Q: If I could only choose one thing to do in my lifetime to reduce my carbon footprint, what should it be?
A: Switch out your bulbs. Insulate your house. Recycle. Cinderelly, Cinderelly. Frankly, it's all a little overwhelming. Wouldn't it be great to know which personal conservation activities get you the most carbon-reducing bang for your buck? Researchers at Oregon State University calculated the lifetime impact of a few popular ones. Here's what they found:
Recycling newspaper, magazines, glass, plastic aluminum, and steel cans: 19 tons of CO2 saved
Replacing old refrigerator with energy-efficient model: 21 tons saved
Replacing ten 75-w incandescent bulbs with 25-w Energy-efficient lights: 40 tons saved
Replacing single-glazed windows with energy-efficient windows: 133 tons saved
Reducing miles driven from 231 to 155 per week: 162 tons saved
Increasing car's fuel economy from 20 to 30 mpg: 163 tons saved
So: If you can't afford to replace your fridge (or you're emotionally attached to your avocado green late '70s model), drive 10 fewer miles a week. If you rent and can't persuade your landlord to upgrade your windows, drive 62 fewer miles a week (um, time to buy a bike). [READ MORE]
The bottom line: Keep recycling. Switch out those lightbulbs. But whatever you do, cut down on your car time, and if you must drive, do it in a fuel-efficient car.
Green For All will host a how-to call on applying for Pathways Out of Poverty Grants. $150 million is available through these green job training grants, authorized by the Recovery Act and administered by the Department of Labor.
Applying for Pathways Out of Poverty Grants A Community of Practice Learning Call Wednesday, August 19th 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern Click here to RSVP
Even though the event has expired, click on the links below
This call will focus on how local non-profits and Workforce Investment Boards can best craft successful grant applications. Green For All staff and other experts will discuss:
• Eligibility • Identifying the right partnerships • Review of the points values associated with each section of the application • Making an application stand out • How to minimize overlap of applications serving a given area • Nuts & bolts of how to submit an application
Due to the large anticipated interest in this call and the limited number of available lines, we ask that only public or non-profit organizations who plan to apply for the Pathways out of Poverty grants attend this call. The call recording will be made available to everyone on our website.
Have burning questions about the grants now? Post them to the Discussion Forum before August 19th and we'll do our best to answer them during the call.
Selections from the Discussion Forum Below are a few selections from the Community of Practice Discussion Forum. I encourage you to browse the forum and engage in conversation.
Partner with Workforce Development Expertise Posted by Janet Marinaccio from Goodwill Industries As you craft your DOL Pathways out of Poverty grant proposal, if you are seeking a partner that has strong workforce development experience, you may wish to reach out to the Goodwill that serves your community... Read more
Solar Richmond seeks partners for expansion in new cities Posted by Michele McGeoy from Solar Richmond: Solar Richmond is launching a new project called SolarForAll to help other cities replicate a program similar to ours. We are applying for the "Pathways Out of Poverty" stimulus funds and are looking for 3 cities who have strong relationships with a local pre-apprenticeship construction training program, a community college, a local business and the union. Read More
Best,
Ladan Sobhani Program Manager - Community of Practice Green For All
P.S. I'm saddened to pass along the news that Bob Markholt, a green job training visionary, passed away last month. Bob led the Pre-Apprenticeship Construction Training Program at the Seattle Vocational Institute. Read more about this remarkable man.
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With the American Clean Energy and Security Act making its way to the Senate after a narrow victory in the House, the fate of our relationship with carbon dioxide may soon be decided.
Of the various ways the bill looks to change the nature of how to deal with carbon emissions, cap-and-trade will form the basic structure if the landmark legislation is passed. In essence, the cap-and-trade system will distribute permits to pollute—at no cost initially—to any company that emits carbon dioxide (the cap).
Because the cap, or upper limit, of carbon dioxide emissions is to decrease with time, this spurs companies to reduce their carbon emissions. If a company has leftover permits to pollute that they are not using, they can then sell them to other companies (the trade).
To meet the regulations of the cap-and-trade system, reducing carbon emissions by utilizing alternative forms of energy such as wind, solar and geothermal will be a must.
And while the world waits for renewable energy technologies to catch up with the energy establishment of coal and petroleum, dealing with the interim greenhouse gas emissions will be crucial.
To remove and reuse the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the modern world’s energy appetite, experts are stressing the continued research and development of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) systems, as well as a renewed focus on carbon recycling technologies.
Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has been at the forefront of up-and-coming technologies when it comes to ridding the atmosphere of human-made greenhouse gases (GHGs). In theory, CCS takes carbon dioxide emitted from the source, typically coal-fired power plants, compresses the gas and injects it deep underground in subsurface geological formations for “indefinite isolation from the atmosphere,” according to the World Resources Institute.
Another prominent GHG-capturing technology is called carbon recycling. In short, carbon recycling takes carbon dioxide emissions and transforms them into a liquid hydrocarbon fuel source. As opposed to CCS, carbon recycling captures and utilizes the carbon emitted from sources such as power plants by making diesel and jet fuel.
"It would be easy to dismiss the Heartland Institute's conference as just another fringe event. However, with the Democrats having only a narrow majority in the Senate, a couple of votes would be enough to water down the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill even further. Added to that is the fact that for a treaty to be ratified, two-thirds of Senate members must support it."
includes "Greening Businesses" (June 9), "Increasing Your Home's Energy Efficiency" (June 24 -25), "Solar Thermal Training Workshop" (July 29 - July 31st), and more
Oceana Wavemakers is a committed group of individuals looking to work together to protect our oceans and the creatures that call them home. They need the full support of hundreds of thousands of people bring about change in government, companies and consumers.
Oceana is the largest international organization focusing solely on ocean conservation. What sets them apart from many other environmental groups is that their campaigns are strategic, focused and grounded in science. By concentrating their full energy on a select number of issues, they are able to achieve impressive victories.
Their team of scientists, economists, lawyers and advocates has identified four ocean threats that demand immediate action:
Overfishing: Scientists estimate that 90 percent of the big fish, like blue fin tuna and sharks, have been depleted over the past 50 years. Oceana Wavemakers are fighting for tougher quotas, and more efficient fishing methods to reduce the incidental catch of non-targeted species. >>
Habitat Destruction: Commercial bottom trawlers drag heavy gear across the seafloor, destroying 1,000-year-old corals and the ecosystems they support. Oceana Wavemakers are calling for an end to this most destructive fishing practice. >>
Mercury Contamination: The FDA has warned women of child-bearing age to limit their consumption of certain types of seafood. They believe consumers have the right to eat mercury-free fish, so we're working to stop the pollution at its source and inform the public about the FDA advisory. >>
Global Warming: Rising global temperatures are wreaking havoc on our planet, and the oceans are no exception. Rising sea levels, ocean acidification and coral bleaching are just a few of the symptoms. Oceana is advocating for emissions regulations on the shipping industry - a source of pollution overlooked by many global warming champions. >>
According to the Environmental Defense Action Fund, there was a disturbing briefing from their chief scientist Dr. John Balbus. Dr. Balbus also oversees the action fund's environmental health work.
Environmental Defense Action Fund notes:
As the impacts of global warming accelerate, we are placing our health and particularly the health of our children at increasing risk.
Just last month, Dr. John authored a sweeping letter co-signed by 22 medical experts calling on climate scientists to pay much closer attention to the significant human health risks that come with a warming planet.
The letter made three key points:
We know it will be bad, but we don't yet know how bad. A warmer nation will mean more deaths from asthma, heart disease, heat stroke and diarrheal diseases. But we have not devoted sufficient study to understand the extent of the problem.
It's already happening. Doctors and public health professionals largely agree that we are already witnessing more suffering and death attributable to warming.
We are not prepared. Even a moderate increase in warming-related diseases could strain America's public health system beyond the breaking point. That was the key finding from a comprehensive survey of public health officials we released last year.
