What Will the Future Hold? Hopefully Green Change.

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I read an opinion piece earlier today by Columbia University faculty member, Steven Cohen, entitled The Transition to a Sustainable Economy May Happen Without the U.S. Federal Government.  Several strong and sometimes witty points are addressed in the article, all of which are of reasonable importance.  Overall, however, the piece points out the ever-increasing need for further developments in the realm of environmentally conscious change, through not only personal choices of society members, but through official government policies.  The latter of which, we have surprisingly found to be almost entirely lacking in the U.S., despite further research on the matters that may very well affect the future. 

One highlight of the piece that I do consider to be one of the more important elements, is a referenced letter from the co-CEO’s of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), a major global investment firm.  Although working predominantly within the financial industry, even KKR and its leaders strongly believe in higher levels of sustainability practices.  Among other things, they mention that such initiatives will lead to a better use of resources, as well as a more profitable business.  It is essentially a win-win situation, so long as adequate effort is put into it. 

A major distaste for the U.S. government’s lack of response to trending issues on limited resources and needed sustainability is openly expressed by Cohen as well.  To be honest, he is rightfully disappointed.  However, as I continued to read on and hop around the Huffington Post website, I did come across a slideshow list of the Greenest Celebrities.  I usually find such things hard to stomach, but in this case, I was immediately drawn in.  Some of the members of the list came as no surprise, but others I found to be quite the opposite.  I think its worth checking out and reading up on each of the celebs, but no matter how you view the issues, it can give a little more hope to the cause – although government officials seemingly refuse to take steps forward, perhaps with high profile individuals like celebrities pushing for advancement and programs, the green movement has large-scale hope yet. 

Re-Hydrating College Sustainability

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Today’s young think tanks, also known as universities, are the center of movements of equality, and more recently sustainability. Recently, over 90 colleges and universities have taken upon themselves to limit the use of plastic bottles on campus. While some colleges such as Yale and Cornell have banned the use of plastic bottles outright, others are in the midst of turning their campuses into models of efficiency and sustainability.

These schools have thus replaced the old mosaic of purchasing water bottles with hydration stations, which are placed strategically around their respective campuses, and provide free filtered water. In addition, incoming freshman are given free aluminum bottles at student orientation to promote the use of this sustainable feature.

While some fear the ban of plastics will actually promote the consumption of sugary substitutes, the truth of the matter is that as long as students do not have to go out of their way to re-hydrate, and it is of no cost to them, the hydration stations will be a success. Anytime you can promote the idea of sustainability you should. And anytime this ideal crosses paths with consumerism driven and educated twenty-something-year-olds there is bound to be success. Whether or not we like it, college students drive a tremendous amount of demand for goods and services, and whose opinions matter significantly to marketers. As a recently graduated college student, I am proud to see that the opinions of young people are beginning to focus more and more about sustainability and the green movement rather than Snooki and JWow. Together we can strive to live green, and be green while making socially responsible decisions.

Thinking Twice on How We Shower

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While most of us take something as simple as showering for granted, others in the third world live without this luxury due to the dearth of available running water. If only there was a way to adequately shower without expending this valuable resource!. Thanks to South African innovator Ludwick Marishane, the paradigm has shifted in the way we look at showering.

Inspired by his lazy friend who saw too much effort required to shower in his rural village of South Africa, Marishane took it upon himself to develop an agent that would replace the need for showering with running water. His patented invention, called “DryBath, helped him win the 2011 Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year, Award, and is an odorless and biodegradable gel applied to the skin that creates soap suds. In this way, nations are able to reduce water waste that result from showering.

As the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention” and none is more apropos than the example of DryBath. Rural South Africa, with its lack of running water nationwide, facilitated the idea of showering without water. And while DryBath will help similar nations preserve the precious resource of water, it has also revolutionized the way we think about showering here in first world nations. The savings associated with using less water with showering is staggering. An average shower uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute, which multiplied by the average family unit of four people and 15 minutes per shower is 150 gallons of water per household per day. Multiply that number, which is for showers only, by the number of households in a nation and you can start to see the irony in the size of the spring on the Poland Spring water bottle.

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DryBath, if it is safe, which is a pretty large assumption we are making here, would be a huge win for sustainability, and would completely alter the way we maintain our personal hygiene. While not a necessity to adopt such technology, utilizing such an innovation would help to preserve this natural resource, and would be another way where we can both live green, and be green.

Live green, Travel green

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Vacation trips often are the highlight of the summer.  Now more than ever, summer travel can be green.  With a little research, it is possible to find great travel destinations with Eco-friendly amenities.

One such destination is the Hilton New York.  Located in Manhattan, the Hilton New York is Manhattan’s largest hotel.  It boasts 1,981 rooms plus common areas.  It has a 16,000 square feet green roof system that is planted with vegetation from upstate New York.  This remarkable system serves several purposes.  The foliage absorbs airborne pollutants which prevent the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  Secondly, it deflects solar radiation, thereby reducing the amount of energy needed to cool the air.  The incorporation of this roof top garden has resulted in a significant decrease in the high temperatures in Manhattan from dense cityscapes and lack of vegetation.

The New York Hilton also uses an Eco-friendly natural gas to produce electricity and hot water.  This system is expected to produce more than half of the hotel’s required electrical power, thereby reducing its carbon footprint by more than 30 percent.  Additionally, visitors to all Hilton hotels, including the Hilton New York, benefit from LightStay, which is the chain’s worldwide system for improving its sustainability program.  There is a constant analysis of all functions at Hilton hotels, including but not limited to housekeeping, waste management and use of paper products, to measure their impact on the environment and to make changes necessary to improve the ecosystem, all without cost to the customers.  All eco-conscious visitors are encouraged to participate in the Global Soap Project which encourages everyone to donate discarded soap to be reprocessed and given to needy people all over the world.

The Hilton New York has set the benchmark for providing excellent service to its visitors while at the same time maintaining green standards and promoting sustainability and introducing customers to programs and efforts to help the green movement.  This hotel truly allows you to vacation green, live green and be green.