Trade-off...

Generally every walk of our life is a Trade-off.  Compromise on one or other.

What is Trade-off?
A trade-off (or tradeoff) is a situation that involves losing one quality or aspect of something in return for gaining another quality or aspect. It implies a decision to be made with full comprehension of both the upside and downside of a particular choice.  And you are giving something away to get something back.
definition courtesy: wikipedia

Okay thats an economical term how am I relating that to our daily walks of life?
Simply read further.

* Automobiles	we trade-off with pollution against our growing requirement of rapid transportation
* Electricity	again we trade-off with pollution against our growing requirement of electricity
* Nuclear electricity	we trade-off with the risk of damaging the surroundings against our growing requirement of electricity
* Marriage	we trade-off with each other's freedom against our happiness
* Having kids	we trade-off with our sweet time against our happiness
* Fast food	we trade-off with our health against time

In this blog I am placing a different angle on the concept of "Go Green".  We all see slogans every where saying "Go Green".....

Hey wait I started off with "Trade-off" and you think I am deviating to "Go Green"? Wait wait wait... read further you will understand.

Coming back to "Go Green" slogan.  Have we ever thought what is meant by "Go Green"?
I am going to take a very simple example for my point of discussion i.e. "Usage of re-usable / disposable cups".

Long long ago so long ago, we were using cups made of leaves or even coconut shell to drink the beverages/alcohol etc.  Later due technology those turned into a metallic cups and depending on the status in the society, several shades of cups were there.  Here by shade I mean the value of the cups that could vary from gold to copper / tin / glass / porcelain / mud cups.

These newer metallic cups are far better than the cups made of leaves and coconut shell as they can give better and uniform look, more hygienic etc. etc. etc.  However maintaining the metallic cups were a tedious task.  Hence technology was looking into an alternate and found the plastic cups.  These were again giving better, uniform rich look and hence people started using these cups in large quantities.  Still were using the metallic cups for grand events/festivals and on rare occasions.

Well the technology did not settle there, it came up with a disposable concept, as if the original cups were not disposable.  Disposable cups were originally made of plastic then turned to paper as plastics were costly and considered not eco-friendly.  The advantages were marketed [obviously no body markets the disadvantages] that its better for hygiene, cheap blah...blah...  We all started using the disposable plastic cups and paper cups.

Now that everybody is speaking about the global warming etc., technology started speaking about "go-green" and many are switching back to the conventional re-usable cups and claiming they are contributing to the "go-green" initiative.

Okay lets take a pause and discuss what are the merits and demerits [not limited to what is being listed] of using a paper cup.

Merits
* disposable
* low cost
* easy to transport
* hygienic

De-merits
* cutting of trees to make paper
* wax is coated to make it waterproof which is not good for health
* not actually recyclable due to wax being used

Environmental Impact due to disposable cups:
* Paper cups ar designed for a single use and then disposal or recycling
* 1.275g of CO2 is emitted per each gram of paper cup
* no need to say about the hazards caused by the disposable plastic cups

Okay the above proves that switching to re-usable cups is a wise decision and boast ourselves to contribute to go-green initiative.  Why wait and why not just switch to re-usable cups?  Take a chill pill...read further...

Now lets consider Re-usable vs Disposable cups
This classic life-cycle energy analysis was performed by University of Victoria professor of chemistry Martin B. Hocking.  Hocking compared three types of reusable drinking cups (ceramic, glass and reusable plastic) to two types of disposable cups (paper and polystyrene foam).

Table 1 - The embodied energy in each of the five cups (last 

column) is the cup mass (first column) multiplied by the material 

specific energy (second column). 

The energy of manufacture of reusable cups is vastly larger than the energy of manufacture of disposable cups (Table 1). In order for a reusable cup to be an improvement over a disposable one on an energy basis, you have to use it multiple times, in order to "cash in" on the energy investment you made in the cup. If a cup lasts only ten uses, then each use gets "charged' for one-tenth of the manufacturing energy. If it lasts for a hundred uses, then each use gets charged for only one-hundredth of the manufacturing energy.

Figure 1 - The energy per use of each reusable cup (black 

lines) declines as it is used more times. The energy per

use of each disposable cup (green lines) is a constant 

equal to the manufacturing energy, since it is used only 

once and is never washed. The numbers in the labels 

are the manufacturing energies  for the different cups.

But in order to reuse a cup, it has to be washed.  The efficiency of the dishwasher, and the efficiency of the energy system that powers it, determine how much energy is required for each wash.¹  Hocking assumed a new, commercial dishwasher running on Canadian electricity, requiring about 0.18 MJ/cup-wash.²  The total amount of energy per use is this wash energy plus the appropriate fraction of manufacturing energy, depending on the cup's lifetime. Figure 1 shows how the energies per use of the three reusable cups decline, the more you use them.

Table 2 - Break-even matrix. Each number shows the

uses necessary before the reusable cup listed on the

left, becomes equally energy efficient to the 

disposable cup listed on the top. 

The lifetime needed for the energy per use of a reusable cup to become less than for a disposable cup, is called the "break-even point."  In Table 2, the break-even matrix shows how many uses are required for each reusable cup to do better than either disposable cup.

The results are extremely sensitive to the amount of energy the dishwasher requires for cleaning each cup. Hocking's choice for the dishwasher, requiring 0.18 MJ/cup-wash, is barely less than the manufacturing energy of the foam cup, 0.19 MJ/cup. If Hocking had chosen even a slightly less energy efficient dishwasher as his standard, then the reusable cups would never have broken even with the foam cup.

The lesson of this life-cycle energy analysis is that the choice between reusable and disposable cups doesn't matter much in its overall environmental impact. One should use one's best judgement. Indeed, in situations where cups are likely to be lost or broken and thus have a short average lifetime, disposable cups are the preferred option.

1 Dishwashers generally require less energy than hand washing, because they make particularly efficient use of the hot water, which is the most energy-intensive part of washing dishes. U.S Department of Energy, Energy-Efficient Water Heating.
2 ILEA reports most energy values in megajoules (MJ). A megajoule is enough energy to bring about 3 quarts of room-temperature water to boiling.

Source: Hocking, Martin B. "Reusable and Disposable Cups: An Energy-Based Evaluation." Environmental Management 18(6), 1994, pp. 889-899.
However in the above research, the environment damage done due to dishwasher is not considered.  Please see below.

What is the environmental impact due to detergents?
Detergents can have poisonous effects in all types of aquatic life if they are present in sufficient quantities, and this includes the biodegradable detergents. All detergents destroy the external mucus layers that protect the fish from bacteria and parasites; plus they can cause severe damage to the gills. Most fish will die when detergent concentrations approach 15 parts per million. Detergent concentrations as low as 5ppm will kill fish eggs.  Surfactant detergents are implicated in decreasing the breeding ability of aquatic organisms.
Read more: http://www.lenntech.com/aquatic/detergents.htm#ixzz1xXWUfvOY


Summary
Now tell me we should neither be ashamed to use a disposable cup nor be proud to boast we are eco friendly by using a re-usable cup, all we must do is to find a right balance.


Now what is that right balance?

Right balance could differ from person to person as there is no silver bullet answer for this question.  However I would stress on one thing is to be considerate in using any resource.  Use just what you need and do not waste.  You may be rich enough to cover the monetary damage, but cannot clean up the environmental damage that is done by just paying money.

15 Easy Tips for Going Green at Home!

How to be eco friendly...

---

Narayanan Ravi Chandran

Many of us would have heard about eco, eco friendly, global warming etc.  What is it all about?  Have we ever thought of it?  Many of us just quote Kyoto Protocol was signed by US but declined ratification.  We all talk about it but have we ever thought about what we can do?  Again every one of us will think if only I change what difference it’s going to make.  You know if each one of us think and act we can change the world.

Each and every individual of us can contribute to reduce carbon emission considerably.  Here are several steps to do that.

Easy Tips for Going Green!

1. Ditch the Bottles

Bottled water is pricey and uses a lot of fuel to transport, as well as to make and store all those bottles. Use what comes out of your tap instead. Get a good filter to boost its purity.

2. Buy Local

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, most produce in the world travels an average of 1,500 miles before being sold. Reduce all that shipping by rediscovering the fresh bounty of your surrounding area. Find farmers' markets, co-ops and CSAs (community-supported agriculture projects).

3. Dispose of Disposables

Instead of relying on single-use containers, get real dishes, and wash them! The resources saved will really add up.  Use metal spoons wash and re-use them.  If at all you have to use plastic spoon still think before throwing it.  You can wash and use them again.

4. Banish Excess Packaging

Buy things in larger sizes if you know you'll use them. Try to select items that have less plastic and extra filler stuffed with them.

5. Bring Your Own Bags

It's so simple and plastic and paper bags both take resources to produce and distribute, and end up as litter.

6. Get a Green Thumb

Growing plants not only helps soak up excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but it can help clean toxins from the air and provide habitat (and food, though you may not want to hear that) for wildlife. And it reconnects you with nature!

7. Eat Less Meat

Modern meat is energy- and resource-intensive, and factory farms are huge polluters. Eating lower on the food chain reduces those problems.

8. Use Your Appliances Wisely

Get energy audit (doing one yourself is easy), unplug unused devices and pick Energy Star when it's time to replace.

9. Cook!

Plan meals ahead of time, so you aren't scrambling to pick up something convenient, which is likely to be less healthy and wrapped in more packaging.  Don’t attend phone or watch TV while cooking.  You will appreciate the difference.  While you are speaking on phone or watching TV when cooking your attention will be on that rather than cooking hence fuel will be wasted.

10. Become Educated

Learn to save money and time by reducing waste and unneeded consumption, whether that's water, energy, paper, food, travel and more.

11. Say No to Paper or Plastic

You don't have to wait till grocery bags are banned: Say no to plastic or paper ones now. Instead, bring your own reusable shopping bags. Consider an entire set of reusable, double-handled hemp bags that work great for a large order, and reusable organic cotton mesh bags for your fruits and vegetables.

For trips to the mall, opt for one of the new, eco-chic bags from sources such as reusable bags. These funky, graphically inspired totes and messenger bags are crafted from unlikely materials such as rice and sewn by hand in small batches in Cambodia.  EcoBags, another source, carries totes made from recycled cotton, as well as a recycled cotton lunch sack to replace the brown bag or Ziploc.

Or better yet, buy a FEED bag and support a project started by Lauren Bush, an honorary spokesperson for the UN World Food Program. Proceeds from the sale go to feed a child for a school year. The goal: Reduce the billions of plastic and paper bags headed for a landfill near you with a smarter answer.

12. Fill the Fridge

Keeping your refrigerator full, but not to the point of overstuffing, will allow it to run at max capacity. To help retain cold temperatures when the fridge and freezer are less full, place glass or ceramic pitchers of water in their compartments. Like using ice in a picnic cooler, this will insulate the interior and keep it cold.

Refrigerators and freezers account for about a sixth of all electricity use in a typical American home, and they use more electricity than any other single household appliance.

Over- or under-crowding makes the fridge work harder to maintain its optimal internal temp (37 degrees F).

13. Banish heaters

During winter avoid using heaters; keep yourselves warm by wearing warm clothing.  Use heating blankets which consumes less power.  If at all you have to use heater keep 2 degree C less than what you normally do.  In general 26 - 27 degree C is enough for us to keep warm.

14. Save water

Showers are better than using tub, but bucket is better than using shower.  You know the usage of water clearly, especially during winter.

15. Battery Recycling

Laptops, MP3 players, toys, cell phones - these are just some of the reasons that we need batteries in our daily lives.

Batteries are a unique product comprised of heavy metals which include nickel cadmium, alkaline, mercury, nickel metal hydride and lead acid, which can threaten our environment if not properly discarded or handled.

There are many ways to properly dispose of batteries, most of which depends on the type of battery you have. You can also reduce waste with prevention. Starting with prevention creates less or no leftover waste to become potentially hazardous. There are a few easy ways to reduce household battery waste.

• Check to see if you already have the batteries on hand before buying more

• When suited to the task buy hand operated items that function without batteries

• Look for the batteries that have less mercury and heavy metals

• Consider rechargeable batteries for some needs, but remember that they also contain heavy metals such as nickel-cadmium.

Battery recycling and reuse, through rechargeable batteries and long lasting batteries, can make a positive impact towards our reduction of battery waste and pollution.

These are a few steps to save energy and contribute to reduce CO2 emission.  Let’s try to follow at least 5 of the above and contribute for the green world.  This is the better gift we give for our next generation.

Eco friendly power

During my childhood I’ve read story of a Genie that should be kept busy else it will finish our life.  It is a very good story that I could relate with the current nuclear power reactors.  Nuclear reactors are good and friendly until they meet a mishap, once met we can’t even go near them, more importantly we can’t even just abandon them.

The era of Nuclear reactors could be classified as Before Fukushima and After Fukushima.  Even though Three Mile Island (1979) and Chernobyl (1986) were Fukushima’s immediate predecessors in terms Major nuclear incidents, Fukushima (2011) nuclear disaster has prompted to rethink of nuclear energy policy in many countries.  Germany decided to close all its reactors by 2022, and Italy has banned nuclear power.  Following Fukushima, the International Energy Agency halved its estimate of additional nuclear generating capacity to be built by 2035.

Ok lets consider various source of power generation [other than Nuclear] at a high level.

Fossil: Do you know Coal, Petroleum or Natural Gas power generators could cause hazardous impacts that are equally dangerous as Nuclear power?  “Coal fired power plants are the single largest stationary source of pollution in any country.  The toxins this coal fired power plants produce severely damage both human health and the environment and contribute to a reduced quality of life.  Greenhouse gas emissions result from fossil fuel based electricity generation.

How about the renewable power sources? 

Hydro Electricity: It is hard to digest that Hydroelectricity could cause ecosystem damage and loss of land.  Large reservoirs required for the operation of hydroelectric power stations result in submersion of extensive areas upstream of the dams, destroying biologically rich and productive lowland and riverine valley forests, marshland and grasslands. The loss of land is often exacerbated by the fact that reservoirs cause habitat fragmentation of surrounding areas. 

Wind energy is not enough to feed our need.  Additionally it requires huge real estate and it cannot sustain the amount of power thus generated.  However this is also impacting the ecology.  A study estimates that wind farms are responsible for 0.3 to 0.4 fatalities per Giga Watt-hour (GWh) of electricity generated.  Additionally the most obvious problem is the noise pollution.  The wind turbine syndrome also includes sleep problems, irritability, and depression.

Solar this is one of the most prospective areas where in we can generate power without any or very less ecological impact.  If we think so we are mistaking.  Solar energy could cause fire hazard, biodiversity hazard and human hazard.  It’s easy to think that solar panels can do no wrong— after all, they will help lead us out of our energy crisis, right? Unfortunately, these shining beacons of hope produce toxic e-waste just like cell phones, TVs, and computers.

There are other renewable sources are Agricultural biomass, Geothermal, Tidal.

Now which source of energy is Safe and eco friendly?

This is far difficult than electing the right lawmakers.  Scientists and big corporations that employ them, stand to profit greatly by highlighting the benefits of sources that they propose to be safe.  Hence no wonder they try to hide the dangers of the technology and suppress any open discussion of them.

Each source of energy has its own risks and of course every technology has risks.  We might be willing to tolerate some small risk—if solar energy really represented a permanent solution to our energy problems. However that is not the case.  At best, solar energy is only a temporary band-aid.  Recent calculations indicate that the "Sun Will Go Out in a Billion Years As Its Fuel Runs Out".  As that calculation was made about 15 years ago, we now have only nine-hundred ninety-nine million, nine-hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred and eighty-five years left during which we could use solar energy.  Wouldn't it be better to put our human resources and scientific brains to work to find a safer and more permanent solution to our energy needs?

Conclusion: If you know what are the risks of the technology and have a clean disaster recovery/management plan then any source of energy is safe.  However we could minimize the impact by optimally using the electricity only where and when required.  Exorbitant utilization of energy leads to wastage of the resources and cause serious side effects.