written by Amanda Oswald
Hard economic times and an influx in media coverage have forced many Americans to take a cold, hard look at the world around them and our impact on our planet. Most of us have taken steps to reduce our energy use therefore reducing our impact, or carbon footprint, on the earth. We have changed our light bulbs, unplugged appliances, maybe even installed solar panels or other alternative energy generators. We drive our cars less and pump after 6pm. We do these things because we care about the environment, want to stay with the current trends, or just want to save money. But what about Fido or Princess? What impact do they create?
When talking about our faithful 4 legged friends, most of you would imagine that the largest impact they produce is well, what they produce. Waste. If only it were that simple! Each time you put kibble in Fluffy’s bowl, remember that a truck had to haul that bag of kibble many miles from the manufacturer to the store. The toys in Spot’s toybox? Also had to be transported, and many pet toys are made from not so earth-friendly materials. Some researchers speculate that a medium breed dog has twice the environmental impact as a Land Rover being driven 7,000 miles per year.
There are several ways to reduce your pet’s carbon pawprint. Here are just a few:
- Start with feeding a good quality food. Remember that the first ingredient listed on a bag of kibble is what makes up the majority of the food. Avoid foods where a grain is listed as the first ingredient and try to find a protein listed first.
- Ditch the plastic. Besides being environmentally unfriendly, plastic bowls can harbor bacteria that can make Fluffy ill.
- Go Green. If you are a responsible pet owner and pick up after your pet on walks, try using the biodegradable version of the classic “poop bag”.
- Become a fan of Hemp. Many new companies like Earthdog and Simply Fido are producing “green” pet toys using the durable and organic hemp.
- Purchase a reduction. Don’t want to make a commitment? No problem. There are companies out there where you can actually purchase a carbon pawprint reduction. They will recycle, plant trees, or whatever it takes to offset your pet’s environmental impact for the next 12 months.
So, there you have it. Now your pet can be a part of our constantly growing “Greener Society”. While Fido and Spot may never know what impact these changes can make, Mother Earth certainly will.
(From UCS Greentips) – Holidays mean family and fun, but they also mean more travel in planes, trains, and automobiles, which contribute to global warming by emitting carbon dioxide. According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Americans take 54 percent more long-distance trips (50 miles or longer) during the Thanksgiving holiday than the rest of the year, and 23 percent more between Christmas and New Year’s.
Unless you can walk or bike, you can’t travel carbon-free. But you can minimize your emissions with these simple strategies:
- Pad your schedule. If possible, start your trip a day earlier and/or return a day later. You’ll not only avoid the stress associated with peak travel times, but reduce emissions as well. For example, when a car is stuck in traffic its fuel consumption rate can be double the rate at steady cruising speeds. If you must travel on peak days (most weekends), schedule your trip for non-peak hours and, if driving, use a GPS system with real-time traffic monitoring to avoid congested roads.
- Traveling with family? Make it a road trip. The BTS reports that 91 percent of long-distance holiday travelers go by car. On a 500-mile trip, a family of four traveling in a typical SUV actually produces less carbon per person than flying or taking the train. If you can, though, leave the SUV at home and drive a hybrid or fuel-efficient conventional car instead—in addition to consuming more gas, SUVs emit up to four times more carbon than the most efficient hybrid. If you don’t own a hybrid, consider renting one.
- Fly the eco-friendly skies. First-class seating requires twice the space of coach and therefore produces twice the amount of carbon emissions per passenger, so always choose coach. Next, minimize the length of your trip by flying the most direct route, and minimize carbon-heavy takeoffs, landings, and ground operations by flying nonstop. If you’re traveling solo, flying nonstop coach is actually better than driving any car—regardless of the distance traveled.
- Get on the bus. No matter how many people are traveling with you, a bus pays the biggest environmental dividends. A couple traveling by bus, for instance, generates between 50 and 75 percent less carbon than flying or driving (especially on trips under 500 miles). Bus fares are often cheaper than airline tickets, and many now have similar amenities.
For more green traveling strategies, read the UCS report Getting There Greener: The Guide to Your Lower-Carbon Vacation (see Related Resources).
Related Resources
Union of Concerned Scientists—Getting There Greener
Bureau of Transportation Statistics—U.S. Holiday Travel
Have you heard the buzz about 350? 350.org is an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the global climate crisis. In anticipation of the December 2009 meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, where leaders from every nation are gathering to finalize a new global climate change agreement, 350.org has established October 24, 2009, as a day of action for people around the world to show their support for the goal of 350.
350?
The number 350 represents 350 parts per million (ppm), identified by some of the world’s leading climate scientists as the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere. We’re currently at 386 ppm, and this number is rising by about 2 parts per million each year. 350.org is harnessing the power of the Internet to coordinate a planetary day of action on October 24, 2009, to unite the public, media, and our political leaders behind the goal of attaining and stabilizing at a level of not more than 350 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere.
During the past 20 years, about three-quarters of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, most of which is carbon dioxide, came from the burning of fossil fuels. Thus, it’s very important to reduce our energy consumption and increase our use of renewable energy sources if we want to reduce carbon dioxide and total greenhouse gas emissions. Be sure to check out our Energy Savers site for ways to save energy and use renewable energy.
350 is a relatively new target being discussed in the scientific community. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change supports 450 ppm. Yet climate change impacts are occurring at rates much faster than earlier predicted and some scientists have concluded that we are already above the safe zone at our current level. They believe that unless we are able to rapidly return to 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points that lead to unprecedented natural disasters.
At the last UN climate negotiations in Poland at the end of 2008, the 350 target began to attract more endorsers as new scientific reports and evidence of early impacts made it clear that we are already above the safe level for CO2. In his annual speech, Nobel laureate Al Gore told delegates to the most recent climate negotiating session that we must now ‘toughen our goal’ to 350 ppm.
By John Lippert, an employee of Energy Enterprise Solutions, a contractor for EERE. He assists with technical reviews of content on the Energy Savers Web site.
Great article by Amy Westervelt. Retrofitting buildings has, by far, the most impact on reducing CO2 emmissions and is also a very smart, cost effective investment.
http://solveclimate.com/blog/20090910/how-green-retrofits-could-save-world
(GLOBE-Net) – North America’s leaders wrapped up their two-day summit in Guadalajara, Mexico this week with official declarations on climate change and energy. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon participated in the North American Leader’s Summit, an annual event started as part of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) initiative. The declaration on climate change and clean energy reiterated commitments — including that “developed countries [should reduce] emissions by at least 80% compared to 1990 or more recent years by 2050″ — made at the G8 summit earlier this summer.
http://www.globe-net.com/other_news/listing.cfm?type=2&newsID=4531
SAN FRANCISCO — Returning to their ranch-style house in Sacramento after a long summer workday, Jon and Kim Waldrep were routinely met by a wall of heat.
“We’d come home in the summer, and the house would be 115 degrees, stifling,” said Mr. Waldrep, a regional manager for a national company.
He or his wife would race to the thermostat and turn on the air-conditioning as their four small children, just picked up from day care, awaited relief.
All that changed last month. “Now we come home on days when it’s over 100 degrees outside, and the house is at 80 degrees,” Mr. Waldrep said.
Their solution was a new roof: a shiny plasticized white covering that experts say is not only an energy saver but also a way to help cool the planet. The rest of this article can be read here http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/science/earth/30degrees.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
GLOBE-Net (July 15, 2009) – While concerns have been expressed about the inability of G-8 leaders to agree on carbon emission reduction targets for 2050, in truth a great deal was achieved on global climate change issues at the G-8 summit and allied meetings involving leaders from developed and developing nations. One of the potentially most significant achievements was multilateral support for a global centre to accelerate deployment of carbon capture and storage technologies worldwide. For more details on the summit, please see http://www.globe-net.com/other_news/listing.cfm?type=2&newsID=4464
It’s moving forward, slowly. Some of the key components of the act can be seen here http://www.globe-net.com/other_news/listing.cfm?type=2&newsID=4421
A 70 foot tower has been erected in New York City, just outside Madison Square Garden, to digitally display and keep track of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Quite a visual.
http://www.globe-net.com/other_news/listing.cfm?type=2&newsID=4396
if ways are not found to require mandatory emission reductions, a U.S. government report said Wednesday. Read the entire article here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30961637/
