http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/ Jason Boyer on how Coloradoans can live a green lifestyle. en Copyright 2011 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:26:54 -0700 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss I had some family visit most recently. It was very entertaining to witness the myriad of expressions on their faces when they stepped out of D.I.A. and got their first glimpses of the Rocky Mountains. I remember back a few years ago when I first saw those snow-capped peaks. They were then, and still remain, awe-inspiring. I mentioned the first time I laid eyes on the Rockies--that was back in late November, 2004. Then there was plenty of snow painting the peaks. Since that time I've always thought the mountains look their best with snow rather than without. Unfortunately, Winter's white hasn't lasted very long after the onset of May in the years I've lived here. This year is noticeably different. As I drove them away from the cacophony of airport noise and traffic, they continued to stare and comment how magnificent the view to the West was. I started telling them that this is a little unusual and went on to mention most recent Springs which saw premature snow melts. I added that it's certainly a blessing to see a good amount of snow still yet to make its way down. A few moments later I thought to myself, "so much for Global Warming." I hear that often these days from friends and colleagues, many of whom are meteorologists themselves. However, I'm always quick to point out that a few weeks, heck a few months of weather is no barometer for long-term climate fluctuations. Before those Global Warming naysayers get their feathers all ruffled, take a deep breath. Okay. I'm not saying that Global Warming is a reality, and I'm not saying it isn't. The point I'm trying to make is, let's give it some time. Sure it's great to see snow on the mountains in June, but next year could be very different. Just enjoy the view and enjoy the fact that you can still keep your yard green. http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/06/it_still_snows_in_june.html http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/06/it_still_snows_in_june.html Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:26:54 -0700 http://rtd-denver.com/ Here it lists schedules, routes and fares for almost any destination within Denver and the Metro Area. After taking the bus into work a few times, she boasted how easy and convenient it was. So, I decided to try it myself. Of course, my background in science and math has molded me into a person who enjoys figures and calculations. I'm a rational, logical thinker, so before I could hop on a bus or train, I had to "crunch the numbers." From my house to work it is an eleven mile trip one-way, that's 22 miles roundtrip. At five days a week, that's 110 miles. The drive for me is 3/4 stop-and-go lights and 1/4 interstate, thus my car's gas mileage isn't maximized- I tend to average around 18 miles per gallon. So, at 110 miles per week, that's about 6.1 gallons of gas, at $3.50/gallon that comes to $21.40 per week in gas. We don't live near a light rail station, so the bus is really the only way for me to commute in without driving myself. A bus ride from my house to work is a $1.75 for a one-way trip, so $3.50 roundtrip/day. That comes to $17.50 for a week's worth of commuting. Already I have saved nearly $4.00. Add that up over the course of a year and it comes to $208. That may not sound much to you, but think about the additional money I'm saving on the wear and tear on my car. Brakes, tires, shocks, belts, they all eventually wear-out. Replacing them is costly. I estimate I could extend the life of all of these car parts significantly if I were to take the bus at least 3 times per week. So, the bottom line is, I've found a way to save money while eliminating my cars pollution from the climate change equation. According to David Bach, author of "Go Green, Live Rich", on average a car will put 3,640 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. I'm not going to lie, the bus trip takes about twenty-five minutes longer than if I drove my car. This means I'm having to get up earlier so I can walk to the bus stop 6 blocks from my house.. (I definitely enjoy the exercise). And some days the weather isn't so nice, but overall I am very content taking RTD to work, I don't have to stress over traffic and use the time to get some work done before hitting the office. My girlfriend inspired me to take RTD-- hopefully I will do the same for someone reading this. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/05/one_ride_at_a_time.html http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/05/one_ride_at_a_time.html Fri, 16 May 2008 09:13:39 -0700 With gas prices hitting record highs all across the country, many people are looking to reduce their driving or invest in more gas-efficient cars. All good ideas, but if you can't afford to do either one of these, how about improving the gas mileage on the car you drive today? It's relatively easy and doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. The first place many auto experts suggest you start is your tires. Check the tire pressure and make sure they are properly inflated. Under or over-inflated tires reduce your gas mileage. If you don't already have one, go and purchase a tire pressure gauge at any local auto store or automotive section of your favorite big box store. Check your owner's manual or the side of your tires for the proper PSI, or pounds per square inch of pressure recommended. Tire pressure can fluctuate greatly so check your tires at least once a month. The next place to go is your trunk. Take out any unnecessary weight like those golf clubs or cinder blocks which are weighing down your MPG's. Also, if you're one of those with the classic "Colorado Coffin" or bike rack attached to your roof, remove them and watch your mileage improve by reducing extra drag. Another good place to look is under the hood. Check your car's air filter. A dirty air filter can make it harder for your car to "breathe" and thus reduce gas mileage.Air filters are cheap and easy to replace yourself. Check your air filter every month or so. This next step usually requires a mechanic for most. Proper maintenance or tuning of your auto will not only give your car a longer life, but reduce the number of times your hitting the pump. Regular oil changes (again check your owner's manual for the maintenance schedule), fuel filter changes, belt replacements and tune-ups are a very good idea. And finally, the way you drive not only says a lot about your personality, but has a dramatic effect on your gas mileage. Avoid fast starts and stops, use your cruise control as much as possible and reduce your speed. Safe and happy driving! http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/04/more_mpgs_money_per_gasups.html http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/04/more_mpgs_money_per_gasups.html Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:45:38 -0700 Whole Foods most recently eliminated plastic bags from its stores. The city of San Francisco has become the first in the nation to ban plastic bags at large grocery stores and pharmacies, eliminating an estimated 180 million plastic bags. Now most recently, BetterBagsColorado wants Denver to charge shoppers ten cents per plastic bag they use. This latest attempt to eliminate the use of plastic bags has created an outcry: from local councilmen and women to grocery stores themselves. At first the idea does seem a little too much. Government already controls enough of our lives anyway-right? Let's look at the argument a little more closely. Obviously there's a good reason why some think we need to be charged ten cents extra per plastic bag. First of all, plastic bags don't biodegrade and are filling-up our landfills causing more pollution. It's estimated that 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags are thrown away each year worldwide. That is an astonishing number! What are these bags made from? Petroleum products mostly, so reduce the use of them and we'll use less petroleum-a good thing. But Americans have fallen in love with the convenience of plastic. I must admit, I do love the fact that I can grab anywhere from five to seven bags at once and haul them from the car to the house reducing the number of trips necessary to unload my groceries. It really comes down to being a throw-away society. We've heard this over and over again. I remember throughout my childhood, being exposed on a daily basis to the ad campaigns always preaching the three Rs: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle. Has convenience once again gotten in the way of progress? As early as 15 years ago you couldn't find a plastic bag in the grocery stores back in my hometown. Now, there's virtually nothing that isn't put into them. I don't believe that we can't give up the convenience of these plastic bags. We did without them before, why not just ask for paper and take a few more trips from the car to the house? Think of it this way, you'll not only save our landfills from millions of plastic bags but you'll also get a little more exercise. Who could argue with that? http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/02/bag_the_plastic_bags.html http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/02/bag_the_plastic_bags.html Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:35:49 -0700 not a barometer for climate change. A colder-than-average or a warmer-than-average week may just be an anomaly for that particular week, not an alarm bell for global warming. It is a fine line though. How do climatologists determine climate change? They study climate's past. In twenty years, the changes we will experience in Colorado's weather may be the "smoking gun" for global warming. Let's hope the efforts each and everyone of us puts forth to be "green" in the coming years means they'll be looking at changes for the better not worse. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/01/weather_vs_climate.html http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/01/weather_vs_climate.html Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:07:18 -0700 http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/flextech.shtml http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17910749 http://www.nrel.gov/biomass/ http://e85prices.com/]]> http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/01/a_growing_need.html http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/01/a_growing_need.html Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:55:34 -0700 So we decided to rent a movie the other night, and, after much debating and musing, we chose a movie called "An Arctic Tale." If you haven't heard of this movie before, it follows two different mammals, a baby walrus and a baby polar bear, through the early years of their lives. The movie not only does a good job of portraying the many battles each animal goes through in daily life, but conveys an even stronger, more alarming picture of the additional struggles created by environmental changes. These changes--over the course of eight years of filming the movie--start subtly, but then become more dramatic towards the end. Warming land and ocean temperature brings the onset of Spring earlier and earlier throughout the movie. This leads to an unanticipated thawing of sea ice, vital to the survival of both the walrus and the polar bear. Watching all of this unfold over the course of an hour-and-a-half not only made me feel sorry for the animals, but frustrated and even guilty. Let's start with the frustrated part. I felt frustrated because through all of the environmental/"green" stories that I've done I thought to myself, "Hasn't anyone been listening?" Obviously, I quickly came to my senses realizing that these changes didn't happen overnight, but were put in motion decades ago. That's when the guilt came. From what I know now about the increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, it's hard not to believe that you and I and the six-billion others across the world aren't having some kind of impact on all of this. Believe what you want, but the fact is both the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice is disappearing, in most recent years more rapidly than ever. How much of that is due to us is still debatable. Nonetheless, I think what's important to take from this movie is the fragility of our environment. Science has proven that warming of our atmosphere could lead to catastrophic collapses in ecosystems throughout the world. There is no reversing the damage that's already been done, but as citizens of this world we need to act more like stewards pushing and demanding that things change, change for the better. I strongly recommend checking out this movie for its eye-opening and emotional plot. http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/01/an_arctic_tale.html http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/01/an_arctic_tale.html Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:20:43 -0700 This is my second year attending the summit. I attended back in 2005 just after my arrival here in Denver, and I must say it was a memorable experience. Besides catching up with fellow broadcast meteorologists throughout the country, several researchers are also invited. This year one of the major topics of discussion is 'Climate Change.' Certainly, this has been a topic of interest for some time, but it's a whole different story when you put together some of the sharpest minds in climate research and dissect the subject even further. I've already heard from one of the leading experts in hurricane forecasting and research: Dr. Steve Lyons whom you may know from The Weather Channel. Obviously, Colorado isn't a place where you'll find people getting too concerned about hurricanes, but there's no question in my mind we've all become more aware, and to an extent hyper-sensitive to catastrophic weather since Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005. There's also been a heated discussion amongst scientists and meteorologists whether or not Global Warming has contributed to an increase in Atlantic hurricane activity. Although Dr. Lyons doesn't believe there's a direct correlation between the two, he did talk in detail about seasonal hurricane forecasts and how the naming of tropical storms has changed over the past couple of decades. He emphasized a good point, that it is the responsibility of broadcast meteorologists like myself to make the viewer (that's you) aware of the danger--but not to exaggerate it. As he put it "Prepare, not scare." Now let's localize things a little bit more. Jim White is probably a name you've not heard of, and most of us wouldn't recognize him if he passed us on the street, but the research he's involved with plays an integral part in 'Climate Change'. Jim is with CU's Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research. He showed us some alarming statistics on the concentration of CO2 in the earth's atmosphere. Just in case you didn't know this yet, there is strong evidence that an increased level of CO2 equates to an increase in global temperature. Jim showed throgh several different graphs and charts that the rapid industrialization of China and India has substantially increased the level or concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. He also showed satellite pictures depicting the extensive decrease in ice over Greenland and the polar ice caps, which has led to a rise in sea levels. I'll let you digest all of that for a moment. Okay, have you caught your breath? I don't want to be an alarmist, and this isn't the time to panic. 'Climate Change' is something that will be discussed the rest of our lives and whether or not you believe in 'Global Warming' really isn't the issue. I'm a firm believer that no matter what the impact humankind is having on the enviornment, thnking "green" is a very, very good thing for everyone. I'm not expecting to change the world by writing this blog, but I hope, just maybe a few of you reading this will change your habits enough that you'll influence your friends and family to change theirs. After that, then we can start thinking about changing our world for the better. JB ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/01/steamboat_summit.html http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/01/steamboat_summit.html Tue, 08 Jan 2008 04:30:18 -0700 http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Water_Conservation_at_Home http://www.water.utah.gov/Brochures/CHKLIST.HTM http://www.powerhousetv.com/stellent2/groups/public/documents/pub/phtv_se_000498.hcsp]]> http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/01/tweak_those_leaks.html http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/colorado/environment/2008/01/tweak_those_leaks.html Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:03:12 -0700