Intro to sustainability intro

Friday, October 28, 2011

Ellen E Jones, Assistant Professor, Bemidji State UniversityPaul Brunner, Technical Director, Indiana University Theatre & DramaJames McKernan, Department of Theatre, York University

Natural Resources Defense Council and used with permission

But FirstBut First……..

A Quick Introduction to Global A Quick Introduction to Global WarmingWarming

Climate Change:

it’s really getting hotter

- IPCC, 2007, www.worldclimate.com,

“The Cost of Climate Change,”NRDC, May 2008

““Arctic ice could disappear almost completely in the latter part Arctic ice could disappear almost completely in the latter part of the centuryof the century””-- IPCC, AR4IPCC, AR4

September 16, 2004-- ““State of the Paper Industry,State of the Paper Industry,”” Environmental Paper Network, 2007Environmental Paper Network, 2007

#1 industrial consumer of fresh water on the #1 industrial consumer of fresh water on the planetplanet#1 discharger of water pollutants#1 discharger of water pollutants#3 industrial generator of greenhouse gases#3 industrial generator of greenhouse gasesAlmost 50% of all industrial logging Almost 50% of all industrial logging worldwide is caused by the paper industryworldwide is caused by the paper industry

……just to make paperjust to make paperIs That a Good Enough Reason to:

Print Double Sided?Recycle your Paper Waste?

Buy Paper w/ Recycled Content?

…Small Efforts…Big Results…

•If present trends continue, the total cost of global warming will be as high as 3.6% of gross domestic product (GDP). •Four global warming impacts alone —

•hurricane damage•real estate losses•energy costs•water costs—will come with a price tag of 1.8% of U.S. GDP, or almost $1.9 trillion annually (in today’s dollars) by 2100.

The fierce urgency of now

- “The Cost of Climate Change,” NRDC, May 2008

That’s why we must act immediately to reduce global warming emissions 80 percent by 2050 and take ourselves off the

business-as-usual path.

Defining our terms

What is greening?-- examining business operations and examining business operations and

supply chain to identify environmental supply chain to identify environmental liabilities and opportunitiesliabilities and opportunities

What isnWhat isn’’t greening?t greening?

-- not about breaking the banknot about breaking the bank

-- a journeya journey-- enhancing efficiencyenhancing efficiency

-- not a checklistnot a checklist-- not just about carbon footprintnot just about carbon footprint

Supply Chain Management:A 360º view

Getting down to specificsGetting down to specifics

www.nrdc.org/greeningadvisorwww.nrdc.org/greeningadvisor

Source: California Energy Commission, 2005

Source: NRDC 200618

ALUMINUM MANUFACTURING

Recycled Aluminum uses 93% less energy

than virgin

Source: NRDC 200619

ALUMINUM MANUFACTURING

• Reduce environmental liabilities• Potential to save money by increasing efficiencies• Enhance brand reputation• Improve public relations; meet expectations of

customers and clients

• Boost employee morale by involving them in a positive social and environmental effort

• Receive recognition from all stakeholders, including customers, shareholders, employees, and the media, for being at the forefront of social and environmental change

• A major opportunity to do well by doing good

LDI Green Day 2011 – Intro to Sustainability

Intro to Sustainability: A Primer for the Newly Interested

Thanks to Bob Usdin of Showman Fabricators, the Broadway Green Alliance, Barbizon, and everyone connected with LDI for making the Green Day track a reality.We presented a session last as part of Green Day 2010: Green at the University: Teaching Green by Being Green. Ellen and Paul wrote and article that appeared in the Spring 2011 edition of Theatre Design and Technology (TD&T).


TD&T published Paul’s technical article in the fall of 2009 that discusses Wood Composites and their mechanical properties as they apply to stage scenery.

Goal for Todayto provide some tools and ideas to help you create a

sustainability initiative that works for you and your organization!

Intro to Sustainability: A Primer for the Newly Interested


The Usual Suspects

Paul Brunner – Technical Director & Head of Theatre Technology at Indiana University- Bloomington.Ellen E. Jones- Lighting & Scenic Designer & Scenic Artist. Assistant Professor & Head of Design at Bemidji State University until May 2012 when the theatre department is eliminated as part of retrenchment.James McKernan- Chair Sustainability Commission CITT, Assistant Professor of Theatre Production at York University, Toronto.


The Disclaimer

These are our opinions based on our experiences.

Please, evaluate ideas and products on your own, to make final decisions that meet the needs of your organization without exceeding the available resources.

Do not use any product without reading all the instructions for use, handling, storage, and personal protection.

Make sure you understand how to use and meet any safety requirements (like FR application, dust collection, and ventilation requirements) when using new materials.


No one wants to waste energy and mindlessly release toxins into the environment or produce so much garbage he or she needs a personal landfill. You can reduce your footprint on the environment without saving all your trash and weighing it or banning toilet paper from the restroom.The first step in sustainability is to examine your personal or organizational impact on the environment.

How Big Are Your Feet?


Do not overreach with your first Green initiatives.Create a Mission Statement for your organizationStart small and simple.

Making better choices in everyday materials and products

What works for you is the best program.

Getting Started


Getting Started

Develop a “Green” Culture:

Determine what you can control. In some cases you can make changes, in other areas you may only be able to make suggestions. Change can make people nervous and inflexible.

Seek allies within the production company or department and decide on reasonable goals.

Reach out to other areas including the Safety Officer, Facilities Management, Craft Services, Administrative Support Staff and the Custodial Staff for ideas.


A New Reference Library

Start reading books that look at ecological, safety, and industrial hygiene concerns. Protect people and the environment.


More Great Books


“Back to Theatre Basics”Stock Scenery Principals

Theatre IS a sustainable model.Modular construction (4ft multiples)Strike process & material reuse

Theatre has reused scenic elements for decades.Stock platforms and other scenic elements represent a wonderful Sustainable model.Of course, strive to continuously improve these traditional theatre methods with materials & fasteners.


More Great Books


Assess the Operation

Walk through your shops, stage, offices, and lobby and really look at the operations. It doesn’t take long to not see the work environment.

- Are all areas clean and organized?- Are garbage cans full of items that could be easily recycled?- Are there shelves of chemical solvents and cleaners, spray

adhesives, and spray paint?- Are dozens of indicator lights winking at you in the dark after

everyone else has gone home?- Are desks and tables covered with stacks of paper? Could any of

that communication be handled using digital copies instead?- Are materials easy to reuse or is storage filled to overflowing so

no one can find anything?


Intersection of Safety and Sustainability

This tour is a great time to assess some aspects of the safety of your facility as well.

- Are MSDS books conspicuous and easy to find so workers can determine any dangers from products?

- Is everything so crowded that your shops do not meet the physical requirements for NFPA codes or fire load capacity for the facility?

- Are all areas adequately lit, but not over lit so energy is wasted when no one is using the space?

- Sniff the air. Do you smell chemical fumes or solvents? Sneeze from the fabric or saw dust?


Remember the Basics

Move away from paper forms- use cloud computing and fill-able forms that all can share.Print on both sides , don’t use colored paper. Make a sign for duplex on and off.Use re-useable cutlery in the staff cafeteria.Use daylight as much as possible.


Not for the Faint of Heart

Everyone knows to recycle programs. Some theatres have gone to a video program in the lobby.Can the call board be replaced with a paper free dry erase board?Dishwasher in the prop kitchen? Buy mugs to sell coffee for concessions, not paper cups. Or sell soda in bottles and refillable stainless steel bottles for the water fountain.Sell only fruit with peels at intermission-no packaged goodies.


The Not So Scary Ideas…

Only print one full set of drawings and use individual plates as needed. Use old drawings as packing material.Use an internet drop box or a communication shell for documents that several people need to edit or read only. How about blogs for the design process?Do one poster for the season and one lobby display of the entire company.Buy LED flashlights and headlights to save on batteries.Use re-chargeable batteries


Stage Scenery Ideas

Getting the most out of materials

- One approach to reduce lumber waste due to math errors, buy 1x10 or 1x12 and rip it in-house for flats. Rip to 3”instead of 1x3’s real width to avoid fraction errors and resulting waste.**

- Flat Frame Carriages (or Gates)- Instead of building solid-carriage step units that cannot be adjusted, use

frame carriages that can be made into curved or straight runs. These can also be stored flat and made up with any number of steps.

- Build to deconstruct. Glue is good, but build large units so they can be taken apart and elements reused again.


Frame Carriage Step Units

From Bill Raoul’s Stock Scenery Construction Handbook.


Flexible Steps for Reuse

Based on “Flex-Pitch Escape Stairs”, by Kevin Hines, Tech Brief Collection, vol. 2Steel framed treads bolt to side stringers.The stair unit pivots to adjust the height from roughly 6ft to 8ft platform height. The treads remain parallel with the floor.


Do you have a scenery rental option near you?

If not try:

www.readysetrecycle.com


Stage Scenery Ideas

If you need to use steel, bolt it together, don’t weld it, as much as possible. Or use Kee Clamp.Build to maximize yield; make 8’ flats, not 7’.Re-skin old frames.Recycle all materials when done. Many metal scrap yards give you cash for your metal. If you can’t recycle your wood, burn the solid timber off-cuts as fuel.


More Examples of Stock Scenery and re-use

The 30’ long beams for Crucible were build to come apart in 8’sections. They became vertical timbers in Man of La Mancha (base coat paint only) and the next season became an architectural soffit with a painted border in The Butcher Of Baraboo.


Stage Scenery & Recycling

Recycling Wood is becoming more and more common.Contact local & regional construction waste companies and ask for alternatives to landfill disposal.It is often possible for wood waste to be processed into decorative mulch (painted), or be sold to Municipal Incinerators for energy.Local Habitat for Humanity may have use for wood


Build using Cardboard Scenery Techniques

A great cardboard scenery resource is on-line:http://cortecscenery.com/


Check all the Materials & Products!

Some putty mixes include naturally occurring arsenic-not good for you or the water table.Check the toxic qualities of the pigments you use dry pigments or liquid dyes. Just because the label says it is considered carcinogenic in CA, does not mean you are safe everywhere else.Most kinds of bronzing powders are considered Hazards Materials for shipping. Are you sure a water-based metallic paint won’t do for this project?


Ideas for Glues and Adhesives

PVA Glues (old fashion White and Yellow Glue)Polyvinyl acetateWater-based & non-toxic

The difference between White and Yellow Glue is…1) Color2) Viscosity3) the list ends here

Alternative to “Liquid Nails”PolySeamSeal “All Purpose”

Low odor, non-toxic, water-based adhesive caulk (mastic)


Scenery-The Paint Area

Read the MSDS sheets and eliminate any product that you do not have appropriate PPEs to use.Save scrap paint in 5 gallon buckets for back and base painting on the next show.Eliminate any product that requires a solvent other than water and soap or uses propellants.Remember natural doesn’t mean harmless- anthrax is natural. Orange oil and other natural cleaners can be just as harmful as chemical cleaners.


Is it Clean Yet?

Adopt a less wasteful brush cleaning technique:Coming back to roller on more of that color? Wrap the rollers in plastic and only clean when you are finished. Use a spin out for that cleaning session.

Use one bucket of water for the first agitation of all brushes. Go to a second bucket of clean water with a little soap. Rinse again in clean water in a bucket. Reshape and hang to dry. Never wash brushes under continuously running water.

Teach everyone how you want the brushes cleaned. http://www.yorku.ca/tags/Theatre_Artisan_Green_Skills/Paint_Conservation.html


One Paint Cleaning Method

For more information go to: www.yorku.ca/tags


Props

How organized is your storage? Half of the problem with re-using items is finding them.The other half is storage enough to keep them.Do you have a reciprocal rental/loan agreement with other theatres/schools near you?Perhaps you can digitize your inventory to save the travel time and carbon.Offer them to community groups or schools if you can’t keep them. Pay it forward.


Stage & Facility Lighting

Count the watts- What lamps are in your stage fixtures? Could some units be

lamped down even if it means keeping different wattages of the same type lamps in stock?

- Are rehearsals run under a full stage wash? Can you find an alternative that uses fewer units?

- Turn off scenic lighting and switch to house lights when possible during tech. They use less electricity.

- Put a cap on maximum wattage in the grid.

- Don’t know how much electricity you are using: measure it. Put a meter in before the dimmers and track it. Or count the watts.


Stage & Facility Lighting

Can occupancy sensors be added to rooms so lights are only turned on when the space is in use?Use Sine Wave DimmersGet the most out of conventional tungsten lights. They are not evil, nor are they going away in the near future. Clean them and use modern versions.Got a ghost light?

- Good - put a compact fluorescent in it- Better – get an S-14 LED lamp from Earth LED. These LED

lamps also fit in most courtesy step units.

Are computers on switched power strips? *


Don’t Forget Architectural and Task Lighting

How many lobby, display, and house lighting units are in the space?

- Switched units can take compact fluorescents or LED screw base lamps.

- Even certain fluorescent fixtures can be replaced with other more efficient fluorescent units.

- Earth LED makes a direct replacement, dimmable LED PAR with a screw base that really works. With our analog dimmers the dimmer curve on the board had to be rewritten. Once a digital command module was added to the racks, they dimmed using a standard profile.


Get a Little Help From Your Friends

Ask the local electricity provider to do an energy audit of yourfacility.

Check for rebates on energy saving upgrades.

Look for state grants earmarked to improve sustainability-Bemidji State University got a huge grant from the MN State Pollution Control Agency.

Look for arts related and regional grants that can be used for operating costs or educational programming. You may be able to use that money to make upgrades and then showcase them to the public.


Take It For A Test Drive

Research is usually an expectation for faculty members. Will a company partner with you by loaning LED equipment for a show or season that allows you to make a scientific study? Note- if you do this, actually publish the article.All products are beta tested in the field. Can your college or university test equipment for a company?Have funding for capital expenditures? Contact dealers and vendors for recommendations and ask if you can have a loaner for a show before buying.


Costume & Wardrobe Ideas

Eliminate the Chemicals!

Detergents are a relatively new invention. Switch from detergents and scented fabric softeners (note: chemical fragrances are one of the least regulated items on the consumer market). Wash laundry with soap nuts. Supplement with vinegar or baking soda and hydrogen peroxide as bleach if needed. These same products can be used to clean actor’s stations as well.



Explore natural dyes as an alternative to chemical dyes. They will not always be what you are looking for but for the less saturated operations they work amazingly well.

Choose natural Fabrics when possible, and avoid fabrics that require dry-cleaning.

Use thrift stores and more rental companies.*

Alternative to chemicals: Instead of bleach use: vinegar, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, oxygen, borax, washing soda, sodium hydrosulfite (salt & water). *



Try to stay away from hair dye.Research all of the make-up you are using. Look at The Environmental Working Group/cosmetics as a resource.Use pump hairsprays.If you cannot get soap nuts at least use environmentally responsible detergent.Washing Machines & Dryers – Don’t skimp!

High Quality front-loading machines & dryers will last longer and are most often higher efficiency


This is all just common sense….

A common theme in these slides of ideas is “try”. Do something, try something. Take the first step!

Many of these initiatives we already do because they are cheaper or are quicker or just smarter….

That is the point, all we are suggesting is you choose to save money, work smarter and quicker!

Being Greeneris not

Black and White

Production Needs:SafeOn BudgetOn Time“Good”:◦ Entertaining◦ Thought

Provoking◦ Enlightening◦ Exciting

GreenVS

SafeOn BudgetOn Time“Good”:◦ Entertaining◦ Thought Provoking◦ Enlightening◦ ExcitingGreener

Safe / On Budget / “Good” / Greener

Bottom Up Support Technicians / Shops / Vendors

Top Down MandatesProducers / Managers / Creative

Intro to sustainability intro

Education

Transcript of Intro to sustainability intro