carbon economy

In 1997, US carbon emissions stood at 1480 metric tons per year. Of that total 480 million tons was caused by transportation alone. Transportation is something we as consumers can easily influence. Our everyday behavior can make a big dent here as was shown by a pronounced dip in emission at the end of the 1970's and early 80's. That is when the first energy crisis hit. During that time gas was expensive and it was sometimes hard to get. And it had a direct impact on our behavior. Carbon emissions dropped by almost 25%. Since 1983, and despite new clean technology, carbon emissions in the US have risen 25%. We are back to square one.

There are three easy things you can do to affect emissions from transportation. One, you can drive less. Two, you can buy locally grown food. Both of these are good for your health too. And they would go a long way to cure the obesity epidemic everyone is talking about.

Three, you can buy American goods. That is the patriotic thing to do.

There are also things you can do that look good but amount to nothing. These are often highlighted in commercials, because they all involve buying new things. And the most visible is to buy an oversized hybrid. If you are doing it to look good and impress the neighbors, go ahead and get that hybrid SUV or hybrid luxury sedan. If you are environmentally conscious, don't bother. You'd be better of buying a small car.

The remaining 1,000 million metric tons are only partly and indirectly under our control. About half is due to industrial emissions and it will probably take tough legislation to change things here. That means don't hold your breath. Much of the industrial output goes to other countries, especially developing nations that have a nearly endless appetite for durable goods. But to pay for those goods they need hard currency and that they get through exporting cheap consumer items that we eagerly pick up. Every Chinese gadget and toy you buy directly supports this machine. But it is hard to resist cheap shiny trinkets.

The final 520 million metric tons are split between residential at 300 million, and commercial at 220. Residential is theoretically easy to influence. In practice though it is deeply imbedded in habits and changing habits is a tough thing to do. That is what New Year's resolutions are all about and we all know what that means.

Additionally, we have also cast our habits in stone, or at least in buildings that we are stuck with for a life-time. These buildings, or houses are by all measures over-sized and wasteful, but unlike vehicles, they are much harder to change out. Houses last a long time.

So we need to resort to the following. Lower the thermostats. Turn off the lights and appliances when you don't use them. Unplug those that have stand-by modes. Don't buy new items with stand-by modes. PG&E in California is running a campaign to get rid off stand-by modes. It is a smart idea.

Try to live without battery operated gadgets. You really do not need a GPS to drive around your neighborhood, and the few times you go somewhere else, take a map. You won't have to listen to that annoying voice either.

Limit the use of unnecessary items such as hair dryers, space heaters, and especially clothes dryers. Use solar energy or -in winter- hang your clothes in a heated garage, basement or utility room. Your clothes will look better and last longer too. This is the cheapest form of solar energy. No upfront costs other than a laundry line, and immediate substantial payback. This could save you hundreds of dollars each year.

If you still think we humans are too puny to affect the global environment, consider this. Of the 1,480 million metric tons of CO2 we produce each and every year, only about 1/3 can be reabsorbed by ALL the forests in the US. The remaining 2/3's enter the atmosphere and stay there. You can say we rely on forests elsewhere to capture the excess. But so does everyone else. And the result is obvious. Carbon dioxide levels have been rising steadily in the last 50 years. It is time to do something about it before it is too late.