How I'll meet my carbon budget

In recent months, I've made some time-saving investments in new, innovative technologies.  Yesterday, it hit me that I'd better start thinking about my carbon budget—because as it turns out, those time-saving inventions I bought have significantly affected the amount of CO2 I emit into the atmosphere. 

Time: a fixed resource I try to conserve
One of the few resources that will never increase in supply (in our lifetimes) is the number of hours in a day.  That's why I'm like a lot of other people in two respects: (1) I'll avoid or replace things that cost me too much time, even if they cost less money; and (2) I'll buy things that save me enough time, even if they cost extra money.  [And in this country, I get to define "too much" and "enough," respectively.] 

For example, one of my least favorite tasks around the household is the process of changing light bulbs, which have a nasty habit of burning out at the least convenient times—especially the 100-watt bulbs in the ceilings.  Those old-technology bulbs (incandescent) typically lasted me about six months; so, with about sixteen or twenty of them, it seemed like I was getting the ladder out to change a bulb every two weeks or so.  What a pain. 

Then I noticed a new-technology bulb showing up in large quantities in all the stores; a bulb that lasts six years instead of six months.  I immediately bought a shopping cart full and installed them that evening.  That was seven months ago, and since then I haven't had the ladder out even once to change a bulb.  What a time-saving technology.  Out with the old, in with the new. 

The car I bought just last week is a more recent example.  Because I hadn't been in a hurry, I took my time over a period of seven months analyzing which car I'd buy.  You name the car: I analyzed it and probably test-drove it.  Which car did I settle on?  You probably guessed it: among the cars that were big enough and quiet enough for me, I chose the one that saved me the most time. 

To me, one of the nuisances of driving a car is the periodic interruption of having to stop and fill up the tank, and the personal time required to do that each time.  Sure, pay-at-the-pump was a good time-saving innovation twenty years ago, but—just as I'd rather not have to drag the ladder out to change a light bulb—I'd just as soon not have to stop at all to refuel my car.  Unfortunately, there aren't any of those cars for sale yet, so I picked the one that cut in half the number of times per year I have to stop to refuel.  It's big enough, fast enough in the traffic I'm usually in, definitely quiet enough, and it doubles the miles-per-tank I used to get.  It's a Camry Hybrid.  What a time-saving technology.  Out with the old, in with the new. 

Oops, I almost forgot my carbon budget
As I pondered my time-saving light bulbs (CFLs) and my time-saving automobile (hybrid), I realized that, all of a sudden this year, I've effected a significant change in the amount of carbon my lifestyle is emitting into the atmosphere.  So I decided to use some of my time savings to investigate my carbon budget.  This article was one of the more definitive ones I found; it says the average American emits 20 tons of carbon dioxide each year.  Sorry; tonnes. 

So, I made some quick mental calculations, starting with the assumptions that (a) I used to be an average emitter, and (b) everybody needs to improve on that average in order to meet our personal carbon budgets.  My new time-saving technologies have coincidentally changed my own carbon emission rate; but even though my carbon budget is lower than what I had been emitting, I ended up overshooting my budget by a whole bunch of CO2.  Fortunately, it didn't take me long at all to think of a convenient way to fix my carbon-budget problem.  It's sitting right out there on my back patio: my natural-gas grill. 

I figure a daily four-hour burn ought to get me back up to my personal budget, don't you?   

I wonder if there's some kind of timed control someone could install for me—similar to the way a lawn sprinkler system works—so I could program it to burn from, say, 1am to 5am?  An auto on-off system for my gas grill would be a real time-saver on the way to meeting my carbon budget. 

Isn't new technology wonderful?

Comments

[Grodge]

Since you're already dripping with sarcasm, I'll add a few more droplets.

All the time you wasted test-driving every car on the market ("You name the car: I analyzed it and probably test-drove it.") could have been more gainly employed changing light bulbs. Figure by the time you drive to a dealer, chat up a salesman, he copies your license, you drive for 30 minutes while he runs a credit report... heck, if time is of the essence, you could have stayed home and changed all your light bulbs and your neighbor's light bulbs-- twice-- in that amount of time! My grandpa used to say to buy a car by the pound, and I think it still works today. The best buy is a three or four year old Chevy Malibu, just like it was in 1982. You may pay more in gas, but the upfront cost is so low, you can buy a few shares of uranium miner stock like Cameco (CCJ): assuage your carbon-guilt, and make a few bucks on your investment.

One more note: you changed ALL your light bulbs 7 months ago and you're amazed that you haven't had to change one since? It's only been 7 months! The average lifespan of a traditional bulb is 6 months, so by your own accounting you've already spent 5 years worth of light-bulb changing time and your investment hasn't come close to paying off. That's a pretty big upfront investment.

If you're worrying about your carbon deficit, don't. Judging from this column, you're way ahead of the average in hot air production.

(Just kidding on the hot air comment-- I enjoy your banter and insight.)

[Bob]

Congratulations to the author of that article. If Godwin's law was applied to this article, it may be a new record. It only took 3 paragraphs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_Law

[Bob]

Congratulations to the author of that article. If Godwin's law was applied to this article, it may be a new record. It only took 3 paragraphs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_Law

[Steve]

Grodge:
Thanks for the extra analysis, but it's incomplete. Changing out the bulbs was a time investment that's already paying off; the time I spent car hunting almost ended up in the purchase of a G35 (or G37) that would have cost me extra time at the pump; and I'm not worried about my carbon budget. Lastly, you may reduce your estimate of my hot air production, because I'm having no luck finding the auto on-off technology for the gas grill, and am too lazy to do it manually.

Wanna buy some carbon credits?

[Counter Revolutionary]

Steve, when I first read your latest my thoughts were for your tongue. I hoped that you wouldn't bite down and lose most of your tongue in the side of your cheek. Happily, from your latest comment you are still able to type, from that I presume the tongue is still in tact.

[Steve]

Thanks CR; I can now relax my tongue and my cheek, and start thinking about taxes, debt, growth, and politicians again.

[Steve]

ps- I wasn't kidding about time and convenience being top priority. (Amazon.com has saved me a lot of gas station visits, for example.)

[rufus]

Great, now when that great big old ice cube comes floating down from the north I'll know who to blame for falling down on their greenhouse gas (warmening) emissions.

[Aaron]

Cows create lots of methane that is an even worse greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Thus, when you are barbecuing a cow, its really better for the environment than letting that cow live to create more methane.

Here's one to use on vegetarians...if we all became vegetarians over night the farmer would have to kill all of their cattle - thus becoming vegetarian would result in the deaths of millions of animals.

[Steve]

Aaron:
I like that. If we stop eating cows, millions of cows will die. That has a nice ring to it; I'll have to ask my vegetarian friends what they think about that.

[Boghie]

Steve,

I just went through the same process and ended up with the same result.

I changed my bulbs when California joined the third world in the 'energy crisis' of whenever a few years ago. Haven't changed a bulb since 2001/2002. They do work. And, I plan on enjoying the mercury when they finally fail. Yum, yum...

Just started surfing for hybrids. Love the technology. Settled on the Honda CVIC or Toyota Camry - with a strong lean toward the Camry. At my age, I kinda like a bigger and quieter and more refined car. But, the Honda is stunning and definitely in my wheelhouse. Regarding the car, I want to get another year out of my 23 mpg gas guzzler...