Boards and Commissions
Environmental Quality Commission
Environmental / Recycling Links:
Health Dept / Recycling
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/
Going Green: 101 Things People Can Do
Spring 2008 Household Chemical Collection Event
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CLIMATE ACTION SUMMIT
Local Action Against Global Warming
Saturday, March 8, 9:30 am-1 pm
The Ethical Society of St. Louis
9001 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63117Global warming is one of the most serious challenges facing our generation. Projected impacts of global warming include widespread crop failure, more severe and frequent storms, and millions of displaced refugees. Missouri is a major contributor to global warming. To date, 796 mayors have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Participating cities pledge to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by supporting clean energy, constructing green buildings, using energy efficient lighting and appliances, and more.
Attend the Climate Action Summit to learn what Missouri communities are doing to combat climate change and how the process can begin in your town.
Speakers:
Tim Embree, Assistant to St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay Linda Goldstein, Mayor of Clayton Jay Hasheider, Columbia Water & Light Rick Hunter, U.S. Green Building Council Dennis Murphey, Kansas City Chief Environmental Officer Erin Noble, Missouri Coalition for the Environment Colleen Sarna, Sierra Club Cool Cities OrganizerRegister online at http://www.moenviron.org/climatesummit.asp or call 314.727.0600.
Sponsors: Sierra Club, Missouri Coalition for the Environment, The Ethical Society, Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice
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Ten Ways to Save Money at the Pump
1. Drive Smart! When you drive aggressively, you waste gas and put others at risk. Observe the speed limit, avoid rapid acceleration and braking, and maintain a constant speed on the road.
2. Keep Your Car in Shape. A well-tuned car burns less gasoline. So make sure that you get your oil and air filters changed regularly, and that your tires are always properly inflated.
3. Change Your Commute. Sitting in rush hour traffic burns gas and gets you nowhere. If possible, adjust your work schedule so that you avoid rush hour traffic. Even better, and if your employer allows it, think about telecommuting. If you can't telecommute full-time, try for one or two days a week.
4. Use Public Transportation. Look into the public-transportation options in your area, and use them as much as possible.
5. Try to Combine Errands. According to the Department of Energy, several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer, multipurpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.
6. Go for a Ride or Walk. Rather than drive your car to the corner store or a friend's house, walk or ride your bike there. Studies show that this approach has the added advantage of reducing your risk of heart disease.
7. Carpool. Carpool or use ride-share programs if you can. This might also enable you to shorten the time of your commute by using High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.
8. Pack Light. According to the Department of Energy, a loaded roof rack on your car can decrease fuel economy by approximately five percent. Also, every 100 pounds you carry in a car reduces a typical car's fuel economy by one to two percent. So, when you go on vacation or a long car trip, put everything you can inside your vehicle, and pack light
9. Think Hybrid. The most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road today are hybrid-electric cars. A hybrid combines an electric motor with a conventional, but cleaner, gasoline-powered engine. Over its lifetime, a 50-mile per gallon hybrid Toyota Prius will use half as much gas, and release half as much global-warming pollution, as a 23-mpg Pontiac Grand Prix.
10. Consider Sharing. Rather than buy a new car, sign up for membership with a car-sharing program such as Flexcar or Zipcar. These programs allow you to reserve and drive cars by the hour -- and they cover the cost of the vehicle, insurance, gas, parking, and maintenance.
Bonus: Write Your Leaders. Urge them to raise fuel economy standards to 40 miles per gallon. Modern technology can make our cars and trucks go farther on a gallon of gas. Taking this step would save nearly 4 million barrels of oil a day -- more oil than we currently import from the Persian Gulf. And by saving on gas, you would save nearly $2,000 at the pump over the life of your car.
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Helpful Tips for Reducing CO2
The Bad News is:
The average car driven 10,000 miles in a year releases 5.5 tons (11,000 pounds) of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The Good News is…
We can all take steps to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Action: Pounds of CO2 removed: Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. 300 pounds Inflate your tires 250 pounds Change your air filter monthly 800 pounds Run a FULL dishwasher 100 pounds Lower heater setting 2 degrees 1000 pounds Raise AC up 2 degrees 1000 pounds Keep water heater below 120o 550 pounds Take shorter showers 350 pounds Install low-flow shower head 350 pounds Buy minimally packaged goods 1200 pounds Plant a tree 2000 pounds Insulate your water heaters 1000 pounds Caulk and weather strip doorways and windows 1700 pounds Use a push mower 80 pounds Unplug un-used electronics 1000 pounds TOTAL CO2 removed 11,600 pounds _____________________________________
