SUSTAIN THIS!

Job Hunt Progress

2011-07-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

So, after the first week, here is what I have done so far in my search for gainful employment:

Company	Position	Closing Date	Response	Comments
GERES	Junior Energy Expert	27/06/11	Received my application. Nothing further.	Date given is expect a reply date. NO LUCK!
WYG	Sustainability Consultant	30/06/11	Emailed back on 31/05/11 to say that BREEAM quals were essential.	NO LUCK!
National Trust	Senior Ranger	12/07/11	Received my application.	Phone AH asap.
IUCN	Junior Professional	13/07/11	Received my application.	Check status online: https://hrms.iucn.org
ICLEI	EcoMObility Projects Officer	31/07/11	Received my application.	Expect a reply within 1 month of closing date.
Practical Action	Energy Assistant	08/07/11	Received my application.	Expect a reply within 1 week of closing date.
Steven Agnew/Green Party	Research Officer	No idea.	No response.	Emailed my CV & Cover Letter 08/07/11
Centre for Sustainable Energy	Intern	25/07/11	Application received.

I'm not holding my breath. Poor attitude I know, but it just seems like I've maybe aimed the wrong way with my choice of master's degree. Any company in the sustainable development sector seems to be looking for housing surveyors (who have completed expensive courses offered only in England), engineers to maintain wind turbines or plumbers to install solar water heaters. Any consultancy work on offer requires 3-5 years of industrial experience. NONE OF THESE EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR MASTER'S DEGREES ANYMORE! Have a just wasted my time and money doing my postgraduate course??

P.S. Sorry that some of the table is off the page. I'm working on getting it fixed...

Apologies & the Job Hunt

2011-07-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

To my two faithful followers, I am truly sorry. It has been far too long since I last had a rant on these pages, but that is hopefully all about to change. I have recently found a little more time in my life to indulge in the frivolities of the virtual world. My postgraduate course is coming to a close and I am currently engaged in the inevitable yet unenviable task of finding a job for myself come September. Hence, I am spending a lot more time online and can wax lyrical about the limited joys and plentiful woes of filling in application forms and drafting cover letters.

It may seem like this has little to do with sustainability, but this is far from the truth. Look on me as your scout into the world of employment in the sustainability sector. Through my efforts you will get a valuable insight into who might and who might not be recruiting, what kind of jobs are coming up more than others, and what kind of feedback potential employers are offering. I'll also put up some good websites for would be job seekers on the right hand side. Stay tuned.

Something for the weekend...

2010-10-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

After a lot of talk, I'm finally going to do it. Starting officially on 10/10/10, after 26 years living the life of an omnivore, I have decided to embrace the challenge and become a vegetarian... Well, almost. A weekday vegetarian to be exact, meaning (in case it's not obvious) that from Monday to Friday I will not eat ANY meat. At the weekends, however, I'm free to eat any cute little animal I choose, except for beef.

Nope, I'm not becoming a Hindu. Nor am I taking this vow for ethical reasons. In fact, I think it's perfectly fine to kill an animal, so long as it's not tortured (think Chinese finger traps, hot pokers and toe clamps) and none of it goes to waste. I'm doing this because I want to see if I can. I'm ruling out beef completely, because I believe that the beef industry is completely unsustainable. I'm reducing my consumption of the rest because I believe that pork, lamb, chicken, fish and every other delicious animal need to be viewed as luxuries rather than staples.

This all links in with sustainability. Our capacity to endure. Some of the biggest issues we face on our planet are: land use efficiency, availability of water, energy availability, and waste management. Each of these four problems are greatly worsened by our desire for meat. A 2006 report by the Livestock, Environment And Development Initiative stated that the livestock industry is one of the top contributors to worldwide environmental degradation.

Large areas of land are required not only for grazing and winter shelters for the animals, but it is also used to grow their feed. The FAO have reported that livestock production is, "one of the main drivers of the destruction of tropical rain forests in Latin America."

In terms of water use, it takes approximately 17,000 cubic metres of water to produce a ton of beef, but only 1,500 cubic metres to produce a ton of wheat. In comparison, pork takes about 5,500 cubic metres and poultry is less again at approximately 4,000 cubic metres. This is the main reason I have completely excluded beef from my diet. It's production is simply not sustainable.

But it doesn't stop there. Amazingly, approximately 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture (only about 15% comes from transport) and a larger proportion of these emissions are in the form of methane (23 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide) and nitrous oxides (310 times more potent.) This doesn't exactly help the problem of global warming.

So, by saying no to even just beef once or twice a week, we can help reduce deforestation in Latin America, save water and lend a hand to the global warming issue. It may not save the world, but it certainly wont do any harm...

Hero Spotlight: H.F-W.

2010-06-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

H.F-W, otherwise known as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, is a true champion of sustainability. The celebrity chef, journalist, writer and 'real food' campaigner is perhaps best known for the TV series he presented on UK's Channel 4, River Cottage, which followed his efforts to become a, "self-reliant downshifted smallholder" who could feed himself, family and friends from food he produced himself or sourced locally.

Due to the development of intensive agriculture, food prices have become irreversibly intertwined with fuel prices. If the farmer has to spend more money to run his tractors, combine harvesters and other machinery, then he will inevitably charge more for the food that he produces to meet the increasing costs. This means that in a future where fuel costs are set to increase, food costs can only follow suit. There is no better time to start growing your own vegetables and even rearing your own meat.

H.F-W. shows us exactly how it is done and even better, how to cook amazing meals from your own produce. Some of the classics include rabbit haggis, veal stew and hemp dukka. I don't know exactly what that last one is, but it sounds... eh... delicious?

One of the best shows he did was part of his River Cottage Spring series (for people living outside of the UK, click here to view clips on YouTube) where he enlisted the help of six Bristol families to develop a smallholding in the middle of the city. He started by showing them how to grow their own crops (radishes, beans, lettuce etc.) and then went on to give them four pigs and a few rescued hens from a nearby chicken battery. It's easy to see the beneficial effect that this had on all the families involved, not just in terms of physical health, but mentally also.

For me, one of the most interesting things to come out of it was how he acquired the land in the first place. Apparently, an old law states that if a group of people get together and ask their local council for a patch of land to grow crops and/or raise animals then the council are obliged to meet their needs. I haven't found anything on the web to back this up, so I would be interested to find out more about it.

If anyone is thinking about starting this kind of project, either on their own property or as part of an allotment scheme, then you should definitely check out the River Cottage website for useful tips and other information. Help make your future a little more certain.

Leave Only Footprints?

2010-06-19T04:24:00.000-07:00

These days we hear a lot about our carbon footprint and how we should be trying to reduce it. Sounds great, but what is it? Why should we make it smaller? And how do we do that as an individual?

The UK Carbon Trust defines a carbon footprint as a measure of, "the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by a person, organisation, event or product." It takes into account all 6 greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride), but is measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. In simple terms, it's a rough measure of the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere by the actions of something or someone.

For example, according to the CO2 List, for one kilogram of red meat to be produced, 22 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) will have been released into the atmosphere (the same amount of chicken or fish releases only 6 kilograms.) Your PC (or Mac) released approximately 61 kg of CO2 for every kilogram it weighs and the shirt on your back emitted about two kilograms of CO2 during it's manufacture. Even walking has a carbon footprint: approximately 320 grams of CO2 per mile walked. Why? It takes into consideration the food calories you're burning and the manufacturing process of your footwear. Intense stuff...

This is one of the main reasons we need to be aware of our footprint and how to reduce it; everything we do adds to it. Many governments around the world are already taxing carbon in one way or the other and this is only set to increase both in scope and scale. This means that companies with large carbon footprints will need to increase the cost of their products and services in order to cover the cost of these taxes. If you have already taken steps to reduce your personal carbon footprint, you will be less reliable on these products and services, thereby saving you money in the long-term. This in turn will contribute to your sustainability. This is why we should care.

So now you know what it is and why you should be trying to reduce it. Next up, how you can reduce it. I've said before that few things about sustainability are simple, but the following steps are fairly painless:

Check out fuel efficiency ratings before buying a new car. The UK Vehicle Certification Agency has a comprehensive listing of new and used cars made after March 2001. Not only will this reduce your footprint, but also save you a stack of cash when fuel prices increase.

Walk, cycle, car-share or use public transport to get to one of your regular destinations at least once a week.

Make your home more energy-efficient. This can be as simple as checking for drafts and insulating all the empty gaps or you can go a small step further by replacing all your standard light-bulbs with LEDs and replacing your old home appliances with newer, more energy-efficient versions (when the old ones stop working that is...)

Try buying your food from local, organic sources. This is often difficult and almost always more expensive, but some big supermarkets are making the effort to stock this kind of produce without a massive mark-up. You can also try and find a farmer's market in your area, or if your feeling adventurous, why not have a go at growing your own veggies in the back garden?

You might be thinking this sounds like a lot of hassle and bullshit. And in the short-term, you're absolutely right. It's a pain in the arse. But start thinking further than 6 months down the line. It could only be a matter of years before your fuel, energy, and shopping bills become substantially higher than they once were. Prepare yourself for that future.

How the UK Can Kick It's Habit

2010-06-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, first off, I have a confession to make. This isn't something that I'd normally admit to such a large number of people (I'm not sure that many people read my blog anyway), but I'm a little bit gay for George Monbiot. He's climbing up my heroes chart quicker than a monkey on amphetamines. He's made it to the table for my theoretical dinner party. He's almost up there with David Attenborough and Ray Mears. Enough said.

Monbiot first came to my attention when I was about 22, searching through the non-fiction section of my local Oxfam bookshop for something interesting to read. I found his book, "No Man's Land", and was soon educated about the struggle of nomadic Tanzanian and Kenyan herdsmen against safari parks, game reserves and Canadian cereal companies to keep the lands they had been grazing for hundreds of years. If I'm being completely honest, I wasn't hooked immediately. I think I was intimidated by his passion for his subject. Something I was yet to experience.

He has, however, become omnipresent in the environmental and political activist arena and as his CV shows, he clearly deserves it. More about George Monbiot here.

Anyway, as the title suggests, this post isn't all about the man himself. It's about a cracking article he wrote for the UK-based Guardian newspaper on the 20th of May, 2010, titled, "Out of Sight, Out of Trouble."

In this mind-blowing piece he outlines how the UK could not only end it's dependency on non-renewable energy sources by the year 2050, but also become a mass net energy exporter. And how exactly are we to accomplish that? No doubt through the building of expansive onshore wind farms and environmentally damaging tidal barrages, eh? No. Exactly the opposite in fact. The report which Monbiot draws his information from (the Offshore Valuation report, published by the Public Interest Research Centre) suggests that all of this energy can be produced by offshore wind farms and tidal energy systems.

The cost of construction, implementation, and training would of course be huge, but, according to Monbiot, not that much greater than the building of the North Sea oil and gas infrastructure and even if we were only to capture 29% of the potential, we could produce the energy equivalent of 1 billion barrels of oil per year. This is on par with the average amount we've been getting from North Sea oil and gas over the last 40 years. Also, it would create jobs for over 140,000 people and generate an annual revenue of approximately 62 billion pounds. As an added environmental bonus, it has been shown that the building of such offshore windfarms can increase the abundance of fish and crabs (link).

So what do we need to get started on this awesome project? Strong governmental backing, investment, and a change in the general mindset towards clean energy initiatives. In a perverse way, the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico may be the catalyst we need to make these things happen. Fingers crossed that some good comes of it.

Leading From the Front?

2010-06-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

As many of you may already be aware, the recent UK election resulted in a coalition government, with seats in parliament being shared by both Conservative and Liberal Democrat members. Both parties have, in the past, had very different views on big issues such as climate change and nuclear power, so I was interested to find out what kind of ~~lies~~ manifesto this new government would produce on the subjects of the environment and energy. Click on the titles for links to Her Majesty's Government.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

As you would imagine, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs program contains a lot of pledges concerning key issues that have faced the British public in the past, namely Foot and Mouth Disease, the fox-hunting debate, badger culling, flood defences, and the Dangerous Dog Act.

One point that particularly interested me was the promise to, "work towards a ‘zero waste’ economy, encourage councils to pay people to recycle, and work to reduce littering."

As one commentator points out below the publication,

"Recycling is a total waste of money. It costs councils more to send 3 seperate vans/trucks around once a week than to send one a week. Where [does our waste] go? We collect our plastics to be recycled and they’re sold to China who burn them in their power stations, polluting the atmosphere, damaging the ozone layer and causing climate change."

This seems like a ridiculous allegation, but The Independent newspaper did indeed write a story a few years ago that more or less backs it up. (link)

I don't agree that recycling is a waste of money, but I do agree that it's pointless to spend extra money on separating our waste if it all ends up in the same pile anyway. While some of the waste shipped to China remains separated, a lot of it is just burnt in huge incinerators run by private enterprises and illegal waste-smuggling is becoming a huge problem. Whether processed within the law or outside it, our exported waste is wreaking havoc on the local environment of many Chinese waterways, and this passing-the-buck system of waste disposal is absolutely despicable.

I think the government would be better in focusing their efforts towards the cause of the problem and not the solution. Supermarkets need to re-evaluate their packaging policies and the government needs to penalise them heavily if they don't. We've already seen the plastic bag take a huge popularity dip. It's about time that individually plastic wrapped fruit and vegetables and other over packaged products went the same way.

Energy and Climate Change

On the energy front, the new government has indeed promised some progressive implementations. Not enough specific targets for usage of renewable energies for my liking, but they're talking my kind of talk.

In my opinion, one of the more important promises is the, "reform [of] energy markets to deliver security of supply and investment in low carbon energy, and ensure fair competition..." In normal language? Basically, they hope to encourage investment in energy systems that don't rely on oil, coal, or natural gas. However, this will only happen on the scale that we need it to when investors and innovators can be guaranteed that renewable energies are a safe bet for the future. This can only happen if the government imposes a floor price on fossil fuels that will ensure that the price of, say a barrel of oil, will never be less than $100. This will drive the market to produce more efficient renewable energy systems, knowing that eventually they will become cheaper than the 'dirty fuel' systems and everyone can save some money.

I'm also excited about the 'Green Deal' mentioned in the publication, but so far my search for more details on this has proved fruitless. More to come later...

But What Are They Doing?

2010-06-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you've started implementing some sustainability measures in your own way of life and you're feeling pretty good about it. Sure, it requires a little bit of effort, but everyone has to do their bit, right? Right. So what are the big corporations of this world doing about it? A little or a lot? You might be surprised...

McDonald's

The fast-food giant has one of the most recognisable logos in the world. With over 31,000 in more than 118 countries, that's not surprising. However, what might be surprising is the work they do themselves and with various Non-Governmental Organisations to aid sustainability around the world.

approximately 80% of McDonald's packaging is made from renewable resources (natural materials that are managed and replenished in a sustainable way.) About 30% of this material is recycled fibre, although in certain countries this not allowed due to food packaging laws.

for almost 20 years, the big M has been working with Conservation International on various projects, in order to educate their youngest customers about the environment and support conservation work around the world, including a sustainable fisheries program. (link)

a few 'green' McDonald's restaurants have opened in countries around Europe and the Americas. Some modifications to their buildings include vegetated roof-tops, porous car-parks, hybrid parking stations, LED lighting, rain-water harvesting and ride-to-work incentives for staff members. (link)

However, with an annual revenue of approximately $23.5 billion, I think Ronald McDonald could be doing a little more. They are often criticised for not buying more of their produce from local suppliers, and I think they could do a little better than 80% when it comes to renewable sources for food packaging. Still, they could be a lot worse.

Starbucks

A Seattle-based coffee company, Starbucks were one of the first big names to offer the 'bring your own cup' policy at their stores, aiming to cut down on the number of paper cups being used while saving themselves a bit of cash too. But how do they shape up with their other sustainability policies?

by 2015, Starbucks aims to have recycling policies in all of the stores where they control waste management and serve 25% of their drinks in reusable cups (brought by customers.) They offer a 10 cent discount if you don't take a plastic cup.

by the end of 2010, they plan to reduce their energy consumption by 25% and to obtain 50% of their energy from renewable sources in all of their company-owned stores.

by 2012 they want to reduce the amount of water they use in company-owned stores by 15%.

by 2015, Starbucks aims to have 100% of its coffee beans certified or verified by an independent third party (CAFE, Fairtrade etc.)

they too have a partnership with Conservation International to improve conservation and sustainability in the countries where their produce is grown. (link)

All of these aims and goals are great, and I sincerely hope that Starbucks can meet and hopefully surpass them. When we think about their profits for the fiscal year 2009 being $9.8 billion, however, their little 10 cents per drink discount for bringing your own cup seems a bit tight. Financial incentives are key to getting people engaged in sustainability schemes and in my opinion this reduction is fairly pathetic. They do get an extra point though, for offering customers old coffee grounds to fertilise their gardens with. Good idea.

Microsoft
Bill Gates himself has always been a supporter of sustainability and he recently donated $300,000 for research into unique solutions to the climate change problem. Not much of a dent in the purse for a man whose net worth is $53 billion, but at least he's doing something. What is his company doing?

Microsoft plans to reduce it's 2007 carbon footprint 30% by 2012.

they also want to have completely phased out the use of phthalate plasticizers and brominated flame retardants (very toxic chemicals) from all of their hardware products by the end of 2010.

That's really about it. Not great considering it has access to a very large proportion of homes and offices throughout the world. It should be noted, however, that the Windows operating system does allow PCs to run more efficiently that in turn saves energy. Greenpeace has criticised Microsoft for not using their lobbying power more effectively on environmental issues, although it should be noted that Microsoft did lead a call to President Obama, supported by other major companies, to, "put the United States on the path to significant emissions reductions, a stronger economy, and a new position of leadership in the global effort to stabilize our climate," at the Copenhagen Summit in December, 2009. (link)

Apple
Is Microsoft's largest competitor doing much better than their rivals? I'll let you decide...

Apple does offer a recycling scheme for it's products. You can send them your old Apple computers, laptops and iPods. They will recycle these for free. If they still have monetary value, you get a discount on your next Apple product. In 2008, the company recycled 41.9% of their products that had been purchased 7 years earlier (the company assumes a 7-year lifespan of their products. Funny, because my iPod died after 2 years...)

Apple also lead the way in reducing the use of toxic materials in their products. They claim that, "not only is every Mac, iPod, and iPhone free of PVC² and BFRs, we are also qualifying thousands of components to be free of elemental bromine and chlorine, putting us years ahead of anyone in the industry. In addition, all MacBook Pro models feature displays with mercury-free backlighting." Good work Steve.

the company also offers its employees alternatives to driving their cars to work. For example, their biodiesel commuter coaches offer up to 600 workers a free ride to work every day.

I'll admit that I used to have a real hate for Apple, mostly because my beloved iPod gave up the ghost after 2 years of devoted service. I had 4,000 beautiful songs on my baby, and they seem to be stuck there due to iTunes programmed inability to transfer music from your device to your computer. This in an intentional ploy to make the company more money, but if they are using it for progressive sustainability policies like these, then I guess I don't mind so much. (link)

Stand-by for reviews on other big companies...

The Man's Guide to Sustainability

2010-06-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

Sustainability is undoubtedly one of the biggest issues facing humanity's future. Long seen as a concern only for hippies and the bourgeois nouveau riche middle-class, it has clearly become something that we all need to think about if we are to ensure the survivability of planet earth. Here's how to approach it in a manly way...

The classic t-shirt slogan says it best: “Save water, drink beer.” Why not? Beer is delicious and manly. Also, try not having a shower every day. Your girlfriend may not appreciate it, but Mother Nature will.

Turn off all the lights in the house and do things by candle light. Fire is probably the most manly thing in the world. Just make sure the candles don't smell of flowers.

Say no to plastic bags in shops. Carrying all the groceries in your arms not only makes you look manly, but it also suggests to others that you may not have paid for them. You'll swagger out of the shop like you haven't.

Grow your own vegetables in the garden. Planting flowers might be for women, but growing food is definitely for men.

Embrace renewable energy by installing a windmill and/or solar panels onto your home. You're harnessing nature AND using power tools. Uber-manly.

Only eat meat that's been killed by your own hand. Earn extra manly points if it's a wild animal. Lose a point if it's a family pet. That's just not cool.

Save on fuel by riding a motorbike instead of driving a truck. They're both manly, but the scars you'll collect after a few spills on the bike give it the upper hand. Joining a gang is optional.

Save paper by not writing anything. If it's important, you'll remember it.

If you get cold in winter, don't turn up the heating. Grow a beard. When it gets long enough you can wrap it around you like a big scarf.

Put a brick in your cistern. Better still, just poo outside in a hole in the garden. If your neighbours complain, just ask them what they're doing for the planet.