A sustainable alternative?

Resolutions. And there’s nothing wrong with taking this opportunity to tweak our goals or how we’ve been approaching them.

I gave up making New Years Resolutions some years ago. I swapped them for New Years Challenges. Where I select a bunch of skills or activities or targets, I want to meet. So not ‘lose weight’ in a generic sense, but simply ‘increase my bench press/deadlift/squats by five pounds a week’, for example. For me this works to lose more weight than I ever did when setting a target of ‘lost five kilograms’ – and it achieves it because of the ‘form is a function of fitness’ and it gives me a clear, measurable and achievable target. And if I don’t achieve five pounds added each week, it’s fine – I usually achieve at least five pounds a week even when on a fitness plateau and it gets me to the gym regularly.

So, what’s this got to do with active commuting?

Well, often New Years Resolutions boil down to three general hopes:

• Lose weight
• Save money
• Be happier

And active commuting is a way that we can achieve all three with one activity. Work smart, not harder.

First off, what is active commuting? Well, it’s commuting (going from home to work and back again) in an ‘active’ manner, in terms of physical activity as opposed to sitting in a vehicle. Examples of active commuting can be walking, jogging and cycling. Or even swimming and rowing!

It’s true that Bermuda’s roadways, built to accommodate horse and carriages, are not ideal for introducing bicycle lanes. However, the Railway Trail does provide an excellent corridor for active commuting for walkers, joggers and cyclists. What’s more, it also provides some amazing scenery. And with the fantastic work by the Friends of the Bermuda Railway the trail is even more connected than ever and provides almost an uninterrupted transport corridor the length of the island.

2017 research[1]found that active commuting correlates directly with lower risks of early death, with cycling coming on top with 40% reductions of early death from cardiovascular, cancer and all cause mortality. We know that physical activity reduces health issues related to obesity, type two diabetes and various cancers, so it makes sense that adding active commuting is going to equate to a healthier populace. And – from a New Year’s Resolution focus this covers the triad of losing weight, saving money (reduced health costs) and being happier (being healthy in general but also stress reduction). And beyond the benefits for the individual, it also leads to cost savings for the island’s healthcare costs, while increasing overall productivity. And some more info about being happier comes from 2015 research[2] that showed that cycling was the least stressful way to commute to work (compared to car or public transit).

Not every workplace of course has showers or places to store one’s cycles safely, however that doesn’t mean you have to rule out active cycling. It’s in employers’ best interests to have healthy and non-stressed employees, so speak with your workplace and see what arrangements can be made. And lobby the City of Hamilton and the Government to improve infrastructure to support this too.

And don’t worry about launching straight into active commuting five days a week. Ease into it. Remember what I said about aiming to just add five pounds to my lifts a week? That’s called ‘progressive overload’ and it works as well for active commuting as it does for weight lifting. Indeed, when I started hitting the weights the first few weeks was just me going to the gym and having a coffee and reading the paper – I did that for a full month before I even picked up a weight. It was about getting into the habit. And you can apply that to active commuting too.

Instead of walking to work from day one, consider simply walking to the bus stop first. And then to the next bus stop. And getting off at an earlier bus stop. So, you’re gradually increasing the amount of active commuting. You can do the same with parking your vehicle. Build up to it – small changes done consistently are key, and eventually you’ll be able to do your entire commute actively.

Worried about being late to work, or sweaty on arrival? That’s fine. Focus on an active commute home then instead. Just pack your stuff in a bag to carry home or leave what you can in the office.

Of course, this is going to be easier the closer you live to work – someone living in St David’s will have a harder time commuting to the office in the city than someone on Harbour Road (westerners have it easier by pairing active commuting with the ferry of course).

You can also add active commuting to other things. Going to visit a friend or get small purchases at the store? Why take the car when you can walk?

All of these provide health benefits, will save you money and make you happier. They also will save the island money, reduce overall air pollution (further healthcare cost savings), reduce congestion on the roads (making public transport more efficient; and produce cost savings from reduced wear and tear to the roads) and reduce our overall carbon footprint (less fossil fuel use, plus healthier lifestyles have a smaller carbon footprint in general).

So, how’s your New Year Resolutions coming along? It’s not too late to reboot them by incorporating active commuting into your daily life! Active commuting – it’s more sustainable, it’ll make you happier, it’ll save you money and it’ll make you healthier. It’s a winner.

[1]https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1456Celis-Morales, et al (2017) Association between active commuting and incident cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality: prospective cohort study. British Medical Journal, 357:j1456

[1]https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/IJWHM-10-2015-0059?journalCode=ijwhm&Brutus, et al (2015) Cycling, car or public transit: a study of stress and mood upon arrival at work. International Journal of Workplace Health Management. Vol 10, Issue 1

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Reduce the meat you consume

The devastating effects the meat and dairy industry have on our planet are often overlooked. For example, raising animals for food requires enormous amounts of resources like water, food, land, and energy. Livestock and their byproducts account for 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide per year (51 percent of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions).

Although choosing a vegan or vegetarian diet is clearly the best option, not only because of health reasons, but because it would entirely cut all animal products out of your life, is not realistic for everybody. However, eating meat-less might be an option. Compromising and cutting meat and dairy out of your diet, even for a day or two, is by far the most significant lifestyle change you can make, so give it a chance! We now also have lots of meat substitutions, so the change doesn’t have to be so drastic.

Buy locally grown food

This is a great way to not only support local farmers and the economy, but also to significantly cut down the miles your food will have to travel, thus cutting down on fuel and excessing packaging as well. This will also mean your food will be fresher and you won’t be supporting huge companies that are often incredibly wasteful. So, consider taking a trip to the farmers market at Botanical Gardens which is open every Saturday from 8am to 1pm, or the Home Farm Market at Wadson’s Farm in Southampton, open Tuesday to Saturdays, before buying that same product at a supermarket.

Carry a reusable straw

During 2018 the no-straw movement really took off, and for a good reason. Did you know that plastic straws are too lightweight to be recycled in most places? Yes, and as of January 2019, they are the eight most-found ocean trash in cleanups, having a very negative impact on ocean wildlife.

We get it, they are fun and a great tool for people with disabilities, but you don’t have to ditch them altogether. You can find reusable straws made out of steel or glass at affordable prices at Naked Zero, The Chef Shop and Brown & Co, to name a few stores. Just ask for no straw the next time you’re ordering ice coffee or a fountain drink, and carry a reusable one instead everywhere you go.

Use reusable shopping bags

Most likely, there is a plastic bag filled with more plastic bags somewhere in your kitchen right now, and you’re not the only one. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes, which is pretty wasteful considering how many resources are needed in order to manufacture them (It takes the same amount of the gas required to drive one mile, to produce 14 plastic bags).

Paper bags are not a sustainable option either, it takes 13 percent more energy to make a single paper bag than to make two plastic bags, and because they are heavier than plastic bags, more fuel is required in order to ship them.

So, shop without the guilt and carry reusable shopping bags wherever you go! You can find them at pretty much every store, they are super affordable and can fold small enough to be able to have them on the go.

Get a reusable plastic bottle

Globally, humans buy a million plastic bottlesa minute and that number is expected to increase by 2020. So where does all that plastic go? Plastic is not recycled in Bermuda,  so it is only used once and then discarded, or finding it’s way into our ocean, and because plastic takes around 400 years to naturally decompose, every single plastic item we have used in our lifetime will still be here long after we are gone.

When you take a second to consider how much plastic you use in a day or in a week, and then multiply that by the billions of people on the planet, it’s easy to see why this is such a big issue.

During the 2018 throne speech, the government of Bermuda committed to eliminate single-use plastics by 2022, and to educate the community on recycling and reusable-items, so why not make the switch a little earlier? Even if you only buy one bottle of water a day, you are still wasting over three hundred single-use bottles a year alone.  You can reduce your environmental footprint significantly by simply ditching single-use plastic bottles and switching to a reusable one instead. Not to mention you will save money in the long run so it’s a win-win.

It is too late to look the other way when it comes to your eating decisions. Taking baby steps to live sustainably can be easy and accessible to everybody if we give it a chance, so why not do just that?

The post Small changes to live a more sustainable life in 2019 appeared first on RG Magazines.

Gifting

Purchase locally made gifts

Support your community and our economy by shopping at local retailers that sell locally made items — BermuniTees, Bermuda Candle Company, Della Valle Sandals or Davidrose Jewelry to name a few.

Sustainable giving

• Consider gifting all natural, organic items made from renewable materials. Some notable local retailers are Salt + Cedar, Cassine and Naked Zero.
• Gift with value, purpose or meaning to avoid accumulating unnecessary items that will go unused. For example, give money to a local charity in your loved ones name or give them money to put towards something they truly need, like starting a new business, groceries or even a utility bill.

Secret santa or “Gift-go-round”

To decrease spending, stress and waste, have each person in your family write down their name and a three item Christmas list (price limit optional) then have them pick a name out of a bowl or hat at random. The name you pick is who you buy for!

Re-gifting

Instead of throwing away unwanted presents, re-gift them to people you know will love them. Take off the gift tag, rewrap it and avoid re-gifting within the same circle of family members or friends.

Use environmentally friendly wrapping paper

Instead of buying rolls of glossy or metallic gift wrap, choose fabric, newspaper, old maps, blueprints, books, posters and other reusable, recyclable materials.

Decorating

Live potted tree

Avoid purchasing artificial trees that are made from plastics, toxins and other non-recyclables and opt for a live one instead. Support local gardens and re-pot for longer use.

Low impact holiday lighting

Reduce your carbon footprint by using energy-efficient LED lighting for outdoor displays, mini LED lights indoor for house & tree lighting. Make sure turn lights off at bedtime!

Homemade and Handmade

Create your own ornaments, decorations and holiday cards from scrap paper and materials saved throughout the year — you can even get the kids to help for a fun arts and crafts project!

Holiday dinner

 Choose organic, local and free-range

Take advantage of your local farms and markets for fresh, locally grown and raised ingredients for a sustainable, delicious and healthy meal.

Avoid single beverages

Cut down on waste by using pitchers to prepare homemade drinks in large quantities instead of soda bottles or cans.

No disposables

Leave the paper, plastic and Styrofoam utensils alone and bring out the fine china and cloth napkins for dinner. Have guests bring reusable containers for leftovers.

Activities

Follow Gombeys for exercise

A Bermudian tradition – Stay active, take your family outside to follow and dance with the Gombeys when they visit your neighborhoods on Christmas and Boxing Day.

Put down and turn off the technology

Instead of gathering around the tv, computer and hacking away on your mobile phones, pull out the board games and playing cards to save energy and be sociable!

What does your family do during the holidays to help the environment?

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Almost forty years ago an extraordinary book was published in Bermuda, which, while it did not use the phrase “sustainable development” was one of the earliest works in the world – to my knowledge – to adopt a sustainability focus. This book, Bermuda’s Delicate Balanceremains a book that I often turn to for inspiration; in fact, it is this book which has largely inspired my own personal path in terms of education and career choices.

The title of the book referred to the delicate balance that Bermuda must play between progress and sustainability, balancing the social, the economic and the ecological. Taking a holistic look at Bermuda, it’s chapters, full of detailed statistics and policy recommendations, looked at population, industry, resources (land, agriculture, fisheries, ecosystems, etc.) traffic, waste and pollution, conservation and issues of values and attitudes.

The core philosophy of the book is distilled in its concluding, of which it is worth quoting in full here:

“Bermuda is truly a microcosm of the entire planet; finite in size, limited in resources, and containing a complex mixture of races, nationalities, and lifestyles. Unlike some other congested communities, Bermuda is neither the business district of a larger country nor an enclave for wealthy retirees. Solutions that might apply to such places might be largely unworkable here. Our problems are more universal, and our solutions must be broader and more integrated also”.

“It is this universality that makes Bermuda the place for the rest of the world to watch in the coming years. We are experiencing here and now what other countries can expect in the near future. Our success in the complex task of melding social and economic growth with environmental health may foretell the future of human survival throughout the planet. If it cannot be done here, then where?”

While the statistics in this book are now outdated, and new issues have come to play – the Cold War is over, and the danger (and imminent reality) of global climate change is now the largest single challenge to humanity in this century, along with the related crisis of global biodiversity – this underlying challenge posed by this book remains relevant. If it cannot be done here, then where?

Due to Bermuda’s size and advanced wealth and resources, we remain not just at the forefront of this global challenge, but also unique in our ability to shine a light on what a sustainable Bermuda – and thus planet – can be.

I am not one for spinning castles in the air of what might be; as useful as such daydreams can be, they can also prove distractions. Nonetheless, there is utility in conceiving a vision of a future Bermuda and what that might be. Such visions can serve to inspire and through such inspiration, lead to the organisation, motivation and action required to actually build a better and sustainable Bermuda. This, indeed, was the underlying message of Thomas Moore’s Utopia; the perfect place may not (and may never) exist, however that vision can inspire the change that can lead to a “Eutopia” a “good place”, a better place than the current reality.

One important role of such visions as well is their utility for “back-casting”. This is the reverse of “fore-casting” where one looks at the current trends and tries to predict what will happen in X amount of time. With back-casting you envision what the desired goal would be and then you work backwards to identify what steps need to happen to achieve that end goal. Importantly, also, one must note that often the ends are determined by the means – or at least greatly influenced by them, to such a degree that while an end goal may be “good” in and of itself, the means to achieve it can often lead to a dystopian version of that originally ‘good’ end.

The question of what kind of Bermuda I would like to see, what is Bermuda’s “green potential”, is thus quite an interesting question. And one I think which can be done in a participatory fashion; indeed, it is a question that all of us must ask individually and collectively – what would an ideal and sustainable Bermuda look like? What would it be? Once we can agree on a common vision, a collective answer, then perhaps we can begin working on how to get there.

I am reminded of living in Scotland during the months leading up to the 2014 Independence Referendum. Just as during the America’s Cup last year, everyone (well, many persons at least) became sudden experts in sailing, at that time in Scotland everyone became a constitutional expert and well-versed on the minutiae of the independence arguments, for and against. And simultaneously everyone was discussing what an independent Scotland would be. You would catch the bus or be waiting in line somewhere, and inevitably there would be engaged and respectful conversations on constitutional matters, the economy, social welfare, inequality, child poverty, living wages and more.

I welcome Bermuda engaging in just such a conversation on the question of what would an ideal and sustainable Bermuda be.

In the next issue I will look to outline my own attempts to answer that question – and I hope that this encourages readers to try to answer it themselves and to share their thoughts here.

In closing, an excerpt from Alice in Wonderland:

Alice – Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?

The Cheshire Cat – That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.

Alice – I don’t much care where.

The Cheshire Cat – Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go.

Alice – So long as I get somewhere.

The Cheshire Cat – Oh, you’re sure to that, if only you walk long enough.

Jonathan Starling is the Executive Director of Greenrock, an organization that is working to empower individuals and companies to do their part in making Bermuda socially, economically and environmentally more sustainable. This article was written in a personal capacity.

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Until recently, tossing electronics, or recycling them was not something that we’ve had to think critically about. As product life shortens and the need for “the upgrade” grows, we no longer need them to be in ill repair to purchase the next best version.

Recycle bins have been placed around the island to encourage the recycling of tin and glass. Bins are placed in businesses like AF Smith’s for used ink and toner cartridges, used batteries are accepted in grocery stores, pharmacies, hardware stores and service stations across the island. Bermudians are left wondering how to dispose of their old phones, or laptops, and are only really presented with one option — the dump. It’s time to start thinking critically about electronic waste (or e-waste) disposal.

Fortunately, the Tynes Bay Facility has a separate area for e-waste drop off. It is encouraging to know that household items — paper, cardboard, plastic and food waste — are turned into energy that helps power the island. E-waste, on the other hand, can be detrimental to the environment if not treated properly. And unfortunately, for some, having to store and take e-waste to Palmetto Road for disposal can be seen as an inconvenience, and result in someone deciding to just throw a device in the trash.

How can we fix this?

Bermuda business has an opportunity to get involved in helping to keep Bermuda beautiful. When we look internationally, we see that fully functioning unwanted phones, computers and cameras are simply returned to the stores where they are refurbished, stripped for parts or properly disposed of. There is an opening, possibly an idea for a start-up to bring a new industry to the island that is good for the environment, the ecosystem, Bermuda’s world of work, and everyone’s wellbeing. If we can do it with bikes and cars, we definitely can do it with electronic devices.

Having specialized bins for computers in businesses across the island can ensure that these items end up where they are supposed to be. They can be given a new life, vetted for used parts, and create an appreciation for reselling. Plus, having these bins around could bring in an unassuming customer.

As the island grows with the world, so does its level of tech use, meaning instant gratification and convenience are more in demand. It’s important that our knowledge as a collective stays parallel. Plead with your local businesses to take those little steps further to protect the island. It’s in all of our best interest.

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By Jonathan Starling

A “green” workplace is a space that works to minimise its overall ecological footprint. It is, essentially, applying sustainable development to the workplace. Ultimately, the aim of a green workplace is to reduce the overall environmental impact of the workday. It can involve:

• considering sustainability from the earliest stage of designing the workplace;
• retrofitting an existing workplace; or
• focusing on purely behavioural change to be more sustainable in one’s working life.

Not only does this mean the workplace is better for the environment, but it also involves green savings, which leads to benefits for the workplace’s bottom line. For a worker it often leads to a healthier working environment (which also benefits the workplace’s bottom line!). One aspect that is often overlooked, as long as it’s worker driven, is that it can create a sense of belonging, of ownership and empowerment, which can lead to improved work satisfaction.

It can create a sense of belonging, of ownership and empowerment, which can lead to improved work satisfaction”.

Greening the workplace can be daunting when you start out. Just as sustainability is all-encompassing, covering social, economic and ecological aspects, greening the workplace can consider a range of issues, from transport, water, waste, energy, food and more.

The first step to greening the workplace is to make that decision in the first place. This can be worker led or an initiative coming from management, either way it will need a champion, preferably a “green team” to lead it.

The next step is to do some brainstorming about what green ideas you can do. It’s always good to try and hit the low-hanging fruit first to get a sense of momentum.

It can be useful to approach greening the workplace using the same pathways we use in our Eco-Schools Programme, so to focus on a particular aspect of sustainability at any one time.

For instance, you could decide one year to focus just on energy.

Your first step there is going to be to conduct an audit. Ask the questions:

• What are the energy bills?
• What is the lighting like?
• What is the energy efficiency rating for appliances and machines?
• What behaviours are contributing to the energy bill?

That lets you identify what can be done to become more energy sustainable. It helps identify low-hanging fruit as well as long-term goals.

You might find that there’s some simple behavioural changes that can work – office or room not in use? Turn the lights off. Likewise, unplug equipment. Make sure sleep modes are in place. Switch off computers at the end of the day.

Beyond that, can you change the lights over to LEDs? We know that really reduces energy bills – not just in terms of reducing greatly the amount of energy being used for light, but also the amount of energy needed to air conditioning, as LEDs produce a lot less heat energy. Can you install sensors into bathrooms or hallways so that the lights switch off when not in use? Can you introduce a policy, so any new equipment purchases are for the most energy efficient? Can you install solar PV on the building?

And you can apply this to other aspects. If you’re looking at waste, you can provide reusable bags for staff to use for take-out or shopping. You can phase out plastic cutlery or water bottles in the workplace and provide reusable cutlery or bottles. Coffee pods can be a big producer of plastic waste and can be easily replaced with alternative coffee machines. Holding a function? Ban single-use plastics such as straws or water bottles; go for glass or cans. Don’t use balloons.

There really are lots of ways to green the office, make it a healthier and happier place and at the same time reduce the costs to the bottom-line while also reducing the costs to the planet.

And, of course, join Greenrock as a Corporate Supporter and through that attend our Green Building Forums to learn and share from other green workplaces!

Image from Pittsburgh Today.

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