Carbon Diet Club Goal: Reduce carbon dioxide emissions per household by 5,000 pounds a year
Savings in pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year per household or person
Living Room:
Unplugging appliances when not in use: 600 pounds
Kitchen:
Using less hot water: 125 pounds
One vegetarian meal per week: 700 pounds
Bathroom:
5 min or less shower: 300 pounds per person
Low-flow showerhead: 250 pounds
Laundry Room:
Using dryer one less time per week: 260 pounds
Switching one load from hot to cold water per week: 100 pounds
Bedroom:
Adjusting thermostats: 1,400 pounds
Garage:
Recycling all recyclable waste: 1,300 pounds
Cutting back driving by 20 percent of an average 10,000/m per year: Ranges from 666 to 2,666 pounds, depending on a car's fuel efficiency.
MORGAN HILL
Morgan Hill environmental evangelist Rebecca Fotu says it's the easiest diet you'll ever go on - losing two and a half tons in a year.
That's the goal of the city's Carbon Diet Club, led by environmental programs coordinator Fotu. In just 30 days, the 10 club members have committed to dropping 5,000 carbon dioxide pounds each in 30 days by tweaking their lifestyle. The diet kicked off at a meeting Sept. 18.
"People see global warming as this huge thing, and they think, 'Well, I'm just one person, how can I make a difference?' " Fotu said. "This program helps them to take responsibility and shows them quantifiable results."
For example, adjusting thermostats so they're set to 68 degrees in the winter and 78 in the summer eliminates 1,400 pounds of carbon dioxide polluting our environment a year, recycling all recyclables translates to 1,300 pounds of carbon dioxide savings and switching from a meat meal to vegetarian fare one night a week adds up to 700 pounds of carbon dioxide saved, according to the Low Carbon Diet workbook that the group is following. Portland resident David Gershon created the book.
Carbon dioxide is considered the primary cause of global warming, Gershon said. The gas is emitted into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels including gasoline, coal, oil and natural gas.
The typical American household generates 55,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, according to Gershon. By contrast, the typical German household generates 27,000 pounds of the world-warmer yearly while an average Swedish household creates just 15,000 pounds. The American lifestyle is a more wasteful one, then, Gershon said.
Local carbon dieters first went to the city's personalized carbon calculator at old.morganhill.ca.gov/html/tools/, answered the lifestyle questions, and received a number representing an estimated amount of carbon dioxide they produce in a year.
The lower this number, the better for the climate, environmentalists say. A commuter who eats the typical American diet on the go will score high; a vegetarian, bicycling commuter who packs a locally produced lunch will score low.
Fotu would like to eventually get 35 percent of Morgan Hill residents - some 4,400 people - to at least try out life in the latter category. These first 10 people are the focus group for what she hopes will be a large-scale program. Morgan Hill is among a handful of cities to take the efforts to a citywide level, she said.
Fotu said the city's first batch of dieters are generally environmentally aware, so the usual "recycle, turn down the thermostat" song-and-dance won't work for them. They've got to focus a little bit harder, she said.
Club member Jim Carrillo recently renovated his home and made it more energy efficient including strategically placed windows. He and his family are focusing on unplugging appliances that use energy even when they're not in use. Unplugging these so-called "energy vampires" saves about 600 pounds per year.
"When I tell people I'm doing this, they think, 'Oh, you're becoming one of those tree huggers, you're going to do all this stuff... ' " Carrillo said. "But this is cake. We can pull this off, no problem. It doesn't have to affect the way you live. It's really easy, simple."
His wife Christine Carrillo said it was their two children, Emily and Megan, who inspired them to become more green.
"I can't wash my car in the driveway anymore," she said, laughing. "One day Megan came home and told me that everything that goes down the storm drain ends up in the ocean."
Since it was the kids' big idea, they've been a major part of reducing the household's emissions, the Carrillos said. They're competing to see who can take the shortest shower - five minutes or less is the goal - and have been riding their bikes to school.
Lisa Wiederholt, another group member, said she and her family have used reusable bags and recycled since the '90s. Still, they are finding wasteful habits they've overlooked, she said.
"It's very easy to leave (electronics) on," she said. Saving money isn't a concern of her family's, making it "almost harder" for them to find the motivation to change.
Still, Wiederholt said she joined the club for her children.
"I want to instill in them these values," she said. "This affects my lifetime, but especially theirs."
The Wiederholts have been focusing their efforts on bicycling more and combining car trips.
"And, we're looking into going native in our front yard," referring to a trend using species native to Northern California as a way to save water.
What especially surprised Wiederholt was the amount of carbon created by a plane trip.
"It just wasn't something I ever thought about," she said. Her family of four typically flies twice a year to see relatives, she said. One round-trip flight to the Midwest for her family totals 20,000 pounds. That's the same amount created by all their other emissions combined, she said.
Natalie Everett
Natalie Everett Natalie Everett is the education and city reporter for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106, ext. 201, or neverett@morganhilltimes.com.
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