Transcript Session 1

The
Challenge
Save money,
energy, and
the planet!
Welcome Greece!
Let’s be a Cool Community!
Thanks to:
Apple Annie’s
Town Supervisor
John Auburger
Brought to you by Sierra Club
and Color Brighton Green
Your Host:
Keri Kaminsky, BSN, RN
Co-Chair, Sierra Club Global Warming
and Energy Committee
Co-Organizer, Low Carbon Diet
Challenge
What is the Rochester Low
Carbon Diet Challenge?
• Ten sites throughout greater Rochester
are forming teams
• Teams support each other in making
simple changes in their daily lives to
adopt environmentally
sustainable practices
• Organizers tracking progress
• Cool Communities Grand
Awards Celebration
• Have Fun!!
The Greenhouse Effect
Sun’s energy hits the Earth
CO2 and other gases in the
atmosphere trap heat,
keeping the Earth warm.
Where does CO2 come from?
Human activities emit carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere…
much faster than plants and oceans can absorb it.
We must act now.
“We have at most ten years — not ten years to
decide upon action, but ten years to fundamentally
alter the trajectory of global greenhouse
emissions.”
— James Hansen
Director, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
U.N. EARTH SUMMIT
“THE GREATEST CAUSE OF THE
DETERIORATION OF THE GLOBAL ECOSYSTEM
IS THE UNSUSTAINABLE PATTERNS OF
CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION OF
INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES.” (1992)
With 5% of the world’s population
Americans use 25% of the world’s resources
If every person on earth had the same rate of consumption
If every person on earth had the same rate of consumption
If every person on earth had the same rate of consumption
If every person on earth had the same rate of consumption
If every person on earth had the same rate of consumption
It would take six Earths to sustain us all.
We waste up to 75% of what we consume through
inefficiency and lack of awareness…
Therefore, conservation doesn’t mean
painful
cuts…
It’s about using resources in a
smarter, more efficient way.
Why are we gathered?
This is our
call to action to
face the challenge
of global climate change
Half of America’s CO2 emissions come
from our households.
Our purchases
influence the
other half.
AS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE
PROBLEM, AMERICANS CAN
ALSO BE A SIGNIFICANT
PART OF THE
SOLUTION.
TRADITIONAL SOCIAL
CHANGE STRATEGIES OF
LEGISLATION,
TAXATION
AND PROTEST
WHILE ESSENTIAL
ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR
RAPID AND FUNDAMENTAL
TRANSFORMATION.
Legislation: 5 to 10 years
Scaling up renewable energy
resources: 10+ years
Scaling up new
technology: 10+ yrs
Conservation:
AVAILABLE NOW!
Is there a political consensus on
Climate Change?
The following quotes come from both
presidential candidates,
the 45th vice president (D)
and the 58th speaker of the House of
Representatives (R)
You guess who said what
“My message is that the
evidence is sufficient that
we should move towards
the most effective possible
steps to reduce carbon
loading of the atmosphere.
I think there has to be, if
you will, a green
conservatism.”
“My fellow Americans,
people all over the world,
we need to solve the climate crisis.
It's not a political issue,
it's a moral issue.
We have everything we need
to get started, with the possible
exception of the will to act.
That's a renewable resource.
Let's renew it.”
“Suppose that climate change is not
real and all we do is adopt green
technologies which our economy
and technology is perfectly capable
of, then all we’ve done is given our
kids a cleaner world.
But suppose [the skeptics are]
wrong… and climate change is real
and we’ve done nothing? What kind
of a planet are we going to pass on
to the next generation of
Americans?”
“All across the world, in every kind of
environment and region known to man,
increasingly dangerous weather patterns and
devastating storms are abruptly putting an end
to the long-running debate over whether or not
climate change is real. Not only is it real, it's
here, and its effects are giving rise to a
frighteningly new global phenomenon: the
man-made natural disaster.”
So what’s stopping us?
BARRIERS TO ACTION:
1. WHERE DO I START?
2. WHICH ARE THE IMPORTANT ACTIONS?
3. HOW DO I TAKE THE ACTIONS?
4. WILL IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
DAVID GERSHON and the
Empowerment Institute
have studied the barriers
AND the success factors.
It WILL make a difference
This program, when implemented with
passion by each person that it touches,
mobilizes the entire community.
One person influences the next individual or group in the
same way that a virus spreads through a population.
Suddenly there is a “new normal;”
everyone’s behavior is more
environmentally friendly, without a second
thought.
PERSONAL
ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING, IT LEADS
“WHEN PEOPLE TAKE
INEVITABLY TO THEIR
DESIRE TO HAVE CHANGES
IN POLICIES….
WHEN ENOUGH AMERICAN
CITIZENS BECOME PART OF THIS NEW
CRITICAL MASS AND THE U.S. CHANGES
POLICY, THEN IT BECOMES MUCH MORE LIKELY THAT
CHINA WILL MAKE THE CHANGES IT HAS TO MAKE.
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.”
-AL GORE
Climate Change Cafe
Café Question #1
What gives you
HOPE ?
Café Question #2
What are your
FEARS ?
Program
Enables individuals to reduce household
carbon footprint
And help others in their community and
workplace to do the same
Carbon Footprint =
the total amount of carbon
emissions that you are responsible for
24 Actions divided into
three sections:
1. Cool lifestyle practices
(Meeting one)
2. Cool household systems
(Meeting two)
3. Helping others lose unwanted
pounds
(Meeting three)
Process
1. Calculate CO2 Footprint
2. Choose actions to reduce it by
5,000 pounds or more
You can even take an action to become
CARBON NEUTRAL.
THIS WORKS!!
Portland Pilot Program
AVERAGED 22%
OR 6,700
POUNDS CO2
REDUCTION
Info needed for Carbon Calculator
(see page 5, #4 in book)
• Your last few statements from your
electricity, natural gas and/or heating oil
providers
• The average weekly or annual miles driven in
each of your household’s cars
• The mpg of all your household's cars
(If you need help calculating this, see page 17 of the
Low Carbon Diet workbook.)
• Number of airplane miles traveled per year
www.empowermentinstitute.net/lcd
1. Dumping On GarbageReducing Solid Waste
 Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
 Reduce packing / purchase bulk
 Reduce junk mail
 Donate or Reuse Items
2. Am I Clean Yet?
 To reduce hot water used in showers:
 use low-flow showerheads
 time your average shower
 reduce shower time to… 5 minutes or less
 what can you do to reduce time??
3. Scrub-A-Dub Tub
 Reducing water used for dishes:
 dishwasher: full load only, don’t rinse dishes first;
don’t use heated drying mode
 hand washing: use a “wash” tub and a “rinse” tub…
or get creative!
 put an aerator on kitchen faucet
 buy EnergyStar® dishwasher
when time to replace yours
4. Wear It Again, Sam
 wash after each wearing… really necessary?
 is spot cleaning so bad?
 wash full loads only, in cold water more often
 the joys of clothesline drying in Summer!
 EnergyStar® washer & dryer when the time comes
5. Better A Sweater
 in Winter, home heating = 25% of energy costs!
 when home, set thermostat to 65-68ºF
 when out or overnight, set to 55-58ºF
 programmable thermostat- so you don’t have to
remember!
6. Plug your Electricity Leaks
 Many gadgets use electricity even when turned off!
 identify them– tip: use a Kill-A-Watt
 turn off via power strip when not in use
 unplug items that have block-shaped transformer
at plug end (cell phone chargers, etc.)
 buy EnergyStar® electronics when replacing
7. Chill-In
 Don’t over-cool, do ensure efficiency of air conditioner
 buy EnergyStar®, not too large for area
 install in natural shade, else shade from sun
 service and replace filter regularly
 set at highest comfortable temperature – 78ºF
 Turn off when not home, or when temp outside falls
 Use curtains, or better– trees for shade!
8. Think Before You Go
 Drive less– save lots of carbon (high impact action)

on average, 10,000 lbs. carbon emitted/year for every adult AND child
 keep a trip diary, per car or person; determine:
 average weekly miles driven, car’s fuel efficiency in mpg
 find ways to reduce miles driven, goal is 20%
9. Drive Earth Smart
 Change HOW you drive- reduce carbon AND be safer!
 get rid of extra pounds in car
 City: smooth steady speed, no quick acceleration,
coast slowly to stops, minimize idling
 Highway: steady speed of 55 mph
 turn engine off if stopped for more than a minute
10. Chew on This
 This is also a high-payback action!
 Reduce or eliminate meat from your diet:
 substitute vegetarian meals- go at your own pace
 get creative- try veggie recipes!
 encourage vegetarian offerings by restaurants
 buy local food when possible- meat and veggies
TAKE PERSONAL ACTION
1. Lower your carbon footprint
2. Help others lower their carbon
footprint
3. Volunteer
4. Vote and Advocate
5. Visualize or pray for success
“You must be
the change
you wish to
see in the
world.”
Mohandas Ghandi
Some images and content courtesy of
EMPOWERMENT INSTITUTE
PO BOX 428
WOODSTOCK, NY 12498
PHONE: (845) 657-7788
WEBSITE: www.empowermentinstitute.net/lcd
EMAIL: [email protected]
Copyright: David Gershon, 2007
Photos: Courtesy of Kevin Kelley, NASA, Alan Carey, Sonya Shoptaugh