—more: Meet some of the expected and unexpected geniuses behind the scenes. Check out the International Development Design Summit and browse Ted—and professionally and personally, don’t overlook the simple.

Vermont company makes a big difference

By Amber Fagan

With many household products on the market prone to waste and harmful chemicals, one company uses sustainability to keep the environment clean for years to come.

Seventh Generation, a non-toxic, hypoallergenic cleaning, paper and personal care company based in Burlington, Vt. uses an old Iroquois law, which aims to consider the impact on the seventh generation, as its inspiration.

“Seven generations sustainability is an ecological concept that admonishes the current generation of humans to be working for the benefit of the seventh generation into the future,”wrote Jeffery Hollender in Profits with Purpose: Seventh Generation.

According to the company’s website, Seventh Generation aims to become the world’s most trusted, safe and environmentally-responsible products for a healthy home.

Though many companies produce massive amounts of waste, dump chemicals into waterways and try to cover-up environmentally destructive behavior, Seventh Generation aims to give back to the community and environment through an intensive corporate responsibility program.

Seventh Generation also looks like a pretty cool place to work. By promoting personal, professional and spiritual growth, it seeks to have employees who are dedicated and passionate-not burnt-out with the drudgery of daily working life.

The company also produces the 7Gen News, a newsletter which provides readers with coupons and special offers, a personal profile of an individual making a positive impact on the environment, product reviews.

Their question and answer segment, Scienceman, run by Martin Wolf, the Director of Product and Environmental Technology at Seventh Generation provides readers with knowledge on topics from bubbles to dioxins. This guy has a bunch of science-type degrees in chemistry, so he knows his stuff.

Seventh Generation also has a blog called, The Inspired Protagonist, that features reports on various environmental issues that are relevant to the company and consumers alike.

Finally, to the good part: the guilt-free shopping! And as a woman, it is nice to see feminine hygiene products that are organic, chlorine free, AND packages in recycled material. Their line of cleaning products is great for people who do not want a bunch of nasty chemicals smelling up their homes. Plus, these products are safe to use around small children and pets.

This is a company that gets what the Iroquois have known all along. We are responsible for the wellbeing of future generations to come.

Seventh Generation is hiring. Check the website for details.

Go Green or Turn Green

By Kate Levinson

"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing." -Redd Foxx


So, you're bummed that your beloved Nalgene bottle might not be the safest watering hole, you've stopped eating tomatoes and you don't even want to know how big your carbon footprint is.

I'm Kate, and I'm in the same boat. An '07 college grad (B.A. in journalism), I'm feeling my way into the public health world and currently nearing the end of a year of AmeriCorps VISTA service at a community health nonprofit organization with domestic and international programming. This (and all kinds of other stuff) led me to decide to head back to school in the fall for a joint master's program in public health and health journalism.

I recycle what I can, re-use my plastic fork and try to bike or bus when it's not too terribly inconvenient, hot, or pouring, but I don't pretend to be a perfect tree-hugger. I didn't think too much about the environment and making any huge impact.

Until I busted into the public health world and realized that the things I'm already interested in are inescapably tied to the whole green movement.

Our environment is the root of our health, directly or indirectly, like it or not. There's nothing—for your mind and your body—like breathing in fresh air, soaking up some rays, going for a dip in the lake. And, needless to stay, avoiding environmental hazards: asbestos, mold, fuzzy little rodents, you name it.

The World Health Organization estimates that 13 million people a year (or one every 2.5 seconds, if you're a stats person) die from preventable environmental causes. Because, whether we choose to admit it—and care about it—or not, it's all connected: environment and health, health and productivity, any number of specific environmental factors and their matching health outcomes.

Of course every field feels like the neglected field, but I'm making my case for public health. When not-so-green friends or family are confronted with global warming, overflowing landfills, they respond with, "Well, I'll be dead – it's not my problem!"

But by looking at the environment through a public health lens, you can appeal to the chunk of human nature that makes selfish things the best things: Your health is affected by your environment. Your family is affected by where and how you live. Little things can cause big problems – and little changes can make a big difference.

Telling your boss to go green

By Amber L. Fagan

“You’re one of those hippie treehuggers, aren’t you?” someone asked me at my job at a government contractor who works with the Department of Defense.

All I had done was mention that the office needs a recycling bin for soda cans.

When most of us think of the DOD, the term “environmentally friendly” does not come to mind. And for a very good reason – it usually isn’t. As a contractor for the federal government, my passion for environmental issues is often ignored.

But last week, I stumbled across an article that highlighted new green initiatives by the DOD, which claims that the DOD is trying to go green by reducing consumption and waste.

I was surprised to see this initiative since the area where I work can be rather wasteful with the earth’s resources. For starters, I work in a rundown, musty old building with amenities circa 1950’s. It is truly like walking back in time, and not in a good way. It has poor ventilation, missing ceiling tiles, which let in warm air in the summer and cold air in the winter, and old faucets in the restrooms that leak. The ventilation and missing ceiling tiles make the heating and AC units work overtime and the leaky faucets waste water. Furthermore, my small office uses old window units for air conditioning which suck up a lot of energy with very little cold air output. Newer, more energy efficient models could be used, and they would save the government money in the long run. In addition, energy efficient light bulbs, like compact fluorescents (CFLs) could also be used.

The DOD is notorious for its massive paper trail. It has gotten better in recent years due to everyone’s growing addiction to email and blackberries, but there is a lot of room for improvement. Paper and toner are wasted due to documents which print “This page intentionally left blank.” Furthermore, there is always too much paper floating around on desks, copiers and file cabinets. Scanning documents onto the computer and storing them electronically would help eliminate waste and reduce those nasty paper cuts.

Unfortunately, working from home or telecommuting is not an option for me. But they could make the commute greener by allowing us to alter our work schedules to miss the bulk of traffic or offer subsidies for taking public transportation. I could come in at 10 a.m. and leave around 6 p.m. and I would not sit for half an hour at the tunnel and get to sleep in a little longer. Doing this would reduce fuel costs and emissions from idling vehicles.

I also work with a bunch of baby boomers who still view “green” solely as a crayon color, which can be a stressful environment for a hippie-wannabe like me. Some even tease me about the Wonder Bread sandwich holder I bring in with my lunch. Trash generated from disposable sandwich bags as well as a variety of plastic and Styrofoam containers pollute our oceans, rivers and forests. Switching to reusable containers for meals and leftovers is a great way to start small in the journey to become green.

In general, people are creatures of habit, which can make becoming green a big challenge. Now I’m trying to convince my coworkers to alter their thinking about the environment. I tell them that starting out with small changes can make a big difference, and it will give them the confidence needed to keep going.

Though efforts are already underway in the DOD to make the organization more environmentally friendly, there’s till a lot that can be done. If you are in the same situation as I am, the smartest thing you can tell your coworkers and supervisors is that most “green” options will save the company money in the long run. When money talks, people listen!

For more information on how to make your office greener, check out these links:

Treehugger.com's How to Green Your Work

MoreBusiness.com's How to Green Your Office