World Environment Day falls today:

Kick the habit: Towards a low carbon economy

Hemanthi Ranasinghe

The effect of heat trapping due to increasing presence of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, chloroflurocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons) in the earth atmosphere is known as greenhouse effect or global warming and this causes change in the global climate.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) CO2 concentration of the atmosphere at present is 360 ppm as against 280 ppm in the 1750. It has been predicted that by the year 2100, projected CO2 concentration will be in the range of 540 - 970 ppm.

As a consequence global average temperature is projected to increase by 1.4 to 5.80'C over the period 1990 to 2100. The impact of this climate change affects our ecosystems, biodiversity, agriculture and marine life.

Already we are experiencing the impact of climate change in Sri Lanka with more severe and longer droughts and more intense rainfall which has a devastating effect on lives and livelihoods. The devastating consequences of heavy rains which poured to the wet zone of the country had its devastating effects by taking about 20 lives and displacing more than 300,000 people.

Thus Climate Change has become the number one environmental issue in the world and many governments are taking individual and collective action to curtail the adverse consequences.

Recently the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) won the Nobel Prize for its efforts towards minimizing the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. Time is ripe for all of us to think hard on our lifestyles and change the way we do things if we want to ensure that our environment remains healthy and sustainable for future generations.

World Environment Day is the United Nations flagship environmental event, celebrated every year on June 5 in more than 100 countries around the world. The slogan for this year is 'Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy'. This was done in recognizing that climate change is becoming the defining issue of our era.

The resources and initiatives that promote low carbon economies and lifestyles such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco friendly consumption.

A flagship event in the arena of environmental conservation was the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio, 1992. During this two important conventions were formulated; the Convention of Biological Diversity and Convention on Climate Change.

The objective of the latter is to stabilise the atmospheric greenhouse gases at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climatic system. 186 countries ratified this Convention.

Sri Lanka became a member to this in 1994. At a later date, a protocol was arrived at in Kyota, Japan which dealt with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. According to this Protocol, the industrialised nations should reduce their combined Greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5 per cent compared to their emission levels in 1990 during the period 2008-2012.

There are already many encouraging signs. Earlier this year UNEP launched its climate neutral network (CN Net). Countries including Costa Rica, Norway and New Zealand are among the early movers.

Over 20 per cent of new investment in renewable energy is in developing countries with China, India and Brazil taking the lions's share with 9,5 and 4 per cent respectively in 2006.

Renewables now provide over 5 per cent of global generation and 18 per cent of new investment in power generation

There is also a great deal of creativity being stimulated. A Solar Grand Plan for the United States that by 2050 could supply almost 70 per cent of the country's electricity and 35 percent of its energy needs has been proposed. Surplus electricity from solar would be used to compress air which would be stored in aquifers caverns and so on and used to turn turbines at night.

A firm in USA is making tiny pumps that extract the heat from warm washing up water to supplement a house's hot water supplies. This would help to secure $40 billion worth of heat which was hitherto wasted. Icelandic scientists are piloting a project to inject carbon dioxide into rock strata where it turns into limestone.

In Kenya researchers are isolating the enzymes termites use to convert woody waste into sugars to put towards environmentally friendly bio fuel production. In United Kingdom some scientists are simulating the energy production from photosynthesis in plants to make bio fuels.

In Sri Lanka some headway has been made with regard to using renewable energies i.e. mini hydropower, dendro power. Wind and solar power also has been tested and the latter is being used commercially with some subsidies by NGOs.

The use of biogas has been done largely at experimental level and there is lot of talk about the biodiesel production. With regard to cooking, energy saving stoves has been designed and the one called 'Anagi' has been commercially distributed. Vehicles running on electricity is being tested now.

However, the operational situation with regard to these initiatives could be much improved. Establishment of the Sustainable Energy Authority and the clear identification of renewable energy to supply about 10 per cent of the national energy supply by 2015 shows the concern of the Government towards reducing carbon footprint of the country.

With the advent of the fuel crisis it is high time that the country will work harder on harnessing its renewable energies on a commercial basis. For this all the players including govt, non govt, private and communities should work closely together to achieve targets.

Essential steps

Whether you are an individual, an organisation, a business or government, there are a number of steps you can take to reduce your carbon emissions, then total of which is described as your carbon footprint.

Assess where you stand

It is likely that carbon will eventually be judged as an atmospheric pollutant and regulated accordingly, with consequent costs-and opportunities-for all sectors of society. Knowing where and how you generate greenhouse gases is the first step to reducing them. For individuals and small businesses, internal assessments can help start the process.

Decide and plan where you want to go

Based on your assessment of climate-related risks and opportunities, a strategy and action plan can be developed. Targets help focus efforts and also provide a benchmark for measuring success.

Most homes or businesses can reduce energy use by 10 per cent-which almost always results in a 10 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within a year. A plan to reduce carbon emissions will first focus on the type of energy and the way it is used; for example electricity for buildings and fuel for transport.

Reducing this energy can create instant savings. An effective tool is an energy audit. An energy audit can be done by requesting electricity boards or other related institutions (eg. Cleaner Production Centre).

De-carbon your life

There is a broader way to think about carbon and climate. Everything an individual, organisation, business or government does or uses embodies some form of carbon, either in products themselves or in the energy and materials it takes to make them.

Buildings, fittings and equipment are all proxies for carbon; 'carbon copies' can be chosen based on the least amount of impact they will have on the climate. Integrating climate friendly criteria into decision making can trigger a ripple effect. Some examples which can be found around the world are;

- Reduce packaging - Wal Mart in US worked with a toy supplier in reducing packaging on 16 items.

In doing so the toy supplier saved on packaging costs while Wal Mart used 230 fewer shipping containers to distribute their products, saving about 356 barrels of oil and 1300 trees. If this initiative can be broadened to 225 items, the company can save 1000 barrels of oil, 3800 trees and millions of dollars in transportation costs.

- Switching to recycled or sustainably sources paper (buying from certified forest plantations only) can lead to considerable savings reducing the burden on waste disposal and carbon emissions. For example using recycled paper can save 1.4 tones of carbondioxide for every ton of paper and cardboard.

Get energy efficient

Improving the efficiency of your buildings, computers, cars and products is the fastest and most lucrative way to save money, energy and carbon emissions. This does not mean going without.

Very simple measures can lead to immediate savings. Just turning off unused lights, motors, computers and heating can substantially reduce wasted energy-and money.

Generally, laptop computers use less energy than desktop computers and LCD monitors use less energy than CRT screens. Also consider what to do with equipment when its useful life is finished. Some manufacturers offer take-back or recycling. Also look for energy efficiency standards. For appliances, the Energy Star rating is a way to describe efficiency. For many brands now, the highest energy efficiency rating does not cost any more than less efficient products.

Other ways of reducing your carbon footprint include wasting less time and energy on travel. Cities can improve public transport options, companies can encourage low carbon habits (by ceasing to subsidize parking or investing in hybrid technology company vehicles), and individuals can car pool or use public transport. It is high time that Government of Sri Lanka should take concerted action to promote the use of public transport both by rail and bus by upgrading the standards and availability so that people will be comfortable in taking it.

Further the government should also promote the use of low carbon intensive vehicles i.e. hybrid vehicles by providing subsidies/tax benefits to the manufacturers/consumers so that they would be available at a competitive price.

Constructing public car parks and having shuttle buses within city limits is another way of reducing the traffic as well as to reduce the carbon emissions in cities. Those who opt to take their private vehicles can do so by paying a tax. By improving the bicycle lanes on the major roads the transport by push bicycles can be promoted for those travelling short distances.

It is high time to think of alternative ways of getting the job done. With the advancement of communication technology there are numerous ways available for personnel to communicate than meeting in person.

For example, meetings can be done by using video conference for example using a software program like skype. A case study in USA has revealed that A two-day trip to attend a meeting 1,000 km (600 miles) away can cost about US$2,000 per person when accommodation, travel and meals are included, while a video conference may cost as little as US$200. The savings are US$1,800 and about half a ton of carbon.

Telecommuting is also increasingly an option for many. A study by the Telework Coalition (www.telcoa.org) found that if 32 million Americans who could telecommute did so one day a week, they would drive 2 billion kilometers less, save 300 million liters of fuel and gain the equivalent of 32 million extra hours every week for leisure, family or work.

Lighting can account for 15-20 per cent of total electricity use. Converting coal at the power plant into incandescent light is only three per cent efficient. Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) have evolved rapidly in the past decade.

They now last between six and 15 years and reduce electricity use by a minimum of 75 per cent compared to a standard incandescent bulb. The advantages of CFLs and other high efficiency lighting have prompted legislation to ban incandescent bulbs.

In 2007, Australia was the first country to mandate that no incandescent bulbs will be sold by 2012, a move that will reduce emissions by four million tonnes and cut power bills for lighting by up to 66 per cent.

The introduction of the Green Tax system in Sri Lanka in 2008 is a move towards this direction as the items which has environmentally friendly alternatives will be taxed which would encourage the use of the environmentally friendly goods in the market place.

The transport sector is responsible for 25 per cent of total energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning petrol and diesel. Various options exist for kicking the carbon habit.

Hybrid engines that combine electricity and conventional petrol or diesel engines can offer substantial fuel savings while reducing emissions. Vehicles can also run on a range of alternative fuels that can offer both cost and environmental benefits, although they also often require an additional investment that take some time to pay back.

These include compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and biofuels. Biodiesel and bioethanol are biofuels made from crops, such as wheat, soy, corn and sugar cane.

They are often blended with petrol or diesel, and almost all vehicles can run on blends up to 10 per cent without modification. Specially enabled biofuel cars can run on higher blends, such as a mix of 85 per cent bioethanol and 15 per cent petrol. In many parts of the world, biofuels are becoming more popular and easier to find commercially and in various blends.

Buy green, sell green

The market for green products and services is growing rapidly. In many countries consumer surveys report that growing numbers of consumers are willing to buy green products if given the choice. For businesses, innovative product design and presentation combined with responsible marketing and communications can help ensure that this consumer interest translates into purchasing.

However, the market for green products remains underdeveloped because people still find it difficult to locate products or trust their environmental claims.

Sri Lanka, the organic food products are only confined to supermarkets as inorganic chemicals have reached the very hearts of even very rural localities and thus organic products are hard to find in the country. Around the world, businesses can help consumers to be more climate friendly, from the online click for carbon offsetting on a tourism booking website to the label on a product at the local store.

Team up

Many private sector companies around the world are increasingly working with nongovernmental organisations, cities or governments to identify and implement best practice solutions to reduce emissions.

The leaders of the country should show their commitment strongly with their actions so that they will be followed by others.

Organisations and business community should take environmental conservation seriously and take all within their purview to reduce their carbon footprint by making necessary changes in their work environment such as design of buildings and equipment. (i.e. less use of air conditioning and using a sharing vehicles in transportation).

However, just as little drops of water makes a large sea, it is the commitment of the individual which counts most as through our lifestyles we can increase or decrease the amount of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere.

Although the way of life is very much an addiction, it is time to think hard on this and select one which makes the world a better place for us as well as generations to come. Or else we have to face the bitter consequences of being considered worse culprits for not making the change when we had the chance and thus making the world an unlivable place for our children and grandchildren.

The writer is Professor of Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.