Conservation 101: the Compete to Conserve Blog

photo credit: rick

Last week, city planners met with the San Francisco Transit Authority to consider congestion pricing, and now initial plans are out. “Drivers could pay $3 to enter, leave or pass through parts of San Francisco during morning and evening commutes under a proposal designed to push motorists out of their cars,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.

For a map of the areas that would be affected by congestion pricing, go to: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/26/MNS614C8S1.DTL&hw=congestion+pricing&sn=003&sc=570

photo credit: WTL photos

A recent article published by the Los Angeles Times about Air New Zealand’s new eco-conscious initiatives has gotten me really excited about the future state of air travel and its impact on the environment.  

The carrier has developed new technology and procedures in tandem with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to save fuel and cut down on carbon emissions on each flight.  They are experimenting with various alternative fuel sources and are planning to fly a Boeing 747 partially powered by jet fuel refined from the seed of the jatropha weed plant later this year.  Air New Zealand is aiming to use these alternative “biofuels” including fuel refined from algae for approximately 10% of its needs by 2013.

Air New Zealand has also begun installing electric blow dryers in the ceiling of its planes, enabling the reduction of cabin condensation that can weigh down an aircraft with more than 440 pounds of water, thereby allowing each aircraft to cut down its fuel usage.

While New Zealand may not be on top of your list as a vacation or business trip destination, the airline is raising the bar for other airlines in the battle to cut down on carbon emissions across the aviation industry.  And by the way, Air New Zealand has a service route between Los Angeles and London - something to consider the next time you are booking a flight into Europe, whether you are flying to London or stopping over for a connecting flight.

In the mean time, for those of you that rely on air travel and are worried about your carbon footprint, there are several organizations that you can donate to that invest in “clean energy” projects to off-set carbon emissions:

CarbonFund.org - Calculate your carbon footprint for a particular trip and then donate the specified amount of money needed to offset that amount of carbon emissions.

e-BlueHorizons.com - They will donate 50 percent of the net proceeds from your transaction to The Conservation Fund.

TerraPass.com - In addition to flights, you can purchase carbon offsets for home energy and dorm rooms.

photo credit: ..· ✈Katherina ➳·..

As host of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, China missed key opportunities to leave a meaningful, lasting environmental legacy.

In a recently released report, Greenpeace commends China for living up to many of its environmental promises. But, the watchdogs note, a lack of transparency and independently verified data made evaluation difficult. And many solutions, especially those relating to Beijing’s air quality, are temporary fixes that will not continue after the games, and therefore not be of real benefit to the people of Beijing.

Here’s a quick look at Beijing’s missed opportunities:

• Waste management
  Instead of moving toward a zero-waste policy, polluting incineration was encouraged and more landfill was created.
• Car ownership
  While four new rail lines were added to boost public transportation infrastructure, little was done to curb private car ownership. About half a million cars were added to Beijing’s roads last year, a pace that is expected to continue.
• Air quality
  Dramatic quick fixes like temporarily halting industrial production and banning most private cars from the road may improve air quality for the games, but they are not lasting, cost-effective solutions. A better approach would be to enforce stricter emission standards for manufacturing, make public transportation viable for more riders, and move away from reliance on coal-burning energy plants.
• Water conservation
  Water-saving technologies used at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing and Canoe Park could have been more widely adopting to prevent and further strain on Beijing’s dwindling water supply.
• Air-conditioning and refrigeration
  Most of the cooling technologies used eschew ozone-depleting CFCs, but many use climate-boosting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Because most of these systems are new and will likely not be replaced for some time, it represents a failure to leapfrog to more-efficient, greener technologies.
• Building construction
  Green building techniques were encouraged but non-binding, limiting their implementation.
• Sponsors
  Electronic companies Lenovo and Panasonic provided equipment containing known toxic substances like PVC and BFR.

More resources:
Greenpeace’s full report:
http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/news/green

“IOC Could Have Done More,” TreeHugger
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/beijing_ioc_get_mixed_report_greenpeace.php

photo credit: (nutmeg)

A new report from the environmental watchdogs at Greenpeace says that Beijing has lived up to many (though definitely not all) of its green promises made in its bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

As the Olympic Committee has noted, part of its selection decision was based on the hope that sustainable development would benefit China as it continues its crash course in rapid development. While there are many areas that could have been improved, sustainable development advocates are hoping that Beijing’s environmental successes will serve as a blueprint for other developing cities in China and around the world.

Greenpeace found that “Beijing achieved and in some cases surpassed original environmental goals but missed some opportunities that could have ensured a better short- and long-term environmental Olympic legacy for the city.”

Here’s a quick look at Beijing’s laudable green triumphs:

• A Shift Away from Polluting Fossil Fuels
  New Olympic venues showcase an array of sustainable energy technologies, including solar hot water, geothermal heating and air-conditioning, and solar photovoltaic systems. And wind power from a new nearby wind power station will provide enough energy to meet the annual demands of 100,000 families.
• New Energy Efficient Upgrades
  More than 32,000 household-heating systems have been upgraded from coal to electricity. And more than 50,000 large-scale boilers have been upgraded to be more energy efficient.
• Stringent Vehicle-Emission Standards
  Ahead of what was originally promised, new vehicles must now meet EURO IV emission standards, which are among the strictest in the world.
• Improved Public Transportation
  Four new rail lines have been added in Beijing. A fleet of new, natural-gas buses are running during the games. And fares have been reduced to encourage ridership, which now averages 19.5 million a day. (Olympic ticket-holders can ride free, for 51 days.)
• Improved Wastewater, Water Reuse, and Sewage Systems
  Drinking water now meets World Health Organization (WHO) standards and new reusing technologies should help with increased water demand. Rural sanitation construction is set to protect groundwater supplies. And the government has cracked down on illegal construction, farming, and mining, which pollutes waterways.
• Sponsors Going Green, Too
  Coca-Cola’s nearly 6,000 refrigeration units are HFC-free. (Hydrofluorocarbons replaced ozone-depleting CFCs in refrigeration units in the U.S. in the 1980s, but have since been pinpointed as a source of global warming because of their heat-trapping properties.) And Samsung is providing cell phones that are free of polluting polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and bromide flame retardants.

Overall, Greenpeace commends China and the city of Beijing for its efforts and for demonstrating that, given the political will, it is possible for a rapidly developing city to leap ahead of polluting technologies. But for any of the green initiatives to have any meaningful and lasting impact for China after the games, the country must engage in long-term energy reforms and move away from its dependence on hyper-polluting coal as an energy source.

Read the full Greenpeace report at:
http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/news/green

photo credit: .magullo.

Biking is the preferred mode of transportation for 39 percent of the Beijing population, and with the upcoming Olympic influx, more bikes will hit the narrow hutongs of the Chinese capital than ever before.

To promote this transport option, Beijing launched public education campaigns to encourage walking and bike riding and upped bike rental availability. While one source (from the Wall St Journal) reports over 100 new bike rental locales, another (from newindpress.com) totals 200 bike rental venues overall, most near subway stations and hotels to provide city-wide rental and easy-return services.

Without a doubt, biking has been the preferred mode of transport for environmentalists, but mainstream organizations in the US are encouraging their employees to also take the bike lane—and providing incentives for those who do.

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photo credit: striatic

News about the upcoming Beijing games has flooded the headlines. You can’t open a magazine or flip through the digital TV channels without being flogged by the events to jumpstart on 8-8-08. And a lot of this coverage has highlighted China’s attempts to clean house before company comes.

While I’m still undecided on how much we should praise China after years of pollution, cutting corners, and questionable politics, it appears that others are finding inspiration in Beijing’s newly-turned over leaf.

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photo credit: jdurchen

Detroit’s last streetcars were put out of commission over 50 years ago, in 1956. But with rising gas prices and studies that suggest communities reap $7 in business investment for every $1 spent on public transportation, even America’s automobile capitol may be waking up to the benefits of mass transit. NPR reports that a bill working its way through the Michigan House is proposing to use property tax revenues to fund mass transit in the Detroit region.

Could this mean bluer skies for public transportation fans everywhere?

To hear NPR’s full story, visit:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92739732