Posts Tagged: Carbon Emissions

As awareness of the civilization’s impact on the environment rises, people are becoming more willing to accept cleaner lifestyles. But some aren’t really sure where to begin.

You don’t have to start out with leaps and bounds. Installing a full solar power system on one’s home or switching to a hybrid car would be great. But, while large steps require planning and financing, smaller steps can be taken right now.
In many cases, your choices will depend upon several factors: where you live, the natural resources available to you, your lifestyle, and others. Therefore there is probably no “one-size-fits-all” solution to going green (or at least, greener).

But there are plenty of things you can do to live a greener life, through your day-to-day activities, and most of these apply to just about anyone.

Learn more about sustainable living

This is the first, and probably the most important step.. You should read up on the subject of environmentalism, and how your personal carbon footprint can affect global pollution levels. There are plenty of resources available online, and you can visit your local library for books on related topics.

Save energy

The most effective way to cut down on your carbon emissions is to conserve on energy in your home. Install energy-efficient appliances, turn the lights off when they aren’t in use, make sure your home is properly insulated and windows are fully sealed, and keep your energy consumption to a minimum. You will save energy and money at the same time.

Conserve water

Every drop of tap water you use consumes energy – for transport, filtering, and purification. It might just be water, but a lot of fossil fuel is consumed in processing it. In some places, water itself is scarce. You can turn the tap off while brushing your teeth, switch to more efficient washers and dryers, and collect rain water for use in your garden.

Use less fuel for transportation

If buying a hybrid vehicle is not an option at the moment, you can take other steps; walking or biking to work, or whenever you have to travel a short distance. If your work place is too far for a daily bicycle commute, consider using mass transit. You can carpool with a friend or coworker if that works. For long trips, consider the fuel efficiency of your different options.

Eat greener food

Eating is one thing we all have in common, all across the globe. But did you know that eating the type of food can make an impact in the environment? The food industry contributes substantial carbon emissions in the process of shipping their products around the world. When you eat seasonal, local, and organic food, you help to conserve the environment – as well as improve your own health.

Buy smart

Instead of buying brand new wooden furniture for your home, you can search for good used furniture online, or even visit garage sales to find what you’re looking for. Think before making a purchase, no matter how big or small it is. Buying grocery items in bulk can save money and conserve on energy and packing materials. Also, be sure to buy high-quality products that will last for a long time and not just wind up in a landfill a year from now.

Shopping online is another good way to conserve on fuel. When you receive a purchase through mail order, the amount of fuel used to ship that purchase is no where near the amount of fuel you would have used to drive to a store and buy it offline. Furthermore, you can also save a considerable amount of time and money by shopping online, and many online stores offer free shipping.

Proper waste management

Years ago, many people waste management to be the main environmental issue of concern. As long as you reused, reduced, and recycled, you were a friend of the environment. Things are not that simple these days, but waste conservation is still a big part of living green. It takes a lot of energy to process and dispose of waste, whether it’s recycled or dumped in a landfill. So conserving on waste is important, even if you do recycle. You should also compost your biodegradable waste materials.

Wear the right clothing

Your choice of clothing can make a larger impact on the environment than you might imagine. One of the most heavily sprayed crops across the globe is cotton. Chemicals which are used as insecticides harm the environment, and harm people’s health. Fortunately, there are other alternative fabrics available in the market; such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and flax. Try to find and purchase clothing that uses these natural and nontoxic materials. Wearing such clothing is also better for your health.

Avoid toxins and chemicals

If you look carefully at many of the products you use every day, such as cleaning and personal care products, you might be quite surprised at the harmful chemicals they are made from. Use products made from natural and nontoxic ingredients.

They aren’t hard to find – even Amazon has an entire section dedicated to green products. And furthermore by shopping at Amazon you can find nontoxic and environmentally friendly products more easily, while also saving money and conserving resources by doing your shopping online.

About the author: Megan Barlow helps others understand green living and how they can help clean up the environment by adopting cleaner lifestyles. For more information, visit Build and Rebuild and Source and Resource.

Source Article: Ten Simple Steps to Living Greener

If you’re on the market for new footwear, why not try environmentally friendly shoes. From sneakers, to flats, to heels, there’s likely to be one that’s just right for your liking. You don’t need to give up style and comfort in order to become a friend of the Earth.

Many people immediately think of Birkenstocks or moccasins when they hear the term “environmentally friendly shoes.” This should not be the case, because modern eco-friendly shoes don’t sacrifice style for their lower carbon footprint.

Environmentally-friendly shoes are made of organic or recycled materials. Their linings can be made from bamboo or recycled yarn. The outer layer of the shoe may be made from hemp, organic bamboo, or any other sustainable material. Recycled tires can be made into soles, just as recycled plastic products can be made into laces.

There are several companies that manufacture environmentally-friendly shoes. These companies make a conscious effort to decrease their carbon footprint with regards to their operations, including their processing, manufacturing, and shipping activities. Even big companies are restructuring their processing methods in order to conserve energy – thus decreasing their carbon emissions.

Consumers should be well informed and should read the labels to find out whether the pair of shoes they’re considering buying are environmentally friendly. Often the footwear’s total environmental impact will be included on the label. Some manufacturers have a rating system with regard to the carbon footprint a pair has. If the product is said to be organic, then it should have a USDA label. This certifies that the product was made from materials grown and was processed without any chemicals. The health of the ecosystem where the sources of materials were grown will also be considered.

Fair trade is another matter which people should consider when buying shoes. Farmers are among the worst treated professionals in the world. “Fair trade” means good working conditions, fair wages, and reasonable treatment of the environment. Fair trade also gives farmers the freedom to choose whom to trade their goods with. Further, toxic pesticides and GMOs are prohibited in the production of fair trade products.

Most environment ally friendly shoe manufacturers use minimal and biodegradable packaging to keep their carbon footprint low. Additionally, companies often donate part of their profit to organizations committed to the environment.

You can go online and do your research to find out where you can buy green footwear. Some retail stores have entire “green lines” because of the demand for such products. Buying and using environmentally-friendly shoes is one easy way to help care for our planet.

About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn how to live greener and more environmentally friendly lives. Learn more about sustainable living at her blog on Living Resourcefully.

This article was first posted at Environmentally Friendly Footwear.

We know that we are all creatures of habit and if we can opt to take the easy route, we do. It’s not that we don’t care about issues that we’re not sure we can do anything about, or might affect our heirs and generations in future, but we just don’t focus unless the chips are really down. While this can lead to a certain amount of apathy and nothing seems to get done, if we are subject to education that really helps to focus our attention on the facts, then we can be pushed to become proactive and make those all important changes for the future.

What incentive is there for me to change over to biodiesel fuel? There are a number of good reasons for doing so and the answers have added credibility now, even compared to only five or 10 years ago. There are now a number of ecological and economical benefits associated with biodiesel, which did not necessarily mean as much to us a number of years back.

Firstly, carbon emissions are now definitely the enemy of the peace. Today, it is very politically correct to be green. Governments are talking about forcing a reduction in the use of regular fuels and adding taxes to the cost of gasoline, as an example. Looking ahead, government regulators have also said that cars must maintain a much higher fuel economy and it looks like greenhouse gas emissions are now going to be adjudged hazardous pollutants. In the light of these points, we should note that biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions associated with traditional fuel options and by a factor of as much as 80%.

At present, homemade biodiesel fuels can be created from such waste products as cooking oils and thus help to cut down on recycling costs or other issues associated with disposal of wastes. Biodiesel may also be derived from vegetable products, such as soy, which is readily available within our agricultural communities. Just think of the incredible changes that we could bring to those communities by using their crops to full advantage for our transportation needs.

If we could rely on alternative fuel methods such as biodiesel for more and more of our vehicle transportation, we would not lay ourselves open as much to the peaks and troughs associated with oil production, often in far off overseas lands. We now know what regular diesel here in the UK at £5.00 a gallon or $8.00 represents, but five or 10 years ago could not even imagine such a thing. Biodiesel can be made from domestically available sources and can help promote our energy security in no uncertain way.

The US automotive industry is going to change significantly over the next five years and we’re likely to see an influx of European style - smaller, more economical cars. In Europe, more than 50% of the vehicles run on diesel and as such are ready-made to accept biodiesel fuels. We can fully expect the trend within the United States to be toward this type of vehicle and as such will see a growing trend toward making biodiesel widely available. When the next decade ends, biodiesel fuel will be a staple part of all our economies.

Q. Does biodiesel harm an engine?
A. Biodiesel may be used in a conventional petro diesel engine without any modification whatsoever. This has been tested over millions of miles by a number of different agencies and in every conceivable situation. Bus fleets and commercial haulage companies have been using biodiesel in their operations for many years and reporting great success.

Q. Is Biodiesel experimental?
A.The answer is no, it has been used in Europe in widespread fashion since the 80s and within the United States increasingly so over the last decade. In fact, biodiesel goes back to the 1930s when vegetable oil was first converted into fuel, being perfected during the 1980s.

Q. Does the government accept this alternative fuel?
A. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel fully certified under the stringent provisions of the Clean Air Act, as modified in 1990. The EPA recognises and authenticates the use of certified biodiesel fuel.

Q. Where can I get biodiesel?
A. There are now 14 major production facilities in the US and a number of distribution channels. Across the nation, hundreds and hundreds of small operations cater to locals. As diesel engine cars become more widespread, additional facilities will emerge.

Q. Can I just use conventional vegetable oil instead?
A. Absolutely not, vegetable oil must be converted through transesterification into biodiesel fuel first. This involves the use of alcohol, and a catalyst to extract the final liquid.

Q. What about the cold weather?
A. Biodiesel may gel in extreme conditions in similar fashion to petro diesel. You should take the same precautions as you would when using regular diesel in such conditions.

Q. Is biodiesel good for the environment?
A. Biodiesel is carbon neutral, which means it is not contributory to the carbon emissions problem currently plaguing our planet. As biodiesel is fundamentally extracted from vegetable crops which were previously carbon “sinks,” the fuel is far better for the environment than conventional petroleum, which is extremely high in toxic greenhouse gas emissions.

Q. Will I have to worry about clogged filters?
A. Biodiesel has some solvent properties and may dissolve certain deposits which have built up on your tank wall or within your pipes. These deposits could then become trapped in filters and it is advisable to clean or change your filters when you first convert from conventional diesel to biodiesel, making way for a cleaner running, longer lasting engine.

Q. Can I make biodiesel at home?
A.There are many people successful at making homemade biodiesel. As long as you follow the essential safety advice and use common sense, making biodiesel is not particularly difficult. This can be a great way of making a difference, environmentally!

Q. As interest in biodiesel increases, will this cause over-harvesting?
A. We need to ensure that biodiesel growth is itself sustainable and ensure that we do not over-harvest and cause an imbalance in agricultural crop availability, especially as we need these absorbers of carbon in place. This is a challenge for the industry going forward.

The events at Copenhagen were definitely a setback for the future, but a lot of attention is going to be given nevertheless to our needs to become sustainable. There had been much hope for lasting accord in Denmark, as nations met to discuss a successor to the original Kyoto Protocol. As politics and domestic commercial interests slowed the tempo of the meeting, individual countries nevertheless promised to take significant steps of action.

As we go forward, more and more evidence accumulates pointing to how greenhouse gas emissions are causing damage to our environment. Over 300 years we have given little regard to the consequences of energy production and use or our reliance on fossil fuels. It seems likely that unless we reduce this reliance, considerable harm will ensue.

The lead is being taken in Europe, where the UK is implementing a trading scheme to force the largest polluters to buy licenses from the government allowing them to emit additional carbon. Should these companies improve efficiency and reduce their use, they will receive rebates and bonuses. Should they not, they will incur penalties. This is just an example of what governments may do as they force our attention toward sustainability.

A large part of the pollution in question can be attributed to transportation methods and our reliance on petroleum and petro diesel to transport our vehicles. As such, biodiesel fuel is an excellent option and in many cases is much more palatable and can even reduce carbon dioxide related emissions as compared to those conventional gases.

The EPA has recently found that greenhouse gases are a hazard to health under the powers given to them by the Clean Air Act. We can now expect legislation and existing powers to be wielded, forcing emissions to be curtailed from these vehicles.

If biodiesel can be shown to be a workable alternative and a solution that has benefits above and beyond carbon emissions, then we could see a concerted increase in the number of facilities making biodiesel, more distribution stations and more people converting to the use of biodiesel for their diesel engine vehicles. This alternative may be used within regular petro diesel engines without any modifications or alterations and can be used within a variety of different strengths or solutions.

Biodiesel is not a new invention, far from it, but has been in the shadows due to what used to be relatively inexpensive costs associated with petroleum or petro diesel and a lack of education and awareness surrounding related carbon emissions. Things have definitely changed though and our society is looking for many alternative options and as such biofuel advocates must bring the discussion levels to the fore. It is time that more people moved from making homemade biodiesel to demanding that the product be made commercially available within their communities.

We now know that if we all make a concerted effort individually toward real change, whether in small things or on a large scale, anything is possible when it comes to global environmental sustainability, for us, and for our future generations.