A funny thing has been developing in my family over the past couple of years: a good-natured pissing match over whose backyard composter is registering the highest temperatures. High temperatures in a composter normally indicate heightened microbial activity, which equates to efficient aerobic decomposition of organic matter. Organic matter in a composter is stuff that might otherwise have been sealed in a landfill site only to kick off methane that wrecks the planet (methane is 20 times more volatile as a greenhouse gas than CO2).
The Compost Temp Leaderboard:
2008-Oct-05 Jeff(PB) ambient=18C, compost=71C, diff=53C
2010-06-06 Jeff ambient=18C, compost=39C, diff=11C
2009-Jun-18 Bill(PB) ambient=18C, compost=69C, diff=51C
2010-May-26 Bill ambient=3C, compost=68C, diff=65C
2009-Aug-04 Rod&Laurie (PB) ambient=10C, compost=49C, diff=39C
2007-Aug-26 Rod&Laurie ambient=11C, compost=41C, diff=30C
2009-Jun-07 John (PB) ambient=16C, compost=42C, diff=26C
2010-May-24 John ambient=26C, compost=31C, diff=5C
Got an update for the board? Drop me a note and I'll post it. In this contest, everybody wins.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Shopping around for carbon offsets
What are carbon offsets? Umbra Fisk describes them like this:
"Wouldn't it be great if you could calculate how much carbon you emit, and somehow remove that carbon from the atmosphere? You can't, but you can offset (maybe a better term would be compensate for) your carbon emissions by supporting projects that will reduce overall global carbon emissions. For example, you can give money to an organization building windmills, and the organization in turn guarantees that the wind power generated with your funds will replace your equivalent carbon emissions. You use an emissions calculator provided by the company, and the company has a set fee per ton of "offset" carbon."
(Umbra's full article: http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2007/10/15/index.html).
I recently received a CleanAirPass (one particular carbon offset brand) as a gift. Theoretically, the little sticker inside my windshield means that I have sufficient carbon credits to render our family vehicle 'Carbon Neutral' for one year. Neat idea, but I haven't yet wrapped my head around the exact benefit to the planet. More thinking required on this.
Regardless, it appears to be worthwhile to do some shopping around when considering carbon offsets. Some organizations are better established than others, and it's important to find an organization with a philosophy you can live with. To help you shop, (further from Umbra's article):
"The Voluntary Carbon Offsets Information Portal, of the Tufts Climate Initiative and the Stockholm Environment Institute, is a nice clear compilation of basic information about carbon offsets, their purpose, and when to consider using them. They describe the criteria by which you should judge any company selling offsets, and evaluate and recommend 13 specific companies. Take what you've read in Gristmill and read the VCOIP information, and you may be able to make an offset shopping decision about which you feel solid."
For an additional rating of carbon offset companies (complete with a whole crapload of methodology), check out Clean Air-Cool Planet's Consumer's Guide to Retail Carbon Offset Providers.
If you really want to make a difference, choose not to own a car at all. But if you're not quite ready to do that and, like me, you need to find a way to mitigate the eco-guilt that comes with owning a car, perhaps carbon neutralizing yourself is the way to go.
"Wouldn't it be great if you could calculate how much carbon you emit, and somehow remove that carbon from the atmosphere? You can't, but you can offset (maybe a better term would be compensate for) your carbon emissions by supporting projects that will reduce overall global carbon emissions. For example, you can give money to an organization building windmills, and the organization in turn guarantees that the wind power generated with your funds will replace your equivalent carbon emissions. You use an emissions calculator provided by the company, and the company has a set fee per ton of "offset" carbon."
(Umbra's full article: http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2007/10/15/index.html).
I recently received a CleanAirPass (one particular carbon offset brand) as a gift. Theoretically, the little sticker inside my windshield means that I have sufficient carbon credits to render our family vehicle 'Carbon Neutral' for one year. Neat idea, but I haven't yet wrapped my head around the exact benefit to the planet. More thinking required on this.
Regardless, it appears to be worthwhile to do some shopping around when considering carbon offsets. Some organizations are better established than others, and it's important to find an organization with a philosophy you can live with. To help you shop, (further from Umbra's article):
"The Voluntary Carbon Offsets Information Portal, of the Tufts Climate Initiative and the Stockholm Environment Institute, is a nice clear compilation of basic information about carbon offsets, their purpose, and when to consider using them. They describe the criteria by which you should judge any company selling offsets, and evaluate and recommend 13 specific companies. Take what you've read in Gristmill and read the VCOIP information, and you may be able to make an offset shopping decision about which you feel solid."
For an additional rating of carbon offset companies (complete with a whole crapload of methodology), check out Clean Air-Cool Planet's Consumer's Guide to Retail Carbon Offset Providers.
If you really want to make a difference, choose not to own a car at all. But if you're not quite ready to do that and, like me, you need to find a way to mitigate the eco-guilt that comes with owning a car, perhaps carbon neutralizing yourself is the way to go.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
833km per tank. Whatever.
A recent Nissan ad campaign claims that the 2008 model of their subcompact can travel 833km on a single tank of gas. Jealous that my car (which I thought was pretty gosh-darned fuel efficient) doesn't even come close to that, I did a little bit of research to assure the comparison of apples to apples.
The EPA and the US Department of Energy run a Web site called fueleconomy.gov, where you can actually compare multiple vehicles side-by-side. I'm trusting that the EPA is a little more impartial than individual manufacturers are. Check it out.
Oh, and for the record, a Toyota Matrix uses 4-6% less fuel than a Nissan Versa. Mwa-ha-ha-haaa! I win.
The EPA and the US Department of Energy run a Web site called fueleconomy.gov, where you can actually compare multiple vehicles side-by-side. I'm trusting that the EPA is a little more impartial than individual manufacturers are. Check it out.
Oh, and for the record, a Toyota Matrix uses 4-6% less fuel than a Nissan Versa. Mwa-ha-ha-haaa! I win.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
P.V.C. = B.A.D.
What better way to kick off my first-ever EnviroBlog than to share some info I read recently about polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a type of plastic commonly known as "vinyl". Although it's among the most common plastics going, turns out it's really, really nasty stuff. In short, it's a good idea to avoid it...- Because its manufacture, use, and disposal involve dioxin, phthalates, lead, and other nasties that can cause cancer, endocrine disruption, endometriosis, birth defects, respiratory problems, and immune system damage.
- Because the full range of its effects on human health hasn't been fully determined.
- Because there are alternatives, including other types of plastic, that are not nearly as damaging to the environment and to our health.
The full article by Umbra Fisk (from whom I stole the above info) can be found here. Give it a read. Good information about some pretty bad stuff.
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