6
WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
BY TAKING 6 ‘ENERGY WISE’ STEPS YOU CAN CUT YOUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN HALF!
Bus
- Tra
in
shar - Bike
eac
ar
2
1
l
loca
h
s
e
e fr
Mor grains
&
veg eat
m
less
4
3
Be home
energy wise
uce
Red se
Reu e
cl
Recy
6
5
Fly less
Pass
i
Retr ve Solar
ofit
SUPPORT INDUSTRIAL EMISSIONS REDUCTION AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
• Australians are the world’s largest per capita emitters
of greenhouse gases − 28 tonnes per head.
• Around 13 tonnes of these emissions are from our
domestic consumption. The sustainable level that the
Earth can assimilate is estimated to be around 2 t/yr
for each person.
• Global average temperatures are predicted to rise by
1.4 - 5.8°C by the year 2100 (IPCC, 2001). The world
has already heated by 1 degree; CO2e levels have
ALREADY increased by 60% to 455 ppm - the level of
dangerous climate change.
• If we don’t cut emissions by more than half, global
temperature will rise by up to 4 deg.C by 2070.
WANT TO KNOW YOUR EMISSIONS? Visit: www.carbonneutral.com.au and click GHG Energy Calculator
WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING? Visit: www.dar.csiro.au/publications/gh_faq.htm
www.greenhouse.gov.au
SPONSORED B Y
Printed on 55% Recycled Monza 150gsm Gloss Paper.”
0413 00 11 31
2200 L
of fuel
6 cyl car
SIX THINGS WE CAN DO TO CUT OUR EMISSIONS
2200 L
of fuel
1. Only drive a car when there’s a need to
6 cyl car
carry passengers or a load
3. Reduce electricity use and purchase
renewable electricity (RE)
In 20,000 km, a car uses more than its weight of fuel and emits 6.2 tonnes
of CO2 gas= 3,500 cubic metres(Enough to fill a 4 story building)
2200 L
of fuel
6 cyl car
Australia’s electricity is still over 75% coal fired and is a major source of
emissions. Coal fired power -over 1/3 of Australia’s emissions and less than
1/3 efficient –most of the energy is wasted in the cooling towers!!
Cars are the biggest source of domestic emissions; embodied emissions*
from manufacture adds 24% over and above the 6 t CO2e of tailpipe
emissions. If you drive 20,000 km per year in a typical 6 cylinder car, you
are responsible for nearly 8 tonnes CO2e/ year from this source alone!
• Going by train or bus emits <1/6th the CO2e of driving
on your own in a 6 cyl. car and saves $$ on parking and fuel.
• Walk or bike for short trips.
• Make fuel economy No1 priority when choosing a
vehicle. Some light cars emit less than half the CO2e of
typical 6 cylinder models. Better still, go without a car
and hire one when needed.
• Live closer to work to reduce car commuting.
2. Minimize air and overseas travel
Due to the extra global warming effect of nitrous oxides and contrails
emitted in the upper atmosphere, jet emissions have 2-4 times more
global warming effect** than the CO2 from the same amount of fuel used
by a road vehicle. Air travel is estimated to have as much global warming
impact, per passenger, as one person driving the same distance in a
medium sized car (more for short-haul flights). Ocean liners have a
similar impact, due to the huge mass of ship (20-50 t) per passenger.
• Holiday in your own country by bus or train or car with a full
passenger load.
• Limit overseas travel to fewer trips for long stays.
• ‘Teleconference’ instead of flying to conferences.
• Go economy class; business and first class seats account for 2-3
times the space and emissions.
• Buy Renewable Energy through a ‘Green Power’ supplier
in your state. It costs only 20% more and the power companies
must install as much renewable energy (wind, biomass etc)
as consumers purchase. RE emits >90% less CO2 e. By changing
from coal fired to renewable electricity, a typical household
can save 6 t CO2e/ year. Tel 131353 in WA. Website: www.wpcorp.com.au . Solar or gas heating produces <1/5 the emissions
of electric element heaters.
To cut your energy bills by >50%.
• Replace electric hot water system with solar/ gas or ‘heat
pump’ (uses < 1/3 the electricity of element). Install water
saver shower head.
• Replace all incandescent globes with CF’s.
• Use fans, evaporative or room reverse cycle air conditioners;
avoid large ducted systems. Only heat or cool the room you
are in. Set thermostats heating 21° cooling 26° (each degree
C of A/C increases emissions by 10%). Dress appropriately for
the temperature.
• Choose ‘4 or 5 star’ rated fridge & washing machine; don’t buy
larger than you need.
• Switch electrical appliances off at the wall when not in use.
• Choose a laptop computer; small flat screen TV. Large screens
waste energy.
THE OIL AND GAS ‘PEAK’ IS IMMINENT
The rate of extraction of oil has ‘peaked’ and will decline in
future as reserves are depleted. Natural gas will likewise
‘peak’ before 2030 (ASPO, 2006) causing continual price
increases. Australia’s oil reserves are projected to run out
by 2040 (ABS, 2001) and we are already importing around
30% of our oil needs. Renewable fuel options are limited
and will be expensive. To fuel Australia’s road transport
with bio-diesel, the area of land now cropped (for food)
would have to double and this is clearly impossible.
Disclaimer: The Author accepts no liability whatsoever, by reason of negligence or otherwise, arising from the use or release of any of the information in this booklet or any part of it.
4. Watch your diet
2200 L
of fuel
6 cyl car
Production of some foods is a major source of emissions.
• Eat more fresh local, vegetable and grain foods; less meats and
processed, packaged foods and drinks.
* E M B O D I E D E N E R G Y is the energy used in the
production of all goods, e.g. food, vehicles, houses, containers and packaging, most of it is sourced from fossil fuels. The
greenhouse gases emitted in production processes are
called EMBODIED EMISSIONS. These comprise 10-25% of
the emissions from land transport and most of the emissions
from food, waste, housing and possessions.
6. Choose a house appropriate to family size
and select products carefully
The embodied energy (and emissions) per kg of cheese or butter
or red meats produced is equivalent to 1-2L of diesel and is at
least 8 times that used to produce 1 kg of bread! Ruminant
animals − cattle and sheep − also emit methane, (20 times the
global warming effect of CO2) from their digestive process. One
lactating cow emits 2.2 tonnes CO2e / year.
Diet type | t CO2e/p/year
- Vegetarian – fresh, local, home made drinks, minimal
packaging; no meals out | 0.9
- White meats, local brands, some dairy; bottled drinks;
few meals out | 1.7
- Red meat & dairy products, dine out a lot; imported, packaged &
bottled foods drinks | 3.8
Lobby for Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) labeling, including embodied energy/
emissions (EE) figures to enable choice of ‘green’ products.
5. Minimize the amount of rubbish discarded
to landfill
REDUCE – RE-USE – RECYCLE
• Minimize purchases of containers, packaging and papers. This
can reduce a high consuming household’s emissions by over 3 t
CO2e. Metal, plastic and glass bottles have the highest
embodied emissions*.
• Listen to news on TV or radio. Buy fewer newspapers and glossy
magazines. Newspapers are 1-3 kg of paper, most of which is
advertising you don’t want.
• About 38% of our waste is paper and cardboard Recycle paper,
glass, plastics and metals. Use a compost bin or worm farm for
household food scraps and organic wastes. By recycling and
composting, an average household can save 0.5 – 1.0 t of
embodied* and methane emissions.
A 5 bedroom/ 2 bathroom brick/ tile house accounts for about 2.5t CO2e
embodied emissions per year over a 60 year life compared to 0.5 t for a
3 bedroom 120 sq. m timber house. However the energy used for heating
and cooling the home is at least 5 times the embodied energy.
The following measures cut costs and emissions of heating and
cooling a home by more than 50%:
�
• Avoid heating or cooling unutilized space.
• Insulate the home fully (roof and walls).
• Install passive solar design features, such as north facing
windows with eaves, awnings and ventilation to enable cooling
by sea breezes. Shade east and west facing windows and
minimize glass area.
• Use lighter, low energy and insulating materials where
practical in new homes and renovations, with internal thermal
mass, e.g. concrete slab.
Contents and other possessions generally account for more embodied emissions than your house. Furnishings for a large house with
more than one of most appliances (fridge/freezers, TVs, computers), dishwasher, >100 kg of books, large lounge suites, several
beds, several large wardrobes of expensive clothes and a boat or
caravan accounts for about 5 t of embodied CO2e per year, compared to about 1.2 tonnes for basic possessions in a small home.
• Hire, share or borrow rather than buy things that will not
be used often.
Note: t CO2e is tonnes of greenhouse gases emitted, expressed in carbon
dioxide equivalents.
** see link: www.ipcc.ch/pub/aviation.pdf
© Copyright. Ben Rose, 2003 - 2007. Energy / CO2e auditor. [email protected]
DO YOU WANT MORE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF THE
GREENHOUSE EFFECT AND GLOBAL WARMING?
This graph shows northern hemisphere temperatures over the past 1000 years as based on climate proxies (dark blue) and thermometer based recording (light blue). CO2 concentrations (red) are those recorded in the Law Dome ice core and at the Mauna Loa
monitoring station in Hawaii.
Temperature data : Mann et al, 1999. Ref websites: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/icecore/antarctica/law/law.html, http://cdiac.
esd.ornl.gov/trends/co2/sio-mlo.htm; www.grida.no/climate/ipcc tar/wg/index.htm ; www.cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/co2/vostok.htm.
To audit your emissions use this calculator on www.carbonneutral.com.au ; click calculate, download comprehensive calculator. An audit for an
average 3 person Australian household is shown below.
Note: GHG-Energy Calc only estimates emissions from direct energy use (electricity, fuels and travel), and embodied energy of food, goods and housing. Domestic emissions from these sources average about 13 tonnes per head. If services and public infrastructure are included, domestic emissions
would average nearly 16 tonnes per head (from ABS, 2000).