Face the Facts: Where the Water Flows

§  30% of water use in the home is in the shower.

§  Having a bath can use twice as much water as a shower.

§  Leave the tap running and you will waste 15 litres of water a minute.

§  Retro showerheads use about 20 litres of water per minute.

 §  AAA rated showerheads use about 11 litres of water per minute.

Simon Turner

What Does Your iPod & Kyoto Have in Common?

 To understand the deadlock in the debate on global climate change, look no further than your iPod.

The vast majority of the world’s MP3 players are made in China, where the main power source is coal. Manufacturing a single MP3 player releases about 7.7kg of planet-warming carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

iPods, along with thousands of other goods churned out by Chinese factories, from toys to rolled steel, pose a question that is becoming an issue in the climate-change debate. If a gadget is made in China by an American company and exported and used by consumers from Stockholm to São Paulo should the Chinese government be held responsible for the carbon released in manufacturing it? Present agreements such as Kyoto look at emissions on a country-by-country basis, requiring participating nations to reduce greenhouse gases released within their borders.

In other words, the manufacturing nation pays for the pollution. Many are arguing, however, that the next global climate treaty should take into account a nation’s emissions “consumption.”  

Experts, environmentalists and scientists argue that the emissions are embedded in goods that move around the world through trade.  Therefore if Australia imports iPods from China, Australian’s should share some responsibility for the pollution produced in making them.

In other words, judgment should be based on a “consumer pays” criteria.

Simon Turner

Where Your Water Goes

Here is a simple breakdown of the average Australian household’s water consumption.

Global Warming in Layman’s Terms

The average surface temperature has warmed one degree Fahrenheit (0.6 degrees Celsius) during the last century, according to the National Research Council.

The temperatures were relatively unchanged from 1880 to 1910, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

They rose till about 1945, cooled until about 1975 and have risen steadily to present day.There are several possible reasons for the warming, scientists say.

A change in the Earth’s orbit or the intensity of the sun’s radiation could change, triggering warming or cooling.

The reason most cited for the current warming trend is an increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gases, which are in the atmosphere naturally and help keep the planet’s temperature at a comfortable level.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, for instance, has increased by 35 percent since the dawn of the industrial age, according to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, commonly referred to as the IPCC.

The presence of methane is now 151 percent above pre-industrial levels, but the rate of increase has slowed in recent decades, according to the EPA.

Meanwhile, nitrous oxide increased by about 18 percent during the past 200 years.

Many scientists and experts who have studied global warming believe the increase is primarily the result of human activities, like the burning of fossil fuels, emissions from vehicles and the clearing of forests.

Quite simply, for the last 30 years, there’s no way there’s anything natural that can explain it.

There are, however, skeptics who are less convinced of the role of human’s in climate change, arguing that the current warming trend is the result of natural variability, where a planet goes through phases of warming and cooling (as is the case of any fluid-covered planet) and thus the human contribution to it is minimal.

The greatest point of contention is the possible implications for future political and economic policies for the world’s nations.

The lower end of the range could cause more intense hurricanes, droughts, wildfires and flooding, Schneider said. The higher end could lead to the catastrophes commonly associated with the visions of Hollywood filmmakers.

Therefore, whilst scientists cannot agree exactly how much the planet is going to warm up, most are convinced with major certainty that it is indeed going to get warmer.

Simon Turner

The Greenhouse Effect in Layman’s Terms

 The science of how the Earth is warmed is relatively straight-forward.

Energy and light from sun go through the Earth’s atmosphere and strike its surface, which warms the planet.

The Earth emits the energy, but it is trapped in the atmosphere by naturally occurring greenhouse gases — like water vapor and carbon dioxide — which help maintain a warm, comfortable temperature for life to exist.

The earth’s temperature is generally about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (about 16 degrees Celsius).

Without the naturally occurring greenhouse gases, the temperature would plunge to about 0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 degrees Celsius).

OZone Layer Hole Closing

“This is the smallest hole for a decade”.

The ozone layer is on track to a full recovery, with the latest sets of satellite images showing the hole is shrinking.

“Apart from the (unusual) 2002 hole, this is the smallest hole for at least a decade,” CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric scientist, Dr Paul Fraser, said.

The hole in the ozone layer has been progressively shrinking since the phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halon gases in the 1990s.

“I think our long term prediction is still basically out to 2060 before we’ll get long-term recovery,” Dr Fraser said.

“We’ve got this large reservoir of CFCs and halons sitting in the atmosphere, slowly leaking into the stratosphere where it does the ozone destruction,” Dr Fraser said.“The slow leakage means it will around for a long time. We’re paying for the sins of the past.”

He added that increased levels of greenhouse gases are likely to push delay an ozone recovery by a few decades.  Simon Turner

 

Saving Energy When You Travel: Cars

Try to combine trips in the car.

Several short trips begun when the engine is cold creates unnecessary air pollution.

Saving Energy in the Home: Microwave

When heating a small meal, use a microwave as they use substantially less energy than a conventional oven.

Saving Energy in the Home: Computer

When next buying a computer, consider a laptop as they use considerably less power than a desktop.

Also, be sure to unplug the computer when it’s not in use, as 75% of the power used by home electronics is when the unit is turned off but still plugged in.

Carbon Off-Setting

Marquette Turner has committed to offsetting carbon omissions from the travelling we do and we have been thrilled to use the new carbon offset facility when booking flights through Qantas (Virgin Blue offer a similar scheme).

The amount of carbon produced for each flight is calculated and for only a couple of dollars (depending on where you are travelling) you can offset your emissions and do your bit for the planet.

Simon Turner introduced the “Clear The Air” strategy into our company early in 2007 and Marquette Turner’s commitment to carbon offsets is just one area in which “Clear The Air” aims to improve the environment.

We also have strict policies around the type of paper we use, preferring recycled products wherever possible. We also avoid mass mail outs and restrict the amount we print to help do what we can to create a greener world. 

Our Year 2020 home competition will be held for the first time in 2008 and will involve Primary School children coming up with the best concept and design for a green home of the future. We are incredibly excited and look forward to releasing full details in the new year.

Australians Named Worst Emitters

A study of the world’s power stations has shown the extent to which developed countries produce more carbon dioxide per head than emerging economies.

Australians were found to be the world’s worst polluters per capita, producing five times as much carbon from generating power as China. The US came second with eight tonnes of carbon per head – 16 times more than that produced by India. The US also produced the most carbon in total, followed by China.

The Carbon Monitoring for Action (Carma) website is the first global inventory of emissions and looks at 50,000 power stations. Its data was compiled by the Center for Global Development, a US think-tank.

Carma points out that while US power plants emit the most CO2, releasing 2.5bn tonnes into the atmosphere each year, Australian power stations are the least efficient on a per capita basis, with emissions of 10 tonnes, compared with the US’s 8.2 tonnes. China’s power sector emits the second-highest total amount of carbon dioxide, pumping 2.4bn tonnes of the gas into the atmosphere annually. However, its emissions are only one fifth of Australia’s when measured on a per capita basis.

Kevin Ummel, a research assistant at the Center for Global Development, hoped the online inventory would help the push towards a low carbon future.

CO2 EMISSIONS PER CAPITA Australia – 10.0 tonnesUS – 8.2 tonnesUK – 3.2 tonnesChina – 1.8 tonnes India – 0.5 tonnes (Source: Carma/CGD)

Australia’s Environmental Up-Hill Challenge

The great news is that Australia has ratified the Kyoto protocol and it will come into effect in March 2008.

The less positive news, as announced by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is that Australia will almost certainly fail to meet the modest greenhouse gas emissions target set for it.

Australia is likely to “overshoot” by 1% its target of keeping emissions to no more than 8% above 1990 levels.

The revelation means Australia could have to agree to make even bigger cuts to emissions in the post-Kyoto framework which is currently in the very early stages of negotiation at the UN conference on climate change in Bali.

Australia needs to accept that a big step up will be required under the post-2012 framework. 
The Kyoto targets as they stand are very low compared to the scale of the challenge ahead of us.

Australia must demonstrate how such an energy intensive country, and indeed the worst emitters per capita in the world can retain its prosperity by being smarter and more efficient in industry, in energy efficiency, cleaner fuels and renewable energy. Simon Turner

KYOTO: in Layman’s Terms

With all the talk of the Kyoto Protocol, particularly during Australia’s Federal Election with John Howard belatedly stating that he would ratify this agreement that stems from the 1990’s, and now Prime Minister Kevin Rudd having beaten Howard to it, I thought it would be worth summing up what the differing positions are/have been:

Those that have ratified Kyoto:

Kyoto sets target emissions on the basis that all countries have “common but differentiated responsibilities”.

This is essentially jargon for the idea that rich countries must cut their emissions of greenhouse gases, while poor ones carry on as normal unless the rich world pays for them to clean up their act.  The Kyoto Protocol’s successor is currently being debated in Bali for when it expires in 2012.

Those that haven’t ratified Kyoto:

The United States remains the only first world country not to have ratified Kyoto, following PM Rudd’s signing of the treaty.

President Bush’s implicit message is that binding emissions targets are counter-productive, and that any solution must involve poor countries as well as rich ones.

The US ultimately believes that disseminating green technology is more positive and productive in the long-term.

My belief is that everyone is part of the problem meaning that everyone must be part of the solution. The US is correct in insisting that green technologies must be promoted, but this must occur at the same time as capping emmissions. Whilst I feel that all countries should be required to conform to the same standards (Kyoto does not require this), at present the Kyoto Protocol is the best mechanism with which the global community has to work with.

Therefore, being a signatory to Kyoto will allow Australia more input in ensuring that from 2012 onwards the global mechanism in place is more equitable and more abided by.
Simon Turner

Eco-Friendly Tips For This Week

The ecology fund has dished up some great eco-friendly tips. If you want to make your green life even greener, or if you are looking for a great way to start living green, then this is just what you are looking for. Here are a couple of tips to get you started.

1) Travel. Bike, use public transit, carpool to work, drive slower, keep your tires inflated. One-third of all traffic is commuters. Use alternative transportation when possible. If you must drive, go slower with proper tire inflation. It saves both fuel and tires, and lowers emissions. It also saves lives.

2) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost. Reusing packaging material saves more energy than recycling. By avoiding extra packaging, you save both energy and landfill space. Yard and kitchen waste (leaves/grass/vegetable scraps) are 30% of trash. Reduce this amount by composting. Also be sure to re-use plastic bags, or better yet… refuse plastic bags when you really don’t need them. 3) Conserve water. Don’t let faucets run. Never water your lawn at midday. Place a brick in old toilets. Take low flow short showers. Run the dishwasher only when it is full. Let grass grow longer. Plant native or drought-tolerant garden plants.

4) Use the Energy Star feature built into your personal computers. This turns off (or puts to sleep) the monitor and computer after a chosen period of inactivity. They all have the feature, but it’s often disabled. It will reduce their electricity consumption by as much as 70% compared with leaving them running all day and night. For Windows PCs, look in the ‘Power Options’ in the Control Panel. 

It’s time to come clean and Clear the Air

Welcome to Marquette Turner’s CLEAR THE AIR initiative.

CLEAR THE AIR is our effort to encourage our own company’s corporate environmental responsibility, as well actively promote the issue of climate change.

We hope to substantially improve the eco-friendliness of our team, our family, our friends, our clients, our country and our planet to ensure that everyone’s impact upon the environment is a positive one.

We encourage you to join us.  It’s time to come clean and clear the air.