Global Warming News

Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category

Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32, 2006) calls for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in California to 1990 levels by 2020. All we have to do to fix the problem is to determine emissions goals for cars and light-duty trucks and give the automaker their marching orders, right? Well, no. There’s a smarter way to go about it.
If we continue to assume that people will keep driving cars, and that the population is expected to increase, the carmakers alone are not going to be able to solve the problem.

What about changing the existing assumptions? What if people didn’t have to drive as far? What if a lot more people used public transportation? Could thinking like that, combined with lower emissions from the biggest polluters, enable us to reduce greenhouse gasses (ghg’s) in spite of an increase in population?

Enter Senate Bill 375 (SB 375, 2008), which requires a reduction of ghg’s to 1990 levels from new land development or redevelopment projects. It also called for the creation of a technical advisory committee to advise the California Air Resource Board (CARB) on how to reach the 2020 goal.

So where does this committee come from? Who has the knowledge to make such a comprehensive ten-year plan? Twenty-one people have volunteered their time to make this happen. For the most part, they fall into two groups: organizations whose goal is to reduce emissions and organizations who want their cities and counties to thrive. While these goals may seem to be at odds, the job of the Regional Targets Advisory Committee (RTAC) is to make a plan to do both at the same time.

Who is representing our community’s varying interests? Ten committee members are involved in local government and city planning, five are involved in public transportation, five are from organizations that support environmental issues, and one from a California new home builder. They come from all of the major metropolitan areas as well as universities and state-wide organizations.
The committee must submit its report to the California Air Resources Board at the end of September. In the next 2 months, they will finalize a proposal of measurements and steps that will enable each region to meet the required goals, while considering factors such as the economic climate and the capabilities of each group involved. No small feat.

In the end, their accomplishment will be one that could not have happened without such a multi-discipline long-term commitment. Only an effort like this has the potential to significantly impact the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in California.

Palm Springs Car Dealers, Palm Springs New Cars, Orange County Cadillac

Ok, so Bamboo PC’s were just gimmicks. The laptop version of the bamboo PC launched last March at a computer fair in Hanover. It featured a laminated bamboo casing which was around a standard laptop, meaning that no less plastic was needed in making it.

Although the bamboo computers won’t make a huge difference to the environment, it did prove how versatile material really is.

Bamboo must be the only plant on the planet that is a source of food, works as building materials and woven fabrics. Even Edison used bamboo in one of his early lightbulb designs. Its strength and low price tag makes it a great material for building, particularly in parts of Asia where it’s used as scaffolding. The fibres within bamboo poles have both high tension strength, as well as high compression strength. It’s compressive strength works out around twice that of concrete, bamboo also has the same tensile strength to weight ratio as steel. Now there’s even a bamboo laptop!

Bamboo ticks lots of boxes for anyone buying eco-friendly home furnishings. For a start, it’s a highly sustainable raw material. There are a number of bamboo species that are able to grow over a metre each day. Local people can cut down as much as they need for carving, weaving, sawing or splitting and still have as big a forest at the end of the year as they had at the start. As for the global warming question, because the bamboo is a plant, anything that’s been made from it contains a large proportion of atmospheric carbon. However, the plastic equivalent to a bamboo products actually adds to the atmospheric carbon levels, rather than taking away!

Another point is that because bamboo is a plant source, there are many variations between two plants, these variations make it a difficult material to use in a mass production process. What this means is that you can be almost positive that a skilled craftsman has built the bamboo product you buy. If you choose to buy from a reputable source, you’ll also have the peace of mind that the craftsman has earned a fair wage from their work and not been exploited. The final thing is that you’ll be sure that the item you bought hasn’t gathered any air miles during its creation.

With eco credentials as strong as these, it’s amazing how beautiful bamboo products are. Picture a skilfully made bamboo box, lovingly lacquered with 15 layers of natural shellac. Both stylish and natural. In the last few days, I picked up a beautifully hand-crafted bamboo knife block and I’m seriously considering purchasing other bamboo kitchen accessories like fruit bowls. Stylish and ethical. Win.