How to save water

Give credit to planet green.discovery.com

 

Toilets

• Dual-flush options are available from Caroma, and numerous others. This Argentine toilet design lets the sink water do the flushing.
• Here we have a link to a review of low-flow toilets To learn about test methodology for low-flow toilets (you?ll never guess) and the results of the rigorous trials, look here (test results here).
• Composting toilets that TreeHugger has covered include the Bio-lux, a pricey Japanese throne.
• Here you?ll find a review of more composting toilet options.
• The Propelair uses vacuum action to flush itself.
• The Athena replacement handle saves water by controlling flush quantity.
• Waterless urinals are made by many companies now, including Falcon and Waterless, and look here for a case study of the water saving potential of flushless urinals.
• The TwoFlush can turn any standard toilet into a dual flush fixture.
  

Clothes washers

• LG?s steam cleaning, front loading clothes washer boasts 35% less water consumption than a conventional model.
• This clothes washer from Sanyo doesn?t use water at all, but creates ozone and fires it at your laundry.
• This washer from Bosch has earned high marks from Energy Star, and the sleek and efficient Washerman was a winner in the Electrolux Design Competition.
• Check out our eco-laundry tips here and green appliance comparison shopping here.
  

Dishwashers
GE?s Profile SmartDispense dishwasher And find some practical tips hereThe University of Bonn pits the dishwasher against handwashing. The winner here.

Showerheads
Some showerheads that TreeHugger has investigated include: the Neco, the Tiara shower for two (or one, if you?d like), Bricor offers 1 gallon-per-minute heads, the Aqua Helix squeezes out an impressive .5 gallons per minute, and Real Goods has an affordable unit with a "pause" button. And if you have a tendency to lose yourself in the moment, a shower timer might also be a good idea.

Water heating
Point of use water heaters save water by delivering hot water almost immediately rather than making you wait for it while the tap runs. Some even use microwaves, and this Thermostatic fixture cuts the waiting time and looks sharp in the process. More solid tips on greener water heating can be found here.

Purifying water
See some of the neat developments in water purification for third world communities, including the LifeStraw, the UV Tube, the coffeground water filter. It has even been suggested to make water filters from old tires. Before he segwayed into transportation, Dean Kamen developed a water purifier: "If you could take all the diseases you could name, 80 percent would be wiped out if you just gave people clean water." Hydro-Dis is a new three-stage disinfection system from Australia; Julie Frost, an Australian student, developed a clever pasteurization tool. To learn more about your city?s water quality, check out National Tapwater Database.

Bottled water
If you have your doubts about the harm of everyday bottled water, wait until you see our coverage of strange waters: water that makes you skinny, water for dogs, water that is sung to and infused with good intentions, and water with gold in it. Some bottled waters like Biota and Jivita are now using containers made from cornstarch, also known as polylactic acid (PLA). While these are non-petroleum products and are, in theory biodegradable, they are not recyclable and most likely will never break down in your backyard compost pile. Some companies like Ethos and HtoO are doing constructive things with their profits, but they still are responsible for the many ecological impacts of bottled water.

How to Go Green: Water

Give credit to planet green.discovery.com

There is no resource more precious than water. There is also no resource that is misused, abused, misallocated, and misunderstood the way water is. Safe drinking water, healthy and intact natural ecosystems, and a stable food supply are a few of the things at stake as our water supply is put under greater and greater stress.
The picture might look grim, but opportunities to be more efficient abound. Many people have had water-saving etiquette pumped into them at one point or another, so hopefully we can make a good case for conserving the stuff with practical, everyday water-saving strategies as well as some more high-tech approaches 

Greenhouse Gas Mitigation for Energy Efficiency

Give credit to dieselforum

Greenhouse Gas Reductions 

 

Energy Efficiency, Energy Independence & Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions: The Role of Diesel

Why Diesel?

Because of its unique combination of energy efficiency, power, reliability, and durability, diesel technology plays a vital role in important sectors of the U.S. economy. More than 90 percent of commercial trucks are powered by diesel engines, as are two-thirds of all farm and construction equipment, and 100 percent of all freight locomotives, river barges and other marine work vessels. Diesel engines also power electric generators used for distributed generation or as emergency back-up power such as those used by hospitals.
Technologies and actions which promote energy efficiency, energy independence and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions are increasingly attractive to national, state and local policymakers. Although diesel power, like other fossil fuel-based technologies, contributes to GHG emissions, its 20-40 percent greater efficiency also offers a viable and readily available strategy to help reduce these same emissions and the amount of fossil fuels used in the transportation sector.
Clean diesel is one of many technologies – including the use of biodiesel, ethanol and hybrid-electric power – that have potential for reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions. The following are some basic facts about diesel power and its relevance to these issues as policymakers consider options for addressing these national challenges.

Transportation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of six major GHGs recognized by the International Panel on Climate Change. Many of these gases are produced by both natural and human activities; however, particular attention has been given to CO₂ emissions since they account for the vast majority of manmade GHG emissions (83 percent in the U.S.). Because CO₂ is the most prevalent of all manmade GHGs, the other five greenhouse gases — methane; nitrous oxide; hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and sulfur hexafluoride (SF) — are typically reported in terms of a CO₂ equivalent based on their global warming potential to provide a common unit of measure.

2</sub>Emissions.gif/image_preview" alt="Petro Based Emmisions"/>According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the transportation sector is responsible for just over one-quarter of total domestic GHG emissions. Almost all of these CO₂ emissions come from the consumption of petroleum products: gasoline (60 percent), middle distillates (diesel fuel – 22 percent), jet fuel (12 percent) and residual oil (mostly marine – 3.1 percent).
When viewed by mode of travel, 62 percent of U.S. transportation-related GHG emissions came from light-duty vehicles used for personal transport:

• passenger cars – 35 percent;
• light-duty trucks – 27 percent (including SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks); and
• motorcycles – less than 1 percent.

Heavy-duty vehicles, including trucks and buses, were responsible for 19 percent of total U.S. transportation GHG emissions. Non-road sources accounted for 16 percent of all U.S. transportation related GHG emissions including aircraft, boats, ships, rail and pipelines.

Diesel’s Inherent Efficiency

There are many ways to reduce GHG emissions generated by light- and heavy-duty vehicles, including energy efficiency improvements, the use of alternative fuels and the adoption of operational modifications such as anti-idling measures.
Diesel is the most efficient of all internal combustion power systems. Because of the superior efficiency of the engine and higher energy content of the fuel, diesels typically deliver 20-40 percent more miles per gallon and 10-20 percent fewer GHG emissions than comparable gasoline vehicles.
According to the EPA (www.fueleconomy.gov) a simple comparison between the diesel and gasoline versions of the Volkswagen Jetta demonstrate that the diesel model would travel 36 percent more miles on a tank of fuel and save $321 annually on fuel costs, while using nearly two fewer barrels of oil and emitting one less ton of GHG emissions each year. A similar comparison between the 2007 Mercedes E320 Bluetec diesel and its E350 gasoline equivalent finds even greater savings. The diesel model travels 43 percent more miles on a tank of fuel and saves $492 annually on fuel costs while using 3.2 fewer barrels of oil and emitting 1.5 fewer tons of GHG emissions each year.
More Clean Diesel Cars, Pickups and SUVs equals…

…Less Oil Consumption
The European Union has sought to capitalize on diesel’s inherent energy efficiency by offering tax incentives for the purchase and operation of diesel cars and trucks. Today diesel vehicles account for more than 40 percent of new vehicles purchased in the EU marketplace. Although EU transportation related GHG emissions grew 26 percent from 1990 to 2004, the average carbon dioxide emissions of new passenger cars were reduced by about 12 percent from 1995 to 2004. According to the European Environmental Agency, “The main reasons for the reductions since 1995 are fuel efficiency improvements, mainly in diesel-fueled vehicles, and a shift in fleet composition from petrol to diesel passenger cars.”
For this reason, advanced clean diesel technology must remain a viable option for light-duty vehicles in the United States. In 2005, diesel vehicles accounted for 3.6 percent of the light-duty market in the U.S. This percentage is expected to triple, reaching more than 10 percent of the U.S. market by 2015 according to JD Power and Associates.
Nevertheless, an expanding market for clean diesel cars will depend on a number of factors including regulatory stability for manufacturers, and continued research and development on improving exhaust control systems, particularly for smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter. Some manufacturers are indicating that the 2009 and later year diesel vehicles will utilize a new emissions control technology known as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) which requires the use and replenishment of a chemical additive (urea). Other manufacturers will use lean-NOx traps with a hydrocarbon reductant based SCR which does not use urea. All options have challenges, but a variety of technologies are being developed to meet stringent U.S. and California emissions standards.

Clean Diesel’s Environmental Progress

In addition to CO₂, the use of diesel power contributes to the formation of several compounds such as carbon monoxide, sulfates and black carbon or soot particles. The reflective impact and atmospheric lifetime of these emissions are still being studied, but they are already subject to stringent government regulations. Diesel engine, equipment, fuel and emissions control technology manufacturers are working with EPA, state and regional governments and environmental organizations in a collaborative effort to reduce diesel-related emissions.
In October 2006, ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel became available nationwide, providing an immediate 10 percent reduction of fine particle emissions. The move to clean diesel fuel also enables the use of advanced engine controls and new particulate trap technology. By 2010, clean diesel technology will bring a 98 percent reduction in heavy-duty emissions since 1998, down to almost imperceptible levels. The first such vehicle to meet these standards, a Dodge Ram with a Cummins engine, is already available. Many older heavy-duty diesel vehicles can also benefit from clean diesel’s technological advancements, with retrofit options enabling emissions reductions from 25–85 percent.

Compounding Environmental and Efficiency Gains

Increased reliance on cars, trucks and SUVs powered by clean diesel engines instead of gasoline is but one of many ways to reduce light-duty GHG emissions. Greater use of bio-fuels can also contribute to reductions in petroleum use and GHG emissions. However, it is important to consider the operational ramifications, market potential and life cycle costs of such efforts.

One such concern is quality assurance. Any fuel that does not meet strict quality standards can hamper the performance of sensitive engine components and emissions control technologies. Most engine and vehicle manufacturers today permit the use of a B5 blend of bio-fuels — 5 percent soy-based biodiesel and 95 percent petroleum diesel. Efforts are underway between the National Biodiesel Board and vehicle and engine manufacturers to extend permitted fuel blends up to 20 percent bio-fuels in diesel (B20). Current biodiesel production levels remain insufficient to support even a national B2 standard, but if production continues to grow, a national B5 transportation fuel standard could result in a 4 percent reduction in CO₂ life cycle emissions, while still avoiding most technology-based concerns.
In the heavy-duty sector, the technology challenges of meeting new 2007-2010 emissions requirements have reduced the potential for achieving substantial further fuel efficiency improvements from the engine. As a result, lowering the amount of energy necessary to move the vehicle by reducing weight, aerodynamic drag, and rolling resistance offers the largest potential to increase fuel efficiency and reduce GHG emissions from trucks.
This fact has been recognized by EPA, resulting in its voluntary SmartWay program, which combines emissions reduction and fuel efficiency improvements through vehicle modifications and emissions technology upgrades to existing vehicles. SmartWay is working with the truck and rail industries to promote many of these modifications and new cleaner diesel vehicles to reach its goal of eliminating 33 to 66 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions, 200,000 tons of NOx emissions and save as much as 150 million barrels of oil per year by 2012 – enough oil to heat 17 million houses for a year.
Reduction in discretionary idling of commercial diesel engines is also an area of great potential for reducing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. The EPA estimates that long-duration truck and locomotive engine idling is responsible for 11 million tons of CO₂, 5,000 tons of particulate matter and 200,000 tons of NOx annually. As a result, the diesel industry has developed auxiliary power units and other idle reduction technologies to help vehicle operators reduce idle time, fuel consumption and emissions.

The Promise of Diesel Hybrids

One area of significant promise for efficiency gains from commercial vehicles is the utilization of diesel hybrids. Fuel efficiency gains of 30-50 percent are possible by combining a smaller, fuel-efficient clean diesel engine with an advanced electrical or hydraulic system that uses regenerative braking and energy storage. Diesel electric hybrid commercial trucks are in the demonstration and early implementation phases in the school bus, package delivery, local trucking and utility sectors.
Diesel hybrids have also demonstrated significant efficiency gains in transit buses and is now the technology of choice for many transit districts around the country. A National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) report comparing hybrid diesel buses with standard diesel-powered and CNG buses found a respective fuel economy improvement of 37 percent and 88 percent. Similar gains have been found when combining these technologies in certain truck markets such as the utility sector.

Continous Improvement Meeting Industry and National Challenges

The diesel industry’s commitment to continuous improvement is bringing significant efficiency and emissions benefits. As a result, the performance of diesel vehicles and equipment is greater than ever before. These investments were sparked by stricter emissions standards for particulate matter and nitrogen oxides. Thanks to these performance enhancements, diesel vehicles and equipment can now be part of the solution to the challenges of energy security and growing GHG emissions, making this economic workhorse into an environmental workhorse.

Entergy and the Environment

Give credit to Entergy and the enviroment

The Energy-Efficient Route to Lower CO2 Emissions

Energy efficiency is an effective tool that could play an important role in solving the climate change problem while holding customer and utility costs down in a CO2 constrained world. Cost-effective energy efficiency can and should be a valuable resource for meeting the greenhouse gas reduction goals outlined in the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, also known as the Waxman-Markey bill.
Energy efficiency is the use of a particular technology that requires less energy to perform the same function. For example, a compact fluorescent light bulb uses less energy compared to a traditional incandescent light bulb. Replacing one 75-watt incandescent light bulb with a 20-watt compact fluorescent light bulb, which produces the same amount of light, will save a consumer more than $30 in energy costs (using average U.S. residential electric rates). It could also prevent more than 300 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.
A number of scientists and organizations, including the Electric Power Research Institute, have identified energy efficiency as one important way to achieve meaningful greenhouse gas reductions.
Individual consumer awareness of everyday decisions is equally important not only because it significantly contributes to fighting climate change, but because it also results in saving the consumer money.
The Waxman-Markey bill sets forth a series of energy efficiency programs that target energy reductions and efficiency standards in buildings, lighting and appliances, industrial facilities and public institutions.
Entergy's most recent Strategic Resource Plan, which is the company's long-term plan for meeting customer electricity needs, incorporates approximately 650 megawatts of cost-effective energy efficiency potential over the next 10 years. In addition, the plan identifies 1,050 MW of energy efficiency potential over a 20 year horizon, which is equivalent to two large gas or solid fuel generation units.
The plan calls for more than 2.2 million megawatt-hours of cumulative energy efficiency in 10 years and over 2.8 million MWHs of cumulative energy efficiency in 15 years. This amounts to nearly 1 million metric tons of CO2 reductions over 15 years and is one tool that will help Entergy cost-effectively meet future greenhouse gas emission caps.
However, aggressive policy initiatives from state and federal government are required to tap the full potential of energy efficiency. Such actions must include better building codes, better appliance standards and, most important, the ability for utilities to earn a reasonable return on energy efficiency investments that are made to specifically assist customers with lowering their energy costs.
Energy efficiency presents a win-win scenario where consumers enjoy lower energy bills and the world enjoys reductions in greenhouse gas emissions associated with the reduced generation of electric power. For utility companies and other industries, increased energy efficiency also results in lowering compliance costs associated with the Waxman-Markey bill.

Entergy’s energy efficiency efforts

To date, 26 energy efficiency and demand side management programs or pilots are under way across the Entergy system. These efforts include:

• Entergy Arkansas offers 10 energy efficiency programs to residential, commercial and industrial customers.
  
• Entergy Texas’ energy efficiency programs have been in place since 2002. Today there are nine programs for residential and commercial customers.
  
• Entergy New Orleans launched five energy efficiency pilot programs for residential, commercial and industrial customers in 2009. These “Quick Start” programs are intended to begin to transform the energy market and build a workforce in New Orleans. Entergy New Orleans will also develop energy efficiency programs for the city’s Energy Smart Plan that is scheduled to launch in 2010.
  
• Entergy Gulf States Louisiana is piloting advanced metering programs as well as a new Web portal that allows customers to monitor their energy use over the Internet on a near real- time basis.
  
• Entergy Louisiana’s Web site includes a series of energy efficiency tips and a home energy calculator that offers an online energy audit.
  
• Through Entergy’s ENsight Web page, customers can estimate their electricity usage, learn how much energy certain appliances use and explore ways to better manage their electricity costs.
  
• The Make an Impact Web site, in partnership with the Pew Center for Climate Change, offers users a personalized CO2 footprint analysis and action plan for a more energy efficient lifestyle.
  
• Through the "Change A Light, Change The World" campaign, Entergy helped purchase 10,000 compact fluorescent bulbs, which are expected to reduce more than 1,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
  

Energy Efficiency Quick Facts

• The U.S. uses nearly $1 million worth of energy each minute, 24 hours a day and every day of the year.
  
• Even with less than 5 percent of the world’s population, Americans consume slightly fewer than 25 percent of the world’s energy resources.
  
• The average American consumes six times more energy annually than the world average.
  

Greenhouse Gas Mitigation for Energy Efficiency

  Give credit to Hari Srinivas

Global warming arises from the release into the atmosphere of gases that absorb the infrared radiation emitted by the earth, thus preventing the escape of the radiation into space. Examples of greenhouse gases (GHGs) include CO2, CH4, NOx and HFCs. The fact is that humans have produced substantial quantities of these greenhouse gases, leading to continuously degrading global environment.
As a result, GHG emissions and energy demand have risen high on the global environmental agenda - given the magnitude of GHG emissions from cities, urban energy efficiency is a significant challenge that requires special consideration. The role of city planners and the construction industry is essential as they create the necessary pre-conditions for energy savings opportunities to be realized.
Implementation of measures that are resource-efficient and mitigate negative environmental impacts are needed in all areas of human activity. The built environment is a clear example of this - buildings have a significant impact on the environment, accounting for one-sixth of the world's freshwater withdrawals, one-quarter of its wood harvest, and two-fifths of its material and energy flows. Structures also impact areas beyond their immediate location, affecting the watersheds, air quality, and transportation patterns of communities.
A deeper understanding of the issues involved is leading to changes in the way the building industry and building owners approach the design, construction, and operation of structures. Incorporation of sustainability principles within such processes is becoming a key goal in not only reducing and preventing negative environmental impacts, but also to implement energy-efficiency in buildings and construction processes. Some important aspects of energy efficient in urban areas include (a) maximizing the energy efficiency of building and infrastructure operations through the use of renewable resources, decentralized co-generation and energy cascading techniques in a manner which optimizes integrated energy flows and minimizes potential global environmental impacts such as GHG emissions, and (b) linking producers and consumers of energy and materials throughout the community, city and surrounding regions to facilitate resource exchanges and recycling networks.
Therefore, the environmental implications of man-made structures - buildings, infrastructure etc. and the urban activities and consumption patterns that go into their design, construction, use, maintenance and demolition, need to be comprehended in greater detail. These issues are indeed the local beginnings of global environmental problems, and have resulted in a rethinking of how we look at cities and urban areas - and of the built environment within these areas.
The increasing focus being placed on incorporating the concept of sustainability within the built environment, particularly on the impact of buildings and the construction process on the environment, has resulted in the development of a series of codes, standards, regulations and decision-support systems. These tools help in working with a range of stakeholders to achieve sustainability in the built environment.
What is missing however is a mechanism to link building and construction processes to the larger global environmental problems through a framework of goals and objectives laid against available codes, standards and regulations. We need greater focus on sustainability and environmental issues in the development of building codes and standards in light of the entire life-cycle of buildings. Built into such initiatives should be a coherent approach for energy-efficiency in the built environment, with the ultimate goal of reducing GHGs.
Adapting appropriate codes, standards and regulations for sustainability in the built environment, particularly in developing countries, requires a methodology for their scaling to different levels of economic development. 

Strategy	Outputs/Outcomes
1. Create enabling environments for green construction in developing countries	Guidelines for Initiating, designing, constructing, maintaining, operating and demolishing buildings in an environmentally sustainable manner and the use of technologies Documentation of appropriate and indigenous building technologies and best practicesIdentification of sustainability indicators for the built environment and the construction industry Databases of technologies for green construction Courses on green construction
2. Stimulate the development and use of appropriate building codes and standards for sustainable building and construction.	Recommendations for codes and standards on sustainable design, assessment, management of building and construction Inventory of tools for environmental declaration and labeling of buildings Inventory of tools for assessing energy efficiency of buildings Databases on technologies for green constructione
3. Build required capacity to apply codes and standards among defined - institutional and professional - stakeholders.	Sustainable urban planning manual and guidelines Sustainable Planning Code of Practice Case studies and good practices in sustainable planning and building construction Award/Prize on good practices in green construction