Reduce your carbon footprint now!

[Gabi Hayes]

Please....



A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.

A Carbon Footprint is made up of the sum of two parts, the direct / primary footprint and the indirect / secondary footprint.

1. The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels including domestic energy consumption and transportation (e.g. car and plane).

2. The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use - those associated with their manufacture and eventual breakdown.

How to reduce your carbon footprint

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/carbon_footprint.html
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

[roamer65]

1. I've made a dent in my electrical footprint

Every stinkin lightbulb in the house is now a compact flourescent. My mom gets jealous everytime I mention my electric bill is around $25 a month.

[slackmaster]

2. I did that in 2000

When we had an electrical crisis in California.

[roamer65]

4. They make a big difference.

Plus I only run the furnace at 68 deg F. Every little bit that we do counts a lot.

[Gabi Hayes]

6. YES! reminds me of this amazing stat, if true:

if every household in the country exchanged five regular light bulbs for five compact fluorescents, it would be the carbon-reducing equivalent of taking eight million cars off the road for an entire year.

speaking of which, care to guess the impact of having CAFE standards require that EVERY car in the US achieves ONE more mpg? speaking of which, know how many cars there are in the US?

hint, more than there are people in almost every country in the world!

[roamer65]

22. ..plus those CFL suckers last a LONG time.

I have one that I leave at night so I can see if someone tries to break into the house. I would have gone thru 5-6 regular bulbs already, but this CFL continues on and on and on...

[Gabi Hayes]

30. yes...I put three in our condo basement hallway...24/7, and they're

still going

[Gabi Hayes]

29. great! calculate your personal carbon imprint here:

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.html

it's for England, and I haven't found one for the US, so you'll have to do some figuring

[Lisa0825]

43. I have no idea how to answer the car question.

I don't know what my Hyundai Elantra would be categorized as.

[BonnieJW]

3. I started unplugging everything.

I did not realize appliances pull electricity even when they are off as long as that plug is in the socket.

[Gabi Hayes]

8. vampires! hook your stuff up to switchable outlet extensions

http://www.grinningplanet.com/2004/10-26/vampire-power-electricity-article.htm

The amount of vampire power wasted varies among electronics equipment. The table below details the wasted electricity associated with electronics of standard design as compared to units that qualify for the government's EnergyStar efficiency rating.

Type of equipment Amount of vampire power wasted *
Cordless phone 66%
Televisions 25%
VCRs 30%
DVD players Up to 75%
Home audio equipment Up to 90%

* Data from EnergyStar.gov

[Beaverhausen]

9. How about computers?

My boyfriend wants to leave the computer on 24/7. I would love some stats to tell him why we should turn it off when it isn't being used. Or stats that tell me its OK to leave it on.

[Gabi Hayes]

12. computers aren't nearly as bad as those listed above, but:....

http://www.reallifenews.com/environment/2006/10/halloween_energy_conservation_1.php


Any appliance that can be turned on with a momentary pushbutton instead of a physical on-off switch is a phantom load.

This includes most desktop computers and many modern major appliances like dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers, microwave ovens, kitchen ranges, and more. These phantoms don't use as much power as items with remotes, but they still average about one or two watts each. Since a typical home will have a dozen or more such appliances plugged in at any time, the power waste still adds up quickly.



Most phantom loads can be eliminated.
The key is power strips and switched outlets. Power strips can be installed anywhere, switched outlets must be considered when a new house is designed, or be re-wired by an electrician. My home has separate power strips in a few essential areas. Essential items that must run all the time are plugged directly into the wall outlets, non-essential items are plugged into power strips that can be turned off.

For example, the home office: By turning on one power strip I can activate just the satellite modem and routers so that I can use the internet from my laptop anywhere in the house. If I need the more powerful desktop computer and all its associated printers, scanners and other gadgets, I can turn on a separate power strip for all of those - and all those items combined use as much power when they are turned OFF as the internet/laptop combination does when it's turned ON!

My home entertainment center is configured similarly. It's nice to have at least one clock on the system showing the right time, so my DVD recorder is plugged directly into the outlet and can't be turned completely off. It always shows the correct time. If I want to set it to record a show from the TV, I simply turn on a second power strip that controls the satellite TV box - now the system can record any show I wish, while the TV and sound system still remain unplugged from the wall. To actually watch TV or a movie, I turn on a third power strip that everything else is plugged into.

I keep a few other phantom loads in operation 24/7. The clocks on the microwave and kitchen range are handy, and only use about a watt each. My two-way amateur radio draws about the same, and it's on all the time too. Small wall wart battery chargers like those for the laptop, I-Pod, digital cameras, rechargeable flashlights (torches), GPS units and such each use a watt or two even when the device itself is not attached for charging, so I simply unplug the chargers when not needed. That's a much kinder way to treat those delicate rechargeable batteries
anyway.

[AndyA]

5. I'm making changes.

Using more compact flourescent bulbs, carpooling whenever possible, walking whenever possible, turning down the thermostat more, keeping cars longer and taking better care of them to reduce pollution, recycling, etc.

It's really not very difficult, and takes no thought whatsoever once you get in the habit. I still have a lot more that I could do, but I'm making progress.

[Beaverhausen]

7. My next big step is replacing my light bulbs with those energy efficient ones

I do what I can to have a low carbon footprint. Wish we had better public transportation around here.

[Billy Ruffian]

11. Keep your tires inflated properly

No matter what you drive, you can help make sure you consume less if you make sure your tires are properly inflated (owner's manual spec, plus 1-2 psi)

Make sure your car is running properly.

Drive gently, and anticipate traffic.

Plan your errands to minimize extra driving.

It all adds up.

[Beaverhausen]

13. I drive a Prius- and I drive like an old person to get the best mileage

but even still, I do need to keep my tires inflated properly! Thanks for the reminder.

[MurrayDelph]

14. My commute is mostly surface streets

and I still use cruise control on my Prius to keep it in Stealth Mode as much as possible.

And I keep my tires at 42f/40r.

Then again, I just had photovoltaic panels installed on my roof.

[Beaverhausen]

15. 42/40? wow

I thought 40/38 was high. What is your average mpg? Mine is only 44.

[roamer65]

16. You gonna "pimp your Prius"...

...and add that unit that allows you to plug it in for a recharge? Charging your Prius off photovoltaic would be NEAT. I'd be jealous.

[BrightKnight]

23. I rented a Prius from Enterprise for a couple of weeks.

I saved a lot of money on fuel. I am surprised that the people managing corporate expense accounts have not figured this out.

[MurrayDelph]

34. I only get 44mpg too

but mine is a 2002 (with 97K miles). It also depends on the tires (Michelin MXV4+).

The last time I checked, the plug-in option was only for the 2nd generation Prius; otherwise I would
get it. That would mean that except for vacations and trips to Disneyland, I would use almost no
gasoline!

[Gabi Hayes]

10. and, oh, by the way, if we'd have taken what Carter said seriously in 1977,

we might have been able to tell Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, etal, to pound sand a few years ago.

we had THIRTY YEARS' warning on this, by which I mean foreign oil dependence only, which is a large part of the carbon footprint problem

just think what we could have done with a tiny fraction of the DOD budget's redirection toward solar and other renewable energy. Just ask Brazil, whose 'solution' is far from perfect, but is a step in the right direction

[nam78_two]

17. K&R.nt

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

18. We are participating in a program called

"Light Among the Nations" It is being run through synagogues across the US, and we can buy all kinds of CFL bulbs at a really reasonable price. I am buying enough for every socket in the basement, plus our outside light and 4 hall fixtures. I am seriously thinking about buying for our neighbors as well. I am thinking it would be cool to have the first entire block in Pittsburgh completely CFL.

I am also pushing the kids to turn things off as much as possible. I found out about the phantom usage. I started unplugging electronics, chargers, etc when they weren't being used and saw my bill drop by about $15 a month.

DBDB

[roamer65]

20. Neat program and electricity in PA

is more than likely coal generated. Our utility in MI uses 80-85% coal for electric generation, the dirtiest way to generate it. That's why I attack my electric bill with such viciousness.

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

24. We get ours off a nuclear plant

in Shippingport. The rest around here is coal fired

DBDB

[YankeyMCC]

19. The number One thing you can do

Buy Local.

Particularly with Food. Locally grown/raised food is much more sustainable than industrial organic and doing so will reduce your footprint more than anything else (with the possible exception of transport depending on how much and how you travel).

Second for most people is reduce your use of fossil fuel for transport. Walk, bike, public transportation. Just think how rewarding it would be to ride your bike down to the local farmers market, meet the local producers and bring home food that you know where it was grown and by who. You work up your appetite physically and emotionally.

Governments (no matter which party is in power) are NOT going to Lead us through this crisis, WE MUST lead them.

[Gabi Hayes]

26. yep....those are two of the things listed in the header links to

reduce primary and secondary footprints

Union of Concerned Scientists says:

http://gliving.tv/lifestyle-sections/how-our-food-choices-can-help-save-the-environment/#more-194

The Union of Concerned Scientists says there are two things people can do to most help the environment:
The first is to drive a fuel-efficient automobile (that means, not an SUV or a truck) and live near where we work.
The second is to not eat beef. I'm going to go one step farther than UCS: I suggest that you refuse to eat any animal or animal product produced on a factory farm. And I'm going to tell you why.

In 1990, when I first read that 10 people could be fed with the grain that you would feed a cow that would be turned into food for one person, I was impressed. But I was not moved. The reason: If 10 people would be fed because I gave up meat, I'd give it up. But, I thought, if I give up meat, it won't have that impact: it probably won't have any impact on anything at all, except me.

I was wrong. If I had known that for every pound of beef I did not eat, I would save anywhere from 2,500 to 5,000 gallons of water, I would have been moved. It's a good idea to save water; we are depleting our underground aquifers faster than we are replenishing them. The largest one, the Ogallala, which covers a vast part of the country from the Midwest to the mountain states, is being depleted by 13 trillion gallons a year. It is going to run out. Northwest Texas is already dry. They can't get any water from their wells.

John Robbins points out that in the 1980s and 1990s, to conserve water, most of us went to low-flow showerheads. If you take a daily seven-minute shower, he says, and you have a 2-gallon-per-minute low-flow showerhead, you use about 100 gallons of water per week, or 5,200 gallons of water per year. If you had used the old-fashioned 3-gallon-per-minute showerhead, I calculate you would have used 7,644 gallons of water per year. So by going low flow, you saved almost 2,500 gallons of water per year. Wonderful. But by giving up one pound of beef that year, you'd save maybe double that. You'd save more water than you would by not showering at all for six months! And that's just one of the environmental impacts you'd have.

[latebloomer]

21. K & R

Gotta raise awareness!!!

[jeanarrett]

25. How much more are those

lightbulbs?

[Gabi Hayes]

28. depends on where you go, or what sales are going on.

I found a sale with 8 for $5.00, which was cheaper than the comparable incandescent.

they're usually more expensive, though

BUT, and it's a big one, their MUCH much more energy efficient, and they last....well let's see what the package says:

60W bulb uses 13 Watts, and lasts eight times long as same incandescent

it claims to save FORTY FIVE bucks over the life of the bulb, as compared to incandescents

[jeanarrett]

32. Thank you -- I'll look for them this weekend.

Is someplace like Home Depot a good place to look? Or maybe Costco?

Anything to save the Earth and my outrageous electric bill I will do!

[Gabi Hayes]

33. dunno about Costco....never looked there, but DON'T go to Home Depot,

if you can avoid it. there among the reddest of the the red companies. don't ever shop there. patronize your local HDware store, if possible, even if it costs a few bucks. Home Depot is as bad as Walmart

I'd start by checking online for stores in your area

there might be a way to order/ship from an online source

course, there's always breakage to consider

[GardeningGal]

36. Costco does have them.....I can't remember how much

I got mine last summer, but I think they carry them all the time now.

[Gabi Hayes]

39. thanks....going over there this week, and need some higher wattage bulbs

need some jalapeno artichoke dip, too

[NMDemDist2]

48. costco has them and often with a rebate from the local power co.

i got a dozen for about $20 which was a screaming deal

[Eurobabe]

27. I did, I moved to Europe

Houses are built more energy-efficient, we use extra long life bulbs (actually the latest in lighting technology), have access to fabulous public transport system, have a low emission diesel car that gets a gazillion KMs to the tank.

The only thing I won't give up is my vacations and trips home.

[Gabi Hayes]

31. incandescent vs. fluorescent....savings in cost and energy are astounding:

http://www.nppd.com/My_Home/Product_Brochures/Additional_Files/flourescent_lighting.asp

[emlev]

44. question about compact fluorescents

Do you know if people who can't tolerate regular fluorescent bulbs (the long tubular kind) due to migraines, neurological symptoms, etc., are likely to be able to tolerate compact fluorescents?

[Gabi Hayes]

47. dunno the etiology of all you mention, BUT...check this:

looks like the culprit in many instances is the MERCURY inherent in fluorescents:

Mercury-free developments
Mercury-free fluorescent discharges are available using Xenon. The efficiency is approximately 30% of a normal mercury-based fluorescent lamp, and therefore this technology is environmentally counterproductive for general lighting applications. Despite continuous research by the private sector, government research labs, and academia, no viable replacement has been discovered for mercury in general purpose fluorescent lamps. The search continues. There are better prospects for mercury-free HID lamps, whereas metal halide lamps without mercury present a greater challenge. The high-pressure sulfur lamp is fundamentally mercury-free, but is unstable and requires forced cooling.




from long, long site dealing with fluorescent lighting:

http://www.mercuryinschools.uwex.edu/curriculum/national-curriculum.htmd

no wonder we're all mad as hatters!

hold your breath when you go to work, school, store, you name it

[Gabi Hayes]

35. US friendly carbon footprint calculator/fight global warming:

http://carbonfund.org/site/pages/calculator/

http://www.carbonfund.org/site/

[leftchick]

37. thank you Gabi

I want a Prius today!

[Gabi Hayes]

42. yr wlcm! more green stuff in this post, featuring NRDC site.

saving electrons....

now, saving a hundred sixty three thousand trees:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0820/is_340/ai_n16111627

NRDC list of environmentally friendly paper products company, as a card, so you can look while shopping:

http://nrdc.org/land/forests/tissueguide/walletcard.pdf

plenty more here; you can spend hours at this site:

http://nrdc.org

then, here, for green living

http://nrdc.org/cities/default.asp

[leftchick]

45. I LOVE NRDC!

I have been a member for over twenty years! :)

[thingfisher]

38. Save the planet!

Kill yourself!

[Gabi Hayes]

40. ach! that reminds me.....

A woman is standing on the G.W. Bridge, preparing to jump. "Life is no good to me!", she thinks and steels herself
for the rush of air as she plummets to her doom.
Just then, a merchant-marine shows up, screeches to a halt and hops out of
his car. "What are you doing?", he asks. She responds by saying, "Life is
awful - I'm going to end it all!"

With a look of sincerest pity, the marine says, "Listen, don't jump. I'm
about to be shipped out to the Mediteranean. Why don't you come along with
me. I'll stow you away on the ship, and when we get to the other side of
the ocean, I'll give you a little money to get started - you can start a
whole new life! All I ask in return is gratuitous sex on the trip over."

The woman considers this, thinking "A new life! - for a little sex?" Not
only would she get a new life out of the deal, but the marine IS kinda
handsome - sex won't be so bad at all.

"OK", she agreed. And with that, the marine took her to the ship and they
left port - she, stowed-away under a lifeboat.

Every day, the marine would bring her food and water and she would perform
the gratuitous sex. Everything was great. But about 10 days into the
journey across the sea, the ship's captain was walking the deck when he
heard a noise from under the lifeboat. Looking under it, he found the
beautiful woman.

"What are you doing here?", asked the captain.

"I'm sorry sir," she cried, "I'm a stow-away traveling to Europe to start a
new life. I didn't mean to make a fool of you by hiding abord your ship."

"Me?" the captain asked. "What about you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

To which the captain said, "This is the Staten Island Ferry."

[Lydia Leftcoast]

41. If there's public transit within walking distance of your home,

quit coming up with lazy excuses why you can't use it.

If you move to a new community, buy a dwelling place near where you work (or at least in a neighborhood where stores and services are within walking or biking distance) and make up for the increased cost of the house by dumping one of your cars. (You'll save a MINIMUM of $3000 per year, and that's if your car is already paid for.) Oh, and you WILL survive living in a smaller house than all your friends.

If you have a choice, look for an old-style house that's built for your climate.

Keep your thermostat at 65° or less in the winter and don't turn on the air conditioner unless you're ready to pass out from the heat.

[JNelson6563]

46. Kicking this

:kick: