10 ways to lower your carbon footprint
TRANSCRIPT
10 Ways to Lower Your Carbon Footprint
What You Can doThat Makes a Difference
Elton SherwinExecutive Director
Carbon Zero Institute
Century Club of California
November 18, 2015
Your Carbon Footprint
Good News ≈80% related to just TWO human activities*
Bad News We are addicted to both and dependent on one
Turn to the person next to you and guess
6
* Anthropogenic Sources
Where do Greenhouse Gases Come From?
Burning Stuff Wood Coal Oil Gasoline Diesel Clear forests Crop residue Garbage Dung
Agriculture & Livestock Beef Lamb
8
Optimal Way to Lower Your Carbon Footprint
1) Move into a studio apartment in the city2) Become a vegetarian3) Give up air travel4) Sell your car(s) and use only public transit5) Buy everything used at GoodwillYou will have a tiny carbon footprint
Switch from Hamburger to Quinoa BurgerOr other Veggie Burger
On average, Americans eat three hamburgers a week, nearly 50 billion burgers per year ≈15 to19 million pick-up trucks and SUVs
Finally, Veggie-burgers that taste great! Add avocado, onion… 25Also on
Munchery.com
10
Best for frying Best for grilling
26http://static.ewg.org/reports/2011/meateaters/pdf/methodology_ewg_meat_eaters_guide_to_health_and_climate_2011.pdf
Carbon Footprint of Food
Compared to Beef 2x better: Pork & Salmon 4x better: Chicken 5x better: Eggs 10x better: Milk, grains, veggies
Pou
nds
of C
O2e
27http://static.ewg.org/reports/2011/meateaters/pdf/methodology_ewg_meat_eaters_guide_to_health_and_climate_2011.pdf
#9 Minimize food waste – smaller portion sizes of red meat
#8 Switch from beef to chicken or fish once a week
#7 Meatless Mondays or Fridays (or both)
Pou
nds
of C
O2e
#9
#8
#7
28
Pou
nds
of C
O2e
http://static.ewg.org/reports/2011/meateaters/pdf/methodology_ewg_meat_eaters_guide_to_health_and_climate_2011.pdf
Elton’s Fan Club
Lower Your Utility Bill
Replace Lightbulbs
Turn off the lights
30
Replace pre-2000 Refrigerators• All of them
Unplug stuff use infrequently• Game units• Old TVs• Chargers• Desktop PCs• Tower PCs
#6
Move from Utility Bill to Transportation
31
http://revelle.net/lakeside/lakeside.new/understanding.html
Skype, FacetimeGoToMeeting…
32
Sometimes, skip the drive Don’t visit relatives you don’t like Don’t go to meetings you don’t
want to go to Make a phone call, skip the flight
#5
Next Vehicle Hybrid, Plug-in, ZipCar or Uber
33
Try it for a Month
HybridFord, Toyota, Lexus, Honda…
Plug-in HybridVolt, some Prius…
All ElectricLeaf, Chevy, Fiat, Tesla, Focus…
TAXI
Gas or electric
#4
Avoid Buying Another100% Gasoline
or100% Diesel
Vehicle
34
Gas
HybridNo plugPlug in
Hybrid100%Electric
California’s Electric Emissions
http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/02/08/myths-and-facts-about-electric-cars/185798
#4
Move from Transportation to The Stuff You Buy
35
http://revelle.net/lakeside/lakeside.new/understanding.html
Buy Used, Buy Less
Buy Used Online Buy Used Locally
Family Holiday Spending Limits
84¢
JOY = $25 max
100% local
#3
The Worst Possible Way to Heat Your Home or Cook a Meal?
38
http://revelle.net/lakeside/lakeside.new/understanding.html
Is Burning Wood or Charcoal
39
www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/wood_burning_handbook.pdf
Or paper, leaves, cardboard, garbage,
plastic, dung orgift wrapping
Stop Burning Wood and Charcoal Switch to Propane or Natural Gas
40
www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/wood_burning_handbook.pdf
#2
Downsize orRent Out a Room
How?
Place of worship Teacher University or
College Word of Mouth
42
Why? Reduce utilities per
person Reduce commute Spread building’s
footprint over more people
#1
Elton’s Top Ten Recommendations to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Healthier and Wealthier
1. Downsize or rent out a room or two 2. Stop burning wood or charcoal and
switch to propane or natural gas3. Buy used, buy less4. Next vehicle a hybrid, plug-in—or Uber 5. Skype/Facetime occasionally instead of traveling6. Lower your electric/utility bill (CFLs, LEDs, EnergyStar)7. Meatless Mondays or Fridays (or both)8. Switch from beef to chicken or fish once a week9. Minimize food waste – lower portion sizes of red meat10. Switch from hamburger to Quinoa burger
46
Checklistswww.EltonSherwin.com What are Your Home’s Top
Energy Wasters? How Do I Find the Energy Hogs in
My House? What are Your Company’s Top
Energy Wasters? Use this checklist for schools
CFLs in the Sherwin Household A lighting tutorial
www.Amazon.com
Download from www.EltonSherwin.com
http://www.cgdev.org/page/mapping-impacts-climate-change
12
25
Extreme WeatherImpacts of Climate Change
49
Overall Vulnerability
http://www.cgdev.org/page/mapping-impacts-climate-change
Human losses from floods, droughts, extreme heat, wind storms and wild fires
Impacts of Climate Change
The Challenge
Children having children
Teen pregnancies
Unwanted pregnancies
Unplanned
Child brides
54
800 million tobillion+ childrenby mid-century
“Education for women and family planning information and services, would cost 1,000 times less than any of the other technical options to reduce carbon emissions”
Population Media Center
55
56
Came Expecting• Organic lettuce• Recycling• Grass fed beef• Locally grown
Jarring Leap• Population• Teenagers• Our NGOs
It took me a long time to be convinced by the data
There is new news
Game changing developments
Two Game Changing Developments
What venture capitalists call existence proofs1. Population Media Center - www.populationmedia.org
Radio and TV: Educational Entertainment; “Soap Operas”
Very effective, very inexpensive, vastly underfunded2. State of Colorado Pilot
Teen pregnancy -40%; teen abortion -42% Long lasting reversible methods (3+ years)One visit, no permission slip FreeDonor cost: $28m Medicaid savings: $49m+
57www.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/science/colorados-push-against-teenage-pregnancies-is-a-startling-success.html
www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17820571 and www.populationmedia.org
58
I started working on• Reforestation• Energy efficiency• Building
efficiency• Green agenda
Eventually realized• 800 million
children unwanted or born to teen parents would dominate the ecosystem
If we want to Fight climate change,
Empower women,Reduce poverty,
Protect ourselves from failed states and terrorism
one of the simplest, fastest and cheapest thing we can do is make sure that as few
people as possible become parents before they actually want to
59Adapted from remarks by Isabel Sawhill Economist at the Brookings Institution
This is the Wrong Time in HistoryTo Stand on the Sidelines and
Let This Happen
60Projected growth to 2050Image: Anthony Marr
Another 2,000,000,000+ Coming…
61
This is Not the Planet We Want to Give to Our Children and
Grandchildren
Influence Existing Programs Many donors, NGOs and governments Education Poverty Healthcare
Leverage their effectiveness by funding Colorado model PMC model of Educational Entertainment
Dramatic increase in effectiveness of existing programs
62
Summarize Learned Today
1. Burn too much stuff2. Eating too much beef (and lamb)
3. 2B to 3B more children on the way Over 800 million from child brides, teen
parents, unwanted or unplanned
64
In ConclusionRecommendations
1. Rent out that spare bedroom2. Cut back on the red meat3. Donate the rent to:
Population Media Center or other organizations focused preventing teen pregnancies and child brides
4. Think about How to have California follow Colorado Africa, India and Pakistan
65
In Conclusion What are we going prevent another
800+ million unwanted children and teen pregnancies, child brides?
Who do we know? What boards are we on? How do we prevent this:
66