Green Notes

NOAA: New Study Shows Climate Change Largely Irreversible

Today's gloomy news:

A new scientific study led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reaches a powerful conclusion about the climate change caused by future increases of carbon dioxide:  to a large extent, there’s no going back.

The pioneering study, led by NOAA senior scientist Susan Solomon, shows how changes in surface temperature, rainfall, and sea level are largely irreversible for more than 1,000 years after carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are completely stopped. The findings appear during the week of January 26 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Our study convinced us that current choices regarding carbon dioxide emissions will have legacies that will irreversibly change the planet,” said Solomon, who is based at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo.

“It has long been known that some of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities stays in the atmosphere for thousands of years,” Solomon said. “But the new study advances the understanding of how this affects the climate system.” 

Read the rest here.

Florida to limit vehicle emissions

Gov. Crist is finally getting round to doing the right thing about limiting vehicle emissions. The Green Gov has lagged behind the governors of 14 other states.  Here's his statement:

“I commend the Environmental Regulation Commission for adopting a new emission standard for Florida’s vehicles. The new rule sets Florida on the right path toward significantly reducing our greenhouse-gas emissions and protecting the natural beauty that is so important to the Sunshine State’s economy.

“I am confident that future generations will applaud this step, as well as the many others that our state and people are taking to become more energy efficient, use more renewable energy, and provide business opportunities for the growing green technology industry.

“I look forward to the Legislature’s ratifying today’s rule during the upcoming session.”

California, under Republican Gov. Schwarzenegger, led the charge, only to be stymied by the political appointees at the EPA who refused to grant a waiver of the Clean Air Act needed for California to put its new standards into effect. No doubt, that will change under the new administration, but in the meantime, several years have been wasted while Californians continued to spew -- and breathe -- noxious greenhouse gases.

The LA Times explains the background in this story.

Fuel efficiency is improving, says EPA

The EPA says that for the fourth consecutive year it's reporting an increase in fuel efficiency for cars and light duty trucks. When manufacturers turn in their final reports, it's expected to show an average of 20.8 mpg, an increase of 0.2 mpg from last year.

I'm not impressed.

My first car was a 1968 Morris Minor Traveller, (It was already a collector's item when I bought it around 1980). It was built like a tank and it got about 40 mpg (Imperial gallons, which are slightly larger) on the highway. It was the kind of car that even I could work on (in desperation), which means it was as basic as could be.

Mine was the same color as this one, too.

Of course, it didn't have the maneuverability of a modern vehicle. The radiator had to topped up frequently, and if you needed air conditioning you wound down the windows. It had a good heater though.

It would never pass current safety regulations. For a start, the wooden frame (made of ash) was structural. Still, it was a great car for transporting kids, dogs, and even goats.

The greening of Halloween in Daytona

I probably shouldn't say this, but it does seem that everyone and his brother's uncle has gone green. So why is the planet still in such danger? Sigh.

Anyway, if you happen to be near Daytona Beach over the Halloween weekend, here's another event; and it's attracting national media attention:

The Green Halloween "HalloGreen!" will be held in downtown Daytona Beach at the City Island Park on Friday, located at 105 E Magnolia Avenue, on Oct. 31 from 4:00 till 8:00 p.m. This event is FREE to the public.

There will be delicious and healthy refreshments available at affordable prices from local restaurants and vendors. Attendees may partake in creative crafts, games, giveaways, and competitions while listening to upbeat music, perusing the environmentally friendly wares, and enjoying gathering eco-friendly "treats" from the participating vendors and sponsors all in a family-friendly atmosphere. 

Green Halloween HalloGreen! is the perfect opportunity to motivate through family fun and community togetherness, promoting an awareness of the environment.

Our goal is to inspire and accomplish real, meaningful and lasting change through healthy and eco-wise choices that are likely to expand to other holidays and special occasions year 'round.

Green Halloween of Daytona Beach is the only official Green Halloween city in Florida. We are currently organizing an event that is open to tourists as well as locals. 

For more information on this event or becoming a sponsor, contact Ciana Maglio at dbgreenhalloween@gmail.com or 386-676-0011 or visit greenhalloween.org/daytona

Of course, anything that mitigates the carbon spewed into the atmosphere from the race track is to be welcomed.

How 'hypermilers' save gas

The Sierra Club's Green Life blog offers these "hypermiler" tips to save on gas:

Travel light. An extra 100 pounds of cargo can reduce your mpg by up to 2 percent. Remove that surf rack when the waves are flat, and take the rock collection out of your trunk.

Face out. Back into parking spaces. Cold engines use more fuel, so three-point maneuvering is more efficient at the end of a trip.

Use cruise control. Pressing the accel button lets you speed up in smaller increments (and burn less gas) than even a feather-weight foot on the pedal.

Brake (very) gently. Skilled hypermilers coast to a crawl with hardly a touch on the brakes to avoid wasting an ounce of fuel at traffic lights.

Here's my own tip: If you've parked your car in the sunshine, before getting in open all the doors to let out the heat. (Particularly effective if you have a hatchback; you can feel a blast of hot air come out.) It means less work for the a/c, reduces wear and tear, and of course uses less energy.