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January 12th, 2010Published by:teducation1
Checklist Toward ZeroCarbon
Achieving sustainability will enable the Earth tocontinue supporting human life as we know it.The concept was first proposed as an internationalendeavor in 1987 when sustainability (as sustainabledevelopment) was formally defined by the UnitedNations as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability Thereis now abundant scientific evidence that humanity is living unsustainably.Returning human use of natural resources to withinsustainable limits will require nothing less than a majorcollective (global) effort. The transition required toreduce global human consumption to within sustainablelimits involves much larger changes, at all levels andcontexts of society.CAREERS IN SUSTAINABILITY The single most impactful jobs in the future willcontribute towards global awareness, development andimplementation of ongoing sustainability measures. A career in any of the following fields would be alifelong commitment to Planet Earth and the survival of humanity.There are indeed many more items that should be inthe rather basic list below. Note the distinction between'old-school' traditional disciplines and the new 'green'career fields; each and every field (which meets thecriteria of sustainability) can and should be made'green'.
Ways of living more sustainably can take many forms:1. Reorganizing living conditions
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ecovillages
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transition towns2. Reappraising economic sectors
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art
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advertising
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architecture
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business
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consumerism
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fashion
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industries
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landscape architecture
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packaging
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procurement
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tourism
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sustainable architecture4. Using science to develop new technologies
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green technologies
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renewable energy - nuclear energy - bio fuel- biomass- geothermal power- hydroelectricity - solar energy - tidal power- wave power- wind power
January 12th, 2010Published by:teducation2
5. Adjustments in individual lifestyles
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Population control- Birth control- Family planning- Overpopulation- Zero population growth
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Energy conservation
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Recycling
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Housing
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Mobility
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Employment
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Consumerism
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Food
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Leisure
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Health
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Education6. Managing Environmental Resources
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Atmosphere
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Land
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Fresh Water
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Oceans
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Cultivated Land
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Extinction
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Energy
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Food
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Minerals
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Materials
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Pollution
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etc.The scope of the problem involves many aspects of social, cultural, economic, and environmental issues.One hardly knows where to begin! We can all start by taking a step in the right direction, as the compilingeditor of this exciting and comprehensive checklist, KenLevenson, has done. Ken helps us to sort out action fromthe overwhelming evidence that otherwise would occupy the mind in tragic idleness.The time to act was yesterday. We have some seriouscatching up to do.Ted Ollikkala (TEDUCATION.com)Singapore12 January 2010Cover Collage: Ted Ollikkala, Photo by Ken Levenson
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CHECKLIST CONTENTS
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00.0 DOWNLOAD CHECKLIST
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00.1 Foreword
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00.2 About the Checklist
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01.0 Your Food
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02.0 Family Planning & Health
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03.0 Money and Stuff
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04.0 Waste
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05.0 Driving & Flying
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06.0 Playing & Pets
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07.0 Your Home
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08.0 Work
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09.0 School
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10.0 Renovation/Construction
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11.0 Calculate Your Footprint
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12.0 Consider Carbon Offsets
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13.0 Conclusion
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13.1 Epilogue (get political)
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13.2 Science & Skepticism
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13.3 Checklist Sources
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14.0 Climate Change 101 – a short reading listfor everyone
00.1 Foreword
Source:http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/about-the-checklist/January 12th, 2010
In 2005 the eminent climate scientistDr. James Hansensaid,“We are on the precipice of climate system tipping points beyond which there is no redemption.” Just a few years later, we are now crossing some of those tipping points. It’s timetostop talking. We mustreduce now . Read the checklist.
Download it, edit it, make it your own and distribute it.Meltingpolar icewill soon disintegrate, raising oceans tothreaten the existence of Miami, New York, Shanghai, Jakarta,Calcutta, Lagos, London and other cities. Thepolar bearsaregoing to die. And 20 to 40% of animal species will be extinct by mid-century. The tropics areturning to desert. Monsoonrains will cease. There will be drought, famine, and millions of refugees. We could be among them. Hundreds of millions of lives will be at risk, quite possibly billions. Yes, billions. We face these consequences not in 1,000 or 100 years, butin our lifetime. We face an emergency, the likes of whichcivilization has never seen. What is to be our legacy?
January 12th, 2010Published by:teducation3
The tipping point for atmospheric CO2 concentration isapproximately 350 parts per million(ppm). Past it we are onthe road to catastrophe. It’s now 383ppm and rising 2ppm per year. We need to takeimmediate action. We musthalt the building
of new coal and gas power plantsthat don’t capture the CO2they produce, and require the conversion of all existing coalpower plants to capture CO2. If the power plants cannot beconverted, let’s shut them down.There’s no “silver bullet” to fix the problem – we must alsomassively invest in clean energy sources, forest restoration,public transportation, and in building a carbon neutral society. We need toelect leaders who are seriousabout this emergency to every level of government and educate the ones who are not.Let’s examine our own lives and make them as carbon free aspossible. This checklist is a simple way to get started. As thedynamic of climate changefeeds on itself,shocks lie
ahead.The previously benign Siberian soil, locked for ages in
permafrost,is now melting, releasing greenhouse gases (GHG)
that exceed the total output of U.S. manmade emissions.The oceans – now absorbing 2 billion tons of CO2 annually – are becomingacidic dead zones. Eventually if they tipthey’ll switch to being massive CO2 emitters, radically raisingatmospheric temperature and sea levels. While the challenges are enormous, let’s start with what weeat and how we live and work. Let’s begin by eliminating ourpersonal carbon footprint.Please read the lists. Think about it. Let’s all do what we can.Ken LevensonFeb 29, 2008 (edited 2009)
00.2 About the Checklist
Source:http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/133-about-the-checklist/January 12th, 2010
The checklist is a step-by-step guide to comprehensively reducing your carbon footprint now. It’s a cut-and-paste job,compiled by Ken Levenson.It is hoped that people will download the checklist, copy it, editit for their local conditions, and make it their own.Sensing many want to start fighting climate change, yet aren’tsure what the options are – a Park Slope Civic Council forumon sustainability provided the deadline to make the initialchecklist.Launched in February 2008, the checklist was fine-tuned with the help of many. To acknowledge a few: Eric McClure’sproofreading/editing, Ellen Honigstock’s springboard of initialsustainability lists, and my wifeKatherine’s essentialsupport.Ken Levenson is a principal inLevenson McDavid ArchitectsP.C., and a concerned father, living in Brooklyn.The header picture is of our eldest daughter – and I’m hoping we can ensure she’s walking toward a better future. Let’s getto zero now.
01.0 Your Food
Source:http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/your-food/January 12th, 2010
1.Don’t eat beef - or at least much less beef. Going vegetarian is best, but less is a start. (If you do just onething, do this.)[1](high impact)2.Chicken in lieu of beef is better too.[2]3.Stop eating all that processed food – or at least eat muchless. (high impact)4.R ead by Michael Pollan. (Quick read. Very informative.)5.Don’t eat fish or eat significantly less. Buy sustainably harvested wild fish when possible.[3]6.Find out which fish are sustainable and which aren’t atFishonline.7.Monitor what you eat and don’t eat.[4](high impact)
8.Buy organic when possible.[5]SeeOrganic Food Info.
9.Become alocavoreand buy regionally grown food.[6]
(high impact)10.Find local farmers and consider a community supportedagriculture subscription (CSA) atLocal Harvest.11.Shop at the localFarmer’s Market.12.Consider joining thePark Slope Food Coop.13.If you can’t get it locally buy fair-trade food.[7]Find outmore atFair Trade Resource.14.Grow your own food if you have the space. Some if notall. The more the better. Read
Food Not Lawn
sby Heather C. Flores.(high impact)15.No decent soil?Use pots.16.Drink tap water, not bottled water. Tap water is safe,clean and just as good for you. If you have concerns, filterthe tap water.[5]Note that while studies show GHG is lowered for someorganic products such as wheat and potatoes, for others suchas eggs, milk and chicken the GHGs can actually be greaterunless additionalmitigation is utilized in theirproduction.[7]Commonly found fair-trade foods include: coffee, tea,chocolate, cashews, olive oil, rice sugar, hearts of palm,salmon, honey, salsa, jam and syrup.
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