Time to say Goodbye

Recently, writers of several television programs have announced the end of the series. When asked why, they replied that "it was time".

That is how I feel about Reduce Footprints ... it's time for me to end the series.

It's been a terrific run. Since 2008, generous readers have shared their knowledge and experiences with me. In turn, I've tried to research various issues and open them up for discussion. Together we've done our best to live a green life and encourage others to do the same.

We have much to be proud of.

While there is, and will always be, more to say about the environment and green living, I've chosen to step back.

So what's next for me and Reduce Footprints?

The Reduce Footprints blog will stay right here. There are reviews, recipes, guest posts, and many other articles which will always be available. I won't, however, be publishing any new content. In the future, should I find that I want to start a new blog or start writing again, I'll announce it here. But in all honesty, I don't see that happening.

For my part, I'm going to get away from the computer and head outdoors. Becoming a home owner and having over one hectare of land has breathed new enthusiasm into my life. I want to garden and forage for edible foods. I want to be close to the land and discover nature in all it's glory. And that takes time ... time which, until today, has generally been spent on research, words, and maintaining an online presence.

I'll occasionally be online, visiting your sites, and will always be open to emails from you should you have a question or just want to say "hi".

So this is goodbye!

Thank you all for a fabulous seven years!

I wish you happiness, joy, and wonderful "green" surprises around every corner!

Affectionately yours,

Cyndi

Guest Post - Comparing the renewable energy markets in the UK and US

In the UK renewable energy appears to be progressing in leaps and bounds. In the beautiful countryside solar farms are popping up on an almost weekly basis. Companies are embracing the need for and cost efficiency of renewable technology. The European Union Renewable Energy Directive has pushed Europe to making 20% of all its energy consumption from renewables by 2020.

But how fair things across the pond? And are the renewable energy appetites being shared between the US and UK?

With these questions in mind I thought I’d delve a little into renewable energy progress in the UK and the US – to see what lessons can be learned.

The US Renewable Energy Program

US capacity for renewable energy generation currently sits at roughly 10GW – nearly 2 million homes worth of electricity.

At the end of 2013 the US government claimed it would outgrow Germany in terms of new solar project deployment. Sadly these targets were not met and in fact China was the only country to outpace Germany in terms of solar deployment.

One of the biggest hampering’s of US renewable energy development is undoubtedly the over-reliance of bio-mass. In the US The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 set a target of 36 Billion Gallons annually of biofuel production by 2022.

However, in 2014 the UN released research that showed that biofuel production was harming the environment and driving up food prices. Clearly this situation isn’t a significant step towards sustainable and truly renewable energy systems.

Sadly the UK and Europe have also been pushing an overreliance on BioFuel. In 2013 nearly 50 Million Tons of Oil Equivalent was being created by biofuels. However, across Europe the push now is firmly towards solar and wind as the core mechanism for renewable energy. After a 2013 EU research program concluded that biofuel production often completely offsets any carbon saving gains and increases competition for food new legislation was brought in disfavouring biofuel research, development and tariffs.

Contrariwise, and despite the evidence, the US government has failed to reverse biofuel policies. Possibly this is due to their focus on post-petroleum fuels rather than any environmental concerns. The problem seems to have become that renewable energy isn’t just about the environment and climate change – it is about the future direction of the human race; consumerism or sustainability.

The UK Renewable Energy Program

Thanks to the Kyoto agreement and EU Energy Policies the renewable energy sector in the UK is booming. The government has introduced feed in tariffs that currently mean solar energy is one of the most lucrative investments available nationwide (with average return on investments of a staggering 6%). The feed in tariff has been coupled with thousands of grants and new regulations on building and installing solar energy and renewable energy systems.

One of the most interesting changes is the consumer market where customers are now expecting renewable energy. Companies like OvoEnergy are now offering 100% renewable energy schemes to their customers and people are more likely to choose a provider with green fingers.

The bad news is that the UK is still not on target to meet its EU directive targets. Currently we only have less than 5% of our energy coming from renewable energy sources. This is due to a mixture of issues -–most notably public opposition to solar farms and poor business incentives (the UK’s planning system makes progress painfully slow for many). That said the UK achieved a 20% growth rate in solar energy last year – not as impressive as the US’s 34% growth rate.

What does it all mean for Us?

There are clearly lessons to be learnt here. The US needs to ditch biofuels almost completely if it really wants to push renewable energy. It needs to implement stronger national and corporate standards of practice to drive renewable policy. The UK needs to make it easier for developers to create renewable projects and needs to push to meet EU objectives. We as advocates and supporters of more sustainable living need to raise public awareness and push governments, companies and the public towards truly renewable energy.

This post is shared at Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party Hop and Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party

Review - Stress-Free Sustainability by Adam Hammes

Those of us who live green tend to be passionate about the environment. We share what we know, we blog, we want to convert the world because, to us, it just makes sense to live the way we do.

The trouble is, not everyone agrees.

In fact, there are a fair number of people who don't believe there's any cause for concern. There are others who choose to ignore the warnings because it affects their bottom line. Governments won't take necessary steps to improve conditions and even experts debate whether or not we can make a difference.

Green living can be very stressful!

I was invited to read Stress-Free Sustainability: Leverage Your Emotions, Avoid Burnout and Influence Anyone by Adam Hammes.

This book is different from most books on sustainability. This one deals with the stress and burnout of trying to save the earth.

Using stories from his experience, the author teaches us how to identify and accept our emotions. He goes on to address several common frustrations which many in the green-living community face. For example, do you feel that you are a failure if you can't influence your friends and family? Or, when you hear someone talking about green-living, do you feel you must jump in and influence the conversation? Mr. Hammes shows readers that those kinds of limiting thoughts really don't serve us well and he teaches us how to overcome them.

One of the most interesting parts of the book is the section on influencing people. When I first read the chapter title, I thought I wouldn't like the information. After all, "influencing" seems to be the realm of politicians and those who are trying to sell us something. Instead, I found the chapter to be enjoyable and interesting. It talks about listening to others and addressing their core concerns. Basically, it's a lesson in respect.

This book is for anyone who has ever felt frustrated or stressed about the environment ... or, for that matter, stressed about anything. It is easy to read and will leave you with a sense of power ... power to control the emotional turmoil of living a passionate, green life; power to share information in appropriate, effective ways; power to continue on as the earth's advocate.


If you'd like to have your own copy of this book, buy it HERE.

For more about Adam Hammes, visit his site, ecofluence.