People around the world are purchasing bottles of water, marketed as pure and natural. The bottled water industry has created the idea that for up to 4 dollars a bottle everyone can drink from the most pristine landscapes in the world. Sounds a lot better than municipal water that falls from the tap. However, many questions surround regulation as well as the social and environmental impact of bottled water:

According to the World Watch Institute,

“Excessive withdrawal of natural mineral or spring water to produce bottled water has threatened local streams and groundwater, and the product consumes significant amounts of energy in production and shipping. Millions of tons of oil-derived plastics, mostly polyethylene terephthalate (PET), are used to make the water bottles, most of which are not recycled. Each year, about 2 million tons of PET bottles end up in landfills in the United States; in 2005, the national recycling rate for PET was only 23.1 percent, far below the 39.7 percent rate achieved a decade earlier.”

In order to talk about this problem in the context of a solution, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order this week banning the use of city funds to purchase single-serving plastic water bottles. The order also prohibits the sale of such water containers on city-owned property. In this interview, Newsom talks about fighting such a huge industry, joining other mayors across the country, as well as looking at the changes individuals can make, such as owning portable, reusable bottles.

As consumers, our dollars are our vote, so instead of buying bottled water begin carrying glass or stainless steel portable containers and regaining confidence in tap water.

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In the past 35 years, approximately half of the U.S. honey bee colonies have disappeared. This loss has been attributed to a cummulative effect from causes such as urbanization, pesticide use, mites, and commercial beekeepers retiring or going out of business. Between 2006 and 2007, losses have increased dramatically and a new term, Colony Collapse Disorder , has been created to give the bees a complex. Only kidding, yet “disorder” does seem to hold the bees responsible for their population decline when current evidence supports human impact.

It says here, pollinators are required for producing 15-30% of the human food supply, and farmers rely on managed honey bees throughout the world to provide these services. Everything is connected, so it seems that helping bees would be helping humans.

In aknowledgement, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., introduced legislation Tuesday to fund research into the die-off of millions of honeybees in the United States. The Pollinator Protection Act would authorize $89 million in federal funding for a research and grant program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture over five years, for work related to maintaining the bee population as well as native pollinators.

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Fuel ecomony standards haven’t changed in approximately 30 years, but last Thursday night The Senate Energy legislation approved increases in automobile fuel economy requirements to a fleetwide average of 35 mpg by 2020 from the current requirements of 27. 5 mpg for cars and 22.2 mpg for sport utility vehicles and small trucks. The bill requires that half of the new cars manufactured by 2015 be capable of running on 85 percent ethanol or biodiesel fuels and other proposals outlined here . However, Senate Republicans halted a $32 billion package of tax breaks for renewable energy that would have been financed mostly by new taxes on Big Oil.

The new Energy Bill is challenged for being too little too late. The bill protects corporate interests by rejecting the proposed funding from Big Oil, making the shift to alternative energy seem prohibitively expensive and the extra 10mpg insignificant.

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As consumers become more aware of the vast array of products available, many make decisions based on why one is more sustainable than another. Current trends seen in marketing, use key words such as green and sustainable. It is up to the consumer to ultimately decide the intention behind the development of a product. Let’s look at two examples: the Swiffer and the OMop. In an interview with Inhabitat, the developer of Swiffer, Gianfranco Zaccai says -by doing a lot of research and observation in people’s homes— on the average, kitchen floors are washed once a week, and that requires a lot of hot water and detergent for washing - then more hot water for rinsing. People spend more time cleaning the mop than cleaning the floor.

Zaccai says the company worked hard to come up with a profitably sustainable solution rather than a profitable, but more harmful solution. His, was to create a mop that has dry and wet cloths, that are thrown “away” after each use - refills sold seperately.

Another offering in the the mop category was developed by Method. The Omop, comes with a starter kit containing a washable, microfiber mop pad, 3 compostable sweeping cloths, and non-toxic floor cleaner.

While we all seek convenience, the challenge is to weigh the cost. Swiffer is more covenient then the traditional mop, however the disposible cloths and petrol based chemicals that this product leaves behind leads to the important question- where is “away”? The Omop, takes sustainability a step further by providing washable mops and compostable cloths and biodegradable cleaner, leaving less questions about the environmental impact.

Still what’s wrong with a bucket and a mop?

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San Francisco is working toward turning waste into a resource. This article describes Norcal Waste Management’s plan to use biodegradable bags and dog-waste carts placed in Duboce Park, one of the city’s busiest dog parks, to collect dog poop. After collection waste is tossed into a contraption called a methane digester, which is little more than a tank in which bacteria chew on poo for about two weeks to create methane. The methane can be used for a gas stove, heater, turbine or anything that runs on natural gas. The EPA highlights this project which works toward reaching the city’s goal of diverting 75 percent of its waste from landfills by 2010 while providing a valuable and renewable energy source. This model has already been utilized by the Straus Family Creamery in Marin County. Straus installed a methane digester in 2000, and in a 2004 report prepared for the California Energy Commission, the creamery’s manure-to-energy process met or exceeded expectations. The dairy uses the methane to power the plant, saving Straus thousands of dollars a month in energy bills. This is the kind of forward-thinking solutions that are important when looking at waste problems like the 6,500 tons of dog poop produced in the San Francisco Bay Area every year.

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Following a previous post, an article in the Los Angeles Times, reported Anheuser-Busch’s announcement that since the USDA has not yet approved the list of 38 additional non-organic ingredients, their organic beers are now 100% organic. Active consumers sent over 1,ooo complaints to The National Organic Program about the list of non-organic ingredients. Permission to use some non-organic ingredients in foods expired Saturday which leaves the question open for food manufactures. Anheuser-Busch had previously used only 10% organic hops in their beers and are uncertain how to maintain production of 100% organic hops. The Organic Consumers Association continually updates news of changes in standards and provides action solutions for frustrated consumers.

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Looking out at the golden hills of California reminds me of the long dry summer ahead. Water usage increases and conservation of this valuable resource becomes critical. According to the EPA the average American uses 140 to 160 gallons of water per day. The Sonoma County Water Agency is seeking mandatory water conservation of fifteen percent from its contractors, including cities and water districts in its service area, as well as from residents, businesses, and the agricultural community in Sonoma, Marin and Mendocino counties, according to a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Mandates such as these are important reminders, however it is essential that individuals are aware of their daily impact and follow conservation tips such as the ones found here. As you practice turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth and watering your lawn at dusk check out this green site offering more responsible conservation tips.

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Artist Eve S. Mosher is drawing a blue chalk line through Brooklyn marking a point 10 feet above sea level, a boundary now used by federal and state agencies and insurance companies to show where waters could rise after a major storm. She strives to draw attention to projections that the chance of flooding up to or beyond her line could increase significantly as a result of global warming. As her project winds through the city she is followed by a reporter, a photographer, a video documentary maker, a fellow activist, an intern and a man named Edward Morris, one of the founders of a Brooklyn-based environmental organization called the Canary Project, which is helping Mosher carry out and publicize her work, reports the New York Times. Attention is attracted by the chalk line and education follows in the form of “action packets” handed to neighborhood residents, encouraging them to compost, bike, buy local produce and write lots of letters to politicians as ways to promote sustainability.

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As organic standards continually become less restrictive, and the biotech industry grows, consumers seek fresh healthy food from their local communities. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) connects local farmers with local consumers. According to Local Harvest, CSAs; develop a regional food supply and strong local economy, maintain a sense of community, encourage land stewardship, and honor the knowledge and experience of growers and producers working with small to medium farmers. With production and consumption directly linked, consumers are able to visit farms and learn about the sustainable practices used to grow their food. A monthly subscription supplies CSA members with access to a variety of fresh, local produce and often other locally produced specialty food products. As mentioned in a previous post here, Local Harvest is an excellent source for locating CSA programs near you.

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Currently there is a growing demand for organic food as consumers seek healthy and sustainable products. The desire for these products has created a boom in the industry leading big companies like Anheuser-Busch to create its Wild Hop Lager labeled “USDA Organic”. The USDA is continually changing the industry standards in order to cater to large scale industry. It is stated in this article that the agency is considering a proposal to allow 38 nonorganic ingredients to be used in organic foods. Because of the broad uses of these ingredients — as spices, colorings, and flavorings for example — almost any type of manufactured organic food could be affected, including organic milk, cereal, sausages, bread and beer. Changes such as these in USDA Organic standards threaten consumer confidence and trust in the organic label as well as lead to less accountability from big industries to provide information to the consumer about the sources of their food.

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