Category: Environment

A better book about being Eco friendly

From the back cover:

“Paper or plastic? Bus or car? Old house or new? Cloth diapers or disposables? Some choices have a huge impact on the environment; others are of negligible importance. To those of us who care about our quality of life and what is happening to the earth, this is a vastly important issue. In these pages, the Union of Concerned Scientists help inform consumers about everyday decisions that significantly affect the environment. For example, a few major decisions such as the choice of a house or vehicle have such a disproportionately large affect on the environment that minor environmental infractions shrink by comparison. This book identifies the 4 Most Significant Consumer Related Environmental Problems, 7 Most Damaging Categories, 11 Priority Actions, and 7 Rules for Responsible Consumption”. Learn what you can do to have a truly significant impact on our world”

Unlike other books which overwhelm the reader into inaction with just “50 simple things to do” this book gives the reader a list of the top 11 most effective actions.

The scientists who compiled this short list explain their choices with facts and figures, including reasons why the reader should not worry about other behavioral changes often recommended but that in reality are of little environmental value.

From page 85:

The most effective environmentally friendly actions consumers can do:

Transportation:
1. Choose a place to live that reduces the need to drive.
2. Think twice before purchasing another car.
3. Choose a fuel efficient, low polluting car.
4. Set concrete goals for reducing your travel.
5. Whenever practical, walk, bicycle, or take public transportation

Food:
6. Eat less meat.
7. Buy certified organic produce.

Household Operations:
8. Choose your home carefully.
9. Reduce the environmental costs of heating and hot water.
10. Install efficient lighting and appliances.
11. Choose an electricity supplier offering renewable energy.

I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 stars since it is likely out of date having been published in 1999.

First Green Shave

This morning I had my first shave with an electric razor.

Usually I wait until after I get out of the shower to shave to take advantage of my facial hair loosening up from the humidity. This morning I used my electric razor fresh out of bed as an experiment.

I got a much better shave, even under those conditions, with the electric razor.

I did not turn on my sink once, I conserved water, I used no shaving cream, I put no shaving cream made of who knows what pollutants down the drain into the Chesapeke bay, I did not press the button on my aerosol shaving cream can, I will no longer have to throw out the metal from such cans, I will no longer have to throw out metal from the blades I use , I will not have to throw out plastic from the handles and I will not have to buy any of these things any more.

Ironically, I have even saved electricity and thereby reduced global climate change emissions. Electric razors use less power than it takes to pump water into my bathroom sink for shaving with another method.

My barber told me that if I rinse out the razor after each use and store it outside of my bathroom to protect it from humidity that I can make my razor last for many years.

Huge drop in pollution from my daily habits, less mess, fewer trips to the drugstore, and a better shave. Whats not to like ? 🙂

Go Green!

Wind Power & Hot Air

I recently signed up to receive wind generated electricity from my power company. Luckily I have a friend who worked for years with the Chesapeke Climate Action Network who knew a lot about the issue. As with everything else that has the potential for real change, some powerful people will have their interests slightly diminished and will try to spread misinformation. Aside from the fossil fuel industry my friend warned me that many rich people try to prevent windmills from being put up on aesthetic grounds and even animal welfare grounds. Basically they don’t want the things in their backyard.

Interestingly, the news today provides a quick rejoinder:

From:
The SFGate Article

“In the United States in 2003, wind generators accounted for only three-thousandths of 1 percent of bird killings — no more than 37,000 birds. That same year, possibly as many as a billion birds died in collisions with buildings, and electrical power lines may have accounted for more than a billion more deaths, the report said. And domestic cats were responsible for the demise of an estimated hundreds of millions of songbirds and other species every year.”

 


“In the eastern United States, up to 41 bats are killed annually for every megawatt of wind energy generated along forested ridge tops, the report said. In Midwestern and Western states, the number is lower, no more than 9 dead bats per megawatt. Unfortunately, poor statistics about the size of bat populations — which are notoriously more elusive than birds — make it hard to estimate how severely such kills affect bat populations, the report said.”