Global Warming's “Worst Case Scenario”

Global Warming Gases Exceeds “Worst Case Scenario”

Heat-trapping carbon dioxide jumped by the largest amount on record according to the U.S. Department of Energy. These numbers that the Department came up with are much higher than climate experts predicted they’d be at 4 years ago. According to these studies the world created 564 million more tons of carbon into the air then we did in 2009. China and the United States are responsible for more than half of this extra pollution amongst all the countries of the world.

So what is the reason for such a drastic increase in pollution? Well, according to scientists and economists, 2010 was a bit of a recovery year. People started traveling again, factories started producing again, and industries started increasing work productivity as the economy slowly but surely recovered.

Such a constant increase and release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has scientists to believe that by the end of the decade the world’s average temperature will increase by approximately 7.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Many scientists also believe the answer to solving many of these problems rely not in first world or developed countries such as China and the United States but in developing countries.

If we’re able to get to and change the way developing countries produce and manufacture goods, using cleaner energy such as solar or wind energy, these countries can develop and adapt easily with the technology. Developed countries like the US or India will need a massive amount of time to fully switch from fossil fuels to an alternative fuel – if this ever happens.

What is certain, however, is that greenhouse gases are slowly but surely warming the Earth up. Now is the time to act. It would be foolish and inevitably risks the entire human population if we continue to use fossil fuels at the rate that we are. We can’t continue to hide in the dark behind our garage doors and hope the world changes on its own. Every single person can act. Do what you can to reduce your carbon foot print. The only way we can change this problem in the world is to have every single one rely less and less on fossil fuels. This way we can all look forward to a brighter future.

Chris Keenan is a green and general blog writer. He writes for many sites including Precision Garage Door. Chris also maintains a personal house and garden blog.

Carbon Coffee

One Tall Skim Caramel Macchiato… With Room for Carbon

Did you know that your daily dose of caffeine can actually add up to a hefty carbon footprint over the course of year?  Statistically, if you drink four cups of black tea a day you will basically contribute 30kg of CO2e a year, or a 40 mile drive down the freeway.  If you drink three lattes a day for the next year, you’ll use the equivalent amount of carbon as flying halfway to England. That’s some serious addition. Multiply that over a couple years and you might as well fly yourself around the world in a jet plane.

According to Mike Berners-Lee as referencing his book How Bad Are Bananas, the actual breakdown looks something like this:

• 1 cup black tea/coffee               21g CO2e
• 1 cup white tea or coffee           53g CO2e 
• 1 cup white tea or coffee           71g CO2e

(boiling twice the water needed)

• 1 large cappuccino                 235 CO2e
• 1 large latte                            340 CO2e

You’ll notice the kicker here involves the caffeinated beverages with the addition of milk.  Adding dairy to any one espresso drink is equivalent to 2/3 of the entire drink’s footprint, and the milk alone accounts for more than boiling the water and cultivating the tea/coffee combined.  However, it should be noted that this is assuming the milk is dairy and coming from cows (large producers of methane).

So, what do we do?  Give up coffees and lattes and cappuccinos?  Not likely.  But, there are some options available to lessen the impact.  The easiest way, obviously, is to avoid adding frothed milk and creamer to your beverage of choice.  When it comes to carbon and caffeine, black is best.  If that just isn’t an option, consider trying soy milk or almond milk.  Knowing a latte has four to five times the carbon that a cup of black coffee has, see if you can stand to cut the milk in half and cut your carbon impact in two every day.

Another easy way to bring down your contribution is to watch out for that boiling water.  If you boil only as much as you need (face it, how often do we do that?), you can knock off approximately 20g with every drink.  An easy way to get the right amount is to fill your mug with water first and then put that in the kettle. Boil only till it’s boiling, and then cut the heat. Skip the microwave and go for the stove-top, the least carbon-producing way to boil water. 

If you purchase your own coffee, you can search out coffee beans coming from coffee roasters who have zero or even negative carbon footprints.  One of the best examples is Tiny Footprint Coffee, a coffee roasting company that boasts “Carbon Negative Coffee.” With each pound of coffee sold, Tiny Footprint pays for 54 pounds of carbon offset, which creates a difference of 50 pounds and ensures that their coffee beans have a negative impact.

None of this is to say that you should stop drinking coffee and tea or even the occasional latte.  But it hopefully challenges you to look for some ways to bring that number down a little bit.  After all, if you’re going to skip the morning commute and walk to work in an attempt to lower your carbon footprint, I’d hate to think you entirely canceled it out by grabbing that extra large Mocha on the way.

Author Tara Alley is a freelance writer who enjoys blogging and writing about finding creative ways to live more sustainably.  You can follow her on Twitter @hopesiempre.

How to Measure a Carbon Footprint

How to Measure a Carbon Footprint

By Net Callidus

Businesses can now assess the carbon footprint of their goods and services and play a greater part in fighting climate change thanks to a new standard launched jointly by BSI British Standards (the UK's National Standards Body), the Carbon Trust and Defra (the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).

The publicly available standard – called PAS 2050 – provides a consistent way to evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions embedded in goods and services throughout their entire life cycle, from sourcing raw materials through to manufacture, distribution, use and disposal.

BSI says the aim of the new standard is to help businesses move beyond managing the emissions their own processes create and to look at the opportunities for reducing emissions in the design, making and supplying of products. This will then help businesses make goods or services that are less carbon intensive and, ultimately, develop new products with lower carbon footprints.

The Carbon Trust has already piloted PAS 2050 with 75 product ranges across a wide range of companies including: PepsiCo, Boots, Innocent, Marshalls, Tesco, Cadbury, Halifax, Coca Cola, Kimberly Clark, The Co-operative Group, Scottish & Newcastle, Coors Brewers, Muller, British Sugar, ABAgri, Sainsbury's, Danone, Continental Clothing Company, Colors Fruit, Morphy Richards, Mey Selections and Aggregate Industries.

As an example of the results obtained, Boots, for its Botanics shampoo, has redesigned its logistics network so that products could be delivered direct to stores, thereby reducing road miles and packaging. This has reduced the carbon footprint of making the shampoo by 10 per cent. In another example, Innocent worked with one of its suppliers to identify an opportunity for the supplier to set up a group of employees to look at how they could increase the amount of waste materials being recycled throughout the factory. In the first month, waste to landfill was reduced by 15 per cent, and within six months the reduction reached 54 per cent.

Defra has also carried out research testing of the PAS on up to 100 food products through their production, manufacture and distribution and is studying the greenhouse gas impacts of food preparation and consumption in the home. Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: "Companies have said they want to be able to count their carbon emissions in a better way, so we have responded. By looking at where the emissions are being created and reducing them, businesses can also save themselves money.

"You cannot see or count emissions when you buy a product. But consumers want to know that emissions are being cut by businesses and this standard will help businesses to do that.

"In addition to measuring and reducing the carbon footprint of their products, from clothing to cosmetics and cottage pies, businesses will be able to offer advice to the public about the most environmentally friendly ways to choose, use and dispose of their products."

Carbon Trust Chief Executive Tom Delay added: "For the first time, businesses have a robust, consistent standard for measuring the carbon footprint of their goods and services. This exciting development will help businesses to really understand the carbon impact of their products and to follow this up with tangible ways to cut carbon emissions across the supply chain.

"The Carbon Trust has been part of this work from the outset and we are delighted that PAS 2050 is now publicly available for any company to use."

Mike Low, director of BSI British Standards, said: "PAS 2050 has been developed using BSI's rigorous consultation process, involving almost a thousand industry experts from within the UK and internationally. The result is a robust framework within which businesses and public sector bodies will be able to assess the greenhouse gas emissions of their goods and services in a consistent manner.

"Our hope is that it will be used widely by organisations of all sizes and sectors. PAS 2050 is the latest addition to BSI's rapidly expanding stable of standards and tools in the area of sustainability and the environment, which enable organizations to manage their operations in a more sustainable manner."

PAS 2050 will pave the way for business to provide transparent and reliable information on the carbon content of their products. It can be downloaded free of charge, plus there is a downloadable guide to implementing PAS 2050.

About the Author: Engineer Live brings you all the latest processs engineer news and updates from around the globe.

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