Question: How can we be green every day?
Graham Hill: It really depends who you are and what you’ve done.
What do they say, “Perfection is the enemy of the good”--or something like that? I think a lot of people will put the stuff off because they want to do the right thing. And I think logically, the way to approach your own personal situation, in terms of the environment, is to take some time; do a carbon calculator; figure out where you have the most impact; focus on those things first, etc.
I think the challenge with that is that people may put that off and put that off because it’s a big thing, and they just want to do it right, and they just want to make sure.
I just try to counsel people; just get started. Pick something. It doesn’t really matter what. Pick something that matters to you and that just feels right and just start. And I think that gets you on the path.
And then, if you want to be more strategic, great. By all means. Get one of those carbon calculators, figure out where you can have your impact, and just do that. So I think that’s a big one. I think in terms of general concepts, there’s a very, very simple one.
Just small is sexy. And it applies to everything. Like we have this perception that we need a lot of things or volume or what have you in order to be happy. And we just don’t. So whether it’s architecture. The houses have gone from close to one thousand square feet fifty years ago, to close to two and half [thousand feet today]. So literally two and a half times as big; while the average family size has shrunk.
It’s not like we’re a lot happier now than we were in the Fifties. So you can live a great life and in a much smaller home. And by doing that, because the space is much smaller, you save on heating. You save on cooling. You save on lighting. You save on furnishing. And it just makes for an overall simpler life.
I think focus on small. Small is great. And that can be cars. That can be architecture. That can be the size of your wardrobe. That can be your number of weekend jaunts via plane. I think just focus on that. That would be what I’d say.
Question: What is one thing we can do to have a disproportionately large impact?
Graham Hill: I think if we were very vocal, with both our dollars, in terms of what products and services we’re willing to support and what not; and in terms of the political process, I think that that in itself can have a tremendous impact because it also impacts the people around you.
So it covers the consumer and the personal aspects. It sends a message to business, and sends a message to governments. So I think if we’re a lot more vocal and a lot less concerned about what other people thought, I think we’d be well on our way.
Recorded on: July 28, 2008
Discuss
John succo on January 18, 2008, 3:24 PM
I agree that small is better but i think people are lazy and the only way we as a society are going to have an effect on the environment is to make it cost effective…. which alot of things are.. like light bulbs and insulation but we need to get alternative power sources cheaper so all different types of incomes can afford it and have it benefiting them.
John succo on January 18, 2008, 8:24 PM
I agree that small is better but i think people are lazy and the only way we as a society are going to have an effect on the environment is to make it cost effective…. which alot of things are.. like light bulbs and insulation but we need to get alternative power sources cheaper so all different types of incomes can afford it and have it benefiting them.
John Zawacki on January 19, 2008, 2:55 PM
Don't Forget!!!!!!
The Atmosphere is not the only part of the environment!!!!!!
Carbon is not the only consern!!!!!
Mass extinction is happening now due to habitat destruction from human's so called :Development:
John Zawacki on January 19, 2008, 7:55 PM
Don’t Forget!!!!!!
The Atmosphere is not the only part of the environment!!!!!!
Carbon is not the only consern!!!!!
Mass extinction is happening now due to habitat destruction from human’s so called :Development:
Shawn Wilson on February 2, 2008, 4:15 AM
yes I agree Life Long Learner! And It will only get worse as long as we continue to ignore the population problem.. just way to many ppl on this planet. The more diseases we cure. The longer our life span increases and the more babies we keep having with no thought of how much this planet can sustain…the planet like any organism can only produce so much food energy, and oxygen from the available growing surface area, the planet has 30% land mass and only 38% of that is used for crops. And oxygen producing phytoplankton on the ocean is not being used effectively either. And also can only produce so much. when it comes down to room for us to surive yes the animals will have to go…In the animal kingdom the weak go and the strong survive this is mostly there population control along with pretetors. but in our species. when the strong become weak we give them pills…and a place to live.
Shawn Wilson on February 2, 2008, 4:15 AM
yes I agree Life Long Learner! And It will only get worse as long as we continue to ignore the population problem.. just way to many ppl on this planet. The more diseases we cure. The longer our life span increases and the more babies we keep having with no thought of how much this planet can sustain…the planet like any organism can only produce so much food energy, and oxygen from the available growing surface area, the planet has 30% land mass and only 38% of that is used for crops. And oxygen producing phytoplankton on the ocean is not being used effectively either. And also can only produce so much. when it comes down to room for us to surive yes the animals will have to go…In the animal kingdom the weak go and the strong survive this is mostly there population control along with pretetors. but in our species. when the strong become weak we give them pills…and a place to live.
Shawn Wilson on February 2, 2008, 4:24 AM
graham : I live in Nova Scotia Canada, got a question for you..Ive traveled quite a bit throughout the U.S. and Canada, and have noticed that forestry company's are not introducing dif. species of trees. to areas…like say bringing back forest cedar or even british columbia's red cedar..to Nova Scotia… it was prety much completely wiped out there are maby 3 wild patches in the whole province left…I have successfully grown timber cedar and they are about 14 feet tall now.. all 200 of them are growing great…It would seem that the re-foresters are re-planting the same species that has always grown in that area..why not indroduce new species?
Shawn Wilson on February 2, 2008, 4:24 AM
graham : I live in Nova Scotia Canada, got a question for you..Ive traveled quite a bit throughout the U.S. and Canada, and have noticed that forestry company's are not introducing dif. species of trees. to areas…like say bringing back forest cedar or even british columbia's red cedar..to Nova Scotia… it was prety much completely wiped out there are maby 3 wild patches in the whole province left…I have successfully grown timber cedar and they are about 14 feet tall now.. all 200 of them are growing great…It would seem that the re-foresters are re-planting the same species that has always grown in that area..why not indroduce new species?
Shawn Wilson on February 2, 2008, 9:15 AM
yes I agree Life Long Learner! And It will only get worse as long as we continue to ignore the population problem.. just way to many ppl on this planet. The more diseases we cure. The longer our life span increases and the more babies we keep having with no thought of how much this planet can sustain…the planet like any organism can only produce so much food energy, and oxygen from the available growing surface area, the planet has 30% land mass and only 38% of that is used for crops. And oxygen producing phytoplankton on the ocean is not being used effectively either. And also can only produce so much. when it comes down to room for us to surive yes the animals will have to go…In the animal kingdom the weak go and the strong survive this is mostly there population control along with pretetors. but in our species. when the strong become weak we give them pills…and a place to live.
Shawn Wilson on February 2, 2008, 9:15 AM
yes I agree Life Long Learner! And It will only get worse as long as we continue to ignore the population problem.. just way to many ppl on this planet. The more diseases we cure. The longer our life span increases and the more babies we keep having with no thought of how much this planet can sustain…the planet like any organism can only produce so much food energy, and oxygen from the available growing surface area, the planet has 30% land mass and only 38% of that is used for crops. And oxygen producing phytoplankton on the ocean is not being used effectively either. And also can only produce so much. when it comes down to room for us to surive yes the animals will have to go…In the animal kingdom the weak go and the strong survive this is mostly there population control along with pretetors. but in our species. when the strong become weak we give them pills…and a place to live.
Shawn Wilson on February 2, 2008, 9:24 AM
graham : I live in Nova Scotia Canada, got a question for you..Ive traveled quite a bit throughout the U.S. and Canada, and have noticed that forestry company’s are not introducing dif. species of trees. to areas…like say bringing back forest cedar or even british columbia’s red cedar..to Nova Scotia… it was prety much completely wiped out there are maby 3 wild patches in the whole province left…I have successfully grown timber cedar and they are about 14 feet tall now.. all 200 of them are growing great…It would seem that the re-foresters are re-planting the same species that has always grown in that area..why not indroduce new species?
Shawn Wilson on February 2, 2008, 9:24 AM
graham : I live in Nova Scotia Canada, got a question for you..Ive traveled quite a bit throughout the U.S. and Canada, and have noticed that forestry company’s are not introducing dif. species of trees. to areas…like say bringing back forest cedar or even british columbia’s red cedar..to Nova Scotia… it was prety much completely wiped out there are maby 3 wild patches in the whole province left…I have successfully grown timber cedar and they are about 14 feet tall now.. all 200 of them are growing great…It would seem that the re-foresters are re-planting the same species that has always grown in that area..why not indroduce new species?
Rachele Antenucci on November 30, 2008, 5:59 PM
I think it is SCANDALOUS that The Sierra Club of Modesto shows up at planning commission meetings to side with the local governments on forcing people to “donate their properties or face a costly legal battle they will lose for sure” by lying and saying their rural sunny dry properties have “tiger salamanders.” Then after the GOV sweeps in and commits eminent domain abuse paying less than 10% “fair market value” for the ENVIRONMENTALLY discounted property, the land is then rezoned and developed. The former owners are left with the balance of their mortgates to file bankruptcy and homeless and renting. What a lovely environment their property becomes filled in with concrete where no “tiger salamander” can really live. Environmentalists really help the government steal homes from hard working tax paying citizens so a few greedy wealthy people can get richer. Let’s be honest folks!
Rachele Antenucci on November 30, 2008, 6:02 PM
I forgot to mention that in my county the scandalous Sierra Club was paid property tax payers money in “donation” form.
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