UNproductive?

This week the United Nations is meeting in Cancun, Mexico to discuss the impacts of climate change and how countries can reduce their contribution to the overall problem.  As some may remember, last years meeting yielded the Copenhagen accord.  Which was an agreement of some of the worlds largest economies to commit to reducing their CO2 emissions and to set aside funding to help reductions in developing nations.  One of the most impressive parts of the Copenhagen accord was China's agreement to partake in these reductions, China being the worlds largest CO2 producer.

This year's summit looks to ramp up implementation of the Kyoto protocol and the Copenhagen accord.  There are "undisclosed draft decisions on continued, strengthened support of developing countries efforts in climate change adaptation and mitigation, including concrete technology transfer projects", UNFCCC said in a statement.  This means countries are comparing notes and discussing techniques on how to actually implement reductions and foster these ideas in developing countries.  For updates, background and more info on the conference check http://unfccc.int/2860.php.

A large problem with an international agreement like this is that there is no real authority to enforce the agreement's rules and exact penalties or punishments for non compliance.  This, pared with a wide variety of national opinions on this topic, keeps progress to a snails pace, but progress is progress, none the less.

It is especially difficult during these current economic times for countries, industry and local businesses to consider spending money on managing and storing their CO2. Which involves increasing environmental regulations on polluters and altering the way of life we are all accustomed to.  Although some developed countries like China, Japan, and the US, have taken advantage of the renewable energy industry, most developing countries are far behind profiting off of reducing green house gases (GHG's).

I agree that by financing and fostering GHG awareness and profitability, through renewable energy industries, in developing countries is a great step towards reducing GHG's.  But more pressure needs to put on individual developed nations and in turn individual citizens of these nations, to really affect change on emissions.


As corny as it sounds, it does take all of us to really effect change on GHG emissions.  Therefore I will include a segment each week outlining a way for you to reduce your contribution of GHG's through energy efficiency and habit changes, highlighted at the end of each week's post under Decreasing Individual Energy Thirst or D.I.E.T.

Your Weekly D.I.E.T.
This week we will start off with an easy one that many of you may already know about:

Try switching out your old incandescent bulbs with new compact florescent or CFL's, they use around 20-40% less energy and usually have a longer lifespan than traditional incadescents.  It is a simple switch and the price has been steadily decreasing, so they usually realize a cost savings in the first year of service, depending on use.  

Food for thought
* CFL's do contain trace amounts of mercury so proper disposal is key, check your local recycle center or go on down to Home Depot when you need to dispose of them.  

* There is no need of concern for the toxicity of the bulbs if they break, unless you eat the tainted broken shards of glass, the glass shards will definitely be more hazardous if you eat them, trust me. Just simply sweep up the mess and wipe down the area with a paper towel, don't eat the paper towel either, FYI.


* A common complaint about CFL's is light quality.  Try using lamp shades or light filters to achieve a softer light quality.


* LED replacement bulbs are also available and the cost is coming down.  They are even more efficient then the CFL's, are beginning to have a tunable light frequency (better light quality) and are very small.  If you can afford them buy them, but due to current prices the energy savings payoff is longer.

Thanks again for reading and keep following for more news and notes on energy and the environment.  


!!!!!!Questions, opinions and comments appreciated!!!!!!!

Welcome

Hello world wide interweb,

I am starting this blog in hopes that it will encourage me to look into the current state of our energy policies and technologies and offer a forum for those who care (or want to argue, educate, or follow my super interesting life).  This will include pertinent articles, studies, and events that will be deconstructed and laid out in a palatable way for anyone to understand. There may (will) be tangents, rants, recipes and unrelated topics but maybe it will be enjoyable enough for one to read.

A lil' background---->

I am a 28yr old  married, puppy owning, trail hiking, basketballing, ultimate Frisbee tossing, guitar strumming, gourmet cooking, beer brewing, environmental conscious guy.  I bounced around from coast to coast as a kid.  Born in Santa Cruz, CA-"grew up" in Syracuse, NY- ran quickly back west to Oakland, CA- and now suffer in the smog in Pasadena, CA. I just recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Environmental Science with a minor from the Energy and Resources Group after slogging through 2.5 years in community college on route to a college degree.

I was a non-traditional student, aka old man on campus, and worked in various bars and restaurants before being turned onto environmental consulting.  Not a glamorous profession by any means, it was more a semi-construction type job that involved going into buildings looking for mold, asbestos, and other hazardous building materials/conditions, categorizing it, and then overseeing work crews, that were potentially (most likely) undocs, perform back breaking/hazardous work, while I sat around reading the paper. Needless to say, it was lucrative and was a great job to have in school (got to study while on the clock sometimes) but it was brain numbing, slightly demoralizing and not for me.

Now like many, I am unemployed...

It is amazing how ego deflating and frustrating it is.  Cover letter this and resume that, it seems that you either have to know someone or somehow have manifested some experience in order to qualify (or get stuck working at Starbucks).  How does one acquire experience? Is it something that people are endowed with? Is it like a disease? Does it just grow on you? Guess I may have to get a masters...Anyway I digress.

So why am I doing a blog?

1) To keep sanity
2) To follow current events/technologies that develop
3) Reach out to folks
4) Find out if I can blog
5) Try to be an active member of the world wide web and not only a facebook junkie

So that is a impromptu bio/history of me, for those of you who made it this far, thanks! Please check back for an opinion, a bit of knowledge, and to witness my weird way of writing!