Guess what; today I’m going to go scientific on you!

I thought it would be fun to produce a series of blog entries about the most common climate and environmental problems, with some tips about how to reduce them. I will mainly focus on greenhouse gasses, but also particles and some other common problems will be discussed to. And of course I might throw in some fun lists and facts now and then to lighten up the mode.

It feels natural to start with carbon dioxide. Much is written about carbon dioxide today. Much of what is written is correct, but many get it wrong anyway. No I’m not talking about climate deniers. They can speak for themselves, and most certainly do. I’m talking about newspapers and magazines, but television is very guilty of this to. CO₂ have gotten so much attention from everywhere that we tend to forget that there are many other causes for concern in our environment. But before I get started I need to say this…. WE NEED CO₂! Plants use it in photosynthesis, to make sugar. It is not an evil gas that man has released on the world. But TO MUCH CO₂ cause severe problems. And that’s what we got today.

First of all, what is this climate changing gas? Well, chemically speaking, it is one carbon atom connected to two oxygen atoms with double bindings. Ok, so it is not a very “advanced” chemical we are dealing with. It has a weight of about 44 g/mole (one mole being 6.0221415×10²³ atoms or molecules of a substance ). So it is not very heavy either. And this is part of the problem. CO₂ is a stable molecule that is quite light with a long turnover rate in the atmosphere, and that disperse over a large area. That every combustion produce CO₂ doesn’t help…

Carbon dioxide is a natural gas. It has always existed. Natural emissions are not really a problem as they are neatly balanced by nature itself. Add in anthropogenic CO₂ and we have a problem. Emissions from transportation, industry, homes etc are in excess of what is naturally emitted, which mean that we got too much of the stuff. Now to the second part of why anthropogenic CO₂ is bad. It causes the greenhouse effect, by absorbing long wave radiation reflected from the surface of the earth. Atoms in molecules always vibrate in the bonds. Think about the bonds as springs. They move in certain wavelengths. Unfortunately, CO2 vibrates in the correct wavelength to absorb the rays reflected from the earth. The molecule then releases radiation in all directions, both up and towards the surface. Normaly this is no problem, as the carbon dioxide levels have been stable (sort of). But with more climate gasses (more than carbon is involved) we get more warming. This is of course the simplified version. The whole global warming scientific problem is extremely complex. And that is why there is so much controversy around it.

Still with me? You are not sleeping yet? I am impressed. Ok, I promise, no more science today. Now that we know why it is bad, we will talk about footprints and reduction. The fun stuff.

CO₂ footprints is a measurement of how much CO₂ is released from a country, company or an individual each year. It is a good way to show numbers, something that is often lacking. Commute Greener! is one way of keeping track on your own emissions. But you already know that. However, there are some ways to make driving less polluting. That is a very important. Eco Driving is one such thing. By making the car drink less you save money AND emissions. Skip gears, dont breake or accellerate to much and plan your driving. Also, remove any roofboxes when not in use. They add to fuel the consumption.

Carpooling or ridesharing is a great way of reducing the footprint and get to know your co-workers. Maybe you live close to each other? Can one of you pick the others up on the way to work, so you don’t have to ride separately? It is fun, save money and it is very comfortable.

If you commute by public transportation, choose electric, hybrid or gas buses. They release a bit less CO₂ and the fuel itself is produced by more friendly means then petrol. Mostly… I know it is difficult to know what fuel the bus use, but it might be the only way if you want to make your commuting greener. And if you usually drive to work, try taking the bus for two weeks . I am sure you will get used to it, and realise that you all of a sudden will have time for reading, making errands and relaxing on the way home.

The best way to almost remove your carbon footprint from commuting is of course to choose the bike, or your feet as mode of transportation.  There is a “take the bike to work week” campaign on the net. Many joined in, and have found that you CAN commute by bike. Start commuting by bike together with your co-workers. Start a competition of weight loss, CO₂ saved, time it takes to get to work or something like that. It makes it much more fun.

I hope you have found this interesting. I did. Next update will be on Monday, and I have something way more fun than today planned. Feel free to comment, or to discuss this at our Facebook page.

Well, Im off

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Fredrik