The new year has arrived with a renewed hope for the environment as the private and public sectors direct their attention to the growing shift from “business as usual” to renewable energy technologies. Sustainability initiatives and climate change garnered mainstream attention following last year’s increase in natural disasters. It also positioned 2012 as the most extreme weather year on record for the lower 48 states, according to the National Climatic Data Center.

In the months following Sandy, the second costliest hurricane following Katrina with an estimated $62 billion in damage, many neighborhoods are still reeling in the after affects. Natural disasters have provided the needed catalyst for sustainability initiatives as great turmoil resulted in a newly discovered interest in the growing climate problem. The extreme weather events in 2012 summarize what scientists are predicting to be the “new normal” as the climate continues to warm. As city officials in New York and New Jersey focus on rebuilding, the Clean Tech Revolution is gaining relevance. An example of one opportunity that is focused on smart growth is New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Cleaner Greener Communities Program. Launched in 2011, the program has established $100 million in competitive grants and plans to use innovative technologies to improve its economic, energy and environmental development while building sustainable communities.  

With the advancements in clean technology, comes a need for greater social responsibility and increased stakeholder engagement. In the past months, we at Tradepal have engaged with various corporations, agencies and institutions to explore best practices to bridge the sustainability gap between consumers and businesses. The greatest disconnect we have noticed following the influx of social media and technological advancement, is how to accelerate consumer behavior change. According to psychologists Wendy Wood and David Neal, consumers often “act like creatures of habit, automatically repeating past behavior with little regard to current goals and valued outcomes.” When considering the adoption of new behaviors, it seems to come down to the intent and behavior of the individual.

In an effort to ignite behavior change, former President Bill Clinton appealed to advertising agencies last June at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France. He asked advertisers to leverage the power they have to transcend their messaging and assist in shaping the future of our planet. In the digital age, sustainability is no longer a tree hugger concept. Organizations including start-ups, large corporations and state and local governments are embracing renewable energy, green transportation, electric motors, recycling and reuse initiatives as a means to create efficiencies while reducing our environmental footprint.

As we embark on 2013, the following concepts offer suggestions for transitioning consumers toward positive behavior change:

• Engaging consumers in a circular economy instead of a linear economy where infrastructure and technology provide and reward incentives that replace the make-use-dispose mentality.
• Provide education, skills and real life business examples to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
• Create an opportunity for brands to highlight consumers as part of the solution.
• Identify ways to reframe consumers view of ownership to change consumers behavior.
• Support and inspire change agents to put into action new initiatives.  
• Engage employees to spill over their green choices from work to their homes and communities.
• Explore ways companies can leverage their potential to deepen customer loyalty by involving them in closing sustainability loops through reusing and repurposing.
• Promote local sustainability initiatives via reuse by fostering partnerships between citizens and businesses, governments and non-governmental organizations.

Video: The Ellen MacArther Foundation

Author: Tamar Burton

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Just two years ago, the Climate Vulnerability Forum and DARA created a partnership to raise the profile of the impacts of climate change and with it the benefits of transitioning to a climate resilient low-carbon economy. Released in September, the 2nd edition of the Climate Vulnerability Monitor was developed to measure the global impact of climate change and the carbon economy at a national level. This latest monitor uses 34 climate and carbon related indicators to calculate and compare the vulnerability of 184 countries in 2010 and 2030, and covers four impact areas (environmental disasters, habit change, health impacts and industry stress).

Some climate inactivity findings include:

• Human Dimension: Nobody is spared the global climate crisis. Twenty more years of inaction could lead to up to 1 million climate-related deaths per year by 2030.
• Economics: Climate action is a worthy investment, yet financial outlays to adapt to climate change are underestimated.
• Social Value: Climate inaction jeopardizes global development and poverty reduction efforts.
• Regulation: Today’s regulatory decisions are mandated by outdated estimates of the negative effects of climate inaction.

To add some perspective, based on the latest U.N. population projections, five billion people will live in urban areas by the year 2030. These cities of the future will not only bear the burden of climate change and its symptoms, including an increasing demand for power, transportation and sewage, but in another 20 years the population is estimated to almost double.

In recent months, the focus on the carbon economy has swelled following reports of extreme weather conditions. Although this climate issue has been recognized for years, it has been a challenge of translating information into action. Bloomberg has provided a list of sustainability indicators around energy investment, the growing cleantech sector and climate change, among others. The list also provided insight into how these areas are perceived by consumers. Here is a snapshot:

• 78%: polled investors who recognize that climate change is a threat to the environment.
• 75,000: total workers currently employed by the U.S. wind power industry.
• $10 billion: annual savings on U.S. electric bills due to new light bulb standards.
• 5 percentage points: the increase in climate change beliefs since March.
• 75%: world’s surface that had unusually hot summers each year over the last decade.

Following the growth of urbanization and the requisite consumerism that built our economy, to reverse that direction is an endeavor. While the impacts of climate change are continually being explored, proactive ventures to implement cleantech, reduce electricity demand and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and create jobs are growing. From its early emergence in the 1990s, cleantech was used to describe a group of emerging technologies. Since then, it has defined the shift from business as usual to the evolution of second-generation products or services to accommodate 21st century energy requirements. In 2007, this area received a record $148 billion in new funding in the midst of rising oil prices and climate change policies encouraging the focus on renewable energy.

An example of job creation is found in Sacramento where over $250 million in federal funding has been secured for clean technology and energy efficiency over the past 13 years through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A leader in cleantech job creation, the region currently sustains over 14,000 jobs and has demonstrated success as an engine for job development and economic growth. By 2018, it is forecast that three clean technology sectors will amass revenues in excess of $325 billion, these include solar photovoltaics, wind power and biofuels. The increasing use of the natural resources of wind, sun and water will offer renewable energy opportunities as well as avenues to invest in the growing cleantech revolution. Investing in the resilience of our environment is essential, yet it will take a consolidated effort to implement clean technologies, create jobs and encourage economic growth.

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According to a Princeton University study, money does buy happiness. Surprisingly, the magic number is only $75k. The study reveals that any increment below that benchmark leads to a feeling of misery. In contrast, as it rises above the benchmark, the rate of happiness stays constant. 

Harvard psychologist and happiness expert, Dan Gilbert, offers Eight Ways to Spend your Money and Get Happy Doing it. 

Here is a summary:

1. Use your money to purchase experiences. Instead of purchasing goods, spend on thrills, concerts, sporting events and travel as greater happiness is derived from experience purchases than material purchases. 

2. The pleasure of giving money to others derives happiness. Spending on one’s self is less satisfying than the emotional rewards derived from charities, donations, and helping others.

3. As pleasure is fleeting, spend on small temporary pleasures rather than larger outlays in larger time gaps.  

4. Pass on the extended warranties and other insurances that are overpriced. These guarantees provide no happiness by hedging against future regret. By depriving one from the emotional benefit of commitment.

5. Refocus mentally from the use now and pay later and commit to the purchase now. Consume it going forward as future events trigger stronger emotions. 

6. Contemplate the consequences prior to committing. Psychological distress is better predicted by negative consequences than major life events. 

7. Comparison shop for the ‘best deal’ rather than the greatest from a monetary perspective.

8. Explore other consumers opinions prior to committing to a purchase.

While these guidelines offer consumers mental cues to help curb their consumerism, they also offer insight into the emotional triggers that surround money. Aristotle found that happiness is not merely an emotional state, but it is derived by achieving virtues. He believed that when one found the balancing point between a deficiency and excess they could achieve greater long-term pleasure than just fleeting amusements. 

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The average American travels 50 miles during Labor Day Weekend and 28.2 million will travel by car. According to AAA current gas prices, averaging $3.80 per gallon, are the highest ever recorded for this holiday weekend. The Corporate Level Fuel Economy (CAFE) and Greenhouse Gas emissions final rules have been established for model years 2012 and beyond. This enacts a big step toward reducing our country’s oil dependency and carbon emissions while saving consumers money at the pump.

The CAFE program will gradually increase energy efficiency to 35.5 m.p.g. by 2016, from the current average of 29 m.p.g., to ultimately reach 54.5 miles per gallon for the 2025 model year. These new rules will also increase the pressure on auto manufacturers toward electrified vehicle production. The benefit of the new emissions rules will result in a decrease in GHG by half, eliminating over six billion tons over the course of the program by 2025.

Source: Pew Research

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When we think about the 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), we immediately recall recycling and the efforts cities make to enforce this practice. Although, there are many practical and effective solutions, the 3R’s don’t receive equal attention. Typically recycling is made easy by providing receptacles to separate paper, aluminum, glass, plastic and even tires.

We are also mindful to reduce our consumption of water, electricity, paper products, adopt walking, biking and opt for public transportation.

But one R - Reuse tends to be overlooked. Consumers participate by using grocery totes, reusable water bottles and by donating items to charities. But these facilities have limited space, and many items are not accepted such as furniture, exercise equipment, textbooks, encyclopedias and electrical fixtures. Much of this never ends up back in circulation even though it could be used by others.  

Tradepal’s mission is to make reuse as easy as recycling. The online service   encourages reuse by simplifying the process so users can list items with images in less than a minute and seamlessly broadcast their virtual sale to their networks. No need for classifieds or to compete with power users to generate visibility. All users’ items are displayed on their profile complete with image, price, condition and description.   

Tradepal offers an online network that engages buy, sell, barter and giveaway with trusted users while helping the environment. Through tradepal’s peer-to-peer marketplace, consumers have a timesaving tool to reduce their estimated $7,000 in unused household items sitting around and put them back into circulation in just 1-click.

Planning a yard sale, but dreading the summer heatwave? Moving and in need to sell or giveaway some items rather than storing them indefinitely? Just visit tradepal and list all your items and share, and the offers will come to your inbox.

This past week I held a moving sale on tradepal and generated hundreds of views and valid offers. As a result, my personal carbon savings increased to 951 kg of CO₂, the equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 24 tree seedlings grown for 10 years. 

Here is a summary of the items that were recommerced to four users: 

• Couch   200 kg
• Bedroom Set   430 kg
• Antique make-up table   270 kg
• Electronics   700 kg
• 4 Dining room chairs  750 kg
• Housewares   400 kg
• Art   100 kg
• Clothing   30 kg

The total amount of carbon savings from these users was a combined savings of 2,880 kg, or 2.9 tons of CO₂ by choosing my recommerced items listed on tradepal rather than new. 

As Rio+20 quickly approaches, the Colbert Report shed some light on global warming. According to NOAA measurements, in May, the carbon cycle reached a new alarming ‘milestone’: CO2 levels reached 400 parts per million in Arctic sites. This increase is in contrast to global averages of 390 ppm last year, and 280 ppm preceding the Industrial Age in 1880. 

Colbert provides a satirical take on our latest benchmark by coining the skit: “Sink or Swim”. Here’s what Stephen Colbert had to say about it: “What does 400 parts per million mean? Air has two parts: the breathy one and the part that makes balloons go up.” 

Watch more of Colbert’s take on global warming below. 

Contributor: Tamar Burton

This Earth Day we unite in support of a healthy planet by inspiring change. As part of the 2012 theme Mobilize the Earth, and the upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSDA) in Rio de Janeiro, Rio +20  we encourage everyone to proactively engage in ways that will create a quantifiable outcome by organizing events, volunteering and promoting renewable energy initiatives, and finally pledging support to a Billion Acts of Green. Now with over 997 million acts pledged and counting, our actions today will help to develop a comprehensive plan for sustainable development while inspiring the change necessary to get our world leaders to take bold energy action. 

In honor of Earth Day, we at Tradepal, suggest that you evaluate your carbon footprint and the many ways you can help the environment by reducing, recycling and reusing. To the many supporters of collaborative consumption, we encourage you to quantify the carbon savings your actions generate in changing users’ behaviors with services such as bike, car and ride sharing, swapping and trading. 

Senator Gaylord Nelson, the originator of the Earth Day holiday in 1970: 

“The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, not the other way around.”

Tradepal users save money and the environment when trading on our platform. They also have access to a dedicated calculator that quantifies their carbon savings derived from all their trading on the platform. It is surprising to discover the exact amount of carbon savings you have accumulated while trading and giving items away. 

Gamification Feature:  The Carbon Savings Calculator

It might seem trivial initially, but watching your carbon savings increase with each trade  is truly fulfilling. According to my Tradepal user profile, I have accumulated 354 kg of carbon savings over the past six months. While not sure what it exactly meant, I simply plugged my Tradepal Carbon Savings amount into the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator. 

The following highlights some significant equivalents of my savings: 

• Carbon sequestered by 9 tree seedlings grown for 10 years 
• CO₂ emissions from 14 propane cylinders used for home BBQs
• CO₂ emissions from 39 gallons of gasoline consumed 

Additional Reading:

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