Checklist Toward Zero Carbon:

1. Your Food

2. Money, Shopping & Stuff

3. Waste

4. Driving and Flying

5. Playing & Pets

6. Your Home

7. Work

8. School

9. Calculate your Footprint

10. Buy Carbon Offsets

- Conclusion

- Epilogue

- A Note on Climate Science and Skepticism

- Checklist Sources

Appendix:

I. Climate Change Resources

II. Climate Change In the News

III. Political Action Opportunities

Forward:

In 2005 the eminent climate scientist Dr. James Hansen said, “We are on the precipice of climate system tipping points beyond which there is no redemption.” Just three years later, we are now crossing some of those tipping points.

Melting polar ice will soon disintegrate, raising oceans to threaten the existence of Miami, New York, Shanghai, Jakarta, Calcutta, Lagos, London and other cities. The polar bears are going to die. And 20 to 40% of animal species will be extinct by mid-century. The tropics are turning to desert. Monsoon rains will cease. There will be drought, famine, and millions of refugees. We could be among them. Hundreds of millions of lives will be at risk, quite possibly billions. Yes, billions.

We face these consequences not in 1,000 or 100 years, but in our lifetime. We face an emergency, the likes of which civilization has never seen. What is to be our legacy?

The tipping point for atmospheric CO2 concentration is approximately 350 parts per million (ppm). Past it we are on the road to catastrophe. It’s now 383ppm and rising 2ppm per year.

We need to take immediate action. We must halt the building of new coal and gas power plants that don’t capture the CO2 they produce, and require the conversion of all existing coal power plants to capture CO2. If the power plants cannot be converted, let’s shut them down.

There’s no “silver bullet” to fix the problem – we must also massively invest in clean energy sources, forest restoration, public transportation, and in building a carbon neutral society. We need to elect leaders who are serious about this emergency to every level of government and educate the ones who are not.

Let’s examine our own lives and make them as carbon free as possible. This checklist is a simple way to get started.

As the dynamic of climate change feeds on itself, shocks lie ahead. The previously benign Siberian soil, locked for ages in permafrost, is now melting, releasing greenhouse gases (GHG) that exceed the total output of U.S. manmade emissions.

The oceans - now absorbing 2 billion tons of CO2 annually – are becoming acidic dead zones. Eventually if they tip they’ll switch to being massive CO2 emitters, radically raising atmospheric temperature and sea levels.

While the challenges are enormous, let’s start with what we eat and how we live and work. Let’s begin by eliminating our personal carbon footprint.

Please read the lists. Think about it. Let’s all do what we can.

Ken Levenson

Feb 29, 2008

1. Your Food:

□ Don’t eat beef – or at least much less beef. Going vegetarian is best, but less is a start. (If you do just one thing, do this.)[1]

□ Chicken in lieu of beef is better too.[2]

□ Don’t eat fish or eat significantly less. Buy sustainably harvested wild fish when possible.[3]

□ Monitor what you eat and don’t eat.[4]

□ Buy organic when possible. [5]

□ Become a locovore and buy regionally grown food. A conventional meal creates 4 to 17 times the GHG as a locally sourced one.

· Shop at the local Farmer’s Market.

· Consider joining the Park Slope Food Coop, http://foodcoop.com/

· Bring your own bags to use.[6]

□ If you can’t get it locally buy fair-trade food.[7] It not only pays farmers a living wage but encourages sustainable farming practices.

□ Drink tap water, not bottled water. Tap water is safe, clean and just as good for you. If you have concerns, filter the tap water.

2. Money, Shopping & Stuff:

□ Patronize and invest in companies that are working to solve the problem.[8] [9]

· Boycott ExxonMobil.[10]

Consider investing in climate change oriented mutual funds.[11]

□ Bank and pay bills online – get statements via email.

□ Don’t ask for ATM receipts.

□ Use a green credit card. They offer points specifically for use towards carbon offsets or renewable energy credits. https://brighterplanet.com

□ Give special attention to major purchases.

□ Purchase recycled products.[12]

□ Purchase green products and avoid “green-washed” products. They say they’re green but the labels may tell a different story.

□ Shop locally at locally owned businesses. Invest in a vibrant local economy – so you never have to drive.

□ Purchase natural and concentrated cleaning products.[13]

□ Buy Green beauty products.[14]

□ Use organic dry cleaning.

□ Use Freecycle www.freecycle.org - people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns.

□ For fashionistas: www.clothingswap.org and www.swapstyle.com.

□ Buy staple items in bulk or in the largest size possible.

□ Don't buy over-packaged items. Avoid individually wrapped single servings.

□ Buy fresh foods instead of canned.

□ Buy music downloads and avoid the packaging altogether.

□ Say no to Styrofoam.

3. Waste:

□ Audit and reduce your garbage.[15]

□ Recycle paper, metal and plastics per NYC law.[16]

· Consider recycling the plastics NYC won’t accept at the Park Slope Food Coop.[17]

□ Opt out of mail order catalogs you don’t want. www.catalogchoice.org

□ Stop junk mail. Go to: www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist or www.ecocycle.org

□ Call to stop phone book delivery.

□ Donate or sell your castoffs:

· Freecycle - www.freecycle.org

· NYC Stuff Exchange to donate your old stuff to a not-for-profit www.nyc.gov/html/stuffex/html/donate/where_to_donate.shtml

· www.clothingswap.org

· www.swapstyle.com.

· Sell it on EBay, Craig’s List or on the stoop.

□ Use cloth napkins.

□ Don’t use disposable plates, cups, or silverware.

□ Use rechargeable batteries.

□ Compost! If you live in an apartment, compost at your nearest community garden. A great source of nutrients for plants and gardens.

□ Place a water bottle in your toilet tank and reduce the volume of water you use.

□ Put your old cell phone in a local office-supply store recycling bin. Don’t throw them away.[18]

□ Your laptop is about five times more energy-expensive to make than a car or fridge. So upgrade first before you replace. Install more memory or faster processor. Reuse. Give your PC away. Recycle. Many manufacturers will take your machine when you buy a new one.

□ Feeling like no matter what you do it’s just not enough? Install a composting toilet! www.envirolet.com

□ Work to reduce your waste a little bit more ever day: www.ecocycle.com

4. Driving and Flying:

□ Set concrete goals for reducing your travel.

4a. Driving:

□ Walk, ride your bike, or take public transportation instead.

□ Get a hybrid.

□ Trade in the SUV or truck for a higher mileage car.

□ Get a diesel engine and run it on local used cooking oil. Check out www.tristatebiodiesel.com, www.fillup4free.com and www.greasecar.com for more info.

□ Use bio-fuel with caution.[19]

□ Consolidate trips: don’t drive until you’ve got a few errands.

□ If you drive to work, share your commute.

□ Maintain your car’s fuel efficiency. Tune it up. Change the oil. Fix a cracked or missing gas cap. Strip the rack when not in use. Unload the trunk. Maintain recommended tire pressure.

□ Drive the speed limit.[20]

□ And stop driving like a maniac – those abrupt starts and stops can cost you up to 37% in fuel efficiency.

□ Use cruise control on the highway.

□ Avoid excessive idling.

□ Don't top off the fuel tank.

4b. Flying:

□ Don’t fly.[21]

□ Take a train instead of flying.

□ If you must fly:

· Book direct flights. One stop-over on a 3,500 mile trip will produce 25% more carbon dioxide than flying direct.

· Fly in a newer, more fuel-efficient plane.[22]

· Buy carbon offsets to balance specific trips. (See steps 7 and 8 for an explanation.)

□ The best frequent flier miles are those unspent. Donate your miles to the Red Cross, Make a Wish Foundation, the National Marrow Donor Program or a charity of your choice.

5. Playing and Pets:

5a. Playing:

□ Remind yourself what it is you’re trying to save: nature. Get out and enjoy.

· City - www.nycgovparks.org

· State - www.nysparks.state.ny.us

· Nation - www.nps.gov

□ Carry it in, carry it out.

□ Observe wildlife, don't disturb.

□ Hike, row, sail, ski, or paddle - don't motor.

□ Don’t Cruise.[23] Or consider a sailing cruise.

□ Share books, CDs, tapes, magazines with friends, hospitals, and prisons.

□ Throw a party and raise consciousness. Or join the festivities planned for Earth Day (such as the Park Slope Civic Council Spring Civic Sweep, April 19^th), Clean up the World Day (www.cleanuptheworld.org) or World Car Free Day (www.worldcarfree.net).

□ Plan a green wedding celebration. www.ethicalweddings.com

5b. Pets:

□ Get your pet from an animal shelter.

□ Don’t get exotic pets.

□ Spay or neuter your cat or dog.

□ Select healthy pet food. www.petdiets.com

6. Your Home:

□ Switch your home’s electrical power source to wind and/or solar power. (ConEd and other utilities obtain power from traditional and green sources and you can choose green, which adds approximately $10/month to your electric bill.) www.poweryourway.com

□ Sub-size it. Houses between 1,500 and 2,000 s.f. consume 40% less energy than a 4,000+ s.f. McMansion.

□ If you’re moving, choose a home near public transportation.

□ If you’re moving, consider a row house or an apartment building instead of a detached home. Promote the construction of energy-efficient apartment buildings over single-family homes.

□ Conduct a Home Energy Audit –

· do-it-yourself via Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory http://hes.lbl.gov

· Or the Dept of Energy http://www.eere.energy.gov

· Or hire a home energy audit professional.

6a. Re-Insulate:

□ If your home is more than 10 years old, it is probably under-insulated.[24] Install as much insulation as possible.

□ Install a green roof – plantings provide building insulation and site water management. www.greenroofs.org

□ Examine your house's heating ducts for leaks. Mostly out of sight, ducts can leak for years without you knowing it. You can save roughly 10% of your heating bill by sealing them.

□ Close the blinds on hot summer days, open them on cool winter days.

□ Use storm doors and windows in cool environments.

□ Install high-performance windows when it's time to replace them.

□ Avoid using the fireplace when the heating system is on.

□ Install fireplace inserts (doors and circulation blowers) so less warm air goes up the chimney when the fireplace is going.

□ Don't forget to close the damper on your fireplace when not in use.

□ Insulate all hot water pipes.

□ Weather stripping and caulking is probably the least expensive, simplest, most effective way to cut down on energy waste in the winter. Improperly sealed homes can waste 10 to 15% of the homeowner's heating dollars.

· Check around doors and windows for leaks and drafts. Add weather stripping and caulk any holes you see that allow heat to escape. Make sure doors seal properly.

· If your windows leak really badly, consider replacing them with newer, more efficient ones. Keep in mind, however, that replacing windows can be expensive.

· Every duct, wire or pipe that penetrates the wall or ceiling or floor has the potential to waste energy. Plumbing vents can be especially bad, since they begin below the floor and go all the way through the roof. Seal them all with caulking or weather-stripping.

· Electric wall plugs and switches can allow cold air in. Purchase simple-to-install, pre-cut foam gaskets that fit behind the switch plate and effectively prevent leaks.

6b. Heating:

□ Every fall, have your heating system cleaned and inspected by a qualified contractor.

□ Set your thermostat to 68 degrees during the day and 60 degrees at night and when no one is home. Each degree over 68 can increase by 3 percent the amount of energy you use for heating.

□ Put on a sweater. There are numerous ways to improve home heating efficiency, but none so simple as dressing warmly and simply dialing back the thermostat.

□ Install a programmable thermostat and set it to turn down the heat at night and when no one is home. Lowering the thermostat 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day can save you about 10 percent a year on heating costs.

□ Keep drapes or furniture away from radiators and baseboard heaters so heat can flow freely.

□ Remove window air conditioners when the weather gets cool. If you can’t, enclose them with a cover.

□ Open blinds and shades, particularly on the south and west sides of your home before you leave in the morning to make use of the sun’s heating potential.

□ Use an efficient humidifier to maintain comfortable humidity levels and help you conserve heat. Proper humidity helps you feel comfortable without turning up the heat.

□ Use ceiling fans to circulate warm air in winter, especially in rooms with high ceilings.

□ Close doors and warm-air vents in unused rooms, but in extreme cold, be aware of water pipes that could freeze and burst.

□ If you have a hot-water heating system, release any trapped air from radiators.

□ Radiators can lose heat into exterior walls. Reduce this loss by placing reflectors between the wall and the radiator.

□ Clean or replace filters for your hot-air furnace and heat pump every month during the heating season or use filters made to run six to 12 months before needing replacement.

□ Insulate any hot-water pipes that pass through unheated spaces. For steam pipes, use nonfoam insulation, as foam can melt.

□ When buying a new furnace or boiler, look for the ENERGY STAR label.

□ When your away turn the thermostat down to 50 degrees.

6c. Air Conditioning:

□ Dress cool: don't turn on the air conditioning. (Sweating it out could be good training for a hotter planet.)

□ Switching to high-efficiency air conditioners and reducing your air-conditioning use can cut your cooling costs by 20 to 50 percent.

□ Install properly sized high efficiency AC units. A larger-than-needed air conditioner cycles on and off more frequently, reducing its efficiency.

□ Every year, inspect and clean your air conditioner or cooling system. A well-maintained unit uses less electricity.

□ If you have central air conditioning, keep the condenser unit’s coils and fins clean. Remove grass, leaves, and other debris that may collect.

□ Set your air conditioner to no cooler than 78 degrees. Lower than 78 degrees can increase your costs by up to 40 percent.

□ Install ceiling fans or whole house fans to help reduce your need to use the air conditioner.