my care2
make a difference

community & fun

shares

share your passions, stories, inspirations, and more

Green Pay Credit Card is Al Gore Approved
Nov 12, 2007
The Fintura Corporation in conjunction with MetaBank offers the GreenPay MasterCard credit card program for environmentally conscious consumers and businesses.

The goal is to reduce CO2 emissions or the "carbon footprint" left from our everyday activities (greenhouse gases produced from burning fossil fuel and indirectly by the breakdown of everyday products.) The average US household of 4 produces over 35 thousand pounds of C02 each year.  "Carbon offsetting" refers to compensating for dangerous C02 emissions with an opposite carbon dioxide savings.  This involves calculating your carbon footprint and purchasing carbon offset credits from emission reduction projects.

The Green Pay credit card applies your reward points toward approved offset initiatives including agricultural, landfill, coal mine methane and forestry projects. Depending on what you buy, you can offset your personal carbon footprint by 5 to 10 lbs per dollar spent.

The irony is that gasoline purchases earn you the most credits.  So the more gas you consume, the more credits you earn.  Is there something wrong with this picture?  

Recent Nobel Prize winner Al Gore gave the credit card a nod on his blog earlier this year.

~Linda Bustos is a blogger for Creditor Web, where you can apply online for credit cards and conserve paper.
(0) | () | | send green star | flag as inappropriate
Visibility: Everyone
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted: Nov 12, 2007 8:42pm
Biodiesel: One Weapon in the Battle Against Global Warming
Aug 31, 2007
The earth’s climate is changing. Research shows that the world is now warmer than at any time in the past 1000 years. This change is more commonly referred to as global warming. Scientists conclude that the emission of heat-trapping green-house gases from vehicles, power plants, and industry is a primary cause in global warming. As these gases and particulate build up, they act as a huge blanket warming the planet and threatening the environment. In the Ontario government’s 2005 Air Quality Report released in December 2006, 2005 was the worst year on record for smog in the province. Awareness of global warming is growing, yet air quality deteriorates. It is generally agreed among scientists and government that global warming will pose an increasing threat to the air we breath and our environment unless emissions are drastically reduced. Action must be taken immediately.

Alternative fuel sources, including biodiesel, are part of the solution. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made by a chemical reaction of alcohol and oils from vegetables, animals, fats and greases. It is a mix of a variety of feedstock including soy oil, canola oil, waste cooking oil, tall oil and rendered fats mixed with low and ultra-low sulphur diesel fuel. Biodiesel burns cleaner and reduces carcinogenic emissions and gases. Research shows that when used in a 20 percent blend with petroleum diesel (B20) and a catalytic converter, biodiesel will cut air pollution, sulphur and aromatic emissions. Particulate matter is reduced 31 percent, carbon monoxide by 21 percent and total hydrocarbons by 47 percent. Using 100% biodiesel further reduces emissions and carcinogenic compounds. It is non-toxic, and has no sulphur – the major component of acid rain.

No engine modifications are necessary as biodiesel works in conventional compression-ignition diesel engines, from light to heavy-duty just like petroleum diesel. Further, biodiesel maintains the payload capacity and range of regular diesel and is proven to improve engine performance and engine life by removing build-up of impurities inside the engine. As a result, switching to biodiesel does initially require some attention to fuel filters but does not require vehicle changes or fleet upgrades, nor does it demand spare parts inventories, special refuelling stations or specially-trained mechanics.

Biodiesel is supplied onsite by 4Refuel Canada, a fuel delivery company and one of the country’s largest biodiesel refuellers. The company will manage over 200 million litres of fuel in 2007 including delivery of over one million litres of biodiesel each month to its clients.

“Biodoesel is available right now wherever our clients need it. And it can have an immediate impact on air quality,” says Joe Valeriote, 4Refuel’s Senior Vice President of Business Development. “More of our clients want to be ahead of government regulations and take immediate control of reducing emissions and having cleaner air.”

One of those clients is the Township of Langley, British Columbia. John McQueen, Equipment Manager for the Township has been using biodiesel for about a year. “As soon as it became available to us with a good delivery system, we jumped.” The Township first introduced a 5% biodiesel mix to its fleet, then added another 5% in June 2006. In 2007, biodiesel levels in their fleet will increase every six months to a maximum mix of 20 percent.

Biodiesel is a viable alternative for transport, construction, marine and rail industries. 4Refuel currently delivers biodiesel throughout British Columbia, including Burnaby, Delta, New Westminster, Richmond, Langley, Coquitlam and Vancouver, West Vancouver and North Vancouver, and Whistler. The City of Kamloops has started a biodiesel project and CN Rail has begun testing it for off-road applications in Prince George. 4Refuel’s largest biodiesel client is the City of Calgary.

(0) | () | | send green star | flag as inappropriate
Visibility: Everyone
Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted: Aug 31, 2007 10:42am
10 Tips To Reduce Fuel Consumption
Jul 14, 2007

10 Tips for saving fuel

It’s summer and the gas prices are high. Here are some green tips to reduce your gas consumption.

These handy suggestions come from our own Green Tips booklet as well as from 4Refuel, a fuel management organization specializing in onsite delivery, fuel logistics, automated fleet management and biodiesel solutions.

1. Start off slower
Being first to zoom ahead at the green light doesn’t get you there any quicker. Countless studies by universities, highway authorities and engine manufacturers prove it. Jackrabbit starts save less than three minutes over 60 minutes of driving but end up using 40 percent more fuel and increase toxic emissions by 400 percent.

2. Slow down
It’s not just dangerous but speeding wastes fuel. Highway speeds over 100 km/h drastically impact fuel efficiency -- cars travelling at 120 km/h instead of 100 km/h use 20 percent more fuel to cover the same distance. Trucks travelling at 120 km/h instead of 100 km/h use 50 percent more fuel. Both emit 100 percent more carbon monoxide, 50 percent more hydrocarbons and 31 percent more nitrogen oxides.

3. Tune-up!
Be sure to provide your vehicles with frequent tune-ups. A well-maintained vehicle performs better on the road, decreases maintenance costs and improves fuel efficiency.

4. Smooth move
Changing the oil regularly is another double bonus for your car and the environment: when your engine is running in top condition, it is burning fuel most efficiently. The average recommendation for oil changes is every three months or 5,000 km. Ask the mechanic to see that your old engine oil gets recycled, and check the replacement oil: the best oils for fuel efficiency are labelled "Energy Conserving" and can reduce your fuel consumption by 3 percent. Consider using a bio-based transmission oil for your car.

5. Stop idling
Letting your engine idle for more than three minutes not a good idea. Idling quickly consumes fuel and can add 50 percent to fuel costs while shortening the effectiveness of your engine oil by 75 percent. And it's not doing anything for the longevity of your engine either. Idling runs your engine below peak temperature, which means that over time you're actually doing damage to it. There’s also no need for that morning warm up since our cars are now electronically controlled. An engine actually warms up faster while driving.

6. Tire pressure
There's a lot more than the environment riding on your tires. For safety reasons alone, you should make a regular habit of checking your tire pressure but do so when tires are cold, not fresh from use. In addition or under-inflated tires increase fuel consumption and cause premature wear on the tires. Transport Canada studies show that 70 percent of the tires on the road are under-inflated. Are yours part of the statistics?

7. Lighten your load
Carrying excess weight places unnecessary strain on your vehicle’s engine and greatly affects its fuel efficiency. A loaded roof rack can decrease your fuel efficiency by up to 15 percent on smaller cars and up to 5 percent on SUVs or trucks. Even driving with an empty rook rack wastes gas.

8. Cut back on your driving
Save gas by driving less. Combine several errands into a single trip, take a minute before you leave home to plan multiple errands and map out your route. Start using public transit as much as possible. Leave the car at home if you can get there by walking, cycling or taking the bus, train or metro.

9. Trade in the off-road vehicle
Sporty utility vehicles and trucks pollute over twice as much as the average new car. Do we really need that SUV on city streets, where the extra weight and friction caused by four-wheel-drive equipment guzzles up gas? SUVs use 30 percent more gas than other cars. So, opt for a lighter, two-wheel-drive vehicle -- they're easier to park anyway!

10. Buy a fuel-efficient vehicle
While the best choice by far for clean driving is a hybrid car, which runs on a combination of battery power and gasoline and uses far less gasoline. But there are also traditional vehicles with respectable fuel-efficiency ratings. A typical car produces roughly three times its weight in carbon-dioxide emissions every year, so a good general rule is the lighter your car, the better its fuel efficiency.

Original Article: http://www.greenlivingonline.com/Energy/10-tips-for-saving-fuel/
Submitted with permission from publisher.

1. Start off slower
2. Slow down
3. Tune-up!
4. Smooth move
5. Stop idling
6. Tire pressure
7. Lighten your load
8. Cut back on your driving
9. Trade in the off-road vehicle
10. Buy a fuel-efficient vehicle
(0) | () | | send green star | flag as inappropriate
Visibility: Everyone
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted: Jul 14, 2007 10:17am

 
 
 
Content and comments expressed here are the opinions of Care2 users and not necessarily that of Care2.com or its affiliates.

Author

Linda Bustos
female, age 28,
Canada
Shares by Type:
All (9) | Blog (7) | Alert (1) | Top 10 List (1)

Showing shares tagged with: warming [show all]
ads keep care2 free
SHARES FROM LINDA'S NETWORK
No shares

Copyright © 2009 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved