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Diesel engines can run on sustainable biofuels without modification. (Courtesy of FUEL Web site)

By Debbie Van Der Hyde

Like the Veggie Van he drove across the country, Josh Tickell’s documentary FUEL covers a lot of territory to make a point: our reliance on oil must change.

Tickell advocates biofuels as the answer. His message is “Change your fuel, change your world.” Over the course of two hours, Tickell takes a meandering route, weaving personal perspective with at least 50 insightful interviews recorded during the 11 years it took to make the film.

Ultimately, FUEL works, coming full circle to deliver the substance behind Tickell’s message of change. He is a passionate believer in sustainably-made biofuels. Watching the documentary might make Sierra Club Green Home readers believe too.

Starting slowly
FUEL is delivered as a sort of stream of consciousness from Tickell. The film begins by depicting how oil reserves were originally formed and how oil is now the lifeblood of our society.

“It heats us, cools us, feeds us, takes us where we need to go,” Tickell says, then describes the numerous problems of our oil dependence, effectively poking a hole in the tank.

To explain why he’s spent his life searching for solutions, FUEL takes an autobiographical tangent. Tickell describes his youth in Australia and the stark differences, like oil refineries and toxic waterways, he found when his family moved to Louisiana.

Later, while pursuing his college degree, Tickell worked on an organic farm in Germany where he witnessed a farmer pouring vegetable oil into his tractor. The idea of alternative fuel ignited, and Tickell became obsessed with bringing biofuels to America.

One of the results of this fixation was a two-year Veggie Van USA Tour to promote biofuels. Tickell filled the van with cooking oil “harvested” from fast food restaurants. He gave lectures and appeared on talk shows. But no big culture change occurred.

Then 9/11 happened. In the film, Tickell asks the question: “Did our choice of fuel lead to this?”

Picking up the pace
To answer, FUEL ventures into the educational arena. The film describes the process oil companies use to create gasoline and explores what led the auto industry to rely on gas engines instead of ethanol. He also poignantly notes that diesel engines can run on vegetable oil without any modifications. So why aren’t we switching? And what will we do when our oil reserves run out?

FUEL gains speed to respond. The film reviews America’s reaction to the 1973 oil shortage and the Carter administration’s ambitious program to reduce oil dependence. This progress was followed by the about-face policies of the Reagan administration and both Bush administrations.

Tickell also notes that America isn’t the only country that suffers from an oil addiction. He looks at how people in other countries demanded energy from renewable materials, and their governments responded by investing in solar, wind, and biofuel.

Coming to a sudden stop
But even the government cannot control natural disasters. During the making of FUEL, Hurricane Katrina hit Tickell’s home state, spilling nine million gallons of oil. The film takes another detour as he talks to climate scientists about the effects of global warming.

Compelled to help, Tickell joined a relief mission for Katrina victims. Although he started the trip angry that government and industry refused to take responsibility for the oil spill, he was transformed by the experience of aiding hurricane victims, saying “It’s going to take everyone to fix this.” Tickell’s epiphany led to coordinated action through partnerships, including interviews with celebrities and politicians who appear in the film.

Then, in another unexpected turn, Tickell encountered a media-made disaster. Science Magazine published an article on the potential dangers of biodiesel, which essentially slammed the brakes on the biofuels movement. Tickell now asks: “Was everything he’d done harming the environment?”

Tickell answers this food versus fuel debate by describing how ethanol is created from corn for gas engines and biofuel from soy for diesel engines. He agrees that biofuel from monocrop corn and soy fields, which require fertilizers and pesticides, is not the answer.

Returning to the road
The remainder of the documentary takes a positive turn by covering how to make biofuels sustainable by producing them with waste, camelina, or even the original source of our oil reserves: algae. According to experts in the film, algae can double its cell mass in a few hours. When burned, algae-based biofuel doesn’t add additional CO2 to the atmosphere.

As FUEL rolls to a stop, Tickell acknowledges that biofuels are a critical part of solution, but not the whole solution. The film takes quick side trips to look at biomass, wind, solar, hybrid and electric vehicles, and energy conservation.

Tickell sums his filmmaking trip with: “We have an infinite abundance of resources that can sustain every living human being. The choice is ours. The rest of the journey is up to you.”

For a review of Fuel‘s sequel, Freedom:
Will Oil Alternatives Free Us?

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Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm: Urban farming in the heart of Queens (New York). (By Colin Hughes, Flickr)

By Debra Atlas

If predictions are correct that climate change and rising sea levels will create greater numbers of urban dwellers, the need for greater local food resources will be critical.

Back in World War II, a large percentage of Americans had gardens to help supplement their food. This tradition, which continues today, has spread to the middle of some of our largest urban areas. Volunteers work to transform what many times were vacant lots full of crumbling concrete or overgrown weeds into thriving, colorful, sustainable, agricultural landscapes.

These small farms share common themes:

• Educating local residents—adults and schoolchildren—about how to grow and produce their own food, even when surrounded by the “concrete jungle” where traditionally very little nature is evident;
• Producing and providing fresh, organic food for those in need in the community, including local food banks;
• Using urban farming as a way to promote and hone green job skills; and
• Introducing the community to the idea and importance of growing fresh food as part of a healthy ecosystem.

Urban farms come in all shapes, sizes, and locales. More than 800 urban farms are spread throughout the United States and abroad, in places such as Newark, New Jersey; Chicago; Detroit; St. Louis; Denver; Boston; and Los Angeles. Here are a few stellar urban farms:

One of the more unusual urban farms is the 2011 World Challenge finalist, Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm. Set atop a six-story warehouse in Long Island City, Queens (New York), this 40,000-square-foot farm (almost 1.25 acres) is thought to be the largest rooftop garden in the world. Started in 2010 by four entrepreneurs, the farm grows and sells organic produce to restaurants and delis across Manhattan. They have proven so successful that a second site is being constructed to meet the demand for organic veggies, eggs, and honey. According to co-founder and head farmer Ben Flanner, they have created a model that can be reproduced on other rooftops around the country.

Another model urban farm is Alemany Farm in the southeast part of San Francisco—a decades-old,4.5-acre, organic farm run by volunteers. Growing produce such as tomatoes, peppers, ground cherries, and basil, they promote “ecological-economic development.”

Known as the Motor City, Detroit plans to expand its reputation agriculturally. Incorporating more than 70 acres of underutilized vacant lands and abandoned properties on Detroit’s lower east side, Hantz Farms intends to create the largest urban farm and sell sustainably grown fruits and vegetables.

Another urban farming project embodies community involvement. The Homeless Garden Project in Santa Cruz, California, cultivates organic produce and flowers while providing homeless men and women and those close to being homeless with job training and transitional services. They teach basic life skills and the principles of economic and ecological sustainability. The Project provides organic fruit, vegetables and flowers for the community through its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.

These urban farms bring together adults, kids, musicians, artists, and corporations who are committed to creating unique and viable farms for the community, and bringing color and excitement to the urban landscape. These farms are helping to reduce carbon emissions and are providing opportunities and job skills that are helping to train a new generation of farmers in our cities.

Check out more articles by Debra Atlas.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

Nigel Walker with organic heirloom tomatoes grown with compost made from food scraps and plants collected in San Francisco. Walker, seen here at EatWell Farm, Dixon, California, sells the organic produce he grows to Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco, at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, and through CSA boxes. (By Larry Strong; courtesy of Recology)

Republished with permission from Recology.

10: Compost is a good alternative to chemical fertilizers, because compost does not pollute groundwater, wells, or waterways.

9: It keeps organic materials out of landfills, which reduces methane gas emissions.

8: It sequesters carbon deep in the soil, especially when used to grow cover crops like mustard or beans.

7: It promotes healthy microbial activity in soil, providing micronutrients to plant roots and discouraging soil diseases.

6: It improves soil structure, thereby protecting topsoil from erosion.

5: Soils fed with compost retain more rainwater, conserving this precious resource.

4: It helps grow plants rich with nutrients that sustain your good health.

3: It’s easy and satisfying.

2: Compost collection programs support green jobs.

1: The process turns food scraps into fruits, vegetables, and fine wines. Bon appetite!

For related article, see:
City-Wide Program Composts 1 Million Tons

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An electric vehicle is stationed beneath the Solalib solar charging station, a 12.6-meter diameter symbol of the Kasai Green Energy Park, resembling a “tree in the sun.” (By E.Q. Lam)

Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series looking at Panasonic and its ecological strategies and technological developments.

By E.Q. Lam
November 16, 2011

Incorporating the strengths of SANYO into Panasonic undoubtedly puts the latter company closer to achieving its quest to be the leading green electronics company by its 100th anniversary in 2018. Panasonic Group recently gained full control of SANYO Electric, thereby acquiring SANYO’s technology in solar and battery power systems.

Interestingly, in 1918 Konosuke Matsushita started what would become Panasonic with his wife and brother-in-law, Toshio Iue, who later set off on his own and founded SANYO. Today, the two companies are back in the same fold again.

Panasonic made SANYO and another company, Panasonic Electric Works, subsidiaries in April and is undergoing group-wide reorganization. In the past couple of years, Panasonic’s operating profit and net sales have dipped (both down about 15 percent from 2008 to 2009), and the company posted losses in 2009 and 2010. But the 2011 annual report shows that Panasonic is returning to black. The shutdown of nearly all of Japan’s 54 nuclear reactors (which accounts for about a third of Japan’s energy resources) after the March 11 earthquake has helped to draw greater consumer and government interest in Panasonic’s energy solutions. And the consumer-electronics giant is embracing comprehensive green technology solutions as part of its new growth strategy.

Residential solar panels make up about a third of Panasonic's sales in Japan but only a slight amount in the United States. SANYO has a PVC production facility in Oregon. (By E.Q. Lam)

SANYO adds to Panasonic’s wide-ranging technology with the latest developments in solar panels, including bifacial photovoltaic modules with HIT technology that can be mounted vertically instead of lying flat on a roof, so that sunlight hits both sides of the panels. Panasonic also acquired SANYO’s Solar Ark facility in Gifu Prefecture, Japan—a gallery, museum, lab, and community center of sorts.

But one of the most exciting acquisitions is Kasai Green Energy Park, a massive testing site for large-scale, renewable power storage systems located near Osaka. “This is Panasonic’s answer to how our group will supply power,” says Fumitoshi Terashima, general manager of SANYO’s Smart Energy Systems Division. “After various tests, we set up this facility to develop the best products—safest, low cost, long life span—to meet our customer demand.”

HIT bifacial PVC modules are installed on the façade of the administration building. Exactly 5,200 solar panels line the entire Park facility. (By E.Q. Lam)

The year-old Park generates, saves, and stores all of its power from a mega-solar power system (for daytime) and the world’s largest, commercial lithium-ion (li-ion) rechargeable battery power system (for night-time). The smart energy system can cut energy costs significantly; for example, in Japan the daytime energy cost is five times that of the night-time rate. The facility features a one-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PVC) system and 1.5 megawatt hours (MWh) and can produce 1,060 kilowatts (kW) annually. That’s enough power for 330 standard households in Japan—or, as facility tour guide Motoko Scott puts it, enough power to drive an electric vehicle to Spain. The battery system is designed to last at least 10 years using the same rechargeable batteries.

As part of the facility’s energy management system, eight 42-inch screens are located at the main entrance to the administration building, displaying real-time visual information on energy usage throughout the Park—and translating the numbers into more meaningful quantities, such as the equivalent number of trees saved. The company combines technology with information to instill in its employees a green mindset, which Panasonic hopes transfers into eco-conscious behavior at home and elsewhere.

SANYO concluded that li-ion batteries as ideal in comparison to lead-acid and sodium-sulphur (NaS) batteries, taking into account size, weight, lifespan, safety, and cost. The batteries have a charge/discharge efficiency of 98 percent, compared to 90 percent for NaS and 85 percent for lead-acid batteries, Terashima points out.

The li-ion power storage system is scalable for homes, schools and other buildings, and industrial use. “We can arrange or make this system from small one to large one. That’s unique about this system,” Terashima says.

Although the Kasai Green Energy Park facility has strict security, Panasonic opened its doors for a press tour of the world’s largest use of solar and lithium-ion battery power: 

Click here to view the embedded video.

For related articles, see:
Novel Japanese Recycling Plant
Technology for Smart Homes, Smart Cities
Double Energy Savings With DIY Tips and Technology
Panasonic Makes Eco Innovation Central Focus
Exclusive Interview With Panasonic Vice President

Travel and accommodations provided by Panasonic Corporation.

Check out more articles by E.Q. Lam.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

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Welcome to Yellowstone National Park. (© Dean Riley | Dreamstime.com)

Yellowstone National Park, along with countless other natural preserves, is at risk of permanent ecological damage from climate change. Disruptions in the natural ecological balance can have devastating effects on biodiversity, animal habitats, and individual species. Threats to natural areas include toxic chemicals, plant and animal diseases, and invasive pest species.

Both environments and species have developed mechanisms to respond to environmental changes and make adaptations needed for survival. Sometimes changes occur much too fast, however, for organisms to adapt to their surroundings.

Atmospheric Changes

Carbon dioxide emissions from residential, industrial, and motor vehicle sources are contributing to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The atmosphere is a fluid and free-moving global insulator and, as part of the climate regulation system, it transports masses of air all over the planet. As a result, greenhouse gases that are produced in one part of the world can have adverse effects on a location on the other side of the world. This has come to be known as climate change.

All ecosystems are connected through the atmosphere, whether on the frigid Antarctic polar ice cap or in the sweltering tropical rainforests of Indonesia. Everyone and everything shares the same atmosphere.

Scientific data indicates that greenhouse gases are responsible for increasing the daily global temperatures. In Yellowstone National Park, climate change is causing unusual and devastating effects on some of the native species.

Population Shifts and Species Loss

In the 1930s and 1970s, surges of warm weather resulted in mountain pine beetle population booms. The population levels receded after the temperatures dropped to normal. In recent years, increasing temperatures have resulted in mountain pine beetle population explosions, which are wreaking havoc on massive stands of whitebark pine trees in Yellowstone. The beetles bore into the tree to feed on phloem, which is the tree’s own food source. Female beetles lay their eggs in the tree, where they hatch and the larvae feed on the phloem. Eventually, the trees die from the inside out.

The whitebark pine is the dominant tree species above 8,500-feet (2,600-meter) elevation. Several animal species depend on whitebark pine for survival, including grizzly bears. The grizzly bears, particularly pregnant females, rely on the the high-calorie seeds of the whitebark pinecones as a food source. Prior to hibernating, grizzly bears must consume massive quantities of high-calorie foods to build fat reserves. If the whitebark pinecones become scarce, grizzlies must seek other food sources or face hibernation ill equipped to survive.

The Future of Yellowstone Forests

Rising temperatures already damaged whitebark pine forests in Yellowstone National Park. While the full effects on Yellowstone’s eco system are not yet known, the tree loss is likely to affect grizzlies and other species in the park.

This is just one small example of an ecosystem being disrupted by human activity and climate change. Yellowstone National Park is merely a microcosm of what is happening to our world.

Looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint? Check out:

Home CO2 Calculator 

Eat a Low-Carbon Diet

For Holiday Flying, Think Green as Well as Blue 

Mike Brandolino is a research biologist and agricultural/environmental issues writer. 

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

(Source: Air France Press Office)

In a world first, Air France recently completed the lowest CO₂ emissions flight anywhere. To achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the flight used a 50-percent mix of sustainable biofuel, optimized flight procedures, and airplane design to reduced on-board mass.

The flight was from Toulouse, France, to Paris, which takes about one hour and 20 minutes nonstop.

Air France directly addressed the main source of aircraft CO₂ emissions by using a mix of conventional kerosene and bio-kerosene made from hydrogenated used vegetable oils. Emissions on this flight amounted to 54 grams (1.9 ounces) of CO₂ per passenger-kilometer, half that emitted on a conventional flight, according to the airline. The company said that the bio-fuel used constitutes a renewable energy source which does not compete with the food chain nor does it deplete water resources.

(Source: Air France Press Office)

The pilots, in conjunction with traffic controllers, also applied the most fuel-efficient procedures in each flight phase. For example, after touchdown, the plane taxied with one engine shut down—a daily procedure at Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports in Paris to save fuel.

Concerning design, reduced on-board mass consists in lightening the aircraft. Every kilogram of weight removed represents a savings of 80 metric tons (more than 176,000 pounds) of CO₂ per year. This optimization process included new seats with 40 percent less weight. This helps to save 1,700 metric tons (more than 3.7 million pounds) of jet fuel a year. In addition, all cabin equipment was reduced by an average 15 percent, including serving equipment (containers, trolleys, and storage).

The airline’s vision is to reach a sustainable balance between aviation growth and the control of CO₂ emissions, and Air France aims to mobilize the airline industry in reducing the environmental impact of air travel.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

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Volunteer Charles Hanna of Santa Cruz assesses and records a solar panel’s voltage. (Photo by Kathleen Haley)

Story and photos by Kathleen Haley
September 13, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO — Fleurette Sevin spent part of her weekend on a rooftop in San Francisco. But Sevin wasn’t there to admire the view of the San Francisco Bay. Rather, she was among roughly 200 volunteers and job trainees who installed solar panels on homes as part of a September 10 Solarthon event.

“It’s fun working with other women, and it’s really empowering,” Sevin says.

The event, held in the low-income Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco, was organized by GRID Alternatives, an Oakland-based nonprofit group that sets up solar energy systems.

Sevin was a member of an all-women’s group that readied a home for solar energy. The all-women’s team did the same kind of heavy lifting that the other 12 groups did throughout the day: They scaled ladders and lifted and installed solar panels.

Christin Eales, GRID Alternatives construction manager for the Bay Area, was in charge of Sevin’s group. Eales noted that all-female teams help women gain construction skills without interference from men.

“It’s really important for women to be in a group of people where we can facilitate learning among each other,” Eales says.

The event drew more than 200 volunteers and job trainees, who set up solar power for 13 homes, according to GRID Alternatives development officer Maura McKnight.

The volunteer ranks included individuals as well as members of companies such as Google, Wells Fargo and Salesforce.

Erica Mackie, executive director and co-founder of GRID Alternatives, says the message of solar jobs is a key goal of the Solarthon.

“I think what GRID Alternatives is trying to do is bring together the entire community: volunteers, corporations, the homeowners themselves, to show that solar is a technology that can benefit everyone … It can give jobs to people who need jobs.”

Volunteers had a variety of reasons for spending their Saturday in garages and on top of roofs. Sevin, and Charles Hanna, a volunteer from Santa Cruz, both say they are interested in pursuing careers in the solar industry.

Meanwhile, Sam Stearns, a volunteer from Oakland, says he wants to bring solar installation skills to Peru next year. He says he’ll be constructing a medical facility in that country, and he wants it to run on solar energy.

At the Solarthon, Stearns was interested in electrical work. “I want to learn more about just how the electricity links up to the system (and) to the house,” he says. “It’s pretty complicated.”

The work of the volunteers pleased Cynthia Lewis, the owner of the home on which the all-female group installed solar panels. She will not have to pay the costs of the energy system’s installation.

“I know it’s going to bring my electricity bill down,” Lewis adds.

The volunteers and job trainees finished work on all 13 solar energy systems on the day of the Solarthon, says Lara Edge, GRID Alternatives communications manager. Edge says a few more steps remain: a city inspector and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) will review the volunteers’ work. If the reviews go well, the solar power systems will be activated by PG&E. Then Lewis and the members of the other 12 households will be able to benefit from the power of the sun.

GRID Alternatives is holding four more upcoming Solarthon events in various parts of California. Information about volunteering can be found on the organization’s homepage.

Kathleen Haley is a freelance journalist based in San Francisco.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC. All rights reserved.

Times are tough, there’s no doubt about it. We’re facing a convergence of multiple crises, from a warming planet to dwindling fossil fuel reserves to a stumbling economy. Reducing our energy consumption won’t make all these problems disappear overnight, but it can make a big difference.

The key is to take action now. To fire you up, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite energy-saving tips, starting with ones that won’t cost you a penny.

Free Ways to Save Energy and Money

1. Flash your negawatt smile. A negawatt is any watt of electricity you don’t use. Listen to Mother Earth and turn off lights, TVs, and other gadgets when you don’t need them.
2. When does “off” not mean “off”? When you’re talking about TVs, DVD players, cordless phones, battery chargers and dozens of other home electronics. If a product has a digital clock, electronic display, “instant-on” feature, remote control, or external power adaptor, it still draws standby power even when the device itself is turned off. This “leaking” energy, also known as “phantom load” or “vampire power,” accounts for about 25% of the total energy used by home electronics. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution: unplug these devices from the wall outlet when you’re not using them (if they’re plugged into switched outlets, just turn off the switch), or plug them into power strips that you can easily switch on or off as needed. With the power strip switched off, no current flows to the electronic devices, so they don’t consume any electricity.
3. Dress for the occasion. In the winter, put on a cozy sweater and set your thermostat a notch lower—68°F is comfortable for most people, but you might feel fine with the temperature even lower. In the summer, turn on the air conditioning only when you really need it, and set it to 78°F or higher. Raising the thermostat by 1 degree in the summer can reduce your air conditioning costs by 3% to 5%. Get more hot tips and cool ideas from our “Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning” articles.
4. Be a smart cookie. When cooking smaller meals, save energy by using a microwave or toaster oven rather than heating up the full-size oven. On the stovetop, keep a lid on pots and don’t boil larger quantities of water than you need. For more energy-savvy cooking tips, check out our “Appliances” articles.
5. Let the sun shine in (or keep it out). Window coverings are more than just window dressing—they can actually help manage your heating and cooling bills. On hot summer days, close window coverings on the sunny side of your home to keep it cooler. If winters are cold where you live, thick insulating drapes or shades will help keep warmth in at night. On sunny winter days, open the window coverings so the sun’s rays can help heat your home. See our “Window Treatments” article for more ways to green up your windows.
6. Chill out. If you’ve got an extra fridge or freezer idling away in your garage or basement, it could be costing you $200 or more every year to keep it humming, depending on the model’s age and size. Spare your wallet and the planet by unplugging it. Many local utility companies will recycle your old refrigerator for free, and some will even send you a check after they take away the old watt-guzzler. Pick up more cool tips in our “Refrigerators and Freezers” article.
7. Hang up and dry. Take advantage of the sun’s free energy and dry your clothes on a line. If it’s raining or you don’t have space outside, hang clothes indoors on lines or racks. If you do use a dryer, clean out the lint trap before every load—a lint-laden trap makes the dryer work harder and can be a fire hazard. Read our “Washers and Dryers” article for more green cleaning ideas.

Spend a Little, Save a Lot

1. Time for a change. If you have a forced-air furnace (the most common heating system in the United States), inspect the filter once a month during the heating season. If it looks dark and clogged, replace it. A clogged filter means the furnace fan has to work harder, which wastes energy. You can buy a basic filter for a few dollars at home improvement stores, but for better indoor air quality, spend a bit more ($10 to $20) for a filter that’s designed to capture microscopic particles and allergens.
2. Tighten up. Unwanted air leaks in your home can add 20% to your heating and cooling bills. Many basic air tightening tasks are easy and inexpensive. These include caulking gaps around windows, putting weather stripping around windows and doors, sealing heating and cooling ducts, and installing door sweeps to keep air from sneaking in under exterior doors. Before you run out to the home improvement store, check out the article and how-to videos in our “Air Sealing and Weatherization” section for tips. Some air leaks can be tricky to spot, so you may want to hire an energy auditor who will use special devices like infrared cameras and blower doors to pinpoint energy leaks.
3. Lighten up. For nearly two decades, efficiency experts have been telling us to replace our conventional light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) because they reduce energy use by 75% and last 8 to 10 times longer. Despite all the talk, only about 6% of American households use CFLs. Now that the price of CFLs has plunged (with good quality bulbs to be had for less than $2) there’s no excuse not to switch. Not all CFLs are created equal, so read our article on “Fluorescent Light Bulbs” before you go shopping.
4. Set it and forget it. You may have the best of intentions, but it’s easy to forget to adjust heating and air conditioning systems before you go to work or to bed. Instead of relying on your memory, automate the process by installing a programmable thermostat. It ranges in cost from $40 to $200, but may save you as much as $180 per year. Read our “Programmable Thermostats” article and watch our video on how to install one.
5. Be a control freak. Lighting accounts for about 20% of a typical American home’s energy use, and much of that goes toward lights that are left on longer than necessary. With lighting control devices, you can avoid much of that waste. A motion sensor can switch off a closet light after you’ve closed the door. A stairway light switch can be wired to a timer that automatically turns off the light a certain number of minutes after you’ve switched it on. If you want a porch light to stay on all night but not burn during the day, you can wire it to a photocell so that it automatically comes on at dusk and goes off at dawn. You can install basic lighting controls yourself, if you’re handy; more sophisticated controls may require an electrician. Get illuminated by reading our “Lighting Controls” article.

Bigger Investments

1. Insulation: Out of sight but not out of mind. Think of insulation as your silent partner in saving money and energy, reducing your carbon footprint, and keeping you comfortable all year round. If your home is more than about 10 years old, adding insulation can pay for itself in a few years through reduced heating and cooling costs. Here’s a bonus: there’s a federal income tax credit available for 30% of the insulation’s cost, up to $1500. When assessing whether your home has adequate insulation, make the attic your top priority: more heat moves up and out through the attic than through the walls or floors. Get started by reading our “Insulation” article. To evaluate insulation in walls and other hard-to-access places, consider bringing in an energy auditor who can use an infrared device to locate hot or cold spots.
2. A new kind of cool. Refrigerators and freezers chill our food but heat up the planet. And the cost of running them day to day adds up; in fact, they account for about 9% to 15% of a typical household’s energy bills. If yours is nearing the end of a refrigerator’s expected 15-year life span, now’s a good time to replace it with a high-efficiency model. Consider forgoing energy-consuming bells and whistles like side-by-side doors and through-door water and ice dispensers. Most of all, don’t supersize: in general, the larger the capacity, the more watts the fridge consumes. When shopping, don’t just look for the Energy Star. Compare the actual electricity use of various models; it’s printed on the yellow and black EnergyGuide label. Many utility companies offer rebates for purchasing the highest-efficiency refrigerators. Find out more ways to be chill in our “Refrigerators and Freezers” article.
3. Lose the heating and cooling bill blues. Home heating takes a big bite out of our wallets, accounting for nearly 30% of the average U.S. home’s energy costs. If your gas or oil furnace is more than 20 years old, it may be time to replace it. Look for a model with an efficiency rating of 90% or higher and a variable speed motor. If you have a central air conditioner that’s more than 12 years old, replacing it with an Energy Star model can lower your cooling costs by 30%. Choose a central air conditioning system with a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) of at least 15; the federal minimum requirement is now 13, but many older AC systems have a SEER of only 7 or 8. Federal tax credits of $300 or more are available when you purchase certain types of energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. Read our articles on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning for the scoop on improving the performance of older systems and choosing new equipment.

So your home is a good place to start if you want to help slow global warming. It’s basically a two-step process. First, you figure out how to use less energy. That means choosing energy-saving light bulbs and appliances, insulating and air sealing, and taking other low- or no-cost steps to make your home energy efficient. The second step involves considering “renewable” energy. The Earth can provide a finite amount of fossil fuels such as oil and coal–and then they are gone. But if your home can harness the inexhaustible energy of the sun or the wind, you can help the United States transform the way it produces electricity and create a brighter future.

Solar electric systems, which are also called photovoltaic (PV) systems, convert the sun’s energy into electricity. PV systems are made up of semiconductor cells manufactured in thin layers and grouped into larger modules. They need to be installed in a south-facing location (typically on a roof) that’s not shaded by trees, buildings, or other structures.

When light hits a PV cell, it generates direct current (DC) electricity. The DC current runs through an inverter–a small box that transforms the DC current into AC current used to power your home.

Residential-scale wind turbines generate electricity from the wind’s kinetic energy–that’s the energy of motion. When wind moves the turbine’s blades, it turns a shaft connected to an electrical generator. The generator feeds electricity to your home. For a wind turbine to be cost effective, it needs to be in a location with ample, consistent wind. Most residential wind turbines don’t need a lot of space, but they are mounted on tall towers (typically 80 to 100 feet), so they’re best suited to properties of half an acre or more to avoid conflicts with neighbors.

Depending on its size, a PV system or wind turbine can provide a portion or all of your home’s electricity needs. Most installations are grid-connected, so that when they are producing more electricity than you need, you get a credit for the excess from the utility company. And when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing, your home gets its power from the utility grid. Off-the-grid installations in rural areas rely on expensive banks of batteries to store electricity for use when the renewable energy system isn’t running.

Costs

The sun and wind are free, but harnessing their energy isn’t. After available state and federal incentives, the average cost of a solar electric installation is $15,000 to $30,000 for a typical 2 to 4 kilowatt system. A 3-kW wind turbine on a 60- to 80-foot tower would cost $15,000 to $21,000, including all components and installation. Unfortunately, even in areas with high electricity prices, it can take 15 years or more for a typical system to pay for itself. That’s still a 7% annual return on your investment–more than your bank pays you–but you must be willing to make the large up-front investment. As energy costs rise and the cost of renewables comes down, however, solar and wind power will become even more cost competitive. And in remote areas where it would be exorbitantly expensive to hook up to the electricity grid, a wind turbine or photovoltaic (PV) system may be the most economical choice.

Taking out a loan for a renewable energy installation often makes good sense. Depending on the situation, a homeowner’s monthly loan payments for a solar or wind system may be lower than their old monthly electric bill. After the loan is paid off, the electricity generated by the system is free.

Purchasing Green Power

If you can’t afford to generate your own solar or wind power, consider purchasing it from someone else. To do that, first check with your local electric company. They may offer a green power option from sources like solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas (such as methane), or low-impact hydro. When you buy green power you’re paying a small premium to support the utility’s renewable energy generation, but you’re not actually getting “green electrons” delivered to your home. Electrons are indistinguishable; those generated by renewable energy sources go into the grid and mix with electrons from all the utility’s other sources.

If your utility company doesn’t offer green power, don’t despair. You can purchase “green tags” (they’re also called renewable energy certificates, RECs, or green energy certificates). It’s similar to buying green power from your local utility, except that when you buy a green tag, you may be supporting green power generation in other parts of the country, not necessarily in your region. When you buy a green tag, you’re rewarding power suppliers that offer green power, but you’re not necessarily funding the development of new renewable energy sources. To find out more about green power and green tags, check out the U.S. EPA’s green power website.

Other Renewable Energy Sources

Most people mean sun and wind when they talk about home-scale renewable energy sources. But two other renewables are worth mentioning:

• For home heating, wood is a renewable source of energy if it’s harvested responsibly to balance the need for wood with protection of forest health and soil and water quality. Unlike burning fossil fuels, burning wood is not a net contributor of CO2 to the atmosphere. That’s because more CO2 is absorbed by a growing tree than is emitted when the wood is burned. Wood burning creates hazardous pollutants, however, including fine particles that can harm people’s lungs and cause asthma attacks and bronchitis. To learn more about the pros and cons of heating with wood, see our hearth products page.
• Some day, hydrogen fuel cells may be used to power our homes. They work by converting the chemical energy in hydrogen into electricity, producing water and heat as the only byproducts. This technology, although limited, is already available for commercial and residence use. To learn more visit ClearEdge Power. One challenge is extracting the hydrogen for use in the fuel cell, since in nature hydrogen is almost always bound with another element, such as oxygen. If fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, are used to produce the hydrogen, then hydrogen wouldn’t be considered a form of renewable energy. But if solar or wind energy is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, then the electricity produced is renewable.

Ground-source heat pumps (also called geothermal heat pumps) are sometimes referred to as renewable energy, but they’re actually an energy-efficient way of heating and cooling with electricity.

Big Benefits

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, producing 20% of our nation’s electricity with renewable energy by 2020 is both possible and affordable. When combined with strong energy-efficiency programs, meeting such a goal would

• Spur innovation
  The United States, once a leader in renewable energy development, has fallen behind other nations in pursuing clean energy solutions. By reinvigorating our commitment to renewable energy and energy efficiency, we can develop the technologies of tomorrow and find solutions for today’s most pressing problems.
• Curb global warming
  Fossil-fuel power plants are a primary source of CO2 emissions in the United States. Boosting the country’s use of renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency could eliminate the need for nearly a thousand new fossil-fuel power plants over the next 20 years.
• Improve public health
  Pollution from existing power plants contributes to over 600,000 asthma attacks each year. Increasing energy efficiency and our use of renewable energy would take dangerous pollutants out of the air and let us all breathe a little easier.
• Cut energy bills
  Although it takes a while to recoup the initial cost, eventually the electricity generated by a solar or wind energy system saves you money. In addition, renewable energy systems give you a hedge against future energy price increases. They may even increase the value of your home by as much as $10 to $20 for every dollar in saved in annual energy costs.
• Enhance energy security
  Renewable energy allows communities and homes to generate their own decentralized power, which would make it difficult for terrorists to disrupt large portions of the electrical grid.
• Generate jobs, income, and revenue
  Renewable energy development can be a powerful economic support for rural areas. Some farmers and ranchers have received $2,000 a year in lease payments for each wind turbine operating on their land. Renewable energy projects also boost local tax revenues and generate local jobs.

We’ve put together these basic frequently asked questions to give you a starting point in your global warming education. When you’re done reading up on the basics, check out our site to learn more about how you can do your part to lower your contribution to global warming.

What causes global warming? Is it part of a natural cycle?

Global warming is caused by the atmospheric buildup of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, which form a sort of blanket over the Earth, trapping in heat that would normally escape the atmosphere. Most human-generated greenhouse gases come in the form of carbon dioxide, a pollutant emitted from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. While it is true that there has always been some natural climate variability, record levels of carbon dioxide are spurring far-reaching changes in our weather, sea levels, and climate. 

Throughout ice ages, higher concentrations of carbon dioxide have correlated with higher temperatures. Humans are exacerbating global temperatures through industrial activity which dramatically increases carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. In its recent report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that 2005 carbon dioxide levels significantly exceed average concentration levels over the past 650,000 years.

• Click here to read the report on global warming science by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s leading scientific body on global warming.

How can global warming affect our lives?

We do not yet fully know how radical climate change will affect our way of life, but we do know that the effects of growing carbon dioxide emissions already occurring are staggering: the eleven years ranging between 1995 and 2006 rank among the twelve warmest years recorded since 1850. Sea level rise will likely increase 20-50 inches (.5-1.4 meters) above 1990 levels by 2100, dramatically altering coastal communities and natural habitats.

Leading scientists assert that a rise of 2 degrees Celsius (4 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial temperatures would leave hundreds of millions of people around the world “exposed to increased water stress,” decrease air quality in cities, increase ocean acidification leading to the destruction of calcifying marine life (including coral and dependent species), negatively impact farmers and fishers, increase the likelihood and severity of wildfires, and dramatically escalate mortality rates resulting from drought, floods, and heat waves. Few ecosystems could adapt to such a dramatic temperature change, potentially resulting in the extinction of 30% of species and the loss of 30% of coastal wetlands. In North America specifically, higher temperatures will decrease snow pack in the western mountains, reducing summer water supplies and exacerbating chances of drought.

To avoid such catastrophes, scientists say that we must reduce our carbon emissions by at least 80% by 2050 to prevent global temperatures from rising above 2 degrees Celsius (4 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial averages.

Read the IPCC’s definitive report on the possible impacts of global warming.

Does the rise in Earth’s temperature cause more intense storms and hurricanes? If so, how?

Yes. Hurricanes are powered by warm water on the surface of the ocean. As global warming heats the surface of the water, hurricanes will increase in speed, power, and severity.

In its most recent report, IPCC found that tropical storms have become more intense in the North Atlantic since 1970, during which time period carbon dioxide levels have increased by 80%. The report also found that future tropical typhoons and hurricanes will likely become more intense as measured by higher wind speeds and heavier precipitation. More powerful cyclones will lead to crop damage, power outages, increase risk of food and water-borne diseases, population migration, and property loss.

What are the largest sources of global warming pollution in the world and in the United States?

According to 2005 figures by the Department of Energy, the US produces 21.1% of all CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, at 5,957 million metric tons. While it was second to the U.S. in 2005, China took over first place in mid-2007, emitting roughly 28% of the world’s CO2. But that does mean that the U.S. emits more CO2 than India (4.1%), Russia (6%), Japan (4.4%), Australia (1.4%), and more than all of Europe (16.6%).

The U.S. emits roughly 30% of its carbon dioxide from the transportation sector and 40% from power plants. We burn coal and natural gas to produce electricity for our homes, businesses, and factories. Most of the oil is burned to power transportation–planes, buses, and cars. Unfortunately, nearly all of the technology that produces this energy is outdated and inefficient. We can continue to live our lives by putting more efficient technology to use, and by generating more energy from clean sources like wind, solar and fuel cells.

Can we curb our emissions of global warming pollution without hurting our economy?

Absolutely. America’s current energy policy is terribly expensive, requiring large subsidies while taking a heavy toll on consumers. Studies show that by investing in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency, we can reduce our greenhouse emissions the necessary 80% by 2050 while creating new jobs and saving consumers money, and we can do so without producing dangerous and expensive electricity from nuclear reactors.

While many countries in Europe and Asia are recognizing the need to curb emissions, America’s industries are falling behind. America needs policies and programs that will stimulate green power industries so we can ensure that America will once again lead the world in technology and manufacturing. And by making simple choices in the kinds of products we buy, such as compact florescent light bulbs and hybrid cars, we can all save money and protect the environment by consuming less energy.

• Read the latest report that proves we can curb global warming and create jobs.
• Read the Sierra Club’s official roadmap to achieving 80% carbon reductions by 2050 without nuclear power.
• Read Energy [R]evolution: a Blueprint for Solving Global Warming
• Read the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research’s Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free: A Roadmap For U.S. Energy Policy

How is the international community addressing climate change?

Recognizing the urgency of the threat posed by climate change, developing countries agreed at recent UN climate change negotiations in Bali to complement developed-country mitigation targets with nationally appropriate mitigation actions of their own. This represents a significant change of position on the part of developing countries. The U.S. has the opportunity to capitalize on the momentum of Bali if we act quickly to put in place the necessary legislation to reduce domestic emissions.

• Read the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Bali Final Results

Is it too late to stop global warming?

While it is true that global warming is already occurring and affecting the way we live, we can prevent global temperatures from reaching dangerous levels if we take steps now to begin dramatically reducing our carbon emissions. If we do not begin to shift to clean energy, the heat waves and hurricanes that we have already suffered through will worsen. Thankfully, we have all the tools necessary to curb our emissions of greenhouse gases–tools like clean energy, energy efficiency, and cars that go farther on a gallon of gas. Click here to learn more about global warming solutions.