BEEWARE!

This week, I would like to talk a bit about the honeybee. These busy little bees do a lot for us and they go basically undetected and unappreciated from our day-to-day activities. As the phrase goes “out of sight, out of mind”, we don’t ever think about these important little insect because they are not really part of our daily lives… Or are they? It turns out, honeybees are actually very important to our wellbeing and to the economy; this post will hopefully shed some light on something that many don’t usually think about.

The Baseline

I’m sure we all have a decent grasp of what honeybees do, they pollinate. Pollination is great; it’s a huge part of the reproductive cycle of plants. When plants don’t reproduce, we basically don’t eat. Now I’m not saying that the world is going to end because plants can’t make baby plants, I’m just trying to get the point across. Honeybees pollinate about 1/3 of our plants each year. Bee declines can have a very close tie with many crops, for example, the almond industry in California (which had a crop value of $1.5 billion in 2006).  In 2000, the total U.S. crop value that was wholly dependent on honey bee pollination was estimated to exceed $15 billion. It is important that we be aware of the importance of our honeybees, because the little honeybees’ affects more than one might think!

Where could they BEE?

Since late 2006, the world has seen an astronomical decrease in bee populations. Most every country, between Taiwan and the United States, have experienced unexplainable hive die-off; some countries have experienced a disappearance of close to 50% (such as Northern Ireland) in a given year. Hive die off during the winter is normal and expected, but it is clear when a hive could not survive the winter due to the dead bees. Lately, the bees just have vanished without a trace. Scientist have been working towards solving these hive collapse since 2006, but it is very difficult to pin point any one culprit. Some of the listed causes have been: Pesticides, malnutrition, electromagnetic radiation, global warming, genitally modified crops, viral and fungal combinations, and immune deficiency.  In the United States, we have been calling it Colony Collapse Disorder.

Colony Collapse Disorder

In July 2007, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its "CCD Action Plan", which outlined a strategy for addressing CCD consisting of four main components:

      1)      survey and data collection;

      2)      analysis of samples;

      3)      hypothesis-driven research; and

      4)      mitigation and preventative action.

In July 2009 the first annual report of the U.S. Colony Collapse Disorder Steering Committee was published. It suggested that colony collapse may be caused by the interaction of many agents in combination. The bee industry has been recovering since the appearance of CCD, but it still exists and is very much a threat to hives and to our economy.

There have been many books, reports, and scientific journals that are written about CCD and how it affects each and every one of us. Here are a few books and sites to check out for more information on the topic:

Jacobsen, Rowan (2009). Fruitless fall: the collapse of the honey bee and the coming agricultural crisis. New York: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781596915374.

"Saving the Honeybee" . Scientific American 300 (4): 24. 2009-04.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/07/disappearing-bees-progress-or-frustration-1.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/honey-bees-dying-scientists-suspect-pesticides-disease-worry/story?id=10191391#.T59rCasV0kc

In the end, just let us be mindful to what is going on outside of our little box, and do what we can to make a difference in each of our lives. If you would like to learn how you can do your part in protecting our local bees, then stay tuned for part 2 of this post later on this week!!

~Daniel

“What lies behind us and what lies before us, are tiny matter compared to what lies within us.”

-quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes

Water You Waiting For?

When people think of recycling or being sustainable, the topic of water usually isn’t the first things that come to mind. No matter your location, using less water will help save resources and save money. We spend money on the water utilities in a few ways: on the water itself, heating the water, purifying/water softening (if you live in the country), and possibly pumping the water through the house. There is quite a few ways we can use less around the house, which affects all three ways. We are going to focus specifically on bathroom usage in this blog post.

Did you know that water usage in the bathroom alone consists of roughly 45% of usage on average? Making a few minor modifications in this one room can save you hundred, if not thousands of gallons of water a year. As water becomes more costly in the future, inflation and taxation being two major culprits, a little change today can make a lasting difference over the next several years. The very easiest way though to cut down on water usage in the bathroom, is to simply turn off the water when brushing teeth and shaving; this can save water and money from going down the drain.  Facet waste is tiny though, compared to the worst offend in the house: the toilet.

Flushing Efficiency Down the Drain

Toilet usage accounts for nearly 30 percent of residential indoor water consumption, changing the way we flush can make a big difference on how we save. Toilets are made strong and simple, because of this, they don’t usually go bad. Many people don’t think about replacing them because they can last so long and toilets are usually one of the last things to be replaced during a bathroom remodel. Even though old toilets may appear to work fine, they are very wasteful and some can leak without you even being aware of it. Performing a leak test on a toilet is easy.

A leak test consists of two steps: 1) put several drops of food coloring in the reservoir tank. 2) Let sit undisturbed over night. Come morning, if there is color in the toilet bowl, then you have a leaky toilet!! Be sure to fix toilet leaks, if not replace the toilet completely, promptly to avoid excessive waste and expenses. If you don’t have the time and money to replace an old and inefficient toilet, placing a brick (wrapped in plastic), or a water bottle filled with sand, in the reservoir chamber can help decrease per flush water usage. Another easy trick you can apply to save water is to adjust the float or flutter valve in your toilet; you can find short videos on youtube on how to make toilet adjustment. When in the market for buying a toilet, make sure to keep efficiency in mind (as well as comfort and looks of course!!)

In 1992, the government mandated that all toilets can use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Since then, toilet design and performance have made leaps and bounds in quality and effectiveness. A good place to look up more facts on new toilets is: http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/toilets.html.  Getting a new low-flow toilet for the house is a great investment for the home as well as for a sustainable lifestyle.

Changing The Way We Bath

Taking a shower, instead of taking a bath, can be a good first step in conserving water. Even though showers are more efficient, they still take up approximately 17% of indoor water consumption.  The number one way of cutting down water usage for showers, is replacing the shower head. A high quality, high pressure/low flow shower head can be cheap as $20-$60.

Depending on how much you spend on the device, as well as shower usage/size of the household, payback in water savings can be several months to maybe a year. A shower head life expectancy can be 6+ years, so it can save money over many years. When buying a new shower head, it’s important to get one that offers a flow rate of less than 2.5 gpm (gallons per minute) for maximum water efficiency. Another nice feature to consider is a flow pause button. This lets you easily turn the flow on or off when lathering up in the shower. This lets you directly control your water usage.

In the end, the best tool to combat water usage and water waste is knowledge. Knowing how we affect our environment, and how we can save it, will lead us to a sustainable future. A good website to do your own research on water conservation is: http://www.epa.gov/gateway/learn/water.html. Do your part and be resource smart!!

Looking forward to discussing sustainability in the future,

Daniel

“...to learn and not to do is really not to learn. To know and not to do is really not to know.”
― Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The Boiling Frog Syndrome and Us

Have any of you heard of the financial advisor named Ric Edelman? He is the individual who crafted the idea of “The Boiling Frog Syndrome”, and how the American public has grown tolerant and unresponsive to increases in inflation.  Here is Edelman’s account of the Boiling Frog Syndrome: "If you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, he’ll jump out. But if you place a frog into a pot of lukewarm water and slowly turn up the heat, it will boil to death.” The concept was mainly crafted to apply toward financial topics, but I feel that it can be applied here just the same.

The average price for gasoline in 2010 was around $2.85, prices do vary though relative to geography. Have you seen, or should I say felt, the prices lately? Over the last few weeks, I have seen gas prices fluctuate between $3.80 and $4.10 a gallon. What would have happened if this price change happened over night? We would have changed our behavior. We immediately would begin to look for ways to become more efficient, drive less, car pool, or maybe even buy a hybrid/electric car. It’s not just the gas prices that have risen, but also most other energy costs, such as electricity, natural gas and other utilities. We are boiling.

How much long will we stay tolerant to these rising prices before we make changes? It is important that we begin to not only take notice of the changes that are around us, but to respond to them. Taking a proactive step in what we use will not only will save us money by lowering our costs, but it will also save our environment.

In the article, “Next Great Depression? MIT study predicting ‘global economic collapse’ by 2030 still on track”, Eric Pfeiffer does a great job at highlighting how we must take a proactive step at decreasing our ecological footprint.  Using less resources, as well as disposing of them responsibly, will save us money and save the environment.  By following the full circle blog, as well as applying the practices that will be discussed here to your daily life, can make a difference in ourselves, our community and our world. Let’s be proactive and jump out of this hot water.

~Daniel

Everything comes FULL CIRCLE.

To me, the "Full Circle" concept is an aspiration, a goal and a way of life. As for you, I would like it to be a reminder, a guide, and an easy way to stay connected and informed about: recycling, waste problems, earth news and so much more. Living a green and resourceful life not only saves the environment, but it also can save money when done correctly.

I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel or anything here, people have been recycling for decades (it has been treated more like a fad in the past more than anything). My goal is to get people the information that they need to be motivated to get involved. One or two people doing their part can make a small difference, but a group or community of people can make a noticeable difference!

I’m not asking anybody to completely change their way of life, all I’m asking is to take notice to the world around us and how we impact it. What we do today, will effect our children's tomorrow. Please join me as we walk the path to a better tomorrow.  

For more insights and ideas, follow Full Circle Lifestyles on twitter.

~Daniel