Check Your Neighbor's Carbon Footprint at Urban EcoMap

Here's a new device that will allow you to check on the carbon footprint of your neighbor. It's called the Urban EcoMap and it is an online tracking tool that will allow anyone to check the size of anyone else's carbon footprint.

The map tracks the emissions from waste, transportation and energy based on zip code. At the moment it is only operational in San Francisco, but Amsterdam and Seoul will get their carbon footprint maps later this year. Other cities will be sure to follow after that.

When you visit the site you are given a lot of figures of how many pounds of carbon emissions are being released based on zip code. You are invited to check out each zip code in the San Francisco. The site is also filled with advice on how to reduce your carbon footprint. It also explains where San Francisco sits in terms of the size of the carbon footprint of the entire city and the goal size that everyone should be striving to meet.

Check out the Urban EcoMap site for a more clear picture of the idea behind making everyone aware of not only their carbon footprint but also that of their neighbor.

The Size of Concrete's Carbon Footprint

It's interesting when scientists begin picking out random objects and point out the probable size of their carbon footprint on a global scale.

This is what some scientists have done with concrete. A new report has been released that suggests that up to 5 per cent of the world's carbon footprint comes from the concrete industry. That includes the energy use and the carbon dioxide by-product from the production of cement.

There have also been studies that have found that some carbon dioxide is absorbed into concrete, even decades after it has been placed, in the formation of calcite. A new study yet to be released will also suggest that the absorption of CO2 may extend beyond calcite to remove carbon dioxide from the air which actually lowers concrete's overall carbon footprint.

The absorption of CO2 into concrete has been known for years in the formation of calcite (calcium carbonate). But the careful analysis of concrete samples have revealed that other compounds may be forming.

While solving the world's carbon emissions problems is not as simple as paving the entire world in concrete to suck up the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it is certainly interesting to know that recycling concrete could turn into a net-carbon footprint exercise if done right.

Biodegradable Clothes Hanger to Reduce Carbon Footprint

Here's an innovative new product that introduces a great concept for helping to reduce your carbon footprint.

A new biodegradable clothes hanger has been created by Canadian company E-Hanger, made from recycled paper and using ink that is 100% eco-ink vegetable oil in its printed designs. These hangers are being distributed to dry cleaners, retail stores, hotels, and fitness centers completely free of charge. This cost free distribution is made possible due to the advertising dollars that are brought in from companies who market themselves on the hangers.

Such hangers will be able to replace tens of thousands of wire hangers which are dumped into Canadian landfills every year. They also replace plastic hangers which are not completely recyclable.

The replacement hangers will also help to reduce the carbon footprint of dry-cleaners and laundries by eliminating their large contribution of wire hangers to landfills. That carbon footprint reduction will then pass further on to consumers because they will no longer be using non-recyclable clothes hangers.

There's more to be found out about E-Hanger which will hold the dominant distribution rights of its 100% biodegradable clothing hangers. Providing companies with an easy option to be seen to be environmentally friendly is surely a winning strategy in today's green-conscious society and the double carbon footprint reduction will appeal to many.

Government Carbon Footprint Blueprint in Sheffield

We’ve seen quite a few local government carbon footprint initiatives over the past few years, it makes good sense politically to announce some sort of proactive plan of action. To that end, a blueprint has been announced in Sheffield that outlines how the city can reduce its carbon footprint by up to 30%.

The report has been constructed to focus on housing, business and transport and advises residents how they can contribute. One of those initiatives is for the home owner to be able to hire a smart meter to check energy use. The thinking being that if you are aware of the level of energy you have used you will be in a position to take steps to cut back.

Also contained within the guide is the suggestion to generate more of the city’s electricity locally and to provide a new public transport infrastructure.

The council has already invested in a project where council services and staff are using electric and gas powered vehicles.

Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, cabinet member for climate change and local environment, said: "We recognise that we cannot reduce the amount of carbon used in the city overnight, but by working together with residents and businesses we can make a big difference."

Devon County Has Reduced Its Carbon Footprint

The Devon County Council has reported that it has managed to significantly reduce its carbon footprint, exceeding its green performance targets. It has estimated that 422 tonnes of carbon have been saved through various measures. These include the installation of a voltage optimiser at County Hall and upgraded street lighting in parts of Devon.

An estimated 700 tonnes of CO2 is expected to be saved by making use of a new biomass boiler at County Hall in Exeter as well as voltage optimisers in other buildings.

Devon has also been supporting a program that encourages volunteer staff to encourage colleagues to get involved to reduce waste and take part in recycling programs, improve energy efficiency and to use sustainable transport.

There is a reported increase in the overall recycling level and the carbon footprint is being reduced accordingly.

Tips On Saving Cash And Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

Everyone is keen to tell us how we might be able to reduce our carbon footprint with the promise that doing so will also save us money. A double-glazing firm in the UK, Safestyle UK has given its five top tips on how we might achieve a smaller carbon footprint. Some of these may seem ridiculously straightforward, but then again, it’s the little things that count and add up to major savings.

The first suggestion is to keep taking regular meter readings to keep track of your energy use during the month allowing you to cut back if you think it’s too high. The argument is that not doing so will let you remain on the high usage and result in paying too much each month.

Take the time to compare energy suppliers. You may be paying more than you might otherwise be if you simply switched.

Take advantage of the discounts given to people who pay their bills via direct debit or paperless accounts. Many energy providers offer these discounts as a matter of course.

The 4th piece of advice is really a slam dunk and rather vague, simply stating to use energy more efficiently. We all know that, many people are having trouble doing it though. At least the company gives the example of switching off appliances that are constantly on standby can save up to £37 per year alone.

The last piece of advice is no surprise seeing as how it comes from a double-glazing firm. That’s right, the last piece of advice on how you might both reduce your carbon footprint and save money is to install double glazing which can help reduce the heating bills of the home and also the CO2 emissions.

So, okay, this is pretty much a rehash of many of the tips that we have been trying to follow for the last few years anyway. But sometimes it’s good to re-emphasize some of the steps necessary to shrink the carbon footprint.

Eco Hatchery Is Offering An Online Carbon Calculator

Eco Hatchery recently announced an online carbon calculator that you can add to your web site either in a free or fully embedded format.

"The Carbon Calculator is a valuable tool for tracking aggregate energy and CO2 savings in your community, boosting site traffic, and supporting complementary sustainability programs," said Eco Hatchery president Adam Borut.

The Carbon Calculator gives you the opportunity to save your carbon footprint and to test various scenarios so you can see how changes in your lifestyle will affect the outcome.

The key features of the Carbon Calculator are :

Individual & Household Carbon Footprint Calculation: The online calculator is easy to use and educational. Users measure their carbon footprint resulting from daily activities such as household energy use, commuting, travel, recycling, and diet.

Aggregate Community Footprint: Users can work with others toward a shared environmental goal by joining your organization's online community and seeing how their individual actions impact the group result. Communities may be any size, for example: a neighborhood, employee or customer base, congregation, school, department, or county.

Does Charcoal Have A Bigger Carbon Footprint Than Propane?

Barbecuers out there, are you ready for this? Which is responsible for a smaller carbon footprint – charcoal or propane gas?

Many have argued that using charcoal on the barbecue is better for the environment than gas. A researcher from England, however, has come to the conclusion that the carbon footprint of charcoal is around three times as big as that which comes from burning propane.

The study takes us to the biggest day of backyard grilling of the year, Independence Day, and ran a few numbers for us. On that day it is estimated that enough barbecues would be fired up to emit around 225,000 tons of carbon dioxide.

The argument of the study is that if all of the barbecues used were fired using charcoal an extra 89,000 tons of carbon dioxide would be emitted. If those same barbecues switched to propane gas the carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by around 26 percent.

From here it gets a little more complicated because the carbon footprint of a good or service isn’t only measured by its actual use. Carbon footprint measurement also includes all phases of the manufacture, the transportation from its origin to the final destination as well as the actual consumption.

There is also an essential difference between charcoal and propane. The carbon in charcoal was already out in the environment before it was used, while the carbon in propane was locked away deep underground before it was brought out and released into the atmosphere.

The study assumed that the charcoal was produced in developing African countries which greatly increases the transportation aspect of the carbon footprint. This is true of English charcoal. However, US charcoal is produced locally, so the carbon footprint is much smaller.

The final verdict? It’s not quite as clear cut as first thought. In fact, when push comes to shove the debate is still undecided. Perhaps it will simply come down to taste. If you like that woody flavor to your barbecued meat, then you’re going to go for the charcoal grill.

Global Credit Crisis Reduces Carbon Footprint

An unexpected offshoot benefit stemming from the global credit crisis has been an almost forced reduction in the carbon footprint of individuals. Cost cutting measures undertaken by homeowners has had the effect of reducing energy usage, product consumption and generally, a search for ways to reduce expenses.

A survey by one British banking corporation has revealed that 72% of respondents have said they are trying to reduce their energy bills by turning off electrical items. Energy efficient light bulbs have been used by an increasing number of people and warmer clothes are being warm instead of turning up the heating.

Money saving is at the forefront of many people's mind and cutting the energy bill turns out to be one of the more immediately and, consequently most gratifying, methods of saving money. The Carbon footprint is shrinking and although it is not primarily due to an overt desire to save the planet, it is still of benefit just the same.

Australia's Carbon Footprint 2008

Here are some details about Australia's carbon emissions.

- Australia's net Greenhouse emissions totalled 576 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2006, or about 1.5% of world emissions.
- Emissions in 2006 were 4.2% higher than 1990 levels, despite a 47% increase from stationary energy.
- Australia emits 28.1 tonnes of carbon per person, one of the highest per-capita levels in the developed world and five times more per person than China, due to use of coal for electricity.
- Transport and Energy account for 69.6% of Australian emissions, or 400.9 million tonnes.
- Stationary energy, which includes electricity generation, petroleum refining and gas processing, accounts for 49.9% of emissions, or 287.4 million tonnes.
- Transport accounts for 14% of emissions, or 79.1 million tonnes. Road transport and passenger cars accounted for 12% of national emissions.
- Agriculture created 15.6% of emissions, or 90.1 million tonnes.
10.9% of Australian emissions, or 62.8 million tonnes, come from sheep and cattle, due to gases produced when they digest food.
- Land use and forestry account for 6.9% of emissions, or 40 million tonnes, down more than 70% from 96.5 million tonnes in 1990.
- Carbon dioxide represents 74% of Australian emissions (427.8 million tonnes), methane 20.5% (118 million tonnes), and nitrous oxide 4% (24.2 million tonnes).
- The energy sector is the main source of carbon dioxide (86%), while agriculture is the main source of methane (59%).
- Australia is the world's biggest coal exporter, with coal used to generate about 77% of Australia's electricity. Poland, China and South Africa also rely on coal for more than 75% of electricity generation.
- Australia has the world's largest reserves of uranium and is a major uranium exporter, but has no domestic nuclear power.
- Limited carbon trading already exists in Australia. The New South Wales state introduced a Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme in 2003, which forces electricity suppliers to meet Greenhouse targets by investing in projects to offset emissions. The Australian Capital Territory has a similar scheme.

The fact is, Australia is significantly behind the rest of the developed world thanks largely to the govenment's unholy alliance with the coal industry. The sooner those in power showed some balls and actually made some serious decisions about finding meaningful alternative energy sources as a replacement for coal-fired power plants, the more respect the rest of the world might have for the country.

Do the Bubbles From Coca Cola Contribute to the Carbon Footprint?

Is there a point where we can be considered to be taking the whole measurement of our carbon footprint just a little too far? I saw an article in today's paper that asked the question I've headed this post with - Does the escaping carbonation when you open a bottle of Coca-Cola contribute to global warming?

Sheesh, as if we haven't got enough to feel guilty about when we open a bottle of Coke, let alone our contribution to the amount of carbon that is released into the atmosphere by our reckless desire for a refreshing drink.

It is known that Coca-Cola is one of the biggest users of carbon dioxide in the world and that the operations emitted 1.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide last year. Although it is not known what the figures are for the carbon dioxide that is injected into the beverage, the estimates are that it's larger than the figure disclosed above.

The fact is there are a lot of sodas consumed each year - 60 gallons for the average American, in fact - however, experts assure us that the carbon dioxide released through opening each bottle or can is a negligible part of the world's carbon footprint.

That's a relief - now, as long as the Coke isn't stored in a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) fridge all I have to worry about is the sugar content in each bottle.

Carbon Footprint Reduction Strategy : Eat Less

Here’s a novel approach to reducing your carbon footprint and, for the majority of us, it will also give you a bonus benefit by improving your health. The strategy is simple: eat less.

The fact is, the more you eat, the larger is your carbon footprint because of the added extras that come with producing the food you consume. Carbon emissions are attached to the manufacture of the products, the packaging that the products come in and the transportation to get them to the store.

As you cut back on the food you eat, along with everyone else’s cutbacks, the demand will be effected which will flow back to a lower production requirement. With less demand to replace food on the supermarket shelves fewer products may be produced down the line.

Another great way to lower your carbon footprint through the foods we eat is by buying locally produced and organic products.

The simple 2 word strategy to combat an expanding carbon footprint could also combat an expanding waistline and will also save you money. How many incentives do you need to help the planet?

Reducing Carbon Footprint by Bottling Wine In Plastic

A few weeks ago we had a look at the carbon footprint of a bottle of wine and saw that one of the contributors to the footprint was the shipping costs. These shipping costs are actually a major part of the carbon footprint of wine in the US because of the geographical position of the majority of the country’s winemakers.

One winemaker, Boisset Family Estates in France has taken a dramatic step to reduce their carbon footprint by choosing to export its Beaujolais Nouveau to the United States this year in plastic. This is a wine that is made to be consumed in the short-term rather than to be cellared.

The wine will be exported in recyclable PET bottles that are sealed with screw caps instead of corks. This will save up to 33 per cent on freight charges but it is the carbon footprint saving that the company is doing this for, with the company emphasising that the plastic bottles weight one-eighth as much as a glass bottle.

Wondering whether the consumer will accept wine in plastic bottles shouldn’t be an issue. The wine industry has been presenting wine in different containers for use from cardboard casks to cans and the consumer has been happy to adapt. Traditional glass and cork has already been largely replaced by the Stelvin closure without too much issue.

Bottled wine represents only a tiny percentage of annual carbon emissions worldwide. Nearly 0.1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions annually is attributed to the production and distribution of wine, mostly the latter, according to the American Association of Wine Economists. That’s about the amount generated by 1 million passenger cars each year.

NREL Plans a Net Zero Energy Facility

If any organisation can come up with ways of reducing their carbon footprint it should be a place like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and that's exactly what they are proposing to do with a new construction project that will give them a "net-zero energy" facility.

Plans for a new Renewable Fuels Heating Plant, a woodburning biomass plant, have been unveiled by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) which will be used to heat NREL’s South Table Mountain Campus laboratory buildings. Among these is the Research Support Facilities building which is expected to be completed in summer 2010.

According to the NREL the biomass heating facility will offset about 4.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide each year. The woodchips that will be used will come from trees lost to the region's mountain pine beetle epidemic and waste wood.

The Renewable Fuels Heating Plant meets Denver's strict state air quality regulations because the combustion process is ultra-efficient, burning fuel with a low moisture content at very high temperatures to the point where they are gasified. The wood gases are mixed with air for complete combustion in the heat recovery boiler. The ash and soot residue is kept to an absolute minimum.

It's a high-tech process that also deals with left-over particulates which normally get emitted into the air. In this case a separator deals with 85% of these particulates which are captured in dual cyclones that spin the dust particles from the gas where they are hurled against the wall of the chamber and allowed to fall into a hopper.

Government Carbon Footprint Initiatives

Governments around the world are busy coming up with different ways to reduce the carbon footprint in their local or wider communities. Here are a few recent initiatives and suggestions announced over the last week or so that are aimed at reducing the carbon footprint either of the government department itself or the wider community.

In South Africa an IFP Member of Parliament has called on the government to reduce its carbon footprint by phasing out glossy publications. The idea is to make use of eco-friendly printing methods to produce the Annual Report and Strategic Plan documents.

In England there have been recent announcements of a green technology sector stimulus to the tune of £100 for insulation incentives to help home owners improve energy efficiency in their mones. The Town and Country Planning Association welcomed the move. Additionally, the government there agreed to include carbon emissions from aviation in its calculation of the national carbon footprint. Acknowledging the problem is often the first step in solving the problem.

CitiesGoGreen.com has reported that in San Francisco next year, all new buildings and renovation projects in San Francisco will be held to environmental regulation under an encompassing green building rating system design to dramatically reduce its carbon footprint. The idea involves a GreenPoints rating system. The expectation is that the new code will eliminate 60,000 tons of CO2 and save 220,000 MWh as well as a list of other benefits. Story here.

The council at Carmarthenshire in Wales plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 10% over the next three years by making changes to its fleet of more than 1000 vehicles. The first Green Car Day in the county is also going to be held at the Nant-y-Ci Showground with the council proposing to add 2 new vehicles to its fleed, a Volkswagen Polo 1.4 TDI Blue Motion and Totota Prius Hybrid. Hopefully what the article meant to say was that the council were going to replace 2 existing cars with these new ones.

The Onus On Companies To Reduce Carbon Footprint

A recent survey in Australia has shown that consumers are prepared to pay a little extra for products that are made by companies who are actively minimizing their carbon footprint. This survey covered 1,000 people and the result showed that 85% of respondents had already made changes to their lifestyle in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. When you consider that 5 years ago just about no-one even knew about carbon emissions or the need to reduce them, this is a very encouraging figure.

The report that this survey was performed for was in L.E.K. Consulting’s Carbon Footprint Report, Carbon and the Consumer: Are Consumers Ready to Pay?

What all of this means for companies is that there will be more of an onus on them to not only become more conscious of their carbon footprint and the emissions produced during their business operations but they will have to demonstrate what they are doing to reduce them. It will also be important that when they make an announcement about the carbon savings they will be making, that they actually follow through and deliver on their promises.

The report has gone on to say that those companies who have done some analysis on their carbon footprint have often been surprised to find that there are many simple opportunities for carbon reduction either in their immediate production or along the supply chain. Finding these simple savings often drives business leaders to seek further changes and so the progression goes.

It will be up to consumers to follow through on their assertions in the survey to favour those businesses that have made the effort to reduce their carbon emissions.

Hobson's Bay's Carbon Footprint is Shrinking

As they say, every little bit counts, but Hobson's Bay council in Victoria Australia is aiming to be carbon neutral by the year 2020. It seems they are going to be taking it one little step at a time, but then it all adds up so they must be commended on their latest announcement, although it is rather puzzling.

That announcement is that their quarterly eNewsletter is going to be launched next month and in so doing, the council has moved a step towards their goal of being carbon neutral. What the story omits (I hope) is that the eNewsletter will replace an already existing hardcopy newsletter, otherwise, the production of an email anything isn't going to do squat for the environment.

The fact that must be remembered is that, for people to access their eNewsletter they must logon to their computer which, of course, uses electricity. Of course, if Hobson's Council is also buying electricity that is generated using renewable sources, then they're still on track to reducing their carbon footprint.

Carbon Footprint of Wine

We’ve wondered about the carbon footprint of a t-shirt, now we can ponder the carbon footprint of a bottle of wine, thanks to the work of wine enthusiast Tyler Colman. Colman has, along with sustainability expert Pablo Päster of ClimateCHECK, calculated the carbon footprint of wine, in terms of both its production and transportation. Their findings were published as an American Association of Wine Economists working paper in October 2007.

The wine story starts on the vine with the first source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases coming from the chemical fertilizers used by some wine growers to nourish their plants. It was found though that fertilizers for wine production don't have much of an impact.

Grapes don't require the high levels of fertilizers that other crops do so the proportion of wine's overall footprint is quite minor.

It was the same story with the carbon dioxide released during the fermentation of wine grapes which make up an insignificant percentage of the total emissions associated with wine production.

It’s in the transportation of wine from the cellar door to the consumer where the largest portion of the carbon footprint is produced. The fact that wine is such a region specific product means that it must be transported long distances to get to wine drinkers.

Take the United States for example with the vast majority of wine produced on the west coast of the country while the majority of the population lives east of the Mississippi. Most of the West Coast wines are shipped east by truck, which results in a large carbon footprint.

Out of the various ways to transport wine, Colman and Päster found that air cargo was the worst, followed by trucking, with container shipping by sea having the lowest impact (five times less than trucking and 11 times less than air cargo).

These differences in emissions factors mean that distance isn't always the key factor in determining which wine has the lowest footprint for a given location. If you live in San Francisco, you can get your wine from the many California vineyards; but if you live in New York, it may be more environmentally friendly to buy wine sent by container ship from Bordeaux to a port in New Jersey than to buy American with a wine from Napa Valley, which would be trucked across the country.

Packaging also has an influence on transportation efficiency and on the wine’s carbon footprint. Transporting heavy glass bottles uses much more fuel, and therefore has a bigger impact, than lighter glass or other alternative packaging, which some winemakers are turning to.

Of course, wine's carbon footprint is low in comparison to other contributors, such as electricity generation, and even to other agricultural products, such as corn. But the trend is to become more aware of our carbon footprint and also that of the pleasures with which we indulge ourselves.

Fonterra's Eco-Efficiency Programme

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.

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.