The Green Adventure

Climate Challenge 2007: The Move to Action

2007-01-16T14:35:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,

I know that I haven't posted in awhile, but I've been very busy trying to figure out how to best use my energy this year to work on this climate mess that we've gotten ourselves into. So, here's the update...

By now we all know (well everyone reading this blog and any newspaper) that the glaciers are melting at a much faster pace than previously anticipated by climate scientists as recently as 2001. We also can say with considerable certainty that it's our fault. By "our" I mean all humans who burn fossil fuels in order to live our lives. Those of us living in the US are most to blame since we collectively burn the most. (Actually people living in Kuwait emit the most CO2 per capita, but there are far fewer people in Kuwait so they are not blamed as often as those of us living in the US and Europe who are huge energy hogs.)

The bottom line is that there is a huge global climate crisis on the horizon. There are uncertainties about the pace of climate change and specific regional effects. But, there are now very sophisticated models that are making very accurate predictions.

Thus, currently I am asking myself, how can I best use my skills, time and energy to help join the growing number of individuals, businesses, governments and NGO's in addressing this challenge. Though I have not yet come to a final answer I will tell you where I am on this journey and give you a few tools to join me if you're interested.

I started this blog less than a year ago to educate myself on the issue of climate change. Frankly, at the time, I did not believe that we were truly facing such a dramatic crisis in the near future. I expected to find that what I had seen and read had been overstated, otherwise why weren't "the powers that be" addressing it? Unfortunately what I have learned is that what I had seen or read in the popular press is, if mentioning it at all, understating the challenge ahead.

In the past several months, many of you have joined me in transitioning to a "greener" lifestyle. You are using much less energy in your homes, driving less, recycling, eating organic and local food, eating less meat, using fewer chemicals and plastics, and on and on. From what you have told me, many of you are enjoying this greener lifestyle. You're healthier, saving money, and gaining the power that knowledge brings from understanding the impact of your ecological footprint on other humans, animals and ecosystems throughout the world. You feel that your lives are coming more into balance with your values, and you feel good about being a part of the solution.

All of these efforts are very important and must continue even at the individual level if we are to have any chance to preserve a home for our kids. But, I would like to be a part of the broader reaching action that is going on in boardrooms and halls of government in countries across the globe. In short, as a global community, it is now time to take action to mitigate and assist humans in adapting to climate change if future generations are going to have a chance for survival.

Action has begun. Here are some examples of action that is going on all over the globe: environmental groups and Evangelical Christian groups have agreed to disagree on the origin of life on Earth, but to join together to work towards solutions to climate change, and organizations such as GE, Wal-Mart, Duke Energy, BP, Austin Energy, Google and thousands of small start-up ventures are determining and lobbying for solutions to meeting our energy, product, and information needs while measuring their environmental costs and finding technolgies to mitigate greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. European governments are leading the way towards placing a cost on carbon emissions, encouraging energy conservation, and providing incentives for broader scale use of renewable energy technologies. Local US governments are coming up with renewable portfolio goals, carbon tax structures, and ways to make their communities more sustainable.

All of this is good news. But, it is not yet enough. We are still emitting extremely excessive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and our energy demands are continuing to increase. We are getting the vast majority of our home and business energy needs met by burning coal and natural gas, and our transportation energy needs met by burning domestic and imported oil. The entire structure of the energy system that meets the needs of all of our daily lives must change. This will be very difficult to do. However, I still have much hope because all of the technology and understanding that we need to do this exists. The difficulty lies in how the economic structure of this transition is incentivized. Our citizens, governments, and businesses must support the economic incentives (and disincentives, aka taxes) that will be required to make this transition profitable for moves in the right direction. In the next 9-10 years, this can still be done.

So, for my part, I have enrolled in a multidisciplinary graduate course at the University of Michigan on Climate Change: The Move to Action. I will learn as much as I can in the next four months on practically determining, applying and selling to the masses the changes that must take place in the coming decade or two to update the global energy system. I have learned a lot already in class and in lectures given by heads of multinational corporations, small private utilities, students and climate scientists. I will continue to keep the heat, lighting and appliance use down in my house, only get gas for the car every 4-6 weeks, eat organic and local, recycle, and enjoy going green. Now, the next step is to support bills in Congress (and in city goverments) that tax and cap greenhouse gas emissions, and provide economic incentives for renewable energy, public transportation and electric cars. When I have learned all that I can by the end of April, I will update you on which direction I will take and use this knowledge. We can get depressed by how difficult these changes will be, alas change is uncomfortable to many people. Or, we can choose to be hopeful and to enjoy the largest challenge we may ever have the opportunity to address. I choose hope, and action... will you join me?

Challenge #7: "Offset" Your Life

2006-11-19T16:33:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,

I just want to direct you to Real Life News, a UK based environment blog, where my article explaning all about REC's, what they are, how to buy them, who to buy them from, what "offsetting" is, etc. Check out the site sometime tomorrow morning after 9am UK time for all of the answers to these and other thrilling questions!

Happy Thanksgiving!

--Jess

Have a Happy, Green Holiday!

2006-11-17T13:09:00.000-05:00

This holiday season the challenge is this… how can we best celebrate our religious holiday traditions, love for our families and friends, and the spirit of holiday sharing? Our goal is simple. Bear the costs now, so that our children will have the opportunity to enjoy holidays well into the future.

So, what does that mean? I’m simply proposing that the best gift we can give our children is not the hottest toy, but instead a planet that they can live on to celebrate holidays with their own grandchildren. There are several ways that we can give them this gift by bringing “green” ideas into our usual holiday celebrations.

The best way to share this gift with them is simply to teach them the value and joy of sharing with others since working hard together with people from all different walks of life will be the most difficult and most necessary part of solving the climate crisis.
We plan to spend Thanksgiving taking Little A to serve Thanksgiving dinner at a local homeless shelter. Then, we’ll head home and eat a turkey that was raised fresh on a farm just a few miles from our house. (For more on eating locally this Thanksgiving to save A LOT of CO2 emissions from food transport, see http://www.100milediet.org/thanksgiving/.)

For Christmas, we will bring her to Texas to spend the season sharing time with her extended family and friends. I also plan to give her the gift of time volunteering with me at a local humane society as a dog walker and cat petter since she LOVES animals, and we will never have a real pet at home given Mark’s allergies and our busy, transient life. There are many ways to find these types of opportunities to give your children or grandchildren, just check out your church bulletin, local library bulletin board or websites such as idealist.org, VolunteerMatch, or local chapters of national environmental groups such as The Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy and others.

Another gift that emphasizes connection and sharing is to give the gift of a specific mantra or prayer. My father-in-law wrote beautifully this week about the connection between prayer and dedication, and our ability to preserve a home for our children. It’s difficult to understand the importance of focusing on the needs of the next generation when we’ve been conditioned for decades to want and need “stuff” and “excitement” immediately, but we now know that our children’s future depends on our modest sacrifice. J. Matthew Sleeth, MD and his family are living examples of the connection between spirituality and environmentalism. Read more about him here,and consider giving someone on your Christmas list his new book, Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action this year.

A very generous woman, Angel, in one of my mother’s yahoo groups, posted this description of a 10-day mantra for a material or spiritual gain. Send the receiver a card letting them know that you’ll chant this mantra on their behalf for five minutes per day for 10 days, “Om Soubhagyayei Namaha” (Om Sauw-bhahg-yah-yea Nah-mah--hah...Om and salutations to Maha Lakshmi, the bestower of supreme blessings.) If you're really ambitious, go for 108 times a day. When you chant, maintain a feeling of gratitude toward the universe for fulfilling desires. Lakshmi is the goddess of abundance. You can also light a candle for an intention or extend a yoga practice. For other generous gifts that will cost little carbon and leave little for the landfill, check out Buy Nothing Christmas ’06.

Now, for the times when kindness, spirituality and sharing need to be wrapped with a (recycled paper) bow to bring a smile to the face of your jaded nephew or fit with the décor of your mother’s annual holiday cocktail party, there are lots of options for actually buying stuff for your family and friends that will positively use the Earth’s resources.

Several excellent magazines have come out with eco-friendly gift ideas that will fit all of even the pickiest people on your list. These gift ideas are excellent. They support recycled and renewable materials, sustainably harvested wood, organic farms, and they are beautiful, creative and fun. Check out Greenlight magazine’s “50 Great Gifts,” Body + Soul’s list in the current issue, and check out Co-op America’s National Green Pages for hundred’s of ideas.

There are also several retailers that I have personally found to be trusted sources for all of my eco-gift needs. Greenfeet offers a lot of wonderful choices, and holiday coupons for their store can be found by surfing other eco-friendly sites. Taraluna is another fun eco-friendly retailer. Check out the fabulous “Holiday Lights Campaign” on their website. And for those of you who just can’t help but hit the mall on the day after Thanksgiving (aka “Black Friday”), check out the Ecomall to shop for everything from solar panels for your roof to organic baby soap.

In my opinion, the holidays are fun. I get to catch up with people who I don’t see often enough (even some who live in my house! :)) I like giving and receiving gifts, and I have a renewed joy for the season by having the opportunity to witness it anew through the eyes of my daughter. This year, I simply want to enjoy all of those things in a way that will allow my daughter and her family to do the same for generations to come.

Challenge #6: Green Travel

2006-10-31T14:07:00.000-05:00

With the holidays coming up, it is time to start thinking about how we can have fun and help fight dangerous climate change at the same time! So, the next few challenges are going to focus on going green this holiday season. Today, I'm going to talk about travel since Mark and I just returned from a great trip to Napa and San Francisco. Though Mark was at a conference during most of our time in Napa, I was lucky enough to have nearly a week of environmentally consious R & R.

So how did we make our trip eco-friendly? Well, let's first look at how it was eco-unfriendly.

Unfortunately getting to Northern California from Ann Arbor requires a long flight. And, to make it worse, my mom graciously came all the way from London to watch Little A for us, so make that 6 long flights! Using TerraPass' flight emissions calculator, I found out that our Detroit to SFO jaunt cost us 1,622 lbs of CO2 each, and my mom's flight from London and back racked up 2,927 lbs of CO2, bringing us to a grand total of 6,173 lbs of CO2... yuck! Lucky for us, we can turn this terrible act of carbon emissions into a stimulus for renewable energy industry growth through the purchase of renewable energy credits (REC's.) Using TerraPass our penance comes to $29.95, not bad. But, before we commit to purchasing our REC's from TerraPass you'll have to wait for the next Challenge where I'll discuss REC's and the companies that sell them in detail.

OK, so how exactly was this intercontinental extravaganza eco-friendly?

As soon as we arrived in San Franciso we headed straight to Fox Rent A Car where we took our 5% internet coupon to rent a discounted Hybrid car. We really wanted to try out the Toyota Prius since everyone who owns one seems to love it, but they we're unavailable that day. So we were given a 10% discount on a Honda Civic Hybrid. It was one of the highlights of the trip! I had so much fun driving it! First of all, you can see your fuel efficiency on the dash right next to your speed instantaneously, and you can quickly learn how to drive most fuel efficiently and at what speed the car is the most fuel efficient. Plus, the car actually turns off whenever you're stuck in traffic or stopped at a traffic light. Thus, you waste almost no fuel just idling. Then the car simply restarts when you touch the gas pedal. It has plenty of power for highway driving or for cruising the winding, hilly roads between the Napa Valley towns. The only disadvantage that I can see is the smaller trunk size. But, this car can hold a baby jogger and a few bags of groceries so it will work for 90% of Little A and my cargo-carrying needs. We got over 40 mpg in real-life driving. (See http://www.40mpg.org/ for why that's important.) For a trip from San Francisco to Napa, cruising all over Napa for 4 days, and back to San Francisco we used only 7 gallons of gas! Overall it was a great car. I can't wait to buy one, though I'm considering holding out for a Plug-In Hybrid.

It was very interesting to see how California has implemented energy conservation on such a broad scale. Obviously their tactics are working since their state's energy usage has plateaued while the rest of the US (especially Texas which is the worst offender of the states) continues to dramatically increase our energy usage. In all of the public restrooms there are well-positioned reminders to use only the paper towels that you need and to turn off the lights when you leave. The hotel only changes your linen every third day (as long as the same guest is using the room) unless the guest requests otherwise, and CFL's are commonplace in restaurants, hotels and shopping centers. It seems obvious that if lots of people begin to practice energy conservation on a broad scale publically and often that their habits would bleed into their personal, home, work and school lives as well. Conservation is a cheap, simple, and key step in promoting responsible energy use globally. We can learn from their example.

Of course the best eco-friendly highlights of our trip to Northern California involved food and wine. Though we did not have the opportunity to taste any organic wine on this trip, it was wonderful to drive by beautiful farms producing organic grapes. It is nice to know that sipping world class Cabernet and Chardonnay from organically produced grapes is not contradictory.

On my second day in Napa I stumbled upon the Yountville visitors center and was lead to a fabulous Olive Oil Store near St. Helena called the St. Helena Olive Oil Company. There I tasted many delicious olive oils, but the best (it won the Gold Medal Award at the 2006 L.A. County Fair) was the Rutherford Hillside Estate Reserve Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Now this was a wonderful find! Not only did I stumble on a delicious olive oil, but it was organic. But wait, there's more... the olives for this oil are grown at Harris Ranch. Harris Ranch is powered by 100% on-site solar power and thus its olive oil is green-e certified. (Again, I'll discuss REC's, green-e, and product certification in my next Challenge.) This olive oil is a gift worth giving to your friends, family or yourself for the holidays. Lucky for us they have a website, so you don't have to travel to Napa to get some. It is so good, I hope mine lasts through the holidays!

On our last night in San Francisco we experienced the best highlight of the trip. We ate at a fabulous and climate crisis-fighting restaurant. The restaurant, called Millennium, is located near Union Square in the newly refurbished Hotel California. All of the food that they serve is organic and vegan. It is absolutely delicious! Even the most committed meat-eater will walk out of this place with a grin from ear-to-ear. We started our meal with a wonderful mushroom dish that tasted like the best fried calamari that I have ever eaten. We also devoured a grilled green salad with fresh figs, a portobello mushroom and polenta dish full of southwestern flavor, and a root vegetable and lentil dish to rival your grandmother's Thanksgiving offerings. To top it all off we ate a vegan chocolate cake that is rivaled only by the flourless chocolate cake at Fish la Boissonnerie in Paris. If anyone wants to know what to get me for Christmas, I'd love a Millennium Restaurant cookbook. Yum!

On your next vacation or holiday adventure to visit family or friends, think about how the way that you travel can support businesses, and encourage techologies and ideas for a sustainable future for our children. Offset your holiday travel by supporting the growth of the renewable energy industry. If you plan to rent a car, rent a Hybrid. For shorter distances choose train travel over airline travel. Choose local, organic and sustainably farmed food. Practice energy conservation habits such as turning off lights, and minimizing the use of fossil fuel based heating and air conditioning systems, appliances and laundry services. Support green businesses when you buy holiday gifts by buying sustainable, fair trade, organic products that are produced using renewable energy. In general, limit your consumption, but broaden your experience of local flavor by visiting parks, farmer's markets, local festivals and small businesses. Travel can teach us new ways to care for our planet by exposing us to new ideas in new places. Enjoy the Adventure! I can't wait to hear about yours.

Challenge #5: Armchair Activism

2006-09-22T11:59:00.000-05:00

Election Season is upon us, so today I'm asking each of you to take an active role in the future of the next generation. We must each be certain that those who we choose to lead us into the coming decade will do so with the knowledge that right now is the time to convert our energy system away from fossil fuels. This Challenge is not optional. You live in a democracy; get off of your butt.

We know from reading Socolow and Pacala's plan (Scientific American, 9/2006), many of the "wedges" that will be required to fix our planetary crisis must be done on a large scale. Thus, though all of our individual censervation behaviors are vital (unless any of you have $3 billon or so to throw into the mix as Richard Branson did this week) your best individual hope for change is to elect leaders with the power and bugetary influence to require and pay for sweeping changes in our energy and environmental policies. The following are examples of some of the large scale changes that must occur for us to halt the global climate crisis:

Stop ALL deforestation
Drive 2 billion cars on ethanol (or other biofuels)
Increase wind power 80-fold to make hydrogen for cars
Increase wind power 40-fold to displace coal
Increase solar power 700-fold to displace coal
Install carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology at 800 large coal-fired power plants
Increase the fuel economy of 2 billion cars to 60 mpg
Limit global population growth by at least 1 billion

These sweeping changes cannot be made without large commitments of funds, regulations limiting carbon emissions (making them cost-prohibitive), global poverty and women's rights initiatives, and business strategies that encourage sustainable business both in large multi-national corporations and with tiny microcapital investments in regions of both vulnerable human populations and vulnerable ecosystems (such as the Amazon forest or in biodiverse African regions.)

As individual US citizens of only moderate financial means to contribute, the only way for us to actually solve this crisis is by electing leaders who will consider global warming every time they make a policy decision and a bugetary decision.

That brings me to Challenge #5... Armchair Activism

In thinking about the best use of my time to work towards solving this problem for Little A and her generation ("Generation Green" has a nice ring to it!), I decided that the best way for all of us to act on a much larger scale than cutting our individual energy usage (though still very important, so no slacking!) was to make truly concious decisions about who we will vote for this November.

It would be nice if you could just vote for me; your work would be done knowing that I've already put in all of the research. But, sorry, it's going to be tougher than that since it's too late for me to run this year... maybe next time.

In order to become an armchair activist there are several steps you will need to take. But, I promise that with internet access and a phone they can almost all be taken from the comfort of your very own armchair.

Get motivated to care about this stuff! If looking at your kids or grandkids doesn't do it, watch this video.
Find out who's running for office in your district at all levels. Sometimes those in local offices can more easily promote real action since the beurocracy is often much smaller. Go to http://www.thegreenpapers.com/G06/TX.phtml and click on your state to determine everyone who is running for office in your state this year.
If you already support a specific candidate go to their website and read their policy position on Energy and the Environment. What have they done already or plan to do to stop global climate change?
If the candidate you support for other reasons is weak on global climate change: call their office and talk to her/ him, write to her/him, volunteer for her/him in order to get to know them personally so that you can work to change their position, contribute to her/ his campaign but be sure to stay on top of their climate change policies (she or he may be able to hear you better while they are holding your check.)
Vote for the candidate that is most supportive of conversion away from a fossil fuel based economy.
During the non-election season, stay on top of your representative (whether or not you voted for her/him.) To do so, you can sign up for action alerts from leading non-profits who spend a lot of time researching both climate change and the local, national and global bills and strategies that are working to halt the effects of climate change. All you have to do is sign up to receive these alerts and then send surveys from the comfort of your own email inbox. For more effect you can call, write or visit your representative as well. Be the squeaky wheel!

Some organizations with climate change action alerts:

Sierra Club

The Nature Conservancy

Environmental Defense

Environmental Action Blog

OK, go for it! And, let me know what your candidates say when you call their offices.

This morning I called Kay Bailey Hutchinson's (one of my senators) office and asked her staffer what her policy is on Energy and the Environment. Sadly, her answer was "What? Oh honey, I have no idea!" SCARY!!! Fortunately on her website, I did read a recent speech that Senator Hutchinson gave to the Congress about US Energy Independence. She did highlight that the US must stop its dependence on foreign oil for the sake of our national security, but unfortunately she emphasized further fossil fuel drilling in the Gulf (damaging fragile Gulf Coast ecosystems) or the Artic National Wildlife Reserve over the 10% of Texas power that is now supplied by wind farms. I applaud her efforts towards diversifying our state and national energy portfolio, but I would strongly press her towards emphasizing renewables over new sources of US based fossil fuels. But, I guess that's tough to do with a check from Big Oil in your hand.

On the other hand, there was no direct phone number listed on Barbara Radnofsky's (Kay's Hutchinson's challenger) website. I did email her about her policy positions, and am glad to see two key things listed on her positions statement on her website: "promote energy conservation and fuel efficiency standards" and "require emissions standards for greenhouse gases." She is also against drilling in ANWR.

Either woman will have a lot of work to do to get the Senate to pass Jim Jeffords' bill S. 3698 (basically to regulate CO2 emissions.) But, I plan to do my part to encourage my Senators to get on board. (Watch out if your're answering John Cornyn's phones this week!) If they don't I may be putting my sign in your yard in 2008. I'll have no choice, Little A's future depends on it!

Challenge #4 Your Home Energy Audit

2006-09-14T15:29:00.000-05:00

Today Little A and I embarked on a Green Adventure to the University of Michigan's Energy Fest! Sounds cool, right?!!! Well, actually it was not quite as impressive as your local middle school science fair. Bummer! But, Little A splashed in every available rain puddle and won a water bottle (using her wit and charm), and I talked solar panels with some interns from the U of M Engineering Department and a post doc from the U of M Center for Sustainable Systems. All in all it wore her out enough for a good afternoon nap, allowing me to write this post. :)

According to the Energy Information Association (the official energy statistics from the US government), Residental energy use accounts for a substantial portion of global energy usage. The Industrial sector uses the most, Transportation is a close second, then Residential, then Commercial bringing up the rear. We have started to make a significant dent in our Transportation energy usage with Challenge #1. So, this challenge will focus on cutting our residential energy usage even further (adding to our gains from Challenge #2.) Remember the less energy you use at home the cheaper your renewable (wind and/or solar) home system will be, and the faster the payback period it will give you. Plus, we will be contributing to Wedge #3 ("Cut electricity use in homes, offices and stores by 25%") from Socolow and Pacala's plan to "Keep Energy in Check" from the September issue of Scientific American that all of you have read for Challenge #3.

Bringing us to Challenge #4: Your Home Energy Audit!

The Challenge is to cut your home energy usage by 25%!! Right off the bat, you will all win by doing so because your monthly energy bills will be at least 25% less. Green in your pocket! In fact, your bills may be substantially lower since usually energy use is cheaper for a baseline amount used each month, then the rate goes up for the energy that you use above the baseline amount allowed by your utility. For example, if your utility company is Austin Energy (as ours will be in our new home) and you use 500kWh of electricity in a month (during the summer) you will be charged 3.55 cents per kWh, but if you use more than 500kWh in a month you will be charged 7.82 cents per kWh. Ouch! That's more than double the rate! (and ends up as hundreds of $$'s per month in charges.) Doesn't it make sense to try to keep your usage to less than 500kWh per month?

OK, so now you're asking, "How do I know how many kWh's (kilowatt hours) per month I'm using?" That's easy... take a look at your electric bill. It will be right there! Take an average of 1 year or several months (consider seasonal changes in heat/ air conditioning use) and let's take some steps to shave off 25%!

Let's get started...

Here's where we currently are spending our home energy:

Heating
Air Conditioning
Lighting
Fans
Kitchen Appliances: Refrigerator, Microwave, Oven, Dishwasher, Garbage Disposal
"Vampire" Appliances: Cell phone/ blackberry chargers, toasters, coffee makers, alarm clocks, radios, iPod chargers and game boy chargers
Laundry Rooms: Washer and Dryer
Hot Water Heating
Computers, Printers, Modems
TV's and other audiovisual equipment

In the average home, lighting takes up about 24% of your energy costs. By now most of you have changed to CFL's and dramatically reduced your lighting cost and greenhouse gas emissions. But, also simply remember to turn off lights when you leave rooms, and open blinds to use more natural light (as long as the increased light doesn't add too much heat to a room that you're trying to air condition.)

Water Heating is another significant energy user. To reduce your water heating costs and greenhouse gas emissions, you have two strategies:

1. Use less hot water:

Shorter, cooler, less frequent showers (check out this link to see how much water you are using each time you shower)
Wash all clothes in cold water (there are good, biodegradable detergents that can make this option work well)
Use hot water only when needed to wash faces, hands, dishes, etc. (usually cold will work ust as well.)

2. Get a Solar Hot Water Heater

Solar hot water heaters work in every climate, not just sunny ones.
Installing one is one of the most cost effective ways to use solar energy. On average, if you install a solar water heater, your water heating bills should drop 50% to80%. That could go a long way towards reaching the goal of this challenge!
To find out how they work and how to calculate your home's cost savings check out the consumer guide published by the US Dept of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (Yes, I'm surprised too that we actually have one! :))

3. Control your Heat and AC usage

Buy a programmable thermostat and keep it set to 68 degrees in the winter and 80 degrees in the summer.
Use fans to help lift the hot air out of your rooms in the summer, and in reverse in the winter to push the warm air into your rooms.
Close off the vents and doors in rooms that are not in use to prevent your system from cooling them in the summer and heating them in the winter.
Use shade screens in the summer to keep the heat from penetrating your windows.
In the winter, open shades on south facing windows and keep them clean to allow the heat to penetrate your home during the day and close them at night to trap the heat.
Consider how old your system is. Buy an Energy Star system if yours needs to be replaced. For more information on Energy Star systems, tax advantages and rebates, see their website.

4. Maximize your Appliance Efficiency:

Refrigerators are GIANT energy hogs! Consider this... "In most households, the refrigerator is the single biggest energy consuming kitchen appliance. Replacing a refrigerator bought in 1990 with a new ENERGY STAR qualified model would save enough energy to light the average household for more than four and a half months."
Turn off the heat dry on your dishwasher.
Use microwaves for quick heating instead of the oven or stove.
Consider Energy Star appliances all over your home, especially in the kitchen and laundry room.
Unplug all energy "vampires" when not in use. If they are plugged in they are using energy even if they are turned off or not running. Energy "vampires" include TV's, DVD players, coffee makers, toasters, rice cookers, phone and iPod chargers, etc.
Use a battery powered alarm clock (preferably with rechargable batteries.) You'd be amazed at how manykilowatts are burned by a typical alarm clock!

5. Computers

Being a SAHM has tied me to my computer more than ever. So, as thankful as I am that I can "talk" to others 24/7, I'm also very aware that my 5 year old desktop is an energy vulture!Fortunately, Energy Star is just beginning to come up with some guidelines to limit the energy that your computer uses when it is in sleep mode. And, processors are getting more and more efficient (though Intel lags behind AMD.)

So, for now here are our options...

Get a laptop.
Get an Apple iMac (with an Intel Core Duo processor.)
If you must have a desktop, shop for computers that use 50W or less at idle, and 125W or less at full load.
Choose an LCD monitor rather than a CRT
Plug your computer, monitor and printer into a power strip and turn off the power strip each time you turn off the computer. That way you won't waste energy in "sleep" mode and you won't disrupt the settings of your modem, router and VOIP phone.

(Adapted from Chin, M. "Choose an energy efficient computer" in Home Power: The Hands on Journal of Home-Made Power vol 114, Aug/ Sept 2006.)

Ok, so there is a laundry list of energy saving ideas for your home. Please post other ideas in the comments when you find them.

Don't just stand there... start saving energy! Your wallet and your children will thank you!

Challenge Update

2006-09-13T12:16:00.000-05:00

The challenges are coming along very nicely... The way that all of you are jumping in to make these important changes really gives me hope for our kids' future!

Challenge #1: The Gas Challenge

In August our top recorded team posted just 39.5 gallons for the month! Way to go Team Valtadoros!

Who can top them in September?! You have 2 more weeks to drive less, or is it time to convert to a biodiesel, hybrid, public transportation or walking lifestyle? Keep up the good work!

Challenge #2: The CFL Challenge

Way to go!!! Lots of you have changed to compact flourescent lighting in your home. You're going cold turkey and changing them all, or you're changing them as others burn out. Keep it up! Remember (according to Jason Trout of GreenBusiness.net) "Replacing just one 100-watt bulb with a (just-as-bright) 30-watt compact fluorescent cuts more than 1,300 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution. Go for two bulbs and it''s more than a TON!"

Another place that you can log your pledges is at
http://www.theactionblog.com/2006/09/11/lets-swap/
where a non-profit group is hosting a pledge drive to change America's lighting to CFL's.

And, if any of you still have questions about the lighting quality of CFL's for different indoor or outdoor settings, one of our own has become an expert on which CFL's provide the best ligthing to meet your design needs and preferences. I will forward your questions to him.

Challenge #3: The Understanding Challenge

Many of you have been telling me wonderful stories of inspiration after seeing An Inconvenient Truth (still out in selected theaters if you haven't yet seen it) and reading September's issue of Scientific American (still available at local news stands.)

You have been driving less, more efficiently or giving up driving all together. You're eliminating red meat from your diets, shopping at local farmers markets and even starting to grow some of your own back yard veggies! You are becoming aware of the environmental records and goals of your local elected officials, and are planning to vote for environmentally aware candidates this November. You are investigating regional wind and solar power solutions for your neighborhoods and cities. You are putting solar panels on your roofs and heating your pools and showers with solar hot water heaters. You're trading in "energy leaky" appliances from the 80's and 90's for efficient Energy Star appliances. You now understand that when you throw something "away" it doesn't really go away it just pollutes your local land and water supply. So, you are recycling your trash, buying recycled goods and avoiding disposable things and packaging as often as possible. You're fighting for the forests we have left by planting trees and demanding the use of sustainable forestry practices when you buy paper, furniture and building supplies. And, the list grows each day!

Every day I am encouraged by the stories that you send me about all of the things you are doing in your lives to live more sustainably so that we don't rob our children of the healthy, prosperous future that we want to give to them. Keep the stories coming; your stories give me hope and ideas to spread.

Coming soon... Challenge #4

Change is good! Join the adventure!

So, I'm not the only one...

2006-08-31T15:44:00.000-05:00

I just read a wonderful article by Christine Gardner. Check it out... "How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bus" A mom in middle America attempts to survive a month without a car. Did we mention she has two small children?

I saw her article yesterday, and just had a chance to read it. I’m soooo encouraged to see other mothers out there who are equally and more committed to this issue. A few lines that rung true to my experience…

“’It's the same as a wheelchair,’ she said. I suppose that's true. ‘Having kids is like being handicapped,’ she added. Hmm.”

“I can sit at the playground closest to my house, across a parking lot from a swimming club, and watch minivans come and go for hours. To my knowledge, I'm the only mom who walks there.”

“I wish the world didn't see a pedestrian and her sweaty baby as objects of pity.”

“Month after month, Parents magazine implores moms to see the dangers. Germs. Pacifiers. Bottle feeding. Cribs. Carseat installation. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. And that's just a sampling of the August issue.
But nothing is more unsafe than creating an inhospitable world for our children. While sacrifice might seem like the only option for an eco-friendly mom, it doesn't have to be. If women changed the way we think about modern motherhood, choosing pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods near local stores, life could get easier. Women would have company, possibly even next door, and softball could return to something the neighborhood kids organize among themselves.”

Though we will likely only be in Ann Arbor a short while longer, my experience has forced me to really consider where I live in terms of where I spend most of my time. I don’t expect that we will give up driving completely, but it would be nice to arrange life to be walkable (which is easier than “busable”) 90% of the time with driving (preferably in a hybrid or plug-in hybrid) reserved for travel or weekly or monthly big shopping trips. Then, public transportation could be used for commuting, and walking or biking could be used for daily activities. I do think that if our neighborhoods were organized more in this way then we would have less simmering loneliness and boredom as isolated mothers. The day-to-day struggles that we’ve been discussing in all of my mothers groups would be better supported by close-by neighborhood parents helping each other in the role of extended families.

I actually don’t see eco-friendly living as sacrifice. I see it as simpler, more delicious, closer knit friends and neighbors, more adventurous and more relaxing. Since I don’t see the suburbs “going away” any time soon, I hope that they will soon be more like close together small towns with the neighborhood school, park, lake, pool, running trail, grocery store, farmers market and eco-Target (something like that is in the works by a green business entrepreneur) with access to nearby cities for festivals, date nights and work by public transportation. Check out the podcasts at www.morehipthanhippie.com for more on that perspective of fun, joyful, eco-friendly living. Let’s start looking at what we will be gaining rather than what we will be giving up as mothers of young children growing up in sustainable communities. Of course what they will gain is immeasurable, but what we will gain may soothe some of the most raw pain that we feel as mothers with too much on our plates.

Challenge #3 and the Big Purple Bus Adventure!

2006-08-25T08:49:00.000-05:00

Little A and I went on another exciting adventure yesterday in our quest to use less gasoline... we discovered the excitement of the local bus system!!! Well, this was a tough one. I promised a ride on a bus to visit her best friend so we got all geared up and ready to go. Then, arrgh, we headed out the door in a steady rain. Well, OK, I thought, "the weather has been perfect for the past couple of weeks, this is sure to lighten up soon." No such luck! But, at this point there was no turning back from the promise of this exciting adventure to my explorer of a daughter.

So, being new to the whole bus schedule thing, we waited outside for 15 minutes in the intermittently pouring rain in our rain gear, though Little A did lack a proper hat... sorry Grandma! By the time the bus arrived, we were pretty well soaked. Just as I was thinking of another way to talk Little A and myself out of this whole thing, over the hill appeared a giant PURPLE bus! Purple is my daughter's favorite color and you should have seen the pure excitement on her face. She hopped out of the umbrella stroller and strode beaming and dripping onto the bus. A very friendly bus driver welcomed us, and the bus was nearly empty except for a few elderly shoppers and student commuters. The 30 minute bus ride to downtown was thrilling for Little A; she asked questions and chatted with fellow riders the entire time. It was a wonderful trip. Unfortunately, our destination was just over a mile from the downtown bus stop. When we disembarked from the bus, I popped Little A into a small umbrella stroller and walked/ ran the distance in the now absolutely pouring rain. I was soaked with blisters on my feet (note to self: wear running shoes, not clogs on ALL future adventures!), but Little A had an absolute blast, singing The Wheels on the Bus and Rubber Ducky the whole time. She most enjoyed splashing through any and all large puddles. Fun.

We arrived in one piece (an hour and 15 minutes later for a trip that usually takes 10 minutes by car) to the caring home of friends who dried Little A's clothes and beloved Eeyore and gave us both hot tea. Thank you!

I learned that bus travel with a toddler is a challenge. But, it is absolutely do-able, and I expect will improve as our understanding of the system and its challenges becomes more familiar to us. From looking at the local bus map, we can get nearly everywhere that we usually go in town on the bus. Doing anything on the bus, however, will take longer (usually much longer) and dealing with difficult weather conditions is no fun at all. If I were going to live here for permanently, or even for several years, I would move closer to the places we go the most. I would also base my decisions on schools, work, shopping and recreation on where we live vs. the ease of getting to each place. The next time we move, I will look at what is walkable, where the bus goes, and where work and school are before I decide where to live. If we are really going to dramatically cut our transportation carbon emissions (which we must do for the sake of our kids if nothing else) then we need to reconsider the entire system of how we live and travel to make it possible to maintain our current lifestyle and meet the challenge of the new energy future. I also learned that if you depend on the local system to meet your transportation needs, you begin to care a lot more about how those systems run which may just be the first step in being a more involved local citizen.

Anyway, I can't wait to hear about your public transportation adventures! As always, email me or comment with your thoughts. On to Challenge #3...

Welcome to the Understanding Challenge. There are 2 very clear sources available to us right now regarding the specific science behind climate change. Your Challenge #3 is to read this month's issue of Scientific American (Sept 2006) and/or to watch the current movie, An Inconvenient Truth.

(I agree... an hour and 15 minutes on a bus and walking with a 2.5 year old in the rain for a playdate is sooo inconvenient!)

Both of these sources of information about climate change will give you an excellent understanding of the problem of global warming and most importantly how it can be solved if we use all of our available tools and we start right away. I will base the upcoming challenges on the 15+ wedges proposed by Robert Socolow and Stephen Pacala in their Scientific American article.

Lastly, if you have or know a child in high school or college, please work together with them to understand this issue and the potential consequences. They will certainly be a part of the future solutions and may as well begin to understand this issue with your guidance as young as possible.

Enjoy the adventure!

Update on Patrick Michaels "Virginia state climatologist"

2006-08-21T15:38:00.000-05:00

Very interesting...

http://grist.org/news/daily/2006/08/21/2/

Challenge #2: Safety and Dimmer update

2006-08-20T09:04:00.000-05:00

For those of you who are jumping right into Challenge #2, I just want to provide you with a little update on safety and the use of CFLs with dimmers that were brought to my attention by some very well informed friends.

Safety First!

CFLs each contain a small amount of Mercury. So, don't throw them away in the trash. Recycle them with other household hazardous waste. http://www.io.com/~dstroup/mercury.html, http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2006/06/12/smell/
Also, keep CFLs away from children. If the bulbs are broken, the Mercury can be released. Mercury is a neurotoxin that can be most dangerous to young children or childbearing (or breastfeeding) mothers and their offspring.

Dimmers

Regular CFLs cannot be used in fixtures with dimmers. Be sure to read the package to find out if the bulb that you are purchasing will work with a dimmer. http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2006/06/07/dimmer/

Challenge #2! Start with Conservation

2006-08-19T13:48:00.000-05:00

OK everyone, now that I have your attention regarding how important it is that we all start to understand the issue of global warming and look into renewable and sustainable solutions for our children and grandchildren, let's get started with some specific, do-able challenges. (Don't forget this is a "realilty blog!" Let's get back to the excitement of the challenges, players!)

Welcome to Challenge #2!

In order to make renewable power most cost effective, we must start with energy conservation. So, challenge #2 begins our quest for conservation!

I feel that it is also important to focus on the changes in our lives that will make the greatest impact, and will be possible for most of you to accomplish reasonably quickly and easily. Afterall, change can be difficult and we are all very busy people. So, the idea is to make our conversion to sustainable living simple and lasting. (No yo-yo sustainable living diets here. I'm looking for real change here everyone! I don't want that 1 piece of birthday cake, or 2 overseas flights in my case ;), to blow the whole transformation.) So, on with the show...

Challenge #2 is effective and easy. Plus, over time it can save you some big-time $$ green! (The other big goal of this adventure.) OK, OK what is it???!!!

Replace all of your light bulbs with compact flourescent lights (CFL.)
Accept this challenge and you will add 20 points to your score! (BTW, the winner of Challenge #1 gets 100 pts, 50 for 2nd place and 20 for 3rd, just FYI.) As an added bonus, if you can convince your employer to replace all of the lighting at your office with CFLs, you'll get 30 bonus points!

(Email me if you want to get in on the game spreadsheet to keep track of your points.)

Here are the other bonuses that you will get for meeting this challenge...

Each 18-watt CFL that you buy to replace a 75-watt incandescent bulb:

will give you an equivalent amount of illumination
saves over 1300 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere
will last 10x as long (in other words 1 18-watt CFL will replace 10 75-watt incandescents)
will pay for itself in 2-3 years depending upon usage
will save you $45 in electricity costs over its lifetime

So head out to your local store or log on to your local internet store (for those of you who are on bedrest, are breastfeeding all day, live in remote locales, or just hate shopping!) and change those light bulbs. Some available brands to look for are GE, Panasonic, Osram, Sylvania, Philips, Max Lite or Sun Park. Also, call your local utility, they may have rebate programs to save you a little more money for participating in this challenge!

Tips to be an even "greener" user of lighting:

Turn off lights when you leave the room (and bug your family to death to get them to do the same.)
Put timers or motion sensors on your indoor and outdoor lights.
Use dimmers.
Let the sun shine in through your windows (be aware of temperature effects.)
Consider adding or cleaning your skylights (consider paring with a splayed lightwell for less heat.)
Use light pipes and/ or clerestories in any new or remodeled room.

Now that you know all of the benefits of CFLs. Ready, set, go!

PS I have not forgotten about posting ideas re: solar installation and advocacy for renewable energy, I'm just trying to be complete in my research. So, I wanted to get you started with Challenge #2 in the meantime... as always, Enjoy the Green Adventure!

Sources:

Brower, M and Leon, W. 1999. The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Three Rivers Press: New York. (http://www.ucsusa.org/)

Callard, S and Millis, D. 2001. Green Living: A Practical Guide to Eating, Gardening, Energy Saving and Housekeeping for a Healthy Planet. Carlton Books Ltd: London.

Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine 2005. Green Living: The E Magazine Handbook for Living Lightly on the Earth Plume:New York. (http://www.emagazine.com/)

Herman, C. Designing with daylight in Home Power: The Hands on Journal of Home-Made Power. v. 109, Oct/ Nov 2005 (www.homepower.com)

Should We Just Give Up Now?

2006-08-17T07:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I flew home from a visit with my parents. On my connecting flight from Newark, sitting next to my sleeping child (what a dream!) and getting a beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty out of the window, I allowed myself to consider the fact that it may be too late to try to halt the effects of climate change. Truly, is it impossible to turn this ship around so quickly?

For the past 18 months or so, Mark and I have been working very hard. We've been focused on saving for our retirement and are strongly considering having another child. But, now we are asking ourselves, "why?" Climate change is already occurring. The only hope that we now have is that we can slow the destruction enough for the Earth to be able to heal itself and maintain enough suitable habitat for us, our children, and possibly future children and their food sources to be able to survive. But, is it possible to change our global energy system so quickly (within 10 years or so) to renewable sources in order to halt our overwhelming output of carbon emissions?
Right now our entire economy is based on fossil fuels that are literally destroying our land, air and water. We can't survive without these ecosystems. In a nutshell, there will be nowhere for humans to LIVE! But, currently fossil fuels build, heat, cool and run our homes, fuel all of our transportation systems and are necessary for growing a majority of our nations' food supplies. Additionally, fossil fuels power essentially all of the manufacturing of our clothing, household appliances, children's toys and other goods. Fossil fuels build, heat, cool and run all of our schools, hospitals, office buildings, grocery stores and malls. Without daily, massive burning of fossil fuels, civilization as we know it can not exist. Or, can it?

Should we just give up now and party for the next 10 years until we know for certain that we are doomed, and then kill ourselves off to leave the Earth for the species of plants and animals that are taking much better care of it? Should I just forget about having another child and spend Little A's college savings and my own retirement savings on a trip around the world or cocktails in the Caribbean?

As equally depressing and tempting as that sounds, I have another solution. As we flew from Newark to Detroit yesterday, I noticed something else outside of the airplane window. What if the millions of rooftops that I could see from the sky were covered with solar panels and then connected to our existing utility grid? Then, quickly and without the need for government intervention or real leadership from anyone in the business community, every American (and potentially global) homeowner, small business owner and big business executive can contribute to radically changing how the global society uses solar energy. In addition, we can each individually or regionally purchase small and micro wind turbines for our homes, neighborhoods and cities. Using capitalism at its best, each of us can do our part to buy ourselves a new energy future for our kids. Using our buying power we can actually buy our children's survival!

In short, to quote Harold Kung, a Northwestern University chemical and biological engineering professor in today's New York Times Letters Section, "Unlike the technology-focused Manhattan Project or the invention of machinery to replace labor, the solution lies within the people-with the aid of technology. Everyone must understand his or her responsibility and contribute to the solution of the energy problem."

The good news is that all of the technology that we need to solve this problem already exists. And, is improving dramatically each year. With the assistance of current state and federal tax credit programs that are available this year, the technology is currently within the financial reach of many citizens and business owners and is widely available. Plus, any power that you produce above your own home or business energy needs must be bought by your utility company at their rates.

So, what are we waiting for? Why isn't it just as common to see solar panels on every suburban rooftop as it is to see an SUV in every suburban driveway (the panels in most cases are cheaper)? I believe that the only reason that we are not more rapidly transitioning to renewable solar and wind energy systems is that people who can afford this technology don't know about it, and don't know about the financial incentives for buying it right now. And, the big energy companies are actively hiding this from us because they are rapidly advancing the financing and building of dirty coal plants and dangerous nuclear plants that are currently cheaper for them. They know that within just a couple of years these types of energy systems are likely to become much more expensive as carbon emissions are likely to be taxed in either a direct taxation or market based system. So, they want to reap their big profits now and try to grandfather into the new regulations the plants that they are building right now (over 100 nationally, many of which will be in Texas polluting that state the most.)

Now that you understand the solution. Will you join me? I will tell you exactly how to be the first family on your block to have your own home-based renewable energy system safely installed, and how to find out your federal and state tax benefits for doing so by the end of the week. I will also tell you exactly how to fight the new coal and nuclear plants in your state that are being built right now.

As always, send me your thoughts and ideas, and send this to everyone that you know (especially those with money and /or kids.) We're all in this together. For me, it's all for Little A (and maybe baby #2?). Will we do what we need to do to give them someplace to live when they grow up. After all, what good is their college savings if there is nowhere for them to LIVE?

Have Baby Jogger... Will Travel

2006-08-02T13:57:00.000-05:00

Summary of today's carless adventure:
Where: southern burbs of Ann Arbor, MI
Passengers/ Vehicle: Me and Little A (2 year old daughter)/ Red baby jogger
Distance: about 5 miles round trip (35 mins out, 50 mins back with 2 stops)
Fuel: (reusable) bottle of water, 1 Lara bar for mom and a bag of cheddar rice cakes for Little A
Time: 2.5 hours total
Carbon Emissions: None, well except for my heavy breathing!

Inspired by a friend of a friend who's family is going to *completely* give up their car keys for the months of August (both parents work and they have 3 kids!.) I have decided to figure out how easy it is to travel around Ann Arbor without a car with one toddler and very few time deadlines.
Today we went to the public library, a common source of amusement for Little A on a day too hot to go to the park. In 90+ degree temperatures, we left the house around 10am and walked the 2ish miles to the local library (35minutes). The trip out was uneventful except that I took out about 20 lbs of books last trip not knowing that I'd be hauling them back in my hiking day pack! And, about 3/4 of the way there we ran out of sidewalk so we had to do a little off roading. Thank goodness for a strong baby jogger and a kid with lots of hash runs under her belt! On the upside, we discovered that between our house and the library are 3 parks (one part of a Joe's crab shack... "no, not today Little A."), 1 gas station, 2 Starbucks, 1 grocery store, 1 Target, 1 assisted living home, 1 daycare center, and at least 4 restaurants. In other words, even if we can only travel 2.5 miles from home there is a lot that we can do!

When we arrived, I was only given a few dirty looks for my appearance (dripping with sweat and smelling like a combination of BO and sunscreen... "get over it people, just pretend we're at the beach!") It was blissfully cool in the air conditioned library, and Little A had a blast playing with a 5 year old girl that thankfully shared her computer and proceeded to teach Little A to build a *fancy* block tower, a house out of giant plastic interlocking squares, and chased her all over the play area. Finally, a kid who's a faster runner than my daughter. When will they make power generating exercise equipment for kids? You could've air conditioned the whole library from the harnessed child-energy in the room!

An hour and a half later, with my child sufficiently worn out, we geared up for the journey home. Little A was starving, and I was not adequately prepared. Rookie mistake! So, I gave her the water bottle and a tube of lip gloss and walked/ ran to the grocery store that's on the way home. (Thankfully, I'm in pretty good shape, so we made it in 10 mins.) We stopped off for some "cheesy rice cakes" which occupied Little A the rest of the way back. Plus, we found the added bonus of a running sprinkler system on the neighboring apartment complex grounds. I unbuckled Little A and we both ran through the sprinklers until our clothes were soaked! She happily stripped when we arrived home and ate her lunch. I read her the 3 ("only 3 today... we're going to have to schlepp these books back in a few weeks!") library books, and she crashed! A successful naptime= a successful day in this mom's book.

How are your carless adventures coming? Today is day 2 of the fuel challenge! How will you be able to get around your city or town when gas is $10, $20, or $50 a gallon? Can you walk to your local parks, libraries, grocery stores, etc.? Can you bring your kids with you?
Let me hear about your carless adventures!

Coming soon... Can Little A and I get across 94 without a car? How user-friendly is the Ann Arbor bus system?

Let the Game Begin! (Keeping Score)

2006-07-29T17:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I have talked with several of you over the past week about how we're going to keep track of who's winning the game! No competitive people here! :)

So, I've come up with a solution based on an excellent suggestion given to me by a friend. Google has spreadsheets that can be shared over the web. So, I'm inviting all of you to view and edit the "Fuel Challenge" spreadsheet (in a separate email) so that you can keep track of the gallons of gas that you purchase each month. Give yourself or your family a nickname on the spreadsheet (FYI we are the "green" family) and then keep track of how many gallons of gas you buy each month for your car(s). It's up to you to choose whether to keep track of your whole family together, or if you want to compete individually (against your husband, wife, teen or whatever) feel free to enter as individuals. We choose to enter as a family even though that will put us at a relative disadvantage in the game since it is a more accurate representation of our overall footprint. And, the honor system applies here... so no cheating! :)

One more thing... don't give up if you seem to be falling behind! There will be other challenges and the overall winner will be determined based on the results of the whole game. And, if you want to invite someone else (or yourself) to the competition send me an email and I will add them (you) to the list of people who may view/edit the spreadsheet. Also, if you get a late start, please still participate, even if you can't win this challenge it will be a valuable win for the planet when more and more people decide to play the game... and you'll still have time to win other challenges! (Think of it as a chance to get a yellow jersey on the next stage of the Tour!) So, most importantly, jump in and play! The game begins August 1st! 3 days and counting!!!

Have Fun!

Coming up soon... more easy ways to shrink your footprint, and Challenge #2! Stay tuned...

A UVA professor! Now, I'm really mad!

2006-07-27T15:24:00.000-05:00

I just received 2 links exposing 2 very frustrating ad campaigns that are out to discredit the science of global warming in the name of profits. They may turn out to be untrue. So, as always, verify for yourself. But, I'm posting them here since I'm angry that the "scientist" (a UVA environmental sciences professor) behind this campaign would take $100,000 in exchange for the planet's future. I'm a UVA science grad and am personally offended by his actions. I don't think that Mr. Jefferson would be very happy! I wonder if he has any kids? To all of my UVA friends: what should we do about this?

http://www.desmogblog.com/vampire-memo-reveals-coal-industry-plan-for-massive-propaganda-blitz and http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GlobalWarming/story?id=2242565&page=1

http://www.desmogblog.com/industry-memo-claims-controversial-ad-campaign-financed-by-gm-and-ford

As always, send me your ideas...
Jess

Everyone Welcome to Challenge #1!

2006-07-27T07:50:00.000-05:00

Since my last post was filled with long, complex, probably boring analysis of a bunch of raw data that I found on some government websites, today I thought that I would lighten things up!

But first, check out today's NY Times op-ed page... Peter Doran is taking himself off of the list of scientists who dispute global warming. FYI, straight from the horse's mouth.

And, by the way, I'd just like to state that this blog is completely nonpartisan. I will happily support organizations, leaders, etc. from the right, left or anywhere in-between who will address this issue with innovative, real solutions. Though Environmentalism was once touted as a "liberal" issue, I'm pleased to report that this is no longer the case. Check out a few great Republican and non-partisan citizen groups, especially those of you in Texas, that are reaching out to Green Elephants and Donkeys everywhere!

OK, enough politcal chatter... Let the game begin (this is a "Reality Blog" after all... everyone wants to know: Where are the challenges?!)
CHALLENGE #1
Between August 1, 2006 and February 1, 2007: Whoever uses the fewest gallons of gas wins! Those of you with a hybrid car have a head start and those of you with SUV's will just have to drive fewer miles. Everyone can play... let the game begin! Keep us updated on your progress. There may be prizes!

Coming up... Ethanol, Biodesiel, Plug-in Hybrids, and Hydrogen Fuel Cells: What will really work?

Driving Green Saves Lots of $$$ (Green!)

2006-07-24T21:04:00.000-05:00

Since 1960 the percentage of dispensable personal income that has been spent on driving has remained fairly consistent (between 10 and 12%) despite the dramatic technological advances in the industry that could allow us to drive further on less fuel (read: cheaper!) (http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/)
Transportation accounts for 66% of our total refined petroleum demand in the US. And we are demanding A LOT of petroleum to power our lifestyles. In 1960, Americans drove 587,000,000,000 miles; in 2004, we drove 1,715,030,000,000 miles! That is almost 3 times as many miles per year! To drive all of those miles in 1960 required 41,171,000,000 gallons of fuel; in 2004 we needed 76,208,000,000 gallons (almost twice as much fuel required!)

To make these giant numbers useful to you and me, let’s take a look at the average number of miles per year that cars drove in 1960. That number was 9500 on 14.3mpg average fuel efficiency. Today we’re driving over 13,000 miles per year with an average car averaging just over 22 mpg. Imagine if we were all driving cars with 50-60mpg fuel efficiency (such as a Honda Civic Hybrid or a Toyota Prius), then each of us would need about 236 gallons of gas each year to drive our 13,000 miles. At today’s gas prices, about $3.00 per gallon, that would cost us about $700 per year. But, because of the cars that we’re choosing to drive instead, we’re paying an average of almost $1700 per year for fuel. If you have a long commute or drive a car that gets less than 22 mpg fuel efficiency your costs are even higher. So, by buying a hybrid car, each of us would save an average of $1000 per year in fuel costs!

Even more importantly, if each car used only 236 gallons of gas each year versus the over 550 gallons that we’re currently using we would need to import much less oil. In 1960, transportation related petroleum use accounted for 64% of our domestic petroleum production. Currently that number is over 184%. That means that we use a lot more oil than we produce in the US for our transportation needs alone (that doesn’t account for our home, business or other power needs.) In 1960, we imported a million barrels of crude oil per year; currently we import 10 million barrels of crude and 3 million barrels of other petroleum products. That’s more than 10 times the number imported in 1960. But, that is just not necessary with today’s technology. If starting today everyone were to drive a car that gets 55mpg avg fuel efficiency (even if we still drive 13,000 miles each per year and have as many cars on the road as we do today), then we will actually be consuming over 2/3 fewer gallons of fuel than we did in 1960 (driving 9500 miles per year.) So, we would need even less oil today than we needed in 1960 to meet our increased driving mileage needs. Instead, we are reaching the point where the US is running out of oil. We produced over 7 million barrels per year in 1960 and produced only 5.42 million gallons in 2004. Worldwide, we are now using over 4 times as much oil per year than we did in 1960. We must find another way to power our future because even without the threat of global warming (which is very, very serious) the Earth is simply running out of oil.

So, the bottom line is that if you’re going to buy a new car this year… consider the fuel efficiency! (Check the ratings at www.greenercars.com, http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/, and http://www.fueleconomy.gov/) As a planet, we MUST get this number up! For the past 6 years, the average fuel efficiency for passenger cars in the US has stayed virtually the same. That is just not acceptable. We have the technology to change that now! (I highly recommend against buying an SUV in all but a few cases… see www.suv.org for reasons why.)

OK, so now you’re saying, “I’m just not able to buy a new car this year, so…”

What can I do with my current car?

Keep tires adequately inflated (check monthly)
Savings: 250 lbs of carbon, $840 per year (www.stopglobalwarming.org)

Check air filter monthly
Savings: 800 lbs of carbon, $130 per year (www.stopglobalwarming.org)

Carpool when possible
Savings: approximately 790 lbs of carbon, and hundreds of dollars per year (www.stopglobalwarming.org)

Consider public transportation, biking or even walking when possible. Join Cheryl in Houston in her strong support of functional bike trails in that city!

If you own 2 cars, drive the one that gets better mileage on weekends/ longer trips.

Have only 1 car per family.

Drive fewer miles.

Change oil regularly.

Take some of the junk out of your trunk (every 100 lbs costs an extra mile per gallon.) (http://www.globalgreen.org/media/climate/consumertips.pdf)

Drive the speed limit. Each 5 miles above 60 costs an additional 10 cents per gallon (think about that the next time you look at the cost of filling your tank.) (http://www.globalgreen.org/media/climate/consumertips.pdf)

Drive nicely. Aggressive driving can lower your gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds. (http://www.globalgreen.org/media/climate/consumertips.pdf)

Only use the AC when it’s REALLY HOT! (IMHO summer in Texas counts as really hot!) Operating your car’s air conditioner can increase fuel consumption 20% in city driving. (http://www.globalgreen.org/media/climate/consumertips.pdf) However, it may actually be more fuel efficient for highway driving due to the increased drag on your vehicle (sorry, I don’t have a source on that one… let me know if you see one somewhere.)

Now the ball is in your court… tell me what you’re doing about your driving carbon footprint. I want to hear how it’s shrinking and how much money you’re saving!!

Stay tuned for our greener driving adventures…

The Rules of the Game

2006-07-23T21:08:00.000-05:00

As I discussed in my initial post, I'm hoping to make a big impact on the enormous problem of the impact of global climate change. But, in order to gain some momentum on this project we'll have to start with the rules of the game...

Think of this as a "reality blog." It's like a reality TV show in that you will get to see the drama that will undoubtedly unfold as my family takes steps to lower our fossil fuel consumption. At times, you will surely find our adventure to be exciting and rewarding, and at times it is likely to be a struggle and call for sacrifice.

In the upcoming posts I will detail all of the information that I can find, one subject at a time, that we can use on our quest. My goal is to keep the information simple to follow, useful and evidence-based.

Your job is to let me know how you are applying the information that we'll be learning along the way, and to let me know if you have learned complementary or conflicting information from other sources.

Additionally, I strongly encourage you to spread the word about this blog and its goals to everyone that you know. I recently heard of a blog where a man bartered from a paper clip up to a house. It was a cool and interesting story, but far less important than this one. So, if this blog can generate as much interest and excitement as that one then I believe that there is hope for our children, grandchildren and beyond to survive the energy consumption habits of us, our parents and grandparents. Previous generations did not know the effect that their lifestyle was going to have on future generations. But, we do know now, and it is essential that we demonstrate that those of us who are aware are taking the steps that will preserve the future. It will not always be easy, but it will be a Green Adventure!

Join us!

The Adventure Begins

2006-07-22T21:01:00.000-05:00

The idea for this blog flowed from an email I sent out to a large list of friends the other day. My husband and I watched a show about climate change on the Discovery channel, and learned that the potentially catestrophic effects of this environmental phenomenon could have significant effects on the ability for humans to survive life on this planet. I guess I'd known that for awhile. I'm reasonably aware and care about Environmental causes. But, I was shocked to learn that the impact of global warming will begin very soon. By the time my daughter is my husband's age, she may have to struggle to survive our generation's dependence on fossil fuels. When I made my friends aware of this scary fact, right away I got an overwhelming response. Many of them (also aware, educated people) are concerned about this issue, but have no idea how to address it in their busy daily lives. So, our family has decided to become the prototype. We will be the researchers, testers and motivators. We hope to show over the next year that our actions will make a difference in our carbon footprint, and may also present us with some exciting opportunities as well. Please join us! I'd love to hear how others are joining us on The Green Adventure! I hope your kids will join in as well. Check out the old children's book, If Everybody Did.
Anyway, this is the email that got it all started:

Dear Friends,

Recently, Mark and I watched a show about climate change on the discovery channel. Despite considering myself an “Environmentalist” (hey, I contribute to the Sierra Club and the Nature Conservancy) and feeling reasonably up on current events, I was very surprised by some of the details of the science in this area. And, being the perpetual grad student that I am, I proceeded to do a lot of research checking out the ideas presented on the show.

The most shocking idea presented on the show was that Dr. James E. Hansen one of the premier experts on global warming said that if we continue down our current road of carbon emissions (using energy at the same rate that we currently are, that is generated by fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal) by the time Little A is Mark’s age, 50% of animal species around the world could be extinct and thus, humans will be struggling for survival as well.

Well, I must admit that that time frame took me off guard! That means that most of us will be alive (and old, YIPPEE! no beaches to retire to, we get to retire to Canada where it will only be 120 degrees in the shade… not fun!) Worse, that means that our kids will be literally struggling for survival, and even worse… why would they bother reproducing knowing what they will by then. So, GREAT!... I thought that the reward for raising children was supposed to be grandchildren! So, I’m going through the terrible two’s for NOTHING!

All kidding aside, this is serious stuff. And there is plenty of published information on the details of the science that I recommend that you read. (Some websites to check out…) http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/global_warming_worldbook.html
http://www.bioedonline.org/news/news.cfm?art=1861
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/3/13/1

So, knowing all of this… what should we do? Fortunately, even the scientists that are knee deep in studying global warming are optimistic that humans have the capacity to take on this problem. We just need to get on it… NOW!
So, Mark and I are doing a few things by starting with our own carbon footprint. You can figure out yours at http://www.fightglobalwarming.com/carboncalculator.cfm. There are lots of others out there, but this one is pretty simple to do without looking at your energy bills. Secondly, we’ve decided to start a company to be a part of the solution to this problem. Since, right now, based on our footprint… we’re part of the problem! Our business ideas are only in the embryonic stages, but we’ve spent enough time in “the real world” to know that really people just don’t care much about saving the earth unless it will make them money! So, we’re trying to figure out if we can do both!

Anyway, this email is long enough! So, spend some time this week and learn a little more about this issue, figure out your carbon footprint, and check out some of the organizations locally and nationally that are working on this problem, and very soon you’ll be getting an email from me, full of ideas for minimizing climate change from the very simple to the very elaborate. Feel free to send this on to your friends… the more people that are helping the better. And, truly, you will see that little things will help A LOT! (Not to mention they may save you some money!) Let’s all talk about and work on this together. We really don’t have a choice if we want our kids to have a chance at a full life. If you found out today that your kids would die of cancer as adults wouldn’t you try to figure out how to save them now?

Take care,
Jess