Archive | Climate Challenge tips and facts

Tip of the day: May 1, 2007

Need help figuring out how to cut your utility bill — and reduce greenhouse gases in the process?

Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities customers can get a free, detailed report called the Home Resource Profile that dissects your utility bills and explains how to save money and shrink your carbon footprint.

You’ll need the account number from your water or electric bill to complete the online survey. The survey — and more information about it — can be found at www.seattle.gov/conserve/homeprofile

Puget Sound Energy also provides tools to analyze and trim your utility bills. Go to www.pse.com and then click on "For Your Home."

Fact of the day: May 2, 2007

Just about everything we do or make uses energy — and so creates greenhouses gases.

That got writer Jamais Cascio thinking about the carbon footprint of an American staple: the cheeseburger.

Not just the carbon dioxide created by cooking the burger. But also from raising cattle for beef and cheese, growing and harvesting produce, and transporting and storing all that food. And then there is the methane, a greenhouse gas that cows emit just by living.

Crunching the numbers, Cascio figured the average cheeseburger is responsible for about 9.5 pounds of emissions. If you eat one cheeseburger a week, that’s nearly 500 pounds of greenhouse gases a year.

To read more about the cheeseburger footprint, see Cascio’s Web site, www.openthefuture.com

Tip of the day: May 3, 2007

Compact fluorescent light bulbs use a quarter of the energy as incandescent bulbs and last 10 times longer.

But there is a downside: Fluorescent bulbs contain potentially dangerous mercury and can’t be disposed of in your regular trash. They must be taken to a household hazardous-waste collection site.

Some retailers will accept the bulbs for recycling. For a list of official collection sites, go to www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/facilities/hazwaste.asp

Fact of the day: May 4, 2007

Some ski resorts could be big losers if Northwest temperatures continue to rise.

An increase of 2 degrees Celsius in Washington would mean more rain and less snow at Snoqualmie Pass, where the elevation at the ski lodges is about 3,000 feet.

The ski season there would shorten from 120 days on average to about 75 days, according to the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington.

Read more about potential Northwest impacts from climate change at www.cses.washington.edu/cig

Tip of the day: May 5, 2007

If your tap water is safe, drink it instead of bottled water.

Many bottled waters are imported from hundreds if not thousands of miles away. That takes a lot of energy — and carbon emissions, according to carbonfootprint.com.

And that doesn’t count the emissions created by making and recycling the bottles.

Fact of the day: May 6, 2007

A gallon of gas weighs about 6.3 pounds, but burning that same gallon creates 20 pounds of carbon dioxide.

How can that be?

Most of the weight of the CO2 comes from the oxygen in the air, not from the gasoline itself, according to fueleconomy.gov, a Web site run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. When gasoline burns, the carbon and hydrogen atoms separate. The hydrogen combines with oxygen to form water (H2O), and the carbon combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO2).

An oxygen atom is heavier than a carbon atom. And it takes two oxygen atoms and one carbon atom to create a carbon dioxide molecule. Gasoline is about 87 percent carbon by weight, fueleconomy.gov says, so that’s a lot of oxygen atoms combining with carbon to make the CO2.

For more information, go to www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/co2.shtml

Tip of the day: May 7, 2007

Your TV, DVD player, computer and other electronics draw power even when they’re turned off. It’s called a phantom load. Devices that use power even when switched off include those with electronic clocks or timers and remote controls.

Some experts say phantom loads are responsible for as much as 6 percent of the nation’s entire residential electricity consumption.

Unplugging your electronics when not in use, or using a power strip to shut them down, can eliminate as much as 500 pounds of greenhouse gases each year and trim your electric bill

Fact of the day: May 8, 2007

Washington state ranked 32nd in per capita energy consumption in 2003.

On average, each person in Washington consumed 315.5 million BTUs, compared to 339 million per capita nationally, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The top energy-consuming state was Alaska, at nearly 1.2 billion BTUs per capita. The least energy-using state: Rhode Island, at 211.7 million. For more information, go to www.eia.doe.gov

Tip of the day: May 9, 2007

It costs about $60 a year in electricity to keep a typical personal computer running around clock. Most of that energy is used when no one is sitting at the computer.

In 2004, the Lake Washington School District began using a software program that automatically shuts off and turns on its PCs Before installing the software, developed by Seattle-based Verdiem, teachers and custodians were responsible for turning off the district’s 11,000 computers when not in use . Now the district pays Verdiem $25,000 a year in maintenance — and saves $179,000 a year on its electric bill.

Tip of the day: May 10, 2007

Your car pumps out more greenhouse gases than just about anything else you own — 12,100 pounds on average each year. You can reduce those emissions by combining trips when running errands.

Several short trips taken while your car’s engine is cold can produce twice as much greenhouse gas emissions as a longer trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says.

For more information, go to www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/road.html

Fact of the day: May 11, 2007

Is ethanol a solution to climate change? Maybe not, if the ethanol is made from corn, the nation’s primary source of the fuel.

The energy required to pump crude oil out of the ground, refine it into gasoline and haul it to the service station amounts to about 6 percent of the energy in the gas itself, the Associated Press has reported. Corn ethanol, however, requires large amounts of fossil fuels to produce fertilizers, operate tractors and run the equipment used to make the fuel.

Analysts estimate it takes the energy equivalent of 3 gallons of ethanol to make 4 gallons of the stuff, the AP says. Ethanol does have an environmental benefit, though. Gasoline blended with a small amount of ethanol produces less carbon monoxide when burned.

Fact of the day: May 12, 2007

If it seems like spring is arriving earlier, you’re not imagining it.

The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group says that peak spring runoff in 279 Western streams came 10 to 30 days earlier in 2000, compared to 1948. The trend is more pronounced in the Northwest.

Average temperatures in the Northwest have increased about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 100 years, the UW researchers say.More information at www.cses.washington.edu/cig

Tip of the day: May 13, 2007

Your worn-out fleece doesn’t have to end up in the landfill.

The clothing company Patagonia will recycle its own fleece garments and Polartec fleece from any manufacturer. The Common Threads Garment Recycling Program turns worn out clothing into polyester fiber used in new clothing.

Patagonia says that making polyester fiber out of recycled garments, rather than from new polyester, uses 76 percent less energy and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 71 percent.More information is at patagonia.com/recycle

Fact of the day: May 14, 2007

Ever wonder how much time and fuel you waste waiting to turn left at a busy intersection?

UPS did, and decided to do something about it.

The package delivery company developed a "package flow" software program that maps out routes to avoid, among other things, left-hand turns, the Deseret News in Salt Lake City reported last year.

In Washington, D.C., the software saved UPS 51,000 gallons in fuel and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1 million pounds over an 18-month period, said company spokesman Dan McMackin.

Think about that next time you’re stuck at an intersection, waiting to turn left.

Tip of the day: May 15, 2007

That new flat-screen TV you covet may be an energy hog.

Some models use four times the power as conventional cathode ray tube televisions — mostly because they are so much bigger, the BBC reports.

By the end of the decade, the power used by large flat-screen TVs sold in the U.S. could add nearly 35 million tons of carbon dioxide a year into the atmosphere, according to a report by the Boston University College of Communication. If you’re in the market for a new TV, ask about its power consumption both while turned on and turned off. Modern TVs draw power while turned off so they can spring to life quickly.

Fact of the day: May 16, 2007

It takes huge amounts of fossil fuels to make the packaging that cradles all the stuff we buy — and then more energy to haul it away as waste.

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, is working with suppliers to reduce product packaging by 5 percent, and cut greenhouse gas emissions in the process.

The initiative would save Wal-Mart money on transportation, manufacturing and storage. But the company predicts it also would keep 1.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

Tip of the day: May 17, 2007

Your refrigerator likely uses more energy than any appliance in your home.

You can reduce your power bill — and cut greenhouse gas emissions — by cleaning the refrigerator’s door gasket and seals, vacuuming the condenser coils once a year and defrosting the appliance if significant frost has built up, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Check the gasket seals by closing the door onto a piece of paper and checking to see it’s held firmly.

If you have a second fridge, unplug it. That will save 2,000 pounds of CO2 emissions alone.More information at www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid351.php#Refrig

Fact of the day: May 18, 2007

China may overtake the U.S. this year as the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, a report by Reuters says. China’s emissions rose about 10 percent in 2005, a senior U.S. scientist has estimated, while data from Beijing show that fuel consumption rose more than 9 percent in 2006, suggesting that China would easily pass the United States in emissions this year.

Americans, though, still contribute more greenhouse gas emissions per capita. According to UN data for 2003, the U.S. produced 20 tons per capita of carbon dioxide emissions, compared with 3.2 tons in China and a world average of 3.7 tons.

Tip of the day: May 19, 2007

Here’s one way to cut your greenhouse gas emissions: Don’t travel.

A round-trip flight from Seattle to New York produces nearly a ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) per passenger, according to TerraPass, a company that sells carbon offsets.

Flying round-trip to Paris? That’s nearly 2 tons of CO2.

To be fair, air travel accounts for only a small fraction of all greenhouse gas emissions, and airline manufacturers like Boeing are making planes more fuel-efficient.Calculate the emissions from your next trip at www.terrapass.com/flight/flightcalc.html

Fact of the day: May 20, 2007

China may overtake the U.S. this year as the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, a report by Reuters says. China’s emissions rose about 10 percent in 2005, a senior U.S. scientist has estimated, while data from Beijing show that fuel consumption rose more than 9 percent in 2006, suggesting that China would easily pass the United States in emissions this year.

Americans, though, still contribute more greenhouse gas emissions per capita. According to UN data for 2003, the U.S. produced 20 tons per capita of carbon dioxide emissions, compared with 3.2 tons in China and a world average of 3.7 tons.

Tip of the day: May 21, 2007

Trees use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, but gardeners should pay attention to which trees they plant, and where they plant them.

Energy experts say it’s best not to put large evergreen trees to the south of your home because they can block the sun in winter and make the house feel colder.

Instead, consider small leafy trees like Japanese Maple, which offer a bit of shade in summer. Also, planting low bushes about a foot away from your house can create "dead air" insulation and help reduce heating bills.

Fact of the day: May 22, 2007

Mount St. Helens is one of the state’s biggest polluters, putting out between 50 and 250 tons of sulfur dioxide a day, which can cause smog and contribute to health problems.

But in terms of greenhouse gases, the volcano is small potatoes, putting out between 500 and 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide at day. A coal-fired power plant in Centralia pumps out about 28,000 tons a day, and, statewide, cars, homes and businesses emit nearly 10 times that amount.

Worldwide, human activities pump 26 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. The total from volcanoes is about 200 million tons annually — less than 1 percent of man-made emissions.

Tip of the day: May 23, 2007

Solar power is increasingly attractive to some homeowners, but it’s expensive.

Some of the cheaper options focus only on the hot-water tank. One system uses the sun to heat water that is then pumped into the home. That’s popular in places where it doesn’t freeze. Another system pumps a non-freezing fluid through roof-top collectors and then through a heat exchanger.

The U.S. Department of Energy has tips to help determine if solar power makes sense for you. For more information, go to: www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=12850

Fact of the day: May 24, 2007

By 2100, a wide swath of Olympia may be under water, according to scientists. A report last year by the state Department of Ecology noted that much of Olympia is built on fill just a few feet above sea level. If sea levels rise by 4 feet, a normal high tide would cover land that is currently vulnerable only during a rare, 100-year flood.

However, the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change now says sea levels most likely will rise about 16 inches by the end of the century, with a worst-case estimate now just under 2 feet. The state report is available at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0701010.pdf

Tip of the day: May 25, 2007

There’s carbon in the laundry room, too, and simple ways to rinse it out.

Using cold water in the wash cycle gets clothes just as clean, and saves energy in the hot-water tank.

Most dryers take 40 to 60 minutes to dry a load, and if you’re in the market for a new one, consider a moisture sensor feature that eliminates the need for a timer. Dryers with moisture sensors can tell when the clothes are dry and shut off automatically.

If you’re sticking with a conventional dryer, try drying loads consecutively to take advantage of built-up heat. And drying clothes on the line or on a rack saves energy and is easier on the threads.

Tip of the day: May 26, 2007 Few things make more sense to recycle than aluminum cans, partly because it takes so much energy to refine aluminum from its ore.

In fact, throwing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as if you had filled the can half full of gasoline and poured it on the ground.

On the other hand, it takes the energy equivalent of a tablespoon of gasoline to recycle that same can.

Fact of the day: May 27, 2007

Chances are that garbage can outside your neighborhood coffee shop is packed with paper coffee cups, mostly likely headed to the landfill.

Disposable paper cups are lined with wax that prevent them from being recycled, although they can be placed in the city’s clean-green containers for compost.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibits coffee cups from being made with recycled paper. That conundrum led Starbucks on a decades-long quest to develop a more environmentally friendly coffee cup. In early 2006, it rolled out an FDA-approved cup with 10 percent recycled material. The new cups are expected to save about 78,000 trees annually. On average, each tree cleans about 50 pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere a year.

Tip of the day: May 28, 2007

About half of all greenhouse gases in the Puget Sound region come from cars, trucks, trains and airplanes. If you want to bike to work, all Metro buses have bike racks, though loading bikes in downtown Seattle isn’t allowed during the day. Also, it’s illegal to ride without a helmet.

In Seattle, you can ride on the sidewalk, but only in a "prudent manner" and watching out for pedestrians. For a city bike map, go to www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaps.htm

Fact of the day: May 29, 2007

Biking to work during rush hour can actually reduce your commute times. A drive from the University District to Pike Place Market takes about 35 minutes at peak times, but a bicyclist can get there in 30 minutes.

And every year, more than 300,000 people load their bikes on Metro buses, which are equipped with bike racks. Be sure to remember your bike when you get off. Hundreds of people forget their bicycles on the bus every year. Metro holds the bikes for 30 days before donating them to charity.

Tip of the day: May 30, 2007

Cooking consumes about 3 percent of household energy, but foodies can do lots of things to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Putting lids on pots heats the contents faster, and microwaves use less energy than the oven. Consider using a thermos instead of keeping the coffee pot plugged in all morning. And it’s easier to separate waste from clean-green scraps if you have two small garbage cans in the kitchen.

Small changes can add up to a savings of 165 pounds of carbon annually.

Tip of the day: May 31, 2007 Most folks know about recycling newspapers and aluminum cans.

But at the ReUse Store, you can pick-up household items once headed for the landfill, for free.

Located at 3641 2nd Avenue South just south of the West Seattle Bridge, the ReUse Store offers latex and oil-based paint, bleach, toilet cleaner, motor oil, antifreeze and pesticides.

Quantities vary, and it’s open to all King County residents, but not businesses and contractors.For more information, go to www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/reuse