School's out, and many people who diligently bike or take the bus to work have bought their plane tickets for vacation. They may not know or care that flying will dramatically increase their carbon footprint. Using a kind of "moral accounting," people who thriftily save fuel getting to work may feel they've done "their fair share" and can indulge themselves in their time off, says a Norwegian study titled, "Troublesome Leisure Travel." This is the unintended side effect of building compact cities, promoting environmental awareness and telecommuting — three of the most common policies for ... Read More
Oregonians Embrace Ethos of Reducing Consumption
June 24, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
Pollsters are seldom shocked by the responses they receive, but Tom Bowerman and Ezra Markowitz of the Eugene, Ore.-based nonprofit PolicyInteractive were genuinely amazed by the results of their 2008 statewide survey. They asked Oregonians to opine on the wisdom of reducing their level of energy consumption. To their amazement, they found 88 percent agreed with the sentiment. Over a series of follow-up polls, they attempted to shake that number, but they never got less than 74 percent agreement. Bowman recently discussed their "exploratory research project" and its implications for the ... Read More
Environmental Footprints May Produce Backlash
May 2, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
Measuring a person’s ecological footprint or carbon footprint is a popular tool among environmentalists. Many see it as a way to educate people about the damage they inflict on the environment on an everyday basis — information that may prompt them to change their behavior. But newly published research suggests that for many people — perhaps most — the receipt of such data may produce the opposite result. In an experiment described in the journal Social Influence, “Only people who had invested their self-esteem in environmentalism — a strong form of commitment — reacted to ... Read More
Sustainable Living in Very Small Homes
November 16, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
Jan Kenney has always been drawn to little spaces: the lesser of two bedrooms in a shared two-bedroom place, the economy of carrying everything she needed on cross-country bike trips. So when she heard about a house so small she could tow it to a new location with an SUV, she was ready to jump. Soon she expects to be the proud owner of the Mobile Hermitage, a stately domicile with a peaked roof, a front porch, a sleeping loft and most of the other comforts of home — all in 140 square feet. "I'm very much into sustainability, the idea of being able to have the smallest footprint possible ... Read More
Tracking Climate Change
October 22, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
As the international community tries to come to grips with climate change, the difficulties of reaching agreement on the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide are becoming ever more apparent. One sticking point involves the relative contribution of First and Third World countries to global warming. Developing nations have contended that industrialized countries caused climate change and ought to bear the brunt of CO2 regulation. The West points at exponential growth in China and India as a reason that regulation of carbon emissions must apply across the board. For atmospheric ... Read More
Music Festivals Offering a Greener Listening Experience
April 16, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
When you put thousands of people in one place, whether for the Republican National Convention or Bonnaroo, things are bound to get ugly — for the environment, that is. Between the energy employed to power sound equipment, the paper products used to feed the masses and the water bottles necessary to keep people hydrated, concerts and political rallies are hardly climate-friendly events. And that's not even taking into account the fuel it takes to get attendees, staff or performers to the venue. Although some assemblies, like President Obama's inauguration, have been criticized for doing ... Read More
Reducing Carbon One Garbage Can at a Time
September 3, 2008 • By • Leave a Comment
It wasn’t long ago that no one knew what a carbon footprint was. Now a person can’t turn around without bumping into, uhhh, Bigfoot. Most people and communities first look at energy efficiency as a quick means of reducing their carbon footprint, but pay-as-you-throw (or PAYT) garbage collection may be more efficient, according to consultant Lisa Skumatz, who works in both fields. The PAYT concept is to pay for garbage to be picked up one bin or bag at a time so that, just like electricity, you are paying for what you use. Instead of being charged a flat rate by a hauler or an ... Read More
The Locavore’s Dilemma
August 21, 2008 • By • Leave a Comment
You may have estimated your own carbon footprint, but do you know the footprint of that apple you’re about to buy? Do you know its food miles? The term food miles — the distance food travels from production to plate — was coined by a British professor in London in the 1990s. A related word emerged in 2003 when four women in California’s Bay Area declared themselves “locavores” — people who eat food grown within their locale. The main idea: to ensure freshness, support local producers and slash the average number of miles food travels from farm to dinner table from an ... Read More
Making Hay From Woody Waste
June 30, 2008 • By • 1 Comment
The state of Maryland spits out more than 800,000 tons a year of “woody waste,” or the tree trimmings from your yard, the carnage of heavy storms and the natural decay of urban parks and forests. Mother Nature’s refuse is given about the same empty value as whatever’s in your kitchen trash can, and generally, it just sits there or is trucked to a landfill. The stuff could, though, help solve the renewable energy search. Forget about solar power, hydroelectric dams or windmills — “red herrings” in the fight to replace fossil fuels, as one researcher calls them. The best ... Read More
