Kideney Sustainable

Even Better Recycling

Kyle — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:21:43 +0000

After a recent vacation in Canada, I learned of a method they are implementing in order to push towards a greener future with less waste and smaller landfills. In the city of Hamilton, Ontario, they have the traditional garbage bins and blue recycling bins like we use here everyday. However, they also have green bins, which takes any form of refuse which is compostable. The goal of this being to keep as much out of the landfills as possible while helping the environment by breaking down organic waste and creating compost which could be used for a wide variety of landscaping purposes.

This definitely takes some extra effort from people to further separate what they are throwing out; however, the city claims that they hope to divert 65% of garbage from landfills through this program. While some people already practice composting in their own yards, this program makes it much easier for everyone to pitch in and can make a bigger difference because of it. This type of program is an excellent role model, which more cities should follow to promote a greener, healthier future.

More information on this program can be found here.

Don’t Toss It, Bag It

Jenna — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:56:39 +0000

It seems like every time I head to the grocery store I always forget to bring along my reusable bags. Since I have done this so many times, I finally decided to do a little investigating for both reusable (when I remember) and plastic bags.

A plastic bag’s ‘cradle to grave’ impact is not as environmentally friendly as you may think. The production of plastic bags requires non-renewable resources, and the toxic chemicals involved produce significant pollution. At stores, when plastic bags are distributed, they are not ‘free’; rather the cost of each bag ($4 billion per year for US retailers) is compensated by the higher pricing of items purchased. When thrown away, the bags take up to 1,000 years to degrade when buried in a landfill. Although these bags are recyclable, only about 1-3% end up getting recycled (http://www.reuseit.com/learn-more/myth-busting/plastic-bags-are-free, http://www.reuseit.com/learn-more/myth-busting/recycling-can-not-fix-this).

On the other hand, reusable bags are much more sustainable, but you have to be mindful about the type you are buying. Now that the idea of reusable bags has taken off, many companies are offering cheap or free bags in support of the go green movements. Far too often, these bags easily fall apart and are soon tossed out or left unused in the closet. Go for a brand of reusable bags you know and trust, buy better quality to limit quantity, and last of all, use them.

Life in a Day

Shannon — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:16:05 +0000

On July 24th, Google is hosting a global experiment based on creating a documentary focused around 24 hours in your life. Given the assumption that anyone who reads this blog is dedicated to a life of sustainable living, this experiment is not only an option to make your big debut in the world, but also a great chance to inspire, motivate, and most importantly lead by example. A video exploring your life as you make small (or substantial) changes in your daily habits that impact the environment in a positive manner, could be exactly what google is looking for. If your film makes the cut, it will be included in a documentary produced by Ridley Scott, directed by Kevin Macdonald and may premier at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival! So grab your cameras and get started!

For more information on Google life in a day, click here.

The X Prize Foundation and Imagining the Future

Eamonn — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:53:32 +0000

Having just turned 25, I, along with the rest of my generation, have grown up with vast and accelerated changes in technology and culture, the world in which we live is constantly changing and to a certain extent we have, or at least I have become immune to these changes. I understand that the computer program I am learning today will be obsolete tomorrow, and that I will never be able to watch another movie in anything other than 3D again. The immunity I have today however, does not prevent me from getting excited as I imagine what the world might be like in 20, 30 or 50 years.
This excitement, and wonder about what the future might hold is what fuels the X Prize foundation and its goals of innovation, technological breakthrough’s and experimentation through competition. The X Prize foundation may be most famous for is original competition, a competition which challenged participants to design, build and fly a private spacecraft out of earth’s atmosphere, and while this competition captured the imagination of society much like a Jules Verne novel might, it is the competitions which have come after that will have the most beneficial impact on our society, including competitions focused on healthcare, genomic sequencing, as well as more fuel efficient production automobiles. It is these types of competitions that will help to change the world and benefit society.

To find out more about the X Prize Foundation visit their website.

Impact – The Recycling Process

Carly — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:11:19 +0000

Recycled Rubber

Many manufacturers are moving towards a recycling program whether it be producing their product from recycled materials, manufacturing with renewable energy or reclaiming material from job sites, there is a commitment to sustainability. Roppe, a rubber flooring & base manufacturer, has established a program that reuses old rubber from existing projects and creates byproducts in alternative ways like landscaping, playgrounds or athletic fields. According to Roppe’s website, as of today, 1,619 tons of rubber have been diverted from the landfill!

To learn more information about the recycling process visit Roppe Corporation website.

Simply Sustainable

Kyle — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:02:26 +0000

When it comes to helping the environment, the simple things can count the most. Having just graduated from college with a degree in Architecture, I feel lucky that I will have the opportunity to affect great changes for sustainability when designing buildings with green technologies and green practices. Architects have a great power and responsibility to help guide this movement towards a greener, more environmentally conscious future and I am truly excited to be a part of that.
However, when bringing the topic of sustainability up to friends and family, I have noticed that some still have the notion that they, as individuals, have no power to help the situation and therefore don’t make the effort to live greener lives. I think to myself, if everyone on the planet were to maintain this sort of mentality, not only would the sustainable movement be non-existent, but nothing would ever get accomplished. It’s the small little things in everyday life that often get overlooked like switching from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent, carpooling or using public transportation, turning off anything electrical when not in use, recycling, and just generally to keep conscious of how your actions could affect the environment. If everyone were to take these small steps in their daily life, I know they would be surprised by just how much of a change they could make.

For 10 easy, simple ways to start making these changes, a good place to visit would be:
http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/remodeling/eco-friendly/easy-ways-to-go-green/

Annual Village Garden Walk

Katie — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:20:16 +0000

As the first weekend of summer nears, the participants in the annual Williamsville Garden Walk are preparing for another stunning display. Dozens of residents are welcome to stroll around the village for free on Saturday, June 26^th from 10:00am to 4:00pm and acquire gardening tips. Stop at Village Hall on Saturday to pick up a garden map. Visit the Williamsville Event Page for more information.

This year I hope to see residents collecting rain water for the irrigation of their gardens. The collection of rain water is a great way to save money on your water bill, as well as helping out the environment. If you are interested in using a rain water collection system to water your gardens, there are many different do-it-yourself instructions. Or, if you are looking for a more permanent solution, companies like RainXchange provide additional services to integrate water features into your existing landscape.

Biofuel Processing

Greg — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:42:13 +0000

The company ZeaChem has begun using the termites’ digestive functions as a model to process biofuels. Zeachem has recently started using microbes found in the guts of termites to help breakdown hard to digest cellulosic feedstock such as switch grass and wood chips into simple sugars. The innovative process first uses acid to break down the cellulose into sugar. Ext instead of fermenting the sugars into ethanol with yeast ZeaChem uses acetogen bacteria found in termites to convert the sugar to acetic acid. The acetic acid is then combined with hydrogen to form ethanol. This process has been used by termites to break down cellulosic materials for millions of years, it only makes sense for us to use for the same process.

BIM and Sustainable Design

Eamonn — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:12:43 +0000

Recently at the office we have been having weekly in-house “Lunch and Learns” as we transition from AutoCAD Architecture into Autodesk Revit. Today, listening to an explanation of some of the new features in Revit 2011, my mind began to wander (sorry Melissa), as I began to think about the new capabilities of BIM software (Building Information Modeling) and how it could be applied to sustainable design.

Currently sun angle calculation and modeling is an aspect of many 3D architectural software’s, including Revit. This feature allows accurate sun angels to be calculated and modeled for specific buildings at specific sites throughout the world. This knowledge can lead to designs that better take advantage of the suns energy, reducing heating loads in the winter and artificial lighting loads throughout the year. While this type of feature is a powerful tool in understanding site and designing sustainably, the potential for growth within future programs is immense. The possibility to incorporate other site specific climatologic information such as prevailing winds, temperature, and precipitation into BIM software would provide architects even more tools to use in the early stages of design to make more sustainable decisions. Essentially, because there is the potential to incorporate more tools, there is also the potential for greater knowledge, and it is with this knowledge that we as architects and designers can make better decisions which will ultimately lead towards a more sustainable future.

http://usa.autodesk.com/

Fedrizzi, Leader of US Green Building Council, SUNY College Commencement Speaker

Greg — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:43:29 +0000

On May 15^th, students from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry listened to Richard Fedrizzi, President and CEO of the US Green Building Council, tell the graduating class of 2010, “they will determine the future of humanity.” Fedrizzi further explained that the graduates where the most unique generation of all time simply because the modern sustainability movement is being driven by them.

As I continue with my education and anticipate on graduating next year it is exciting to be considered “the most unique generation” by some. To be starting off my career at the forefront of a movement toward a new perspective of sustainability, I consider myself lucky. I look forward to being involved in such an important time and to be helping to increase sustainability.