By Cydney Mavian
The environment has consistently been the leading topic in the news for the past decade. From natural disasters, to climate change, to energy consumption, concerns about the current state of the environment are progressively increasing with time.
In response to the environmental crisis, ideas, products and programs have been created in an attempt to slow down and even reverse the impact that humans have had on the earth. South Carolina, and more specifically Charleston, is slowly becoming more eco-friendly as one by one individuals, communities, businesses and organizations adjust old habits and implement new sustainable living practices.
The Truth About Our Environment & What We Can Do To Change
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that in 2006 that U.S. residents, businesses and institutions produced more than 251 million tons of municipal solid waste, also known as garbage. This is equivalent to about 4.6 pounds of waste per person per day.
This waste was sent to landfills across the nation to break down. According to the EPA’s website, “municipal solid waste landfills are the second-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States, accounting for approximately 22 percent of “total methane emissions in 2008.
Methane is a top contributor of global warming as a greenhouse gas.
Source reduction, according to the EPA, is a process that decreases and even prevents waste from being created. Source reduction, also known as waste prevention, “is the practice of designing, manufacturing, purchasing, or using materials in ways that reduce the amount or toxicity of trash being created.”
This process is credited as having helped reduce waste disposal and pollution, as well as having helped with the conservation resources.
The burning of fossil fuels accounts for about 90 percent of the world’s energy. The burning of fossil fuels also releases both carbon dioxide and pollution into the atmosphere.
The carbon dioxide released by the burning of fossil fuels is the largest source of greenhouse gases from human activities. Coal, oil, and natural gas are the three main fossil fuels. Additionally, fossil fuels are not a renewable energy source.
Wind energy, solar energy, nuclear energy and hydroelectric power are just a few alternative sources of energy that are renewable and environmentally friendly. All of these sources can be used to generate electricity in houses and buildings, power cars, and replace the world’s consumption of energy via burning fossil fuels.
Research is still being done to fully understand the potential benefits and risks of using these alternate energy sources.
South Carolina’s Efforts
Darlington Raceway, the nation’s oldest superspeedway located in Darlington, S. C., has joined forces with two state-owned utility organizations to raise awareness about renewable energy and green power. In early May, Darlington 200 and Southern 500 races at Darlington Raceway went green in terms of electrical power with the help of Santee Cooper and Pee Dee Electric Cooperative according to the organization’s website.
Darlington Raceway purchased Green-e Energy Certified Green Power blocks and tags offered by the two utilities for all of its power needs that weekend.
On the first day of June, South Carolina Public Railways (SCPR) was recognized for its efforts to voluntarily reduce diesel production and improve air quality. According to a press release published by the South Carolina Department of Commerce, federal grant money has allowed the engines of two cargo-handling locomotives to be modified to reduce the diesel fumes they emit.
With the help of the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA), SCPR is teaming up with DHEC to replace existing locomotive machinery with new clean, low-emitting diesel components. These improvements will decrease the amount of nitrogen oxides and unpurified substances being discharged from the locomotive engine in the form of exhaust gases.
Charleston’s Involvement
Just last week, Charleston County announced that its recycling program will be expanding to include all plastic containers with designations #1-7, and this transition will take effect immediately. Now residents of Charleston County can recycle all plastic containers at curbside and at recycling drop-off centers.
This is a step in the right direction for the recycling program, which previously only accepted plastic bottles with #1 and 2 designations according to a Charleston County news release. It is important to note, however, that plastic wrap, plastic bags and Styrofoam are still excluded from being collected, sorted and packaged at the Charleston County Recycling Center.
In addition to the expanded recycling program, Charleston City Council approved three energy programs last Tuesday. The goal of these three programs is to make homes and businesses of the city of Charleston more energy efficient while simultaneously creating new jobs.
For Earth Day this year, two local Charleston shopping malls teamed up with Soles4Souls, a Tennessee-based national shoe charity organization, and donated thousands of pairs of shoes that would have normally ended up in a landfill. According to the Souls4Soles website, Americans threw away more than 300 millions pairs of shoes in 2009, and “when these shoes break down in our landfills, the toxic glue that holds the shoes together can leak into our water supply and atmosphere.”
Instead of letting millions of shoes decompose in U.S. landfills, Soles4Souls collects used shoes, cleans them up, and ships them off to areas in the world where children are barefoot. The organization, which was started up in response to the 2004 tsunami that hit Southeast Asia, states that “Soles4Souls has distributed over 10 millions pairs to people in 125 countries,” and their efforts have been recognized by nationwide publications.
Earth Fare, a grocery store in West Ashley that is based in North Carolina, became the second supermarket in the Charleston area to ditch plastic shopping bags. This movement started on Earth Day of this year.
Earth Fare is a natural food grocer with an award-winning recycling program. According to its website, for every bag reused, Earth Fare gives five cents to a local non-profit organization that it has teamed up with for a period of three months.
The website reports that “in 2009, Earth Fare reused over 2.7 million bags and donated more than $275,000 back to the community.”
The Farmers Market at Marion Square has also joined the green movement this year by employing eco-friendly behavior. Water conservation, recycling, and chemical free gardening are just a few changes the vendors of the Saturday morning market have made to help with the revolution.
At the end of March, the City of Charleston announced the official opening date of Charleston’s 21st annual Farmers Market along with information about the local organization in a press release.
The press release declared that this year is the start of an important change, stating, “the Charleston Farmers Market will organize a planning process to transition into a ‘Green Market.’” In addition to employing recycling and reusing practices, the transition will include “educating vendors and the public on the value of being green.”
What The Future Holds
As time goes on and research develops, more and more cities will have the opportunity to join Charleston in the green movement. Being earth friendly has become a trend that is rapidly spreading throughout the world, and Charleston has become a top role model for the revolution.
With the expansion of the recycling program, Charleston residents will reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfills, and will increase the amount of reusable products. By recycling, renewing and reusing materials, the residents of Charleston are giving back to the community and themselves, as well as reducing their carbon footprints.
For More Information
For more information from the Environmental Protection Agency, visit epa.gov
For more information about the organizations listed above, visit:
darlingtonraceway.com
sccommerce.com
charlestoncounty.org
soles4souls.org
earthfare.com
charlestonarts.sc
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