Individual Emissions

Our ‘Carbon Footprint’ is the measurement of how many tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) gas each person will produce in a year. Carbon Dioxide is the pollutant we produce in the greatest amount. Several other gasses will be discussed in a later blog.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of other chemical reactions such as; fuels used for automobiles, heating homes and offices.

Both at home and in your car, daily activities cause the emission of greenhouse gases. We produce greenhouse gas emissions directly by burning oil or gas for home energy or indirectly by using electricity generated from fossil fuel burning.

Everyone’s emissions can vary depending on location, habits and personal choices. For example, the type of fuel used to generate the electricity a person uses can lead to different levels of emissions. Coal emits more greenhouse gases per unit of electricity than a natural gas. How much you drive and your car’s fuel efficiency, as well as time spent idling in traffic, also affect the level emitted gasses. The good news is, the amount of recycling done by you in your car and home can affect emissions by reducing the amount of methane-generating waste sent to landfills.

Your Emissions

Through all of our actions at home, in our car and in the office, we affect our greenhouse gas emissions. The first step in reducing your greenhouse gas emissions is to identify how much your household emits. You can find out how large your Carbon Foot print is by using the Carbon Footprint Calculator found at: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/individual.html

Emissions from waste and emissions savings from recycling are expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents. The easiest way to save is through recycling of glass, plastic, metal and paper. This is included as part of the Calculator on the EPA link.

* no cost: you can take this action without spending money.
$: it is estimated that you will need to spend between $1 and $100 before you start seeing both energy and dollar savings from this action.
$$: it is estimated that you will need to spend more than $100 before you start seeing both energy and dollar savings from this action.
$$$: it is estimated that you will need to spend more than $1000 before you start seeing both energy and dollar savings from this action.

Potential annual dollar savings through recycling and suggested savings are approximated based on generalized calculations.

The average American’s footprint is 20,750.

Owantonna, Minnesota residents are playing keeping up with the neighbors…on their electric bills.

Owatonna is the fourth city in the United States to send its consumers something called a Conserve and Save Home Energy Use report with each bill for gas, water and electricity. The monthly report not only shows how much energy the residence uses, but includes charts that compare the usage to the previous year and how the consumer compares with the energy usage of 100 neighbors with the same sized home.

Sacramento was the first city to test these “behavior reports” as a way to encourage positive energy efficiency. The city calls the program “very successful” compared to other efforts to encourage efficiency. Owatonna is starting to see residents make moves toward further changes too, requests for home energy audits and meters that track appliances’ energy use are both up.

Part II:

In addition to the U.S. inventory, greenhouse gas emissions can be tracked at the global, state and local levels as well as by companies and individuals:

• Many other countries also develop national greenhouse gas inventories, which can be compiled into global inventories. EPA works with developing and transition countries to improve the accuracy and sustainability of their greenhouse gas inventories. EPA has developed Greenhouse Gas Inventory Capacity Building templates and software tools targeting key sources, emissions factors, good practices, institutional infrastructure and use of the latest IPCC guidelines on greenhouse gas inventories.
• Many states prepare greenhouse gas inventories, and EPA provides guidance and tools to assist them in their efforts.
• Corporate greenhouse gas inventories provide information on the emissions associated with the operations of a company.
• Individuals produce greenhouse gas emissions through everyday activities such as driving and using air conditioning or heating. EPA provides an online calculator for estimating personal emissions.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) publishes internationally accepted inventory methodologies that serve as a basis for all greenhouse gas inventories, ensuring that they are comparable and understandable. The 2006 IPCC Guidelines were completed and accepted by the IPCC in May 2006.

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Emission Trends & Projections

Estimates of future emissions and removals depend in part on assumptions about changes in underlying human activities. For example, the demand for fossil fuels such as gasoline and coal is expected to increase greatly with the predicted growth of the U.S. and global economies.

The Fourth U.S. Climate Action Report concluded, in assessing current trends, thatcarbon dioxide emissions increased by 20 percent from 1990-2004, while methane and nitrous oxide emissions decreased by 10 percent and 2 percent, respectively. The declines in methane emissions are due to a variety of technological, policy, and agricultural changes, such as increased capture of methane from landfills for energy, reduced emissions from natural gas systems, and declining cattle populations. At least some of the decline in nitrous oxide emissions is due to improved emissions control technologies in cars, trucks, and other mobile sources. (Fourth U.S.Climate Action Report, 2007)

Many, but not all, human sources of greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise in the future. This growth may be reduced by ongoing efforts to increase the use of newer, cleaner technologies and other measures. Additionally, our everyday choices about such things as commuting, housing, electricity use and recycling can influence the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted.

The United States government prepares projections of emissions and removals of all greenhouse gases. The following links provide more detailed information on projections:

• Greenhouse Gas Projections, Chapter 5 of the U.S. Climate Action Report: In Chapter 5 of the Climate Action Report, the U.S. forecasts future emission levels using information developed from models.
• International Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gas Emission Projections
• Methane Projections
• Nitrous Oxide Projections
• Fluorinated Gases

Part I:

Greenhouse Gas Overview

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are often called greenhouse gases. This section of the EPA Climate Change Site provides information and data on emissions of greenhouse gases to Earth’s atmosphere, and also the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. For more information on the science of climate change, please visit EPA’s climate change science home page.

Some greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide occur naturally and are emitted to the atmosphere through natural processes and human activities. Other greenhouse gases (e.g., fluorinated gases) are created and emitted solely through human activities. The principal greenhouse gases that enter the atmosphere because of human activities are:

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of other chemical reactions (e.g., manufacture of cement). Carbon dioxide is also removed from the atmosphere (or “sequestered”) when it is absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle.
• Methane (CH4): Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from livestock and other agricultural practices and by the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills.
• Nitrous Oxide (N2O): Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste.
• Fluorinated Gases: Hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride are synthetic, powerful greenhouse gases that are emitted from a variety of industrial processes. Fluorinated gases are sometimes used as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances (i.e., CFCs, HCFCs, and halons). These gases are typically emitted in smaller quantities, but because they are potent greenhouse gases, they are sometimes referred to as High Global Warming Potential gases (“High GWP gases”).

Greenhouse Gas Inventories

A greenhouse gas inventory is an accounting of the amount of greenhouse gases emitted to or removed from the atmosphere over a specific period of time (e.g., one year). A greenhouse gas inventory also provides information on the activities that cause emissions and removals, as well as background on the methods used to make the calculations. Policy makers use greenhouse gas inventories to track emission trends, develop strategies and policies and assess progress. Scientists use greenhouse gas inventories as inputs to atmospheric and economic models.

To track the national trend in emissions and removals since 1990, EPA develops the official U.S. greenhouse gas inventory each year. The national greenhouse gas inventory is submitted to the United Nations in accordance with the Framework Convention on Climate Change .

Egypt is thinking ahead, moving forward with plans to generate 12% of its electricity by 2020, in approving another 200MW wind farm in the Red Sea region.

The newest wind farm will be located south of Zafarna and about 120km north of Hurghada. Zafarna is a windy part of country with several already operational wind farms. The country just recently announced open bidding for a 250MW wind farm in the same area and has received bids from 26 international companies.

The bidding procedure for the latest wind farm, which should cost around 340 million euros, will hopefully start in December, 2009. The wind farm is not expected to start producing electricity before 2014.

European Investment Bank, the European Commission and German bank KfW are expected to finance 270 million euros of the total cost. KfW confirmed that it will contribute, but said it would not reveal how much until it receives final approval from the German government.

Going green, or eco-friendly, couldn’t be easier now more than ever before. No matter how rural our homes, most county landfills now offer the opportunity to recycle. We all use paper, glass, plastic and metal each day. All we have to do is separate them in different containers and put them by the curb, in most cases.

That’s just one simple way to ‘go green’. Another ‘free’ way to conserve energy is by planning your trips around town. If you have to go to the cleaners, take the kids to soccer and ballet classes and pick up a few items at the grocery store, planning is easy. Rather than three separate trips, or even two, try to combine trips. You can even plan it out on mapquest.com, including your stops, using the most economic route.

Another easy green tip: use cloth shopping bags. Cloth bags are reusable and available at most major retail stores. Target and Walmart both have them. Keep your bags in the car, in a convenient spot so you don’t forget. I keep several bags, all inside of a bag, behind the passenger seat. If you have to use plastic, reuse the bags once you bring them home. They come in handy as small trash can liners amongst other uses.