Understanding and implementing changes that affect CO2 emissions

BY GAVIN LEIGHTON FOR GREENING OF OIL

The most accessible avenues for reducing our environmental footprint are behavioral changes. The potential reduction of CO2 emissions through changing behavior has been termed the “behavior wedge”. The term comes from the idea that there is a polygonal area between our current emissions trajectory and the lower trajectory we need to get to. This area can be divided into discrete wedges such as government programs and technology.

(Start the conversation. See comments section at bottom of page.) 

The behavior wedge is immediately achievable and many useful strategies have been recommended. For example, we have all heard that we should turn off lights and turn down the heat when leaving the house. These actions make both financial sense and environmental sense: using less electricity requires less carbon emissions and lowers the electricity bill at the same time. However, many of these behaviors have become repeated incessantly, to the point where they are hackneyed. So what are some of the other behaviors that save energy and reduce your environmental footprint that don’t make headlines? Several candidates are listed, and I consider these the “hidden behavior wedge”.

While we know that we should turn off appliances and lights when they aren’t in use, a little known fact is that these appliances draw electricity even when they are off.  This consumed electricity is known as “phantom energy” and is a noticeable component of utility bills. One of the problems with unplugging every appliance when not in use, or before bed, is how tedious it is to go from appliance to appliance unplugging them. One solution to this potential roadblock is to plug several appliances into a power strip with an on-off switch. Turning this power strip off will eliminate the phantom energy from these appliances (make sure all the appliances are off before you turn the power strip off). 

More and more people are moving into cities and are living in buildings with dozens of floors. To access these floors people generally take the elevators installed in each building. These elevators are lifting thousands of pounds every day, which consumes significant amounts of energy. The solution is straightforward; take the stairs, at least some of the time. This strategy allows one to incorporate some exercise into the day as well as saving on energy. 

With more and more people living in cities, the demand for clean water has risen dramatically. One way to provide this water is through water fountains in parks and in buildings. However, much of the water is lost and has to be reprocessed before it can be considered fit for consumption. One way to save on water loss and energy is to bring a reusable water bottle or cup with you to the fountain and either fill the water bottle directly, or drink from the water fountain while catching the previously lost water. I conducted a simple trial of this, and I was able to capture 100 ml of water while only being able to drink 90 ml.  In other words, for every drop you drink, a drop is lost.

Employing these changes en masse will help us reduce our overall societal footprint through basic conservation. These behavioral changes are also beneficial for individuals via increased savings and more exercise. If you know of any other behaviors that would increase the hidden behavior wedge, please list them in the comments section.

About Gavin Leighton

Gavin Leighton is a first year graduate student studying biology at the University of Miami. He is focusing his efforts on the maintenance of a cooperative behavior in an African passerine. 

Born and raised near Philadelphia, PA, Leighton attended Colgate University in New York. At Colgate, he majored in environmental biology and was the president of the environmental student group on campus for two years. Leighton was also a member of the sustainability council at Colgate University. The council was a group composed of faculty, staff, and students that made advised the administration on environmental decisions. 

Visit Leighton’s web site