carbon footprint

Charge it to the Earth

jkraft — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:21:26 -0400

For a conscious consumer, there is no end to the ethical dilemmas of credit cards. Not only do they facilitate the massive over-consumption that our nation is criticized for, but they are tools of self-destruction for insatiable shoppers caught in the trap of predatory lending practices. And then there are the ecological effects of the millions of plastic PVC cards produced each year, and the massive paper waste that credit card bills create. But now there are some eco-friendly and socially-conscious options for those of us who choose to charge.

Some banks are offering cards that allow customers to earn points that can be redeemed for donations to charitable environmental organizations. With the HSBC ecosmart MasterCard you can choose to contribute to the Earthwatch Institute, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the Arbor Day Foundation, or Wind Power Renewable Choice.

“Affinity Cards” are dedicated to a specific nonprofit organization whose logo is featured on the front of the card. The charity gets about half a percentage of the total purchases you make on the card, which can add up and become a profitable revenue stream. MBNA even offers a PVC-free WWF card, but (bummer!) only in Europe so far. Wells Fargo now offers a credit card that allows customers to contribute their earned points to invest in a corresponding amount of kilowatt hours produced by renewable energy projects. But if pure altruism isn’t what you’re after, some cards offer discounts on eco-friendly products in addition to charity contributions.

In Europe, many credit card companies see carbon offsets as the new airline miles. Instead of earning free trips, you can earn your green halo with a GreenCard, which neutralizes your carbon emissions by contributing to CO2 reduction initiatives like forest replanting. The greenhouse gas outputs of all of your combined purchases are calculated using a complicated algorithm, and then appropriate offsets are purchased in your name. These cards also help you understand which of your purchases are more carbon-creating, so you can analyze your statement for ways to shrink your carbon footprint.

But taking on a new card isn’t always the best choice for all of us, depending on our credit ratings, so we can still go green by signing up to receive only electronic statements.

Questioning Carbon Offsets

jkraft — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:48:14 -0400

As everyone knows, greenhouse gases are causing Earth’s climate to change and warm, which will have catastrophic results if we do not take action now. Although the US is only 4.5 percent of the world's population, it's responsible for 25 percent of global greenhouse emissions. So as Americans, we are more responsible for reducing these emissions than other world citizens.

The concept of “offsetting carbon” lets you underwrite activities that actively reduce global CO2 emissions, thereby balancing out your personal emissions. Typically, there are four ways that they do this: 1) Carbon offsets support renewable energy projects in solar, wind and biofuel technology. 2) they promote energy efficiency in housing, lighting, heating, etc... 3) They sequester carbon using the natural photsynthesis of trees and the preservation of endangered green spaces. 4) They buy up carbon credits on the global market so that companies that are legally required to reduce their emissions are forced to do so.

In other words, because some enlightened nations have actually signed the Kyoto protocol, they are legally bound to reduce their carbon emissions by certain dates. Companies that aren’t able to meet these Kyoto emissions targets can still pollute, as long as they buy the surplus carbon credits that less-polluting companies are offering on the carbon market. But if all the carbon credits have been bought by individuals, then the companies won't be able to offset their pollution, and they'll have to develop new emissions-reduction strategies.

Some of the best offset copmanies combine poverty reduction with climate protection. For example, a 4.5 megawatt biomass power project in Malavalli, India, produces electricity with agricultural waste that used to be burned off or just left on the fields to decay. The project created 500 new fulltime jobs. And despite the ick factor, Terrapass sequesters methane—another greenhouse gas-- from dairy farms by capturing its release from manure and making fuel out of it.

Critics have likened carbon offsets to a papal indulgence, and one British parody website, Cheat Neutral likens carbon offsets to trying to deny an extramarital affair. If you just buy enough fidelity credits, they snarkily advocate, then you can cheat on your partner until the (methane-burping) cows come home. But despite its drawbacks, carbon offsetting is making a real difference in funding clean energy projects that might not have gotten off the ground otherwise.

So check them out yourself: the leaders in the field include the aforementioned Terra Pass, Live Neutral, and NativeEnergy, which is a Native American-owned company that develops farmer-owned, nonprofit renewable energy projects. Across the pond, Germany's AtmosFair, Oxford-based Climate Care and the Dutch GreenSeat are doing the most brisk business among the dozens of offsetting companies.

What Americans Misunderstand About Environmental Shopping

kbutler — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Americans tend to go green in primarily one way – they shop green. This is a recent trend – and I for one am not complaining. It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been green since I was a teen….ager. (Sorry, just couldn’t be cute. I just couldn’t.) I grew up in South Jersey which means two things – the first, yes, I have heard that joke about New Jersey. In fact, the entire state has heard that joke. The second is that I grew up in farm country. My childhood home had a dairy barn with a cool calf skeleton in the back and huge rat skull I would poke with a stick. I’ve grown up with flocks of Canadian geese landing in our yard, and I’ve been chased across pastures by annoyed bulls. But since childhood, I’ve also watched South Jersey's beautiful farmlands get built up and built up and built up…. So at an early age, I went eco-warrior.

In any case, I’ve been watching green trends for most of my life. In the 90s, this meant buying (and working for) Ben & Jerry’s. Now with cars to cleaners to organic meatballs, Madison Avenue is pushing the environment on everyone. But a recent poll shows that many Americans don’t really understand what it means to buy green. According to a recent survey, 39% of Americans buy product that they think are “environmentally friendly.” But 48% believe that these products have a positive impact on the environment, while only 22% get that these words actually mean that the impact is “less negative.” (And yes, it took me some hard thinking to absorb that too.)

So how can you be sure that you’re actually shopping green and not, as they call it, falling victim to “greenwashing?” (When companies spin it to look like they are green, when in fact they still make a huge carbon footprint. Yes, there is a term for this.) The EPA actually has an identifying system. If something is labeled DfE, it’s “designed for the environment.” If something has the Energy Star label, it’s good on energy. Also, hit the web – there are several green shopping guides out there, like this one. And this one. Keep buying green, America! We’ve got options to keeping up the good, green fight.

How to Register Wisely for Kitchen Appliances

ckane — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:28:34 -0400

What’s the first item you think of when you picture a bridal registry? For me, it's the KitchenAid stand mixer (so the Kitchen Aid marketing and promotions department is doing a good job).

I imagine most people register for that appliance for that very reason. But I'd venture to guess that a large percentage of people who register for it don't bake from scratch anymore. So here’s a simple test to see if you need to register for a stand mixer: when was the last time you needed one? If you answered “Never” or “What’s a stand mixer even for?” then you don’t need to register for one. Ditto for any other kitchen appliance, no matter how sleek and shiny with chrome or stainless steel they may be, or what pretty colors they may come in.

But if you do bake or make homemade pasta or waffles or use other specialized kitchen appliances, Sprig recently reported that Hamilton Beach (which also makes Proctor Silex products) has begun to green their industry. In an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, they've adopted the Restrictoins of Hazardous Substances Directive (ROHSD), using less packaging and recyclable materials, and designing more energy-efficient appliances. The new standards haven't been applied to all of their products yet, so call 800-851-8900 for specifics.

image: Hamilton Beach

New Devices Measure Your Carbon Footprint

jkraft — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:13:52 -0400

It’s fashionable these days to measure your carbon footprint using any number of online calculators. But most of these rely on your guesstimates about how often you travel and the cost of your energy bills. Once you know your carbon footprint, you may choose to buy offsets, but you might not know exactly how to reduce your emissions.

But new technologies will soon change how we track our impact on the planet and will allow us to instantly green our behavior. By hooking up household appliances to a domestic dashboard, we can see real-time energy use and change our patterns of consumption. Like a speedometer in the car or a scale in your bathroom, household measuring devices are the best way to maintain control over your energy consumption. Visualization can lead to big savings on energy costs, too!

The Palo-Alto based company Agile Waves has recently launched the Resource Monitor, which constantly tallies up electric, gas, and water consumption of a home or office and reports your consumption on a built-in touchscreen interface also available on the web. The device accumulates data over time, so you can compare one day to another, and judge the performance of certain appliances.

British company Onzo has also produced a device as sleek as an iPod that helps you think about when to turn your lights off, how to change your cooking methods, and how to switch your energy supplier. Onzo also has an online interface where you can compare your house’s stats with your friends’. Their beta testing has revealed that consumers can save between 6.5% and 26% on energy costs just by staying in tune with Onzo.

How to Get Carbon Free in 10 Years – Reduce Global Warming

susan — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Cutting your carbon footprint is one thing - but becoming carbon free in 10 years? Sounds impossible? Putting out ZERO carbon emissions requires major deprivation and sacrifice, right? Not so. You’d be amazed at how simple, painless changes can help you snag the gold ring -- saving yourself money and saving the planet from fire and (melting) ice.

Now for the details: I found one of the best step-by-step breakdowns of how one family can do it in Yes Magazine. This helpful article takes a hypothetical family of three and proposes changes they’ll need to make each year to go from producing 60,000 pounds of carbon emissions per year to zero.Here’s a sampling of what you can do to make the biggest difference - with the least effort and expense. Remember, even if you can’t do it all and get to ZERO, taking any of these actions will be a move in the right direction.

Year 1

Switch to CFLs
Wash clothes in cold water and air dry them
Turn off the computer when not in use
One adult commutes by bus three days a week

Year 2

Insulate attic and basement
Insulate heat ducts
Patch air leaks around the home

Year 3

Commute by bus daily
Sell second car
Weatherize windows and doors

Year 4

Take train (not plane) when you go on vacation

Year 5

Trade in old car for an electric model

Year 6

Lower hot water heater temp
Insulate hot water heater and pipes
Replace old refrigerator with energy-efficient model
Eliminate second refrigerator

Years 7 to 10

Vacation close to home
Buy energy-efficient washing machine
Convert to solar hot water system
Commute by electric bikes 8 months of the year
Replace furnace with electric heat pump that also cools
Buy certified green, renewable power from their electric company

Now that wasn’t so hard was it?

For more details, see Yes Magazine.

For more on Reducing Your Carbon Footprint:

Carbon Footprints

What Exactly is a Carbon Footprint?

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint From Travel

Wash Your Carbon Footprint Away

The Quest For The Perfect Carbon Calculator

Earth Mothers and Moms: Mutually Exclusive?

ckane — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:18:30 -0400

Many moms have famously claimed that having children has made them more conscious of their impact on the planet, like Julia Roberts, Cindy Crawford, Soliel Moon-Freye and now Jessica Alba. But the question has been raised as to just how eco it is to even have a child.

Last November, the Daily Mail published an article called, "Meet the women who won't have babies--because they're not eco friendly," featuring a 35-year old woman, Toni Vernelli, who had an abortion then got sterilized at aget 27 to reduce her carbon footprint, with no regrets. Another woman made the choice to not have children for the same reason, which ended several of her relationships, and she's now with a man who's had a vasectomy.

Then in March, Treehugger mused on "Why Eco-Activists Still Have Children." It links to a piece in The Guardian weighing the pros and cons of bringing extra little consumers and potential destryoyers into the world.

Here's another view on it, from the author of Gross National Happiness, which takes a whole different analysis, considering the measured happiness of couples with children vs childless couples, and weighing that against how rewarding it is to have raised someone well in a world that needs more good eggs in it.

Image: Toni Vernelli, from the Daily Mail

Turn Green into Gold

ecoperks — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:31:12 -0400

The new EcoPerks experience (www.EcoPerks.com) officially launches in Beta today offering simple ways to live a more carbon neutral lifestyle while earning EcoPoints to be used toward valuable rewards. This exciting online platform is a unique blend of cause, commerce, content, community and carbon offset tools tied to the most generous rewards program on the Internet. EcoPerks.com has an unmatched range of products, information and functionality designed to promote carbon neutral living.

Today, there are more than 1.3 billion loyalty program participants in the United States. “EcoPerks.com is different. Earning and redeeming points means helping our planet,” states Donna Boesky Mastropasqua, CEO of EcoPerks. “We’ve created a currency that has the potential to do so many positive things for our members and the environment,” she continued. Mastropasqua, a customer loyalty expert and founder of Perks.com, has developed rewards programs for a diverse list of companies including Citigroup and American Express.

EcoPerks gives members a variety of ways to quickly earn large quantities of rewards by shopping from among more than 500 major retailers, purchasing eco-products and certified carbon offsets, taking surveys, sharing eco-tips or participating in their online community. The company matches rewards from all purchases, directing the cash value toward projects that protect the environment, reduce emissions and support renewable energy solutions.

“As the EcoPerks community grows, we will add more ways to earn and redeem EcoPoints giving members an even greater opportunity to live greener and combat climate change,” says Mastropasqua.

SAVE THE PLANET - GET THE PERKS

For every EcoPoint members earn they can potentially receive a minimum of double rewards – one for the member – the other for the planet. The points for the planet are automatically directed toward a variety of impact projects that re-wild damaged ecosystems and support renewable energy solutions that cut greenhouse gas emissions. “With virtually every click of the mouse, members can be confident they are doing something positive for the planet,” said Mastropasqua.

The rest of the points can be used to offset the members’ own carbon footprint and to redeem in the amazing EcoPerks rewards catalogue. One of the most unique and exciting programs of its kind, the selection of rewards includes cool green products, thrilling eco-travel opportunities, VIP tickets to concerts, sporting events and movie premiers, once-in-a-lifetime celebrity encounters, and other exclusive experiences.

EcoPerks also provides members with an easy way to calculate and offset their carbon footprint. Members earn EcoPoints for filling out simple questionnaires and purchasing carbon offsets directly from a list of projects using points or cash. EcoPerks.com’s offset projects are developed, monitored and verified by award-winning Sterling Planet (www.SterlingPlanet.com), one of the world’s most trusted providers of emissions solutions.

EcoPerks.com is also a premiere information resource with the latest eco-news, information and tips for greener living. Members of the Eco-Perks.com community can participate in special features aimed at expanding the eco-conversation. “We want to empower consumers to make better choices,” said Mastropasqua. “There are regular people out there who have simple, workable solutions we all can use to make a real difference.” says Mastropasqua.

Membership on the site is free and is required to earn rewards points. New members earn 100 EcoPoints just for signing up.

Organic Ketchup--Not What It Seems

scleaver — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Growing up, ketchup (catsup, whatever) was one of my favorite foods. I put it on everything—broccoli, baked potatoes, fries (of course), everything, that is, except scrambled eggs.

When I spent a semester in Spain, my roommates and I learned the hard way that not all ketchup is the same. Spanish ketchup is too sweet (more sugar than vinegar in the recipe, I guess). So, for those five months, we only ate the ketchup imported from the U.S. Suffice it to say, I have had many a fond experience with ketchup.

That said, imagine my delight when I found a blog about organic ketchup on Food Shed Planet in which Pattie explores Heinz Organic Ketchup. A product that, as she describes it is “yummy..discernibly better than the non-organic version. And [with] seventy percent more lycopene than non-organic ketchup.”

But, upon further investigation, she learned that instead of being from a bucolic farm in the U.S. (or even Canada) the organic ketchup isn’t as eco-friendly as one would hope. Alas, organic ketchup has gone the way of many organic foods, more industrial than eco-friendly, with just as large carbon footprint as its non-organic counterparts. Read about Pattie’s conversation with the ketchup company here: http://www.foodshedplanet.com/2008/03/cant-anything-be-easy.html.

Photo credit: Food Shed Planet Ketchup Post.

Airline wastes 22K gallons of fuel to fly 5 passengers

C2 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:19:43 -0500

A major airline is under fire from environmentalists for flying an aircraft across the Atlantic with only five passengers on board.

The flight from Chicago to London meant that the plane, a Boeing 777, used 22,000 gallons of fuel.

Friends of the Earth said it was 'obscene' to waste so much fuel flying an almost empty plane

It led to American Airlines being accused of reckless behaviour by green lobby groups.

The latest "eco- scandal" flight took place on February 9 after American was forced to cancel one of its four daily services from Chicago to London.

While it was able to find places for nearly all the passengers on the fully-booked flight, five still had to be accommodated. Those who did fly were upgraded to the business class cabin.

But while they enjoyed lavish hospitality, the airline was accused of an "obscene waste of fuel" by Friends of the Earth.