Promote clean renewable energy, energy and efficiency and reduction of GHG emissions
Sobering statistics on the contribution of U.S. home energy use to the world’s greenhouse gas emissions: “According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average home in America consumes about 11,000 kWh (kilowatthours) per year, which accounts for roughly 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. If considered a country, these emissions would …
Since consumption is at the root of our environmental issues, our choices can make a difference. When we’re talking about “buying smarter,” we mean looking at not just the economic cost of an item but also its environmental and societal cost, at what it takes to manufacture it, package it, maintain it and dispose of …
When we initially hear the term “Buy Smarter” our minds tend to think about buying good quality products (at least mine does) but that is not necessarily all that Buying Smarter means. This week we are going to talk about what it means to Buy Smarter from a sustainability perspective. What Does It Mean to …
We “switched gears” this week and talked about transportation with information and tips from Cat Woodson, manager of ROAM NRV Bike Share. May is National Bike Month! As the weather warms up, consider biking (or walking) for shorter trips. This action reduces greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion & demand for oil; reduces other impacts from …
Week 7 Recap: Cutting Your Transportation Footprint Read More »
By Cat Woodson Sustainable Transportation Resources Carshare/pool RIDE Solutions A Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Agency dedicated to expanding the efficiency and life of the roadway network and reducing the environmental impacts of vehicle emissions. Provides alternative transportation options – ridesharing (carpooling and vanpooling), biking, public transit, walking, and guaranteed ride home services – to residents …
By Cat Woodson Transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions in the US (accounting for over 30%). For many cities, the private car is the single greatest polluter due to its CO2 emissions. This week we want to focus on how we can Cut Our Transportation Footprint. Why Does Reducing Your Transportation Footprint Matter? Vehicles …
What is a sustainable community and why is this important for Blacksburg? A sustainable community is one that takes into account many different human needs, not one need to the exclusion of others. And humans want and need many things from their community: Access to clean air and water Jobs and other economic opportunities A …
Sustainable living is important because it ensures future generations a habitable world they can enjoy. But what does it mean to live sustainably and what exactly are we trying to accomplish? A sustainable lifestyle attempts to reduce our impact on the environment by altering our methods of transportation, energy consumption, and diet to reduce our …
Sustainable energy can be defined as producing and consuming energy in such a way that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Starting with the Industrial Revolution in the 1880s, the world has been using fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) as the …
The most common definition of sustainability is meeting our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Most of the time, sustainability is thought of in the context of the environment, but there are actually three pillars of sustainability that must be addressed: Social (people), Environment (planet), and Economy (profit). …
