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23 Ways To Make Sustainability Cool

23: One of Nike's favorite numbers, Learn 23 ways to be sustainable

1. Shop locally

You shop at local grocers and try to maintain sustainability by cutting the farm to table travel time, but what if you chose to own the entire distribution chain? Plant your own garden, harvest the vegetables, and serve them at your table. The ultimate in sustainability, this uber cool project will not only enhance your culinary know-how, but it also lends itself to creating some of the best dinner conversations.

2. Turn off your computer when you leave for the evening.

Why? When you turn those electronics “off” or let them hibernate, that piece of equipment is still using energy. It’s like being at the starting line of a race before the gun goes off. Your adrenaline is pumping and your heart is racing because you are anticipating that launch signal. The same principle holds true with electronics. Even if you have essentially halted activity on your computer by turning off the monitor or putting it to sleep there is no stopping that energy and anticipation. Desktop computers can eat between 60 to 250 watts per day! If you shut off your computer overnight you could see an 83 percent reduction in CO2 emissions! (Source: Time, Inc.)

3. If you drive to work, carpool as much as you can.

You’ll save money on gas, emit fewer pollutants and reduce traffic. U.S.-based Ridefinders.org says carpooling is estimated to eliminate more than 40 million driving miles from that region’s roadways annually. Visit Nike’s internal transportation Web site for more information and some WHQ specifics.

4. If you need to print or when you make copies, print double sided.

You’ll save paper, which saves trees, which helps reduce CO2 emissions. Visit Nike partner Carbon Counter to learn about how to reduce your carbon impact. As of January 11, 2008, all copiers at WHQ are set to automatically print on both sides of the paper. It’s also a good idea to select “print preview” before you print to reduce unnecessary printing. So, do your part. Print smart.

5. Have an energy audit done at your house.

In Oregon, Nike has partnered with Energy Trust so that Nike employees can arrange a free home energy audit. Energy Trust’s Energy Advisors will recommend energy-saving measures specific to your home and install free compact fluorescent light bulbs, faucet aerators and showerheads. To schedule an appointment, call 1-866-368-7878. For more information, visit www.energytrust.org/HES

6. When you leave a room, turn off the lights.

When you use less energy, you reduce greenhouse gases. You also save the company money.

7. Recycle. Don’t throw your cans, bottles and paper in the trash.

One pound of CO2 is saved by recycling one bottle. Walk a few extra steps to find a recycling bin. WHQ has started a new recycling program. Learn more. (Source: www.earthfuture.com)

8. Instead of buying bottled water, use a water bottle (We hear Nike makes a great one!).

Landfills are huge repositories for unrecyclables, but everyday people throw away things that could go in the recycling bin. And you know what happens when those items get to that landfill? The garbage sits there, and sits there. Some things disappear over the course of a couple days or maybe a couple of years, but those plastic water bottles that don’t get thrown in the recycle bin? They have a life span that could last a few lifetimes. That’s right, an unrecycled plastic water bottle will take hundreds of years to break down. (Source: Co-op America)

9. Use public transportation when possible

We have all heard that we should start riding our bikes, walking or taking public transportation to work, but the real numbers that motivate this Eco-commuter push are shocking. According to the American Public Transportation Association, using this easy commuting system saves about 14 million tons of CO2 annually. That is 1.4 billion gallons of gas. (Source: Living Green Resources)

10. If you eat lunch at your desk, bring your own eating utensils instead of using disposable plastic ones.

For some reason, people just can’t seem to recycle! Plastic is recycled 80 percent less than newspapers and 70 percent less than cardboard. Not to mention, there are numerous roadblocks to productively and efficiently recycling plastic because of its complicated chemical makeup. (Source: Wikipedia)

11. Try to travel less and instead have more online/virtual meetings.

You can reduce your carbon impact — by a lot. Nike’s already working to offset the impact of our business travel, but when you travel personally, consider using an online “carbon calculator” to determine the approximate amount of carbon dioxide produced when you drive, fly or otherwise burn fossil fuels. Visit our "Toolbox" section for a list of carbon calculators.

12. Stay on top of the growing green trends and news by checking out these fantastic Web sites:

  • Green Options: What’s everyone really talking about? China’s solar-powered city? Whether or not algae biodiesel smells? Where in Los Angeles to find cheap green diapers? Welcome to the digital living room for global Eco-bloggers.
  • http://green.yahoo.com/
  • http://www.designcanchange.org/#home
  • Ethical Corporation: Sure, they’re out to prove it’s not an oxymoron. But this site isn’t afraid to reveal corporate rule breakers, either. Put tabs on who’s green, who’s not, and which companies act like there’s a larger global community at stake.
  • Green Biz: They call it a site dedicated to serious business topics, but with an environmental twist. We’re just calling it timely and relevant.

13. Reader style

Coffee table books are generally beautiful, inspiring and totally entertaining. There are more and more of these fun and fabulous books entering the market with more than profit in mind. The following is a list of books that illustrate issues that our planet faces.

14. Recruit help from the pros.

Too lazy to try and green your home? Found that greening your office is a much simpler task than fending off carbon-emitting beasts at home? With a simple one-hour renovation kit you can save yourself a lot of money as well as extend the earth’s life: http://www.earthaidenterprises.com/.

15. So you can’t give up driving to work?

If you still have to drive to work why not try these niftier alternatives? While most cars haven’t yet reached any significant carbon-conscious levels, these bikes are super cool, and still allow you to get where you need to quickly and efficiently (fuel efficiently that is!). Not to mention you can still hold a credo of respect by saying that you bike to work while your fellow Nike employees still rely on their favorite four wheelers!

16. Buy products with a Considered edge

Nike has been working on creating sustainable product for almost 10 years. We currently have dozens of products with a sustainable edge. Whether it’s our Air Max 360 innovative design or ACG apparel, we are a super cool brand with some pretty fabulous low-carbon options!

17. Walk it out

This may be an obvious one, but we all need a little reminder from time-to-time to help motivate us to get moving. After sitting at a desk all day, eating a leisurely lunch (We all know that the burritos in the Mia Hamm building are too good to pass up) and driving to and from work you haven’t exactly done anything too physically strenuous. When you get home you may be surprised at how good it feels to take a walk. Maybe it’s walking to get dinner or walking your dog because Fido needs to exert himself a little too. Whatever the case, don’t drive to accomplish your nightly chores, walk.

18. Pay your sustainable coolness forward

Don’t hog the limelight with your hip new Eco-conscious edge. Make sure that when birthdays and holidays come around you continue with the sustainable trend and purchase gifts with a considered ethos. This goes for work as well. For office parties and events start planning things around an environmentally sustainable theme. Don’t eat pizza on paper plates, use your office dishware. In fact, don’t eat pizza, order vegetarian food or locally grown fare!

19. Listen up

Celebrities and musicians have been teaming up for quite some time now to raise awareness and raise money about a variety of global climate issues. How cool would it be to buy you and your friend a ticket to the next show nearest you or give one of the newest artist albums that support a more sustainable future? Below is a list of past concerts that may inspire you to join the next tour as well as a list of albums that rock:

  • http://liveearth.msn.com/
  • http://www.earthconcerts.com/ — All year round this organization is organizing concerts all over the world at numerous regional locations.
  • http://www.shakeyourpeace.com/ — This music group even tours sustainably (they ride their bikes to venues and plant a tree for every album sold!)
  • The iTunes Music Store often features an album or track, which a percentage of the proceeds from sale go to Eco-friendly organizations.
  • Radiohead front man Thom Yorke is a leading musician in the Eco-conscious movement. Click here to read more about Yorke as well as other concerts and bands that are invigorating the climate change fervor.
  • http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/ — When you are huffing around town without a car and with your Nike+ you can kill four birds with one stone! 1. Listen to your recently purchased albums that go to support sustainability 2. Save gas money 3. Save on gas emissions 4. Get in shape!

20. Unplug it

In steps 2 and 6 we told you to turn it off, now we challenge you to just unplug the whole darn thing while you’re at it! Even when your phone charger is plugged into the wall, but is not actually charging your phone, potential energy is sitting idle. The same holds true for many household appliances (toasters, microwaves, radios, etc).

21. Global Cooling

If you are literally seeking to be cool- chilly, frigid, cold- then try turning off your heater at night and whenever you are not home so that you can save energy. You could really lather on the sustainable elements and make your own blanket to keep you warm in your new humble (and cooler) abode!

22. Computer Recycling

In a company that excels at growth, change, and staying super hip, we can go through a lot of physical products. Luckily, one of the more chemically and plastics-dependent of those items can be recycled: Computers. Whether at work or at home there are numerous ways to avoid tossing your old machines into a landfill.

23. The 23 Challenge

It is pretty easy to implement one or two of these actions on a daily basis, but now we dare you to try doing all 23! Challenge yourself to going green for a week then measure your new lifestyle with a carbon calculator. If you compare your new carbon footprint to just one week prior that may be motivation enough to stay on a low-carbon path.