WHAT İS SUSTAİNABİLİTY?

As it is our main issue in GreenSavings, we hear the word 'sustainability' really much.    Since it is an abstract concept, we might not get understand it fully.  According to the definition of United States  Environmental Protection Agency, it is based on a simple principle. Everything that we need for our survival and well being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.   İt is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have, the materials and resources to protect human health and our environment.  So, the main issue in sustainability is not to risk the potential resources in the future that people would meet their needs.  So, in order to call something sustainable, we should look at whether it ables to continue forever or not.  Therefore, protecting the environment is really crucial for sustainability.  Recycling, consuming green products and services, clean and protected environment and usnig alternative energy resources are one of the ways to contribute to a more sustainable community.  So, we should all care about that!

WİNTER GREEN TİPS

As you know,winter is coming. So, it is good to give some green tips for the winter.  
İn http://www.earthshare.org/2008/09/button-up-your.html , there are some inexpensive solutions for the winter that should be considered.

*Cover your air conditioner: Keep cold air from entering your home through the space around the air conditioner.
*Upgrade your thermostat: Controlling the temperature in your home at different times of the day without you being home.
*İnstall heat reflectors: Reflecting heat away from the wall and into the room and maximizing  each radiators energy efficency.
*Caulk it: Small spaces and gaps around windows and pipes entering the home create energy wasting drafts.  So, good to caulk.
*Reflective window film: The plastic sheets are placed on the inside of window pannes and glass doors.  The film reflects inside heat back into your home, reducing the amoung that is conducted outside through windows.
*Weatherstripping: Creating a tight seal around all your windows to reduce heated and cooled air from escaping outside.

GO GREEN!

We hear "go green" slogan most of the time.  But, do we know what it actually means?  İt is a wide concept that can be said much about it.  But, basically going green helps you to save more by giving less damage to the environment, which is good to live in a more sustainable community and good for future.  So, how can we "go green"?  Here are some simple tips that can be used in our lives.

*Recycling is really important.  İt decreases the waste and helps the product cycle.
*İnstalling compact fluorescent light bulbs.
*Unplugging appliances when they are not used.
*Preferring organic food also for your health.
*Using long-lasting products.
*Using alternative energy resources.
*Conducting an energy audit would be useful.
*Using smart dishwashers.


Do not forget, small steps could make a big difference!

UNİVERSİTY OF MARYLAND VİSİT

As you know, GreenSavings Coop. has a partnership with University of Maryland and works closer especially with the Department of Sustainability.  So, we went there to talk about what both sides can do and work on. There were also 2 people from Electric Advisors and Footprint Free to discuss about their sides and how they can encourage people in the University to use their services. For our sides, we had prepared some questions before going there.  Also, we had prepared some flyers to hang around the school to highlight the advantages, which are basically the discounts, to encourage them to use the green products.  But, people in Department of Sustainability told us that flyers were not a good idea.  They said that they tried it several times before, but it was not attracting people.  Anyways, we will be testing our flyers in UMD to see whether it works or not.  Second idea is to make an event or panel as we call, on December to make people more eager to buy green products.  People who used and benefited from green products and discounts will be giving a speech about the advantages of it.  İt is an alternative way to make people inform about this partnership and encourage them.  Besides the talk with Office of Sustainability, we also went to some potential supply members to talk about the benefits if they join GSC. We got some contact information to inform more about what GSC does, how the system works and the benefits for themselves to increase their businesses.  So, it was a good experience for all of us and had a good day.

ENVİRONMENTAL POLLUTİONS(NOİSE, THERMAL, VİSUAL, WATER)

Noise pollution:

• Airplanes, helicopters and motor vehicles
• Construction or demolition noise

Thermal pollution:

• Warmer lake water from nearby manufacturing (using cool water to cool the plant and then pump it back into the lake)
• Included in thermal pollution should also be the increase in temperatures in areas with lots of concrete or vehicles, generally in cities

Visual pollution:

• Skyscrapers might block the view of a mountain
• Graffiti or carving on trees, rocks or other natural landscape

Water pollution:

• Raw sewage running into lake or streams
• Industrial waste spills contaminating groundwater
• Radiation spills or nuclear accidents                                  http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/kinds-of-environmental-pollution.html

ENVİRONMENTAL POLLUTİONS(AİR, LAND, LİGHT)

İ have found an interesting article about kinds of environmental pollution in http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/kinds-of-environmental-pollution.html  There are 7 kinds of environmental pollutions.  Three of them are,
Air Pollution: 

• Exhuast fumes from vehicles
• The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil or gas
• Harmful off-gasing from things such as paint, plastic production and so on

Land Pollution:

• Litter found on the side of the road
• Illegal dumping in natural habitats
• Oil spills that happen inland
• The use of pesticides and other farming chemicals
• Damage and debris caused from unsustainable mining and logging practices
• Radiation spills or nuclear accidents

Light Pollution:

• Street lamps that shine light in all directions, instead of with a hood to point light downward toward the street.
• Unnecessary lights, especially around the home

PARTNERSHİP WİTH UNİVERSİTY OF MARYLAND

As you know, GreenSavings Coop(GSC)have made a partnership with University of Maryland(UMD) and our main task for this term is to develop this partnership.  We will be visiting the Office of Sustainability(OS) in UMD and talk about our partnership and how both sides can benefit more out of it.  UMD has many students, employees and alumnis which is a big advantage and market for also our Supply Members.  So, we will be visiting the potential Supply Members around UMD for joining GSC.  For this visit, we have ben preparing for about two weeks.  We have discussed about the questions that we will adress to them and prepared flyers to hang around the campus about how the membership would benefit the students and employees in terms of getting discounts from Supply Members.  İ think this partnership is good opportunity for GSC to increase its members and Supply Members; for UMD members to get discounts and for Supply Members to reach more customers and new markets.