Frank's page
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
My shrinking carbon footprint
How I lost 2 tonnes, feel healthier and am saving money.
ELIMINATED COMMUTE:
I have been making efforts to reduce my personal impact on climate change by making some simple adjustments to my lifestyle. Overall, these adjustments have also been beneficial and enriching to me personally as well. The first major change was moving back to San Francisco, closer to my job. Rather than spending about 2 hours a day on a bus heading into and out of the City from San Anselmo, I am now able to walk to work in about 15 to 20 minutes each way. The net result is that I lowered my daily contribution of greenhouse gasses, save time daily and get a bit more exercise. On the financial front, I am also saving the bus fare of $4 each way - even though it was funded with pre-tax dollars through Commuter Checks, it's still a positive impact.
Carbon impact: 20 miles each way, 5 days a week for 50 work weeks is about 10,000 bus miles per year, or according to carbonfootprint.com's calculator, 1.434 metric tonnes of CO2 per year.
On the other hand, I am not sure that bus riders and other public transit user should be "billed" the full carbon impact of the vehicle they ride in calculations. By using transit yourself, you help make transit possible for others. It is a bit of a "hundredth monkey" phenomenon, where each person switching their more carbon intensive single rider car is creating demand for public transit and is reducing the congestion on roads that leads to everyone idling in traffic longer.
MEAT-FREE DIET:
Another change that has been easy and positive has been maintaining a mostly vegetarian diet. I still consume cheese and fish on occasion, but I have completeley cut meat and poultry from my diet. I feel much better physically and have lost 100% of the belly fat I had a few years back - that might be attributable to exercise but the no meat diet hasn't hurt.
Carbon impact: The carbon calculator claims that by switching from the "mix of white and red meat" diet to a vegetarian diet, one can reduce carbon impact by 0.5 metric tonnes of CO2 per year. Given my continued consumption of fish, the reduction may be slightly less than that.
LOCAL ORGANIC PRODUCE HOME DELIVERY:
Another aspect of my impact I have addressed is making more conscious choices in terms of where my food comes from. I have recently signed up for organic produce home delivery through Farm Fresh To You. For just $29, I get a box of organic produce delivered to my doorstep. I chose to start with a delivery every 2 weeks since I'm typically cooking for just one. So far, I'm thrilled with the service. Since the produce just shows up, there's no willpower or planning required on my part. Previous efforts and good intentions to shop more for food and to buy organic and local have fallen apart when life gets hectic or when I get distracted. Changing habits usually takes effort - developing this new organic local produce habit was incredibly easy... it just shows up.
Direct Carbon Impact: Buying organic food only versus conventional saves 0.04 tonnes of CO2 per year and buying local produce exclusively versus not considering location saves 0.09 tonnes of CO2. With a reduction of 0.13 tonnes of CO2, it's not a huge impact but every bit does add up.
Other beneficial impacts: There are many indirect positive impacts that aren't included in the simple carbon number. By buying direct from the producer, I am eliminating the carbon impact of the grocery store retail space with its attendant packaging, lighting, heating, and refrigeration impacts. In addition, it feels really great to support a local family owned farm that takes good care of the land and the surroundings by not dumping chemicals on my food.
Savings? Obsolutely! From browsing the website, you can see that the contents of "The Box" are very reasonably priced compared to buying organic or even conventional produce at the store. Getting produce delivered and being forced to cook meals rather than eating out is an instant money-saver. What is nice too is the variety and the fact that they pick whatever is currently ripe so that you eat with the seasons. They include recipe ideas and news from the farm on a flyer also. It feels just like joining a community. I highly encourage you to join as well - if you put my name in the "how did you hear about us" area when you sign up , you get $5 off your first delivery - and I get one free delivery! Such a deal! Don't know what to get me for my birthday? There you go... ¶ 3:27 PM 0 comments links to this post
ELIMINATED COMMUTE:
I have been making efforts to reduce my personal impact on climate change by making some simple adjustments to my lifestyle. Overall, these adjustments have also been beneficial and enriching to me personally as well. The first major change was moving back to San Francisco, closer to my job. Rather than spending about 2 hours a day on a bus heading into and out of the City from San Anselmo, I am now able to walk to work in about 15 to 20 minutes each way. The net result is that I lowered my daily contribution of greenhouse gasses, save time daily and get a bit more exercise. On the financial front, I am also saving the bus fare of $4 each way - even though it was funded with pre-tax dollars through Commuter Checks, it's still a positive impact.
Carbon impact: 20 miles each way, 5 days a week for 50 work weeks is about 10,000 bus miles per year, or according to carbonfootprint.com's calculator, 1.434 metric tonnes of CO2 per year.
On the other hand, I am not sure that bus riders and other public transit user should be "billed" the full carbon impact of the vehicle they ride in calculations. By using transit yourself, you help make transit possible for others. It is a bit of a "hundredth monkey" phenomenon, where each person switching their more carbon intensive single rider car is creating demand for public transit and is reducing the congestion on roads that leads to everyone idling in traffic longer.
MEAT-FREE DIET:
Another change that has been easy and positive has been maintaining a mostly vegetarian diet. I still consume cheese and fish on occasion, but I have completeley cut meat and poultry from my diet. I feel much better physically and have lost 100% of the belly fat I had a few years back - that might be attributable to exercise but the no meat diet hasn't hurt.
Carbon impact: The carbon calculator claims that by switching from the "mix of white and red meat" diet to a vegetarian diet, one can reduce carbon impact by 0.5 metric tonnes of CO2 per year. Given my continued consumption of fish, the reduction may be slightly less than that.
LOCAL ORGANIC PRODUCE HOME DELIVERY:
Another aspect of my impact I have addressed is making more conscious choices in terms of where my food comes from. I have recently signed up for organic produce home delivery through Farm Fresh To You. For just $29, I get a box of organic produce delivered to my doorstep. I chose to start with a delivery every 2 weeks since I'm typically cooking for just one. So far, I'm thrilled with the service. Since the produce just shows up, there's no willpower or planning required on my part. Previous efforts and good intentions to shop more for food and to buy organic and local have fallen apart when life gets hectic or when I get distracted. Changing habits usually takes effort - developing this new organic local produce habit was incredibly easy... it just shows up.
Direct Carbon Impact: Buying organic food only versus conventional saves 0.04 tonnes of CO2 per year and buying local produce exclusively versus not considering location saves 0.09 tonnes of CO2. With a reduction of 0.13 tonnes of CO2, it's not a huge impact but every bit does add up.
Other beneficial impacts: There are many indirect positive impacts that aren't included in the simple carbon number. By buying direct from the producer, I am eliminating the carbon impact of the grocery store retail space with its attendant packaging, lighting, heating, and refrigeration impacts. In addition, it feels really great to support a local family owned farm that takes good care of the land and the surroundings by not dumping chemicals on my food.
Savings? Obsolutely! From browsing the website, you can see that the contents of "The Box" are very reasonably priced compared to buying organic or even conventional produce at the store. Getting produce delivered and being forced to cook meals rather than eating out is an instant money-saver. What is nice too is the variety and the fact that they pick whatever is currently ripe so that you eat with the seasons. They include recipe ideas and news from the farm on a flyer also. It feels just like joining a community. I highly encourage you to join as well - if you put my name in the "how did you hear about us" area when you sign up , you get $5 off your first delivery - and I get one free delivery! Such a deal! Don't know what to get me for my birthday? There you go... ¶ 3:27 PM 0 comments links to this post
