Know your Carbon Footprint
A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide. You can measure your carbon footprint by using a carbon calculator which tells you how much carbon your lifestyle produces.
For instance if you plan to take a trip and you are flying economy class from JFK International airport to Los Angeles, a distance of 2,466 miles, your trip will generate about 659 lbs. of carbon dioxide. If you are making the same trip by car and you happen to drive a Toyota Prius ,which gets between 45- 48 MPG, your carbon emissions would be 1,027 lbs. In a Hummer H3 it would be 3,216 lbs.
It is easy to make these calculations at sites like Terrapass.com and Greenprogress.com. With a little information you can make simple calculations on the impact of your vacation or with a little more detail you can work out the impact of your entire annual energy consumption. Your carbon footprint is calculated based on questions such as your energy and food consumption, recycling and driving habits and more. All these factors add up to an estimated number of pounds of carbon dioxide produced by you in a year which describes your “carbon footprint“.
Once you know the impact you have on the environment you can begin the process of reducing your carbon footprint. You may choose to do this by the three R’s: Reduce, Re-use and Recycle or by buying carbon offsets which are available on-line at sites like Carbonfund.org and Terrapass.com. These sites allow you to pay for trees to be planted on your behalf or invest in alternative energy production like wind and solar power.
Some are skeptical about carbon offsets because it is like buying forgiveness for over consumption and pollution and simply planting trees does not cure the ills of burning fossil fuels. Carbontradewatch.org has a very detailed discussion of this topic in their article “The Carbon Neutral Myth”.
This summer you may choose a carbon neutral vacation rather than jet setting. You may use wind power and go sailing (like Kjell) around the Scottish Isles or go biking around the wine country in Napa with Life Cycle Adventures (ask for Tony). Or simply stay home and plant a tree, enjoy the warmer than ever weather or redecorate with furniture made from reclaimed wood.
*UrbanWoods makes furniture from reclaimed wood. Reclaimed wood continues to trap carbon from years of absorbtion and does not allow the carbon to be released due to decomposition. Furthrmore Urban Woods furniture remains tree free meaning that no trees are harvested or cut in any way to make the product.
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Democrats are Fueled by Beer!
Molson/ Coors Brewing Company, a Host Committee sponsor and a leading global brewer, along with its U.S. subsidiary, Coors Brewing Company, will be the Official E85 Ethanol Producer for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Molson/ Coors is donating all the clean-burning,eco-friendly, ethanol fuel for the fleet of General Motors flex-fuel vehicles to be used for Convention transportation needs. Coors’ ethanol differs from the more common corn-based variety in that it is made from waste beer generated at their Golden, Colo., brewery.
“From fueling a national conversation about sustainability to fueling convention vehicles, we’re working toward a green convention on every front,” said Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. “This flex-fuel initiative highlights Colorado’s historic status as an energy and beer capital as well as its reputation for environmental and economic innovation. We are grateful for Molson Coors’ donation of cleaner-burning fuel to ensure we host the greenest national political convention to date.”
Coors is the nation’s first major brewer to convert its waste beer into ethanol. The company began recycling waste beer — beer lost during packaging or deemed below quality standards — and converting it to ethanol in 1996, in a facility owned by Merrick & Company and operated by Coors. Today the Golden ethanol facility produces about three million gallons of ethanol per year. The production of ethanol from waste beer also helps Coors eliminate about 70 tons of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from its emissions annually.
“By turning waste into fuel, Molson Coors illustrates the innovative spirit that is making Colorado and our New Energy Economy a leader in creating sustainable energy sources,” Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter said. “The upcoming Convention will be the perfect opportunity to showcase Colorado’s accomplishments in developing advanced renewable fuels. I applaud Molson Coors and Coors for helping us do so.”
Fuel mixed with ethanol from the Coors facility will help power a fleet of vehicles provided by General Motors, the Official Vehicle Provider of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. This fleet, which includes vehicles with biofuel capabilities and hybrid technology, will provide transportation for numerous delegates, staff, members of the media and other special Convention guests.
“Minimizing our impact on the environment is the right thing to do and it’s good for our business,” said Molson Coors CEO Leo Kiely. “Bill Coors used to say that waste was a resource out of place — that thinking still drives us today to recycle, reuse and reduce our consumption of energy and materials when and where we can. We are pleased that our waste beer can fuel the convention fleet and help support an environmentally conscious convention.”
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‘American Idol’ Powered by Renewable Energy
This season’s eco-friendly “American Idol” finale used renewable energy to reduce it’s impact on the climate and help pave the way for FOX Television Network to reach it’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2010.
As part of Fox’s plan to be more planet friendly, “American Idol’s” two-part season finale was powered by renewable energy. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power provided a combination of solar, wind and hydropower energy for the season finale held at the 7,100-seat Nokia Theatre.
With its solar-powered air conditioner, AquaCell Technologies cooled the air at the “American Idol” season finale VIP Party at the Nokia Theater.
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David Cook-American Idol winner |
The batteries in the GreenCore system are charged by the sun during the day, allowing the air conditioner to operate throughout the party at night - even after the sun goes down.The GreenCore solar-powered air conditioner combines the most efficient photovoltaic technology with a DC engineered air conditioning innovation to provide climate control that does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and global warning.
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Norway’s “THINK” Electric Car will Return to the US and Made in California
According to the LA Times, Norway’s Think Global will begin selling its inexpensive, eco-friendly vehicles in the U.S. next year.
Norwegian automaker Think Global said Monday it planned to sell low-priced electric cars to the masses and will introduce its first models in the U.S. by the end of next year.
The battery-powered Think City will be able to travel up to 110 miles on a single charge, with a top speed of about 65 mph, the company said. It will be priced below $25,000.
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Oslo-based Think said venture capital firms RockPort Capital Partners and Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers had made investments to fund its entry into the U.S. under the auspices of Think North America.
“This is not a toy,” said Wilber James, RockPort managing partner. “This is a serious car that we expect to sell.”
Think North America is likely to be based in Southern California, the investors said, and the cars it sells here will be assembled locally. The venture investors will own half of Think North America. In March, General Electric Co. invested $4 million in Think Global.
Although technology for electric cars has been advancing — and consumer interest has been rising amid growing concern over gasoline prices and greenhouse gases — few vehicles have come to market. Last month, San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla Motors began production of its Roadster, an electric vehicle that costs $100,000.
The Think City “is a mass-market vehicle,” said Kleiner managing partner Ray Lane, dismissing comparisons to the Roadster. Tesla’s car is being produced in relatively small numbers, with roughly 300 expected by the end of this year. “Our desire is to be selling 30-40-50,000 of these cars in a couple of years.”
Think Chief Executive Jan-Olaf Willums said the company would bring test vehicles to the U.S. in the coming months.
The Think City runs on sodium batteries, but future versions could use lithium ion batteries, Willums said. The company is working with A123 Systems and EnerDel Inc., to develop the batteries, which would boost range and speed.
With most automakers focusing on hybrid technology, only a handful, including Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motor Co., have announced plans to produce all-electric cars. Mitsubishi’s MiEV is set to go on sale in Japan next year.
Ford Motor Co. was the longtime owner of Think but sold it in 2003. It was purchased by Norweigan investors two years ago, and began selling cars in Norway this year, with sales in Sweden, Denmark and Britain expected this year. The company said its annual production capacity in Europe is 10,000 vehicles.
The Think City, a two-seater that can be fitted with two additional seats for children, has a mostly plastic exterior and is 95% recyclable. Willums said a convertible was in development. “Women want to buy it immediately,” he said.
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