- Green Design
- Greenhouse
- Ozone
- Recycled Material
- Earth-Friendly
- Free-Range
- Organic
- Lifecycle
- Global Warming
- Locally Produced
- Population Growth
- HEPA
- Particulate Matter
- Footprint
- Energy Smart
- VOC
- Energy Star
- Indoor Air Quality
- Hybrid
- MPG
- kW
- Photovoltaic
- Alternative Fuel
- Incentive Program
Some of these terms provide useful sources of data, especially when comparing performances of certain products or technologies, or sizing up the impact or quantity of a resource. Others are more general descriptions of a process or place. And others might just be useful in selling a product or service—as a quick way of easing our unease.
Beginning to personally address and grasp environmental issues may first require taking a step back to look at the bigger picture, rather than delving straight into the details of recycled cardboard, low-flow bath fixtures, and pesticide-free chickens. One way of doing this is to consider some of the larger systems in modern lives:
TRANSIT: how we move about with our legs, planes, trains, and automobiles; PLACES: where we work, live, and play; FOOD: What we eat, where it comes from, and how it is produced; PRODUCTS: the tools and objects we buy, use, and replace.
Let me mention specific topics in conjunction with the large systems described above.
Transit: since I live in the U.S., for me the environmental conversation must begin with the automobile. It’s where we spend a great deal of our time and dollars. Places: buildings have a big impact upon our environment, annually using up huge amounts of resources in controlling their interior environments with heating, cooling, and electric lights. Food: food production has a huge environmental cost; millions of acres in land have been modified for it. Products: our culture is one of consumerism, and the products we buy for work, living, and entertainment make a large demand upon natural resources. The eventual disposal of these products requires a great deal of land.
With the next several columns, I want to take a look at some of these seemingly divergent issues. Some of my reflections may be factual, some may be technical, some may be anecdotal, and some may even be entertaining. We’ll try to shape a basic knowledge of environmental issues for ourselves, and a platform for informed decision-making, from the grocery store to public policy.
Read Part 2
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