The Natural Step Condition 4 - Applied to My Life

CONDITION 4: Resources must be used fairly and effectively in order to meet basic human needs globally.

The fourth principal of TNS is to promote equality and social justice in human societies, allowing every individual the opportunity to meet his or her basic needs. This encompasses the protection and preservation of resources - such as clean water, unpolluted air, and healthy soil - across the planet, as well as the protection and preservation of human rights.

I believe strongly in this goal, but I fear it will be the hardest to achieve. Since the dawn of civilization, there has been war, conflict, oppression, and inequality among humans. Much of our current economy is built on the hard labor and exploitation of disenfranchised individuals - especially in developing countries. Our current economy needs people who are desperate enough to take on the "dirty" jobs that the privileged classes shun - jobs like working in industrial slaughter houses.

However hard the challenge, I also believe it's possible for this to change. I can help create this change by not supporting businesses or buying products that rely on the exploitation of the world's poor and disenfranchised. I can choose to patronize businesses with a record of treating their employees well and working with suppliers who similarly value fair trade, human rights, and worker safety. In addition, I can make commitments to volunteer and serve in my community.

COMMITMENTS: Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. I already attended the volunteer orientation session, and I will aim to work one day per month building affordable housing. Volunteer to teach English for the Minnesota Literacy Council. I signed up for volunteer training that begins in July. Get involved with the "Farm Raising" event in Northeast Minneapolis, helping to plant a 50' x 50' farm at St. Olaf Community Campus. Help my friends and neighbors with projects focused on growing organic food for urban populations. For example, this week I am going to a friend's house to install vegetable gardens on the rooftop of his garage. Next week, I will help out on an organic farm that grows produce to give away to food shelters. Advise a non-profit, End of the Spectrum, on fundraising. End of the Spectrum's mission is to create sustainable, productive living environments for children and adults with autism. Partner with a fellow unemployed Minnesotan, offering him help with cover letters so he has a better chance of finding a job. Support companies that are committed to the well-being of their employees, such as New Balance. Seventh Generation, SmartWool, and other companies listed as "best places to work." Instead of buying Christmas gifts for my friends, agree to pool money to donate Heifer International. I did this last year with my friends; I will try to make it a tradition. Become a member of the Land Stewardship Project, which teaches people how to become farmers and promotes policies advancing sustainable agriculture.

The Natural Step Condition 3 - Applied to My Life

CONDITION 3: To not systematically impoverish by physical displacement, over harvesting, or other forms of ecosystem manipulation.

The third principal of TNS is to stop destroying habitats and ecosystems. This principal is near and dear to my heart, because I love animals and care deeply about preserving natural habitats and biodiversity. Recently, I installed two rain gardens in my backyard. The rain gardens will divert rainwater into my vegetable garden, reducing the amount of water I have to use from the city supply.

COMMITMENTS: Buy only shade-grown, fair-trade organic coffee. Eat vegan meals more frequently. Give up red meat Install native plants in my boulevard. Pick up liter near Minnehaha Falls and the Mississippi River. Donate money to Operation Migration, which is helping to reintroducing a second population of endangered Whooping Cranes in the range from where they were exterpated. Talk to people with outdoor cats about cats' severe impact on birds. Scientists estimate that cats kill millions of birds each year. This includes common species such as Cardinal, Blue Jay, and House Wren, as well as rare and endangered species such as Piping Plover, Florida Scrub-Jay, and California Least Tern. Volunteer for the Animal Rights Coalition at the Pride Festival on June 27. Buy organic produce as much as possible Learn more about permaculture; take a workshop from PRI Cold Climate.

The Natural Step Condition 2 - Applied to My Life

The second principal of TNS is to cut down on the man-made substances we produce. The goal is to not produce more synthetic materials than the earth or ecosytems can process without harm. To reduce the growth of man-made substances, businesses and manufacturers need to increase their reliance on natural, renewable, non-toxic materials. Also, "waste" needs to be reduced or eliminated. This means making or purchasing products that are safe for humans and animals and that are biodegradable, reusable, or recyclable.

COMMITMENTS: Do not buy any more cleaning supplies; make my own with natural ingredients, such as baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice. Buy compostable cat litter, such as Yesterdays News, instead of clay or crystal litter Wear make-up less frequently Recycle electronics that no longer work Promote a culture of "reuse" (or valuing what I have) instead of a culture of consumption Shop at thrift stores, finding new uses for "discarded" items Donate unwanted or unused items to ARC or Goodwill

The Natural Step Condition 1 - Applied to My Life

CONDITION 1: Substances from the Earths crust must not systematically increase in the biosphere. The first principal of TNS is to cut down on what we take from the earth's crust -- oil, metals, and minerals. It's important not to systematically accumulate substances from the earth's crust above ground, because ecosystems cannot handle large concentrations of these substances without deleterious effects. To avoid excess removal of resources from the earth's crust means reducing mining and the burning of fossil fuels.

Every day I use items that depend on substances taken from the earth's crust. My car is made from mined metal and runs on gasoline. My household appliances are made from metal and use electricity, which is generated by burning fossil fuels. My food was grown and transported using oil-powered machines and oil-based products (plastic bags, plastic packaging). Pretty much everything I touch required the mining of oil, metals or minerals from the earth's crust. What actions can I take in my life to help reduce the amount of substances taken from the earth's crust?

First, I can cut down on my energy/electricity usage. Second, I can cut down on the amount of gas I use for transportation. Finally, I can get involved in the community to spread the word about peak oil and facilitate transition to a less energy-intensive society.

COMMITMENTS: Use less electricity: unplug appliances when not in use; turn off computer when not in use; replace incandescent light bulbs with more energy-efficient bulbs; take maximum advantage of daylight to do work or read in naturally-lit areas, instead of working at night with lamp-light; put up a clothes-line in my backyard. Bike more, and drive less. Bring reusable bags to the grocery store, cutting down on use of plastic bags Buy less packaged or processed foods; stick to produce, grains, and legumes, and purchase in bulk whenever possible Become more active in the Transition Towns movement, learning how to faciliate a graceful energy descent. Attend the Transition Towns training this fall. ( http://www.transitiontc.org/about) Talk to my friends and neighbors about peak oil, and point them to resources where they can learn more, such as chrismartenson.com. CONDITION 2: Substances produced by society must not systematically increase in the biosphere.

Elevator Speech - Sobering Version

As my readers know, I lost my job this past winter, and so I've been doing some soul-searching about what I should do next. I haven't figured it all out, but I know that I want the next chapter of my life to involve promoting sustainable ways of living.

I've been spending my time-off learning about a variety of environmental issues to see where I might fit, and it has really reinforced for me the importance -- and inevitability -- of radically changing the way we live.

Most people know about climate change, but what's scarier to me is the coming energy crisis we're facing as oil runs out. Some scientists think we've reached "peak oil" -- meaning from now on, we'll be producing less and less oil, of decreasing quality, for higher and higher cost (just think of the cost of off-shore drilling compared to land-drillling). The scary thing is, there isn't anything that can really replace oil. Yes, there are alternative energy sources -- but none are nearly as efficient as oil in terms of energy output.

When we first discovered oil, we could get 100 units of energy for every one unit we spent producing it. Alternative fuels can't get anywhere close to that. In other words, even if all of these new technologies -- wind power, solar power, biofuels, etc. -- were put to maximum use tomorrow, and all the infrastructure was there, we still couldn't generate as much energy as we do with oil. The fact is, we are going to have less energy available to use in the future.

On top of that, we will be facing more unpredictable climates and dwindling natural resources -- since we are steadily consuming more of everything (trees, clean water, minerals) than can be regenerated. The best thing we can do is become proactive and start transitioning to a less energy and resource-intensive way of life now -- before we no longer have a choice.

The Business Case for Sustainability

Recently I've been studying frameworks for assessing and advancing sustainable practices in business. It can actually be advantageous for businesses to "green" their operations. First, it increases their resilience in the face of dwindling natural resources and increasing concerns about climate change. Second, it can spark the development of new, forward-thinking, marketable "solutions" that address key challenges of the 21st century. In other words, advancing sustainability offers opportunities for businesses to do good for our planet AND emerge as leaders in changing markets.

We're really living in an exciting, historic time. More and more people are realizing that protecting the environment and really valuing natural resources is not only a nice idea -- it is necessary for ensuring continued quality of life for us and for future generations.

Currently, we are consuming resources faster than they can regenerate, and we are producing more waste and pollution than Nature can effectively process. In the next 20 years, there will have to be dramatic changes in our economy and society as oil production gets more difficult and costly and the signs of global warming intensify. However, I believe the changes will be positive. We'll develop more respect for the intelligence in nature and be empowered to live in harmony with the planet. I also think we'll come to value local resources more and -- as a result of initiatives like the slow food movement -- build stronger communities.

Sustainability is about transitioning to ways of living that promote the health of the planet and people. We have the opportunity now to re-shape society -- developing smarter ways to live and meet our needs, while also protecting the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

The Natural Step

The Natural Step is a broad conceptual framework - widely endorsed by environmentals and business leaders - that offers four key principals or conditions to guide people towards sustainable living. These four conditions were developed by Dr. Karl Henrik Robert as a way to define sustainability and measure our progress towards it.

The four conditions, paraphrased, are:

1) Do not systematically increase what we take from the earth's crust (metals, oil, minerals)

2) Do not systematically increase the concentrations of made-made substances on the earth

3) Do not systematically injure natural habitats, ecosystems, or biodiversity

4) Share resources equitably so all humans can meet their basic needs.

The Natural Step conditions provide simple, yet ambitious goals around sustainability that people from diverse fields, with diverse backgrounds, can agree upon and understand. The Natural Step offers the 10,000 foot, "big picture" view to inform our priorities and actions. It is up to us as individuals to figure out how to apply these conditions to our lives.

Illegal Logging and Contraband Wood

I recently read "Down in the Woods" from the March 23, 2006 edition of The Economist, which is about new strategies for curbing illegal logging in Indonesia.

The article mentions a new system for barcoding timber that was legally and sustainably harvested, making it possible to track facts such as the forest the log was taken from, the date it was cut, the size of the tree, and the log's destination. This system is part of an effort to make it easier to distinguish between legally harvested wood and illegally harvested wood, allowing sustainable logging companies to gain market share advantage and charge higher prices. In other words, the idea is to provide financial incentives for sustainable harvesting practices.

The article explains that in Indonesia, illegal harvesting -- which means over-harvesting -- is a big problem. People who don't make a lot of money can get big bucks from selling wood, and it's relatively easy to bribe officials (who are also low-paid) to overlook illegal logging or create fake permits. Many illegal harvesters don't care about the impact of unsustainable logging, because there is a significant amount of money in it for them.

This article brought up several issues that demonstrate how the deforestation in Indonesia is really an international problem and requires international action. Contributing to deforestation, and essential to its reversal are:

1) international organizations (i.e. the United Nations, WTO)
2) governments in consumer nations (i.e. the US, EU countries)
3) financiers and banks
4) consumers/businesses in the US and other developed nations
5) the Indonesian government
6) individuals/businesses in Indonesia

In other words, it's not just the illegal logging companies that are to blame. All of these above-mentioned players contribute to the problem of over-harvesting, illegal logging, and deforestation.

One example: The role of the WTO in deforestation. I was shocked to learn that countries can't require all wood entering their homeland to be certified as legally harvested, because this would go against the rules of the World Trade Organization. I found publications online that are calling for the reform of WTO rules, such that restrictions can be applied to illegal trade practices. I was surprised such restrictions are not currently allowed!

Some good news, though: Since the article was written, the US has taken measures to curb trade of illegally-harvested wood by adding regulations about domestic trade. According to an article in the Examiner, "In 2008, the U.S. government amended the Lacey Act to prohibit trade within the United States of products made from illegally harvested wood. With this amendment, the United States became the first country to ban imports of illegal wood and related products." I wonder how this sits with the WTO regulations.

UPDATES -- AND SOME GOOD NEWS
Although the article predicted lowland forests in Borneo would be gone by 2010, as far as I could tell researching it there is still hope they'll be saved. According to mongabay.com, there are still about 10,000 hectares of lowland forests, and Indonesia is taking steps to rehabilitate its forests to help meet its target of decreased greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. This summer, Indonesia promised a moratorium on deforestation.

Apparently, the illegal logging practices in Indonesia have proved unsustainable -- and the effects caught up with the loggers. CIFOR reports: " Indonesia's forestry sector is in deepening crisis. Once among the world's leaders in round wood and plywood production, today the country's logging and woodworking sectors are in steep decline. During the last three years, the export of plywood decreased by nearly 75% while the export of sawn timber products fell by nearly 50%. Production and export reductions of such magnitude have had significant economic and social impacts in terms of shrinking foreign earnings and employment loss." The same article states that China and Indonesia have established a working group on stopping illegal logging. An agreement with the EU regarding timber trade is also in the works.

But what about US business? Mongabay.com reported in 2006 that many Americans were unwittingly buying illegally, unsustainably-harvested wood from Indonesia at places like Home Depot and Lowe's. This month, Yale University reported that activists are now turning their attention on corporations -- trying to get them to stop buying and selling illegally harvested wood: "Corporations have today replaced small-scale farmers as the prime drivers of deforestation, a shift that has critical implications for conservation." The article goes on to say: "Deforestation, overfishing, and other forms of environmental degradation are now primarily the result of corporations feeding demand from international consumers."

But apparently, corporations are learning they had better change their ways; Greenpeace has raised awareness of their choices, and the pressure is on to stop supporting unsustainable logging and deforestation. Yale quotes a researcher at an Australian university saying: " Many corporations are learning that it's bad business to engage in environmentally poor practices."

It's on us now to help continue to raise awareness and urge businesses to make sustainable choices. We have been part of the problem, but we can also be part of the solution.

Paper vs. Pixels

In the book "Packaging Sustainability: Tools, Systems and Strategies for Innovative Package Design," there is a section called "Paper vs. Plastic -- Neither!" It compares the eco-impact of paper to plastic. It got me to thinking: how does the eco-impact of paper compare to the eco-impact of pixels (or, what's the relative eco-impact of reading things in print to reading things online)?

With new gadgets like the kindle and nook, I find myself wondering if this is really an improvement to old-fashioned paper books. Especially after learning about systems thinking in my MCAD class, I am concerned about all the mined, dwindling resources and potentially toxic substances that go into making kindles and nooks. Also, I wonder about all the electricity needed to have books available for download and store them in memory on a server somewhere.

I also have been thinking about online classes. Is it better to read pdfs online, or to print them out and read them with the computer off?

Is this switch to digital, electronic, paper-less information sharing really less harmful than the old-fashioned, printed hard-copy medium?

The Not-So-Big Garden

My garden is beautiful, and I tend to each plant with care. But my garden is small, and it will only produce enough to supplement my diet (that is, one person's diet).

I've been thinking about how much space is needed to grow food to feed a household. One book, The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan, claims you can feed yourself on 1/4 acre. Of course, you have to be really smart about it and make excellent use of the space... and this all requires money (or physical labor, the right equipment, and handy skills) -- not to mention the right land, with the right sun, soil, and irrigation.

Not everyone can have a cute little hobby farm with a great set-up (greenhouse, chicken coop, productive garden, etc.) to grow their own food. Nor does everyone have the skill and physical capacity to take care of a subsistence farm.

So obviously, larger farms are necessary. But the larger the farm, the greater the work, and the less personal attention each plant can receive.

I suspect farmers have a totally different relationship with their crops than city folks do with their gardens. For example, I doubt farmers feel the same emotional attachment to each budding bell pepper that I feel to mine. And I doubt farmers would feel as sad as I did about finding a little green pepper on the ground before it had a chance to ripen.

I'm curious to explore this dynamic more in depth. I wonder: how do people's attitudes towards nature and land change as the amount of space they have and the amount of food they grow increases?

Corny Issues in Organic Farming

When I was visiting Fergus Falls last week, I had the opportunity to take a trip to Bluebird Gardens -- a 175-acre vegetable farm operated by Mark Boen. Bluebird Gardens is well known in the Fergus Falls area as a great example of sustainable farming.

I learned several interesting things from the tour. First, pigs do a great job churning compost so people don't have to do it by hand; Mark keeps them for that purpose. Second, there are a lot of regulations and red-tape that make CSAs difficult and expensive to operate. Third, many people want to buy organic produce in theory, but in practice they often pass over organic produce because it's not in perfect condition.

Actually, I already was aware of this problem with organic produce: sounds great in theory, looks not-so-great in the grocery store. But at Bluebird Gardens, we talked about it more in depth. You see, Mark wants to grow corn organically. However, when he grows corn organically, many ears end up with worms on the inside -- as many as 50%. When he tries to sell the organic corn to consumers, they freak out when they see the worms. It's a Catch-22.

What is a farmer to do? Grow corn organically, which is best for the environment but frequently "repulses" consumers due to the realities of produce grown in harmony with nature and bugs? Or use pesticides, and have nicer-looking produce to sell to a greater number of people?

Sustainable Activism?

Recently, I volunteered at the Animal Rights Coalition booth at the Pride Festival in Loring Park. It was both a great experience -- gay pride! animal rights! -- and a disappointing experience, due to the amount of paper waste I noticed.

I was amazed when I was at the Pride Festival at all the stickers, bracelets, necklaces, papers, temporary tattoos, brochures, magazines, and other advertising trinkets that were being given away. And I was surprised that I got caught up in it. I was told to hand out very liberally brochures and information packets. I was supposed to get as many people as possible to take the literature, even if they didn't know what it was or were likely to throw it away. At first I thought, "what a waste of paper!" But I was a volunteer, and so I did as I was told. Maybe it's what activists have found to be effective.

And the Pride Festival was full of activists. All of them, giving away stickers, marketing trinkets, magnets, book-marks, brochures, etc. Is this really the way change in society is made? By giving stuff away that is likely to be tossed within 24 hours?

I believe in many of the causes represented at the Pride Festival. I believe in animal rights and the Animal Rights Coalition. But I was disturbed that by "doing good" promoting humane treatment of animals and vegan/vegetarian diets, I also was contributing to deforestation, pollution, habitat destruction, and waste.

It seems to me that there needs to be more "integration" between all of these causes. The Animal Rights Coalition believes in helping animals... but using lots of paper indirectly hurts animals because it destroys habitat (forests) and increases pollution.

When will "green" activists, human rights activists, animal rights activists, and other political activists get on the same page in terms of sustainable methods of social change? What would "sustainable activism" look like?

I know there are benefits to handing out info packets, rainbow bracelets, rainbow stickers, and other "pride" paraphernalia. But does there always have to be a trade-off between promoting a good cause and promoting sustainability?

Deodorant | Update

Here's an update on my homemade deodorant -- it works really well! I actually prefer it to commercial deodorants. The only disadvantage is that it's not easy to transport, because to keep it solid it needs to be stored in the freezer.

It's so refreshing, when it's hot out, to take the deodorant out of the freezer and apply the cool paste to my underarms. It smells like a mixture of lavender and tea tree oil, and it feels smooth, soft, and cool.

Elevator Speech

I recently finished the "Elements of Sustainability" course I was taking online from MCAD. Our last assignment was to craft an "elevator" speech telling someone -- someone, that is, who doesn't know or care about sustainability -- what we are doing in our lives to promote sustainability and why it matters. Here is what I submitted:

I'm studying Sustainable Food Production at M State Fergus Falls. It's a brand new program focused on transforming agriculture so that it is better at promoting the health of farmers, consumers, animals and ecosystems.

Currently, industrial agriculture works in conflict with nature in many respects. It is dependent on fossil fuels, which contribute to global warming. It is also dependent on vast expanses of monoculture crops and pesticides, which negatively impacts ecosystems by reducing biodiversity.

In the Sustainable Food Production program, I'm learning how to leverage symbiotic relationships, conserve energy, reduce pollution, protect natural habitats, and improve working conditions and incomes for farmers -- all while still growing enough food to support healthy eating for generations to come.

Milk and Oil - Update

Apparently I'm not the only one who thought the law classifying milk as oil was the creative progeny of the Onion.

On the website "Marginal Revolution: Steps Towards a Much Better World," Alex T. states "Local farming advocates says it’s ridiculous to regulate a liquid with a small percentage of butter fat the same way as the now-infamous BP oil spill."

Alex adds: "Seriously, this is not from the Onion."

Milk and Oil

The other day when I was driving up to Fergus Falls, I was listening to the local radio -- a random station I happened to land on after pressing "seek" for while. It was a radio station devoted to agriculture! I never knew such a thing existed!


I learned a lot during the 15 minutes or so that I stayed tuned in. First, I learned that "boars and gilts" meant "pigs." Second, I learned that a new law is classifying milk as oil. The idea is to get farmers to implement "spill prevention plans" to keep animal fat (an oil) from leaking out into environment, causing sickness or the disruption of ecosystems.

At first I thought I was listening to some comedic spoof of agriculture and politics... like a radio-show version of an Onion article. But then I realized the story was serious. Farmers started talking about how outraged their were -- how much money it will cost to put the "spill-proof" systems, which may require new storage tanks, into place.

Is this how the EPA is trying to get farmers to become more "eco-friendly"? I am not aware of all the issues around the dangers of milk spills, but it seems that these sorts of laws -- that classify milk as a potential environmental hazard on par with fossil fuels -- send the wrong message. They make the EPA seem like an enemy, rather than a "protection agency."

Pots on the Balcony

In my new apartment in Fergus Falls, I'm looking forward to having potted plants on my balcony -- the one overlooking the busy street.

My potted plants at home are so beautiful to me -- especially since I have watched them grow with a sort of maternal care and attention.

I'm planning to take either my peppermint or spearmint with me, which I could use to make tea this fall.

Growing Garden

My garden is growing! I haven't had much luck with peas; of the two whole packages of seeds I planted, I've gotten about 5 semi-productive plants. But my beans seem to be doing well. They haven't produced anything yet -- but they are getting tall!

Today I found one of my newly developing bell peppers on the ground, with a small hole in it. Must have fallen victim to some species of animal -- I have no idea what. Rest in peace, little pepper! You'll be food for the worms in my basement, now.

Cauliflower

I have had the hardest time growing cauliflower. Okay, I've only tried twice... Last year, and now this summer. But it has been frustrating nevertheless.

Last summer, my cauliflower never grew to be edible. It remained small, and whenever it grew, it seemed to get more and more rotten black spots. I surmised later that bugs must have been eating it.

This year, I asked around and found out that you are supposed to tied the leaves around the budding cauliflower to keep the bugs away. As soon as my cauliflower bloomed -- well, as soon as I noticed it had bloomed, which was today -- I tied the leaves around it. To my dismay, there were already bugs feasting on my cauliflower! I washed them off, tied up the leaves, and decided to hope for the best.

Moving to Fergus Falls

It's official! I am registered as a student at M State Community and Technical College in the Sustainable Food Production program. Classes start August 26th. I just went to Fergus Falls today and applied for an apartment.... one of several I had toured.

The apartment I chose is in the city of Fergus Falls. The other one I considered, which was more spacious and beautiful (and more expensive), was 6 miles outside the city. When I went to tour it, I passed by many farms and corn fields... and I felt lonely. I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. I imagined myself coming back to the apartment in the dark, feeling sad and isolated. So I chose the city apartment with a balcony right above a busy street.

The irony was not lost on me that I chose not to live in the country -- because I felt the farmland surroundings would be lonely -- while enrolled in a program that's supposed to teach me how to farm.