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!

The electricity industry is changing. At least 50 percent of customers have the option to purchase renewable electricity directly from their power supplier. Such power is sometimes referred to as “green power” or “clean power.”

In most states, you can buy clean power through one or more of the following programs:

Green pricing — Some power companies are now providing an optional service, called green pricing, that allows customers to pay a small premium in exchange for electricity generated from clean, renewable (”green”) energy sources. The premium covers the increased costs incurred by the power provider (i.e. electric utility) when adding renewable energy to its power generation mix.

Competitive electricity markets — In some parts of the country, consumers can choose not only how their electricity is generated, but also who generates it. Just as the long-distance telephone industry was restructured, certain states have restructured their electricity industry in order to allow competition among electricity generators. In some of these states, clean power generators, who specialize in producing electricity using renewable sources, are taking advantage of the restructured market to sell clean power products to residential, commercial, and wholesale customers.

Some default suppliers are also teaming with these competitive marketers to offer more green power options. Efforts to sell clean power are aimed at consumers who will choose to pay slightly more for renewable energy products and services that reflect their environmental values. The small premium you pay offsets the additional costs power companies incur in purchasing and/or generating electricity from renewable sources.

Green certificates — Buying green certificates allows you to contribute to the generation of clean, renewable power even if you can’t buy clean power from your power provider (i.e. electric utility) or from a clean power generator on the competitive market.

An increasing number of clean power generators are now separating the power that they sell to power providers from the environmental attributes associated with that power. These environmental attributes, called green certificates (also known as “green tags,” “renewable energy certificates,” or “tradable renewable certificates”), are then sold to companies and individuals who want to help increase the amount of clean power entering the nation’s electricity supply.

By separating the environmental attributes from the power, clean power generators are able to sell the electricity they produce to power providers at a competitive market value. The additional revenue generated by the sale of the green certificates covers the above-market costs associated with producing power made from renewable energy sources. This extra revenue also encourages the development of additional renewable energy projects.

Several organizations offer green energy or renewable energy certificates that can be purchased separate from your current electricity service.

For more information on buying green power, go to http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/index.shtml (a Web page of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy). To find out which organizations offer green power in your state, go to http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml.

The tips are from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Back in Oct. scubaology.com published an article on Great Lakes Conservation.  Recently, The International Joint Commission (IJC) called on the governments of Canada and the United States to create and apply an uncommonly strong Accountability Framework for Great Lakes restoration and protection under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

In its Thirteenth Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality, released on Feb. 7, IJC urges the governments to present a preliminary framework by June 2008.

“We chose to focus this biennial report on a single theme — accountability — because accountability is absolutely indispensable if the governments are serious about their commitments to improve water quality under this agreement,” said Commissioner Allen Olson.

The report sets out the following elements for such a framework:

• Developing a rigorous, coordinated plan that identifies and prioritizes the actions needed to realize the goals of the agreement, includes measurable targets and sets timelines for completion — such targets and timelines are generally not in the current agreement.
• Whether it be an existing or a new organization, some binational entity needs to be fully and clearly charged with the responsibility to gather information that can be used to assess progress toward the agreement’s purpose and goals.
• Providing substantive and meaningful progress reports on a triennial basis.
• Using the reports to review and adjust action plans.

“Experts and concerned citizens across the Great Lakes basin have told us that accountability needs to be the cornerstone for Great Lakes’ restoration and protection programs,” said Commissioner Jack Blaney.

The governments of the United States and Canada are currently leading a comprehensive review of the agreement for the first time since 1987. The commission also recommended that the governments accelerate their review so that the results coincide with the release of the draft Accountability Framework.

For its part, the commission committed to forming a task force to assist it in consulting with the governments on a practical and effective Accountability Framework as well as convening, in collaboration with governments and others, a Great Lakes Accountability Summit in summer 2008.

For additional information or a copy of the report visit the commission’s Web site: http://www.ijc.org/.

This is a great move to help keep the Great Lakes a important ecological part of North America.  The more we work to improve our environment the more when are helping our future.  Tell me what you think about this topic.

Businesses, Environmental Groups Offer U.S. Climate Change Policy Recommendations

Ten major U.S. corporations are joining environmental groups to call on the federal government to quickly enact strong national legislation to achieve significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.

The alliance, called the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), released a report on Jan. 22 that recommends a 10 percent to 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within 15 years with a goal of a 60 percent to 80 percent reduction by 2050. The US CAP report, A Call for Action, calls for a comprehensive package of policies that are market based, including a greenhouse gas trading system and support for new, clean technologies and efficiency.

“The time has come for constructive action that draws strength equally from business, government, and non-governmental stakeholders,” said Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of General Electric. “These recommendations should catalyze legislative action that encourages innovation and fosters economic growth while enhancing energy security and balance of trade, ensuring U.S. leadership on an issue of significance to our country and the world.”

The U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) consists of Alcoa, BP America, Caterpillar, Duke Energy, DuPont, FPL Group, General Electric, Lehman Brothers, PG&E, and PNM Resources, along with four non-governmental organizations — Environmental Defense, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pew Center on Global Climate Change and World Resources Institute.

USCAP’s recommendations are based on the following six principles:

• Account for the global dimensions of climate change.
• Recognize the importance of technology.
• Be environmentally effective.
• Create economic opportunity and advantage.
• Be fair to sectors disproportionately impacted.
• Recognize and encourage early action.

The principles and the recommendations outlined in the report are the result of a year-long collaboration motivated by the shared goal of slowing, stopping and reversing the growth of greenhouse gas emissions over the shortest period of time reasonably achievable.

This unique cooperation of business and environmental leaders is a clear signal to lawmakers that legislative action is urgently needed, the groups stated. This non-partisan effort was driven by the top executives from member organizations — companies with a combined market capitalization of more than $750 billion and environmental groups with more than one million members worldwide and global policy influence.

USCAP urges policy makers to enact a policy framework for mandatory reductions of greenhouse gas emissions from major emitting sectors, including large stationary sources and transportation, and energy use in commercial and residential buildings. The cornerstone of this approach would be a cap-and-trade program. The environmental goal is to reduce global atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations to a level that minimizes large-scale adverse impacts to humans and the natural environment. The group recommends Congress provide leadership and establish short- and mid-term emission reduction targets; a national program to accelerate technology research, development and deployment; and approaches to encourage action by other countries, including those in the developing world, as ultimately the solution must be global.

“The Climate Action Partnership recognizes that the undertaking to address climate change is an enormous one, and should not be underestimated,” said Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute. “But enacting environmentally effective, economically sustainable and fair climate change law must be a national priority.”

USCAP believes that programs to encourage efficiency and to promote cleaner technologies in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 enacted by the last Congress and supported by the president were a good step. However, they alone cannot get the nation to where it needs to be on the climate change issue. The members of USCAP pledge to work with the president, the Congress and other stakeholders to confront this vital global challenge.

The report can be accessed in PDF format at http://www.us-cap.org/ClimateReport.pdf.

It’s Not Easy Being Green
(or, What Can We Do to Help Our Environment)
By Allan Kaufman, Director, The Compliance Resource Center
 
I recently became a volunteer scuba diver at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.  Through my involvement with Shedd Aquarium, Greater Chicago ASSE, and the safety community, I have become more aware of my community and its environment, and the environment is not looking very good.  Therefore, this article will discuss two issues concerning our environment and how we can have an impact to bring about change.   The two issues concern the Great Lakes and Building

The first concern is our Great Lakes.    Do you remember the acronym HOMES?  That is what many people use to remember the names of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior).  These Great Lakes provide over 20% of the world’s fresh water.  In Chicago and the surrounding communities, Lake Michigan provides a majority of the drinking water, which is rated excellent by independent sources.  However, are toxic pollutants, such as mercury and agricultural pesticides, have threatened you aware that the Great Lakes water quality?   This is OUR drinking water and our CHILDREN’S drinking water.  These chemicals enter the aquatic system through direct dumping, such as paper mill waste, or indirect pathways, such as field-water run-off and power plant air pollution. 
Every summer beaches in the Chicago area are closed because of the high level of e-coli and other bacteria in the water.  These threats occur from untreated sewage or animal waste entering the water.  Did you know that fishing and boating on the Great Lakes is a 10 billion dollar industry?  Pollution is also having a dramatic negative effect on these industries..  These chemicals enter the aquatic system through direct dumping, such as paper mill waste, or indirect pathways, such as field-water run-off and power plant air pollution. 
Every summer beaches in the Chicago area are closed because of the high level of e-coli and other bacteria in the water.  These threats occur from untreated sewage or animal waste entering the water.  Did you know that fishing and boating on the Great Lakes is a 10 billion dollar industry?  Pollution is also having a dramatic negative effect on these industries. 
What can we do as safety professionals and people who live in the communities around the Great Lakes?  Have an environmentally sound work place, and make your employees aware of their community’s response to the environment.  A good place to start is the link below. www.greatlakesforever.org/html/aboutus.html  (more…)