I find myself more and more over the past couple of months thinking about my lifestyle and how my family is using our resources in terms of "being green". This isn't something I thought about 10 years ago. Sure, I have taken advantage of the awesome recycling options where I live in Dublin, Ohio, but within the past 2 years I have started consciously trying to make better choices. The problem is I don't always know which is better and it is easy to get stuck working through all of the calculations and unknowns trying to come up with a formula for why I should do (a) instead of (b). Some examples:
1. Is it better to run the air conditioner in the car to feel cool, or rather is it better to put the windows down and let the breeze (somewhat) cool you off? At first glance it would seem that AC off would be the greener choice, but consider that windows down would mean more drag, using potentially more fuel. Might depend on speed you are traveling, how long you will be in the car, or many other factors. I wish I knew the answer though, because I would likely chose the one that was better for the environment.
2. Is it better to get read eBooks or buy the real thing? This seems obvious, get an Amazon Kindle. At least that is what I am telling myself as this is now becoming my Father's Day gift this year. By buying, retrieving, and reading books electronically, I am saving the rain forests, printing supplies, transportation costs, and probably loads of other things. Unfortunately I don't know about the harmful costs of producing and distributing these electronic devices. Are we causing an environment catastrophe by creating the lovely electronic displays? What happens when we are done with them? Are we creating a lead problem or does the Kindle have some other kind of harmful chemicals in it? It uses Amazon's Whispernet to deliver books, which is just their name for cellular signals. Harmful signals? Some people claim to be allergic to Wifi now.
Where can I find the answers? Seems like a common problem everyone would have, but I admit I haven't done a lot of online research. As more people buy into "going green", it would be great to have a resource that breaks down the answers to these more complex situations. I don't want to see answers that say blindly "use the AC". I want to see answers that explain why and show the difference of using the AC versus not. I want to know the person answering the question has worked the problem all the way through and is not just flippantly answering without really thinking through the opportunity costs. Suggestions for finding answers? Is searching Google based on each individual questionable situation the only answer? Then I think we run into a trust issue. How do I know the answer I find is not being influenced by some third party?
4 comments:
Greetings from California,
Mike, I'd simply like to point out that though conservation is always a good idea, being green is in my opinion, a waste of time.
Here is why:
http://gawfer2001.blogspot.com/2008/06/why-global-warming.html
“104 Billion Dollars …Amount U.S. Consumers are expected to spend on Green Goods and Services in 2008.
Going green is not only good for the environment, it’s good for the bottom line. We met one on one with 1130 CEOs and business leaders from around the world to get their unique perspectives on the environment, the population explosion and other challenges and opportunities facing their organizations.”
This is an Add in this month's Golf Digest, and reveals the underlying motivation ($$) to put Global Warming at the forefront of our lives.
Because of the current price of gas, I'd keep the windows up and enjoy the AC, because your compressor only marginally affects HP, whereas downed windows create a sail effect substantially increasing drag and decreasing fuel efficiency.
Thanks for the response. I guess I didn't make a distinction between "going green" and conservation in my head. I wouldn't say I have fallen for the Inconvenient Truth as I am a true skeptic. Having said that, it is pretty easy to see the human population is having a pretty big effect on the planet, even just thinking about land fills. Maybe my title post would have been better stated as "Which is a better conservation strategy?". Again, thanks for the response as it has helped me think about the issue in a different way.
Mike,
I'd most certainly agree with the landfill example... Especially in So Cal where we get a bonus 4 or 5 million people from another (nameless ) country bringing their trash across the border... at least the trash that isn't discarded along the roadside.
This issue of A/C vs. windows down in the car came up on Car Talk a while back. While I don't know how well researched their comments were, they stated that either option costs about 0.5 mpg and that neither was significantly better than the other. At least, that's how I remember it...
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