Carbon Slim for the Kids

I visited my brother's family in Vancouver this past week, spending quality time with my four and three year old niece and nephew. That trip across the country is my first of the year. It's also my last if I am to keep my commitment to cut my air travel by half from 2008.

It's ironic but visiting my niece and nephew reminds me why I count my carbon calories and write about it every week. Lauren and Keefe and everyone in their generation should not have to pay for our excess.

Thank goodness for Windows Live Messenger and our webcam which enables us to talk to each other face to face (for free!) when we are thousands of kilometers away. Not as good as the real thing but a great tool to stay connected while keeping carbon slim.

In honour of my niece and nephew, I want to leave you with a simple yet brilliant message from an up and comer. Changing priorities to live happily and sustainably depends on you and me. Be the change you want to see.

Peddle Power!

Bike Month!
The fuel crisis getting you down? Buck up. I have the remedy. Peddle Power! Just add yourself, a bike, a good meal and go!

Action
June is Bike Month. The sun is out, it’s warm and you want to shed a few pounds. What better time to challenge yourself.

• If you don’t normally use a bike for transportation, plan using one once a week to travel to work, school or run errands.
• If you sometimes bike for transportation, commit to doing more, such as an additional day.
• If you’re a bike enthusiast like me, commit to overcoming personal challenges, such as travel longer distances or don rain gear and ride in the rain.
• Join or start a cyclist union such as the Toronto Cyclist Union to fast track positive change for cyclists in your city.

Harper, Harper, Wherefore Art Thou Harper?*
Prime Minister Harper has not responded yet to my request that he secure his place in history as the coolest leader ever (literary). Surly he knows that the costs of lame action far outweigh the costs of significant action. Perhaps he’s too sleepy as suggested by the National Post. He probably just needs more convincing. There are a number of interesting options available to him. He can consult with the Union of Concerned Scientists or have a pleasant chat on the couch (on a beach) with arch conservative Pat Robertson and liberal Al Sharpton.



Meanwhile, Obama’s waiting in the wings and local and regional leaders are offering to step up to bat – such as Ontario and Quebec. Why wait for Obama to be the leader of our time, they ask.

Premiers McGuinty and Charest are proposing a ‘cap-and-trade’ plan for carbon emissions, thumbing their noses at Harper’s ‘intensity-based’ solution, which everyone knows is no solution. Intensity targets don’t address an industry’s overall carbon footprint. With ‘cap-and-trade’, government sets carbon and pollution limits and provides companies with carbon allowances that can be traded. Companies that exceed their allowance may sell the excess to companies that do not. There are pros and cons and lessons learned from cap-and-trade schemes in Europe and the US. For more information on cap-and-trade visit:

David Suzuki Foundation – Supports cap-and-trade

Grinning Planet – Outlines pros and cons

Transnational Institute – Highly critical of cap-and-trade

*’Wherefore’ actually translates as ‘why’ and not ‘where’ – a common misunderstanding. Juliet asks: “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” She is asking why Romeo (the hot guy she just fell in love with) must be Romeo (the son of her father’s enemy). She’s not looking for him in her backyard. Technically I am not asking Harper where he is, but why – why does he continue to be old conservative Harper and not the much needed progressive and courageous leader required for our time.

In the News

Today’s “Food Crisis”: A Crisis in Capitalism

Carnivores Like Us

How Green Is the College? Time the Showers
The Science of Denial

UN Conference Divided over How to Protect Biodiversity – How much is biodiversity worth?

Notes from the Green Living Show

If you missed the Green Living Show in Toronto, this blog is for you! Jane and I defied the TTC strike, mounted our bikes and cycled and cycled and cycled to get to the show at the Exhibition Grounds. Our determination paid off. In addition to our organic snack sampling, we encountered the following….

Home Energy

I picked up a little flyer on energy audits. To find out about getting an energy audit, visit http://www.ecoaction.gcca/. For information on financial incentives through the Ontario Home Energy Audit/Retrofit Programs, visit http://www.energy.gov.on.ca/. We would be getting an energy audit right now if it weren’t for the surprise rewiring job we just had done. Not to mention the roofing reno too (sigh).

Greener Solutions - My friend Jason Eano of Greener Solutions showed us around the little kiosk he helped build which housed green companies associated with his organization. We had an illuminating chat with Ron of Caledon Geothermal (a distributor of Next Energy Geothermal). Geothermal is best when you live near a lake or pond because installing the geothermal loop is a breeze. Unfortunately for urbanites like us, vertical loop installation is the only option and it’s the most expensive. You have to drill pretty deep – and it creates an absolute mess.

Insuladd – This non-toxic paint additive acts as insulation. The claim is that it reduces utility bills by over 20%. Just sprinkle some of this in your paint and see if it makes a difference.

Insulation - There’s fabulous spray-in insulation that fills every nook and cranny, and doesn’t break down or settle. Retrofoam has a R-value of up to 23.7 at 2x6 studs. R-value is an indication of its insulating effectiveness. Its rating is very good for a product that contains no hazardous ingredients and prevents mold growth to boot.

Windows – Jane and I salivated at the Pella display. Nice windows. Not only are they state of the art in energy efficiency, the wood in the frame is from managed forests. Of course, they’re expensive but well worth the investment. We were told that to replace the five large front windows of our house would cost about $5,000.

Home Décor

Rugs - Finally, an alternative to IKEA! Jane and I love rugs. W Studio Ltd., located at 146 Dupont Street in Toronto, sells attractive eco-friendly rugs (with vegetable dye to boot).

Cleaning

Cleaning products are often toxic and unnecessary. Jane and I have been using micro-fiber to clean our place. We picked up three fiber mitts called Enjo, created by an Austrian textile expert. The result? The product is ok. We much prefer our micro-fiber cloths that we picked up from the Carrot Common, our local eco-friendly store.

We were not impressed with President’s Choice for its ‘Green’ floor cleaning products. Check out this statement on the product label (the italics are mine): “This high performance cleaning putty will not release toxic chemicals into our rivers and lake. By using less environmentally harmful ingredients, we are helping to support a safer, cleaner environment.” No toxins or less environmentally harmful ingredients? Which one? Jane calls this double speak and I agree. How about no toxins period (including no harmful ingredients). We’ll stick to our micro-fiber.

Recycling

Irecycle – These guys encourage buildings and communities to connect and collectively arrange Irecycle to pick up unwanted computers, office equipment and cell phones. Don’t just recycle your e-waste, get others to do so too!

U Box It – Is your basement a thicket of forgotten whatnots piled in an unsightly heap? Ours is. Hence, it was with great love that I approached the representative at U Box It, a company that provides clients with a big yellow box to dispose their junk – and then finds homes for said junk. All your stuff is sorted and recycled. The price is $130 for removal.

Toronto’s new bin program may finance a program to pick up unwanted stuff for recycling for free. We are to keep posted on new developments.

Composting Toilets - Using fresh water to flush away human waste is a terrible use of this vulnerable resource. Sun-Mar was on hand to showcase its composting toilet. They use a BioDrum which eliminates the dreaded odor that people fear when it comes to water-less toilets. The toilets are ideal for cottages and remote areas of course. There could come a day when they are installed in urban homes.

Travel

Jane fell head over heels in love with the Smart Scooter. Her amour was fueled in large part by the fact we rode our bikes all over god’s creation to get to the show (#$%@ transit strike). Despite her rekindled love for the motor, there is a hitch…. The energy is only as green as its source. In Toronto one would power up the battery using coal and nuclear (green thumb’s down). The scooter also gets up to 35 kilometers per hour – too slow for cars and a frustration to cyclists since they both have to keep to the right. Upside: they’re awfully cute, come in an assortment of snappy colours and may be a serious alternative when fuel gets really expensive. Personally, I’m all about people power and am still a devotee of my bike.

Stuff

I am not a big fan of buying stuff for stuff’s sake. But if you must, why not go green? At work I use a promotional company called TPS (The Promotional Specialists) for our hats. TPS has embraced green in a big way: organic and bamboo hats, biodegradable pens, etc. Jane and I snafooed two biodegradable pens from their kiosk. I’ve attached the pen to my recycled note pad to jot down all my writer-thoughts.

In the News

European Commission Sues to Force Italy to Take Out the Garbage
Southern Italy doesn’t know what to do with its garbage.

Canadian schools sent brochures, DVDs from climate change skeptics
Climate change skeptics are alive and kicking and trying to get at your kids.

Biofuel Disaster

We pull up at a gas station and lo and behold, there’s an option to buy ethanol gasoline. Fabulous! Our ticket to guilt-free driving. We choose the eco-option, filler up and drive away knowing that we are doing our bit to help the planet.

Afterall, biofuels are humanity’s eco-saviour, one great solution to our energy and climate woes.

Hmmm…..

A lot of ink and e-words have been spilled of late calling to question the eco-ness of biofuels.

Well, here are additional e-words to summarize the good and the ugly of the alternative fuel….

Quickie Biofuel Facts
Under the biofuel umbrella you will find ethanol and biodiesel.

Ethanol is alcohol, simply put. Never mix alcohol with driving? Welcome to the 21st century. Ethanol increases octane levels when mixed with gasoline. As a result, ethanol-fed cars produce less harmful tailpipe emissions than cars run on pure fossil fuel. Americans distill their ethanol from corn. Folks in Latin America use sugar cane. Also used are sorghum, potatoes, wheat, as well as biomass such as cornstalks and vegetable waste. If you drive a car, it’ll take ethanol enriched gas.

Biodiesel is meant for, surprise, surprise, diesel engines, and comes from natural oils from plants and animals. The soybean, that amazing versatile legume, as well as palm oil, is quite often used. Biodiesel is meant for big trucks and Europeans (who drive diesel cars).

The Sunny-Side of Biofuels
Technically speaking, biofuels have a lot going for them in the eco-department. As pointed out they’re good at reducing harmful emissions such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. While biofuels produce carbon dioxide when burned, this is offset by the crops grown to produce the fuel, which are carbon sinks. This of course goes out the window when forests are burned to create the biofuel crops. Which brings us to….

Biofuels’ Dirty Little Secrets
The problems concerning biofuels are considerable, especially when there is an assumption that biofuels will simply replace fossil fuels. There are millions of thirsty cars out there. There are billions of hungry people. It is calculated that we would literally have to replace the food crops for fuel crops if we want to continue driving the way we do. Would you rather eat or drive? Would you rather drive and have billions starve?

Oh those crazy ethical questions.

And another thing….corn-based ethanol production use nitrogen-based fertilizers and pesticides that help heat our planet and poison our soil and water.

A Bloody Awful Mess
Meanwhile, at the equator, palm oil and sugar cane are harvested for fuel. Palm oil is the cheapest commodity going. The European Community has given palm growers a gift. The EU mandated that diesel consist of five percent vegetable oil by 2010. In fact, the US and Canada are planning for increases in biofuels in the next 15 years or so.

In response to this opportunity, palm growers in South East Asia are burning down their forests and in so doing producing vast amounts of carbon dioxide. Malaysia’s great diversity of tree species, powerful carbon sinks, are for the most part vapourized and currently heating our planet. Gone also are many species that relied on those trees. The indigenous people who once lived in the forest are now displaced.

Compared to what once stood in their place, palm trees are not nearly as effective at capturing carbon dioxide. Malaysia is not the only country in the region to see this devastation. Indonesia, Sumatra and Borneo too report millions of hectares lost. And there’s more chopping to come.

On the other side of the planet, sugar cane-based ethanol is giving desperate and greedy people one other opportunity to burn down the Amazon forest.

Oops
A five percent requirement for biofuel in our motors will not even touch the carbon footprint this burning has created. Governments have committed themselves to biofuel, opened up a market for it and…well…the genie is now out of the bottle. Our current global trade laws could care less about environmental impact.

To the eco-conscious who love to drive, resist the biofuels and commit to driving less. Contact your MP or Congressperson and tell them that an investment in biofuels is the wrong track. It will never replace fossil fuel and its production is heralding in a humanitarian and environmental disaster.

For more:

George Monbiot’s Worse than Fossil Fuel

U.N.: Not So Fast With Ethanol, Other Biofuels - Unchecked Growth Could See New Problems Offset Climate Gains, Report Says


In the News

England under water: scientists confirm global warming link to increased rain


Other News

Green Bloggers

Ecoshock Radio

Grist Magazine

Tree Hugger

Zerofootprint Blog

StopGlobalWarming.org

BBC – The Greenroom

New York Times – Environment

Monbiot

The Energy of the Future?

Much ado has been made of hydrogen but it really hasn’t captured the public imagination save for a few pilot hydrogen buses in some cities. For visionaries such as Jeremy Rifkin, author of the Hydrogen Economy, and Geoffrey Ballard, founder of Ballard Power Systems, hydrogen is the energy of the future.

“We are in the early stages of an historic change in the way we organize the earth’s energy.” Jeremy Rifkin.

Hydrogen 101
Hydrogen is the lightest gas going and the most abundant in the universe, but it’s not very independent. For the most part, hydrogen exists in and must be extracted from hydrocarbons (such as natural gas) and water. In other words, it needs a little help from its friends - fossil fuels, nuclear or renewable sources. Anyone will do (but we know what one we prefer). They generate the electricity, used in a process called electrolysis, which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is then stored and used to produce electricity when needed. But…how can it be green if it needs fossil fuels…? Yes, yes, we’ll get to that in a bit.

Fuel Cells
Ballard Power, based in Vancouver, has developed the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell as an alternative to the internal combustion engine. In the PEM fuel cell, hydrogen and air are brought together on either side of a membrane. Air and hydrogen go mad for each other thanks to some platinum catalyst on the membrane and sparks fly. Literally. Electrons in the hydrogen atoms are stripped off to form an electrical current. Meanwhile, the remaining hydrogen nuclei (no doubt feeling a little lonely) connects with oxygen to make water. The electrical current is what moves the car, but you need a whole mess of fuel cells, a.k.a a fuel-cell block, to ensure that the car keeps up with drivers wearing fedoras. (Remember my degrees are in Communications and Acting. You want science, read some other guy’s blog).

Lord that explanation exhausted me. You tired? Shake your head a bit. It helps. Ok let’s move on….

Hydrogen’s Potential
Oh it’s grand. What a future! Thanks to computers and the way we share info via the Internet, the dawn of the Hydrogen Energy Web is upon us. Maybe, sort of.

According to Rifken: “When millions of end-users connect their fuel cells into local, regional, and national hydrogen energy webs (HEWs), using the same design principles and smart technologies that made possible the World Wide Web, they can begin to share energy – peer to peer – creating a new, decentralized form of energy generation and use.”

Rifken envisions a time when automobiles become “power stations on wheels” – plugging twenty kilowatts into the home, office or grid, and providing the average home, that only needs two to four kilowatts, with all the power it needs. He estimates that even if 25% of car owners used their vehicles as power plants, we could do away with centralized polluting plants.

We could also use hydrogen fuel cells to power up our computers, cell phones, airplanes and other gadgets we’re fond of and rather obsessed about.

Hydrogen in this scenario is considered a currency, making energy available to the entire economy, hence the name ‘hydrogen economy’.

And another thing! According to Rifken, hydrogen powered fuel cells are two and one half times more efficient than internal combustion engines. With the volatility of fuel prices, he feels that hydrogen will start looking more and more attractive.

Drawbacks

“The current power infrastructure is as incompatible with the future as horse trails were to automobiles.” - Kurt Yeager, President of the Electric Power Research Institute.

Infrastructure - There’s a snag to this grand vision of course. There’s always a snag. Our current infrastructure does not support it. It’s possible to get there – well, hypothetically at this point. If it does, it could take quite a few decades to get there.

Currently there are costly issues concerning storage and transportation when it comes to hydrogen. Fossil fuels and far more cost efficient than hydrogen. Until the costs of fossil fuels, which are heavily subsidized, become staggering high, developments in hydrogen will continue to slowly plod along.

It is estimated that the hydrogen economy could take up to 50 years to mature. To people like Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers, we can’t wait that long. The fastest growing alternatives to fossil fuels are energy efficiency and wind power. To people like Flannery, we must focus attention on these areas to kick our dependency on fossil fuels as soon as possible. We are running out of time.

While Rifken claims that hydrogen is the answer to the storage problem of renewable energy, it is argued that energy from renewable sources can be stored using other methods. This is important because developing a hydrogen infrastructure requires heavy long-term investment, something that leaves a bad taste in the mouths of most industry and government (unless we’re talking nuclear).

Not a Primary Source of Power - Currently, the most cost effective way to extract hydrogen is from natural gas through a process called ‘steam reforming’. Hydrogen currently has a carbon footprint. Of course, if electricity from renewable sources were to solely extract hydrogen, that footprint would disappear. But we’re not there yet, not when renewable energy is still a small fraction of our energy mix.

Ballard is gun ho about using nuclear as a primary source. According to Allison Macfarlane, resident expert on nuclear power and weapons at the Georgia Institute of Technology, nuclear power would have to increase ten times from where it is today in order to make any significant dent in reducing carbon dioxide. This means building 3200 new mid-sized nuclear plants world wide. The costs alone to build such facilities would be staggering, as would the radioactive waste (that remains active for hundreds of thousands of years) as well as potential for nuclear weapons proliferation. Not the most viable solution, unless you work for the government of Ontario.

Another Environmental Concern – Hydrogen has a nasty habit of slowly leaking from containment vessels. Once significant amounts are released in the atmosphere there is a concern that they would connect with ultraviolet radiation to form free radicals which, that’s right, chip away at the ozone layer. However, this leakage may be lower than originally determined and the problem might be solved in the time it will take a hydrogen economy to be up and running if it ever does.

In the Meantime… Some are undaunted by hydrogen’s drawbacks.

• In October 2002, the European Union announced its long-term plan to transition into a hydrogen economy.
• Major automakers have spent $2 billion US on developing hydrogen cars, buses and trucks with mass production slated for 2009.
• Encorp, a US company, has developed software which can make possible the sophisticated dispatch and control mechanisms to route energy traffic during peak and non-peak periods.
• Price Waterhouse Coopers released a study claiming that the hydrogen economy could generate $1.7 trillion US in new Canadian business by 2020.

All hydrogen, energy efficiency and renewable energy need is a true market playing field – something that is extremely difficult when fossil fuels and nuclear are heavily subsidized.

Source: Fueling the Future. Articles from Fueling the Future:

“The Dawn of the Hydrogen Economy,” by Jeremy Rifkin
“Hydrocity, the Universal Currency,” by Geoffrey Ballard
Is Nuclear Energy the Answer?” by Allison MacFarlane

In the News

Green Bloggers

Ecoshock Radio

Grist Magazine

Tree Hugger

Zerofootprint Blog

StopGlobalWarming.org

BBC – The Greenroom

New York Times – Environment

The Future…My Way

How are you…you envoy of democracy? Did you have a nice chat with one of your political reps? Send them an email? No?!

Democracy in Action Made Easy
Try this, it’s easy. AVAAZ is meeting up with German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel in Potsdam, Germany on Thursday with a petition that could have your name on it. The environment ministers of the G-8 are getting together in Potsdam, and AVAAZ is asking them to get real serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Now Sigmar seems pretty savvy to the environmental crisis so this shouldn’t be a hard sell. It’s not too late to include your name but you must act fast. Visit http://www.avaaz.org/en/climate_action_germany/av.php and let Sigmar and the whole lot of them know!

Wouldn't it be Great If....
What a week for thinking! I’m reading Fueling the Future an interesting collection of essays from businesspeople, academics and advocates connected to the energy sector. One of the essays is “The Dawn of the Hydrogen Economy”, written by Jeremy Rifkin. Jeremy’s all excited because he envisions a future where, thanks to hydrogen, cars become mini generators that can light up homes and pump energy back into the grid. This is highly revolutionary. It would enable folks to become energy producers, no longer dependent on big corporations, thereby democratizing the very thing that we have come to need. Energy – more specifically electricity and fuel. And clean electricity and fuel at that.

Now hydrogen is not without its problems, something I will devote attention to in my next installment (stay tuned), but the essay excited me because it supports what I feel to be the right direction in reducing our carbon footprint: moving away from concentrated energy production, such as coal fire plants and nuclear facilities, and towards dispersed production, such as turbines and solar panels on businesses and homes, and from wind and solar farms, biomass and geothermal.

Of course, homes and businesses must be made energy efficient with new ones built with low impact and zero toxic materials. I see most buildings and homes with some form or combination of renewable energy sources to satisfy some if not all their energy needs. Wind and solar farms would supply the remaining energy. I see power literally in the hands of you and me.

First of all such a scenario would dramatically reduce the stress we place on the grid, making blackouts and brownouts a problem of the past. Second, it would make homeowners and businesses energy producers, not only reducing utility bills but providing them with a bit of income. Third, it would provide the majority of people of the planet with energy that they can easily capture.

My Chat with Gord Miller
While at the Kyoto rally last Sunday, I met up with Gord Miller, Ontario’s Environment Commissioner. I told him about my vision for renewable energy sources in every home and business because I wanted to know if there was any real movement towards this and what the obstacles were. He took my vision another step further. We looked around Nathan Phillip’s Square, a large outdoor space at Toronto City Hall. He pointed out potential micro wind turbines that could be on buildings and lining the street.

But there is a problem. Ontario is committing $40 billion to build new nuclear facilities and not enough to true renewable energy sources. Gord explained that the Canadian Nuclear Association is a very powerful organization with full time staff to advocate against wind, solar, geothermal and biomass, claiming that they cannot meet the future demand for energy (certainly not with $40 billion assigned to nuclear). I responded that surly environmental groups are countering this lobby effort. He said that while these groups are good at pointing out the serious pitfalls of nuclear, they are not doing a good enough job in providing alternative solutions.

He also pointed out that it is very difficult to motivate homeowners and industry to conserve energy and invest in efficiency retrofits when the provincial government fixes the price of electricity.

Renewable energy needs money – enough to make it viable for you and me to come up with the capital costs and see a quick turn around in capital recovery.

Gord told me that this nuclear deal does have an Achilles heel. The government may not be able to come up with the money to pay for it. That’s right, nuclear might collapse from its own weight.
I wish Ontario would take a chance. It’s not as if it would be working on blind faith. It can follow Denmark’s example and commit to renewable energy. Subsidize the industry until the market takes off. And make it financially viable for people to make their older homes energy efficient. Is this too much to ask?

For an account on the tomfoolery around Ontario’s past energy decisions, check out Hydro: The Decline and Fall of Ontario's Electric Empire, by Jamie Swift & Keith Stewart. The craziness seems to be ongoing.

In the News

Green Bloggers

Ecoshock

Grist Magazine

Tree Hugger

Zerofootprint Blog

StopGlobalWarming.org

BBC – The Greenroom

New York Times – Environment

Calls for Change

This installment is going to be a hodge-podge of green news goodies.

Architecture 2030
Thanks to Kai Huschke of Bioneers for notifying me about Architecture 2030, an exciting and ambitious campaign for architects and designers.

Commercial, industrial and residential buildings emit copious amounts of greenhouse gases, as you know. The goal of Architecture 2030 is for buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030 through a combination of energy efficiency, smart design and on-site renewable energy resources. Sound unrealistic? The folks behind it don’t think so. The challenge for builders is to reduce fossil fuel consumption by 60% by 2010. This percentage is to increase by 10% every five years until 2030.

According to their site:
“We know these targets are readily achievable and that most buildings can be designed to use only a small amount of energy at little or no additional cost through proper siting, building form, glass properties and location, material selection and by incorporating natural heating, cooling, ventilation, and day-lighting strategies. The additional energy a building would then need to maintain comfort and operate equipment can be supplied by renewable sources such as solar (photovoltaics, hot water heating, etc.), wind, biomass and other viable carbon-free sources.”

The Canadian Home Builders Association has supported energy efficiency through the R2000 standard since the 1980s. Builders are starting to embrace the LEED standard, so it’s not as if this will be a huge shift for the building community. Some exciting buildings have been created that already realize the dream of this movement. Here are just a few examples…

The Rise of the Green Building

Building Green

Commercial High Performance Buildings

‘Greening’ a Profession

William McDonough & Partners

The Canada Green Building Council

The US Green Building Council

Don’t Mess with Texas!
Battery Breakthrough? Thanks Elizabeth McCallum for sending along this little tid bit on a technological breakthrough for the electric car brought to you by a Texan company called EEStor. They’ve come up with a new way to store electricity for the car that will decrease costs and increase power. The new technology will also affect laptop computers and utility-scale electricity storage.

George W Promises More Renewable, Won’t Commit to Cap & Trade
Last year he admitted his country’s oil addiction. This year he said the CC words. YES. On Tuesday night during his State of the Union speech, old W said the words ‘climate change’ in the context of ‘we better do something about it’. It’s about #$%&@#%* #$%@& time. He also promised more renewable energy investment.

However, he did not say anything about a mandatory cap and trade system, something that the captains of industry have urged him to address. Cap and trade is a market-driven solution for corporations to shift to more sustainable practices. Companies must meet an aggressive emissions cap and are given emission allowances. How they comply is up to them and may include purchasing allowances from companies that meet the cap. It is therefore in their best interest to emit below the cap to save and perhaps earn money.

To date Cap and Trade has been voluntary. Now chief executives of Alcoa Inc., BP America Inc., DuPont Co., Caterpillar Inc., General Electric Co., and Duke Energy Corp. want the US government to legislate mandatory compliance. CEOs Plead for Mandatory Emissions Caps

Other News
From reports on the demise of waterfowl to new reports on climate change, the papers were full of doom and gloom this week. For more…. New York Times.

In the News
Green Bloggers

Ecoshock

Grist Magazine

Tree Hugger

Zerofootprint Blog

StopGlobalWarming.org

Alternative Energy Blog

Green New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year! I wish you all a year of great moments and fabulous milestones. Some of you may have made New Years resolutions. Some of you may not have with the knowledge that you will never keep them. Very honest of you.

For those of you who fall in the latter category, this installment may not be for you. I advise that you close this email, park your bottom in front of the television and consume the remaining chocolate and sugary treats left over from the holidays with a six pack and carton of cigarettes by you side.

For those of you who like to make resolutions and are honing a green consciousness, you may find this installment of interest.

Cheryl’s Fabulous Green Resolutions for 2007

Working on reducing your footprint on the planet but wanting to do more? The following are projects to focus on during 2007. Even if you pick one area, you will go a long way in reducing your greenhouse gas contribution. Figure out a milestone you want to reach be it 10% or 100%.

1. Reduce Trash
This is becoming a project of Jane and mine. We want to reduce the amount of trash that goes in the landfill and I’ve set the mark of 75% by the end of the year. We’re fortunate since the City of Toronto has the organic green box program where everything from banana peels, soiled paper products to kitty litter gets recycled. We feel we can reduce our landfill contribution even more. Here are other ways to reduce landfill waste:

• Identify plastic packaging that can be recycled in your community and avoid purchasing products packaged in plastic that cannot be recycled. Easier said than done, I know but doable. Cell phones, Ipods and the like have the shell life of days. Do you really need the latest Blackberry that also serves as a Swiss Army knife? You can buy and sell used products from places like Freecycle, Craig’s List, Kijigi, and the Buy & Sell.
• Send all cell phones, Ipods, TVs, computers and the like to be recycled. Please make a point of this as the toxic materials in e-waste ends up in groundwater.
• Compost – great for the garden!
• In my community the recycle program does not accept plastic bags. The Dominion grocery store accepts used plastic bags which it sends away to be recycled. Find out if your local grocer does the same.
• Earn a few bucks by arranging a garage sale.
• Find out from your city government if it has set times during the year when it collects any material that you don’t know what to do with. Chances are a home can be found for what you don’t want anymore.

2. Reduce Energy Waste at Home and the Office
If you have some extra money that you don’t know what to do with, why not hire an energy auditor to inspect your home or office? Find out where your home or business can reduce energy loss and the utility bill.

3. Sock it Away!
Open a savings account and put a little away a month to pay for the energy retrofit that your energy auditor advices you to make – or save for a solar, wind or geothermal system in your home, or an energy efficient refrigerator.

4. Reduce Moo and Bukuk in your Diet
Reduce your meat consumption by 25%, 50% or more. Locate a place where you can buy organic meat and make a point of making that your meat purchasing place of choice.

5. Drive Less
Reduce your time behind the wheel by 25%, 50% or more. Start off by picking a day a week when you don’t drive and go from there.

6. Fly Less
This year, plan a vacation closer to home. If you must fly, purchase carbon credits (good for cars too). Through work I am traveling to Halifax. I paid $9.95 as part of my carbon credit. I will do the same for my trip to Mexico last October. The amount is determined by air miles. The money is invested in renewable energy.

7. Go More Local
Increase purchase of fruits and veggies in your province or state. Grow your own organic garden. Choose local businesses over corporations. The more local you go the more money stays in your community.

8. Invest in Renewable Energy
Choose a utility provider that invests in renewable energy.

9. Buy Less Stuff
Before buying something, ask yourself why you need to have it.

10. Get your News from the Alternative Press
Do you find mainstream press to be gloomy and not terribly in-depth? Join the club. Make a point of reading at least one publication from the alternative press. May I recommend Utne, Yes!. Positive News from Around the World, Resurgence. Read about the huge groundswell taking place worldwide.

11. Practice Democracy
Feel weird about emailing your local rep? Why? It’s your job. Remember, they work for you. You hired them (I hope). Why not let them know when you’re happy, disappointed or royally pissed off by government policy or lack thereof?

Chose a goal: i.e., within the next month write to one of your reps. Lord knows there’s lots to talk about. Are you concerned about global warming? An energy policy that includes nuclear? Smog in your city? Your reps need to know.

12. Make a Difference at Work
Take the bull by the horns. Talk to your boss. If you’re the boss, devise a green plan for the office. Reduce paper use, buy recycled or Forest Stewardship Council approved paper, turn off computers and standby power when not needed, use eco-friendly cleaning produces, improve the energy efficiency in your office.

In the News
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Ecoshock

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Tree Hugger

Zerofootprint Blog

StopGlobalWarming.org

Alternative Energy Blog

Jet Fuel’s Great Big Footprint

I’m back after a whirlwind of moving and then flying off to Puerto Vallarta for a week. Did you miss me? I hope so.

TO Think About This Week

I was going to spotlight car sharing services this week, but since I just flew 7003.54 kilometers (4351.92 miles) on a machine that pumped greenhouse gas emissions into the stratosphere I thought I’d turn my attention to the impact of jet fuel on our planet.

What’s the Big Deal? – The jet fuel that flies us to our favourite destinations is kerosene, a petroleum based fuel that doesn’t freeze at high altitudes. It also pumps out a hefty amount of carbon.

So what’s the greenhouse gas price tag on my return flight to Puerto Vallarta? According to the Choose Climate jet fuel calculator, my week vegging out on the beach came at a high greenhouse gas price tag. Due to that one flight I am personally responsible for 277 kg of fuel and 2584 kg of C02. This is equivalent to:

• Seven 60W light bulbs lit continuously for one year
• Food eaten by four people in one year
• The carbon in a 13 m tall tree

Times that by the number of people on the plane times the number of planes in the sky during any given day times the number of days in a year.

Aviation makes up about 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation in the US. That’s about 2.7 percent of total national greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting, housed under the US Department of Transportation. In Europe alone, emissions increased by 85% from 1990 to 2004. These figures are expected to increase. However, with rising fuel costs and fears of terrorism who knows what the future holds for air travel.

Solutions

Alternative Fuel - Richard Branson, the billionaire who owns the Virgin Group, announced at the Clinton Global Initiative in September that he will invest 100% of his airline and locomotive proceeds in renewable, sustainable energy sources. That translates into $3 billion over 10 years. Biofuels are considered by some as the great solution to the global climate crisis and Branson plans to invest in just that. The problem? Where on earth do they plan to grow and harvest the bio matter that will satisfy current global fuel needs? Humanity would have to take over the land assigned to agriculture. That’s not much to begin with and um…we kinda need it for food.

Fuel Tax – The impact of jet fuel on our planet has led many to demand that the airline industry pay for the damage they’re causing. More specifically, they want airline travelers to pay for the damage they are causing through a fuel tax. Jet fuel is the only fuel that isn’t taxed thanks to some crazy agreement from the 1940s. Now keep in mind that air transportation was not part of the Kyoto protocol on climate change. Rather, airline companies were invited to voluntarily come up with a way to reduce emissions through carbon trading by 2007. That’s two months away. Unless they plan to surprise everyone with some grand announcement, voluntary airline carbon trading ain’t in the works. Most countries, except the US and Australia, have expressed support for such a tax. This of course has been met by fierce resistance from the airline industry. What are your thoughts on such a tax? I say go for it, so long as the tax goes directly into efforts to mitigate global warming.

Alternatives to Air Travel – Oh boy-oh-boy, I am all for adjusting my lifestyle to be more planet-friendly but cutting down on air travel is a real toughie for me. I LOVE to travel: Italy, Greece, Panama, Mexico, New York, San Francisco. These have been incredibly rewarding travel experiences for Jane and me. Also at issue are the thousands of miles separating my close family and me. I’m also starting to travel occasionally for work. But all this travel comes at a heavy price.

Here are some tips on reducing air travel when you want to or must get away:

• Can you take the train to a close-by destination? Think the plane is much faster? Think again. I want to travel from Toronto to Ottawa. That’s 4.5 hours by train and four hours by plane. By train I just hop on and go – from one downtown to another. By plane I have to drive out there (30 minutes), wait (1.5 hours), fly (1 hour), disembark and wait for my luggage (half hour) and drive into town (30 minutes).
• Your own country is exotic. Heck! Your own state or provinces is. So is the one next door to you. Explore travel brochures to find out all that they have to offer.
• Need to travel for meetings? Sometimes face-to-face is a must but how much can you get away by using video conferencing? It can cut you company travel costs significantly and may still retain a sense of meaningful connection.

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The Marriage of Electricity and Gas

Buying a car is the worst investment you can ever make. A car depreciates in value by about 15 to 20 percent each year. So the answer? Don’t buy a car. But if you must…

TO Think About This Week

Buy a hybrid! A hybrid marries the internal combustion engine with electric motor powered by batteries. This means that the combustion engine shuts down when the car stops, for a light or traffic jam, although it is possible for conventional motors to do this as well. This of course cuts down on fuel and greenhouse gas emissions. It also means that the kinetic energy used when braking is used by the electronic motor, and that the car can at times be motored solely through electricity.

For more information on hybrid technology, check out hybridcentre.org and hybridcars.com.

Gasoline alternatives are deemed as new technology. Uh uh. They actually date back to the 17th century. Check it out.

What’s the Big Deal?
There are seven Hybrid vehicles on the market right now, brought to you by Toyota, Honda, Lexus and Ford. For a cost and value comparison, visit Vincentric’s Hybrid page. There are impressive advantages to a hybrid car:

- On average hybrid cars offset greenhouse gases and pollution by half compared to gas-only vehicles. For a comparison on how Hybrid’s rate on greenhouse gases, click here.
- Over a five year period, they depreciate in value on average 4.15 percent below their gas-loving counterparts.
- Increased fuel economy. For a 2006 Toyota Prius, it costs $1.08(US) to drive 25 miles. $25.49 (US) will get you 589 miles. Click here to learn more.

For souped up hybrids check out CalCars.

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Green Wheels

Green AirWaves
Thanks to Alex Smith for tuning me in to http://www.blogger.com/www.ecoshock.org, an online radio station that talks green. If you’ve read The Weather Makers or would like to, there’s a great little interview of author Tim Flannery that you can download.

According to Alex, who is the station’s operator, the station has “no hidden agenda, nothing to sell, no commercials, no software download needed. Just a labour of love, spinning out news, interviews, speeches, and music about the environment to anyone who will listen. Each month, thousands do.” Now you can too.

Forum on Climate Change
Quick reminder to Torontonians that the St. Lawrence Centre Forum on Climate Change is this Monday at 7:30pm. It’s free but seats are available on a first come basis so arrive earlyish. I have a feeling it’s going to be packed.

Ask the Expert
The Ontario Clean Air Alliance hosts a series of online chats where experts offer advice on what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and save money. The Internet knows no borders. You don’t have to be from Ontario to log in.

TO Think About This Week
Now that you’re thinking long term and trying to come up with $60,000 for your dream wind-solar-geothermal energy system for your home, why not throw in an extra $25,000 for your very own hybrid car?

Being green doesn’t have to be that expensive though. After all, you could walk, take transit or bike. But if you must drive….

What’s the Big Deal?
Gas prices are rising thanks to several factors, most notably regional instability and, in the case of the oil refineries near New Orleans, extreme weather. With a depleting world supply, fossil fuel prices will soon go through the roof. Why do you think Canada is so gung ho about its oil sands? Refining that muck is an expensive process, one that oil companies avoided for years due to the availability of accessible oil. Now they’re delving into the dregs. It’s a bad sign.

If you must have a car please think about investing in one that is fuel efficient. For a list of the most and least efficient cars, visit fueleconomy.gov or EnerGuide’s list on Natural Resource’s Canada’s site.

According to David Suzuki – 16,000 Canadians die prematurely due to air pollution. There are 17 million SUVs, vans and light duty trucks in Canada alone. They are responsible for 15 percent of Canada’s carbon dioxide emissions. I’m afraid to research what the figures are like in the States.

How can we learn to drive less? If you are thinking of moving, please avoid the suburbs and chose a location near reliable public transportation. You will save a bundle and reduce your carbon footprint.

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Your Own Private Car Free Day

The car. Yeah – back to that….

But before I do…. For those of you out there who think you can eat all the meat in the world because you don’t drive a car or who think that you can drive like maniacs because you don’t eat meat…don’t think that gives you an automatic GHG emission-free card. It doesn’t work that way. If you don’t drive, that’s great. I still encourage you to cut down on your meat and go organic. Quality before quantity.


TO Do This Week

Several months ago I suggested to all you drivers to choose a day a week when you park your vehicle. Consider it your car-free day. Have you tried doing that? It’s difficult isn’t it?

It took several years for Jane to finally commit to selling her car and become a member of AutoShare, Toronto’s pay as you go car service. On paper, AutoShare looks great (and it is) – no more insurance to pay or terrible surprises at the mechanic’s. But boy-oh-boy was it difficult for her to part with her car, even after deciding to do so. It was only after her car broke down and would cost a fortune to repair that she finally let it go.

For some of you, reducing your car use is easy. For many, it feels impossible. It’s so convenient. It’s your independence. What will it take to cut down on driving? What tactic do you respond best to? Guilt or empowerment or a little bit of both? For your convenience and reading pleasure, I’ve broken them down accordingly. Ignore the tactic that works least for you or read both if you like to be whipped and then stroked.

Guilt Tactic
Selfish selfish selfish you. For the sheer convenience of driving your car you are committing several tonnes of GHG to the atmosphere a year.

Your children, nieces and nephews, friends’ children, grandchildren, future grandchildren and all their friends will bear the brunt of a warming planet no thanks to you.

What are you going to say to them when they ask What did you do when you found out about global warming? Oh, well I drove my car seven days a week. Shameful.

Empowering Tactic
You are so amazing doing your bit one step at a time. Good for you! If you drive your car six times a week and reduce it to five, you have just cut down you vehicle’s GHG emissions by 17%. That’s fantastic.

So how are you going to get around on that car-free day? If you take transit you don’t have to stress about traffic. Instead you can listen to your favourite music, read, ace the cross word puzzle or whatever you like to do.

You can ride your bike, plan a carpool or arrange with your employer a work-at-home day.

Think of your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and their friends who will regard you as someone who learned about global warming and did something about it. They'll think of you as a hero just by riding transit.

This week – choose your car free day. Good luck! Oh – and tell us how you fare by making a comment to this blog.

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Ontario's Government Takes a Step Backward on Energy
It's still not too late. Click on the link to find out what you can do.

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Reduce Reuse Plastic and Zero Emission Transportation

I hope that your water and fuel conservation is coming along nicely. Brad Fraser wrote to me with this tid bit on washing your clothes in cold water:

“Unless something is badly stained, most whites can be washed in cold as well. Also, a good alternative to hang drying is putting the dryer on low or tumble only settings.”

Thanks Dave!

Wonderful People Doing Fabulous Things
This article from the Toronto Star on Naser Faruqui caught my eye. Naser works in the world’s most parched countries to help them with their water needs. It’s an interesting article on urban poverty and the environment, and working with communities to find solutions that are appropriate for them.

Keeping the Lights On: Lessons from California
The ole nuclear brouhaha continues in Ontario. The Sierra Club has invited conservation experts from California to come on up and talk to the Ontario Minister of Energy, Donna Cansfield, about better energy solutions than nuclear. They will also speak publicly on Tuesday, March 21 from 6:30 to 9:30 at City Hall, Council Chambers. Click here for more information: http://ontario.sierraclub.ca/events/index.php?id=1076. I’m definitely going!

Thanks to Erin McMurtry for organizing a meeting with Energy Minister Donna Cansfield next Wednesday to discuss concerns about the Ontario Power Authority Report. I and a few others will join her. I’ll post my impression on the meeting on my blog.

Reduce/Reuse
In the 1980s, when society became aware of pressing environmental problems, the words ‘reduce/reuse/recycle’ were in vogue. At the time, recycling seemed to have more emphasis, at least to me. I didn’t realize that reduce/reuse/recycle are in order of priority. Reduce as much as you can, first and foremost. A difficult thing to do in our highly consumptive society. Think of all the things you bought on a whim that just sit there collecting dust.

Once you use something, can you reuse it? - Write your shopping list on the back of a used envelop or tissue box. Print on the other side of printed paper. Give away old clothing to Goodwill or Value Village, or turn them into rags. Etcetera. As I keep saying, most things created have a GHG price tag on them due to the fact that these days power is generated predominantly by fossil fuels. If a product is made of plastic, even more so. Plastic is a petroleum product.

Ah, plastic. It’s everywhere. In our computers, health devices, cars, packaging, clothing, bags, toys, containers. The list goes on and on and on. Plastic has certainly been a blessing, you could say a mainstay of our modern comfortable lifestyle. However, plastic is made from a non-renewable product that also contributes to global warming.

The Canadian Plastic Industry Association makes its case saying that plastic actually helps the environment. Have a boo if you have time. The renewable energy industry is reliant on plastic, after all – oh the irony. Plastic also helps reduce weight in cars, helping to reduce fuel consumption, and so on.

I’ll talk about plastic recycling a little later. Where I live, the city recycles margarine and yogurt tubs (#5), but it does not recycle plastic bags. I suggest we reduce our use of them….

TO Do This Week

Reducing that Mound of Plastic in your Life
Some of you like to use plastic grocery bags as garbage bags – a fine example of reusing. But at times do you feel completely overwhelmed by the accumulating plastic growing in your bottom drawer, or wherever else you put these bags? Why not reduce this plastic by investing in cloth bags? Or, take the accumulating plastic bags with you to the store. It may take awhile to remember them, as it did Jane and me, but you’ll get the hang of it.

This weekend when you shop – I encourage you to either buy cloth bags or reuse the plastic ones, if you don’t already.

Zero Emission Transportation
It’s called…walking. Strange but true. Not only does it get you from A to B without producing GHG emissions, it strengthens your heart and burns calories.

Now yes, if you need to get across the city or go to another town, you can’t be expected to walk there. But if you have to drop off a DVD or pick up some milk from around the corner, well then…. About 50% of car trips are made within 3km of home. Before driving, ask yourself, could I walk or bike to my destination? You will save on gas, reduce your GHG emissions and pollution, and get some exercise.

If you drive, this week try walking to a destination if it’s in reasonable walking distance.

Sources
Earth Easy

More Tips to Conserve Water and Fuel

How are you doing in the water conservation department? On top of it? Great! Here are some more tips….

TO Do This Week

Other Water Conservation Tips

Washing
My co-worker Linette Moreno reminded me about washing in cold water rather than hot. Ninety percent of the energy used in the washer is for heating. I use warm water to wash whites and cold for everything else. Another tip is to wash only when you have full loads, or adjust the water level according to the load you have.

If you are looking to buy a washing machine, please consider a front-load washer. They don’t need as much water as top load machines, they hold larger loads and reduce water heating.

Now that we’re on about washing clothes and that spring is around the corner (well sooner for some than others), I encourage you, if you are able, to hang your clothes out to dry. Another fine way to cut down on your heating bill and GHG emissions!

Gardening
Speaking of spring…. those of you who have a garden or planters probably know to water early in the morning or in the evening and not mid day when the water easily evaporates.

Another gardening tip according to the Armchair Environmentalist is to:

• “Use soaker hoses – which are porous or full of tiny holes – rather than sprinklers.

• Less frequent but deep watering encourages plants to grow deep roots.

• Save rainwater in a barrel or wash tub and use it to water the garden – or wash the car. Cover to keep debris out of it and also prevent mosquitoes from breeding in it.”

For other water/heat saving tips, please visit Earth Easy’s 25 ways to save water at home

Driving Habits
There are a number of things you can do to improve your car’s fuel efficiency.

• Keep your tires properly inflated. According to Earth Easy, “under-inflated tires can cause fuel consumption to increase by as much as 6%. Operating a vehicle with just one tire under-inflated by 40 kPa can reduce the life of the tire by 10,000 km and increase the vehicle's fuel consumption by three per cent.”

• Avoid fast starts and sharp breaking. If you have a tendency to do this, you can increase your fuel consumption by 40%, not to mention tick off your passengers. For those of you in a hurry in downtown traffic, forget it. This activity increases your time only by about 4%. Hardly worth the wasted fuel and increase in toxic emissions, not to mention high blood-pressure.

• Service your car regularly, otherwise, you can be using up to 50% more fuel and produce up to 50% more emissions.

• If you have accessories in your vehicle like a DVD player, turn them off before you turn off the engine. You want to reduce the load you put on the engine when it powers up. Extra load=extra fuel

• Speaking of load, you may want to rethink using your car as a storage facility. An extra 100lbs of weight can increase your fuel bill by 2%. Resist rolling down your windows all the way when driving to reduce drag

For more tips, visit Earth Easy.

Next week – The most fuel efficient mode of transportation EVER, a little chat about Reduce/Reuse, and the omnipresence of plastic.

Water water everywhere?

The car is without question one of the top contributors to GHG emissions. Advances are being made with hybrid cars – cars that also use batteries in addition to fuel – to make them more reliable and affordable. For many of us though, purchasing a hybrid is still a few years away. I’ll write about the future of hybrid and alternative transportation later. As I mentioned, right now I’m focusing on reducing waste.

Last week I encouraged car drivers to stop idling for the health of their engines, people and the planet. This week, I will delve into other ways to help the fuel economy of your car, which will help reduce pollutions and GHG emissions.

I will also get into the business of reducing water waste.

Wonderful People Doing Fabulous Things
Nature Knows Best - Architect William McDonough

TO Do This Week

A Very Precious Commodity
What can be more natural, more bountiful than water? According to David Suzuki:

• 97 percent of the planet’s water is the ocean and not the type of thing anyone should be drinking.
• 90 percent of the water that is salt-free is locked away in glaciers or is deep underground.
• .0001 percent of the planet’s water is most readily assessable – these are stream channels.
• A person in an industrialized country uses between 350 and 1000 litres of water daily. A person living in rural Kenya uses two to five litres per day.

Here’s another interesting tidbit. According to the Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices, home water use accounts for only five percent of total water consumption. The vast majority of it goes to agriculture – irrigation and livestock, as well as other industries, such as oil. This of course touches on food consumption, transportation, plastics, synthetic clothing, among other things. More on that later.

With such a low percentage of home water consumption, does it really matter that we conserve water at home? It does, if anything to make us conscious of how precious it really is. There is a looming water crisis, exasperated by a warming planet and growing population. It is predicted that future wars will be fought over water, not oil.

What about GHG emissions associated with home water heating? The average American is responsible for two tonnes of GHG emissions every year for the privilege of hot water in their home. There are steps you can take to increase efficiency, such as securing good insulation and using an efficient boiler. But this might be beyond your control or a future investment (again, I’ll touch on that later). Here are few simple things that we can do around the house to reduce water waste and heat:

• Invest in a low-flow shower head and faucets. My parents have a low-flow shower head and as a result have cut their water usage and heat from showers by 50%. They’re not that expensive and range in price from $5 - $50. If you own your own home, you will see the savings within months. I’m going to get one this weekend.
• If you take more baths than showers, try reversing the ratio.
• This one’s a toughie - slightly reduce the heat when you take a shower. Oh it’s hard. I’m trying to do this. Just think, for every 15 liters of hot water, a kilogram of GHG is emitted. I’m not suggesting lukewarm, but try avoiding hot enough to put you in a trance until the hot water disappears on its own accord.
• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
• If you’re letting the water run just to heat up the water, try reducing the amount that runs.
• Heat up only the water you need. This goes for all you tea drinkers.
• Try not flushing the toilet so often. We don’t, and it’s ok. It really is. An older model toilet uses up to 22 litres (6 gallons) per flush. The newer ones use only 6 litres (1.6 gallons) per flush (however, sometimes it takes two flushes to get rid of your business with the newer toilets).

It’s Better to be a Turtle than a Hare
It’s difficult to keep to the speed limit isn’t it? The average speed seems to be at least 10 km over the posted limit. There’s a reason why there’s a limit, aside from trying to prevent people from killing themselves. The faster you go, the more pollution your car generates. And it’s terrible for you fuel economy to boot.

Try this week to keep to the limit. If you are daring, drive below the limit. If this makes you uncomfortable, you can always wear a fedora and sink down low in the driver’s seat. If you commute 20 km, five days a week, and keep 10 km below the limit, you will make your tank of gas last about a week longer, this according to Dave Reay of Climate Change Begins at Home. Try it and see if it works. If it does, let me know!

Next week, we’ll look at other tips to help improve your fuel efficiency and help the environment – like putting air in your tires.

Sources:
The Sacred Balance, by David Suzuki with Amanda McConnell
Climate Change Begins at Home, by Dave Reay
The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices, by Michael Brower and Warren Leon (Union of Concerned Scientists)
Earth Easy