The carbon footprint of Christmas

The carbon footprint of Christmas, graph from How Bad Are Bananas. The graph shows his estimates for the carbon footprint of Christmas (per person) in three scenarios: low-, average- and high-waste. The carbon footprints are 0, 0.3, and 1.5 tonnes of CO2, respectively.

As COP27 wraps up and we get closer to welcoming 2023, it seems appropriate to talk about the carbon footprint of Christmas. I think that most of us would actually like to not destroy the planet and yet seem to forget about what’s really important during the holiday season (Christmas in particular).

Last word from the IPPC before things really heat up

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) working group 3 (wg3) released its sixth assessment report (AR6) at the end of March, 2022. This post will summarize that report, which is likely to be the last major report from the IPCC before we all start melting like popsicles.

IPCC AR6 wg2 report summary

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) working group 2 (wg2) released its sixth assessment report (AR6) at the end of February. Here are some key points from the Summary for Policymakers and the Technical Summary.

Calculating and offsetting your carbon footprint

CoolClimate Network - Carbon footprint calculator, output image. A graphic shows my carbon footprint, broken down into categories as a bar chart, from CoolClimate at the University of California, Berkeley, CoolClimate Network.

I looked at a few ways of calculating my carbon footprint and found UC Berkeley’s CoolClimate calculator to be the most useful resource. Offsetting your footprint is a useful exercise but the best place to start is to identify ways to reduce your footprint.

Coronavirus may be our best chance to save the planet.

A civet (the animal that transmitted the SARS virus to humans) looking out from a tree on the left. On the right is a pangolin (the animal originally thought to have transmitted the virus that causes COVID-19 to humans) being released from a cage into the wild.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably approaching burn out on Coronavirus articles by now. Well, prepare yourself for more, from COVID-19’s impact on the economy to fluffy social media posts about how we are changing the way we work and live (Look how my hair has changed after two months of isolation! ). But … Continue reading Coronavirus may be our best chance to save the planet.

Are low-carb diets good for you? Sustainability and health benefits of carbs

Are low-carb diets good for you? A photo of various varieties of potatoes in crates.

Continuing on the theme of ethical consumerism and health, I’m going to take a look at the sustainability and health benefits of carbohydrates, and especially on the question of whether low-carb diets are good for you. But there’s a lot of material to cover, so I’m going to first look at scientific studies on low-carb … Continue reading Are low-carb diets good for you? Sustainability and health benefits of carbs

A New Beginning

The Marin headlands and coast, seen from the side of Mount Tamalpais

The world has changed. I see it in the water. I feel it in the Earth. I smell it in the air. J. R. R. Tolkien’s words could well describe our current situation. A darkness grows, the divide between light and dark is more apparent than ever, and there is a call to action for … Continue reading A New Beginning

Truth, revisited.

I just finished watching Merchants of Doubt and will have to spend the rest of the day trying to channel my frustration into something positive. It’s a great documentary (based on a book by Naomi Oreskes) that investigates the industry-sponsored practice of quashing research or movements that are inconvenient to them. The title refers to … Continue reading Truth, revisited.

Truth, revisited: Merchants of Doubt.

I just finished watching Merchants of Doubt and will have to spend the rest of the day trying to channel my frustration into something positive. It’s a great documentary (based on a book by Naomi Oreskes) that investigates the industry-sponsored practice of quashing research or movements that are inconvenient to them. The title refers to … Continue reading Truth, revisited: Merchants of Doubt.