Take our Green Training Survey
Posted on 27. Jun, 2011 by Karen Stewart, LEED AP in Energy, LEED Training, News, Sustainability, Triple Bottom Line, Water
Take our Green Training Survey
EcoPotential is always looking for opportunities to exceed the training needs of green building and sustainability professionals. Our courses are taught mainly in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.
Whether you are an architect, engineer, contractor, educator, city planner, building owner, Walmart supplier, etc., continuing education in the areas of environmental, financial and social sustainability is most likely in your training goals.
Although we offer the most popular green training courses, we want to customize our offerings to exceed your training needs.
If you have 2-3 minutes, complete this 5 question training survey and we’ll get busy providing the classes that you want.
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Reduce Consumption, Preserve Our Planet
Posted on 14. Feb, 2011 by Kimberly in News, Sustainability
Have you turned on a faucet today and had access to clean drinkable water? If so, you are probably better off than the 40% of the Earth’s population that still carries their water from wells. We often take for granted our easy access to water and ability to shower as often and long as we want. Although a little over 70% of the Earth is covered in water, 97% of that water is undrinkable. 2% of the drinkable water is frozen in glaciers and ice caps, leaving 1% for residential, community, agricultural, manufacturing, and personal needs.
By the year 2050 the United Nations has estimated there will be 4 billion people living in water-stressed nations. So what can we do to help preserve water?
Every Drop Counts http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/waterTips_online.pdf
Calculate your water footprint www.h2oconserve.org
Can you imagine an area of rainforest the size of West Virginia being cut down each day? Well, currently 100,000 acres of tropical rainforest are being destroyed each day and yes that many acres equals the size of West Virginia. Deforestation releases massive amount of greenhouse gases, roughly 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions are due to deforestation. In addition to contributing to global warming emissions, deforestation is also accelerating species loss. Every 10-20 minutes a species is becoming extinct! We are currently experiencing the greatest extinction period since the dinosaur exodus. You may be thinking “these are huge issues, how are my actions going to help prevent deforestation or help preserve our Earth’s biodiversity?”
Deforestation in Haiti
A few things you can do are:
- Reduce you beef consumption, source meat responsibly
- Look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo on wood and paper products
- Do not purchase products made from endangered species’ parts
- Grow a wildlife garden instead of a lawn
- Support animal rehabilitation centers and conservation groups
Saving Our Life Support Systems
Posted on 31. Jan, 2011 by Kimberly in News, Sustainability
In my last post on the “Sustainable World Sourcebook” I discussed how to “Get Informed and Get Involved.” This week I want to help inform you about the state of our life support systems, our oceans.
I have always loved the ocean and have made a point of visiting an ocean almost every summer. I am also an avid fish eater. I tend to watch what I eat and choose healthier options, which are often fish courses. Apparently I am not the only one; since the 1950’s global fish consumption has tripled. If we remain at today’s rates of withdrawal by 2050 all species of wild seafood we are currently fishing could be depleted by 90%! Overfishing is just one of the problems affecting the health of our world’s oceans. Global warming is causing ocean acidification and pollution is creating dead zones, uninhabitable areas that are miles long. Our oceans cover 75% of the globe, such an immense amount and yet we are still depleting, polluting, and destroying them.
One item on my bucket list has been to get my scuba license and go scuba diving among a beautiful coral reef. The “Sourcebook” describes coral reefs as “Colorful ‘Ra
inforests of the sea’”, what a beautiful and enticing description. However, if I want to achieve this bucket list item, I need to register for scuba lessons sooner rather than later. According to a report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network in 2008, within the next 40 years many of the remaining coral reefs will disappear if our current emission trends continue and 19% of coral reefs are already dead. While I may be able to explore the beauty of a coral reef in my lifetime, will my 5 month old daughter or her children have this luxury? What will be left for our future generations?
So what can WE do to lessen these detrimental affects on our oceans?
- Choose fish and seafood labeled as “sustainable” or “farmed”
- Reduce your use of household toxins: fertilizers, detergents with phosphate, and toxic cleaning products
- Buy local: support local Farmer’s Markets and fishers
- Reduce your use of fossil fuel-based energy, plastic, and styrofoam
- Do not buy coral jewelry or touch coral when snorkeling or scuba diving
Join in the efforts to save our life support systems!
Get Informed and Get Involved
Posted on 07. Jan, 2011 by Kimberly in News, Sustainability
This is the first of seven entries I will complete from my reading of the “Sustainable World Sourcebook” compiled by the Sustainable World Coalition. The “Sourcebook” is a valuable tool that will inspire you to take action and teach you how to make a difference.
In today’s world many of us believe nature is a resource for us to use at our disposal, that we can discard anything and everything, and that we as humans are separate from animals and nature. These assumptions, coupled with our cultural separation of the human and natural world, created a severe state of stress for our Earth. Fortunately the modern world’s understanding is transforming. We are recognizing that our cultural perspective has been misguided. Our current unsustainable individual paths can evolve, establishing communities that work together toward a sustainable way of life.
So, how do you get involved and make a change? Just as our individual actions created the state of stress we are currently in, it is our actions that will also provide many opportunities for us to mend the results of our past behaviors. Empowering yourself through education and awareness of your environmental impact and fostering relationships and conversations with like minded people is a great place to start. Know that one individual can make a difference. Get Informed and Get Involved!
Educate yourself!
My Eco-Hero: Jordan Stewart, Green Commuter
Posted on 21. Apr, 2010 by Karen Stewart, LEED AP in News, Sustainability
As I was reading about the Eco-Heroes in the 2010 issue of the Arkansas Green Guide, my mind kept trailing off to thoughts of my Eco-Hero. From my perspective, he is the greenest commuter in the state of Arkansas. (Maybe I’m biased. I’m his mother!)
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! It’s 6 a.m., still dark outside, and Jordan Stewart’s alarm is sounding off, letting him know it’s time to get up and get ready for work. After showering and ironing his clothes (including his long thermal underwear) he loads up on his three-wheeled bike (rain, snow, hot, cold) and makes his way to Harp’s Grocery store in Har-Ber Meadows. Whether his trip is to work, grocery store, bank, dentist, hair cut, restaurant, etc., Jordan’s mode of transportation is his trusted bicycle.
What makes Jordan the greenest commuter I know? Unlike most of us, the thought of driving verses walking rarely crosses his mind. Although he may mutter something under his scarf when it is 30 degrees outside, he still backs his bike out of the garage and starts pedaling.
Living with Down Syndrome, biking is not an “alternative” transportation option for Jordan. It is his main mode of transportation!
Fortunately for Jordan, Har-Ber Meadows is a master planned community where community members can live, work, play and attend to most basic services without the use of a car.
Community connectivity is not only great for the environment, but it helps Jordan to be as independent as possible in his daily living.
Jordan now has pedestrian or “pedal” access to almost “10 basic services” (LEED terminology) for most of his needs. On a regular basis, he rides his bike to:
- Flying Burrito , Buffalo Wild Wings or Quiznos for lunch
- SportClips for the buzz cut
- Harp’s for groceries
- Signature Bank to deposit his hard earned money
- Dr. Duckworth for regular teeth cleaning
- Shake’s for frozen custard
Once again, another Eco-Hero has shown us that there is a triple bottom line return on investment (ROI) when we make sustainable transportation choices.
- Environment ROI for biking vs. driving => less green house gases and less need for roads and parking lots
- Economic ROI for biking vs. driving => less money spent on gas and auto maintenance
- Social ROI for biking vs. driving => healthier commuters and independent productive citizens
He may not be a chancellor, sustainability coordinator, or green builder, but he’s my Eco-Hero and I plan to be more like him in my commuter decisions.
Karen Stewart, LEED AP
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