Good job! Our consumer demand for clean energy has significantly reduced demand for power generated by polluting coal. Solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal energy sources combined are making a large impact in providing the energy Americans need.

Burning coal pollutes the air and generates carbon dioxide, a major cause of climate change.

Given how serious climate change is, this increased capacity in clean energy is great news!

Use of Coal-Powered Electricity Plants on the Decline in America

With the clean energy revolution is in full swing and more consumers switch to solar and wind, America’s dependence on coal is waning. According to the US Energy Information Administration, coal use in U.S. is at its lowest point in 39 years. In the year 2000, a total of 1,024 coal-powered electricity plants were in operation in the United States. By 2018, that number had decreased to 359.

In part, the decline in coal use can be attributed to natural gas. But that’s not the long-term solution to either climate change or the pollution associated with fossil fuels.  Burning natural gas still sends a considerable amount of climate-changing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Maybe worse, large amounts of methane gas are released into the air during “fracking,” the destructive process of hydraulic fracturing used to extract natural gas from underground shale formations. In fact, though methane gas accounts for only about 15% of greenhouse gas emissions, it lasts longer in the atmosphere, so can actually be worse for climate change than CO2. Plus, fracking pollutes groundwater and creates terrible air pollution around its facilities, many of which are located near schools and in the heart of communities.

What’s So Bad About Fracking? Here’s What You Need to Know.

Clean Energy Capacity Matching That of Coal

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) tracks the capacity of different energy sources. The April and May 2018 capacity reports show that renewable energy sources are on par with that of coal, both having around 20-22% of power producing ability. 

For renewables, wind and water lead the way by together providing about 75% of the total renewable energy capacity. Eight of the ten largest wind farms in the world are located in the U.S. Five of those are in Texas. The largest wind farm in the world is located in Kern County, California. It has the capacity of creating 1,020 MW, with expansion plans to raise its capacity to 1,550 MW.

Solar has added 200 new units so far this year. This gives solar an additional 1,964 MW of capacity, allowing it to account for 2.83% of America’s total power generating ability. Con Ed, a large U.S. utility company, is the second largest solar energy provider in North America. In 2018, they acquired wind and solar projects worth 2.1 billion dollars.

Their total clean energy capacity now can reduce carbon emissions by 5.4 million metric tons each year. That is equivalent to removing 1.2 million cars off of the highway.

The present issue with renewable energy power production is that the capacity is not being used. But with the ever-present public and state pressure for green energy, power producers will continue to scale up their use of renewables.

It’s only a matter of time before clean energy production will permanently bypass that of coal. 

The post Hate Coal Pollution? Switch to Solar, Wind. appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Has your community set a goal to go carbon neutral? When you start planning, make commercial LED lighting a priority.

LEDs aren’t just for the lamps in your living room. They can meet pretty much any lighting need your city or town has. They work in office buildings, retail developments, transit centers, hospitals, schools, factories, communal workspaces, show rooms, libraries, and more.

In fact, if a space needs a light, there’s no good reason why it shouldn’t be an LED.

That’s why we’ve teamed up with the LED lighting experts at Alcon Lighting in Los Angeles: to explain the many benefits of commercial LED lighting.

Why Choose Commercial LED Lighting?

LED lighting is popular for some reasons you’d expect, and maybe a couple you’ll find surprising.

LEDs are modern, stylish, and functional. As you can see from these photos, they look as cool in the kitchen at work, pictured above, as they do lighting up building corridors, which is why Sustainable Los Angeles chose them for their space.

But in this day and age of climate change, extreme weather events, and expensive energy, the added bonus of using an LED is that it’s a climate saver.

“An LED light bulb can reduce heat and energy consumption by 90% while increasing color rendering and light quality,” Alcon points out on its website.

Put another way, LEDs are the best way to get the affordable, quality light you want without the climate change or environmental impact you don’t.

LEDs also help keep the air in your communities cleaner.

Most lighting is powered by electricity that’s generated by coal-fired utilities. Burning coal releases carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the major causes of climate change. It also emits tiny toxic pollutants that turn into smog and make our air dirty to breathe. When you use LEDs, you cut the CO2 AND the air pollution.

That, on top of the money saved and the high quality of the light LEDs exude, is why, if your goal really is to have a carbon-neutral city, you actually can’t achieve that goal without switching to commercial LED lighting.

Here’s one additional benefit to LEDs.

If you walk or drive through your community or city at night, how many buildings seem to have every office light turned on, even when no one is there working?

With commercial LED lighting in place rather than old fashioned bulbs, you can reduce energy use in these buildings by 90% – even when the lights are left on (though, of course, we still want them turned off when they’re not in use).

Lighting accounts for almost 20% of the energy a commercial building uses (it’s about 11 percent for residential buildings, which is still a lot!).

Whether you’re building new construction or renovating existing structures, make sure that the architect understands that commercial LED lighting is a top priority. If the architect is not familiar with LED lighting options, the experts at Alcon Lighting can lend some expertise.

By the way, if you’re wondering how LEDs compare to CFLs (compact fluorescents), this post explains: 

7 Ways LEDs are Better than CFLs

NOTE: Sponsors like Alcon Lighting help us bring you the expert content you need to lead the greener life you want. All editorial opinions remain our own.

The post Commercial LED Lighting Can Help Your City Go Carbon Neutral appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Are you smarter than a light bulb? If you’re using ENERGY STAR certified LEDs, congratulations! You are!! You can prove it by sharing a photo of your best LED moment on Facebook or Twitter using the #LightTheMoment hashtag.

#LightTheMoment

If you’re not using ENERGY STAR certified LEDs, well…the light bulb might win.

That may sound ridiculous, but consider this:

According to U.S. EPA, the average American home – probably like yours – has approximately 50 light sockets.

Most of those still use inefficient incandescent light bulbs – you know, like the ones Thomas Edison invented. In 1879. That’s 138 years ago!!

Would you consider using a phone that relied on 138-year-old technology? No.

Would you want to putz around in the 109-year-old Model T? Nope.

What about trying to make your latte using a Little House on the Prairie-type open fire cooking pit? I just don’t see it.

And yet, when it comes to light bulbs, you’re using the least smart, oldest, most expensive to operate, and most time wasting technology on the market:

An incandescent bulb.

A bulb that spends 90 percent of the energy it consumes (and that you pay for) creating heat, not even light!

A bulb that lasts only 1/10 as long as bulbs that you can reliably turn on and off for an average of 15,000 hours before they need to be replaced.

Duhhh…

Lucky for you EPA’s ENERGY STAR program is coming to the rescue.

They’ve worked closely with the lighting industry to develop energy efficient LED bulbs. Here’s why they’re so smart!

WHAT ARE ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED LEDs?

LED stands for light emitting diodes, but that’s not important.

What’s important is that LED light bulbs certified to meet ENERGY STAR’s high-performance standards are so much more energy-efficient and cost-effective that, well, they make anyone who uses them look a LOT smarter than people who still use those old-fashioned incandescents.

ENERGY STAR knows you WANT to be smart. That’s why, starting on October 24 (today), they’ve launched an initiative to encourage you to #LightTheMoment by sharing pictures of special moments in your life that can be made even better by lighting them with ENERGY STAR certified LEDs.

In fact, ENERGY STAR is inviting you to take pictures of those moments and post them on Facebook and Twitter using the #LightTheMoment hashtag (please tag @ENERGYSTAR while you’re at it).

If you already have LED light bulbs in your home, go ahead and and show off how smart you are by snapping fun photos of how you’re enjoying their light at home or at work.

Then stay tuned, because, in addition to impressing all your friends and family with your energy smart-ness, ENERGY STAR will be showcasing many of the photos in their “Moments Gallery.” Your photo may even end up in a “Light the Moment” highlight reel in November. (I love this reel ENERGY STAR has pulled together so far.)

But if you DON’T have LED light bulbs yet, for goodness sake go get some! Check with your local utility before you head for the store, since many power companies actually give consumers rebates to buy LEDs.

You’ll save money buying the bulbs, and you’ll save money on your electric bill, too – in some cases, up to $55 over the lifetime of each and every bulb you buy.

Remember those 50 outlets EPA says most houses have?

Do the math:

50 outlets x $55/bulb savings = $2,750.

How smart is that?!!

By the way, LED light bulbs give you some bragging rights when it comes to talking about what you’re doing to stop climate change – and after all the climate-related hurricanes and fires this season, who doesn’t want to do that?

Most electricity still comes from coal-fired power plants. Burning coal emits the carbon dioxide that causes climate change.

When you switch to an LED, you reduce the amount of coal needed to keep the light bulbs burning in your house.

 “If each home replaced only one of Thomas Edison’s light bulbs with an ENERGY STAR certified LED, we would prevent nearly 7 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emission per year, equivalent to the emissions from 650,000 cars.”  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Doesn’t that sound like a no-brainer?

SHARE YOUR #LightTheMoment!

You can get more information about the #LightTheMoment campaign from ENERGY STAR right here.

If you need help figuring out what bulb to actually buy, check out this handy guide.

By the way, here’s one last way to show you really are smarter than a light bulb:

When you buy your LEDs, make sure they carry the bright blue ENERGY STAR label. That’s how you’ll know the bulbs meet the highest performance and energy efficiency standards you want.

DO ME A FAVOR, PRETTY PLEASE!

Will you please share this post and the hashtag #LightTheMoment with your own communities? I know sometimes it’s fun to be the only smarty pants in the room. But I think you’ll agree that, right now, the planet needs as many smart people pulling for it as possible.

Thanks for spreading the word!

The post Are You Smarter Than a Lightbulb? Only if You’re Using ENERGY STAR Certified LEDs! appeared first on Big Green Purse.

 That was the message loud and clear at the climate rally held yesterday in Washington, D.C., delivered by the 40,000 or more people who congregated around the Washington Monument before marching to the White House in the largest climate-focused rally in history.

Though the weather was absolutely frigid, the crowd could not have been more fired up. Parents and kids, students and seniors, people of all races and religions came together to demonstrate their love for the environment, their concern for their families and their communities, and their commitment to a cleaner, greener world.

The biggest focus was on President Obama, who made climate change a top priority in his recent State of the Union Address and who must decide whether or not to greenlight the controversial Keystone Pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada, across the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico. Former White House green jobs advisor Van Jones told the audience from the state, “This will define your legacy, Mr. President.” Indeed, it will.

 I marched with the Alaska Wilderness League, a terrific organization that’s been leading the fight to keep oil drilling out of America’s Arctic Wildlife Refuge for more than 15 years. AWL staffers dressed like polar bears carried signs reading Save the Arctic as we chanted, “What do we want? Polar Bears! What do they need? Ice!”

Moms and dads brought their children to the rally to demonstrate the impact that climate change is having on our families. In many parts of the world, poison ivy has gotten much worse because hotter than normal temperatures have created such ideal growing conditions for this noxious plant. Moms Clean Air Force was there, too, reminding us that the same fossil fuels that cause climate change are polluting our air, a big reason why so many more kids are suffering from asthma these days.

Speaking of kids, they were everywhere at the rally: on their dad’s shoulders, getting their pictures taken with the polar bears, clapping their hands in time to the music. It was great to see so many college students, too. In fact, they’re the ones who led the “Yes, We Can!” chant when one of the stage speakers asked, “Can we stop climate change?”

Thousands of people traveled from far and wide to lend their voices to the rally crowd. When I boarded my local subway to get down to the event, the car was brimming with folks from as far away as Texas and Oklahoma, two states that are directly in the path of the Keystone Pipeline. At the Washington Monument, a woman from my home state of Michigan sported a big cut-out poster to remind us that an oil leak into an important river in the northern part of that state still had not been cleaned up. Meanwhile, rallies were happening in many other cities in the U.S., too. Mary Clare Hunt was among the 2,000 or more who turned up in Los Angeles to say “not” to climate change. You can read her report here.

After rousing speeches at the Monument and much cheering, the massive crowd headed toward the White House. The point of this, afterall, was to persuade President Obama to make good on his pledge to bring climate change to a halt.

But I couldn’t help but feel like a bigger point had been made, too. We live in a democracy, and we have the right to exercise our free speech, assemble for peaceful protest, and determine our own future. That future, and the future of our children, grand children, and great-grandchildren, is very much at stake as we determine not just whether, but how to stop climate change. Peaceful rallies like this one show elected officials, corporations, and other citizens that we take our right to democracy seriously — and so should they.

RELATED POSTS

As Climate Change Heats Up, Poison Ivy Gets Worse

Top Ten Reasons to Take Climate Change Seriously

Climate Change Affects Our Health, Our Homes, Our Families and Our Future

Related articles

Finally, powerfully, decisively – the movement to stop climate change has come together.

Protesters Call On Obama To Reject Keystone XL Pipeline – NPR

Keystone XL protesters pressure Obama on climate change promise

The post We Can Stop Climate Change. Yes, We Can! appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Why We Care About Climate Change

Karen warns at Best of Mother Earth that “we can look forward to extreme temperatures, super infectious diseases spread by insects that thrive on warmer temperatures, poor air quality and more. This is frightening!”

Sounds stupid, right? That’s what Beth at My Plastic Free Life thinks, especially after reviewing the film “The Age of Stupid.” “Set in the year 2055, after the effects of global climate change have basically wiped out most of humans and other animals on earth, a lone archivist records a message, illustrating it with a handful of the billions of stories he’s collected in a massive database he calls the Global Archive, before transmitting the entire collection into outer space as a cautionary tale to future civilizations,” reports Beth. “The big question: Why didn’t we save ourselves when we had the chance?”

Lisa of Retro Housewife Goes Green is wondering the same thing, especially since she lives in Oklahoma’s Tornado Alley, that part of the country that has seen a significant uptick in tornadoes and other extreme weather events over the last few years. “Oklahoma was a poster child for extreme weather last year, we had a record drought, broke the state record for most snow to fall in 24 hours, broke the record for coldest day, had the warmest July on record for the whole U.S., record windspeed, record wildfires, the largest earthquake reported in the state, and more.” Writing while facing another possible tornado just a few days ago, Lisa says, “This all hits home with me as I listen to the thunderstorm outside that has rocked the state and even dropped some damaging tornadoes. And I also think back to last year and all of the extreme weather, including the horrible drought that hurt the state so very much and caused me some sleepless nights worrying about the wildfires my dad, a volunteer firefighter, was out fighting.”

On the Big Green Purse blog, I highlight impacts that directly affect my kids – like worsening poison ivy. Most people don’t realize that poison ivy and its nasty cousins poison oak and sumac, are all getting much more dangerous because the plants are growing faster and bigger, and the toxic oil in their leaves is becoming more intense, thanks to hotter global temperatures. I offer some ways to avoid poison ivy and to deal with it once you get it, since in the short-term we’ll have to contend with it showing up more often in our yards and parks.

Lori at Groovy Green Livin’ sounds the alarm on an impact I care about almost as much as poison ivy: the availability of chocolate!

Chocolate is a heat-sensitive crop, Lori’s research shows. Even a small increase in temperature will affect the crops. A report Lori cites shows why there are big problems to come for the cacao tree:

…an expected temperature rise of more than two degrees Celsius by 2050 will render many of the region’s cocoa-producing areas too hot for the plants that bear the fruit from which chocolate is made, says a new study from the Colombia-based International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).

“Warming temperatures and changes in the precipitation pattern will mean rapid declines in growing conditions over the coming decades. Not good news for the cacao tree and in turn bad news for chocolate suppliers and lovers on a global level.”

Abbie at Farmer’s Daughter reports on the impact climate change is having on another beloved food: maple syrup. “In my lifetime alone, the maple sugaring season has moved from March to February. Maple sap runs when it’s below freezing at night and warms up during the day. If we wait to tap trees until March we will have missed our chance. It is clear that spring has moved to earlier in the year and we have to adjust, tap early, or risk not being able to make maple syrup for a whole year…It’s a New England tradition, my family’s tradition, and yet I worry that some day we may lose it entirely.” Abbie is especially concerned about projections that indicate we could lose maple trees and maple syrup entirely by 2100.

Chocolate and maple sugar are two foods we may not be able to produce any more if climate change worsens. But what about the impact producing some foods has on making climate change worse? Katy of Non-Toxic Kids and Moms Clean Air Force identifies three significant ways factory farming contributes to global warming and suggests some very simple yet highly effective choices you have that can make a real difference.

Tiffany at Nature Moms loves traveling but worries that climate change could destroy some of our most beloved national parks before her family has a chance to visit them. “Climate change is melting the glaciers that make an appearance in some (national parks), which not only affects the beauty of these areas, it also means less water is making its way down to lower areas. Plants and animal life that rely on this water start to become endangered or extinct. Water sources that hikers need to survive start to dry up, making the area inhospitable. Scenic waterfalls dry up earlier and earlier and may eventually be gone for good. Can you even imagine Yosemite without its grand waterfalls???”

Do you have pets? Ronnie at Moms Clean Air Force does, and she thinks climate change is making them sick. “I’m worried that my pets (two dogs and one cat) are gravely suffering because our planet is getting too warm for them.” Ronnie reviews some of the available scientific research, but her own observations are most convincing. Her dogs are thirstier, hotter, and getting ticks much earlier than usual. She’s pretty sure her cat has contracted feline asthma as a result of the increased air pollution associated with climate change.

Stephanie at Good Girl Gone Green bemoans the impact climate change has on much bigger animals: polar bears. “When I think of polar bears, I picture a piece of ice with one stranded on top,” she writes. “Some might say it is a depressing way to think of them, but what is even more heartbreaking is that polar bears may not be around in 50 years. Extinct. Poof. Gone.”

What can we do?

Given the reluctance of some people to accept that climate change is actually happening, it’s important to be able to explain why it occurs. Dominique Browning’s Moms Clean Air Force interview with climate scientist Dr. Heidi Cullen provides a clear explanation and offers suggestions on how you can deal with so-called climate “deniers.”

Harriet of Climate Mama works with the Climate Reality Project to raise awareness. For Climate Impacts Day, she’s organized family and friends to visit the proposed site of a natural gas pipeline that would carry gas derived through hydraulic fracking through a state park. She and her colleagues are also holding a “teach in” on fracking to raise awareness between this controversial practice and links to earthquakes and water pollution as well as climate change.

Anna at Green Talk admits that in her household, wasting food is one way her family contributes to climate change. She’s not alone. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “The amount of food waste generated in the US is huge. It is the third largest waste stream after paper and yard waste. In 2008, about 12.7 percent of the total municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in America was food scraps. Less than three percent of that 32 million tons was recovered and recycled. The rest – 31 million tons – was thrown away into landfills or incinerators.” Why does it matter? “The decomposition of food and other organic waste materials under anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas (GHG) 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Landfills are the largest human-related source of methane in the United States, accounting for 34 percent of all methane emissions.” Her solution? Only buy what you intend to eat. And compost!!

For more ways to reduce food waste, check out the suggestions in this guest post from Aviva at The Scramble. Making a list and labeling left-overs are two simple steps that can lead to big savings and far fewer throw-aways.

Mary at In Women We Trust acknowledges that, in the face of overcoming a challenge as daunting as stopping climate change, it’s easy to feel like you’ve hit a “great green wall.” Mary is inspired by people in eleven nations in Africa who are working together to stop the Sahara Desert from creeping further south and turning all of Africa into an arid wasteland. “They aren’t doing it to lower Green House Gases,” acknowledges Mary. “They are doing it to survive, but at the same time, it is helping to lower GHG levels. Even the most die-hard denier can’t argue with the saving of a continent – especially when it’s producing such quickly appreciated results.”

At Big Green Purse, I’ve focused on the many ways consumers can use less energy as an important way to generate less carbon dioxide. They range from smart energy-saving driving tips to the top ten ways to save energy and money at home.

Never let it be said that, despite the seriousness of the challenges we face from climate change, we don’t keep our sense of humor! Deanna at The Crunchy Chicken offers a tongue-in-cheek run-down on the top five benefits of climate change. My favorite? #3: “Tropical weather without vacation prices.” Says Deanna wryly, thanks to climate change, we’ll have tropical weather all year long wherever we live – no need to tough out ten months of dreary winter or spend a fortune on a Caribbean vacation in January!”

Finally, thanks to Moms Clean Air Force for this cartoon and reminding us that the carbon emissions from our vehicles contribute significantly to climate change. In case you can’t commute in a toddler-mobile, here are some other ways you can burn less gas!

What impacts worry you? What solutions do you have? Please take a minute to let us know. Thanks!

The post Climate Change Impacts on Our Health, Our Homes, Our Families and Our Future appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Sure you can.

Here’s how:

1) Scope out possible planting locations. Trees need room for both branches and roots to spread out, so adequate space is key. So is good soil. Is yours loose and loamy, or dense and full of clay? And what about water? Is your spot high and dry or low and prone to flooding? The place you pick determines what tree will do best in your yard.

2) Choose your tree. Consider how big the tree will get and how fast it will grow, as well as its sun, soil and water requirements. Arbor Day’s ‘right tree in the right place’ guide will help you find options that work for your “micro” climate. Consider species native to your area to help promote biodiversity.

If you live in a zone that is prone to drought, one of these trees could do well:

Silver maple
Chinese elm
Red oak
Purpleleaf plum

If your region gets a lot of moisture, one of these trees would be better:

River birch
Weeping willow
Austrian pine

3) Put your tree in the ground. How you plant a tree will depend on whether the roots are bare, wrapped in burlap, or potted in a container. Regardless, you’ll need to dig a hole that’s deeper and wider than the roots and add aged compost. After your tree is in the ground, clear grass at least three feet away from the trunk in every direction and mulch with wood chips or shredded bark to help the roots retain moisture and act as a buffer against temperature extremes. Water deeply upon planting, then regularly until the tree roots get established.

If you like to do things from scratch, you can plant a seed. Again, consider seeds that are native to your location. You might want to start the seed in a container so you can nurture it along over the couple of years it will take to grow into a seedling you can transplant. Fill a one- or -two gallon container with dirt that contains some rich organic matter, then make a hole about 1 inch deep, pop in the seed and cover with soil. It doesn’t get easier than that.

Once you plant a tree, keep it healthy so you can enjoy all the benefits it offers. It will attract birds and other wildlife, and provide shade to keep you cooler in summer. The leaves will help filter soot and dust, clearing the air, and convert carbon dioxide back into oxygen, reducing global warming and climate change. Plus research shoes that trees and the sound of their leaves tend to make people feel more relaxed. In fact, hospital patients recover more quickly when their room offers a view of trees! Having some trees to look out on from your porch or patio could have an equally calming effect on you.

RESOURCES:

If you don’t have enough space in your own yard to accommodate a tree, plant one in your community. Work with your local public works department to choose a species or location.

Or support global tree planting campaigns, like the one Avon is running through its Hello Green Tomorrow program.

Some cities, like Pittsburgh, require residents to obtain a tree planting permit. You may want to check to see if this is the case where you live.

For more information on tree planting and organizing community planting in your area visit American Forests  or  Sustainable Horticulture.

For gardening supplies, visit our store.

(Disclosure: I provide green living tips to Hello Green Tomorrow.)

(Thanks to research assistant Tracy Gaudet of Inspire Planning for research help.)

The post It’s Arbor Day. Can’t you plant just one tree? appeared first on Big Green Purse.