10.12. 2015 • 11
Transportation According to the EPA, transportation exhaust is responsible for 13% of all greenhouse gas emissions. The easiest way to combat this is by limiting your use of a car, If you live within a couple miles of campus, there are multiple buses you can take to get to school, and we all have a bus pass encoded on your student ID. There are buses that run to Fred Meyer, Haggen and the Co-op so you can take the bus to go grocery shopping. There are also multiple buses that will take you downtown and out to Cordata. If you need to take the bus late at night the student shuttle runs until 3 a.m. By taking the bus to campus you also save money by not having to buy a parking pass. In addition to buses, Bellingham has bike lanes and bike paths to help you get around town safely. There are bike fix it stations on campus, and a bike shop in the Outdoor Center, which can provide you with all the knowledge and tools necessary for a safe trip, as well as maintaining your bike. By walking or riding your bike instead of driving your car you completely eliminate your emissions and by riding the bus you help decrease the total amount of emissions put into our atmosphere. Depending on where you live, you don’t even have to drive when you want to go home to visit your family. The Bolt Bus can take you to Seattle, Portland or Eugene, and you can take public transit to get to Everett, Tacoma, Olympia, cities on the peninsula and other locations in western Washington, all for a very low cost. If you need help figuring out how you can get home on a bus, or the best way to ride your bike to work or campus you can stop by Western’s Office of Transportation in VC 25 and they will help you plan your trip.
Energy and Electricity Reducing your energy usage and electricity bill When you aren’t using an electronic device, take the extra few seconds to unplug it. Your computer and phone chargers are still using energy when they are plugged into the outlet but not into your device. So when you take your phone off the charger, or when your laptop is fully charged take the extra step to fully unplug your device. Not only will you be saving electricity but you will also be saving money on your electricity bills. According to a study by the Energy Center of Wisconsin, the energy that is drawn from outlets when devices are off but still plugged in can account for 15% or more of the total energy used by electronics. Buying energy efficient products and using natural lighting can help further reduce the amount of energy your household uses. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, incandescent lights are the most inefficient, 90% of the energy used is put out as heat, and only 10% actually goes towards lights. Always turn these off when not in use or opt for more energy efficient bulbs such as CFL or LED lighting. Not only does this help reduce your carbon footprint, it will also save you money on your electricity bills.
Graph created by: United States Environmental Protection Agency
Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels 1900-
Carbon dioxide emissions (Teragrams CO2)
Diet According to an article from the WorldWatch Institute, “livestock and their byproducts actually account for at least 32.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, or 51 percent of annual worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.” Not only does livestock contribute to more CO2 emissions than transportation exhuast, according to the USDA livestock production is also responsible for 80 - 90 % of U.S. water consumption, and about 2,500 gallons of water are used to produce one pound of beef. To put that into comparison, the USGS water science school estimates the average American uses 80 - 100 gallons of water a day. The United Nations reports that 30% of the earth’s land is used for livestock production, including 33% of the earth’s arable land to grow grains for the livestock and 70% of the Amazon has been turned into grazing land for cattle. If you want to reduce your overall impact on the environment, decrease the amount of meat you eat, especially beef and dairy products. Another way you can reduce your impact on the environment through your dietary habits is by eating locally produced foods. Foods produced locally don’t have to be transported as far to reach your grocery store, it helps support and keep money within the local economy and in general local grains, fruits and veggies are priced competitively with nonlocal goods. Next time you’re at the grocery store check and see if there is a local option for the produce or grains you are buying and consider buying the locally produced good. According to 2009 article published in the American Chemical Society, 83% of the average US households GHG emissions comes from the production phase of food; the transportation of food actually only accounts for 11% of the GHG emissions. If you really want to cut back on your GHG emissions by changing your dietary habits, one great way to do this is to avoid as many processed foods as possible. Instead you can buy whole, local ingredients and make your own meals. Not only is this better for the health of our planet, but it is also better for your body.