tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43617064722988239382024-03-21T11:13:14.566-07:00Behavior Analysis for Sustainable SocietiesThe science of behavior meets the science of sustainability.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-73724385002621535512016-10-23T16:26:00.001-07:002016-10-23T16:38:36.503-07:00For you teachers out there who are looking for a video that defines "sustainability" for your kids, this one is quick and simple.<span id="goog_980679270"></span><span id="goog_980679271"></span><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5NiTN0chj0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5NiTN0chj0</a> (Credit: RealEyes video)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0B59GRihSIra-8dHwfDheB5dd90LLmQv72AL9m03NT5EecGuoZwWIqJCndLFZbjHGbcnNCB3BbD4B20caydgSSP8PYeQJFSOnyV5-hbNE0B593a4cUgtxnPF0ho7VBGy1exF3WGr2v4f/s1600/Screenshot+2016-10-23+16.19.42.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0B59GRihSIra-8dHwfDheB5dd90LLmQv72AL9m03NT5EecGuoZwWIqJCndLFZbjHGbcnNCB3BbD4B20caydgSSP8PYeQJFSOnyV5-hbNE0B593a4cUgtxnPF0ho7VBGy1exF3WGr2v4f/s320/Screenshot+2016-10-23+16.19.42.png" width="320" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08864178725626051950noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-5276509514832621302016-10-23T16:26:00.000-07:002016-10-23T16:31:12.398-07:00Sustainability Definition for KidsFor you teachers out there who are looking for a video that defines "sustainability" for your kids, this one is quick and simple.<span id="goog_980679270"></span><span id="goog_980679271"></span><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5NiTN0chj0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5NiTN0chj0</a> (Credit: RealEyes video)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0B59GRihSIra-8dHwfDheB5dd90LLmQv72AL9m03NT5EecGuoZwWIqJCndLFZbjHGbcnNCB3BbD4B20caydgSSP8PYeQJFSOnyV5-hbNE0B593a4cUgtxnPF0ho7VBGy1exF3WGr2v4f/s1600/Screenshot+2016-10-23+16.19.42.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0B59GRihSIra-8dHwfDheB5dd90LLmQv72AL9m03NT5EecGuoZwWIqJCndLFZbjHGbcnNCB3BbD4B20caydgSSP8PYeQJFSOnyV5-hbNE0B593a4cUgtxnPF0ho7VBGy1exF3WGr2v4f/s320/Screenshot+2016-10-23+16.19.42.png" width="320" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08864178725626051950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-47741184555023800062013-02-25T07:00:00.001-08:002013-02-25T07:00:58.982-08:00Billboard Water Generation<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(Note: Sarah Laskow of GristList published the following story, and Elizabeth Downs posted the story on the BASS Facebook Page)</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/35yeVwigQcc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.4em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In Peru, it hardly ever rains and most water sources are polluted, but the humid air is full of water vapor. So the University of Engineering and Technology <a href="http://designtaxi.com/news/356012/Billboard-Produces-Drinkable-Water-From-Air/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #ed5f00; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">has rigged up a billboard to suck drinking water out of thin air</a>.</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.4em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Taking advantage of capital city Lima’s high humidity levels, engineers have created a system to gather the water through reverse osmosis, purify it, and send it down, clean, to families below.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;"><section class="article-body" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.4em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It’s already produced almost 2,500 gallons of water and is the only billboard we’ve ever seen that actually can justify its existence.</span><b id="internal-source-marker_0.7004418310243636" style="font-size: 15px; max-width: 100%;"><br style="max-width: 100%;" /></b></div>
<div style="font-size: 0.95em;">
<br /></div>
<div class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled" id="jp-post-flair" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px !important; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px !important; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1;">
</div>
</section><div class="grist-sources" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="span-8 textright" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 2px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline; width: 150px;">
</div>
</div>
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-51481403300650356382013-02-19T20:19:00.000-08:002013-02-19T20:19:47.214-08:00Root Cellaring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvRfqkAO2PE82pFZhEzLitQFm6ScRrbPEcjsVEZOPgenz7YXpIEbYdhjmTZ2nYO531f-IY3a2wJrdi8WE-7QYOFx5rdgpuUu4dCKv5i_0elTp4hbUF0pFYjgnF3ujFPX6x4fUccwLQPsH/s1600/Root+Cellaring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvRfqkAO2PE82pFZhEzLitQFm6ScRrbPEcjsVEZOPgenz7YXpIEbYdhjmTZ2nYO531f-IY3a2wJrdi8WE-7QYOFx5rdgpuUu4dCKv5i_0elTp4hbUF0pFYjgnF3ujFPX6x4fUccwLQPsH/s1600/Root+Cellaring.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The application of behavior analysis to sustainability can take many forms. One form comes from the Homesteading or Self-Sufficiency movement. </span><div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Root cellaring, as many people remember but only a few people still practice, is a way of using the earth's naturally cool, stable temperature to store perishable fruits and vegetables. Root cellaring, as Mike and Nancy Bubel explain here, is a no-cost, simple, low-technology, energy-saving way to keep the harvest fresh all year long.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In Root Cellaring, the Bubels tell how to successfully use this natural storage approach. It's the first book devoted entirely to the subject, and it covers the subject with a thoroughness that makes it the only book you'll ever need on root cellaring.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Root Cellaring will tell you:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">* How to choose vegetable and fruit varieties that will store best</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">* Specific individual storage requirements for nearly 100 home garden crops</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">* How to use root cellars in the country, in the city, and in any environment</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">* How to build root cellars, indoors and out, big and small, plain and fancy</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">* Case histories -- reports on the root cellaring techniques and experiences of many households all over North America</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Root cellaring need not be strictly a country concept. Though it's often thought of as an adjunct to a large garden, a root cellar can in fact considerably stretch the resources of a small garden, making it easy to grow late succession crops for storage instead of many rows for canning and freezing. Best of all, root cellars can easily fit anywhere. Not everyone can live in the country, but everyone can benefit from natural cold storage.</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-514065666006485162012-11-14T14:23:00.000-08:002012-11-14T14:23:33.189-08:00TED Talk: Global Warming Mitigated by Cattle?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lOpoRdpvlh0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div id="eow-description">
<span style="font-size: large;">Global warming may be mitigated by the most unlikely of sources, cattle. How is this possible? How can this vilified creature be an ally in the fight against climate change? Seth Itzkan shows us how.<br /><br />Seth is President of Planet-TECH Associates, a consultancy that investigates innovations for a regenerative future. He has consulted on trends and innovations for The Boston Foundation, The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and The US Census Bureau. Seth is a graduate of Tufts University College of Engineering and the University of Houston-Clear Lake Masters Program in Studies of Future. He works in Somerville, and recently spent six weeks at the Africa Center for Holistic Management in Zimbabwe.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-64745894674176239012012-11-02T13:59:00.000-07:002012-11-02T13:59:40.244-07:00A Solar Panel "Microbrewery"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<div class="document-body-text" style="color: #58595b; font-family: ProximaNova-Semibold;">
<a href="https://www.mrsolar.com/images/solar-panel-diagram.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://www.mrsolar.com/images/solar-panel-diagram.gif" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Imagine what you might do if you could print your own solar panels. That line was taken from an article published by <a href="http://sciencefriday.com/topics/big-thinkers/video/09/21/2012/printing-solar-panels-in-the-backyard.html" target="_blank">NPR's Science Friday</a> about Shawn Frayne and Alex Hornstein's Solar Pocket Factory. </span></div>
<div class="document-body-text" style="color: #58595b; font-family: ProximaNova-Semibold;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="document-body-text" style="color: #58595b; font-family: ProximaNova-Semibold;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Described by the founders as a "microbrewery" for solar panels, the two inventors were able to raise over $70,000 from a Kickstarter campaign to get their project going.</span></div>
<div class="document-body-text" style="color: #58595b; font-family: ProximaNova-Semibold;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="document-body-text" style="color: #58595b; font-family: ProximaNova-Semibold;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://sciencefriday.com/topics/big-thinkers/video/09/21/2012/printing-solar-panels-in-the-backyard.html" target="_blank">here</a> for the article and accompanying video.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 17px;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-86845079709250556932012-11-01T10:16:00.001-07:002012-11-01T10:16:48.589-07:00Creating Green Conferences<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Mike Magoon at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) for passing along the webinar announcement below! The announcement is partly in response to a conversation with several BASS members on how to create green conferences with the help of the Internet -- the less people physically traveling to your conference, the greener it can be. If the registration link below doesn't work for you, please click <a href="https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=533286&sessionid=1&key=FB5F5BC0C05D07274FA6D2E37B593445&partnerref=cmiinvite1&sourcepage=register" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioByB9lQUI8blpMWzTBrL8r9AuQKepI1b0m8LkcbI1O-ZUXP6QXAaUnTVrMRX4yXdHrEUf636nCp10MEG_nU17bEzK_ws3RqzXGIBzVxt0KAS_8ZY8rSc1bK8cC_gkwY5e2Hec0pBmiZk/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-11-01+at+10.03.21+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioByB9lQUI8blpMWzTBrL8r9AuQKepI1b0m8LkcbI1O-ZUXP6QXAaUnTVrMRX4yXdHrEUf636nCp10MEG_nU17bEzK_ws3RqzXGIBzVxt0KAS_8ZY8rSc1bK8cC_gkwY5e2Hec0pBmiZk/s320/Screen+shot+2012-11-01+at+10.03.21+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=533286&sessionid=1&key=FB5F5BC0C05D07274FA6D2E37B593445&partnerref=cmiinvite1&sourcepage=register" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4oT0-pk5CKf057-2YsETd5_EqxxGVAuiQkzIxXfyHPjroP3PM0PCeIgqnzX6hiuXBE4H-cLiowvkYZsh59iawBrTH_6MlslmcUvKuliEUlOCTP5npj3nFtwpdsmd2ODxuRsTWrhcN0U/s320/Screen+shot+2012-11-01+at+10.02.44+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbMFsPvamu3jPa8XoXIliamLD_-rBtvR-fjzotcdH5S5i7RQJ7WE7EJdULUYcdWK8T2ZKVAPVpktcUzzoanKpnV7HfkiuuFPVqSZdjc9hIl-3c4sArJXB6zXEjsNsRo5FChvwoBqs2s4/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-11-01+at+10.01.50+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbMFsPvamu3jPa8XoXIliamLD_-rBtvR-fjzotcdH5S5i7RQJ7WE7EJdULUYcdWK8T2ZKVAPVpktcUzzoanKpnV7HfkiuuFPVqSZdjc9hIl-3c4sArJXB6zXEjsNsRo5FChvwoBqs2s4/s320/Screen+shot+2012-11-01+at+10.01.50+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-19167767026946464872012-10-23T23:11:00.000-07:002012-10-23T23:11:31.067-07:00Zakaria's "The New Oil and Gas Boom"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today, I read Fareed Zakaria's recent column in Time magazine, titled "The New Oil and Gas Boom," which is also available <a href="http://fareedzakaria.com/2012/10/17/the-new-oil-and-gas-boom/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
One point he made that I found intruiging was the following: "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px;">The environmental impact of the natural-gas boom is already clear—and positive. The U.S.’s greenhouse-gas emissions in 2011 were 9% lower than in 2007. That’s a larger drop than in the European Union, with all its focus on renewables. Why? A slow recovery and lagging demand is one answer. But the main reason is that natural gas is replacing coal everywhere as an energy source, and gas emits half as much carbon dioxide as coal."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
Some food for thought in your sustainable efforts...</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-79492759357122482652012-09-04T12:28:00.000-07:002012-09-04T12:28:05.196-07:00The Wonder Wash, Powerless Washer: Commentary and Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe height="385" src="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3JjAm9_iIKdWlRrcFRWZktYVk0/preview" width="470"></iframe><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
For about a month now, my wife and I have been using the Wonder Wash to wash our clothes. Unlike traditional powerless washers, the Wonder Wash does away with washboards and plungers in favor of a pressurized container that efficiently forces the detergent through your clothes enabling you to wash a load in approx. two minutes. <br />
<br />
The video above illustrates the process of using the Wonder Wash from start to finish to get a feel for the length of time involved from loading to drying. </div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-56188638221383399532012-08-15T11:15:00.002-07:002012-08-15T11:17:30.300-07:00Sustainable Waste Management at Stanley Middle School: <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the standouts from the many fantastic presentations given at the Behavior Change for a Sustainable World conference at the beginning of the month came from Brian Cooper and his team at Stanley Middle School. In his first year as a math teacher at Stanley Middle School, Brian Cooper found himself surrounded by collaborative and optimistic people who weren't afraid to ask questions and do some problem solving. A passionate group of 8th grade students met during their lunch break each week and created a plan to implement a new waste management system for the 1200 students on their campus. Realizing and utilizing their surrounding green infrastructure was critical for success. They conducted a waste audit with EarthTeam, met with the community members of Sustainable Lafayette, took council from the county's WasteBusters, and learned from the practices of their friends at Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School.</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0_iFTBaoCPKVMDhS98YDYr84tLpr850KaWt_fdbd3xzh3Ywl9DiS97-LAbk_HZnnAbNU-D8fXqY_q0IR3YudO-unJg62gcZINyjfN4YT6Sxe0KhknqJnF18KsoVcB99fYVC2CuP1tOE/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-08-15+at+11.10.45+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0_iFTBaoCPKVMDhS98YDYr84tLpr850KaWt_fdbd3xzh3Ywl9DiS97-LAbk_HZnnAbNU-D8fXqY_q0IR3YudO-unJg62gcZINyjfN4YT6Sxe0KhknqJnF18KsoVcB99fYVC2CuP1tOE/s400/Screen+shot+2012-08-15+at+11.10.45+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
More than 1500 pounds of food were collected for energy conversion during the final eight weeks of the 2011-2012 academic year. Goals for 2012-2013 include sustaining the practice, making it more efficient, and providing more opportunities for students to reflect on the meaningfulness of the practice through concepts and metrics.<br />
<div style="font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div>
Please see the following video depicting their successful program.</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MgH8CBF8z4Q" width="450"></iframe>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-22100680166974340162012-07-11T11:38:00.000-07:002012-07-11T11:38:16.527-07:00Global Cooling? Implications for Sustainability Efforts.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.uni-mainz.de/eng/bilder_presse/09_geo_tree_ring_northern_europe_climate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="http://www.uni-mainz.de/eng/bilder_presse/09_geo_tree_ring_northern_europe_climate.jpg" width="320" /></a>According to <a href="http://www.uni-mainz.de/eng/15491.php" target="_blank">Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU)</a>, an international team "has published a reconstruction of the climate in
northern Europe over the last 2,000 years based on the information
provided by tree-rings." Their reconstruction is illustrated in the adjascent graph.<br />
<br />
According to the article, the group
"used tree-ring density measurements from sub-fossil pine trees
originating from Finnish Lapland to produce a reconstruction reaching
back to 138 BC. In so doing, the researchers have been able for the
first time to precisely demonstrate that the long-term trend over the
past two millennia has been towards climatic cooling."<br />
<br />
The authors also suggest that "the large-scale climate reconstruction shown by
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) likely
underestimate this long-term cooling trend over the past few millennia."<br />
<br />
While one study is hardly ever sufficient to change an entire scientific theory, this data raises an important issue to be considered by those in the sustainability community, viz., is "global warming" a necessary component of sustainability?<br />
<br />
In my personal opinion, the answer is a resounding "no." Sustainability efforts are justified regardless of whether global warming is a valid phenomenon. Behaviorally speaking, people are much more motivated by short term consequences than by long term consequences. In addition, when consequences are a cumulative product of macrobehavior -- that is, the behavior of many people acting concurrently over time, rather than the behavior of one particular individual -- those consequences are even less likely to change behavior. Global warming, whether "real" or not, suffers from these behavioral shortcomings.<br />
<br />
The philosophical foundation of behavior analysis is one of pragmatism. It's functional contextualist underpinnings suggest that if the scientific enterprise and it's products are intimately tied to the verbal behavior of scientists acting in context, then "what is real" is unimportant and indeterminate because "reality" is relative to one's history of interacting with the world. Rather, what we should focus on is "what changes behavior." Thus, worrying about whether global warming is "really" happening is a non-issue. While there are many individuals motivated by "global warming" there are many more who aren't and a sizable portion of those who are flat out skeptical. <br />
<br />
Alternatively, what most people do care about are the more immediate and tangible products of unsustainable behavior such as (a) pollution which can be seen, smelled, and felt, rising from factories and emitted from vehicles, (b) trash, which are eye sores on our sidewalks, rivers, and parks, and (c) chemical contaminants in our lakes, rivers, and water supply which impair our health.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-39709108663949796562012-06-23T10:35:00.000-07:002012-06-23T10:35:43.586-07:00More Bikes, More Problems...Maybe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For behavioral scientists interested in promoting sustainable practices in our communities, New York may provide for an interesting case study. According to <a href="http://grist.org/news/how-will-new-york-respond-to-thousands-more-bikers-angrily-of-course/">Grist.org</a>, New York City is planning on introducing 10,000 public bikes into the city tied together via a "network of bike-sharing stations."<br />
<br />
Though the city council enthusiastically approved the measure, the larger populace may have their doubts. Most relate to the environment of Manhattan itself, with concerns that the city "was never designed for biking," with related safety concerns with so many potential cyclists on the road. And, of course, there is the potential negative impact of bike lanes on local business with one manager reporting that the lanes have "cut down on parking and hindered the ability of delivery trucks to access his storefront." Although the above comments were not based on a systematic polling of the population, it does open one's eyes to the complexities involved in promoting sustainable community practices. <br />
<br />
Behavior analysts can certainly advise on best practices regarding the safety of bicyclists, and evidenced in Dagen and Alavosius's (2008) paper in <i>Behavior and Social Issues </i>titled "<a href="http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/bsi/article/view/2062">Bicyclist and Motorist Environments: Exploring Interlocking Behavioral Contingencies.</a>" Perhaps the most obvious set of interlocking contingencies involves the potential for New York's initiative to unleash 10,000 lay bicyclists, who likely have insufficient bicycle-commuting repertoires, onto the streets of the largest city in the U.S. Of course, that is an empirical question -- what types of people are most likely to participate in a public bike program? Will it be avid cyclists or people who have very little history riding bikes, let alone riding them in the middle of a busy city?<br />
<br />
For a different perspective on the issue, please see the following video for one bike messenger's story of biking in New York City:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/43400918" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="475"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/43400918">MY NYC Biking Story: Squid</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/streetfilms">Streetfilms</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, we in the behavioral community will have our eyes on the Big Apple in the coming months as the project unfolds. <br />
<br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-34524837312854279802012-06-20T17:12:00.000-07:002012-06-20T17:12:52.199-07:00Behavior Change for a Sustainable World Conference<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPg9lYmGfb2Se4JtewgLaH1fxpVZMdk8f4F8CJ692tpc9CmHpVT9uw7cJiRuwN-zYm23feW5AkEM27UKgMyds67oAJEE0EX4AoPlMymlF1QPtJo7DuLolEphlwWiPrjkM9vbeqPhjJ7s/s1600/BCSWnavimg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPg9lYmGfb2Se4JtewgLaH1fxpVZMdk8f4F8CJ692tpc9CmHpVT9uw7cJiRuwN-zYm23feW5AkEM27UKgMyds67oAJEE0EX4AoPlMymlF1QPtJo7DuLolEphlwWiPrjkM9vbeqPhjJ7s/s320/BCSWnavimg.jpg" width="236" /></a>August 3-5 will be an exciting time for BASS in that the Behavior Change for a Sustainable World Conference will be held during that time at The Ohio Union at the Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. <br />
<br />
As quoted from the <a href="http://www.abainternational.org/Events/susconf2012/index.asp" target="_blank">Association for Behavior Analysis International</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Save the dates now and plan to be part of this seminal gathering on
how basic principles of behavior change can help in the fight to
preserve our environment. As world-famous climatologist Lonnie Thompson
noted in his paper in <a href="http://www.abainternational.org/journals/HumanResponseToClimateChangeIdeasFromBA.pdf" target="_blank"><i>The Behavior Analyst</i> (Fall, 2010)</a>, there is currently no engineering fix for climate change. For now, the only thing we can do is change human behavior.<br />
The program will feature prominent figures in behavior analysis,
environmental organizations, business, and government. Invited addresses
and panels, research and project posters, and interactive brainstorming
sessions will give conference attendees a unique opportunity to
interact with people with diverse backgrounds who are interested in
working on one of the greatest challenges to face civilization since the
last ice age.<br />
In addition to invited presentations by distinguished scholars,
attendees will have the opportunity to review current research at a
poster session. Questions regarding the sustainability conference should
be directed to the ABAI office at (269) 492-9310 or via e-mail at <a href="mailto:convention@abainternational.org">convention@abainternational.org</a>.<br />
The <i>Japanese Journal for Behavior Analysis</i> posted an announcement for the conference in their latest issue. <a href="http://www.abainternational.org/Events/susconf2012/JJBAannouncment.pdf" target="_blank">You can view the announcement here</a> (in Japanese).<br />
<h4>
Tours of Sustainability Research Programs</h4>
<div class="notopspace">
Conference attendees can choose from a number of
tours of sustainability research and development programs including the
Byrd Polar Research Center, Center for Automotive Research, the Zero
Waste Project at Ohio Stadium, and Blue Rock Station."</div>
</blockquote>
One particularly notable speaker will be Dr. Lonnie Thompson, who is a
senior research scientist at the Byrd Polar Research Center and
recipient of the National Medal of Science. See this short video of Dr. Thompson discussing his childhood journey into science.<br />
<br />
<iframe width="480" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lAuRjggAI0w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361706472298823938.post-35863031113993532032012-06-19T20:25:00.000-07:002012-06-19T20:25:54.050-07:00Countercultural Paths to Sustainability<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
To christen our new blog, we would like to share with you the following presentation by Lyle Grant titled "Countercultural Paths to Sustainability." This presentation was given at the 2012 meeting of the Association for Behavior Analysis International.<br />
<br />
Dr. Grant's presentation is based on the following main ideas:<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Developed economies are a relic of an economic fossil-fuel age.</li>
<li>Altering reinforcers is required to make a transition to a cultural age of less work, less consumption, and a higher standard of localized living.</li>
<li>Altered reinforcers are the basis of bohemian countercultures, including Walden Two, and are cultural variants that need to be encouraged and selected as features of a sustainable future.</li>
</ol>
Dr. Grant invites you to visit <a href="http://psych.athabascau.ca/html/lyle/abai2012.html">this link</a> for more information on his talk. <br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AeqqJpmd-k4?fs=1" width="480"></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0