I had the pleasure to attend, and sample, a very fun beer fest in Grand Lake, CO. It was part of the Spirit of the Lake Regatta and Grand Lake Brewfest, Aug 13, 2016. Finding a beer fest during a vacation is good enough. Then I saw that it was a fundraiser for youth outdoor environmental education programs. It also claimed to be the worlds’ first fully solar-powered beer fest. Even the live band was powered by solar panels. Hosted by Infinite West, it was a net-zero, zero waste event that was the perfect example of the environment of beer! Continue reading
Tag Archives: environment
Environment of Beer: Coors Brewery Tour
The Coors Brewery Tour is known for 2 things: 1) seeing behind the scenes of the iconic brewery in Golden, CO, and 2) the free beer in the Tasting Room. But there are several environmental related topics presented throughout the tour. I’ve highlighted several of them here, along with some information from the MillerCoors Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship pages. I’ve toured several breweries. Each time I’m reminded of the industrial process involved in brewing and packaging. So I also have on my CHMM-hat looking the environmental, health, and safety of the brewery. Continue reading
Environment of the Bolder Boulder
The Bolder Boulder finishes inside Folsom Field under the scenic Flatirons.
There are running races held each weekend around the country from early spring through Thanksgiving. Very few, if any of them have 50,000 runners, 70,000 spectators, and run through an environmentally conscious town. The Bolder Boulder 10K is that race. Most races are small and don’t have to consider their environmental impact. Bringing 100,000 people into a town of 100,000 people for a running race will certainly have an environmental impact. What is that impact? What is the environment of the Bolder Boulder? Continue reading
An Environmentally Friendly Star Wars Rebels
The Purrgil in Star Wars Rebels. Image via StarWars.com.
Star Wars Rebels season 2, episode 15, “The Call”, is based on an environmental story that’s been told over and over. Don’t underestimate nature. Trust nature. Embrace nature, natural process, and it’s beings. If you do, you can use nature to your advantage, you’ll succeed, and/or you’ll be fulfilled. It’s a theme that countless popular movies, books, and shows have explored. Avatar, The Lorax, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, WALL-E, Pocahontas, or nearly any nature-themed Disney movie. For a show about a group of misfit Rebels trying to defeat the evil Empire, the Rebels come across as “Environmentalists” in this episode.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Environment
Emissions from a sugar factory. Yes, a sugar factory
While teaching a recent environmental training course, I found it hard to paint of pretty picture of the environment. The course was about incorporating environmental considerations into your projects and decisions. It was a broader look at the topic than just NEPA. Most of the attendees didn’t have any formal environmental background or training. That is where, I think, the problems came up. After a few hours I eventually had to say, “Don’t be afraid of the environment.” Continue reading
“The One You Feed” Applied To Environmental Professionals
Logo for The One You Feed podcast.
I’ve been enjoying the podcast, The One You Feed, which is described as, “Conversations about creating a life worth living.” The episodes are either interviews with interesting and inspiring people or mini episodes, both of which offer advice and insight on how to live a more positive, constructive life. You can apply the topics and inspiration to your daily mindset, health and fitness, and/or work. After listening to several episodes, I started finding parallels in the stories to the work and life of an environmental professional. Continue reading
Environment of Beer: Left Hand Brewing, Longmont, CO
This is the second brewery I’ve written about, so it’s officially the start of my Environment of Beer series.
Left Hand Brewing in Longmont, CO hosted the Rocky Mountain Chapter of CHMMs for our September meeting. Our visit to the brewery included a presentation by Plant Manager, Jake Kolakowski, and a tour. It was a unique opportunity to look at the environment of a craft brewery and of course, sample good beer. Continue reading
Best Meat to Eat for the Environment
Sizing up cattle at the National Western Stock Show.
What is the “best” meat to eat for the environment? My family has been having this discussion lately. If you’ve previously read anything about this, you’d know that beef has the worst impact on the environment. Well, does it really? Health, ethics, religion, proximity, cost, and availability all weigh into our decision to eat meat. Despite being an environmental professional, I previously gave the environmental impact of meat very little thought. This is despite years of research on the topic. Mainly because I like to eat meat.
Here is a summary of the environmental impacts of eating our most common meats – beef, chicken, pork and fish/seafood. This is not my research and it is not comprehensive of all the available information or environmental impacts. Think of it as the Cliffs Notes version of a lot of meat research. So let’s take a look at, What Meat to Eat? I’ll start with a few statistics concerning the overall environmental impact of eating meat. Continue reading
Environment of Beer: Bayern Brewery, Missoula, MT
Bayern’s Dancing Trout keeping cool while fly fishing
Bayern Brewery in Missoula, MT has been brewing award-winning, traditional German beers since 1987. They’re not one of the new breweries on the growing-craft-beer-market block. There are a lot of great breweries, but very of few of them have the same strong commitment to a sustainability program.
I’ve been to their brewery and tasting room twice during my travels to Missoula. During my most recent visit with a co-worker, who lives in Missoula, he began telling me about their recycling program and other environmental efforts. As a beer drinking and environmental professional, I am interested in the “environment of beer” and wanted to know more. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to drink some good beer and learn more about their environmental programs.
Their most interesting sustainable practice is that they recycle their own glass. Combined with buying back their 6-pack holders and/or giving recyclers trade-in value for beer, they recycle or reuse their entire packaging material. For a $3 deposit, you can get one of their Ecopacks to collect and return the bottles and 6-pack holders. They’ll even take back other qualifying beer bottles. How about that, beer drinkers? Bring back your bottles and 6-pack holders and they’ll give you credit for beer!
Hazardous Materials in the Field
A lot of national attention regarding environmental issues is spent on climate change, sustainability, and alternative energy. These are topics that demand attention from scientists, policymakers, and the community. There are everyday environmental incidents that don’t impact a wide population, but can be extremly impactful to a person, workplace, or neighborhood. When these smaller issues are overlooked for an extended time, we get incidents like the West Virginia water contamination or the Texas fertilizer plant explosion.
I’ve spent most of my career trying to keep work places healthy from exposure to hazardous materials, wastes, and toxins. Here are a few interesting photos of what it’s really like out there. All of these have been taken by me on job sites.
DDT found in a storage room. How old is this?
Rusted, bulging 55-gal drums.
Uh, what they thinking?
Used oil in a Pepsi bottle. Don’t put it back in the fridge.
Good or bad? A garbage can full of oil.