September 2007
Monthly Archive
90% Reduction: Consumer Goods
Posted by Tawny on 24 Sep 2007 | Tagged as: 90% Reduction
Starting Point: Consumer Goods
- American average:
$10,000/household/year - 90% reduction goal:
$1,000/household/year
Every dollar spent produces about 1/2 lb of carbon. In the 90% project used goods (e.g. craigslist, yard sales, etc.) count for 10% of what you pay1, and purchases from Goodwill and other thrift stores have no emissions cost2. From Aug ‘06 to July ‘07 we spent…
Yard sale items: $224 * 10% = $22
Thrift store items: $54 * 0% = $0
New consumer goods: $1,189
Cash transactions: $309
- Spent in the last 12 months: $1,520/year, or 15% of the average American
I included all the cash as if it had been used to purchase new consumer goods, even though it was actually spent on a variety of things including eating out, farmer’s market and thrift store purchases as well as new consumer goods. We’re pretty tightwaddy, and I bet that if I could determine where we actually spent that $309 in cash we would be within a couple percent of the goal.
Note: the previous calculations do not include purchasing and assembling our electric bicycles. Another rule of the 90% Project concerning purchases is: Items purchased in order to directly aid in reducing your emissions over the long-term only count for 50% of their purchase price. We bought our bikes at pawn shops (count for 10% of the total $140 we paid), and the e-bike kits, helmets, locks, new tires, etc. count for 50%. The kits cost $484 each, and all the extra stuff necessary to get the bikes in working condition and have carrying capacity added up to $260. So…
Two used bicycles: $140 * 10% = $14
Two ebike kits: ($484 * 2) * 50% = $484
New bicycle paraphanelia: $260 * 50% = $130
Total (that counts for the project) = $628
… the bikes all by themselves are already 63% of our yearly allotment of $1,000. So, although we were only a few percent over the goal during the last 12 months before the bikes, if they’re included I don’t think we’re going to make it this year.
I’m not too worried though; our gasoline consumption is now down to zero aside from public transportation (which counts for 100mpg).
Cheating? No, Transportation!
Posted by Shaun on 14 Sep 2007 | Tagged as: Electric Bicycle
I have now had this conversation 3 times….
***I Pull up to Costco on my electric bike***
Curious Passerby: “What is that thing in your front wheel”
Me: “That’s a motor, this is an electric bike”
Them: “That’s cheating you know”
Me: “How did you get here?”
Them: ***Points at their Canyonero***
Me: “Who is cheating more?”
Them: *Laugh*
Three out of three Costco shoppers that noticed my bike called it “cheating“. While I do find this conversation to be highly amusing, I think it may be indicative of an actual problem.
I think the bike isn’t cheating because I’m making a different comparison than the one being employed by Mr Curious Passerby. I’m playing: “Whats the best way to get to and from Costco” and comparing the e-bike to all methods of transportation that I might choose to use. I like it better than the alternative (a car) because it uses less resources, emits less pollution, gives me more exercise, and is far, far cheaper.
They are playing: “only crazy people ride bicycles to Costco”, and are comparing my e-bike to a regular bike as they don’t seem to fathom that a bike can stand in for a car. Using their basis of comparison I’m spending more money, getting less exercise, and emitting more pollution than the alternative (a bike). This, as far as I can tell, is “cheating”.
I feel safe ignoring a regular bike as a Costco-transportation-option to because I know I would never stick with it. There is just no way I’m going to haul 60 lbs of groceries up a hill and then want to do it again next week. Not gonna happen.
The problem is that people need to think of bicycles as being in the same category as automobiles: “transportation”. I think that this simple mental classification is a large part of the reason why nobody rides bikes in this country.
***I Pull up to Costco on my electric bike***
Curious Passerby: “What is that thing in your front wheel”
Me: “That’s a motor, this is an electric bike”
Them: “That’s cheating you know”
Me: “How did you get here?”
Them: ***Points at their Canyonero***
Me: “Who is cheating more?”
Them: *Laugh*
Three out of three Costco shoppers that noticed my bike called it “cheating“. While I do find this conversation to be highly amusing, I think it may be indicative of an actual problem.
I think the bike isn’t cheating because I’m making a different comparison than the one being employed by Mr Curious Passerby. I’m playing: “Whats the best way to get to and from Costco” and comparing the e-bike to all methods of transportation that I might choose to use. I like it better than the alternative (a car) because it uses less resources, emits less pollution, gives me more exercise, and is far, far cheaper.
They are playing: “only crazy people ride bicycles to Costco”, and are comparing my e-bike to a regular bike as they don’t seem to fathom that a bike can stand in for a car. Using their basis of comparison I’m spending more money, getting less exercise, and emitting more pollution than the alternative (a bike). This, as far as I can tell, is “cheating”.
I feel safe ignoring a regular bike as a Costco-transportation-option to because I know I would never stick with it. There is just no way I’m going to haul 60 lbs of groceries up a hill and then want to do it again next week. Not gonna happen.
The problem is that people need to think of bicycles as being in the same category as automobiles: “transportation”. I think that this simple mental classification is a large part of the reason why nobody rides bikes in this country.
90% Reduction: Water
Posted by Tawny on 07 Sep 2007 | Tagged as: 90% Reduction
Starting Point: Water
The most accurate way to determine your water usage is by looking at your water bill or reading your water meter. I don’t recieve a separate water bill - water is included in the HOA fees at my condo complex. We do have a water meter, but it isn’t quite the same as the instructions telling me how to read a water meter. For one thing, it measures up to millions of cubic feet.
My water meter, which reads:
1,142,000 cubic feet
The meter moved from 1,139k to 1,142k ft3 over 21 days (3k ft3 / 21 days = 142 ft3/day; 1 ft3 = 7.48 gal) which means we supposedly used 1,062 gallons/day. Somehow I don’t think that’s right. I don’t know whether this meter is for the entire complex or includes the nearby swimming pool or what, but it’s obviously not just for us.
I tried a few water calulators to at least get a general idea of the amount of water we use. We have an early low-flow toilet (abt 2 gal/flush), each take a short-ish shower every 2-3 days (although we have been showering more often since selling the car - you get sweaty biking everywhere in summer), we don’t leave the faucet running while brushing our teeth, wash dishes by hand, and have no yard (although landscaping water is not supposed to be included according to the project rules anyway). The calculator results varied by about 20 gallons/day:
We could easily get a low-flow shower head (the highest calculation had us at 24 gallons/day for showers), and washing dishes over a tub instead of with the water running (even though we are relatively careful) would probably let us reduce some more. I suppose these online calculators don’t include drinking or cooking water, so our usage could be a bit higher than these numbers indicate.
The most accurate way to determine your water usage is by looking at your water bill or reading your water meter. I don’t recieve a separate water bill - water is included in the HOA fees at my condo complex. We do have a water meter, but it isn’t quite the same as the instructions telling me how to read a water meter. For one thing, it measures up to millions of cubic feet.
1,142,000 cubic feet
- American average:
100 gallons/person/day - 90% reduction for 2 people:
20 gallons/day
The meter moved from 1,139k to 1,142k ft3 over 21 days (3k ft3 / 21 days = 142 ft3/day; 1 ft3 = 7.48 gal) which means we supposedly used 1,062 gallons/day. Somehow I don’t think that’s right. I don’t know whether this meter is for the entire complex or includes the nearby swimming pool or what, but it’s obviously not just for us.
I tried a few water calulators to at least get a general idea of the amount of water we use. We have an early low-flow toilet (abt 2 gal/flush), each take a short-ish shower every 2-3 days (although we have been showering more often since selling the car - you get sweaty biking everywhere in summer), we don’t leave the faucet running while brushing our teeth, wash dishes by hand, and have no yard (although landscaping water is not supposed to be included according to the project rules anyway). The calculator results varied by about 20 gallons/day:
- Current water usage:
47-68 gallons/day, or 23-35% of the average American.
We could easily get a low-flow shower head (the highest calculation had us at 24 gallons/day for showers), and washing dishes over a tub instead of with the water running (even though we are relatively careful) would probably let us reduce some more. I suppose these online calculators don’t include drinking or cooking water, so our usage could be a bit higher than these numbers indicate.