Recap End of Quarter

I think I have kept up on my goals quite well, in fact it appears as though I have completed all of the goals I set after checking over them again. I do have to admit it is quite nice to see a reduced power and water bill now too! Carpooling has helped me out with the gas crisis as well as lessening the CO2 emissions produced by only taking one car to work. I certainly aim to continue to reduce my footprint and make better environmentally friendly choices in my future decisions. I have thought about having my parents install a renewable energy system into their home to help power it.  

Eco Footprint Update

This shows the difference from my original footprint taken and what I currently do now. It also displays some of the actions that I have taken to reduce my footprint.

This gives the total picture and break down of what my footprint looks like now. The before and after. I think 1 whole planet reduction is pretty dang good in only a couple months time!

Apple's New HQ

This is just one picture of several you can check out by clicking the pic above. This is an image of Apple's design for their new HQ. They plan to make the campus nearly 80% green out of the150 acre lot by planting over 2300 trees among other things detailed in the article..  Some of the features include a solar paneled roof, underground parking, track for employees to run/walk around while on break. The building will have full self sufficient power as well! Sounds like a pretty awesome building if you ask me. Bad news is that it won't be finished until around 2015.
See  the full article here: Apple's New HQ

Kind of a funny the Engineers had with the high tech low emission Boeing 787 test flight. This aircraft is essentially the most eco friendly 7 series plane Boeing has ever produced. They designed a flight path from Seattle to the mid-west writing 787 with the Boeing logo after it as seen above.

Re-FasioNYC

This is a pretty cool campaign. They have over 50 tons of recycled textures in the first 6 months and are expecting over 300 tons in the second half of their first year. The Department of Sanitation can't process the hundreds of requests for donation boxes quick enough! Click the image above to read the full story.

NY Times Green Blog

Thought this was pretty cool. They use MRI scans to help improve lithium batteries without destroying them. Check the article out for more details.

Ecopolis

http://vincent.callebaut.org/page1-img-lilypad2.html

Recap on EF Goals

So far I have replaced my incandescent light bulbs with CFL's and I have to admit they are wonderful! I have been washing my clothes in cold water and the thermostat has been set to around 60 degrees anytime I depart the house. The lights are always turned off when I leave as well and I have been apt at using the stairs anytime they are an available alternative to an elevator.


As a way to further my reduction of my footprint I have been carpooling to work when ever possible to lessen CO2 emissions produced by my car. A new thing I want to do is to try to only buy things that can be recycled thus reducing the amount of waste that I emit. This involves mostly grocery store items but also electronics and such.

Local Sustainability Action!

http://coal-free-bellingham.org/

Incandescent replacements: CFL's use only 13 watts!

These replace the 60W alternative and I have replaced the bulbs in my home.

Nice article that shows someone is thinking of our environment in the higher ups.

Obama's Rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline

5 ways I plan to enrich my life.

One-Time:

• - Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs in my apartment.
• - Install a low-flow shower head.

Recurring:

• - Turn lights off when leaving the house.
• - Take the stairs at school instead of the elevator.
• - Turn thermostat down to 60 when leaving the house.
• - Wash laundry in cold water.

These were chosen in hope to reduce my energy/water consumption which will lower my services and residence sections from my footprint. I also plan to drive less and combine trips when possible to lessen my fossil fuel use.

My Current Eco Footprint as of Jan '12

To my surprise I have a shockingly high 4.8 planets used per my consumption. The largest section is Services which is mostly due to the fact that I live in the USA and automatically have more services than other countries. The second largest is Mobility which is caused by my 40+ mile drive to and from work 5 days a week. I also drive to school each day which does not help. The third largest is my food consumption which is due to the fact that when I eat I tend to eat out of a box and do not eat very much locally grown food either.