Paint your roof white?

I’ve been keeping my eye out for all kinds of innovative thinking about addressing climate change.  I dont’ think that any one thing will resolve our dilemma, but I am intrigued at the increase in attention paid to solving this particular set of problems.  Along those lines, I came across a little item that deserves some consideration.  I linked to the Salon.com article about this, but it was also in the SF Chronicle, and elsewhere.

A recent study published by Berkeley Labs scientist Hashem Akbari suggests that if all urban roofs and streets/sidewalks were light colored (white, or light grey), the potential carbon offset could be as much as 44 gigatons of CO2 (more than a year’s worth of carbon emission for the entire planet).

Interesting.  LA building code already requires that ofice buildings have white roofs, but this would require a massive piece of legislation, support and mobilization.

Hail, Again.

Last night we were awakened by hail. It was intense but short. It was so loud that I worried that the glass in our skylights would be shattered – perhaps my reptilian brain was a little carried away, but it was loud.

Geo-Engineering – No longer just the “province of kooks”?

kooky!

One of the driving factors in my shift toward a sustainable lifestyle is  the feeling that I have to do my part, however insignificant, to reduce greehouse gas emissions.  I know that my small part doesn’t make a dent, but the hope is that my actions are joined by many like me, and that this stream of small actions feeds into a larger stream of political will and collective actions.  That’s why I am so happy to have Obama in the Whitehouse (okay, that is only one reason).  The final cog in this scenario in my head is the innovation of our scientific community.  In my estimation, if we can put a man on the moon, surely we can come up with some way or ways to reverse or even just mitigate the effects of all the CO2 in the atomosphere.

It seems like one of the first steps we’ve taken collectively is to start quantifying the cost of doing nothing, and then coming up with the cost of correcting the problem.  According to some, the cost of reducing or eliminating carbon from the atmosphere world wide will be staggering.  And during this world-wide economic downturn, there is reluctance and even inability to invest the money and radically alter (Obama’s plans notwithstanding) our infrastructure to move away from carbon-based fuels entirely.  Of course, the cost of doing nothing is possibly annhilation.

Enter the geo-engineers.  This field, which Time Magazine has referred to as the “province of kooks” is a once-disdained area of engineering that is now being looked at again since Paul Crutzen suggested in an op-ed that maybe the earth could be cooled by releasing sulfurous debris into the atmosphere.

According to Science Daily, “Geo-engineering is the large-scale engineering of the environment to combat the effects of climate change — in particular to counteract the effects of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. A number of schemes have been suggested including nutrient fertilisation of the oceans, cloud seeding, sunshades in space, stratospheric aerosol injections, and ocean pipes”

Encouragingly, a recent review of geo-engineering projects by the University of East Anglia concludes that one of the most promising projects is using biochar (read: fancy compost).  Biochar is produced when bio waste is subjected to pyrolysis (super hot composting) and is then added back into the soil.  I know it’s not quite the same thing, but the principle is very similar.  Woo hoo for compost!

In a later post, I plan to lay out in more detail exactly what biochar is and what it’s potential benefits are.

Gore Urges Action on Environment Despite Economy

Right on, man.  I don’t think I”m the only one who can see the connection between economic recovery and addressing global climate change.  They can work together, and not be at odds.

Obama Takes Action on Environmental Standards

A relief! Obama signed two executive orders today, one directing the federal DOT to increase fuel efficiency standards on 2011 cars sold in the US and a second (and dear to my heart as a Californian) directing the EPA to review the decision not to grant the waiver to California to pursue more aggressive emissions standards.

Rainy season over, maybe?

I’ve notice for the past several years that the rainy season here in California is getting shorter.  Maybe this is just a temporary drought, or maybe we’re seeing the new paradigm.  It used to be that the rains started in November and continued off and on until March.  I remember sitting in a coffee shop watching the LA marathon (beginning of March) during a hellacious downpour.  Now, it seems we have a rainy season that starts in December and ends in January with a few hiccups during February.  WTF!

Reading up on the current drought, I learned that spring 2008 was the driest in recorded history, and that the future holds more of this in store.  So, once again, I come back to the idea of being “green” as a lifestyle choice, and being “green” from necessity.

If you choose a green lifestyle, it’s somehow like you have decided to switch to wearing grey instead of black.  Minor lifestyle choice, and kind of annoying.  But making choices to use less and recycle more because there is necessity, well, it ceases to be something cool you do until it’s not cool anymore.  You can guess which category I’m in. 

Here is a list of 10 things a busy person can do to cut down on water waste:

1.  Don’t let the water run when you do dishes.  I get everything wet and rinsed off, get my sponge really soapy and wet, then I put everything in one sink as I wash.  Then, when I’m totally done, I rinse all at once.

2.  Only wash full loads of laundry.  Depending on your habits, you can save up to 1000 gallons a month.

3.  Instead of using your garbage disposal, compost your kitchen waste.

4.  Water your garden or lawn in the morning.   You can also water in the evening, but I don’t recommend doing that unless the weather is really warm and you don’t have any dampness at night.

5.  Wash fruits and vegetables in a bowl or pan rather than under the running water.

6.  Spread organic mulch around the base of your trees and plants in your yard – this will cut down on water loss.

7.  If your shower fills a 1 gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace it with a water-saving style.

8.   If you have a fish tank, don’t throw out their dirty water-use it in the garden!

9.  Get a rain barrel to collect  water from your roof to use on your garden.

10.  Replace your sprinkler system with drip irrigation – it’s easier than you think.

click here for a list of 90 other ways.

What about harvesting fog?

I have my rain barrel to catch our dwindling rains, a composter to recycle my kitchen waste, we recycle paper glass & plastic, we’re looking into a wind turbine, but the most abundant natural resource we have here in SF (especially up here in Diamond Heights) is FOG!  When we can get that resource harvested, it’ll be party time, or so I’ve joked!

Well, I was searching around, and indeed, there are a number of oranizations and scientists exploring fog harvesting and testing methods to ”harvest” water from fog.  There is a Canadian NGO/Non-Profit, FogQuest, that funds projects that use large nets in several dry developing nations such as Peru, Chile, South Africa and Oman.  The net method uses large vertically erected polypropelene nets to catch the fog, and as the water builds up on the net, it is directed to a collecting barrel. 

 

 

There is some preliminary research on using biomimicry techniques dervived from Andrew Parker’s observations about the stenocara beetle, although a viable application doesn’t seem to have emerged yet.

But the coolest looking thing I found was a coastal fog catching tower that is was an entry in the eVolo Skyscraper Design contest.  The conceptual tower would be built in Chile on the edge of the camachaca, one of the driest deserts in the world.  http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/04/02/coastal-fog-tower/

This conceptual design is beautiful.  It reminds me of some other conceptual towers I’ve seen for urban agriculture and some existing wind turbine designs. 

Quite frankly, I never thought that anyone was even thinking seriously about harvesting fog, but there you go!

Accelerated Climate Change?

According to the US Geological Survey, climate change may advance more rapidly than previously estimated by the IPCC. The study, recently issued, examines the rate of sea level rise, the frequency and duration of drought and other effects of global climate change. Yet another reason to compost, (and press your local legislator, get a prius, go solar) in my opinion!

One of the main differences includes a dramatic upward increase in the estimates of the rise in sea level.  The IPCC previously estimated about a 1.2 foot rise in sea levels by the end of the century.  The US Geological Survey’s new estimate is 4 feet!  This is scary stuff.

Additionally, the current droughts in the southwest are projected to continue, with length and severity probably increasing.  Got a rain barrel yet?

Collecting Rainwater in Colorado, Utah or Washington? Not So Fast.

I met Eugene Volokh a few times through a friend. He’s a legal genius, and his friends at UCLA Law School nicknamed him Eugenius. I don’t agree with his politics, but I do respect his intellect. The dude is smart!

Anyway, I was looking for another rainwater collection formula and found his blog, in which he discusses some legal barriers to collecting rainwater in Colorado, Utah & Washington. It’s unbelievable, but if you live in those states and are considering collecting rainwater, you may need to get a permit first.  Follow the link to learn more.

Compost FAQ: Why Compost?

There are so many rational reasons to compost.

Extend the life of landfills:  Landfills are rapidly, well, filling up.  If we can easily divert our kitchen waste, we can save at least 20% of refuse from going into existing landfills.  This helps make landfills last longer, and reduces some of the methane emissions.  Methane is one of the culprits in global warming.

Large-scale benefits:  According to the EPA, composting on the municipal level reduces the amount of methane and other toxic pollutants created in landfills, and the process of composting breaks down many dangerous chemicals contained in the items composted, such as wood preservatives, pesticides and VOC’s.   There is also evidence that municipally produced compost can be used as a landfill cover or layer that reduces methane emissions.

Gardens/Agriculture:  Composting creates a valuable soil amendment.   How valuable?  As the composting process breaks down organic material, it creates humus.  This nutrient-rich humus helps retain soil moisture and can help suppress soil diseases and pests.  In addition, using it can mitigate runoff and soil erosion.  All this rich stuff reduces the need for fertilizer, and the compost is a wonderful amendment when planting and transplanting.

Okay, this is obviously good, but I don’t have a yard: Even if you don’t garden, even if you don’t have a yard, most of us have house plants – and therefore, everyone can benefit from compost.  You can make your own apartment-appropriate composter or spend about $50 and get a bokashi composter.

Doesn’t composting produce carbon dioxide?  Yes, it does.  However, the amount of carbon dioxide you produce by composting is more than offset by the savings:  you have less trash, saving on the emissions of the garbage truck.  You will need less fertilizer, which saves emissions on the production and transportation of the fertilizer.  What’s more, using compost may also transform soil into carbon “sinks”, so if there is some gas released in the creation, applying mature compost to the soil helps the soil itself hold in carbon dioxide.

It’s not just for long-haired hippies or farmers, it’s for everyone.