Green event brings energy to NC State

On any given day you can catch students, like myself, sleeping, studying or socializing in Caldwell Lounge. Last week, however, the normally quiet area became a lively environmental information hub.

The basics of photovoltaics.

NCSU students created posters for “Green Germany and the Transatlantic Climate Bridge,” which showcased research on Germany’s various environmental initiatives. Communication students researched how the media portrays environmental issues, engineers laid out the basics of photovoltaic cells, and political junkies researched German political party stances on green legislation.

The event, sponsored by the German Embassy and the German Studies program, helped answer the question, “What can Americans learn from Europe’s most efficient nation?”

Biking to keep the light on.

From a manufacturing and economic standpoint, Germany and the United States appear very similar. But from an environmental perspective, many differences arise between the two countries. The average per capita electricity use per year is nearly double in the United States.

To demonstrate the disparities in energy use, students could hop on the “Bike for Light.” The stationary bike was hooked up to a generator and when students pedaled, they produced energy to power a light. The interactive set up also allowed students to bike through the countries of the world based on energy consumption. Students began the trek in the country with the lowest energy consumption – the Gaza Strip. Iceland, with the most kWh per capita each year, was the bike’s last stop. I biked my way through Korea and ended in Peru.

It was great to see NC State students taking an initiative to learn about other countries and other approaches to environmental legislation.

Who knew you could bike from Korea to Peru?

Ditching the shampoo

No more!

You know they say everything comes back into style.  Unlike popped colors and 80s neon, this one I am happy about (although I've kept it a secret for some time).  A growing number of people, including myself, have ditched daily showers.  The NY Times reports "some people have all but abandoned the idea of soap, shampoo or deodorant and yet still manage to have friends, relationships and office jobs."  "The Great Unwashed" is what the newspaper calls these people, whose habits range from washing their hair less frequently to not using deodorant.

Daily cleansing has become a ritual and a norm for most people.  I don't recall what my elementary school bathing habits were, but I do remember that in middle school I began washing my hair every day.  I jumped in the shower every morning at 6:15 so I could wear my hair down like all the other girls in sixth grade.  Unfortunately, there was a bad side effect - my hair and skin became extremely dry.

I don't see this no-washing trend as an act of rebellion against societal norms or an environmental movement.  I think as we become more conscious of what is good for our bodies, we realize that showering once or even twice a day is completely unnecessary and time consuming - maybe we're even a little lazy.  Less showering has beauty and health benefits.  Many stylists actually recommend washing your hair only a few times a week.  I generally wash my hair every other day, depending on my activities.  I find this gets the job done.  I'm not stinky.  My hair looks decent.  And my skin is smooth.  So, I will revel in this new-found trend of minimal washing.

A guide to a “green Halloween”

Halloween is normally depicted as an orange and black holiday, but this year it’s taking on greener hues as people look for ways to make their trick-or-treating more eco-friendly.  Back in the day, Halloween was different. It was a low-budget holiday at my house.  Decorations and costumes were handmade by my mom. We used old sheets, cardboard boxes, and sweatpants.  Trick-or-treating was done on foot with my mom and dad accompanying my brother and I.  Back then, Halloween was green and we didn't even know it.  Make it a green Halloween this year.

Handmade, but creepy! (Perhapablog)

Costumes: One of the easiest ways to go green for Halloween is to reduce the amount of money you spend on costumes. Resist the temptation to buy another expensive costume that will only get worn for a few hours. Instead, look for ways to reuse or recycle old Halloween costumes or old clothes.  If I can't come up with any other costume idea, I use my "tiger lady" costume from sixth grade. Hey, I was chubby kid.

Trick-or-Treat Bags: Instead of spending money on fancy trick-or-treat bags, use a pillowcase. Believe it or not, pillowcases used to be the only kind of bag used at Halloween - I asked my parents.  Pillowcase candy bags are far more durable than those picked up at the store.

Delicious and packed full of protein!

Pumpkins: After Halloween is over, don’t let those seeds go to waste! They’re delicious roasted, or you can simply allow them to dry and leave them out for birds to eat.

Candy: For those who still want some sweet treats, consider going organic. Choose organic, all-natural, dye-free ingredients that have minimal or biodegradable packaging. Endangered Species chocolate has a line of Halloween-themed candies including ‘Organic Dark Chocolate Bug Bites’. Other ideas include organic fruit leather, dried fruit and fair trade chocolate ‘gold coins’.

Extra Candy: The Halloween Candy BuyBack program gives you $1 per pound of unwanted candy if you drop it off at a participating dentist’s office. Just plug in your zip on the website, then drop it off on Nov. 1. The candy will be sent to U.S. troops overseas.  There are several dentist offices in Cary and Raleigh that participate.

Transportation: Instead of having everyone take separate cars for the Halloween activities, when possible take public transportation or walk.  The Raleigh CAT bus is a fast, easy way to get to neighborhoods across the city.  Consider carpooling as another way to cut down on transportation expenses and fuel usage. 

The N.C. State Fair goes green

NC State Fair recycling bin

I’ve got the blues….the N.C. State Fair is over, and I never got a corn dog. But, don’t feel too bad for me. I did manage to eat some tasty fries and fresh grilled corn smothered in molten butter. This year, the North Carolina State Fair broke an attendance record. More than one million people entered the gates to try unusual food like the Krispy Kreme burger, ride the Ferris wheel and see goats, cows and horses.

The fair is an annual event for my family and I – we show dairy cows. This is the first time I have noticed a large scale recycling effort at the 11-day event. Back in 2008, fair organizers used biodiesel to fuel the Midway and collected used cooking oil, but those aren’t actions fairgoers can take an active part in. Last year, the fair put out recycling bins, but there were only 25 placed throughout the entire area. This year, visitors were encouraged to toss their plastic bottles in large recycling bins found near every trash can. A total of 90 recycling stations were set up inside buildings and out on the fairgrounds. I guess the State Fair read my blog post about the Mountain State Fair’s lack of recycling.

The high demand for fried Snickers and funnel cakes results in a lot of leftover cooking oil. Starting in 2008 with the “Funnel Cakes for Fuel” program, the fair collected more than 8,500 gallons of cooking oil. The oil was processed into B100 biodiesel and sent to the state’s 18 Agricultural Research Stations for use in farm equipment, as well as tractor-trailers that deliver supplies to N.C. schools. With all the food battered and dipped in bubbling oil, I’m sure the fair collected even more this year.

The fair also continued powering a few buildings with biodiesel and outfitted Dorton Arena with energy-efficient LED lights.

After the cows were herded out of the barn and the roller coasters were packed up, I’m sure the fair also broke a recycling record.

Local, fresh and on-campus

College students across the nation are proving their palettes are broader than pepperoni pizza and cheap beer. Harvard, the University of Maine, North Carolina State University, and many other colleges have discovered that on-campus farmers markets are an easy way to involve students' emerging interest sustainability with an irresistible medley of fresh food, local products and people.

NC State's Campus Farmers Market opened more than a year ago, and it continues to grow in popularity each week. Usually, nine vendors report to the market each Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. When students first launched the market, it had just three vendors who participated.

Summer = Watermelon (Red & White for Life blog)

Students can pick up anything from staple fruits and vegetables to a variety of natural soaps and lip balms. The market provides on-campus and off-campus students a chance to eat fresh food. Most of the food is dorm friendly (meaning it doesn't have to be cooked in an oven). One my favorite market products comes from Yah's Best. I love their fresh pineapple salsa. It's sweeter than traditional salsa, but still goes great with all my favorite Mexican dishes. Last week I persevered the rain to try one of The Cookie People's triple chocolate cookies. Totally worth all the puddles I stepped in .

Nationally, small farms play a vital role in economic development. They are creating jobs and bringing money into their communities. Local farmers have goals that are not strictly financial. They closely examine their impact on the environment, workers and communities.

NCSU’s on-campus farmers market supports the 10 percent campaign, an effort to get North Carolinians to spend one-tenth of their food dollars locally. So far, more than 1,400 people have pledged the campaign and more than $600,000 have been spent locally by individuals, restaurants and businesses.