Report 6: It Seems So Big, What Can I Do?

We thank Lisa Napoli and National Public Radio's Marketplace news program for their March 20, 2006 coverage of our Global Warming educational work. 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 1. Global warming is a physical and scientific reality.
2. The impact of global warming is vast and includes significant reinforcing feedback loops.
3. Americans are at the heart of the global warming problem.
4. So far, Americans are absent from the solution.
5. Affluent Americans should know about global warming... and act.

a.How can I lower my carbon emissions?

 Reduce - every form of energy use that derives ultimately from fossil fuel.This includes purchases of new products with significant embodied energy.

 Reuse - as much of every product as possible. The longer we take to replace or update any product, the less embodied energy consumed and the less carbon emitted.

 Recycle - all paper, cardboard and wood products to reduce further deforestation. Recycle plastics & metals to lower substantial amounts of embodied energy.

 Purchase personal carbon offsets - whenever you absolutely can’t reduce your emissions.

b.Where do I start?

 Waste is the best place to start. When we honestly look at our life’s activities we see that we waste enormous amounts of energy, and thus needlessly emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The “What Can I Do” table at the right summarizes actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions across three time frames (immediate, medium-term, and long-term) for each of three main categories of activities (transportation, housing/work, and food).

1. Never idle a vehicle. Research done in the USA and Canada has shown (1) that idling is bad for engines, (2) that idling for more than 10 seconds wastes more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting, (3) that idling is the most fuel-inefficient thing an engine does, (4) that the notion that restarting a car will drain the charge from a battery is no longer relevant given today’s batteries and engines. The State of California is now adopting anti-idling regulations targeted at commercial and heavy duty trucks for model years starting in 2007.

 2. Only use lights you need. Cutting needless lighting by only one-third can lower carbon dioxide emissions by about 810 pounds per year for an affluent American household.

3. Adjust your thermostats. Adjusting your thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer is a direct cash and carbon emission savings. Every five degrees of setback reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 1311 lbs for an affluent American household. 

4. Installing electronically programmable thermostats are no-brainers and immediate cash and carbon savers. Once they are installed, you can set your sleeping temperature back 10 degrees, your away from house (during work or school days) back by 15 degrees, and at home by two degrees. The net savings in cash and carbon emissions will be even greater.

5. Serve smaller food portions, especially of red meat. Food is a very high energy embodied product. 
By simply reducing waste through these five actions, carbon emissions will be reduced. By the three actions for which we have estimations, carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by over one ton (2377 lbs) per year.

c.What else can I do?

7. Convert your incandescent lights to Compact Fluorescent Lights (“CFLs”). CFLs are now much cheaper and vastly improved compared to years back. By converting a SINGLE bulb to a CFL, you will save nearly $95, avoid 13 changes of the incandescent bulb and lower carbon dioxide emissions over the life of CFL bulb. 

Hal is in the process of testing a wide range of CFLs for interior use relative to buzz, delay to reach full lighting, and dimmability. If you would like to be notified of the results please send him an email at: whatsthebuzzCFL@thehcf.org 

8. Insulate your hot water heater to save about 140 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions per year. The water heater can consume as much as 17% of the household energy cost, so insulating it is a simple no-brainer. 

Together these additional Medium Term actions along with the Immediate actions can reduce your total carbon dioxide emissions by about 17%, with the bulk of that coming from driving an earth-friendly hybrid.

9. Investing in an energy and carbon smart home. Another six actions that relate to capital improvements on the house are shown in italics in the "How Much Will My Emissions Drop" table. If only a quarter of these italicized actions are adopted, an additional carbon dioxide reduction of 7% will be achieved for a total of over 25% of your direct household emissions.

Conducting an energy audit on your home or apartment is a very valuable first step to minimizing your energy waste and your excess carbon production. The DOE offers guidance for a quick Do-It-Yourself Version at:

Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits

You can also have a professional audit done which will reveal a great deal more, including where your greatest energy leaks and wastes may be. Again the DOE provides guidance on various types of professional energy audits, including blower door tests, thermography and PFT air infiltration tests at:

Professional Home Energy Audits

In some locations certain utilities will help conduct the audit or will provide incentives for improvements made as a result of an audit. Unfortunately, we don^¢t believe that ConEd provides this audit service in New York City. However, here are links for New Jersey and Massachusetts Home Energy Analysis:

New Jersey's Clean Energy Program
Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources

d.What are carbon offsets?

 When an individual or a company funds greenhouse gas reductions, not related to their direct and immediate use, they are buying a carbon offset. This is often done by funding the substitution of a renewable energy resource for a fossil fuel source. Carbon offsets are usually purchased on a per ton of carbon (or carbon dioxide) basis. Typical carbon offsets projects include wind, solar, low-impact hydropower and forestation.

e.What is Carbon Neutral?

 Recall that the average American (not an affluent one) is responsible for direct emissions of about 10 tons (20,000 lbs) of carbon dioxide each year. If a person has made all the reductions in direct emissions that are possible and then chooses to buy the necessary amount of carbon offsets to match the individual’s remaining carbon dioxide emissions, then that person will have become carbon neutral or zero carbon.

f.How can I buy carbon offsets?

 First, you can buy carbon offsets from a variety of third parties. Some parties own or manage the offsetting assets directly, while others are middlemen to invest in offsetting assets run by others. Some carbon offset providers are not-for-profit and some are profit-oriented. The two websites in the Full Report each provide links to a number of different offset providers. 

Second, in many states, you can buy carbon offsets directly through your electric utility. In New Jersey, we are offered two options. We can pay a fixed amount each month on top of our electric bill, which goes to help fund renewable energy sources, or we can pay a per kWh premium that applies to the entire bill each month. 

Third, for jet travelers there are specific sites that allow for convenient calculations of the total carbon emitted on a flight and the available offset.

g.Why aren’t trees the preferred carbon offset?

 Trees and forests are also possible carbon offsets, but they are far more complicated to understand and to reliably analyze. Forests are seen by many as highly desirable locations for carbon storage, and we agree. However, forests also emit material amounts of methane and episodically release carbon in their natural cycle. While there are many beneficial reasons to plant trees, as an immediate remedy to global warming, the long development time and the inability to confidently calculate net effective carbon sequestration cause some scientists to de-emphasize them. Perhaps a better focus with trees is to help preserve existing old-growth and rain forests.

FULL REPORT

 1. Global warming is a physical and scientific reality.
2. The impact of global warming is vast and includes significant reinforcing feedback loops.
3. Americans are at the heart of the global warming problem.
4. So far, Americans are absent from the solution.
5. Affluent Americans should know about global warming... and act.

a.How can I lower my carbon emissions?

 Reduce - every form of energy use that derives ultimately from fossil fuel.This includes purchases of new products with significant embodied energy.

 Reuse - as much of every product as possible. The longer we take to replace or update any product, the less embodied energy consumed and the less carbon emitted.

 Recycle - all paper, cardboard and wood products to reduce further deforestation. Recycle plastics & metals to lower substantial amounts of embodied energy.

 Purchase personal carbon offsets - whenever you absolutely can’t reduce your emissions.

b.Where do I start?

 Waste is the best place to start. When we honestly look at our life’s activities we see that we waste enormous amounts of energy, and thus needlessly emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The “What Can I Do” table at the right summarizes actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions across three time frames (immediate, medium-term, and long-term) for each of three main categories of activities (transportation, housing/work, and food).

Those actions that represent simple waste today are shown in green in the ^£Immediate^§ column. They are actions that require only a small amount of behavioral change and no purchases. Each of the five items deserves specific mention.

1. Never idle a vehicle. Research done in the USA and Canada has shown (1) that idling is bad for engines, (2) that idling for more than 10 seconds wastes more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting, (3) that idling is the most fuel-inefficient thing an engine does, (4) that the notion that restarting a car will drain the charge from a battery is no longer relevant given today’s batteries and engines. The State of California is now adopting anti-idling regulations targeted at commercial and heavy duty trucks for model years starting in 2007.

 2. Only use lights you need. Cutting needless lighting by only one-third can lower carbon dioxide emissions by about 810 pounds per year for an affluent American household.

3. Adjust your thermostats. Adjusting your thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer is a direct cash and carbon emission savings. Every five degrees of setback reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 1311 lbs for an affluent American household. 

4. Installing electronically programmable thermostats are no-brainers and immediate cash and carbon savers. Once they are installed, you can set your sleeping temperature back 10 degrees, your away from house (during work or school days) back by 15 degrees, and at home by two degrees. The net savings in cash and carbon emissions will be even greater. 

5. Serve smaller food portions, especially of red meat. One study estimated that approximately one-third of the food purchased for the home is prepared and discarded in the USA. Food is a very high energy embodied product. While we don^¢t have specific estimates for the savings this action can achieve, food conservation, like the above three actions, is simple and directly variable. By simply reducing waste through these five actions, carbon emissions will be reduced. By the three actions for which we have estimations, carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by over one ton (2377 lbs) per year.

c.What else can I do?

Each of the remaining items in the Immediate and Medium-Term columns, in the table on the right, both saves you money and reduces emissions. The table estimates the net carbon dioxide savings on those actions where we have sufficient data to estimate. 

6. Buy a hybrid. The biggest single immediately variable source of emissions is the extensive use of the low fuel-efficient American car. As mentioned in Report 5, Americans drive cars that are 50% less fuel-efficient than Europeans. The National Research Defense Council estimated that if every American driver improved their mileage by just 7.6 miles/gallon, the U.S. would need no Middle Eastern oil. Many Americans have an emotional or ego-related attachment to the kind of vehicle they drive. For some it is a sense of self-reflecting style, for some it is status, for others it is an offensive sense of protection in a collision. If this mindset continues, America will worsen, not improve, the global warming risks.

Trading in an SUV for a Toyota Prius will save a load of money and reduce carbon dioxide by 9600 pounds per year, assuming an average of 12,000 miles each year. Effective January 2006, the federal government put a limited supply (60,000 units/manufacturers) very attractive tax credit (up to $3,150 for a Toyota Prius) in place.

There are hybrids and there are hybrids. Originally, hybrids were designed to support only improved mileage. Recently, as automakers have been adding hybrid power plants to large SUVs, overall performance gains and not just mileage has become their objective. The federal government and many state governments offer tax credits (federal as high as $3150 for the Prius) for purchasing a hybrid, and they distinguish between high mileage hybrid cars and SUV hybrids through the amount of the credit. The tax credit volume is limited and declines when sales of hybrids exceed a certain level. Therefore, it is best to make a hybrid purchase as soon as possible. Because the fuel efficiency of American cars is the most immediately variable driver of greenhouse gas emissions, the Challenge section of this website includes an offer to reimburse $500 to 20 readers who purchase high mileage hybrid cars. A surprising number of folks have mentioned that they thought about buying a hybrid, but didn^¢t because of the 4+week lead time. Given the federal tax credit and the possibility of reimbursement in the challenge offered to those who read this series of reports, a little bit of planning certainly seems worth it.

Federal tax incentives for hybrid cars

Light-Duty Hybrid and Diesel Vehicle Tax Credits in the Energy Bill

Hybrid Incentives

7. Convert your incandescent light to Compact Fluorescent Lights (“CFLs”). CFLs are now much cheaper and vastly improved compared to years back. We completed an equal life-usage analysis of a traditional incandescent 100 watt bulb with a similar lumen 23 watt CFL in the spreadsheet to the right. By converting a SINGLE bulb to a CFL, you will save over $92, avoid 13 changes of the incandescent bulb and lower carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 2000 pounds. Obviously, converting a whole house has a significant financial and environmental benefits. Unfortunately, the modern house and most recent remodels provide lighting by populating ceilings full of recessed lights. Today’s CFLs work equally well in recessed lighting fixtures, and should be substituted by every American household. 

Hal is in the process of testing a wide range of CFLs for interior use relative to buzz, delay to reach dimmability. Kasia is researching the "mercury issue" related to CFLs. If you would like to be notified of our results please send us an email at: whatsthebuzzCFL@thehcf.org

8. Insulate your hot water heater. The easy-to-ignore hot water heater can consume as much as 17% of the household energy cost. Insulating your hot water heater(s) is another no-brainer, saving about 140 lbs of carbon dioxide per year. If you also insulate the pipes leading from the hot water heater you’ll save more and have hot water faster. In new construction you should consider the new ‘hot water on demand’ heaters. They save water, energy, and cash, and reduce carbon emissions.

Together these additional Medium Term actions along with the Immediate actions can reduce your total carbon dioxide emissions by about 17%, with the bulk of that coming from driving an earth-friendly hybrid.

9. Investing in an energy and carbon smart home. Another six actions that relate to capital improvements on the house are shown in italics in the "How Much Will My Emissions Drop" table. If only a quarter of these italicized actions are adopted, an additional carbon dioxide reduction of 7% will be achieved for a total of over 25% of your direct household emissions. (For those not driving an SUV, the trade-in benefit compared to an already fuel-efficient car is shown at the bottom, but excluded from the totals.)

Conducting an energy audit on your home or apartment is a very valuable first step to minimizing your energy waste and your excess carbon production. The DOE offers guidance for a quick Do-It-Yourself Version at:

Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits

You can also have a professional audit done which will reveal a great deal more, including where your greatest energy leaks and wastes may be. Again the DOE provides guidance on various types of professional energy audits, including blower door tests, thermography and PFT air infiltration tests at:

Professional Home Energy Audits

In some locations certain utilities will help conduct the audit or will provide incentives for improvements made as a result of an audit. Unfortunately, we don^¢t believe that ConEd provides this audit service in New York City. However, here are links for New Jersey and Massachusettes:

New Jersey's Clean Energy Program - Home Energy Analysis
Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources - Home Energy Service

d.What are carbon offsets?

 When an individual or a company funds greenhouse gas reductions, not related to their direct and immediate use, they are buying a carbon offset. This is often done by funding the substitution of a renewable energy resource for a fossil fuel source. Carbon offsets are usually purchased on a per ton of carbon (or carbon dioxide) basis. Typical carbon offsets projects include wind, solar, low-impact hydropower and forestation.

e.What is Carbon Neutral?

 Recall that the average American (not an affluent one) is responsible for direct emissions of about 10 tons (20,000 lbs) of carbon dioxide each year. If a person has made all the reductions in direct emissions that are possible and then chooses to buy the necessary amount of carbon offsets to match the individual’s remaining carbon dioxide emissions, then that person will have become carbon neutral or zero carbon. 

Going Carbon Neutral - David Suzuki Foundation

f.How can I buy carbon offsets?

 First, you can buy carbon offsets from a variety of third parties. Some parties own or manage the offsetting assets directly while others are middlemen to invest in offsetting assets run by others. Some carbon offset providers are not-for-profit and some are profit-oriented. The two websites shown below each provide links to a number of different offset providers. 

Second, in many states, you can buy carbon offsets directly through your electric utility. In New Jersey, we are offered two options. We can pay a fixed amount each month on top of our electric bill, which goes to help fund renewable energy sources, or we can pay a per kWh premium that applies to the entire bill each month. This latter way allows the household to conceptually support their entire power consumption from renewable sources. Given our low cost of fossil fuel powered electricity, compared to Europe, the premium paid helps fund the acquisition cost for the slightly more expensive renewable power. Absent any governmental regulations directing mandatory renewable sources, this is the most important way households can help drive the power generation process toward renewable sources. The more people who buy these offsets, the greater the investment in renewable sources will be by the power companies and eventually the lower the cost will become for renewable sourced electricity. 

Third, for jet travelers there are specific sites that allow for convenient calculations of the total carbon emitted on a flight and the available offset. 

Several different Calculators 

David Suzuki Foundation 

Calculators - EPA

g.Why aren’t trees the preferred carbon offset?

 Trees and forests are also possible carbon offsets, but they are far more complicated to understand and to reliably analyze. Forests are seen by many as highly desirable locations for carbon storage, and we agree. However, forests also emit material amounts of methane and episodically release carbon in their natural cycle. While there are many beneficial reasons to plant trees, as an immediate remedy to global warming, the long development time and the inability to confidently calculate net effective carbon sequestration cause some scientists to de-emphasize them. If one has a strong preference to pursue trees (and we do), we recommend forest offsets that are directed to limiting further deforestation. This approach also benefits habitat protection, water quality improvement and surface shading.

World Rainforest Movement

GOOD-BYE LEXUS, HELLO PRIUS 
Editorial by Hal Hinkle

After 15 years of driving high-end Lexuses, in mid-summer I decided to trade in my Lexus for a hybrid. My son Tim quickly swayed me from an SUV hybrid: "An SUV hybrid isn't really much better for the environment, it's more for show and guilt." So by August I was the proud owner of a Toyota Prius. My experience: It's twice as easy to park as the Lexus, three times more fuel-efficient, and four times more fun to drive - truly. I both like the way it looks (a bit of attitude) and I like the looks it gets. – Hal