Earth Day is April 22. The things we do every day make a difference to our planet's future. A team of ASU sustainability experts recently discussed how we can make our daily lives more eco-friendly. Read their suggestions below.

Participants included: Bonny Bentzin, director of university sustainability practices; Betty Lombardo, program coordinator on the Tempe campus; Jehnifer Niklas, program coordinator on the Polytechnic campus; Leslie Lindo, program coordinator on the West campus; Alex Davis, student project developer; Andrew Latimer, student project developer; Eric Tank, student project developer; and Beth Magerman, student project developer.

Getting from point A to point B can be a challenge, especially in traffic-laden areas like Phoenix. Obviously, the most ecological mode of transportation is a bicycle and your own two legs—but these are not always options. What are some green transportation alternatives to biking/walking?
 

Jehn: Skateboarding offers an opportunity to carpool because it allows you the flexibility to get where you need to get after carpooling, which cuts down on the number of cars driving.

Leslie: Taking the campus shuttles or public transportation allows you to spend the time being productive, which is time that you would lose by driving instead. It is also important to remember that different days can have a different travel plan. You can be flexible and figure out what are the possible options for a shuttle or carpool or bike on different days. People also have to remember that they can take a bike or walk for close trips.

Bonny: When you take public transportation or carpool, there is a bigger opportunity for social interactions, people-watching or conversations – it can be a fun way to start the day. It is a dramatic behavioral shift—the thought is that you lose your independence or freedom, but you might gain tremendous financial benefits and get to know new people. If you’re nervous about it, just start with one day.

The documentary "Food Inc." has led people to question like never before what types of foods they purchase and then put into their bodies. How big a role does food, in fact, play in sustainability?
 

Bonny: It’s a big part. Food has its own set of environmental and social impacts. In the United States, we have turned food into a consumer product instead of a source of nutrition and nourishment. We have lost sight of the primary foundation of food.

Leslie: For the health concerns at least, we really want to make a break from the processed food diet, which tends to be carbon or “energy” intensive.

Jehn: Every time you increase your food’s trip from farm to fork, you are increasing fuel and water consumption. A perfect example would be choosing those processed baby carrots over the raw kind. Rather than being harvested and shipped off to the grocery store, those cute little carrots may travel more than hundreds of miles to a processing plant where they are stripped and cut by heavy machinery. 



Alex: We lose control over where our food comes from. Also, every time the food is processed we lose nutrition. The processors have to unnecessarily add the nutrients back in.

Leslie: And with every step of the processing, water and energy is used. The choices you make when you buy food have a big impact. It is all interconnected. 



Betty: As a local alternative, we have the farmers market monthly on the Tempe campus and the Downtown Phoenix campus.

How is ASU currently using solar energy, greener waste management and recycling practices?
 

Betty: Look up and you will see solar power plants on top of roofs and parking structures at the following locations: Sun Devil Stadium Parking Structure, Global Institute of Sustainability, Lattie Coor Building, Apache Boulevard Parking Structure, Hassayampa Academic Village, Biodesign, Tyler Street Parking Structure, Police Building Parking Canopies and the Weatherup Center. 

Eventually, ASU solar installments will produce enough electricity to power 2,920 homes.

ASU Tempe Campus Grounds Management recently earned the 2010 President’s Award for Sustainability for initiating programs that convert landscaping waste into compost and harvest sour oranges instead of sending the fruit to a landfill. Between these two programs, more than 240 tons of green “waste” have been kept out of landfills.

You may also have noticed the BigBelly Solar compactors. Each unit takes up as much space as an ordinary receptacle, but its capacity is five times greater therefore maximizing staffing and resources. We have recycling receptacles in all of our offices and classrooms along with associated recycling signage.

About a year ago, our Surplus Property established a program called SunSET (Surplus Exchange and Transfer) that serves as an internal “Craigslist.” ASU departments post items that are no longer needed such as office supplies and furniture for other university departments to use. Lastly, we recently added blue recycling tops to the Tempe campus outdoor trash containers. In most cases, we have paired solar and trash bins to make it easier for the campus community to recycle.

What are some simple things we can do at home and at work that take very little time, energy or thought, but make a positive impact on the Earth?
 

Jehn: Reusable bags! Reusable water bottles! It may seem trite or daunting at first, but research shows that it only takes six weeks to change your habits. You will forget your bag(s) many times in the beginning, but don’t get discouraged! After you train yourself to fold it up into your bag or car for long enough, it will begin to feel natural.

Eric: Turning off the A/C when you're not home is a great way to save energy and money, especially during the more expensive or "peak" times.

Betty: Powering down your computer each night.

Beth: Turning out the lights when you're not using a room is another easy one. These choices really save you a lot of money, which is an added bonus to sustainable practices.

Leslie: Switch to more energy-efficient lightbulbs. The price is much more economical than it used to be, and again, it comes down to the paying more up front for greater long-term payoff.

Bonny: Many utilities companies offer a real-time energy monitoring feature. Call up your electric company and get involved with monitoring your home’s energy consumption.

 What do you think the next 10 years will bring? On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day 10 years from now, what habits will we be practicing every day without even thinking about it? 


 

Leslie: We will be designing buildings better—more efficient buildings with better heating and cooling systems—and with more input from the building occupants, which helps create a better sense of place.

Products that we use will be designed with their entire life cycle in mind, taking into consideration what happens after your electronics die or what happens to leftover chemicals. Renewable energy systems will be more prevalent—even now, the residential solar programs are extremely successful. 



Bonny: Our next generation will have grown up in an atmosphere that supports sustainability practices and actions like recycling and bringing your reuseable shopping bags. In other words, understanding the system and impact of our actions will become second nature.

It’s like seatbelt use—many people didn’t wear their seatbelts in the 1970s. In the 80s the K-12 schools were targeted for education and the kids became the trainers to the adults, then came some state policies, incentives from insurance agencies, some graphic public service announcements and then a national law. Now, the majority of the people in the United States wear their seatbelts. We are seeing a similar scenario with sustainability.

Beth: We will be more conscious about our waste—who knows where our trash goes? We may even be “mining” our landfills. I think in 10 years we will be much more conscious about how our world works.

Eric: And we will be much more knowledgeable about where our food comes from.

What do you do to live sustainably? Share your ideas on our Facebook discussion.