Lester R. Brown
There are enormous opportunities to use energy more efficiently. Investing in energy efficiency is often far cheaper than expanding the energy supply to meet growing demand. Efficiency investments typically yield a high rate of return, saving consumers money, and can help fight climate change by avoiding carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from burning additional fossil fuels. Just as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) offer great electricity savings over incandescent light bulbs, a similar range of efficiencies is available for many household appliances, such as refrigerators and home electronics.
The U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005 was designed to exploit some of these potential savings. It raises appliance efficiency standards high enough [...]
Raising Appliance Efficiency: A Win for Consumers and the Climate
How Many Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs Does It Take to Close 705 Coal Plants?
Lester R. Brown
The lighting sector is on the edge of a spectacular revolution, a shift from the century-old, inefficient incandescent light bulb to far more efficient technologies. Perhaps the quickest, most profitable way to reduce electricity use worldwide—thus cutting carbon emissions—is simply to change light bulbs.
The first advance in this field came with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Replacing old-fashioned inefficient incandescent bulbs that are still widely used today with new CFLs can reduce the electricity used for lighting by three fourths. Over its lifetime, each standard (13 watt) CFL will reduce electricity bills by roughly $30. And though a CFL may cost twice as much as an incandescent, it lasts [...]
Ford Cuts Energy Costs by $1.2M by turning off PC’s!
Electronics are notorious for energy “leaks”. Ford Motor Company is discoveing just how much energy they’ve been wasting when they implemented their new PC Power Management program. The company anticipates it will save $1.2 million when the system is fully implemented. It also expects to reduce its carbon footprint by 16,000-25,000 metric tons annually.
Under this new program, power settings on Windows laptops and desktop computers are controlled centrally. This reduces energy waste and allows for optimizing software updates. Shutting down computers that aren’t in use – nighttimes and weekends – also helps reduce weated energy.
Computers will, however, be “awake”, connected to Ford’s intranet so as to be able to receive system updates and software upgrades [...]
Zero-Carbon Buildings
Lester R. Brown
The building sector is responsible for a large share of world electricity consumption and raw materials use. In the United States, buildings—commercial and residential—account for 72 percent of electricity use and 38 percent of CO2 emissions. Worldwide, building construction accounts for 40 percent of materials use.
Because buildings last for 50–100 years or longer, it is often assumed that cutting carbon emissions in the building sector is a long-term process. But that is not the case. An energy retrofit of an older inefficient building can cut energy use and energy bills by 20–50 percent. The next step, shifting entirely to carbon-free electricity, either generated onsite or purchased, to heat, [...]
Want to Reduce Energy Use and Become More Efficient? How About a New, Smarter Electric Bill?
At this year’s TED Conference, Bill Gates got a lot of attention speaking about the need for clean energy. He emphasized a strategy of developing carbon neutral technologies over the next 20 years and then implementing them over the following 20 years, with the goal of have zero carbon emissions by 2050. You can’t really argue with the merits of this, but the reality is far off. Most countries have a sense of how to reduce their emissions by 15-20% below 1990 levels, but beyond that, a realistic path to zero emissions is still shrouded in mist.
This isn’t to say we shouldn’t try to get there. But in the meantime, we’re [...]
Cisco cuts net 40% greenhouse gas emissions
In several previous posts I’ve poked at corporations that boasted cuts in their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when they’ve been only around 2 to 5 percent. This time, however, one company has cuts that are substantial.
Cisco Systems has succeeded in cutting their net emissions by 40 percent, compared against 2007. These figures include what’s termed Scope 1 direct emissions from Cisco-owned or controlled sources), Scope 2 (emissions from Cisco’s energy purchases) and Scope 3 (emissions from Cisco’s business air travel ( both corporate wide and worldwide).
According to Darrel Stickler of Cisco’s Sustainable Business Practices, few companies include Scope 3 of any type in an absolute reduction goal.
This success comes as part of Cisco’s overall sustainability practices, as reported in their fifth annual corporate social [...]
An Amish-style barn raising, for energy efficiency!
Tomorrow morning is the first-ever Energy Efficiency Barn-Raising, right here in Providence, RI. Modeled after the Amish tradition, volunteers and community members will be onhand to help a family weatherize their home for the winter. Some of the improvements that will be made include: installing programmable thermostats, exterior/interior air sealing, installing low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators, putting up weatherization plastic, and lots more. This project is modeled after the successful Cambrisge MA Home Energy Efficiency Team. It is under the aegis of the Environmental Justice League of RI, the Apeiron Institute, and English For Action. There will be a potluck, and it should be a festive occasion. There will [...]
Eli Lilly achieves energy efficiency goals 2 years early
Eli Lilly and Company, a worldwide pharmaceutical company, has reached and surpassed their energy reduction goals two years ahead of schedule.
Although the reductions are modest – cutting absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 4.4 percent, cutting absolute energy use by 5.8 percent from 2004 to 2008 – Lilly did improve their energy use per dollar of sales by 35 percent.
Lilly has set a new goal of reducing GHG emissions by 15 percent by2013, which will cut CO2 emissions by nearly 340,000 metric tons per year.
Lilly’s continuing environmental efforts on a variety of fronts include:
reducing water intake 25 percent by 2013
reducing waste disposed in landfills by 40 percent by 2013
Both are compared to a [...]
The sweet (green) taste of Hawaii
With these cool mornings and longer days, steaming hot coffee or tea helps start the day. For sweetness, instead of sugar, stevia or the pink-or-blue stuff, my favorite is honey.
I recently came across rich Royal Hawaiian Honey, from Tropical Traders Specialty Foods. This artisan product originates from Hawaii’s Big Island. One of only a handful of family-run apiaries in the U.S., these 100 percent raw honeys are certified organic by the Hawaii Organic Farmers Association.
Most commercial honey is heated, blended and filtered, losing its nutritional properties, unique flavor and characteristics. But heat’s never applied to Royal Hawaiian Honey’s raw product – in harvesting or production – and it’s never blended. To preserve its natural [...]