It’s time for us all to wake up and recognise what our actions are doing to our environment, our only home.

Time to recognise that everything is connected and we need to care about our impacts in order to care about ourselves, our families and our communities. Our future.

I am currently reading You Are Here – Exposing the Vital Link Between What We Do and What That Does to Our Planet by Thomas M. Kostigen. I am only half way through and already I am more awake to the links and connections of my actions on other parts of the world, on the lives of other human beings, eco systems and species. And not just the impact that my waste has on the people who handle once it leaves my home and office (the drivers and hand sorters) and truck it to Kate Valley landfill and what the impacts are on the land but my actions on the humans and other species overseas (China, the Amazon for example).

Here is a quote that resonated:

“Of course we should care about other people. Too often we don’t connect our morality with the practicality of everyday things in our lives.”

If we put a face to our actions we would change our behaviour. But, all too often the environmental and social impacts of our actions are not in our face, not even in our backyards – we just don’t see it. Most don’t even know where their waste goes (mostly up the road to Kate Valley Landfill or ‘recyclables’ off shore to other countries to ‘deal with’). And you don’t see the carbon emissions coming out of your tailpipe either.

We as individuals emit carbon emissions through our activities: electricity, eating, drinking, transportation, and what we consume for example. But, a lot of the products that we purchase are not made in New Zealand. Most come from China where there is a coal fired power plant being installed every 4 days and a town called Linfen that is constantly covered in brown, toxic smog that the residents breath in from those coal fired power plants (that also amongst other things emit carbon). Those coal fired power plants produce energy to make the products that are exported to NZ for us to purchase and ultimately waste. Constant production. Constant waste. And where does the carbon and smog emitted from those power plants go?

So, what do we do.

1. Wake up.

2. Ask questions – where does my product come from? Who makes it? How does it get here? What other people, environments or species does the production of that product (and its whole lifecycle) impact on? Where does my waste go? What sustainable business practices doese that company genuinely have?

3. Make changes to our purchasing habits. Start buying more New Zealand made (but still make sure those products are low or positive impact). Support local producers. Support sustianbly product, organic and fair trade. Make your own products. Live more simply – live with less. Grow your own.

4. Research the connections of impacts and talk about it – get others to start making changes too. Educate and stay informed.

5. Help. Donate time or money to good causes that are trying to or are making a difference to key areas of the world  like the Amazon, your local environmental group or national organisation.

With China now exceeding the United States in carbon emissions the only way we can help them to reduce their emissions by 80% (which is what they need to do) is to start demanding sustainably produced products or we stop buying those products – talk to the importers, the retailers here in NZ and start demanding. And start demanding NZ options (and NZ producer responsibility programmes) too – and that will help the NZ economy as well.

It is no longer enough to expect others to make the changes first – it needs to come from us all starting today.

As read in Blessed Unrest social and environmental justice is linked. Your actions have an impact on other people’s lives and the environment and it is taking its toll. It is time to start changing our habits for a healthier future for all on this Earth.

Now. Today. Because it may already be too late for many. We may, instead,  need to start thinking about how to live completely differently for tomorrow.

SIFT Vision Poster on the wall at our After 5 Drinks and Nibbles event on Tuesday

Welcome to the end of another working week. We met some potential new projects, had a bit of an After 5 drinks and nibbles event for few key people at our offices, met with current projects to get updates and generally continued to do what we do.

On the way we also found some interesting tid bits that you might be interested in perusing. Here are this week’s Friday Favourites:

• A great article here from Nick Potter on his affair with the word “sustainability” – what will be the new words? You can see more of what Nick Potter does on his website Re-Be.
• A dining room made from recycled plastic bottles that floats – a unique eating experience here.
• Another great link from the team at Re-Nest who found an article in a recent Martha Stewart Living magazine about using real peanuts for packing (definitely better than styrofoam “peanuts”).
• The latest Environmental Indicators Quarterly from the Ministry for the Environment here (pdf).
• A great little tutorial on how to make reusable sandwich bags – (no velcro, glue, and only minimal sewing) – great idea here.
• A move in the US to replace ornamental gardens with food producing gardens here.
• More disrespect for and damage to the environment – will the fine work? More here.
• The kitchen of the future – bringing the vege garden inside – more here.
• The fridge that grows food not just stores it here.

Have a great waste free weekend.

Congratulations to this week’s Green Collar Job Q&A person Rhys Taylor for being short listed (as national Coordinator of the Sustainable Living Education Trust), with two others, in the Environment category for the 2010 Intrepid Travel National Volunteer Awards. You can read more here – results to be announced on the 8th of June. These awards are also back by Good Magazine. Good luck Rhys.

Brenda Harkin is the National Communications Manager and the Manager of the Central & Southern Regions for the Sustainable Business Network, of which SIFT is a member. The Sustainable Business Network pomotes sustainable business practices, helps businesses to become more sustainable  and provides a forum for people to talk about sustainble business practices, tools and ideas. You can find out more about what they do here and become a member here. The Sustainable Business Network is a valuable organisation for a sustainable future for New Zealand. Here are Brenda’s answers to our Green Collar Job questions:

1.    What do you do to live more sustainably (with a low impact) in your life?
I endeavour to incorporate sustainable living choices in all areas of my life; from choosing eco-friendly cleaning products, to growing organic vegetables with my homemade compost.  During recent home renovations, I researched sustainable options with regards to hot water heating, showerheads, and insulation and so on.  We have two children so we spend time educating them around sustainability and helping them to understand the potential positive and negative impacts our choices have on our environment.

2.    How do you live more sustainably at work?
The whole purpose of the Sustainable Business Network, the organisation I’m employed by, is to help businesses to succeed through sustainability.  Inherently, everything I do links back to this purpose.  On a more personal level, SBN staff endeavour to ‘walk the talk’ at every turn and this manifests itself in managing work/life balance, office purchasing decisions, advancing sustainable action, and so on.

3.    What do you think is the biggest environmental issue we need to deal with in Christchurch/New Zealand?
The biggest challenge we face around sustainability is apathy.  Inaction and disinterest are the environment’s largest threat.

4.    What makes you smile?
The funny things my children say in complete innocence and at top volume, for example: ‘Mum, why does that woman’s hair look like a lion’s mane?’…oh dear!

5.    What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who complain about the world or their lives, but fail to take a stand and instigate the action necessary to facilitate change.  Paraphrasing Mahatma Gandhi, ‘If you want to see the change, you have to be the change.’

6.    What is your favourite colour and why?
Actually, its green…and surprisingly, it doesn’t relate to any green affiliations; I just like the colour!
7.    Do you have a favourite place in the world? Describe why?
In New Zealand, it would have to be Matapouri Beach in Northland; one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting.  My partner’s family is from Whangarei so we usually spend Christmas holidays there.  If I’m thinking further afield, then I would have to say that I love returning to my hometown of Dublin, Ireland.  There’s just something special about the view of Dublin Bay as you descend into the airport that makes me feel like I’ve come home.  And as the youngest of seven siblings, it’s marvellous to spend time with my extended family as well.

8.    What’s your connection to Sift?
One aspect of my role with the Sustainable Business Network is Southern Regional Manager.  Sift is one of SBN’s members based in the Southern Region.

9.    Do you remember your favourite teacher and why they were your favourite?
My favourite teacher was when I was about eight years old – her name was Miss Bergin.  She wasn’t long out of teaching college from memory and she was just so LOVELY; she still had a wonderful enthusiasm which some teachers unfortunately lose over time.  Added to this was the fact that since I attended a Catholic Girls School, a reasonable portion of my teachers were strict nuns!

10.    What do you want to leave behind?
A life well-lived with no regrets.

11.    What do you think the future will bring?
I’m an optimist by nature so I have complete faith that the human race will make the necessary changes to ensure that the world will amend its flawed ways.  There is a huge groundswell evident at present and it’s only a matter of time before we reach critical mass.  Then, the people who care about sustainability will outnumber those who don’t and positive change is inevitable.

12.    Who is someone you really admire and why?
I really admire anyone who is willing to take a stand against wrongful activities, whether that’s where environmental issues or human rights are being concerned.  As a pacifist, I don’t support violent protest, but believe that the way to instigate change is to engage in meaningful dialogue with the affected parties and present reasoned arguments in an undeniably convincing manner.

13.    What is happening outside your window right now?
The sun is shining and, since its school holidays, there are lots of children around town laughing and having fun.  Oh to be young and free again…

14.    What is your favourite breakfast?
Despite being Irish and hating the taste of it upon my initial arrival in NZ, I’m proud to say that I’m now a ‘two slices of toast with marmite’ aficionado.  Now that’s what I call black gold…

15.    What is the best piece of advice you can give us?
Take a stand, embrace sustainability at home, at work and in your community, leave apathy behind…the rewards you’ll reap (environmental, social and economic) will far outweigh the efforts expended along the way.

Thanks Brenda for your wonderful, meaningful and thought provoking answers. We look forward to continuing our relationship with you into the future.

Autumnal Colours of Lewis Pass, Canterbury

A “co-mingled” blend of the interesting links from around the world that we have come across in the past week:

• A very good use of plastic bags – helping those without a roof in Haiti with plastic bag tarps.
• Artist Helga Steppan audits all her belongings and then groups them by colour in “See Through” on Junkculture. A really interesting way to look at your stuff. You can see more of her colourful work here.
• A very practical and useful article from Re-Nest on how to buy only what you love – conscious consumption tips and tricks.
• A quick history lesson on plastic here with some sobering stats.

Photo from here.

Picture window from spmaxi on Flickr

5% or 11,579 tonnes of waste that went to Kate Valley landfill the year to June 2009 was a metal. Types of metals that end up in landfill are broken up into two types 1) Ferrous (steel based metal products) and 2) Non-Ferrous (Aluminium, Copper and Lead based products). For the Christchurch figures we work from the amount of metal that was sent to Kate Valley landfill in the year to June 2009 increased 52% and nationwide metal represents 4.5% (4% Ferrous and 0.5% non Ferrous).

Interestingly, the Scrap Metal Association stated that for 2006 between 495,000 and 550,000 tonnes of scrap metal was diverted from landfill in New Zealand.

Types of waste table and Scrap Metal Industry figure sourced from MfE here.

**Source – Christchurch City Council, based on % breakdowns of waste sent to landfill as sourced from the Christchurch City Council’s 2008 solid waste survey conducted between July and December 2008. The figures are indicative only.

Every couple of years for the past decade or so the Scape Biennial of Art in Public Space opens in Christchurch for a number of weeks showcasing “contempory art in public space” by a large and diverse group of artists from around the world. In the past they have showcased art works that have highlighted waste and/or sustainability issues and as we have showcased international waste artists before we thought it would be nice to see what has been showcased in New Zealand.

In 2006 Happy Happy by Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa was positioned under the trees in the serene and picturesque Christchurch Botanical Gardens (lovely spot). It was an interactive piece that asked the public to bring in objects made of plastic in bright colours and attach them to a wire cage. The art was about recognising the number and types of synthetic elements in our lives, our plastic consumption and the “rapidly changing aspects of industrialised and consumer economies”. You can read more about the artwork here.

Happy Happy (2006) Choi Jeong-Hwa

Happy Happy (2006) Choi Jeong-Hwa

In 2008 Tea Mäkipää produced an artwork called Petrol Engine Memorial Park that “honours” the oil and petrol industries and the impact that they have had on the environment and human beings.  You can read more here. This artwork was in the Christchurch Art Centre and included an old car covered in vines as well as memorial plaques placed to highlight our species ability to be destructive both to ourselves, our environment and others. Not strictly a waste related artwork it still had  strong environmental, sustainable living and human survival messaging.

Tea Mäkipää, PETROL ENGINE MEMORIAL PARK: For Mouring the Oil Era and its Victims

Tea Mäkipää, PETROL ENGINE MEMORIAL PARK: For Mouring the Oil Era and its Victims

Tea Mäkipää, PETROL ENGINE MEMORIAL PARK: For Mouring the Oil Era and its Victims

Tea Mäkipää, PETROL ENGINE MEMORIAL PARK: For Mouring the Oil Era and its Victims

Tea Mäkipää, PETROL ENGINE MEMORIAL PARK: For Mouring the Oil Era and its Victims – images by Brendan Lee and copyright Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu

Not just any movie of course. The best way to learn, recognise and to become aware is expand your knowledge of what has been done, what is being done so you can make changes in your own world – whether at home or in your work.

Invest some time in these great films (some we are inspired to see) and it will help to build a more sustainable world:

• Garbage Warrior – eco-architect Michael Reynolds and his fight to build sustainable homes (also called Earthships).
• We Feed The World – Austrian filmmaker Erwin Wagenhofer looks into where his food comes from and where it goes. In Christchurch 23% of the waste that goes to landfill is “kitchen” waste or food. This is food from households and businesses (especially stock that is beyond it’s sell by and use by dates). This film looks into the flow of food in a world where there is enough but it is being wasted.
• Story of Stuff - can’t go beyond this for a great tutorial on how our “stuff” is produced and wasted. You will also find the recently launched The Story of Bottled Water here too – to help reduce plastic bottle usage don’t buy bottled water.
• Continuing with the Bottled Water theme is this movie Tapped – makes you think.
• No Impact Man – this one we are hanging out to see. A Manhattan man (Colin Beavan) and his family spend a year living with No Impact. A great look at the positive and lasting changes we can make to live more sustainably. If a New Yorker can do it we (in Christchurch, Canterbury) certainly can.
• Trashed – A look at America’s waste problem and Food Inc – a look at America’s food production industries – issues in both movies that we can learn from here in New Zealand.

Watch alone or with many either way watch and become more aware.

If you know of any other waste or sustainable living movies that are worth watching we would love to know.

*Image: Source: Flickr When I was a Bird’s photostream

As well as being able to donate to SIFT directly here you can now do so on the lovely New Zealand donations site Givealittle.  If you haven’t already come across Givealittle it is a great online tool for any fundraising you might have to do or if you feel like donating to a worthy organisation then you can find them at Givealittle. All the donations transactions are handled by Givealittle – super simple.

As their website says there are currently 593 Givealittle causes, 50 events and 405 listed organisations “doing good” on the website. It’s easy to use and a great way to do something more for your community, environment, nation or even family member or friend who might be fundraising.

You can find the Sustainable Initiatives Fund Givealittle profile here and we are grateful for any donations that come our way.

So SIFT was in need of a vacuum cleaner. Something small and not too pricey to keep the floors clean. After of a bit of research I found the Electrolux Ultra Silencer Green vacuum cleaner made of 55% recycled material. Now that would be a SIFT worthy vacuum cleaner – nice to dream. After doing the rounds at the local stores I found one and on special – so pleased, couldn’t believe that I wouldn’t have to settle for a lesser more environmentally impactful option!

Electrolux Ultra Silencer Green Vacuum

Not only is it made of 55% recyled materials but it is 90% recyclable and comes with minimal packaging – nearly all of which can be recycled. It is also energy efficient, small and quiet, which is great for an office.

We are not big consumers here at SIFT so when we do consume it is so great to be able to purchase a product that meets both your needs and the needs of the environment – as well as complementing your brand.  And it does a great vacuum too! It should last us many years.

It is also great to see corporations that provide every day items adding a product that does have less impact on the environment and they are actually looking into its lifecycle. Maybe all of Electrolux’s vacuum cleaners could be like this.

The only downside is it does have bags. But, apparently the new design S-bag (we were given a long lasting synthetic version) will last 50% longer than a paper bag. But, it will need to go to landfill whereas a paper bag you could put in the compost (as long as you removed any non compostable items from the bag). With our low usage it is unlikely that we will be sending lots of bags to landfill.

Has anyone else come across an everyday item that is made from recycled materials?