Energy Production and Transportation
The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024
In the first `100 days of 2024 we will explore 100 climate solutions that may “empower you to evaluate, engage, and act” to address on-going climate change as an individual on your terms.
Way back when, I distinctly being told that it wastes more fuel to turn your car off and back on than it does to let it idle. Not sure when, but I have it in my head. Turns out, not so. If you are going to idle your car for more than 10 seconds, according to Heidi, you should go ahead and turn it off. According to the US Department of Energy, the idling of personal vehicles in the US adds 30 million tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year. Once again, numerous small, individual actions have a significant, cumulative impact.
In the past few chapters, Heidi has methodically worked through a series of suggestions to adjust how you drive your car as a recognition that we will continue to burn fossil fuels and emit carbon dioxide as we live our lives. We need to get around; we are busy; we need to go places. But we also have an urgent need to address climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The message? Deliberately taking certain, simple actions that eventually become habits can make a big difference.
It helps if you visualize the plume of invisible, odorless carbon dioxide pollution you create as you idle and drive as large balloons emerging from your tailpipe. I have found (and written about) that it is a powerful image that motivates action.
Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 15: Fly Less, Fly Economy
Back to 100 Climate Solutions
Howard Creel
#rescuethatfrog
Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com