Carbon footprint is definitely one of the latest buzz words in our culture. It’s all over the media and I know that I am suppose to reduce it. But I have to confess that I didn’t know what it meant.
I knew that it measures you impact on the environment but I didn’t know how. Simply put your carbon footprint is a measurement (more likely an estimate) of how much carbon your life produces. The idea is that by releasing carbon you are contributing to green house gas emissions and therefore to global warming. However global warming is just one of the “green issues” we have to be concerned about. It’s definitely something to look at.
Here are a few sites that will help you estimate your carbon footprint based on things like driving, flying, home size and the number of people you live with. If nothing else it’s a way measure where you are at and how far you have to go in your quest to be green.
http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
http://www.pge.com/myhome/environment/calculator/
What exactly is a 'carbon footprint'?
Charlie the Buffalo
By Sandra Stoner
Last week I finished reading one of those books that leaves an imprint on you. You know, the kind that you spend time quality time thinking about weeks, months, even years later. The book was R.D. Rosen’s A Buffalo in the House, and it inspired me in several ways.
The story of Charlie the buffalo being hand-raised by an extremely interesting, dedicated couple was awesome to say the least. Their work alone showed a compassion to animals that I believe is very important in the movement to protect our endangered species.
Even more inspiring though was the history behind the American buffalo. I learned that buffalo in our country once numbered at least 40 million, but now a total of less than 10,000 exist in the wild. This is solely due to the fact that European settlers massacred them.
And yet, quite astonishingly, the American Buffalo is not on the Endangered Species list. In fact, Buffalo are still being killed every year near one of their last homes, Yellowstone National Park.
The park of course has borders that are drawn out on maps and state boundaries, and for the past 20 years the state of Montana has been shooting buffalo who ‘carelessly’ wander onto their property. Montana officials claim that these buffalo are killed because of their ability to transmit disease (specifically Brucellosis) to cattle. However, scientists have proven that Brucellosis can only be transmitted through the fetus; that is, a cow must lick an infected Buffalo fetus within an hour of birth. This is not only rare, but it has never been documented. Even more interesting, elk also carry the disease but have not been targeted by Montana officials for crossing the man-made border into their state.
Last winter, Montana authorities shot and killed 1,616 American Buffalo. This is documented by the Buffalo Field Campaign (http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/) Unfortunately, Yellowstone National Park rangers do not condemn Montana’s insistence on killing Buffalo and instead support it.
This type of discrimination in the area of animal rights is frustrating. Why are some animals protected while others are ignored? Yellowstone prides itself on the fact that it has returned wolves to its forests (wolves were originally eradicated in the early part of the 20th century), and yet the park continues to disregard the buffalo.
In circumstances like these it is important for people like you and me to stand up and demand change. We all know and understand that biodiversity is crucial to a healthy environment, so let’s be sure to protect animals that are important links in the whole of life.
Here are several websites that provide more information on animal injustice throughout the world:
Great Plains Restoration Council: http://www.gprc.org/
International Fund for Animal Welfare: http://www.ifaw.org/splash.php
Yellowstone National Park: http://www.nps.gov/yell/
Have a Green Christmas
By Megan McLaughlin
This holiday season, why not find a way to save yourself some money while saving the environment? There are many ways to combat those high electricity bills around the holidays and using energy efficient lights is one of them!
LED lights are the way to go this year; LEDs, or “Light Emitting Diodes,” are different than standard bulbs. “Typical indicator LEDs are designed to operate with no more than 30–60 milliwatts (mW) of electrical power.” According to eartheasy, “Electric lighting burns up to 25% of the average home energy budget.” “LEDs are small, solid light bulbs which are extremely energy-efficient. New LED bulbs are grouped in clusters with diffuser lenses which have broadened the applications for LED use in the home.” As you can see, there are many benefits to using LED lights as an alternative.
So, where and how do you get LED Christmas lights? Well edf.org (Environmental Defense Fund) has some answers; “LED string lights use much less electricity, reduce pollution from power plants and last longer. And they stay cooler, too. While they cost more than traditional strings of lights up front, the electricity savings easily make up the cost difference within a season or two.” You can purchase these LED lights just about anywhere. Stores like Target and Wal-Mart carry them and sites like Holiday LEDs and LED Holiday Lighting, are great resources for the latest and greatest in Christmas gear!
These LED lights can save up to 80% on your electricity. You may need to spend a little more to purchase them (very little extra), but they will pay for themselves in no time. If you’re looking for a bright idea this holiday season, you may have found a solution with LED Christmas lights!
Winter Time Spending
By Colleen Heenan
I don’t know about anyone else, but I tend to spend much more money in the wintertime. Not only is it a time for sharing, giving, traveling and going to parties, but it’s a time to give more money to the energy companies. There are many tricks, though, that you can turn to save a little cash and keep your green ways as well.
Living in general is expensive -- whether you pay rent or have a mortgage; a large percent of your earnings is going to shelter yourself. And the rest of your income goes to the utility company and feeding yourself. At least, that’s how it feels sometimes. There are many tricks to use to cut down your energy bills. And here are a few:
When you're not home, turn down your thermostat. I have heard some people argue that it costs more money to lower your heat to unlivable temperatures while you’re out of the house then to keep it at a constant temperature. They claim it costs more to make your furnace bring the temperature back up 10 or so degrees rather then leaving it constant. But according to grist, you actually save money while your furnace rests. When you leave your house let's say you turn your heat down to 58 degrees. While you're out and the house temperature drops, you are saving money. When you come home you will have to turn it back up to 68 degrees, but the 8 hours you were gone you were saving money. So people, turn down your heat.
If you have a fireplace, heat your home like your ancestors did -- with fire. If you are hanging out on a weekend day in one room, the room with the fireplace, then buy some wood (hopefully sustainable processed wood) and snuggle up to a fire. This may cool the rest of your house down, but for several hours you can turn down your thermostat and enjoy the crackling sound of humanity’s oldest invention. When you’re not using your fireplace, close the flue, or else you’ll be heating the air outside.
Use weather stripping. You lose a lot of energy through the cracks of your front door and the windows of the house. Weather stripping will cut down on the drafts you feel and keep the warm air in the house.
Plastic wrap your windows. I know I know I hate using excess plastic of any form too, but when you are saving both money and energy from pouring out of your old, seeping windows, I think it is worth some waste over another waste. Besides, it is fun to plastic wrap your windows. All you need is to go to a grocery store, hardware store or any other home goods selling store for that matter and ask someone where to find plastic covers for your home windows. Then you need a hair dyer, or borrow a friend’s for a half day. Then you go home with your box of plastic, which usually comes with a role of double sided tape, and prepare to save. You need to wash the inside of your window borders with a little soap and water to clean the surface where you will be placing your tape down. After the window borders dry, then you line the tape around the window followed by the plastic. After you loosely put on all the plastic, then go back around and shrink the plastic with a hairdryer to make a nice neat fit of the plastic around each window and watch for savings.
Just because I can afford to pay heat bills now, versus when I was in college and lived in layers topped off by an oversized pink bathrobe and still froze, this does not mean that I or anyone should waste energy. If you don’t do it for money reasons, do it for energy-saving reasons. These tips may seem cumbersome, but they will save you green in more then one way.
Greenwashing
By: Anikka Wattnem
Like many causes green has become trendy. Businesses are capitalizing on people’s interest and using it to their advantage. No one product is going to make you green and no product is perfect. Even most “green” products have some environmental impact.
Sometimes a business will make a donation or “plant a tree” in exchange for your purchase. While these type of programs often do give needed money to non-profit organizations they may not be as beneficial as they initially seem. The donation may be small for each purchase, although businesses usually set a minimum donation that they will make. If the product isn’t something you would buy without the green donation then maybe you should reconsider.
Remember the use of words such as “green” and “organic” are not completely regulated. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and research about what a “green” label really means. It’s highly unlikely a product will have no environmental impact. Focus on the improvements over what you have and strive for minimal impact. If a product claims to be “certified” green than check out what that certification really means and who authorizes it. Make sure that you are educated about any major purchase and hopefully about the smaller ones too.
I don’t mean to discourage your attempts to be green but just remind everyone to be mindful. Blindly following the word “green” may not lead you to a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Use the information that you seek out to help you make an informed and intelligent decision.
Greening the Music Industry
By: Megan McLaughlin
Everyone loves music; even if you only like one or two bands or artists, there’s no way you’ve never bought a CD. The software and recording industries create CDs in mass quantities and it's not always the most environmentally sound process. A lot of waste is created when manufacturing CDs. Organizations like The Green Disc Project and Reverb, are searching for solutions and finding ways to create CDs in a more environmentally friendly way.
The Green Disc Project was created to find an alternative to CD production that will work with the environment, not against it. According to The Green Disc Project, “Excessive CD and DVD manufacturing has produced an over abundance of harmful chemicals in landfills which is contributing to the demise of the Earth and Environment.” The Green Disc Project, offers customers in the business of creating CD or DVD products an earth friendly, secure solution to an otherwise costly environmentally damaging practice. Once of these companies is Polymer Reprocessor. They recycle 100% of a CD package for use in new applications.
Another organization, Reverb, works with some of your favorite artists and provides many services for music events. They, “Reverb educates and engages musicians and their fans to promote environmental sustainability.” Some of their services include carbon neutral concerts and venues, eco-friendly merchandise, green bus supplies and cleaners and energy efficiency in general. An interesting fact about concerts, provided by Reverb, is that, “Over 80% of a concert’s CO2 footprint is from fans’ commute.” An example of how Reverb is doing wonders for the environment through the music world; “Barenaked Ladies Fans neutralized 8.5 MILLION miles of driving in past 6 months through Fan Offset Program.”
Reverbs 2008 projects included the John Mayer Rock Cruise concert and Summer Tour, The Honda Civic Tour featuring Panic at the Disco, the Maroon 5 and Counting Crows Summer Tour, the Kelly Clarkson Spring Tour and many more. They have been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard and Newsweek.
Although we don’t have immediate control over the greening of manufacturing CDs and organizing major concert events, we do have the power to support groups like The Green Disc Project and Reverb. Attend an event that Reverb sponsors or just be aware that they exist. It just goes to show how many ways we really can take part in greening the future of our earth.
Water Works
By: Anikka Wattnem
After receiving a recent utility bill we were forced to take a look around our house at the possible “culprits” in the realm of water. While we may never know exactly why our water consumption went sky high, we can at least do some things to change. Even if it doesn’t make a huge difference in our bills, these are still great green things to do.
1. Laundry - Our washer is quite old. It probably uses excessive water and electricity. Sometimes it can be hard to swallow the cost of a new appliance but their savings over time are great. Any energy star (www.energystar.gov) washer can save you up to 550 in its lifetime.
2. The shower - A new low flow shower head can save both water and electricity. If you’re really adventurous you can take so called “military showers”. This is where you shut off the water while you soap up. I did this for a month at college as part of an “eco-challenge” and can contest that it’s not as bad as it may sound! Avoid baths which use way more water
3. The Toilet - Our toilet is fairly new and doesn’t leak but here’s an easy way to check if yours does. Place a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If there is color in the bowl within 10 minutes or so then the toilet is leaking and should be replaced. Also don’t use the toilet to flush tissues, bugs, etc. Throw them in the trash instead. If you are really “hard core” you can introduce a new household rule simply stated “If it’s yellow let it mellow. If it’s brown flush it down” (you may want to make an exception if you have guests).
4. Dishes - We don’t have a dish washer and unfortunately hardly ever wash our dishes immediately after using them. We let them soak in the sink instead so that the food doesn’t get stuck on there. However this leads to us using twice the amount of water. Doing the dishes right away feels good (no more dishes piled in the sink!) and saves water.
5. If nothing else you should turn off the water running while brushing your teeth, washing your face etc. Turn it off, it saves a surprising amount!
Gas Tax
By: Colleen Heenan
Gas prices have dramatically dropped since the record breaking high gas prices that occurred in July of this year. This drop in the price of gas could be the worst thing for the energy crisis. Because people are seeing relief at the pump again, according to AAA over 41 million people hit the roads for Thanksgiving this year; it makes me wonder if people have forgotten about our current oil issues? Do people need a reminder of our July gas prices? Would a gas tax increase remind people of the crisis we are facing? Should they implement it now, while gas prices are down so the people who are feeling the pinch of the economy will not be further affected?
If there was a gas tax increase, many economist claim that it needs to be increased from 18.4 cent per gallon to $1 per gallon in the next five years. People fear that in these hard economic times the last thing people need is an increase in taxes of any kind. So a few ideas were offered that could encourage people to implement the gas tax:
1. Lowering the federal income tax to balance the increase in energy tax.
2. Putting a large portion of the revenue increase into alternative energy development.
3. It is thought that only a 10 percent increase in gas taxes would reduce consumption of oil by 6-8 percent.
4. Over 50 percent of American’s polled would pay for the increased tax if both the use of foreign oil use and the impacts of global warming were reduced as a result.
If gas prices and taxes stayed where they are, Americans have showed a trend of continue their steady oil consumption pace. They are less willing to buy fuel efficient cars, commute to work, work closer to home and essentially use less oil. This ultimately means, global warming issues stay the same and the needs for alternative options may be put on the end of people priority lists.
I think the raising of gas prices was the best thing for Americans and now that the prices are low again, this may be the best time to implement an increase in gas taxes. If the policy makers wait until price are high again, the people will be effected quicker and may cause further issue in our economy which is now officially in a recession.
Simple Tips for Green Gatherings
By: Anikka Wattnem
I went as a guest to a party this weekend. Looking back on the weekend it was not at all green. The party was about 2 hours away and most people didn’t car pool. Although the meal was served on dishes, many beverages were served out of containers that likely just went in the trash. Here are a few quick and simple tips to green up your holiday gatherings.
1. Use natural decorations or things that you already have.
2. Turn down the lights and the heat. By turning down the lights you will create a cozy atmosphere and save energy. You’ll hardly notice if you turn down the heat. Body heat will keep everyone toasty. Or for those of us in colder climates, our wool sweaters will do the trick
3. Drink less. This isn’t the part of my post where I “preach” about drinking. Think about all the cans and bottles leftover at the end of a party. Even if you recycle, energy and resources went into making and transporting that product. Save yourself a headache and be green!
4. Speaking of recycling…make it easy. Hide the trash cans and break out the recycling bins. Use reusable glasses and plates rather than disposable. Paper plates are so flimsy anyway. If you don’t have enough consider borrowing from a friend or if you insist on use one time products get biodegradable cups and plates (often made from corn). Make sure to have a separate container and make sure you compost these. If the just go into the trash they don’t break down the same .They need compost conditions in order to degrade.
5. Designate Drivers. It’s the smart, safe and green thing to do. Help guests who may not know each other to carpool by emailing them together and letting them know they live near each other.
German Advancements in Green Living
By: Sandra Stoner
Standing in the Customs and Immigration line last night at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, my mind starting wandering back to the wonderful vacation we had in Nuremberg, Germany over the weekend. Seeing the historic sites, visiting Christkindlesmarkt, and watching “Flocke” the baby polar bear play in Nuremberg’s Tiergarten (zoo), were all of course highlights of our trip, but so were our realizations that Germany is much farther ahead of the United States in terms of being environmentally friendly.
Take for example the fact that in Germany’s grocery stores, plastic bags are not for free. Customers have to pay around .50 cents in euros (about $0.65) to purchase even a single one. As a result the majority of shoppers bring their own cloth bags to pack their groceries in.
Or the fact that many escalators remain stationary or move extremely slowly until you place a foot on them, when they quickly begin to zip faster and escort you up or down. This obviously saves countless energy that is normally wasted.
I could go on and on about the simple things that we noticed in Germany that have the possibility to make a big difference. In fact, I think I will…
Recyclable trashcans are everywhere. And I don’t just mean the ones that you can throw glass, newspapers, and plastic bottles all together in, but instead individual ones labeled specifically for “brown glass,” “green glass,” “paper,” etc. They are easy to get to and make it much more convenient to recycle, as no one has to go out of their way to properly dispose of yesterday’s newspaper.
Lights in hotel hallways turn on automatically when you walk through them, and then shut off after you’ve closed the door to your room.
Doors on trains and busses do not open unless you wave your hand in front of a sensor. So at each stop you don’t have cold air rushing in to kick the heat on higher, nor does any power need to be used when no one in your car is getting off at Marienstrasse. Honestly, the simplicity of it is genius.
Speaking of public transportation, Germany has it, a lot of it. The town that we were in, Nuremberg, has about 500,000 people. It is by no means a big city, but more like a suburban area in the United States. But it would crush Chicago, a city of 3 million people, in a public transportation contest.
Chicago has a bus system, an El system for trains within the city, and a Metra system for trains connecting the suburbs to the loop.
Nuremberg has a bus system, a trolley system, a U-Bahn (subway within the city), a S-Bahn (trains connecting regional cities), and trains connecting it to virtually any other city in the European Union. These are all extremely easy to get access to (even for tourists who have never been there before in their lives) and even better, are cheap.
So what did I learn on my vacation to Nuremberg? Of course I discovered that I love to eat Lebkuchen (gingerbread), consume meter-long sausages, and ride trolleys. But even more importantly, I learned that environmentally friendly solutions are so simple and even better, possible. Come on USA, lets get a move on and catch up with the EU!
Green Apples
By: Megan McLaughlin
Shopping for a new computer can be a complete pain; desktop vs. laptop and the age old question…Mac or PC? There is no right or wrong answer, but it’s clear that Macs have become increasingly popular and have exhibited mass appeal. The newest MacBooks are here, just in time for the holiday season and it’s safe to say sales will be booming like usual, but is there a clear cut reason to choose a Mac this time? According to Apple, these new laptops are the, “The world’s greenest family of notebooks.”
So what are the pros and cons of the new MacBooks and what makes them so green? According to Apple, many harmful toxins have been eliminated during the production of these new notebooks. Also, “every new MacBook has been built using materials that are highly recyclable and free of many harmful substances present in other computers. Apple engineers also designed the software and hardware to work together, in order to maximize energy efficiency and minimize the carbon footprint of the MacBook.” Those are the facts provided by Apple, but what does the rest of the world have to say about this green family of notebooks?
The New York Times blog, Green Inc. agrees and sites that as far as green gadgets go, “the machine performs well. It achieves both Energy Star 4.0 compliance, as well as a gold rating from the Green Electronics Council.” However, they also mention the fact that, “130 other notebooks have received gold status too.” So why are these Macs the best? These are a few of the reasons why (according to Apple of course): they are made with “highly recyclable aluminum and glass, PVC-free internal cables, Mercury-free LED-backlit display,” to name a few.
All of this may sound splendid but recently, Greenpeace released its guide to green electronics. According to Greenpeace, the most environmentally friendly companies include, Nokia (rated at the top of the list), Sony Ericsson and Toshiba. At the bottom of the list; HP, Microsoft Nintendo and Apple! Nintendo may be ranked the worst of all, but the Apple didn’t fall far from the tree. So, it looks as though another wave of Macs will come and go…they will still be some of the most popular holiday items, but it may want to do your research before adding a new MacBook to your list.
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