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Teaching Conservation in New Zealand
2010-11-25 11:34:54 UTC
Kiwi Conservation Club
http://www.kcc.org.nz/
List members may wish to know about this resource. For over 20 years the Kiwi Conservation Club has been teaching New Zealand children about plants, animals, conservation, and respect for nature.
Mel Tremper
United States -
Re: Clarification on specific GHG Quantifier Situations
2010-11-11 16:55:12 UTC
I don't think there is a one size fits all answer. In general, the owner of the property should take much of the footprint onus because the owner could retrofit to install better insulation, or add solar rooftop panels to generate supplemental energy or heat, or recapture devices etc. However, the occupants bear some responsibility as well since their patterns of use can affect energy consumption. I would argue that if Mary's outfit owns structures whether they use them or not, as long as someone is using them, then Mary's outfit, by virtue of its ability to control the characteristics of the structure mentioned above, "owns" its share of the carbon footprint.
That said, what is the overall carbon footprint of a structure? A building located right next to a mass transit terminal is likely to generate a much lower overall use footprint than its exact twin located where it is only accessible by highway and is surrounded by an impervious paved parking lot to accommodate the hordes of cars needed to bring occupants to work there daily. (water run off is not strictly carbon related, but is an environmental issue)
Mel Tremper
United States -
New Journal on Food Systems & Community
2010-10-25 14:07:15 UTC
The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD) Seeks Authors and Peer Reviewers!
The inaugural issue of JAFSCD is now online. The first issue of this international, peer-reviewed journal of applied research and policy analysis is available free to view at www.AgDevJournal.com. JAFSCD is for agencies, organizations, and academics interested in expanding local and regional food systems. The journal is actively seeking authors and peer reviewers. Visit the journal website for more information.
Mel Tremper
United States -
Re: Calculation of Gas to CO2e
2010-10-02 22:42:13 UTC
A litre of gasoline weighs 0.76 kg. and produces 2.356 kg. of CO2 upon combustion in a motor vehicle. I do not know the chemistry, but recall that most engines combine about 15 times as much air as gasoline in the combustion process. Most of the oxygen in the air becomes part of the CO2. The weight of the by product of the combustion is composed of the weight of the combination of the fuel and the air used to combust it.
Mel Tremper
United States -
Re: Effectiveness of Environmental Education Programs
2010-08-27 13:38:56 UTC
This applies generally to folks who are looking for ways to conduct campaigns to improve local sustainability efforts. I recommend they harness the power of youth involvement. Not only will that improve the resources focused on the current efforts, but can also lay the foundation of a life time commitment among the youth participants. Two resources you might access in the US are: National Youth Leadership Council (http://www.nylc.org/) which has done a bit of work organizing teens around green issues. Their leadership is very accessible.
And of course the national (or local) 4H http://4-h.org/
Mel Tremper
United States -
Community Sustainability Resource
2010-07-11 10:04:58 UTC
I read this review in the Internet Scout Report
Smart Growth America [pdf]
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/
The Smart Growth America organization is a "coalition of national, state and
local organizations working to improve the ways we plan and build the towns,
cities and metro areas we call home." To work on these issues, they offer
interested parties a wide range of helpful resources about their work, which
includes planning for public transportation, sensible development plans, and
maintaining open space. Visitors may want to start by checking out their
web-exclusive video series titled "American Makeover". The program looks
into issues like sprawl, sustainable development and so on by profiling
different communities around the United States. Moving on, visitors can use
the "Resources" area to look over recent policy documents created by the
organization, including "Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development
and Climate Change". Also, their blog is both insightful and frequently
updated, and it provides commentary on infrastructure improvements and
economic development programs. [KMG]
Mel Tremper
United States -
Re: Sustainable Transport Guide for businesses
2010-04-04 12:27:34 UTC
I can almost see the camera panning along as this pure white pickup truck cruises silently by a neat black top road bordered by bright green fields. A startled deer looks up as the truck passes by, fueled by super green liquid natural gas. Kinda heartwarming.
Mel Tremper
United States -
Re: Washable Diaper Barriers
2010-03-11 16:46:25 UTC
If the Union of Concerned Scientists conclusion after reviewing it all is that the environmental difference is too close to call so you can use which ever works for you was based on data from 1993, it might be time to do another study. In the US washing machines have become much more efficient in terms of both hot water, and electricity to power the motor. Disposable diaper technology has evolved into a world of new products not available in 93.
Mel Tremper
United States -
Re: Webinar: Promoting Highly Fuel Efficient Automobiles
2010-03-05 12:18:29 UTC
Bruderly asks "Why not promote immediate and widespread use of NGVs in North America to save consumers money.." Yes natural gas as a motor fuel produces less carbon at the point of use. However it is not a wonderful solution. Gaseous natural gas is low in energy per unit volume, and even in liquid form natural gas has far lower energy content per equivalent volume than gasoline, thus vehicles running on it must either have much larger fuel tanks, or settle for a considerably reduced range between refuelings. A significant chunk of the gas we currently use is imported, which does not solve energy dependency problems, and the process of liquifying/shipping/storing all that product is not without costs to the environment. In very cold winters in the Northeast the current gas distribution system is strained to the breaking point, imagine adding the enormous demand for fueling millions of motor vehicles to the existing demand and you can see there would be a need for huge investment in infrastructure. And once demand for natural gas as a motor fuel soared, the price would rise commensurately. Natural gas is a finite resource, just like petroleum and is slightly less polluting, so if it is more of a "sustainable" fuel, it is not by much.
Mel Tremper
United States -
Re: Community Garden in Affluent Suburb
2010-02-10 08:49:36 UTC
You say you will bring in school groups. That is one good step. I think you need to try to harness the energy of children. Younger kids could have their own little group plot to grow easy to grow items. Teens could be convinced it is "cool" to grow difficult to grow or exotic crops (exotic for your area). WIth a strong enough youth participation, you don't need many adults. Overtime parents may follow. Boy/Girl Scout troops might be another source of energy. Finally, don't overlook your county extension office. They have lots of info on both the technology of agriculture, and tools for community organizing and youth enagement.
Mel Tremper
United States
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