Wildfires and Global Warming: What's the Real Deal?

For the last few weeks wildfires burned their way through California, sparking the debate whether these fires were a result of climate change. Is this disaster that caused the largest evacuation in California state history just a taste of what is to come? Has climate change accelerated this quickly?

There have been all sorts of "news" reports (we use that term lightly...) on the topic which ran the gamut from "global warming causes wild fires" to "the fires have nothing to do with climate change" and everything in between. Confused? We were! So Green is the New Pink did a little investigating and now we'll break it all down for you...

Have their really been more wildfires lately or is that just media hype?

SADLY, IT'S THE TRUTH.

• According to the NRDC, the 2006 wildland fire season set new records in both the number of reported fires and in acres burned. There were close to 100,000 fires and nearly 10 million acres burned, 125 % above the 10-year average.

• As of October 29, 2007, 76,451 large fires have burned 8,251,275 acres. That puts 2007 on a pace to rival the record-setting 2006 fire season.
• There were four times as many major wildfires between 1986 and 2004 as there were from 1970 to 1986, and a six-fold increase in the area of forest burned in the Western United States.
• The wildfire season has also extended by 78 days in the period of 1987 to 2003 compared to 1970 through 1986. (This does not include the last few years which were some of the most intense on record).

Is Global Warming to blame for the increased, more intense wildfires?

YES, ALONG WITH OTHER FACTORS. As with any event in nature, you usually can't pin down just ONE CAUSE for something. Our eco system is a complex inter-related system where a variety of factors contribute to natural disasters. However, with that being said,

In a scientific paper published in 2006, by Tom Swetnam of the University of Arizona’s Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, and Anthony Westerling, of the University of California-San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, it was concluded that the changing climate was a greater influence on wildfire activity and intensity than forest management. (Click here for the whole study) . Here's how Westerling explained it:

"What really drives the fire season is the temperature. When you have a warm spring and early summer, you get earlier snowmelt. With the snowmelt coming out a month earlier, areas then get drier earlier overall and there is a longer season in which a fire can be started—there's more opportunity for ignition."

So because global warming can cause higher temperatures and drought conditions (another factor in fires spreading...the drier the landscape, the quicker it burns), it is a very large factor in why wildfires have been so intense and so prevalent in recent years.

So does that mean these fires are caused by global warming?

NO. YOU STILL NEED THAT INITIAL SPARK TO ACTUALLY START A FIRE. This could come from a variety of sources...campfires, an accidental lit match, arson or lightning. HOWEVER...once a fire starts, global warming is responsible for the conditions (see above) which cause the fires to be so much more intense and to last for so much longer.

If Global Warming is to blame for the increase in wildfires, why did the Los Angeles Times say that "Global Warming not a factor" in the current Southern California fires?

BECAUSE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S CLIMATE IS DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. The same climate study noted above "found Southern California was different from the rest of the West, with no increase in the frequency of fire as temperatures rose." As Westerling explains: "In Southern California, it's hot and dry much of the year." Thus, we are not as affected by early springs and snowmelt, because we CONSISTENTLY have fire-prone weather. Not exactly great news.

In addition, in the future, global warming could make Southern California's droughts even more persistent, exacerbating the fire danger. Global warming could also intensify wind flow (another factor in how far the wildfires spread) by increasing the difference between inland and coastal temperatures. So whether or not these SoCal fires have been impacted at all by global warming, the Times reports that in the future fires in Southern California will most likely be negatively impacted by the effects of global warming.

The Bottom Line?

While non-global warming believers will try to convince that the link between wildfires and climate change is hype, there IS an undeniable connection between the two which will only increase in the coming years (unless we are able to combat the causes of global warming).

Hope that clears up the misconceptions....keep spreading the correct info....knowledge is power!

Green Driving Tips: How to get better gas mileage

We know, most of you are laughing right now that you are actually going to get driving tips and advice from us! For those of you who don't know, Jess and I don't have the best driving record in the world. I am hands down the most annoying passenger ever! I wince and gasp at every light or even the sign of brake lights down the road. My boyfriend has threatened that the only way he will driving in the car with me as a passenger is if I am bound and blindfolded in the back seat. Not to mention that when I do drive I fancy myself a bit of a race car driver. Jess' accident count is in the double digits, including one particularly gruesome encounter with a parked car. (In her defense she has been driving in LA for 12 years now which does significantly raise your chances of an accident). Anyway here are the tips the government recommends tips to make your vehicle more efficient.

Efficient Driving Tips (from www.fueleconomy.gov)
Note: Cost savings are based on an assumed fuel price of $2.79/gallon. (How ironic the government hasn't updated this site based on the real price of gas! More like $3.50 a gallon.)

Drive Sensibly

Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.

	Fuel Economy Benefit:	5-33%
	Equivalent Gasoline Savings:	$0.14-$0.92/gallon

Observe the Speed Limit

While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.

Observing the speed limit is also safer.

	Fuel Economy Benefit:	7-23%
	Equivalent Gasoline Savings:	$0.20-$0.64/gallon

Remove Excess Weight

Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.

	Fuel Economy Benefit:	1-2%/100 lbs
	Equivalent Gasoline Savings:	$0.03-$0.06/gallon

Avoid Excessive Idling

Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.

Use Cruise Control

Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas. (Added bonus: no more speeding tickets!)

Vehicle Maintnance

Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned...
Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent, though results vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 4% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.11/gallon
Check & Replace Air Filters Regularly
Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Your car's air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will protect your engine.
Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 10% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.28/gallon
Keep Tires Properly Inflated (don't know how to do this? watch this video!)
You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.
Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 3% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.08/gallon
Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil
You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 1-2% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.03-$0.06/gallon

Why do this stuff?

Saves You Money

You can save $200-$1,500 in fuel costs each year by choosing the most efficient vehicle that meets your needs. This can add up to thousands of dollars over a vehicle’s lifetime. Fuel-efficient models come in all shapes and sizes, so you don't have to sacrifice utility or size.

You can also increase the fuel economy of you current vehicle by adopting good driving habits and maintaining your vehicle.

Strengthens National Energy Security

Better fuel economy can reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

More than half of the gasoline we put in our cars comes from oil imported from other countries.

Petroleum imports cost us over $5.2 billion a week—that’s money that could be used to fuel our own economy.

Protects the Environment

Burning fossil fuels such as gasoline or diesel contributes to a number of environmental problems, such as air pollution (smog) and global climate change. In addition, spills from refining and transporting oil and petroleum products damage ecosystems and pollute groundwater and streams.

Conserves Resources

Almost all of the cars and trucks we drive run on fuels derived from oil. Oil is a non-renewable resource, and while there is some debate as to how long this resource will last, we will eventually have to find new ways to power highway vehicles. Until other alternatives are developed, it makes sense to use fossil resources such as oil more efficiently to buy time to develop new and better energy sources and to make the transition to these sources smoother and less expensive.

So there you have it. If you unload all that dry cleaning you have sitting in your trunk because you can't afford to take it to get cleaned and you check your tire pressure and use the correct fuel, you can drastically increase your fuel economy! And if you observe safer driving practices on the road, you will be able to have Lydia ride as a passenger in your car!

Estimates for fuel savings from sensible driving are based on studies and literature reviews performed by Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc., Washington, DC.

Estimates for the effect of speed on MPG are based on a study by West, B.H., R.N. McGill, J.W. Hodgson, S.S. Sluder, and D.E. Smith, Development and Verification of Light-Duty Modal Emissions and Fuel Consumption Values for Traffic Models, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, March 1999.

Reality Bites: The Melting Artic Ice Caps

Much like sticking to a diet, sticking to a budget or sticking to a break-up (without drunk-texting), sticking to the green lifestyle can be a little...difficult sometimes. We know. Sometimes it's just so much easier to use the generic cleaning products or pick up a regular lightbulb when we're in a jam or toss out the plastic bottle in a trash can. So just as we sometimes need a little kick in the ass to put down the cupcake/put down the $300 tank top/put down the phone (!!!), we are here to give you a little GREEN KICK IN THE ASS...some new global warming research that is bound to have you going that extra mile. Please read the following and SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS, FAMILY so that they can jump start their green participation as well.

Over the summer of 2007, 1 million square miles of sea ice in the Arctic simply melted away. That's roughly the size of 6 Californias. As the New York Times reports, the ice's "vanishing act" was a shock to even the bleakest of eco-pessimists, who now say global warming is probably happening faster than even they expected. Making things even more dire, higher temperatures don't only mean melting ice caps. Because the ice cap has shrunk, it then reflects less sunlight back into space which results in even higher temperatures. Furthermore, as the oceans warm, they absorb less carbon dioxide. It all adds up to a vicious cycle of ever-accelerating global warming. Though Arctic experts say that there are many components to be considered when analyzing this massive meltdown, most of those scientists said they were becoming exceedingly convinced, concerned and alarmed that "the system is heading toward a new, more watery state, and that human-caused global warming is playing a significant role", agreeing that "the trend is hard to ascribe to anything else."

''We used to argue that a lot of the variability up to the late 1990s was induced by changes in the winds, natural changes not obviously related to global warming,'' said John Michael Wallace, a scientist at the University of Washington. ''But changes in the last few years make you have to question that. I'm much more open to the idea that we might have passed a point where it's becoming essentially irreversible.''

For one thing, experts are having trouble finding any records from Russia, Alaska or elsewhere pointing to such a widespread Arctic ice retreat in recent times, adding credence to the idea that humans may have tipped the balance. In addition, the Arctic ice retreat is significantly beyond the average since satellites started measurements in 1979.

The New York Times also reports that experts say the ice retreat is likely to be even bigger next summer. Arctic researcher Wieslaw Maslowski of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., projects a blue Arctic Ocean in summers by 2013.

The melting icecap spells disaster for polar bears, walruses, penguins and increasingly...humans. We must act now-- step up your commitment to living a less wasteful lifestyle! Bring your own reusable bags to the store, buy compact fluorescent light bulbs, unplug your electronics when they are not in use and recycle! Please pass along and do something green today (and tomorrow...!)

5 Easy Tips to Green Your Laundry

News flash: “Laundry Detergent kills baby seals, caused war in Iraq”.
Okay…we admit, that may be a little bit of a leap…but did you know laundry detergent is full of bad things for the environment, including petroleum (that precious resource which occasionally gets spilled into the ocean killing baby seals….and which some people say is the reason we are freedom fighting in the middle east)….the point is clean laundry may come at a price to your health and your family's health. Detergents often use petroleum-based cleansers, chlorine or artificial dyes for brightening, and perfumes for fragrance. These leave residues on your clothing that may cause skin and respiratory reactions, according to the EPA. Here are 5 easy tips for eco-friendly (seal and peace) laundry.

1. Wash your clothes in cold water
Your washer and dryer accounts for 21.7% of the average households energy use so save water and energy by using the cold cycle on your washer.

2. Wash full loads
Operate the washer with full loads only – even if the machine has an adjustable load setting. A full load is the most efficient way to wash clothes. Why conserve water? Read more.

3. Drying
Don't be like my roommate and dry one towel and 2 socks everyday. Save your laundry and wash and dry it at the same time, or if you had a 1/2 load of lights and a 1/2 load of colors, then dry them together. And don't over dry your clothes, check on them throughout the cycle to see if they are dry.
or
Hang your cloths dry--saving energy, extends the life of your cloths and allows you to hearken back to the olden days when people spent hours and hours frolicking between the sheets hanging out to dry.

4. Only use your machine during non peak hours (5pm-9am) and clean your lint filter
Enough said.

5. Laundry Detergent
A. Buy environmentally friendly laundry detergent. All that bleach, fabric softener and detergent has to go somewhere (it goes into our rivers and oceans and soil). And most laundry detergents are made from petroleum-based cleaners which use oil, a precious, limited natural resources that will someday be depleted. Vegetable-based cleaners are made from a renewable resources and therefore save petroleum. They do make nice scents if that's what has you so attached to your Jasmine Vanilla Orange Blossom fabric softener that actually makes your cloths smell like a hamster cage.
Try Seventh Generation, Mrs Meyers or Method.

B. Use the correct amount of laundry soap for you machine and the size of your load of laundry (yes this means you have to read the box and measure.) Or try these premeasured eco-friendly Dropps! They are like those dishwasher gel packets for clothes.

C. Buy the concentrated version of laundry detergent, it saves millions of pounds of cardboard, plastic and water. Even Wal-Mart has pledged to sell only concentrated detergent by May of 2008.

Extra Credit
Buy an ENERGY STAR clothes washer, which uses 50% less energy and 40% less water per load than a conventional machine. Save as much as $113 annually.

If you don't do your own laundry then print out these tips and hang them up for your cleaning person (or your mom) and remember when you dry clean to go to an eco-friendly dry cleaner.