|| Personal Actions and Green Lifestyles to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Prepared by Douglas Muschett, Ph.D,. a (mostly) retired researcher and consultant specializing in climate change mitigation and sustainable development. Please click highlighted links for additional resources.

Household Energy Management
Household Solid Waste Managment
Transportation
Consumerism
Offsetting  Greenhouse  Gas  Emissions

The climate change issue may seem to be so vast that it’s tempting to think that “the government” or “corporations”  or  a new “savior  technology”  will have to solve the problem of GHG emissions.  When we examine the diverse sources of greenhouse gases,  as noted in the accompanying bar chart,  it is unlikely that a single actor or technology will solve the  problem.  Of course, each economic sector has to become more efficient and “green”  in the way energy  is used;  but this will take time based upon how investment capital  is allocated and new technology is developed. 

U.S.  Greenhouse Gas  Emissions  by Economic Sector, 2008  (%)

Source: U.S. Energy  Information  Administration, Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the U.S., 2008

However,  there  is  one common link across all economic sectors –manufacturing, residential, transportation,  electrical generation -  you, I, the consumer -   that can take immediate actions to reduce GHG emissions .  From the next chart we can get a global perspective as to why our “carbon footprint” as consumers is so important.  The current per capita GHG emissions in the United  States  simply  cannot  be sustained throughout the world without greatly magnifying the climate problem.  Fortunately,  there   is much we can do to reduce our personal carbon footprint,  while we await transformational changes  to the global fossil fuel era.  Let us consider how to reduce our carbon footprint through our household energy management, household waste management, transportation, and general consumerism.

CO₂  Emissions  Per Capita, 2008 (metric tons):

Household Energy Management

The above bar chart indicates that the GHG emissions from the household sector are about 18% of all GHG emissions .  It should be noted that the majority of these emissions results  from  household consumption of electricity  (and that all electrical generation accounts for about 35% of total GHG emissions).  When we stop to consider how we use energy in our own households, there seem to be virtually limitless opportunities  for reducing energy use through household energy  management, as well as selected opportunities to use renewable energy  in way that are unique to Colorado.  Energy experts have tended to classify the many opportunities for reducing energy consumption into one of two approaches:  improve the eifficiency at which the energy conversion takes  or  find ways to accomplish the same task by using less energy input.Let’s examine opportunities in the typical U.S. household to do both.

More energy-efficient appliances are now available, including furnaces, boilers, air conditioning units, televisions,  freezers, washers and dryers, computer monitors and lighting fixtures. Thanks to the federally-mandated EPA Energy Star labels, it is now relatively easy when replacing an old appliance to compare and choose an energy-efficient model.  There are also “calculators” available for consumers to use to help determine  the most cost-effective appliance purchase based upon how long it will take to “pay back” the costs of energy-efficient models from energy savings.

The easiest way to reduce energy use , aside from turning out lights and unplugging appliances when not in use,   is to replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights, which use appropriately 75% less electricity and generally last a few years.   (Although the initial purchase may  cost a few dollars per bulb,  look for special promotions offered  through electric utilitiy companies  for as  little as one dollar per bulb.)  In warmer climates, where air conditioning  is frequently used,  these CFL bulbs  also reduce the summertime room temperature compared to incandescent  lights.

When it comes to the second category of household energy management, using less energy to accomplish a task, there are many opportunities, some based upon common sense and others based upon personal creativity.   

With respect to many household appliances, lower energy consumption is also achieved through proper maintenance (heating and air conditioning units) and cleaning (furnace filters, refrigerator coils, vacuum cleaners). These and other ideas for reducing energy consumption through household energy management are further discussed in Low Carbon Diet  by David Gershon, which also includes quantitative estimates of carbon dioxide emissions reductions which consumers can achieve .
                                                                 
Finally, once measures to achieve lower household energy consumption have been taken,  some consumers may wish to then utilize renewable energy sources to provide some or all of their remaining household energy needs.  In Colorado an abundance of sunshine,   wind, and  land availability provide opportunities for solar, wind and geothermal (heat pump);  and federal and state government and electric utilities provide economic incentives for homeowners and businesses  (as summarized in the Energy section of this website).   Also, some electric utilities will make the purchase of wind energy available to customers for a nominal additional charge.  Finally, ( and sadly)  an abundance of beetle-kill wood also provides a renewable wood-pellet fuel source for woodstoves  with no net GHG emissions (because normal  wood decay processes would have returned CO₂  to the atmosphere anyway).

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Household Solid Waste Managment

Here in the high country waste management   is a significant environmental  issue;  wastes  have the potential  to cause significant pollution of local bodies of water and to consume large amounts of precious land.  Household solid waste management has a significant impact in two ways
upon the  GHG emissions from  the household sector and  from the manufacturing  and transportation sectors as well.

First, organic materials – like paper, food wastes, yard wastes and  wood wastes  -  which are buried in landfills will decompose without oxygen (anaerobic) and produce methane.  Methane is a GHG which is many times more potent than the more common CO₂  towards causing global warming, notwithstanding that there is some common confusion as to “how much”.  Because methane is a relatively short-lived greenhouse gas  in the atmosphere (average residence time of 12  years) , the Intergovernmental Panel on  Climate Change in their Fourth Assessment Report (2007) noted its relative potency (compared to CO₂)  as 72 for a 20-yr. period,  but “only” 25 for the  100-yr. period normally considered  in climate change assessments.   As a result of these consideration,  the HC3 has made a special form of recycling – composting – an important part of its mission to reduce landfill organic wastes and the GHG they emit while at the same time producing a useful soil enrichment. 

The second  important  way  in which household waste management  affects  GHG emissions  is  through recycling.  When processed materials, such as glass, metals, plastics, and cardboard, are discarded  Into a landfill, the energy content used to manufacture these products is wasted; and new raw materials must be mined, refined, and smelted  before new products are made. Instead of discarding processed materials to the landfill, their recycling will reduce energy consumption and related GHG in manufacturing  new  products  - for example, an approximately 95%  reduction  for aluminum,  50% for glass and 60% for paper. 

The complete waste management ethic consists of the environmental “three R’s”  -  reduce, reuse and  recycle.  “Reducing” wastes is mainly a function of purchasing methods and lifestyle choices towards reducing consumption.   “Reusing”  means  finding  another  use for  something  which would be otherwise be recycled or thrown away.  There are many ways  to reuse  items.  Female friends have been known to loan each other clothes.  Siblings have been known to  “hand me down” clothes,  but if you’re not into that you might certainly donate them,  and many other items,  to a goodwill store.  Another creative way is to find other , different uses for items  – who needs Tupperware when you have some many empty plastic food containers and glass jars to use?

Practicing the three “Rs” will reduce consumption,  wastes  and  the production of greenhouse gases.

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Transportation

Dependent upon our own unique consumer needs and wants,  transportation  is an intensively  personal choice – particularly here in the high country  where  recreational  lifestyles and a harsh environment effect a variety of vehicles including  RVs, pick-up trucks, SUVs, small station wagons,  jeeps,  small cars and hybrids. With respect to reducing GHG emissions,  clearly the miles per gallon is the critical factor, and the weight of the vehicle is a key factor in the MPG.   But it’s not the only factor – vehicle design (such as aerodynamics , engine and tires) and operational factors are important.  So even if you don’t  believe that “small is beautiful” when it comes to vehicles,  there a still a number of things which  a driver can do to maximize the fuel-efficiency for a particular vehicle type:

• Keep vehicle well-tuned
• Keep tires properly inflated
• Minimize idling times
• Drive at optimal speeds  (generally  55 to 60 mph)
• Eliminate rapid acceleration and deceleration
  

Some consumers also wish to consider alternative vehicles, such as hybrid cars or electric cars.  Whereas there is universal agreement that hybrids are a superior alternative to the conventional gasoline internal combustion engine for improving mileage and reducing GHG emissions, there is considerable controversy with respect to electric cars, which are currently being touted as a cornerstone of national energy policy.

One group, the Auto Alliance, which represents several auto manufacturers, has funded independent research which concluded that whether electric cars are better than conventional gasoline engines in reducing GHG emissions is wholly dependent upon the source of electricity for the car and its battery. If the electricity is generated by coal  (the major source of electricity in the U.S.), the electric car is responsible for considerably greater GHG emissions than the gasoline engine.  However, if the source of electricity is nuclear or renewable energy, then the electric vehicle is substantially better.  On the other hand, the Electrification Coalition, which includes a consortium of electric utilities, has studied the issue and concluded that electric cars reduce GHG emissions regardless of the source of electricity.  For additional information see a recent article in the magazine  Inside Science.

One certain conclusion is that if a consumer purchases renewable energy from an electric utility and uses an electric battery vehicle, he will greatly reduce GHG emissions compared to a conventional auto.

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Consumerism

How we act as consumers cuts across manufacturing and transportation and related energy use and GHG emissions in our economy.  In addition to reducing  GHG emissions,  our actions can contribute towards  a more generally sustainable lifestyle.  Let’s consider  (1)  how  our consumer and purchasing choices  generally affect GHG emissions and  (2)  how our diet and food  purchase affect GHG emissions.

There are some general guidelines for purchasing household items which will tend to reduce GHG emissions. The first question is whether we truly need the item. It is desirable to purchase items which are durable, well-made and designed to last, such as your energy-efficient automobile;  also look for items which are made from recycled materials.   In addition, wood-crafted items,  such as furniture are preferable to metal or plastic. Wood has two advantages.  First, it will require less processing and energy input than other materials.  Second, wood products provide long-term storage (sequestration) of carbon dioxide  removed  from  the atmosphere and therefore help to reduce the concentration of CO₂  in the atmosphere.  (With respect to home construction the choice of materials is a bit more complicated dependent upon the climate; here in the cold but sunny high country brick could have advantages similar to the adobe style).  Finally, we might also look to purchase used items in good condition, rather than new items.

The U.S. food system is highly energy-intensive through the various stages of cultivation, harvesting, processing, packaging, transportation and distribution,  refrigeration,  and cooking.  A well-known “rule of thumb”  is that it requires 10 calories of fossil fuel energy for each calorie of food energy!  Therefore there are many measures which we as consumers can take to reduce our food dependency on fossil fuels.  We might to try to “eat lower on the food chain, ” which would include occasional meatless meals,  less corn-fed  beef and more poultry,  pork or fish.  We could look for locally-produced food, including fresh,  seasonal , locally-produced produce and fewer refrigerated items.   By preparing and cooking  multiple meals at the same time we can save energy
(and store  the extra meals in re-usable food containers).

Finally, we can look for food and beverages with less packaging waste.  For example, drink concentrates require less packaging and weigh less to ship than drinks in bottles or cartons.   One easy way to reduce packaging,   which also generally saves money,  is to purchase larger sizes of cans, jars and bottles (which have a larger surface-to-volume ratio) .  In general,   the purchase of individual plastic water bottles is of dubious value (certainly here with the mountain-fed water supply);   the bottles require large energy inputs for manufacturing and shipping and produce vast amounts of waste. Why not refill a re-usable water bottle?

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Offsetting  Greenhouse  Gas  Emissions

Okay, you’ve tried to do the right things to be a good steward of the environment.  All of the measures you  have taken, including  those suggested above,  should result in a direct and measurable reduction in your monthly electric consumption and  home fuel consumption  and in improved gasoline mileage,  as well  as indirect impacts in other economic sectors.  But unless you decided to turn off the heat and lights, stop eating, and leave the car in the garage – it’s likely that your activities will still result in some amount of GHG emissions.  As noted previously, you may be able to purchase renewable energy from  your  electric utility  (Xcel  Energy has such a program).  Then,  you may want  to “offset” the remainder of your GHG emissions.

This simply means  making a nominal payment to another party who will  (1) develop a project  that will reduce an equivalent amount of your GHG emissions or (2)  plant trees or other vegetation which will remove (sequester)  an equivalent amount of  CO₂  from the atmosphere or protect existing  forests  to retain  CO₂.  In general, to be most beneficial it is desirable to purchase an emissions reduction which would  otherwise not likely to happen in the absence of the offset project.  For example,  some government entities and nonprofit organizations (e.g  school buildings, senior centers, service organizations) may not have the funds to invest in a rooftop solar photovvoltaic  project or upgraded building energy management system.  However,  if many individuals purchase   “offsets”,  such  a project may be funded.  Many organizations are now providing opportunities to purchase “emissions reductions offsets,”  including the Colorado Carbon Fund. 

The second method of offsetting emissions through carbon sequestration is also an attractive alternative for a number of reasons.  First, at this point in time, it is considerably less expensive to offset a given amount of GHG emissions by either planting new trees or protecting existing forests.  Second, it is also possible to promote other environmental objectives at the same time – such as the conservation of tropical rain forests and animal habitats,  sustainable use of forests to provide livelihoods for indigenous people,  the restoration of wetlands and habitats, and the reforestation  of decimated pine-beetle forests.  Organizations  which  provide opportunities to purchase these kinds of offsets include American Forests and Conservation International.

Of course, before purchasing emissions offsets,  it is necessary to estimate what your remaining GHG emissions are,  based upon some simple household and lifestyle characteristics.  All three of the organizations listed above have GHG emissions “calculators” on their websites.

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