Posted by: johnny_a
in MyBlog on Feb 20, 2009
Last week, I twice watched inventor Saul Griffith's lecture on "Climate Change Recalculated". For about an hour and a half, Griffith speaks in concise, non-political terms on the amount of energy that is required for us to continue to live at the 'quality of life' that we enjoy today, and how we cannot sustain this existence through the burning of fossil fuels. If we continue on our current course, we'll head dangerously past acceptable limits of carbon in the atmosphere in about 40 years. His talk includes a monologue on the staggering amount of non-carbon emitting energy sources we must manufacture over the next 25 years in order to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Griffith's seminar is a product of his desire to calculate his own personal energy consumption in extreme detail, which he did for the full year of 2007. We see a pie chart that shows how much energy is used to fulfill every aspect of his 2007 life, including the embodied energy in his "stuff", his dietary habits, and his auto and jet travel. Wishing to trim down from an 18,000 to a 2,200 watt (the world average) lifestyle, we see the impact of the 200 or so watts that are used to produce the plastic bottle that holds his 20 ounces of flavored water.
Posted by: johnny_a
in MyBlog on Sep 16, 2008
Press Release
-- www.drivesmarterchallenge.org --
Posted by: johnny_a
in MyBlog on Sep 10, 2008
In an effort to reduce emissions and help motorists save money on fuel, the United Kingdom's Department for Transport has begun advising new drivers on fuel saving driving techniques. Examiners will provide candidates with feedback on how green their driving is during their practical driving tests, without any impact on their pass/fail status.
"To help the next generation of motorists drive in a way that is better for their wallets and the environment, the driving test will now assess how successfully they follow fuel efficient and eco-safe driving advice," said Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick. "Common-sense changes can make for major improvements. Drivers can save around a month's worth of fuel each year by taking simple steps, like ensuring their tyres are correctly pumped up, changing gear earlier to keep revs low and avoiding carrying unnecessary clutter in the boot (trunk)."
Since 2005, the Department for Transport has included tips on greener driving in official learning materials. In the same year it became part of the practical test for driving instructors.
Source:
Department for Transport
