Throughout the world there are companies making announcements detailing how they are reducing their carbon footprint. In fact, if a company is to be taken seriously as an environmentally aware company, they will have had to make some sort of statement letting their business partners know of their position because the carbon footprint of the next company down the line is affected. Every now and then I like to highlight a company that has been doing its bit to be more eco-friendly.
There are many ways a company can go about reducing its carbon footprint. Fonterra Kauri, a dairy factory in Whangarei, New Zealand has managed to reduce its carbon footprint through a rigorous eco-efficiency programme.
Over the past year Fonterra Kauri has recycled 63 tonnes of plastic, cardboard and paper which has reduced the amount of waste going to landfill by 77 per cent. Over the entire Fonterra sites across the country there has been more than 5000 tonnes of recycled products which has effectively saved around 2700 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
As well as the recycling programme, Fonterra has introduced some changes in the way they go about their business in order to cut down on materials. For example, they have introduced a new milk sample carton using an electronic chip rather than a plastic label reducing more than 100 tonnes of plastic use each year. A new docketing system has also reduced printing requirements by 22 reams of paper nationwide each year.
The aim of Fonterra, who started their eco-efficiency programme in 2003, is to have reduced the amount of waste sent to landfill by 90 per cent by 2009. It’s all about being seen to be carbon footprint aware which will prompt more companies to follow suit.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Commuting Your Carbon Footprint Reduction
Sometimes it’s the simpler practical ideas that give you hope that maybe we are capable of saving ourselves. Those who know about their carbon footprint and are seeking ways to reduce it would be aware that using their car less will play a major role.
A husband and wife team in North West Arkansas has come up with a way that expands the car savings beyond simply their own friends and family to, potentially, the entire region. They have founded a website called NWAcommute.com that is in place to help commuters find each other with the goal of forming car pools.
The goal of the Northwest Arkansas Commuting is to remove at least 1,000 cars from the road by 2009 which would decrease the NWA carbon footprint by 3.8 million pounds. The site got off to a good start with 70 members after only 1 week and that number is growing steadily.
There is room for two types of commuters - those who absolutely need their car on a daily basis who can offer space in their car to others for the ride to work, and those who are looking to leave their cars at home and be the passenger. The website gives both parties a means of finding each other and coming to an arrangement that is beneficial to both.
There are many other categories and options available for those looking to help the environment in this way. If you’re in the North West Arkansas region you might like to visit NWAcommute.com. If you’re not, you might feel inspired and start a similar initiative in your own part of the world.
A husband and wife team in North West Arkansas has come up with a way that expands the car savings beyond simply their own friends and family to, potentially, the entire region. They have founded a website called NWAcommute.com that is in place to help commuters find each other with the goal of forming car pools.
The goal of the Northwest Arkansas Commuting is to remove at least 1,000 cars from the road by 2009 which would decrease the NWA carbon footprint by 3.8 million pounds. The site got off to a good start with 70 members after only 1 week and that number is growing steadily.
There is room for two types of commuters - those who absolutely need their car on a daily basis who can offer space in their car to others for the ride to work, and those who are looking to leave their cars at home and be the passenger. The website gives both parties a means of finding each other and coming to an arrangement that is beneficial to both.
There are many other categories and options available for those looking to help the environment in this way. If you’re in the North West Arkansas region you might like to visit NWAcommute.com. If you’re not, you might feel inspired and start a similar initiative in your own part of the world.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
New LED Lighting
As continually specified here and on other carbon footprint websites, the push is on to lower carbon footprints around the world. Switching to LED (light-emitting diode) lighting is often touted as one of the simple means of reducing your carbon footprint. The problem has been the limited range of choices available as an alternative to traditional bulbs. Another new product expands the range available making it even easier to make the switch and whittle down the carbon footprint produced.
A new BR30 LED light has recently been released by GlacialTech Inc in two different models and has been designed to replace the existing equivalent BR30 globes and lamps currently used today. The big advantage with LED BR30 Globe is that it can be used for general everyday use from indoor applications to spotlighting.
The GlacialTech BR30 LED light is innovative because it incorporates the same structure and style as the traditional BR30 bulbs but burns brighter per watt with less heat radiation.
In the growing quest to reduce our individual carbon footprint, products such the BR30 LED home lighting unit delivers considerable power savings as well as providing much longer life than the traditional filament globes. The LED light is “instant on” with no necessary warming up period such as the type you see with conventional CFL lighting.
A new BR30 LED light has recently been released by GlacialTech Inc in two different models and has been designed to replace the existing equivalent BR30 globes and lamps currently used today. The big advantage with LED BR30 Globe is that it can be used for general everyday use from indoor applications to spotlighting.
The GlacialTech BR30 LED light is innovative because it incorporates the same structure and style as the traditional BR30 bulbs but burns brighter per watt with less heat radiation.
In the growing quest to reduce our individual carbon footprint, products such the BR30 LED home lighting unit delivers considerable power savings as well as providing much longer life than the traditional filament globes. The LED light is “instant on” with no necessary warming up period such as the type you see with conventional CFL lighting.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
If Truckers Can Reduce Their Carbon Footprint Then Surely...
That's right, the American Trucking Associations Inc. have been developing a plan to reduce the industry's carbon footprint for quite some time now. According to a story at VirginiaBusiness.com the truckers association wanted to be proactive rather than reactive. It comes in a six-step plan that will reduce the diesel and gasoline that is consumed by 86 billion gallons over 10 years. Not an insignificant figure, to be sure.
So the 6 step plan, in short.
So the 6 step plan, in short.
- Reduce the national speed limit to 65 miles per hour.
- Reduce idling.
- Improve fuel efficiency.
- Reduce congestion.
- Improving productivity.
- Create national fuel-economy standards.
This is an inspiring initiative that shows tremendous responsibility and not only will it save the planet in terms of carbon emissions, but it will also reduce the cost of haulage too.
To read abou the reasoning behind each of these strategies can be found by reading the Trucking association looks to reduce carbon footprint story on VirginiaBusiness.com.
Alternatively, you can go straight to the source of the strategy itself and visit the American Trucking Association website where the six strategies are laid out for you with a nice detailed explanation for each idea.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
U.S. Geothermal Receives Drilling Permit for Neal Hot Springs Project
A renewable energy company focused on the production of electricity from geothermal energy, announced today that the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) has issued a drilling permit for the first full size exploration well at the Neal Hot Springs Project located in eastern Oregon.
The new exploration well is permitted for a depth of 3,500 feet and is expected to further develop a geothermal resource discovery made by Chevron Resources in 1979. The surface discharge of Neal Hot Springs was sampled and shows a potential source temperature of 311 to 347 degrees F.
"Neal Hot Springs provides an excellent target for us, and is consistent with our corporate focus of reducing risk by taking on projects that have a discovery," said Daniel Kunz, President and CEO. "We anticipate drilling the well during the second quarter of the year, once a drill is contracted and site preparation is complete.
A water supply well to support the drilling operation was completed at the site in December 2007. Construction of the access road, drill pad and test pond is scheduled to commence within the next 15 days, and it is expected that drilling operations will start within the next 30-60 days depending upon availability of a suitable drill rig. Upon completion of the well, flow testing and reservoir engineering will commence. It is anticipated that temperature and flow results from the well may be available by the end of the second quarter.
The Neal Hot Springs project was selected by Idaho Power Company for negotiation of a 26 megawatt power purchase agreement.
The new exploration well is permitted for a depth of 3,500 feet and is expected to further develop a geothermal resource discovery made by Chevron Resources in 1979. The surface discharge of Neal Hot Springs was sampled and shows a potential source temperature of 311 to 347 degrees F.
"Neal Hot Springs provides an excellent target for us, and is consistent with our corporate focus of reducing risk by taking on projects that have a discovery," said Daniel Kunz, President and CEO. "We anticipate drilling the well during the second quarter of the year, once a drill is contracted and site preparation is complete.
A water supply well to support the drilling operation was completed at the site in December 2007. Construction of the access road, drill pad and test pond is scheduled to commence within the next 15 days, and it is expected that drilling operations will start within the next 30-60 days depending upon availability of a suitable drill rig. Upon completion of the well, flow testing and reservoir engineering will commence. It is anticipated that temperature and flow results from the well may be available by the end of the second quarter.
The Neal Hot Springs project was selected by Idaho Power Company for negotiation of a 26 megawatt power purchase agreement.
Carbon Neutral House in Shetlands
The UK Times Online has done a story on a couple who live on the Shetland Islands who live a carbon neutral lifestyle. Their house has a zero-carbon footprint and the couple who live in it do so “off grid”.
The house has double glazed windows filled with argon gas. The insulation in the house is 140mm of expanded foam. Power is supplied by a 2.5kW wind turbine. The house is so well sealed that little cold and moisture get in while no heat escapes.
The house uses a fuel cell and under flooring heating is created by an air-to-water heat pump. Heat recovery is used to recapture 90 per cent of the heat generated within it helping to provide constant warm indoor temperatures.
Contrary to the belief of many that it would cost an inordinate sum of money to maintain a house like this, the cost of the four bedroom cottage was around £210,000.
Apart from the fuell cell to heat the water tank, all the other items that go into making this house such a brilliant carbon footprint defeater are available off the shelf.
Owing to the size of the carbon footprint that is produced by such a house, this project taking place on the Shetland Islands is generating quite a bit of interest around the world.
The house has double glazed windows filled with argon gas. The insulation in the house is 140mm of expanded foam. Power is supplied by a 2.5kW wind turbine. The house is so well sealed that little cold and moisture get in while no heat escapes.
The house uses a fuel cell and under flooring heating is created by an air-to-water heat pump. Heat recovery is used to recapture 90 per cent of the heat generated within it helping to provide constant warm indoor temperatures.
Contrary to the belief of many that it would cost an inordinate sum of money to maintain a house like this, the cost of the four bedroom cottage was around £210,000.
Apart from the fuell cell to heat the water tank, all the other items that go into making this house such a brilliant carbon footprint defeater are available off the shelf.
Owing to the size of the carbon footprint that is produced by such a house, this project taking place on the Shetland Islands is generating quite a bit of interest around the world.
Monday, September 8, 2008
The Carbon Footprint of Your T-Shirt
The carbon footprint of your clothes could be excessively large depending on how you wash them, how you dry them and how often you do your laundry. Research done by a Queensland University of Technology researcher has assessed t-shirts, comparing cotton to polyester in areas such as the production, use and disposal and the impact on the environment.
The research has taken the life cycle of a t-shirt measuring the impact of the growth and production of the materials used to make it, the environmental cost of its manufacture, transporting it, retail, wear and disposal.
It turns out that over this lifetime, around 75 per cent of the t-shirts carbon footprint will be caused by machine washing and drying (around 19 per cent of the life-cycle energy consumption on washing and 53 per cent on tumble drying). The figure falls significantly if you dry the t-shirt on a clothesline as opposed to frequently tumble drying it.
The study also concluded that the manufacture of a polyester t-shirt will consume slightly higher levels of energy.
A goal of the study was to analyse the effect of increasing the number of times the t-shirt is worn before washing. It was found that a polyester t-shirt is more prone to sweat odour than a cotton t-shirt. Therefore, it would be more likely that you would get away with wearing a cotton t-shirt multiple times before washing it reducing the carbon footprint of the cotton t-shirt over its lifetime.
The research has taken the life cycle of a t-shirt measuring the impact of the growth and production of the materials used to make it, the environmental cost of its manufacture, transporting it, retail, wear and disposal.
It turns out that over this lifetime, around 75 per cent of the t-shirts carbon footprint will be caused by machine washing and drying (around 19 per cent of the life-cycle energy consumption on washing and 53 per cent on tumble drying). The figure falls significantly if you dry the t-shirt on a clothesline as opposed to frequently tumble drying it.
The study also concluded that the manufacture of a polyester t-shirt will consume slightly higher levels of energy.
A goal of the study was to analyse the effect of increasing the number of times the t-shirt is worn before washing. It was found that a polyester t-shirt is more prone to sweat odour than a cotton t-shirt. Therefore, it would be more likely that you would get away with wearing a cotton t-shirt multiple times before washing it reducing the carbon footprint of the cotton t-shirt over its lifetime.
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