Big and small ways to reduce your carbon footprint

Climate Change: Taking Action to Reduce Carbon Footprint

With a problem as vast as climate change, it’s hard to know how to start. Individual action can seem so insignificant compared with the scale of global greenhouse gas emissions that it’s difficult to believe they help. But they already have.

The technology, the research and, increasingly, the money have become available for people and businesses to make significant reductions in the amount of carbon dioxide they are sending into the atmosphere. Many want to know where they can do the most good. Should I change my diet? Should I get an EV? Is it better to get solar panels or replace my gas-burning furnace?

The answers to those questions will depend on everyone’s circumstances. Apartment dwellers can’t put in a new furnace, obviously. But I did my best to put a number on the relative climate benefits of the most common (and some less common) things that people can do.

This isn’t a precise science, but here’s how I did it. These estimates are pulled from studies from industry experts and based on emissions calculators and tools from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United Nations. They’re based on what a typical Minnesota household, driver and grocery shopper could expect to cut. Some of the calculators get into granular detail and are worth diving into if you want to see how the specifics work for you. The EPA will count out the number of pounds of greenhouse gases your furnace emits if you tell it how much CenterPoint charged you in your last billing cycle. The U.S. Department of Energy can tell you the life-cycle emissions of the make and model of most cars. If you want to know the carbon cost of everyday actions — up to and including how many pounds of emissions you would save by riding a bike 5 miles rather than the typical British car if you ever find yourself on the streets of London — the U.N. has an app for you.

The calculators have some surprising and useful tips both large and small. One of the best? Delete spam emails. Emails you may never open or read are still stored in your inbox and in the cloud. That storage takes energy, energy that produces 1 pound of emissions for every 1,515 unread emails, to be exact. I had 12,467 unopened emails in my inbox at the time of writing, emitting 8 pounds of carbon a year.

While there is no definitive emissions total you should try to cut, keep this nice round number in mind: 15,000. Over the next six years, the United States needs to cut the emissions per capita it produced in 2005 by 52% to do its share to keep global temperatures at a level that will avoid some of the worst effects of a warming planet. That comes out to a reduction of about 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per person.

It is not the sole responsibility of individuals to cut those emissions — they include what’s required of businesses, industries and governments. I include it to give a sense of the scale. And because some of you might be surprised to learn you’ve already done it or are well on your way.

So where to start?

The vast majority of greenhouse gases in the U.S. come from three places: power plants, cars and farms. So carbon cutters should reconsider the power they use, the way they get around and the food they eat. These numbers are all annual totals.

Power

Switch to a heat pump: Saves 4,000 to 8,000 lbs.

The largest single way some Minnesota homeowners can reduce their footprint is by replacing their propane system or gas furnace with an air source heat pump. This has the widest range of potential emission cuts because it depends on many factors, including what type of fuel is being replaced and how efficient the heat pump is. The Minnesota nonprofit Center for Energy and Environment has created a tool for homeowners to get a more precise estimate based on their individual situation.

Heat pumps run on electricity, and the state’s electrical grid has become far cleaner than burning propane or methane gas. And it is only getting cleaner. Even replacing some of the most efficient gas furnaces on the market could conservatively be expected to cut 20% to 40% of your heating emissions, said Josh Quinnell, a senior research at the center.

Install a better gas furnace: Saves 4,000 lbs.

If a heat pump isn’t for you, major savings can still be found by replacing a bottom-tier gas furnace with a newer highly efficient one. That carbon savings comes from swapping the lowest rated legal gas furnace (80% efficiency)

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
   • Indicator 7.2.1: Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
   • Indicator 11.6.1: Proportion of urban solid waste regularly collected and with adequate final discharge out of total urban solid waste generated, by cities

3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse
   • Indicator 12.5.1: National recycling rate, tons of material recycled

4. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
   • Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the strengthening of institutional, systemic, and individual capacity-building to implement adaptation, mitigation, and technology transfer

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Analysis

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   The article discusses the benefits of switching to a heat pump, installing solar panels, and air drying laundry instead of using a dryer. These actions contribute to the target of increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix (Target 7.2). The article mentions the reduction in heating emissions by replacing gas furnaces with heat pumps (Indicator 7.2.1).

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   The article highlights the importance of reducing the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities. It suggests actions such as switching to electric vehicles, driving hybrid plug-in vehicles, taking the bus, and riding a bike instead of driving. These actions contribute to the target of reducing environmental impact, including air quality and waste management (Target 11.6). The article mentions the emissions savings associated with these transportation choices (Indicator 11.6.1).

3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   The article emphasizes the need to reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse. It suggests eating pork and chicken instead of beef to save carbon emissions. This aligns with the target of substantially reducing waste generation (Target 12.5). The article mentions the carbon emissions savings associated with dietary choices (Indicator 12.5.1).

4. SDG 13: Climate Action

   The article addresses the need to integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning. It mentions the emissions reduction required by the United States to keep global temperatures at a safe level (Target 13.2). While the article does not explicitly mention indicators, it provides information on emissions reductions needed per person, which can be used as an indicator to measure progress towards the target.

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: startribune.com

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