New Buzz Words: Global Warming; Carbon Neutral; Carbon Offset
By Freda Parker
January 15, 2007
Global Warming; Carbon Neutral! Carbon Offset!
They're the three newest buzz words, related to the environment, that we're all hearing more and more often. But what exactly do they mean? And what, if anything, can we do with them or about them? Tough questions, to be sure.
By now most of us know that our planet's environment is changing, and it's not a change for the better. If you doubt that, take the time to watch former vice president Al Gore's 80-minute film on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth. You will not be bored.
A Personal Look At A Complex Issue
For me, that film has two major messages: 1) our lifestyles are destroying our atmosphere; 2) we can still reverse that process.
Reverse the process? How? What can I do? I began researching this complex issue and very quickly met with carbon neutral and carbon offset -- two terms that are relatively easy to understand but not so easy to put into practice -- or so I initially thought.
The Solar Electric Light Fund's website (www.self.org/cnc.asp) says, "Becoming 'carbon neutral' means that you have neutralized the effect of your personal greenhouse gas emissions, so that your personal and household activities no longer contribute to the dangers of global warming."
As for carbon offsets, this website says, "A carbon offset is an initiative which neutralizes the impact of a carbon emission." The article gives several examples, including planting trees and supporting the development of wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels, but warns that these are not truly offsets unless "the activity you are supporting would not otherwise have happened."
Well, frankly I came away from that feeling just as confused and even more frustrated. But I persisted with my research and found "take action" at www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/whatyoucando/. It lists some thirty carbon neutralizing activities. Most are very do-able -- particularly those related to how you run your house.
I showed the list to David B. South, Monolithic's president, and asked him which of these activities could be incorporated in a Monolithic Dome. David chose, reviewed and added his comments to the following:
- Replace regular incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFLs use 60% less energy, saving about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
- Move your thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer.
- Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner.
- Install a programmable thermostat that will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning.
- Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket.
- Use less hot water by installing a low-flow showerhead and doing laundry in cold or warm water instead of hot.
- Turn off or unplug electronic devices you're not using.
In addition to these few carbon neutralizing activities I have included, "take action" has a number of others -- and, again, most are very do-able. That confirms the final, positive thought Mr. Gore concludes his film with. He assures us that technologically and scientifically we already know and we already have all we need to know and have to save our planet. We just have to begin doing it!
For information relating to the carbon neutrality of Monolithic Domes, please see:
- Monolithic Domes: The Ulitimate "Green" Building?
- What Makes a Green Building?
- "Married To Concrete" (PDF)
- More "Editors Circle" Articles
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