Green Living in Marin Valley
Reducing our Carbon Footprints
A great way to get started in managing your footprint is to use a footprint calculator. And one of the best has been developed right in our own backyard; UC Berkeley’s Cool Climate Calculator. With it, you can dynamically see how your footprint changes as you enter data or adjust settings for various aspects of your life, such as travel, home, and food. It also shows each time you adjust the settings, how your footprint compares to national averages.
Before you start you may want to have your gas and electric bills for the past year; our Manager Matt says he can provide a report for anyone who wants it. You’ll also want some record of your general shopping purchases. If you don’t have these, it’s not a problem; the calculator will just use national averages for those categories. It usually takes less than five minutes to go through the calculator once you have your gas, electric, and shopping expenses (or just use the default values if you don’t).
Below are links for further information on reducing your carbon footprint, along with ideas for actions we could take as a community to work towards that goal. Have other useful resources or ideas you would like to share? Please email them to marinvalley.net@gmail.com
General Guidelines
The New York Times has an excellent article on ways to reduce your footprint. It covers the main topics such as reducing your air and car travel, buying an efficient/EV vehicle, eating lower on the food chain, and changes you can make to your home. It also helps you understand some of the more subtle aspects of footprint reduction, and includes several useful links.
Columbia University’s State of the Planet blog also lists a number of useful steps you can take and includes several items that are not covered in the New York Times article.
Project Drawdown provides an extensive list that shows the estimated global reductions over thirty years (2020-2050) that could occur for 80 different climate mitigation actions. Written more from a societal action perspective, it still gives a sense of the relative importance of a variety of footprint reduction ideas.
Electronic Vehicles
Carbon Brief provides an excellent analysis of the issues involved when comparing EVs to conventional vehicles on a lifecycle basis. It’s a UK-based organization, but the general ideas apply to the US as well. They highlight the importance of knowing where the electricity that powers the vehicle comes from, as well as the importance of the battery manufacturing process in contributing to the overall footprint of an EV.
The Union of Concerned Scientists has a blog post that analyzes EV emission performance based on the power mix of a given state’s utility grid. They also offer a calculator that will provide an estimate for various cars based on your zip code, while Carbon Counter has a Web app that lets you compare total lifecycle emissions from traditional, hybrid and electric cars.
Resilient Neighborhoods EV guide provides some basic information about the advantages of buying an EV, along with some useful links for further information.
The Golden Gate Electric Vehicle Association has a handy rebate guide, as well as a Cars page, with links to different models that are available in the SF area.
Cartelligent is a broker type service that can help you find the best EV or plug-in for you. They charge $300-500 (after a free initial consult); Novato and Costco also offer an EV buying program.
PlugShare, ChargeHub and ChargePoint have maps of EV charging stations around the US and offer apps for iPhone and Android.
Commuting/Air Travel
Helpful commuting/mass transit sites include Marin Commutes’ share a ride page, Marin Transit’s transportation guide, and 511SFBay’s carpool resource page.
Air travel resources include: a New York Times article on the increasingly large footprint of air travel, plus Yale Climate Connections and Think Progress articles on the debate over the relative footprint of driving versus flying when traveling. The winner in these debates is usually the train or bus. The Washington Post discusses options for getting carbon offsets when you fly, and Wired discusses upcoming requirements for airlines to offset their emissions on international flights.
Waze Carpool and Rideconnect offer apps that help you find other people to carpool with when commuting or shopping.
Ideas to try in the Park: Have a Cartelligence rep and/or current Park EV owners give presentations on buying/owning an EV. Explore carpooling options for Park residents to use, including the Waze and Rideconnect carpool apps.
Food
An Our World in Data blogpost depicts the footprint associated with a number of different foods, showing how eating lower on the food chain leads to a big carbon footprint reduction, more so than whether or not a food is produced locally. An exception is off-season fruits and vegetables, which are mostly produced and flown in from other countries, with a large carbon transport footprint. National Geographic discusses the high footprint associated with air transported produce, while the Sierra Club and Green SXM discuss the relative impacts of fresh versus frozen fruits and vegetables. CUESA has charts that show when fruits and vegetables are in season in California.
The MinnPost reported the results of a study showing that Americans waste about a pound of food a day. Feeding America shows how about 40% of this waste occurs in the home and highlights some programs to reduce the problem.
ZEROWASTEMARIN’s Food Waste Prevention page highlights a number of local programs that are designed to help ensure that unwanted/extra food does not go to waste.
Ideas to try in the Park: Swap vegetarian recipes. Hold periodic cooking classes, as Lorna has done, focusing on vegetarian cooking. Have occasional vegetarian/vegan pub nights, with food from the Farmers Market as an additional option. Organize carpools to Thursday/Sunday Farmers Markets in SR. Create an additional MVMCC group on Nextdoor where people could put notices for surplus food items. Support food garden efforts in the Park: have a master gardener visit to teach about small veggie and butterfly/bee gardens in pots, start a community garden. Plant fruit trees on Park property.
Home: Energy and Water
Columbia University’s State of the Planet blog discusses the carbon footprint associated with heating buildings. Energy Sage lists 10 ways to reduce energy use in your home.
NRDC highlights the energy and CO2 reductions from replacing HVAC and gas water heaters with heat pumps, while Electrify Marin has a Natural Gas Appliance Replacement Rebate Program page that includes heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and induction stoves, including higher rebates for income-qualified buyers.
Stretcher discusses energy savings from putting a blanket on your water heater.
MMWD has a Top 10 Ways to Save Water page, one on High Efficiency Clothes Washer Rebates.
Add links to grey water!!!
Ideas to try in the Park: Work to pool purchases to get additional discounts on heat pump/water heat pump installations. Have an MMWD water conservation specialist come to the Park to discuss home water conservation and perform home audits for interested residents.
Consumption/Waste
The Story of Stuff is a wonderful video about the lifecycle of material goods. Written and narrated by Annie Leonard, it’s about 21 minutes long, including short segments on consumption at 10:10, and disposal at 16:47.
Marin Magazine has a guide to secondhand shopping, and guides to buying less stuff are available from Money Magazine and Honestly Modern.
Resources for repairing items include Resilient Neighborhoods’ Repair It, Don’t Toss It! page, and IFIXIT’s Repair Guides page.
Plastic: The Guardian reports on the carbon footprint of plastic (and other impacts). Guides for reducing plastic use are available from Green Education Foundation and NBC News.
Recycling: EPA provides a national overview on waste generation and recycling, Waste360 has a good article on why plastic recycling is so difficult, the Marin IJ has a story on the general difficulty of recycling today, and Marin Sanitary Service has a Recycle Right guide. The Recycling page on our MV website also has a good recycling guide.
Exploring Alternatives’ Zero Waste Hacks video has a variety of waste minimization/simple lifestyle tips, plus links in the video description for more information.
Ideas to try in the Park: Create a tool library. Create a Marin Valley Buy Nothing type of group on Nextdoor. Have someone from Marin Sanitary Service come to the Park to talk about recycling/landfilling/composting.
EVs
Carbon Brief provides an excellent analysis of the issues involved when comparing EVs to conventional vehicles on a lifecycle basis. It’s a UK-based organization, but the general ideas apply to the US as well. They highlight the importance of knowing where the electricity that powers the vehicle comes from, as well as the importance of the battery manufacturing process in contributing to the overall footprint of an EV.
The Union of Concerned Scientists has a blog post that analyzes EV emission performance based on the power mix of a given state’s utility grid. They also offer a calculator that will provide an estimate for various cars based on your zip code, while Carbon Counter has a Web app that lets you compare total lifecycle emissions from traditional, hybrid and electric cars.
Resilient Neighborhoods EV guide provides some basic information about the advantages of buying an EV, along with some useful links for further information.
The Golden Gate Electric Vehicle Association has a handy rebate guide, as well as a Cars page, with links to different models that are available in the SF area.
Cartelligent is a broker type service that can help you find the best EV or plug-in for you. They charge $300-500 (after a free initial consult); Costco also offers an EV buying program.
PlugShare, ChargeHub and ChargePoint have maps of EV charging stations around the US and offer apps for iPhone and Android.
Commuting/Air Travel
Helpful commuting/mass transit sites include Marin Commutes’ share a ride page, Marin Transit’s transportation guide, and 511SFBay’s carpool resource page.
Air travel resources include: a New York Times article on the increasingly large footprint of air travel, plus Yale Climate Connections and Think Progress articles on the debate over the relative footprint of driving versus flying when traveling. The winner in these debates is usually the train or bus. The Washington Post discusses options for getting carbon offsets when you fly, and Wired discusses upcoming requirements for airlines to offset their emissions on international flights.
Waze Carpool and Rideconnect offer apps that help you find other people to carpool with when commuting or shopping.
Ideas to try in the Park: Have a Cartelligence rep and/or current Park EV owners give presentations on buying/owning an EV. Explore carpooling options for Park residents to use, including the Waze and Rideconnect carpool apps.
An Our World in Data blogpost depicts the footprint associated with a number of different foods, showing how eating lower on the food chain leads to a big carbon footprint reduction, more so than whether or not a food is produced locally. An exception is off-season fruits and vegetables, which are mostly produced and flown in from other countries, with a large carbon transport footprint. National Geographic discusses the high footprint associated with air transported produce, while the Sierra Club and Green SXM discuss the relative impacts of fresh versus frozen fruits and vegetables. CUESA has charts that show when fruits and vegetables are in season in California.
The MinnPost reported the results of a study showing that Americans waste about a pound of food a day. Feeding America shows how about 40% of this waste occurs in the home and highlights some programs to reduce the problem.
ZEROWASTEMARIN’s Food Waste Prevention page highlights a number of local programs that are designed to help ensure that unwanted/extra food does not go to waste.
Ideas to try in the Park: Swap vegetarian recipes. Hold periodic cooking classes, as Lorna has done, focusing on vegetarian cooking. Have occasional vegetarian/vegan pub nights, with food from the Farmers Market as an additional option. Organize carpools to Thursday/Sunday Farmers Markets in SR. Create an additional MVMCC group on Nextdoor where people could put notices for surplus food items. Support food garden efforts in the Park: have a master gardener visit to teach about small veggie and butterfly/bee gardens in pots, start a community garden. Plant fruit trees on Park property.
Columbia University’s State of the Planet blog discusses the carbon footprint associated with heating buildings. Energy Sage lists 10 ways to reduce energy use in your home.
NRDC highlights the energy and CO2 reductions from replacing HVAC and gas water heaters with heat pumps, while Electrify Marin has a Natural Gas Appliance Replacement Rebate Program page that includes heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and induction stoves, including higher rebates for income-qualified buyers.
Stretcher discusses energy savings from putting a blanket on your water heater.
MMWD has a Top 10 Ways to Save Water page, one on High Efficiency Clothes Washer Rebates.
Add links to grey water!!!
Ideas to try in the Park: Work to pool purchases to get additional discounts on heat pump/water heat pump installations. Have an MMWD water conservation specialist come to the Park to discuss home water conservation and perform home audits for interested residents.
The Story of Stuff is a wonderful video about the lifecycle of material goods. Written and narrated by Annie Leonard, it’s about 21 minutes long, including short segments on consumption at 10:10, and disposal at 16:47.
Marin Magazine has a guide to secondhand shopping, and guides to buying less stuff are available from Money Magazine and Honestly Modern.
Resources for repairing items include Resilient Neighborhoods’ Repair It, Don’t Toss It! page, and IFIXIT’s Repair Guides page.
Plastic: The Guardian reports on the carbon footprint of plastic (and other impacts). Guides for reducing plastic use are available from Green Education Foundation and NBC News.
Recycling: EPA provides a national overview on waste generation and recycling, Waste360 has a good article on why plastic recycling is so difficult, the Marin IJ has a story on the general difficulty of recycling today, and Marin Sanitary Service has a Recycle Right guide. The Recycling page on our MV website also has a good recycling guide.
Exploring Alternatives’ Zero Waste Hacks video has a variety of waste minimization/simple lifestyle tips, plus links in the video description for more information.
Ideas to try in the Park: Create a tool library. Create a Marin Valley Buy Nothing type of group on Nextdoor. Have someone from Marin Sanitary Service come to the Park to talk about recycling/landfilling/composting.