Issue Two: July (July 2021)
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Thoughts from the Committee
In our previous issue of Sustainability Now we discussed the intersectional movement for environmental justice and to create a more sustainable planet. In this issue we want to talk about upstream impact. One of the biggest frustrations around trying to act sustainably is that our instincts aren’t always right! “Environmental folklore”, as Leyla Acaroglu calls it in her brilliant Ted Talk, informs our decision making about what is better for the planet far more than quantitative measurements. This can be demoralizing. We are trying hard to do good, sometimes even sacrificing to do good, only to realize we are inadvertently not helping or worse, doing harm! But, there are tools and information that can help inform our decisions and that’s what we want to talk about today.
One of the major contributors to a product’s environmental impact comes from its production (or the upstream impact). Creating new products, even “green” or reusable ones requires energy and materials. Therefore, where and how the product was created impacts its environmental footprint. The best way to reduce upstream impact is to reduce and reuse. Remember those forgotten Rs from elementary school? They are actually the top of the hierarchy of the 3 Rs because they are the most important.
For instance, when we buy a reusable metal water bottle we must understand that a metal bottle has a much greater upstream impact than a single use plastic one. This does not mean we should continue using single use plastic with reckless abandon. Rather, we need to be conscientious about reusing our reusable items many many times to make the upstream environment impact lower than what a single use plastic item would be. According to reporting by the New York Times“ if your stainless steel bottle takes the place of 50 plastic bottles, the climate is better off, and if it gets used 500 times, it beats plastic in all the environment-impact categories studied in a life cycle assessment”.
In the workplace, thinking about what can not be used is a good way to start reducing upstream impact. Do I need to use nitrile gloves to protect my health or can I just wash my hands after completing a task with a non toxic material? Can this bit of used blotter serve another purpose such as catching glue or paint before I throw it away? Is this new piece of equipment necessary or can I have my old equipment enhanced or repaired? Thinking like this can help you to reduce and reuse materials creating your own approximation at a circular economy (this is a nice animated explanation of how a circular economy works on a large scale). Our individual impact may be small, but by pressuring politicians and companies to design products with a low upstream impact and that fit into a circular economy where “everything is healthy food for something else” a more sustainable planet and economy can begin to emerge.
Some concrete tools that can help us assess what materials have the most environmental impact are the Act Labels database, from My Green Lab, which are essentially nutrition facts for environmental sustainability for common lab equipment. Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) quantify the impact of different products from their creation to disposal (or cradle to grave). While very complicated to calculate an LCA, here is a simple explanation of how they work. In the cultural heritage sector an LCA library is currently under development (funded by the FAIC and NEH) which will provide another tool in our tool belt of sustainable practice. This tool is, of course, just one measure in the complex decision making conservators and preservation specialists must consider, but will help us to make more informed choices about the materials we use and their impact on the environment.
Geothermal Systems for Cultural Institutions with Bill Tyre, Executive Director and Curator of the Glessner House[edit | edit source]
By Roxy Sperber, Rachel Childers, Bellie Camp, Rebecca Kennedy, AIC Sustainability Committee
In part 1 of this series, members of the Committee speak with Bill Tyre, the Executive Director and Curator of the Glessner House, about their NEH funded project to install a geothermal system and create environmental controls for the collection.
Watch the full interview here.
Geothermal Systems for Cultural Institutions with Mark Nussbaum, Principal Engineer at Architectural Consulting Engineers[edit | edit source]
By Roxy Sperber, Bellie Camp, Rebecca Kennedy, AIC Sustainability Committee
In part 2 of this series, dive further into the technical aspects of retrofitting historic buildings with geothermal systems with Mark Nussbaum, Principal Engineer at Architectural Consulting Engineers. Mark is responsible for the design and implementation of the geothermal heating and cooling systems at the Glessner House in Chicago (see part 1).
Watch the full interview here.
The Green Initiative at the Missouri Historical Society: Interview with Angela Moore, Facilities and Sustainability Coordinator for the Missouri Historical Society[edit | edit source]
By Alice Boccia Paterakis, AIC Sustainability Committee
The Missouri Historical Society recently took significant steps to make their institution more sustainable. AIC SustainabilityCommittee Member Alice Boccia Paterakis interviewed Angela Moore, a sustainability advisor certified in LEED and TRUE zero-waste, who led the Museum’s efforts.
Click here to read the full interview.
Interview with Caitlin Southwick, Founder and Executive Director of Ki Culture and Sustainability in Conservation[edit | edit source]
By Bellie Camp, AIC Sustainability Committee
On April 14, AIC SustainabilityCommittee Student Member, Bellie Camp, sat down (virtually) with Caitlin Southwick, Founder and Executive Director of Ki Culture and Sustainability in Conservation (SiC) to discuss her career path and the ongoing work of both organizations.
Click here to read the full interview.
Sustainability Book Club[edit | edit source]
Excited about building community around climate justice and breaking out of a narrative of hopelessness? Need some holiday reading that will inspire your sustainability New Year's resolutions? Our first book club read will be All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions of the Climate Crisis. There is a fantastic audiobook version and one of the most incredible essays by Sarah Miller (read by the legendary Julia Louis-Dreyfus) can be found for free right here.
Email us at sustainability@culturalheritage.org to register for the first meeting!
Email sustainability@culturalheritage.org with your sustainability questions or expertise! We hope to feature reader's questions in future newsletters. Already innovating in the realm of sustainability? Write to us or use the hashtag #SustainableAIC on social media to let us know what you're up to!
-AIC's Sustainability Committee
