The Kyoto Protocol goes into effect today, and although the US has refused to sign the international treaty, there’s still something we can do about it. Like the folks at Cascadia Scorecard, you can ratify the protocol yourself.
I’m a little uncertain as how to calculate it since I’m not living with my parents anymore, but I’ll make my best efforts to reduce my emission of CO2 to sub 1990 levels. Here’s an easy way:
1 gallon of gas when burned releases 17lbs of CO2. That’s roughly 20 miles given the average US fuel economy for new cars in 2001.
A normal breath of air is roughly 1 liter in volume. When you exhale, 4% of that is CO2. A liter of air weighs roughly 1.2 grams, so you exhale ~.05 grams of CO2 with each breath. So you produce 17lbs of CO2 with 160,647 breaths. On average, we take 12 breaths per minute. So lets say when you ride a bike you’re averaging 20 breaths per minute. That means you can ride for 8032 minutes before you expel 17 pounds of CO2. If you average 10mph on a bike, that takes you 1330 miles. Hmmm…
I’m to lazy to show or check my work. Tommy or Scott will be interested and probably corroborate or disprove the evidence for me. Oh, and I don’t remember my sources. The Internet will show the way.
Please don’t remind LB how bad he is to the environment. He didn’t get much for selling his soul.
SULEV here, baby! And 28 miles to the gallon.
Well, except for this last fillup. I filled up last night and went to reset my trip computer’s mpg reading. 23.5 mpg!!!!! WHAT!!?
I guess sitting in your driveway for five minutes revving your engine to defrost your windows is not very efficient… I have that window de-icer with is GREAT, but costs money. Without doing the exact math, 5 mpg probably costs more than a can of de-icer. I no longer feel bad about spraying away.
Spray on de-icer? I use a scraper. Doesn’t cost anything, and its immensely satisfying.
what about beer farts
Spray on De-Icer…man thats just lazy (and stupid) use a scrapper man.
Andy I checked you math and I got about the same using your numbers. But I get 30 mpg so I guess I am doing a little better than average…I guess
Man, we must be in some sorry shape right now if we are attempting to get “back” to a period just after the end of Reagan’s tenure on the environment.
Yeah Matt, I second that.