From the Pew Center on Global Climate Change:
One 500-MW coal-fired power plant produces approximately 3 million tons/year of carbon dioxide (CO2).
The United States produces close to 2 billion tons of CO2 per year from coal-burning power plants.
Greenhouse Gas emissions from coal-fired electricity, now 27 percent of total U.S. emissions, are projected to grow by a third by 2025.
There is a lot of terrifying news out there about the environment, news which can leave us feeling helpless. I find factoids about the effects of positive environmental choices to be a simple way to motivate myself to make changes. This blog looks at many sides of our efforts to go green: factoids, green tips, individual success stories, bad habits we can’t seem to kick, helpful companies and resources, and so on. Please let me know about your own efforts to go green.
Sustainability in 2008
March Focus: Recycling
Factoid of the Month:
In 2004 the United States used 8 million tons of office paper (3.2 billion reams). That’s the equivalent of 178 million trees!
Easy Tips for Reducing Paper:
1. Reduce the default margin setting for your documents
2. Use both sides of the page for copies
3. Use scrap paper for printing drafts, notes, emails etc.
4. Think twice before you print
5. Read and pay bills online
Factoid of the Month:
In 2004 the United States used 8 million tons of office paper (3.2 billion reams). That’s the equivalent of 178 million trees!
Easy Tips for Reducing Paper:
1. Reduce the default margin setting for your documents
2. Use both sides of the page for copies
3. Use scrap paper for printing drafts, notes, emails etc.
4. Think twice before you print
5. Read and pay bills online
Quote of the Month
“It is probably easier to imagine change at the grass-roots level enduring than it is to expect political leaders to make changes in the absence of a political base of support for those changes.” Al Gore
Blog Archive
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2007
(71)
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August
(18)
- 1000 New Pets: Worm Composting
- Campaign Against Engine Idling
- Aluminum Factoids #2
- Garbage Truck Factoids
- Recycling in NYC
- How much will we have to cut?
- Getting Rich Going Paperless
- Beef Factoids: Water
- Does the U.S. Government Need to Subsidize Driving...
- Beef Factoids: Cattle and Rainforests
- Beef Factoids: Land
- Livestock Factoids: Climate Change
- Bottled Water Factoids
- CT Rewards Residents Who Cut Electricity
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector
- More Coal Factoids
- Coal Factoids
- Agreement for Efficiency Standards
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▼
August
(18)
Contributors
Labels
- Agriculture (2)
- Appliance Efficiency (2)
- Beef (4)
- Bottled Water (1)
- CMI (8)
- Coal (5)
- Efficiency (6)
- Electricity (24)
- Engine Idling (2)
- Green Taxes (1)
- Methane (5)
- Online Statements (3)
- Paper (25)
- Product Review (5)
- Recycling (19)
- Reducing Impact (41)
- Sustainable Lifestyles (21)
- Transportation (6)
- Understand Your Electricity (8)
- Waste (2)
- Wind Power (7)
- worms (1)
The Green Factoids Highly Simplified List of Environmental Priorities:
1. Reduce Electricity Use
especially by targeting
Kitchen appliances
Heating and cooling
Lights
2. Reduce Transportation Energy Use
Drive/fly fewer miles
Increase your gas mileage
3. Don't Waste Resources
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle
4. Eat less meat, especially beef
especially by targeting
Kitchen appliances
Heating and cooling
Lights
2. Reduce Transportation Energy Use
Drive/fly fewer miles
Increase your gas mileage
3. Don't Waste Resources
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle
4. Eat less meat, especially beef
No Brainers: small impact/no trouble
- Winter: turn your thermostat down 2-3 degrees
- Summer: turn your thermostat up 2-3 degrees
- Skip the receipt at the ATM, gas station, and elsewhere
- Use voicemail instead of an answering machine
- Wash clothes in warm or cold water instead of hot
- Sign up for paperless statements and On-line bill paying
- Set the dishwasher to energy-saver dry
- Skip bottled water
- Set you computer to sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity
- Stop Idling your car
Major Enviromental Sites
Favorite Green Blogs
- The Big Green Purse
- WorldChanging
- EcoGeek
- Solve Climate
- Thoughts on Global Warming
- De Smog Blog
- TreeHugger
- Joel Makower: Two Steps Forward
- Celsias
- Michael Bluejay's Saving Electricity
- Alternative Energy Blog
- The Energy Blog
- Grist
- Impact Analysis
- Climate Change Action
- Sustainablog
- Jolly Green Blogger
My Blogger Panel
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