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Friday, April 20, 2012



The Problem, Its Importance, and the Party Potential

Before we get started with all the fun stuff, let’s state the problem. Why does any of this matter? Why go green? Why does sustainability matter? Why are your parties an important place to start?

The Problem:
Every day people dispose of billions of tons of garbage. Americans contribute disproportionately to this problem with the average American producing about 4.6 pounds of solid trash a day. Fast forward and this amounts in 1,460 pounds of trash per American per year. Now zoom to the bigger picture, consider the American population as a whole, and you’ll realize this is about 210 million pounds of trash every year!

Where does all of this trash come from and where does it go?
Clearly these products have a short life. They’re produced, used briefly, thrown away, and purchased again. One paper plate is used today and another is used tomorrow. Therefore, this isn’t only a problem because of where the trash ends up (landfills), it’s also a problem because of the way it’s produced. Resources are expended, fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide is released, and there’s a rise in earth’s temperature.

Home Versus Industry:
We need to be proactive in monitoring the amount of trash that comes out of our homes and out of industry. While you might not have the power to decide which materials a factory uses and how they use them, you have tremendous power as a consumer. You demand dictates what industry will supply, so if you don’t want factories to negatively impact the environment, don’t purchase the products that encourage them to do so. You can also influence industry through lobbying for legislative regulation.

My (frightening) Ecological Footprint:
I frequently use public transportation and I don’t even consider myself a huge garbage producer, so I thought that I'm not a huge offender. Wrong. When I calculated my ecological footprint, I was shocked to find out it takes about 22.5 global acres of the Earth’s productive resources to support my activities. What really scared me was that  - if everyone lived like me, we would need 5.1 Planet Earths to provide enough resources! (You can calculate your ecological footprint at www.footprintnetwork.org.) Why do I tell you this? I'm here to learn and to make changes with you.

Some Implications of Environmentally Unfriendly Actions 
Landfills: This is where about 85% garbage ends up, which means that this land can’t be used for other things and the earth is actually running out of landfill space. These landfills are also filled with toxic substances which can seep into the soil, destroy it, and even leak out into nearby water sources. Therefore, their contents are harmful in garbage dumps themselves and they can permeate way beyond them. Walter filtration is labor intensive and expensive, which is yet another reason to invest earlier in the process in protecting natural resources. 



Depleted Resources: Some of the resources that go into the party industry are renewable. Others are not. If we expend our resources too quickly or entirely, then we won't have them in the future. This results in individual and global deficits. Some people have access to clean water, medicine, and paper, and others don’t. Therefore, this isn’t just about having pretty forests and flowers, but it’s also really about social justice. 




Global Warming: This refers to an increase in the earth’s average temperatures, which can result in other changes in climate. This is a problem because it affects resources and leads to health problems. For example, in the United States, summer heat is the greatest weather related killer. Hotter summers means more weather related deaths. 
Global Health: We are part of the ecosystem and its health is our health. Pollution, increased temperatures, and destruction of resources are all detrimental to human health. We want a planet where we can be active, eat healthy, and breathe clean air.






Why Start with Parties?
This problem is far reaching  and most human activities contribute to it. So you might be wondering - why is this blog about parties?

Well to start, there are an array of wonderful blogs/magazines/websites that cover living green and party planning. They are amazing resources for these respective areas but they don’t integrate the two. That’s what I’m here to do. And when I do it - it will be in a budget friendly, easy to do way. I’m a college student, not a party planner, and I’m all for easy, simple tips (no fussy stuff here).

Parties often involve paperware, food, decorations, invitations, centerpieces, giveaways, and more that all exacerbate environmental problem as they contribute to carbon emissions, global warming, and landfill clutter.

Sharing Values with Community
But this isn’t the only reason. It’s not just because parties are one avenue by which humans harm the environment, but also because they’re a great opportunity for you to display who you are and what you care about. Your family, friends, and/or community will gather and it’s your opportunity to share your values with them. Not only can your specific birthday, college, or bridal shower be greener, but also - by reflecting your commitment to the environment in your events - you’ll help teach others why and how to do the same.

Wrapping up:
My point is - this is a problem and we need to take steps to solve it. I contribute to this (hello 5.1 Earths!) and that’s why I’m here to help. You don’t need to be a green expert already to become an EverGreen Host - it’s a learning process that I’m embarking on with you! Sometimes we’ll be able to make leaps and sometimes the steps will be smaller. Either way - let’s move ahead! Future posts will give you advice on how to make your parties fabulous, chic, and greener!

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