Healthy Planet, Healthy People

1
Healthy Planet, Healthy People

• Ilda T. Hershey
• OSU Sustainability Coordinator

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Overview

• What is Sustainability?
• What does a healthy planet provide for us humans?
  
• How do some negative impacts on the environment
  affect our own health?
• How can we do better?
• What is OSU doing?
• What can you do?

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Sustainability

• What is sustainability?
• sustain ability

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Sustainability

• Sustainability
• Meeting the needs of the present without
  compromising the ability of future generations to
  meet their own needs
• Sustainability Good Stewardship
• Environment
• Economy
• Society

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Sustainability

• Tenets of Sustainability
• All things on Earth are connected
• Web of life actions have consequences
• Its better to live off natures income, not its
  capital
• Renewable energy conservation recycling
• There is no waste in nature
• Design for the Environment (DfE) Lean
  Production
• Defining best processing manufacturing
  practices
• Reducing toxins waste
• Circular Production Cradle to Cradle Design
• Considers entire life cycle (LCA)

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Healthy Planet

• Why do we care?
• Whats in it for us?

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The Earth Provides

• We depend on ecosystem services for basic human
  needs
• Oxygen
• Fresh water
• Food
• Materials for shelter
• Protection from storms
• Biodiversity provides
• Medicinal properties
• Healthy soils
• Pest control
• Pollination seed dispersal
• Sustainable designs based on Biomimicry
• Nature doesnt need people. People need nature.

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Negative Impacts

• Single-Use Plastics
• How can we do better?
• What is OSU doing?
• Food as a Product
• How can we do better?
• What is OSU doing?
• Air Pollution
• How can we do better?
• What is OSU doing?

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Single-Use Plastics

• Plastic is Fantastic
• Used in a wide range of industries
• Has changed history
• 50 single-use (disposable)
• What are most plastics made of?
• Petroleum products plus added chemicals
• 8 world oil production
• Techno-nutrient or Bio-nutrient?
• Plastic makes bad garbage
• "Good garbage breaks down as it goes
• bad garbage grows and grows and grows Tom
  Chapin, songwriter
• MSW 13 (32M tons) Volume? Mostly containers
  packaging
• As a techno-nutrient it could be recovered for
  remanufacture
• Only about 9 is recycled must be clean and
  numbered

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Plastic Pollution

• Pollution of waterways and oceans 20/80
• All watersheds drain to oceans
• When discarded plastic enters the environment it
  is harmful to wildlife and people
• Entanglement - Once entangled, animals have
  trouble eating, breathing or swimming
• Ingestion Floating plastic looks like food
• Can damage the digestive system or make animal
  feel full
• Toxicity Floating plastic is like a sponge for
  attracting pollutants
• Toxins, like mercury, PCBs and other dioxins
  easily attach to plastics
• When ingested by marine animals other wildlife
• Can injure or poison them, or cause birth defects
• Can transfer through the food chain and become
  more concentrated
• Humans (esp. children exp. mothers) should
  limit consumption of predatory fish

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Single-Use Plastics

• Direct Affect on Human Health
• Chemicals added to plastics during manufacturing
  are absorbed by human bodies - carcinogens
  endocrine disruptors
• Bisphenol-A (BPA) Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate
  (DEHP) Styrene Benzene
• Microwave, wash reuse disposable plastics?
• Not single-use plastics! FDA says okay if labeled
  microwave safe
• Heat, UV light, fatty or oily foods cause the
  chemicals to leach out
• Tiny cracks harbor bacteria, which thrive, even
  after washing
• Styrofoam
• Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
• Very porous. Do not heat leftovers!
• The Poison is in the Dose
• Children are especially vulnerable

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Single-Use Plastics

• How can we do better?
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (in that order!)
• Use durables (glass, metal, ceramic) instead of
  disposables
• Start with your coffee cup water bottle (wash
  vs. trash)
• Start with children
• Avoid individual serving packets
• Select items with minimal packaging
• Use durable shopping bags
• Buy recycled content
• Bring a waste-free lunch
• Rethink

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What is OSU Doing?

• Drinking Fountains
• Retrofits or new fountains with refill taps
• Reduction of plastic bottles counter
• Green Student Initiative
• Reduce Reuse Programs
• Move-out Collections
• Real Pokes Pass It On
• FGSH Yard Sale
• Textbook buybacks donations
• OSU Surplus Salvage
• Dining Services
• Biodegradable disposables
• Less Styrofoam
• Reusable cups/mugs/bags

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What is OSU Doing?

• Paper Cardboard
• Mixed paper
• Shredded paper in bags
• Cardboard (flattened)
• Containers
• Plastic bottles (1 PET)
• Aluminum cans
• Single-stream for living quarters
• Move-In Recycling Program

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Food Agriculture

• Agriculture has a huge impact on the health of
  the environment (and our own health).

What we eat and how much has a huge impact on our
own health (and the health of the environment).
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Food Sustainability

•  What can we do? Dont freak out
• Eat food, not too much, mostly plants - Michael
  Pollan, Author
• Eat Real Foods (foods)
• Processed as little as possible minimal
  artificial substances additives
• Grown in healthy soil focus of Organic or
  Sustainable farming
• John Kris Gosney, Aug. Wellness Wednesday,
  Organic Farming
• Healthy soil makes healthy plants makes healthy
  food makes healthy people
• Not too much
• Choose quality over quantity
• Pay more, buy less
• Mostly Plants
• Eat lower on the food chain
• Better for our health ecosystem health
• Support local farmers/ranchers
• Always offer fruits/vegetables (Healthy Meetings
  Toolkit)

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What is OSU Doing?

• University Dining Services
• Offering more Local, Organic, Vegetarian Food
  Options
• Farm Fresh Program
• Made in Oklahoma Program
• Red Earth Kitchen
• Eliminated all frying oil containing trans-fat
• Conduct Healthy Eating Lifestyle Programs
• Choose Orange - identifies healthier items
• Healthy Cooking - free demonstrations/classes
  geared toward students
• Promotes Fair Trade Rainforest Alliance
  products
• Organize OSU Farmers Market each fall

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Air Pollution

• Fossil Fuels Building blocks of our modern,
  industrial society
• High levels of pollution respiratory illnesses

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Air Pollution

• What can we do?
• Conserve Energy
• Turn off lights electronics when not in use
• Dress for the weather
• Consider energy efficiency of new purchases
• Support Renewable Cleaner Energy Sources
• Choose alternative transportation when possible
  walk, bicycle, carpool, bus
• Generates less pollution
• Gets us moving

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What is OSU Doing?

• Energy Management Program
• Energy Conservation Guidelines established August
  2007
• HVAC including Seasonal Set Points
• Lighting, Electronics, Water
• OSU Energy Policy
• The Board of Regents expects all personnel at
  each campus to make a positive contribution to
  maximize energy conservation and produce real
  energy savings
• Over 32M saved system-wide through behavior
  change

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What is OSU Doing?

• Renewable Energy
• Wind Power
• Geothermal
• Solar

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What is OSU Doing?

• Transportation
• The Bus - Mass Transit
• Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
• Carpool Benefits
• Orange Ride Bike Rental/Repair
• OSU Named Bike-Friendly University

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OSU and YOU

• OSU is helping us..
• Reduce plastic waste
• Eat healthier
• Conserve energy
• What do you do?...

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What can you do?

• Continue to support what OSU is doing
• Bring awareness to sustainability
• Create a Green Team
• Set an example by Walking the Talk
• Ask for group presentations/tours
• Visit OSU Sustainability website follow us
• Participate in Sustainability in the Workplace
• HR Training 2-hour workshop Feb. 4th
• Take action to 1) protect your familys quality
  of life today, and 2) leave a legacy of good
  health prosperity for your grandchildren

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Overview

• Sustainability
• Website http//sustainability.okstate.edu
• Email sustainability_at_okstate.edu
• Utilities and Energy Management
• Website http//utilities.okstate.edu
• Email energy_at_okstate.edu
• Recycling
• Website physicalplant.okstate.edu/osurecycles
• Email recycle_at_okstate.edu
• Follow Us
• Facebook www.facebook.com/osuenergy
• Twitter/Instagram/Vine OSUgreen

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Overview
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Questions?
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Oklahoma State University Sustainability
and Energy Management
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Handout

• What is Sustainability?
• Environmental Protection Agency Sustainability
  homepage www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm
  
• The Association for the Advancement of
  Sustainability in Higher Education (use your
  okstate.edu email address to access members-only
  resources from the website) www.aashe.org
• McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, Cradle to
  Cradle Remaking the Way We Make Things
  www.mbdc.com/cradle-to-cradle/c2c-framework
• Whats in it for us?
• Land Stewardship Centre www.landstewardship.org/e
  cological-goods-and-services
• National Wildlife Federation What is
  Biodiversity? www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conser
  vation/Biodiversity.aspx
• Biomimicry Institute http//biomimicry.org/what-i
  s-biomimicry

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Handout

• Single-Use Plastics
• Scientific American, Plastic not-so-fantastic
  How the Versatile Material Harms the Environment
  and Human Health www.scientificamerican.com/art
  icle/plastic-not-so-fantastic
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
  What we know about plastic Marine Debris
  http//marinedebris.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/G
  en_Plastic-hi_9-20-11_1.pdf
• Institute for Agriculture Trade Policy, Smart
  Plastics Guide Healthier Food Uses of Plastics
  www.iatp.org/files/421_2_102202.pdf
• Food Products
• Understanding Whole Foods Physicians Committee
  for Responsible Medicine www.nutritionmd.org/nutr
  ition_tips/nutrition_tips_understand_foods/whole_a
  dvantages.html
• The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
  Poteau, OK www.kerrcenter.com
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,
  Health Environmental Implications of U.S. Meat
  Consumption Production www.jhsph.edu/research/c
  enters-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-a-l
  ivable-future/projects/meatless_monday/resources/m
  eat_consumption.html
• National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity
  Healthy Meeting Toolkit http//cspinet.org/nutr
  itionpolicy/Healthy-Meeting-Toolkit.pdf

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Handout

• Air Pollution
• Scientific American, The Human Cost of Energy
  The Health Burden of Fossil Fuels
  www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-human-cost-
  of-energy
• World Health Association, 7 million premature
  deaths annually linked to air pollution
  www.who.int/mediacentre/nes/releases/2014/air-poll
  ution/en
• National Institute of Environmental Health
  Sciences, Air Pollution www.niehs.nih.gov/resea
  rch/supported/exposure/air_pollution/index.cfm
•  
• OSU Sustainability
• General information http//sustainability.okstate
  .edu and http//energy.okstate.edu
• Emails sustainability_at_okstate.edu
  energy_at_okstate.edu recycle_at_okstate.edu
• Facebook www.facebook.com/osuenergy
  Twitter/Instagram/Vine OSUgreen