Is social capital valuble anymore?

Social capital or the ability to link people to each other within different groups or populations is an invaluable skill and tool. With the advent of social networking sites like facebook and myspace are these links degrading in value or are these online connections just valued differently than the traditional links?

People on these sites have hundred if not thousands of "friends". But the question is, if confronted with these individuals in the real world would you do anything but just say hello? On these sites you can add anybody, regardless of whether you've met them or not. But in the right hands could this be used beneficially, and I'm not talking about identity thief's and corporations looking to market to you. No what I'm hinting at is the business opportunity with staying in touch with people from your past. If someone has a company or works for a company that could use your services would it be out of line to send them a note?

Perhaps its all in tact and how you approach the situation. Instead of saying "Hi I haven't heard from you in a while. But while I was creeping your facebook I noticed that you worked for (insert business name here) and could use my services." Try "wow I haven't heard from you in a while what's new? What's your story?... Its been a crazy few years I'm doing (insert story here and what you're doing). Perhaps we could hang out or whatever?"

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A low Carbon Diet

This months (March 09) issue of National Geographic has several articles on sustainability and environmental issues of today. The one article the peaked my interest the most was the article entitled Saving Energy:It Starts At Home. It outlined a challenge that three neighbors underwent to attempt to reduce their carbon consumption to 80% below the national average or a diet of 30 tons a month.

They did so in a variety of manners, having an energy survey done for their house to determine where they are wasting it, having leaks in their foundation or through their ceiling, so they are paying to heat or cool the outdoors. The did things like hang their clothes to dry, bike to work, and walk to the pool in the summer. The low lying fruit of energy consciousness enabled the three families to substantially reduce their carbon diet.

If that simple effect can be done locally, and with initiatives like CBC's 1 million acts of green this movement can be enough to substantially change industry and perhaps make a difference to the future.

Your resident Tree Hugger,
Badger (Kirsten)

The National Geographic Article

1 Million Acts of Green

Can computers really be "green"?

With power draw alone and our addiction to technology that stronger every day can computers really be environmentally friendly. For years people touted the fact that we were going to be a "paperless" society, but the legal system requires hard copies of everything to prove due diligence. There are the materials used to produce computers, many of which are toxic in the environment.

This last fact is what many computer manufacturers are looking at to "green" up the computer industry. Companies like Mac are using recycled plastics and metals for their housing, using lower energy computer chips, so fans are no longer necessary. But these eco alternatives are inaccessible to the average Joe. Mac books typically cost up to twice as much as a PC alternative, many of the other computers are being sold solely to businesses. While affluent people and businesses have the free capital to invest in this movement, for the average individual, this is still far out of reach.

Dating for the Eco-consious/broke

With the passing of Valentines day I thought it might be interesting to explore what options exist for those students and eco-conscious among us. A quick search of the internet lead me to several blogs where they ponder whether sustainability dating is being cheap and buying frozen pizza instead of delivery, optimizing efficiency such as speed dating or just prevent traumatizing your date. Now the last option is rather interesting, as into the future emotional scarring from a date gone awry will sink money into therapy and the "Spring Break" phenomena.

Others suggest solutions like an organic picnic, or a walk in the park with a bottle of local wine (brown bagged of course). Its funny but these eco dates often would be dubbed the most romantic. Perhaps because with the absence of money your time has to be spent figuring out how to make it memorable, with hand picked flowers and home made gourmet food.

So just because you're broke doesn't mean that your dates will suffer from boring monotony of a rent a movie night, no the outside world is your oyster, go grab a bicycle built for two and explore.

More Eco-Dating Options:
Dating for the Eco-Conscious
http://sustainablog.org/2008/05/30/dating-for-the-eco-conscious-part-one/
REALITY: Sustaining Your Dating Life
http://www.granvilleonline.ca/node/4304
Green Snowball
http://www.greensnowball.com/2008/08/sustainable-dating.html

Mental Sustainability

Is it just me or does it seem that the focus is on behavior and how we have to live our lives and not on how we can sustain our lives. So much of what is deemed `sustainable`is merely an environmental change or a new method of designing a building and not on our mental health and stress level. Personally I believe that the two go hand in hand. As our jobs demand more and more of our time, our stress level increases, our mental sustainability decreases, and our pollution increases. This past weekend the BSc Environmental Science class took a much needed break, to go and appreciate all the beauty that Mt Baker has to offer. This time releived much stress and allowed a homeostasis to exist again in the classroom.

The balance has been restored between our personal life and our school life. Without breaks such as these the long hours at school lead to long hours in the car, and lead to much more unsustainable lifestyles.

Urbanization of Communities

Today more than ever people are growing up in an environment surrounded by concrete, and their days are regulated by artificial light. Is it merely coincidental that the green spaces are diminishing and that we are dealing with world wide environmental issues. I have friends that are afraid to sleep overnight in the woods. Is this a result of the urban lifestyle? I tend to think that people are afraid of the unknown, and as more and more people grow up away from nature they become afraid of it. This may be the core issue in getting people to take action against climate change. The apathy that is instilled in individuals that never see a forest sheerly by their upbringing.

Its very strange for me as I have always been in the forest camping, hiking and playing. But then again I'm also very passionate about the environment.

A Sustainable Superbowl?

Tonight is Superbowl Sunday. The single most watched event on television. North Americans tune-in in droves, having huge parties and barbeque's to watch the game or the commercials with their friends. While I'm tuning in from the comfort of my room I wonder, is this North American tradition sustainable? Are the viewers using environmentally conscious foods and beverages. What about how they got to their friends house, did they car pool or was it a single occupancy vehicle? And how does this compare with other holidays and to the average evening?

All are interesting to consider when watching this awesome game. All I have to say is 100 yard play.

Free Market Not for Profit

In my Sustainability and Community relations class this week we had presenters from BC Healthy Communities. And the one thing that struck me was at how many different organizations there were for everything, so many that do the same thing, and instead of doing the good work they intend to do, they end up competing for funding for these services. Is this a testament to the lack of interaction between people in communities, or is this something psychological to the tune of us mistrusting other's work.

This was just exemplified by the sustainability initiatives that are occurring here on Royal Roads campus. At the present time there are at least 5 different committees, groups, clubs or whatever on campus all with the goal of sustainability in mind. Now while this indicates a strong interest for the people on campus, its hard to initiate anything within one of those groups that another one is not already working on. So there is allot of overlap and confusion on that front. One of the services that BC Healthy Communities provides is a seed grant to get all those similar organizations together so that the overlap stops and people start working together. Presently each one has to compete for your time, money and even your emotions, people are constantly inundated with charities pleading for help, it gets to a point where the average individual becomes apathetic.

Is that sustainable?

Links to Charity guide

BC Healthy Communities

Is Medicare sustainable?

Now this issue is near and dear to my heart. Recently I've spent more time tied up in medical bureaucracy just to figure out what was going on with my foot. I've been to 3 different doctors, had x-rays, then put on a 4 month waiting list for an MRI, whose results took a month to collect to be put on yet another waiting list for a surgeon. Through all of it I'm wondering how efficient and effective this system of ours is? And if it's not effective, is it sustainable?

While Canada boasts the most cost efficient medical system in North America there are hundreds of forms and approvals and red tape that the average individual has to do. Now people like the friends of medicare would claim that this is a small price on our time to pay so that everyone can receive quality medical help. But what do those pieces of paper actually prove, and why do they need to be filled out? On another note as well, more and more organizations require doctors notes for sick days, and physical examinations for work and or insurance purposes. These are not covered under medicare and have to be paid for out of pocket. Is that necessarily sustainable?

For many Canadians such as myself this whole process is daunting and confusing. Which leads many to avoid going to the doctors at all costs. That may be an indicator that the present system is not sustainable; especially if a large portion of individuals avoid using the system when it may be medically necessary for them to actually use it.

But there are several other opinions on this intense topic for Canadians. Here are a few of their opinions:
Canadian Health Coalition
http://www.healthcoalition.ca/sus-e.pdf
The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies:
http://www.aims.ca/library/sustainability.pdf

The Hybrid Revolution

I realize that in our global community transportation is a necessary part of life. My question is how the only solution did, or at least what's being portrayed as a solution, become the hybrid car? When you look at the entire lifecycle of a vehicle, the largest portion of emissions CO2 and others occur from the manufacture of the vehicle itself. Now with safety regulations and other industry standards, those emissions will remain the same regardless of the type of vehicle. On the other hand the numerous batteries that are utilized in hybrid vehicles have to be created and the correct servicing for these additional portions must be accounted for which may increase its environmental footprint.

In either case, a new car being manufactured will lead to a tremendous impact on the environment. Maybe the solution is to refurbish an older vehicle, or take public transit, or just boycott that form of transportation all together. The world still requires shipping to circulate food, products and even people for the health of the world economy. But there has to be other ways of doing so. Further investigation needs to be done before we put all our "eggs" in the hybrid basket.