Last September, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final rule on mandatory reporting of greenhouse gases. The rule requires the largest emitters of greenhouse gases to collect data regarding greenhouse gases and report that data to the EPA.

Even if you aren’t an emitter that is required to collect data and report, you still can do your part to prevent greenhouse gas emissions and the resulting global warming. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Replace incandescent light bulbs: Replace your regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Replacing regular light bulbs with CFLs reduces the amount of electricity you use–and also saves you money. CFLs also now come in a variety of colors (e.g., soft white, bright light, daylight) that can better accommodate your lighting needs in the workplace. Not sure about CFLs because of possible disposal issues with the mercury they contain? Watch for the new-generation light emitting diode (LED) bulbs that are starting to come onto the market. These bulbs use even less electricity, with the added benefit of no mercury disposal issues.
2. Use less heat and air conditioning. Just two degrees lower in the winter and two degrees higher in the summer can save you lots of money and prevent thousands of pounds a year of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. Also, reduce your heating and air conditioning needs by using programmable thermostats, effective insulation, and well-maintained HVAC systems.
3. Reduce, reuse, and recycle: Manufacturing processes emit various types of greenhouse gases into the environment. If you can reduce the amount of manufacturing, packaging, and/or shipping you do, you’ll reduce your emissions.
4. If you drive, drive smart: If you have a fleet of company cars or trucks, make sure that the vehicles are properly maintained, which not only makes them safer but also uses less fuel. Every gallon of fuel that isn’t burned prevents about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide from being emitted. Also, properly inflated tires improve fuel usage by as much as three percent.
5. Plant trees: If you have the room to put trees on your facility, plant some. One tree can absorb as much as one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime (and, if located properly, can help cool your facility during the summer). Consider native species first when selecting what trees to plant; they will be better adapted to environmental conditions in your area and require less upkeep.  If you join the Arbor Foundation (membership is only $10) you have the choice to receive 10 free trees or the foundation will plant 10 trees in a national forest for you.  Remember Earth Day is April 22.

If you’re like most people, you’re more than happy to buy green — as long as it also saves greenbacks. A recent study by the Shelton Group found that people who buy eco-friendly products at least occasionally are more interested in spending their money wisely than in improving the environment.

Myth: Never leave the lights on when you leave a room.

Reality

Mom had it right when it comes to incandescent bulbs, but she’d be wrong about today’s compact fluorescent lights. The more often you switch CFLs on and off, the shorter their operating life. In most parts of the country, it’s cheaper to leave fluorescents on if you’ll only be out of the room for 15 minutes or less, according to the Energy Department (www.energysavers.gov). In areas with high electric rates or during peak demand periods, the length of time may shorten to 5 minutes. On average, a CFL bulb costs $2.50 more than an incandescent bulb, but it will save $5.41 annually on your electric bill compared with an incandescent, according to the Energy Department.

If you haven’t converted to CFLs because you fear pollution from the mercury they contain, keep in mind that generating electricity is the main source of U.S. mercury emissions. A 60-watt light bulb will use 480 kilowatt hours of electricity and contribute almost 6 milligrams of mercury to the environment over its lifetime, according to Energy Star. A CFL will use less than a fourth of the electricity and result in a third of the mercury emissions. For more information on properly disposing of CFLs, visit http://www.energystar.gov/cfls.

Myth: You can trust product labels that say “green,” “eco-friendly,” “earth smart” and the like.

Reality

The green-washing machine loves to crank out vague marketing terms, and the Federal Trade Commission has begun to crack down on environmental claims that fail the regulatory smell test (visit www.ftc.gov and search “Sorting Out Green Advertising Claims”). Manufacturers have begun to improve the labeling, consumer information and advice on their Web sites, including lists and definitions of ingredients. Also look for the EPA’s Design for the Environment label.

Myth: Switching to solar is a great way to achieve energy savings.

Reality

Solar systems, even with government incentives, are expensive. The owner of a typical single-family home in the United States wastes almost $350 annually on heated or cooled air that escapes to the outdoors. So for most houses in most places, the first line of defense is to reduce demand, says Bruce Harley, author of “Cut Your Energy Bills Now.” That means tightening up the house and its ductwork, improving insulation, switching to CFLs, upgrading appliances and changing your behavior. After that, if you still want to go solar, you may be able to make do with a smaller system that costs less. For example, instead of a 4-kilowatt photovoltaic system (the size recommended for the average home) — which would cost $16,800 installed after an average state-tax incentive of 25 percent and the federal discount of 30 percent — you might get by with a 2-kilowatt system, which would cost $8,400.

Myth: Energy savings (and tax credits) will eventually pay for replacement windows.

Reality

True, windows are a big energy waster, but you probably have bigger fish to fry. The average cost to replace a window with a high-efficiency model is $300 to $700, and another 50 to 100 percent if you must replace a rotten or damaged frame, according to http://www.CostHelper.com. Through 2010, you can get a tax credit for 30 percent of your cost, up to $1,500, for super-efficient windows (many that are currently Energy Star-approved don’t qualify). Many older homes don’t have huge amounts of window area, and newer houses tend to have more energy-efficient windows that meet existing standards for Energy Star labeling. If you still want to upgrade your windows, you may wait until products meeting new and more rigorous Energy Star standards reach the market in April 2010.

Myth: “Biodegradable” products that return to their natural state save landfill space.

Reality

Modern landfills are designed to keep out sunlight, air and moisture to prevent air and water pollution, thus inhibiting degradation. The FTC’s definition of a biodegradable product is one that will completely decompose within a reasonably short time under customary methods of disposal. Because most landfill garbage won’t pass that test, you’re better off reducing your contribution to solid waste (according to the EPA, the average American generates almost five pounds of garbage a day). At the store, look for a claim of “post-consumer recycled” content, then recycle what you can. Also use sites such as Freecycle.org instead of hauling reusable stuff to the dump.

Myth: You’ll recoup the higher price you pay for a hybrid car in savings at the pump.

Reality

You may not earn back the $3,000-plus premium you’ll pay for a hybrid with savings at the gas pump. Hybrids always run cleaner than gasoline-fueled engines, but they only make financial sense when gas prices are high, you drive a lot and you plan to keep the vehicle for, say, five or more years. (Use our hybrid calculator to compare the ownership costs of a hybrid versus gas-powered vehicle.) Paying the hybrid premium might be worth it as an insurance policy against higher gas prices in the future, says Bradley Berman, editor of HybridCars.com.

Myth: It’s worth paying 20 to 40 percent extra to buy organic because the food is healthier.

Reality

A recent and hotly debated British study asserts that organic food is no more nutritious than conventionally grown food. But this isn’t an all-or-nothing issue: If you want to minimize your exposure to pesticides and save money on organics, too, spring for the organic label only on the Environmental Working Group’s “dirty dozen” — fruits and vegetables that carry the most pesticide residue. They are (from most to least residue): peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, grapes (imported), carrots and pears. The clean 15 (from least to most residue) include onions, avocados, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples, mangos, asparagus, sweet peas (frozen), kiwi fruit, cabbages, eggplants, papayas, watermelons, broccoli, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.

Myth: You can reduce your carbon footprint by eating locally grown foods.

Reality

While locavores often cite “food miles” — that is, the distance food is shipped to market — as a reason to eat local, Christopher L. Weber and H. Scott Matthews, professors at Carnegie Mellon University, say that transportation accounts for only 11 percent of total greenhouse-gas emissions associated with food, while 83 percent is related to production. Produce grown close to home may be fresher and taste better. But food grown where conditions are most auspicious will require less fertilizer, pesticides, labor and investment in tools, says Art Carden, who teaches economics at Rhodes College in Memphis. If you really want to reduce the carbon footprint of your diet, cut back on consumption of red meat, which Weber and Matthews say is responsible for producing 150 percent more greenhouse gases than chicken or fish.

Myth: You can neutralize your personal share of greenhouse-gas emissions by buying carbon offsets.

Reality

Measuring your carbon emissions is a squishy science, and measuring the offsets is even squishier. For example, Carbonfund.org sets the cost to offset an airline trip cross-country (round-trip) at $8.92 for .0.89 tons of fumes. Sustainable Travel International charges $45.34 for 1.8 tons. (The price of a carbon offset can vary from $5 to $25 per ton on average. Clean Air-Cool Planet, a nonprofit devoted to climate-science education, says that it’s impossible to prove that buying offsets will “render purchasers carbon neutral.” There’s no clear standard in use for certifying offsets, although the FTC is investigating the issue. For further guidance, read “A Consumer’s Guide to Retail Carbon Offset Providers” Cleanair-coolplanet.org. Also check the fine print on sellers’ Web sites to see whether the criteria for selecting projects are explained and the benefits quantified.

Myth: New homes are more energy-efficient than older homes.

Reality

Homes built over the past decade or so gobble about as much energy as homes built decades ago. That’s because newer homes are bigger, more architecturally complex and full of energy-hogging electronics, says Harley, the author of Cut Your Energy Bills Now. Even a new-home owner will benefit from paying for an energy audit and following through on its recommendations. According to the Home Performance with Energy Star program http://www.energystar.gov, improving energy efficiency will produce utility-bill savings of 20 percent or more.

ReCellular, a leading electronics sustainability firm, recently announced a new partnership with TerraCycle to establish over 1,000 “phone brigades” by the end of the year, building on a similar concept previously launched by TerraCycle. The brigades will collect and donate cell phones, raise funds for local causes and keep e-waste out of landfills.

“Economic, social and environmental sustainability have been at the core of our business long before the term ‘triple-bottom line’ was coined,” says Chuck Newman, CEO and founder of ReCellular. “Today, we are proud to be a part of the emerging green economy, and to partner with an innovative company such as TerraCycle. We look forward to expanding this relationship over the coming months.”

The Phone Brigade program could be a way to earn money for your favorite charity.
The partnership provides a solution for TerraCycle to expand their upcycling efforts to include consumer electronics. First launching the Brigade concept in 2006, TerraCycle pays schools and non-profits to collect 20-ounce soda bottles. Today, more than 20,000 participating locations are part of the Brigades, and the programs have raised more than $100,000 from millions of reused and recycled soda bottles, yogurt cups and snack wrappers. This money, primarily, has been donated to public-school organizations.

According to TerraCycle, the company “decided to expand their upcycling collections to help address the estimated 65,000 tons of cell phones that are discarded every year.” Cell phones contain both hazardous chemicals and valuable materials for reclamation, making them ideal for recycling.

Anyone can sign up to participate in the TerraCycle Phone Brigade, and volunteers will receive donation boxes for collecting and shipping phones. Brigades will be compensated for each item they collect, which provides schools and other grassroots organizations with new ways to fundraise.

The phones will be delivered to the ReCellular phone processing facility, where they will be either refurbished and reprogrammed for reuse, or are recycled to reclaim materials needed to make new electronics equipment.

In 2008, ReCellular collected over 5.5 million phones and raised over $4 million for charities across the country.

Save the Planet and Win launched its new environmental website and social network that lets everyone lower their carbon footprint, help reduce global warming, and participate in a worldwide collective — while having some fun and winning prizes and cash along the way.
At Save the Planet and Win, people can calculate, monitor, and reduce their own carbon footprint by participating in free green and social marketing promotions, in addition to the option of purchasing verified carbon offsets at the site’s Carbon Offset Store. Save the Planet and Win represents the first Voluntary Personal Carbon Registry (VPCR) in the United States.

Save the Planet and Win also features a Carbon Collective — where members can join friends, family, and co-workers to track the total carbon reductions achieved by the collective. Other social aspects of the site include the ability to share sustainable solutions, post every day tips (and videos) for reducing carbon emissions, and talk about the issues with a community of green-minded folks.

The new website rewards both the planet and its members. There are multiple chances to win, including a weekly sweepstakes and Click Green and Win promotions. Members watch a green-focused message from one of Save the Planet’s sponsors and in return the sponsor makes a points donation to the member’s account. Points can be used to purchase carbon offsets to achieve carbon neutrality, donated toward a social cause (ranging from reforestation projects in Mexico or the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative), or members can choose to cash in their points for actual dollars.
“We know that global climate change is having and will have an enormous impact on the earth — from rising sea levels, flooding, and increased storm activity to a rise in diseases like malaria and major changes in ecosystems and habitats. However, at an individual level, the concept of combating this trend can seem quite overwhelming,” said Luis Daniel Prestamo, COO at Save the Planet and Win.
“Save the Planet and Win makes the important work of fighting global warming, such as reducing greenhouse emissions and investing green projects, more understandable and personal for each of us. The website uses the power of community to help encourage everyone to make seemingly small changes in their daily lives that can have a big impact on the earth. By sharing our green accomplishments, we can increase environmental awareness, inspire others to make a difference, and become inspired ourselves,” Prestamo continued.

In 2007, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that the evidence of a warming trend is “unequivocal” and that human activity is “very likely” the key contributor for the warming that’s already been observed. The report found that we have to cut our greenhouse emissions by 85% by the year 2050 in order to stabilize the earth’s atmosphere and avoid the worst impacts of global warming.
Sign up at http://www.savetheplanetandwin.com/ and encourage your friends, family, and co-workers to join your efforts to combat global warming. You’ll be helping to make the planet a healthier and safer place for us all — and there’s no reason you can’t have some fun, win some cash, and meet some great people at the same time.
About Save the Planet and Win
Reducing carbon emissions is serious stuff, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun doing it. Save the Planet and Win is committed to finding fun and creative ways to increase environmental awareness and reduce carbon emissions. They’re the first carbon offset group that goes full circle for consumers — do something small for the earth, help on a global scale, and get something back in return. At Save the Planet and Win, it’s about being earth friendly, while being consumer-friendly as well. For more information, visit http://www.savetheplanetandwin.com/.

Can you picture what it means to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1 million metric tons? News stories are packed with measurements of greenhouse gas reductions, but understanding them can be difficult — until now. EPA’s new Greenhouse Gas Calculator helps turn greenhouse gas savings into more easily understood terms.
The calculator converts greenhouse gas-related savings estimates, typically presented in “million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents,” into familiar terms such as the greenhouse gas emissions that would result from:

• Driving a particular number of cars for a year,
• Using a particular amount of gasoline or barrels of oil,
• Using a particular number of tanker trucks’ worth of gasoline,
• Providing energy to a particular number of homes for a year,
• Growing trees across a particular number of acres for a year,
• Recycling a particular quantity of waste instead of sending it to the landfill, or
• Generating electricity from a particular number of coal-fired power plants for a year.

Users can enter savings in emissions, electricity consumption, gallons of gasoline, or number of vehicles into the calculator and determine up to 13 different ways to express the magnitude of the savings. The calculator uses the latest emission factors, approaches and statistics available through 2007.
As an example, if a typical household switched all its incandescent light bulbs to Energy Star-qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs, it would save about 75 percent of the lighting electricity use, or about 1,463 kilowatt hours a year. After five years, these energy savings are equivalent to:

• Saving about 10,289 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions,
• Conserving 530 gallons of gasoline,
• Saving 11 barrels of oil,
• Planting 120 tree seedlings, or
• Recycling 1.6 tons of waste.

This site has always tried to present facts about workplace, home and employee safety.  We have included a variety of topics such as, Hazardous Materials, Environmental Concerns, OSHA Compliance and so on. Now there is a great concern to all of us, and that is Global Warming.  Many companies are “Going Green” (read about Aquascapes Design which takes “Going Green to a whole new level), and are taking this issue very seriously.  Even the City of Chicago has become a leader in “Going Green”.

I know Global Warming will not help reduce your OSHA 300 logs or Lost Work Days, but it could help everyone around the world.  Take 10 minutes and watch this video, because we care what kind of world our children and grandchildren will live in.

http://www.youtube.com/user/wonderingmind42

 For more than a decade now, EPA has joined governments, communities and citizens taking part in National Pollution Prevention Week. Pollution prevention measures can protect the environment before pollution even begins, save energy and natural resources, and leave our homes, schools and workplaces cleaner and safer.

In 2007 National Pollution Prevention Week is September 17-23, and this year’s theme urges us to “Take the Next Step” toward sustainability. How? Well, if you are recycling - great, keep it up. You can also take a few steps that will prevent pollution before it occurs like switching to “ENERGY STAR” light bulbs or joining a car pool. Learn more ideas on how you and your family can prevent pollution and “take the next step” with helpful tips on a variety of topics. If every person made just one change, the impact would be tremendous.

Tips to help you get started with pollution prevention right now!
At Home    

Use less water, less energy, reduce your trash 

At Work    

Commute smarter, green your building, reduce, reuse, recycle

In the Garden    

Spend less energy, resources, money on landscaping

 On the Road

Improve your mileage, use less gas

Why is it so important to reduce the sources of pollution?
Reducing pollution before it ever gets to the environment is one of the most important ways to protect the environment. By reducing our energy and creating less waste, for example, we reduce the need for expensive environmental controls, treatment, disposal - and even cleanup. Pollution prevention has grown from a good idea many years ago to one of the principal ways our country protects the environment. As a result, our land, air and water are cleaner and safer. In the past decade, reductions from pollution prevention have been remarkable, for example, cutting billion pounds of hazardous materials, saving trillions of BTUs of energy, and conserving billions of gallons of water.

Use this Web site to learn more about how pollution prevention is helping to reduce pollution, conserve resources and protect our health and environment. For more information, see EPA’s Pollution Prevention Web site.

Pollution Prevention in Action at EPA
At EPA we too are reducing pollution at our office “home” by reducing our environmental impacts and preventing pollution. Our actions range from seeking sources of alternative energy to recycling and purchasing environmentally friendlier products. EPA is the first federal agency to purchase green power equal to 100 percent of its estimated annual electricity use nationwide. Read more about how EPA is going green.

Business Roundtable, an association of 160 chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies, announced a new policy statement on climate change, acknowledging that climate change poses a serious risk and that the time for action is now.

After reviewing the science, the policy statement concludes that “the consequences of global warming for society and ecosystems are potentially serious and far-reaching” and that “steps to address the risks of such warming are prudent now even while the science continues to evolve.” The roundtable’s new policy statement, announced on July 17, proposes a series of benchmarks and principles against which climate change policy proposals should be measured.

“Today marks the first time that a broad cross-section of business leaders from every sector of the U.S. economy have reached consensus on the risks posed by climate change and the need for action,” said John J. Castellani, president, Business Roundtable. “The Business Roundtable’s diverse membership stands ready to work with policymakers on proactive solutions that address climate change while sustaining economic growth.”

The climate change position was developed through a consensus-driven process led by Business Roundtable’s CEO members that included outreach to senior members of Congress and leading climate scientists. Chad Holliday, chairman and CEO, DuPont, and chairman of Business Roundtable’s Environment, Technology and the Economy Task Force, commented: “The thinking of U.S. CEOs on climate change is evolving significantly. A growing number of CEOs view it as a major issue for their companies and many of us have called for timely U.S. action.”

The policy statement calls for “collective action that will lead to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a global basis, with the goal of slowing increases in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and ultimately stabilizing them at levels that will address the risks of climate change.” (more…)

Scientists from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory unveiled a new tool to monitor changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by region and source. The tool, called CarbonTracker (http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/carbontracker), will enable its users to evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts to reduce or store carbon emissions, officials said on March 21.

The online data framework distinguishes between changes in the natural carbon cycle and those occurring in human-produced fossil fuel emissions. It also provides verification for scientists using computer models to project future climate change. Potential users include corporations, cities, states and nations assessing their efforts to reduce or store fossil fuel emissions around the world.

“NOAA encourages science that adds benefit to society and the environment. CarbonTracker does both,” said Conrad Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Increasingly, observations of the Earth are demonstrating a remarkable impact on our understanding of human and natural systems. We are transitioning this understanding gained from intensive research into operations that benefit the environment and the economy.” (more…)

With more than $500,000 in grant funding, UConn is one of six public universities in New England that is benefiting from a national focus on “green chemistry” as a way of preserving resources while reducing waste and the generation of hazardous materials.  A past aticle on this site, 10 Corps Call for Environmental Reform also deals the Environmental Reform.

Green chemistry is well beyond the research stage, at next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, people will use throwaway eating utensils able to be composted without harming the environment, even though they may not be biodegradable.

The EPA’s Green Chemistry Mission is to promote innovative chemical technologies that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture, and use of chemical products.  In addition, the Royal Society of Chemistry now has a Green Chemistry Journal.

It’s Not Easy Being Green!