Sustainability Archives - Page 7 of 10

HOW ABOUT THOSE AVOCADOS

We’re pretty sure most Americans will find any excuse to add avocado to their meal. Be it an avocado toast with a fried egg for breakfast, or a hamburger topped with guacamole. Let’s not leave out all the Happy Hours enjoyed at our neighborhood Mexican cantina alongside chips and guac. But did you know that to make just one little sliver of avocado it requires 4.1 gallons of water?

Not that our avocado trees are producing anything other than a full fruit (yes, it is considered a fruit) However, it is good to have in mind how much water goes into the crop before tossing that extra sliver into the trash.

Be mindful. Save Water.

CA REACHED GOV JERRY BROWN’S WATER TARGET

New numbers, released this Wednesday, show that the state’s ambitious conservation campaign is working, with statewide residential water use declining 28.9 percent in May from its baseline 2013 levels. The figures surpassed Brown’s order in April to cut water use statewide by 25 percent.

This is great news, and we know that motivation, simplicity, through easy-to-remember tips and “triggers,” reminding people have gone a long way! There is still a lot we can do in other areas, such as in commercial buildings. Let’s take a look at how much is used where in urban areas.

Knowing the facts and motivating change will get us on track and help us continue to strive for better water conservation technology.

Hope you have a great weekend!

WHAT WE’RE READING: PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY

“How can human communities sustain a long-term existence on a small planet?” This is the main question that resonates throughout Stephen M Wheeler’s book. We are all aware that many existing urbanization patterns are unsustainable in the long run, however our generation has pulled up their sleeves and has started to initiate a change. Green buildings and labels such as LEED (throughout the world) and EPBD (in Europe) have become a predominant building standard in many urban centers, expanding far beyond just skyscrapers and office buildings.

Planning for Sustainability presents a wide-ranging, intellectually well-grounded and accessible introduction to the concept of planning for more sustainable and livable communities. The text explores topics such as how more compact and walkable cities and towns might be created, how local ecosystems can be restored, how social inequalities might be reduced, how greenhouse gas emissions might be lowered, and how more sustainable forms of economic development can be brought about. Only by weaving together planning initiatives and institutions at different scales, and by integrating efforts across disciplines, can we move towards long-term human and ecological well-being.

Our favorite quote: “Moving towards a better, more sustainable future is above all a planning challenge, in the broadest, most creative possible meaning of the term. It is a challenge of envisioning future directions, carefully evaluating and studying them, and then working in a variety of creative ways to get from here to there.”

Here is to the challenge; we know we are up for it!

1,046 GALLONS OF WATER WERE USED – HAPPY FOURTH!

When we think about fourth of July, we think about meat. Hot dogs, burgers, ribs – a celebration of protein. We’ve always been told that our bodies need protein, and lots of it, and in the U.S.A., “protein” is synonymous with “animal products.” Not necessarily true. Our protein quota can be met very nicely by a whole food, plant-based diet, and even though it does not hurt to delight in a juicy burger every once in while, it’s worth looking to our plate to save a few gallons of water per day. Agriculture uses 80% of California’s water supply, and producing what you eat can require a surprising amount of water.

Let’s see how much water a plate containing a good 8 ounce steak, grilled potatoes and asparagus would require to produce:

The number next to the plate above represents the direct and indirect amount of water required to produce your food plate, based on U.S. data from the Water Footprint Network. (Images and data from LA Times)

Numbers aside, hope you enjoy the holiday weekend! And if you do go for a nice yummy steak, which we all know many of you will, take a shorter shower and or flush efficiently. Little steps can go a long way!

Cheers.

CA DROUGHT: WHAT ABOUT WATER RIGHTS?

California water rights is a complex hierarchy that governs who gets water during a drought and who doesn’t. It is based on seniority, and in dry years, when there is not enough water in the system to serve all water rights holders, those with more junior rights are required to cut back. The senior rights have been in place since the Gold Rush era and later on in 1914, they were tweaked a bit. The priority system is based on the concept of “first in time, first in right.” People who got in early have senior rights. Everyone who made claims later has secondary or “junior” rights – and they only get water once the senior rights holders get the water they’ve claimed.

The system has worked well in the past. However, with California’s population growing steadily, and state water supplies shrinking due to effects of climate change, that system has become antiquated, debilitated and unresponsive to our century’s demands. For the longest time, rights created before 1914 were off-limits to many state regulations. Until now. With drought conditions continuing into the summer months, the State Water Resources Control Board extended curtailments into senior rights dating back to 1858. Not only will the junior right holders be affected, but so will the ones that have been untouchable for centuries. The water rights affected by the notice adds to the growing number of water rights being limited due to the State’s ongoing drought, and relates to all other water restrictions being applied to home and business owners alike.

The west is experiencing extreme conditions, and with that comes the need to change. It’s time for California to adjust – if that means altering traditional policies, so be it! Let’s revise how we grant rights, how we extract and divert, and furthermore, how we deliberately use our precious supply of water. In the end it will make a world of a difference.

BOMA

We will be at BOMA today and tomorrow! THE BUILDING OWNERS AND MANAGERS ASSOCIATION (BOMA) is a nonprofit organization serving the advocacy, education and networking needs of commercial real estate professionals in the Greater Los Angeles area. We will be joining members such as building owners, private and government building managers, and other commercial real estate providers to learn and engage.

BOMA/GLA is governed by established bylaws and plays an important public role as a leader and public advocate for the industry. As an organization they regulate education programs to enrich all members, engage in government legislative lobbying, support professional designation in property management and provide tools for businesses like us to build networks and relationships that add strength to the community.

Hope to see you there!

LATEST WATER USE REPORT IN LA COUNTY

According to California Department of Water Resources, Californians use an average of 196 gallons of water per capita per day, including all businesses except agriculture. But there are wide differences by community, and the moist coasts uses less water than the arid inland.

See below, water usage in Los Angeles County based on water districts, population and location for the month of April. Where does your city come in?

DIRTY IS CLEAN

On Wednesday, we took the time to celebrate Drought Day. It was a very successful online gathering and we discussed issues such as drought shamming, mandatory water restrictions and water dependency in Los Angeles. One thing that caught our attention during the ongoing conversation, was the motivation in people to change certain daily habits in order to save water. Things like eating less meat and taking shorter showers were mentioned several times, so we thought it would be cool to put a few graphics together to show how much we can save. By changing a few simple things in our daily routine, we can make a difference. You know your go-to pair of jeans? You don’t have to wash them every week.

Use them more, let them be as comfy as possible and you can reduce water usage by 77%! Who knew dirty jeans could go this far?!

How else can you save water? Share ideas on twitter and Instagram with #falconwaterfacts. Have a fantastic weekend.

WORLD DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION AND DROUGHT

In December 1994 the United Nations General Assembly declared 17^th June as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. The UN acknowledged that problems associated with desertification and drought affect all regions of the world and the problem needs to be fully discussed world-wide.

This is why, today is such an important day for us. Today we are able to promote awareness through an international community that has been doing so for 18 years. Even though these issues go beyond our daily efforts in an urban environment, we embrace it full heatedly. And what better organization to partner with than DIGDEEP to celebrate this day?

Every human being has a right to clean water and they are doing something about it. DIGDEEP promotes a human’s access to water, transforming their lives by building clean water infrastructure therefore helping to safeguard human dignity. Each of their water projects is designed using a human rights-centric approach, a practical model that integrates efficacy and dignity into the plans and processes of development through community involvement and training. Read more about their organization and projects here.

If you want to be a part of this discussion, join us today at 11 am PST on twitter using #DroughtDay. Let’s get the conversation going. We are in this together and as a community we are able to push any change forward!

To see all other events taking place around the world head over to the United Nation’s website.

#DROUGHTDAY TWITTER PARTY

We are co-hosting a Twitter Party with DIG DEEP this Wednesday at 11 am PST. This one hour online engagement will be focused on celebrating the United Nations’ World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, and will give us an opportunity to connect and discuss the urgent need to protect water and fight the drought! The Twitter Party presents a unique opportunity to create a conversation surrounding the drought and how it affects the lives of people here in California and worldwide, on a daily basis.

If you care about the future, you care about the drought! So join us, DIG DEEP and other twitter friends on June 17th by using the #DroughtDay. Visit DIG DEEP’s twitter account and join the fun!

Tweet you later.