Group Summary

housewithoutplanet

In our research we found that the coverage of on the environment in society is more ubiquitous among social media than the more traditional media outlets. When we researched “solar AND wind” among four major newspapers in the past 3 months, only 9 stories came up in the results. Whereas we also found that people were actively commenting on Wal-Mart’s Facebook page concerning their sustainability initiative. Books and academic journals generally had good information, but sometimes it was difficult to find stories that were up-to-date.

What does this mass media trend say about our society and the environment?

We would like to suggest that this denotes a marked difference between how mass media channels and individuals view the environment. The trend within social media indicates that individuals see that the environment is important, and that the way we utilize our natural ecosystems has a direct effect on society. On the contrary, mass media outlets seem to brush over certain environmental debates. This is despite the fact that, as we have shown, the way in which we understand and care for the environment is very pertinent to the more covered healthcare, energy, global warming, affordable housing, and food discussions.

Whether or not this phenomenon is actual in practice or purposeful on the part of traditional mass media outlets remains to be seen. However, our observations do have an interesting application to the ideas we have been discussing in class. First, the comparative increase of environmentalism among social media outlets over traditional media channels supports the active user theory. If users are creating media of a different variety than the traditional media, clearly, they are filtering out certain elements and engaging media critically.

Also inherent when discussing mass media and the environment are the issues of political controversy and the media’s “watch dog” role. By cutting corners on certain environmental issues the media has certainly ceased to function as a watch dog. When our blog focused on food, it was clear to see that there are problems with our system, but very few media outlets focus on this. This failure is closely tied with political controversy. A large degree of political change would have to occur in order for our society to become better in tune with the environment and reap more of its benefits. Presently, more traditional media outlets are obviously not ready to incite this change.

But why? Fear of advertising revenues? It could be that conglomerates, which own other companies that engage in environmentally irresponsible business practices, own certain mass media channels. Perhaps it could be explained by demographics. Newspapers might run fewer stories about the environment and more stories on health care, because there readers are generally elderly. Similarly, different television news channels may present skewed view of environmental issues that are more in line with their average users’ political idealology. That being said, more coverage is needed on how our society and the environment can mutually benefit, rather than hurt, one another.

Sustained Renewability?

wind-turbines-370-x-283

So what’s the word on the sustainability of renewable energy?

The New York Times ran an article earlier this year discussing some of the perks and costs associated with solar and wind.

  • While they are renewable, solar and wind alone do not produce enough energy alone because it is not always windy or sunny.
  • Instead of waiting on better solar and wind technology, in Florida they are trying to hybridize solar with coal to make up for this deficiency.

An article In the Washington Post reported on the perks of geothermal

  • For every kilowatt used to run the geothermal pump 5 kilowatts are yielded
  • Because of federal and stat tax credits, the system is not very expensive (~$10,000) and will pay for itself back in about 4 years.
  • Unfortunately, lots of drilling and piping leaves a footprint on the soil and the surrounding environment.

Despite the mostly positive long-term sustainability of renewable energy sources, their implementation have been and continue to be sacrificed for the short-term comforts of consumers and businesses alike. In an April 5th article, the Wall Street Journal reported on a current example of this in Los Angeles:

  • L.A. city council wants to increase dependence on renewables to 40% by 2020.
  • Energy utilities claim that they need to increase that rate charged per kW hour in order to compensate for the costlier nature of solar, wind, and geothermal.
  • The city and local businesses aren’t budging, saying that increased rates will turn away business and new “green” jobs.

The answers for renewable energy are obviously unclear. Maybe less government subsidies should be given to the consumer so that more money can be available to encourage the power companies to switch over. Whatever the case, clearly big newspaper outlets and other mass media have a role to play in the political controversy.

Always Low Prices..and Low Carbon Emissions?

wal-mart-green-labeling

Wal-Mart has taken heed from the new green sustainability kick and decided to push forth with their new sustainability initiative. Wal-Mart’s decision to go the sustainability route is not a new concept. Many companies such as Exxon Mobile have decided to move their companies towards the sustainability effort.

In their recent efforts to prove their strides towards sustainability, Wal-Mart has built three facilities that run completely on solar power in California. The program began in May 2007 and is expected to:

  • Generate up to 32 million kilowatt hours
  • Avoid producing more than 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emission per year
  • Provide 20 to 30 % of each facility’s total electric energy needs

Wal-Mart states that the implementation of these stores is furthering their goal of being supplied 100% by renewable energy sources. What is interesting about this new initiative of Wal-Mart is that those in the social media community, such as Facebook, have been commenting and expressing their opinions on Wal-Mart’s sustainability.

Many of the comments Wal-Mart has received through social media outlets are more concerned with Wal-Mart lowering their prices than with the actual topic of sustainability. Though critics believe that is just the nature of the Wal-Mart shopper who tends not to worry about such things as climate change and sustainability. However, it is apparent that by Wal-Mart reaching out to their customers through social media that they are not only trying to become more sustainable but a more transparent and open company to their customers.

FU Sustainability

furman-large

Sustainability has gained much fame in recent years and is the newest trend today. The media has a large part in pushing sustainability and encouraging individuals to be more sustainable. Furman is no exception. According to an article in the Journal of Environmental Education, Susan Strife says that despite media buzz surrounding environmental sustainability, there is a lack of education surrounding the issue. She thinks that incorporating a human element into sustainability is vital for the success of the movement. That is exactly what Furman is trying to do: educate and humanize the issue.

What is sustainability?

  • Meeting humanities present needs while enriching the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

What are Furman‘s sustainability goals?

  • Furman seeks to lead the way to a more sustainable future, and to better educate students about both living sustainable lives and becoming environmental leaders who will be able to contribute to a more sustainable world. On Furman’s campus, we are exploring the concept of sustainability not only in theory but also as a way of living and learning that can be practiced right now, an approach to stewardship that influences every decision.

How are students getting involved?

  • Environmental Action Group (EAG)
  • Furman Forward
  • Furman in the Garden
  • Sustainable Connections
  • Upstate Forever Furman Chapter
  • Environmental Community of Students
  • Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors can live in the greenbelt
  • Freshman can live in a green dorm room
  • Student Climate Action Revolving Fund
  • The Furman Farm

How is Furman being more sustainable?

  • Solar Installations produce energy and provide opportunities for teaching
  • Solar Panels at Cliffs Cottage provide energy use for the building
  • Solar Thermal systems at Cliffs Cottage and the PAC provide hot water
  • Replace the HVAC heating/cooling system in North Village with a more energy efficient geothermal pump.

How is Furman getting the word out?

  • Information is available on the website
  • Kil-A-Watt challenge is publicized with banners and flyers around campus
  • Educational courses available to students
  • Articles on FU net
  • In the media, such as Glass Guides, Clean Air-Cool Planet, and the Greenville News.

Green Eggs and Ham to Green Gas in Car

Would you fuel your car with this?
Would you fuel your car with this?

            In the 1960’s when the book Green Eggs and Ham was released, going green indicated the color of a child’s face when they were too sick to go to school. Yet when the story about taking something natural, like ham and eggs, and turning it green became popular, the world was never the same. Ever since Dr. Seuss’ green inspiration, the world can’t get enough green. The new form of green, currently in the process of being heavily researched, is the transformation of algae to oil. In 1996 the U.S. government stopped its algae-as-fuel research program because it thought it could never compete with petroleum oil. However, with a new eco-friendly mindset, people are realizing the potential in algae:

  • Is plentiful
  • Can be processed into oil and gas
  • Won’t compete with food supply
  • Help solve global warming by growing off of power plant’s carbon emissions and greenhouse gases

            With the recession causing a 10 percent drop in the oil industry, companies are struggling. One of these companies is ExxonMobil, who is currently hurting from the 66 percent drop in second-quarter earnings. ExxonMobil’s new strategy to help business: go green. It is all over the media, on highway billboards, internet advertisements, and television commercials. ExxonMobil is taking action in the research of algae into oil by investing $600 million towards research. And what do they ask of you? For your support by purchasing gas at ExxonMobil stations. The media can’t get enough of the return of the algae-as-fuel push, and stresses that even the worst things for the environment, transportation that doesn’t include a bicycle or Razor scooter, are not so bad after all. In fact, the media urges people to fill up their cars from companies that support the algae research. So much for spending $22,000 on a Toyota Prius. I’ll just drive my Hummer to the nearest ExxonMobil station, fill her up for $67.84, and give me a Save the Planet sticker.

Sustainability and its Economic Functions

What is sustainability or something that is sustainable?

While there are many definitions, the two seem most relevant are:

1. From New Zealand’s Ministry of Economic Development:

sustainability:

A movement towards redesigning the ways society’s needs and wants are met so that they can be accommodated within the long-term carrying capacity of the environment.

2.  From weblife.org

sustainable:

Able to be continued indefinitely without a significant negative impact on the environment or its inhabitants.

The concept of sustainability has become very popular over the last few years, especially since global warming and climate change have become such a hot-topic issue.  Not only has the media grasped onto the idea, the concept of sustainability and “going green” has become a capitalistic phenomenon.

In an article from The Harvard Business Review, Nidulu, Prahalad, and Rangaswami say in “Why Sustainability is Now the Key Driver of Innovation” that, “Sustainability isn’t the burden on bottom lines that many executives believe it to be.  In fact, becoming environment-friendly can lower your costs and increase your revenues.”

In a New York Times article titled “Debating Sustainability,” Alice Rawsthorn questions, “ How can the rest of us be expected to measure the sustainable impact of the things we buy? And how can we be confident about the way in which they were designed, manufactured, shipped, and will eventually be disposed of?”

She brings this up because in order to be sustainable, everyone must be sustainable.  It is a process that will only work if adhered to by all.

In something more close to home, The Greenville News article titled “New GSP airport terminal to be energy efficient” talks about how “ the building was designed to incorporate sustainability features, including large glass windows, which allow the building to be lit by daylight and improve productivity of employees.”

This article shows the growth of sustainability and the impact it has on us locally.

Eco Home Sweet Home

 

Eco Home

 Don’t think a house can help save the environment? Then you are sadly mistaken my friend. With the emergence of eco friendly homes, the world can see how the very materials and resources used to make a house not only effect the environment but can save it as well.

 One benefit of eco friendly homes is that they are equipped with adequate insulation to insure that the homes are in a stable and controlled temperature. This is for the mere fact that the houses built today do not have adequate insulation to handle nature’s climate cycles. This is detrimental to the environment because heating and cooling the home creates pollution from the additional electricity production of air conditioners.

 Eco Homes Solution

  • Loft insulation is an effective way to insulate because most heat is lost through the roof.
  • Cavity wall insulation is effective because a third of all heat is lost through the walls and this insulation reduces heat loss.
  • Photovoltaic Solar Panels and Solar Thermal Collectors that turn sunlight into electricity for the home.

 However, eco friendly homes can also be a good for your health. Many of the traditional homes built contain pesticides, dioxins, and toxic metals that can accumulate slowly in body tissue. Eco homes only use non-allergenic building materials and natural heating and cooling ventilation systems that keep the environment in the house healthy. So whether it’s your first home or your dream house for retirement, an eco friendly home should be at the top of your list.

Affordable Green Homes

So we are talking about building green homes. That is, constructing living spaces that use less energy, conserve more water, and foster a more desirable sense of place. Well, I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn’t want such a house. The problem is not everyone can get one because:plastic-bottle-igloo

  1. As Sarah alluded to, solar panels are expensive, but so are other “green” measures such as certain building materials and insulation.
  2. Much of the population can’t afford a home and not much is has been done considering green apartment buildings.
  3. Most green home rating systems only cater to richer homeowners. In fact, the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED for Homes certification system only targets the upper 25% of homes.

There are ways to make your home greener by replacing old fixtures and appliances with Energy Star ones. In fact an Energy Star rated compact fluorescent bulb can save upwards of $45 over the lifetime of the bulb. As for purchasing a green living space, it’s tough picken’s:

  1. The USGBC has begun to partner with The Home Depot to offer green affordable housing.
  2. Certain people have gone to more extreme measures, building houses out of bottles or other “trash”. But without knowledge of home building or the money to pay someone who does, these type of homes a rare to come by.

Trash house builder Mike Reynolds talks on affordability and government

By and large, if you’re not rich enough to buy a new home, you won’t have a very green one. But whose problem is this? Should the government step in? Affordability is one of the big issues in the green building sector. However, major mass media outlets rarely discuss whether the right to affordable green living should be given to all regardless of money.

Solar Power!

Solar panels are very instrumental in the process of building a green home.  Solarpanelinfo.com says, “Solar panels (arrays of photvoltaic cells) make use of renewable energy from the sun, and are a clean and environmentally sound means of collecting solar energy.”

According to howstuffworks.com, you must have a roof that has the correct orientation or angle of inclination to take full advantage of the sun’s energy, as well as the proper choice in battery.

hubpages.com tells of the pros and cons of solar paneling:

Pros:

  • solar panels do not release any pollutants into the air. The only pollution that is caused is when the panels are manufactured, the transportation of them, and the installation. Once they are installed they are not harmful to the environment.
  • Electricity that is produced through the use of solar panels is quiet unlike most machines that run on fossil and renewable fuels.
  • Solar energy has the ability to harness electricity in locations that are remote and are not connected to any national grid
  • the amount of money that you will save. When starting off you will have to invest a large sum of money. But once it is installed it will help to provide a free source of electricity that will pay itself off over the years.

Cons:

  • the amount of money you will need to start using it. The average price of highly efficient solar cells can be more than $1,000 and many houses and companies will need more than one
  • the weather will greatly affect the solar cells and the power that they can harness
  • The level of pollution in the area can affect the way that solar cells work. Businesses that want to use solar energy in highly polluted areas will have a harder time with this.

Energy Star in the Spotlight

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We’ve all seen the commercials trying to sell washers and dryers to us, but lately the commercials all have one thing in common: Energy Star.

What is Energy Star?

  • Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy
  • Goal is to help Americans save money and protect the environment through energy efficient practices and appliances
  • Americans helped save $17 million and reduce greenhouse emission of 30 million cars in 2009 with the help of Energy Star.
  • Energy Star produces appliances like washers, dryers, refrigerators to light fixtures, water heaters and much more.

Although the government may have created Energy Star, before researching this topic I had no idea it was associated with the government. So how is the word being put out there about this program? One word: Advertisements

Who is Advertising?

  • Sears
  • Lowes
  • Maytag
  • General Electric
  • Whirlpool

The advertisements are hitting the airways hard, mostly with commercials. The commercials advertise lower energy and water bills. The appliances are bigger and more efficient and usually tend to be directed towards families. These commercials are effective because in this economy, everyone is trying to save their pennies. Name brands are teeming up with Energy Star to offer their customers savings. Energy Star is also making headlines in the newspapers. Energy Star appliances are recommended in helping make homes more green by the Oregonian and The Washington Post. The New York Times explains why it pays to be green.

Why should You buy Energy Star Appliances?

  • Save money on energy and water bills, not to mention a tax rebate
  • Help reduce your carbon footprint and reduce greenhouse emissions
  • Better suited for your lifestyle (bigger size, etc.)
  • Stylish stainless steal appliances with the Energy Star logo may help increase home value

So take a closer look at those advertisements next time. Are the advertisements going green to just make more green or do they stand behind the ideas? It’s a win-win either way.

Lowe’s Energy Star Commercial