Going Green

Boycott ExxonMobil

Goinggreen — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:05:32 GMT

In 2008, ExxonMobil publicly said they would stop funding global warming science deniers. But the Guardian reports that records show that they have continued to fund lobbying groups that deny human created climate change.

"Company records show that ExxonMobil handed over hundreds of thousands of pounds to such lobby groups in 2008. These include the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) in Dallas, Texas, which received $75,000 (£45,500), and the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC, which received $50,000."

This despite a promise to stop:

"In its 2008 corporate citizenship report, published last year, ExxonMobil said it would cut funds to several groups that "divert attention" from the need to find new sources of clean energy."

Remember my post on where to buy gas? ExxonMobil got an F. This is part of the reason why. Instead of being a company that provides energy, and so providing forms of energy that are renewable and don't pollute, they are a company that provides b.s.

ExxonMobil is full of it and so we should stop buying their gas.

Mayor Villaraigosa Pledges to Make LA Coal Free by 2020

Goinggreen — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:21:30 GMT

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had his second inauguration yesterday, at which he pledged to make L.A. a coal free city by 2020. This will be no small feat since DWP, which provides power to much of LA, is one of the largest users of coal in the state. In fact they get 40% of their power from coal. If he is successful in changing that, it will be a major accomplishment in clean energy for the state. Here is the relevant excerpt from the speech:

"At the center of our economic strategy is our green agenda. Angelenos, there are two shades of green, and they go together beautifully in L.A.!

We know that in the decade to come entire industries will come into being answering the riddle of how America can more sustainably meet its energy needs.

We know our very future depends on advances in conservation, solar, wind, and geothermal energy. We know economic growth and environmental innovation must be seen as fingers on the same hand.

Within walking distance from here, our clean-tech corridor will put L.A. on the international map as a center of green jobs and innovation as home to our best minds, a partnership between world-class universities and emerging industries and a leading incubator for President Obama's economic vision of green jobs at good pay.

And we know never to lose sight of our successful effort to put L.A. at the forefront in the fight against climate change. In the last four years, we quadrupled our renewable energy portfolio. We've removed 2,000 dirty diesel trucks from the port and sent them to the junkyard. And we've left much of the world in the dust by beating the Kyoto targets four years ahead of schedule.

It's now time to meet the carbon challenge. Our second goal for the next four years is to put L.A. on a path to permanently break our addiction to coal. Coal currently accounts for roughly 40% of the DWP's power portfolio. Breaking the coal habit is a long term proposition demanding a long-term commitment. It's going to require investment from ratepayers. Our future depends on pricing power in relation to the environmental cost.

During my first term, we set high standards for green development and we've taken action to meet them. Los Angeles will get 20% of its energy from renewable sources by next year. We rolled out the most far reaching green building standards of any big city in America.

And this month, the largest city-owned wind farm will start delivering clean power to L.A.'s families. Moving forward we're aiming to get 40% of our power from renewable sources by 2020 and go 60% carbon-free by the end of the next decade.

Today, I am directing the CEO of the Department of Water and Power to take every action necessary to reach these goals and eliminate the use of coal by 2020. Meanwhile, we're going to move beyond the clean air action plan - the most aggressive effort to cut emissions at any port worldwide. We are going to electrify goods movement at our harbor.

We're going to make L.A. plug-in ready, aimed at making our city a national hub of the electric vehicle market.

And we're going to say to every household and every family. This is the time to power our future with conservation and alternative energy.

This is the time to stand at the forefront of the green revolution. This is the time to build a future founded on innovation and defined by our commitment to building a more sustainable and livable Los Angeles."

Why Climate Science Is Irrelevant

Goinggreen — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:32:11 GMT

At her address to the LOHAS conference a few weeks ago, sustainability guru Hunter Lovins said that the science of climate change doesn’t matter. As a writer covering climate change, I couldn’t agree more.

Here’s why; even if all the well respected scientists in the world, including our own scientists at NASA, are dead wrong about climate change and its causes, there are a few things that are not scientific conjecture but basic fact. Whether you believe in climate science or not, if you get those facts, we will be on the same page when it comes to energy.

One, fossil fuels are a dwindling resource. They are becoming more expensive and difficult to find. The knowledge that fossil fuels are running out has led to great instability in the energy market which has led to instability of corporate profitability and household incomes alike. Having an energy source that is running out and does not have a fixed cost is bad for business. Solar, wind and geothermal have upfront costs, but the energy they generate is based on a resource that is renewable, free and relatively easy to tap. Sorry, but coal, oil and natural gas have no business case when you stack them up against that.

Two, fossil fuels are costing us. They are costing us, dearly. We are in hock up to our ears to China to buy oil from places like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. In May, we imported 366 million barrels of oil which means that 65% of the oil we used was imported from foreign countries to the tune of $21.6 billion sent overseas. Let me write that number again. $21.6 billion removed from our economy in just one month to pay for oil. Even Texas Oilman T. Boone Pickens says that foreign oil is ruining the economy. Why would we ruin the economy when we have domestic, renewable energy sources?

Three, renewable energy provides more jobs than fossil fuels. And with over 9% unemployment last month, we desperately need jobs. In February, I wrote about wind jobs versus coal jobs. At that time, there were 85,000 jobs in wind to coal mining’s 81,000 jobs although coal produces 50% of our energy and wind only 2%. A recent Pew Study shows that green jobs are growing twice as fast as all other jobs. You could care less about climate change but want to kick start the US economy? Support renewable energy!

Four, much of the money we send out of the country to buy oil goes to countries that don’t like us much. Some of them actually hate us. When it comes to national security, that is just reckless. And it is particularly reckless when we have domestic options like wind, sun and thermal energy. Former CIA Director James Woolsey has a Prius that he converted to a plug in hybrid. He became an electric car advocate after running a war game for Representative Jane Harman in which he hypothesized what would happen if the Middle East cut off our oil supply. The outcome wasn’t pretty. He has a bumper sticker on the back of his plug-in. It says “Osama Bin Laden Hates My Car”. And guess who had an electric car in the 1990’s? A security hawk who served in both the Nixon and Reagan administrations, Former Secretary of State George Schultz.

Five, domestic fossil fuel extraction is destroying the homeland. I like to tell this story, so I’m going to tell it here. It actually has a point. Right before the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, the so-called great men that were putting the thing together came up with a brilliant idea for getting clean water to the fairgrounds. They found a pristine spring in Wisconsin and decided they would dig a pipeline and pipe it from there to Chicago. When they got to this little village in Wisconsin to start laying the pipe, the villagers met them with pitchforks and ran them out of town. If a foreign corporation came in and said they were going to blow the tops off our mountains, pollute our streams, put oil rigs off our shores and destroy our natural habitats, we would be like those villagers. Why would we let any corporation destroy the flora and fauna of this great country when we have wind and solar that do not require removal of a single mountaintop or destruction of a single wildlife preserve? Why would we uglify one single bit of our country when we don’t have to?

On a recent Q&A call with Representatives Waxman and Markey on the American Clean Energy and Security Act (with the awesome acronym of ACES, also known as the Waxman-Markey bill), Congressman Markey said that the Republican energy plan of maintaining the status quo accept for drastic increases in nuclear energy (which is expensive, dirty and dangerous) is like switching from one pack of cigarettes a day to two.

With all due respect to Congressman Markey, I think he’s wrong. When someone smokes, they are mostly hurting themselves. This is actually more like giving the sum of our entire treasury to Al Qaeda, along with a nuclear bomb and the delivery system. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist, or any science at all, to see that’s not a good idea.

A Sprinkler System with a Brain

Goinggreen — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:41:43 GMT

One of the cool products I heard about at LOHAS 2 weeks ago was Cyber-Rain. They call it a sprinkler system with a brain. It's a smart sprinkler control system that uses real time online weather data to help save 30-70 percent of water use. It grabs the data wirelessly and adjusts sprinkling accordingly.

You just attach it to your automatic sprinkler system. You set up and program your controller on your home computer and that's it. The system adjusts the amount of water delivered based on your local weather conditions and then tracks your water use and savings.

The system retails for $399, which is not cheap, but can save you up to $170 a year. Plus, rebates are available throughout the Southern California water municipalities. In Orange County, they cover the full $399 purchase price of Cyber-Rain, making the unit essentially free. At that price, you'd be crazy not to get one!

There are other water-friendly choices out there - having less lawn, using drought-resistant plants - but for those that want to keep a green, grassy lawn, this seems like a good option.

The End of the Line

Goinggreen — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:34:25 GMT

Over the weekend, I saw the documentary The End of the Line about the fishing industry. It's a powerful indictment of how we have turned the hunting of these wild animals into big business. The fishing industry, legally and illegally, uses methods of finding and capturing fish that don't leave the fish a chance.

Take Blue Fin Tuna. The EU determined a fishing allotment that was more than twice what scientists recommended for the species to survive, let alone recover. The actual catch when you include illegal catching is more than twice the EU's number. The blue fin don't stand a chance. And the largest broker of the tuna? Mitsubishi Corporation in Japan. We don't think of that when we buy their cars and electronics. And restaurants like Nobu refuse to take blue fin off the menu.

Or take North Atlantic Cod, a fish that has completely collapsed because of overfishing. Or that the amount of small fish like sardines that are killed to feed farmed fish like salmon is more than the amount of salmon it feeds.

Here's another tidbit I learned. The reason fish caught in Alaskan waters are almost always environmentally sustainable is because Alaska has strong regulation that allows for fishing only 10% of stocks so that populations don't collapse. There's more on the good news front. From McDonald's to Wal-Mart, there is a focus on serving and selling only sustainable and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fish.

A few weeks ago I wrote about how the UK chain Pret a Manger took tuna off the menu after seeing the film.

The End of the Line producers have also started a campaign, asking consumers to take a pledge to take several actions:

- Only eat sustainable seafood by asking where your fish comes from and how it was caught before you buy. Not sure what is sustainable? Check out Seafood Watch or use FishPhone by texting 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question. They’ll text you back with an assessment and better alternatives to fish with significant environmental concerns. Or ask your favorite restaurants to only use fish that is Marine Stewardship Council certified. You can buy MSC certified products at a number of stores and specialty shops including Wal-Mart, Safeway, Costco and Target.

- Tell politicians to develop fishing quotas based on science and precaution

- Join the campaign for marine protected areas and responsible fishing. Currently, only 3% of the world’s oceans are protected areas, tell politicians we want more protected marine reserves.

If you’re a fish eater, see the film. It’s not about giving up fish. It’s about understanding where your fish comes from and why it matters. It’s a film about saving fish species so that we can continue to get sustenance from the sea.

Important Vote Today

Goinggreen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:25:48 GMT

An important vote is scheduled to take place in the House today on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, also known as ACES, Waxman-Markey and the climate change bill. I have been giving some thought to my position on the bill and it's complicated.

I know, you're saying GG, you write about the need for action at the policy level, what's so complicated about supporting a bill that includes a carbon cap along with renewable energy and energy efficiency standards?

Well, from what I can tell, the caps include so many give-aways to fossil fuels that they are rather toothless. The renewable energy standard is too low. I believe it is now at 15% by 2020. This despite that 71% of the American public supports at least 25% by 2020. The states are pre-empted for a period of time from setting higher standards and the bill strips the EPA of its ability to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

On the other hand, the energy efficiency measures, from what I understand, are pretty decent. And even weak standards and a flawed bill are more than we have had.

Let's be honest, we need to get to somewhere between 25% and 40% below 1990 emissions by 2020. The measures in this bill get us to 4% below.

Yet, this bill cannot fail right now. Because here's the deal. If I thought it was going to fail for being too weak, I would be okay with that. If I thought it would fail and people would tell Congress to go back to the drawing board and write a bill that is more in line with where scientists say we need to be.

But I fear this bill might fail for asking for too much, even though it asks relatively little. And that scares me. So if you think your Representative is going to vote against the bill because it's too agressive, it's time to get on the phone and call them and tell them to vote yes on Waxman-Markey and then get busy finding ways to make it even stronger.

Car Exhaust Leads to Premature Births

Goinggreen — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:03:34 GMT

Scientific American reports another reason to scrap the internal combustion engine and move the American fleet to electric:

"Women exposed to air pollution from freeways and congested roads are much more likely to give birth to premature babies and suffer from preeclampsia, according to a study by University of California scientists published Wednesday."

Researchers studied more than 81,000 birth records and found that the risk of giving birth before 30 weeks increased 128% for women living "near the worst traffic-generated air pollution." And Preeclampsia, high blood pressure that can endanger the mother and baby, increased 42% in those areas.

The areas they looked at were near the Port of Los Angeles in Long Beach and in Orange County near the major freeways.

Some of the mother's in the area of premature babies talked about how they were careful during preganancy - ate well, no smoking, drugs or alcohol - and that the doctors could never find a physical reason for the premature birth.

"The link to air pollution was strongest for the “very preterm” babies, who often weigh less than three pounds and have the greatest risk of serious health problems. The researchers compared women who lived in areas with the most traffic-related pollution with women who lived in areas with the least traffic pollution. Those in the polluted areas were 128 percent more likely to deliver “very preterm” babies."

It's virtually impossible to avoid air pollution, which is why we have to advocate for strict regulation of environmental toxins, the highest possible fuel efficiency standards, government support for electrification of the American car fleet and the highest possible energy efficiency and renewable energy standards to get us off of dirty fossil fuels like coal and oil.

Eco-Friendly Party Tip - BYO

Goinggreen — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:39:40 GMT

LA Bioneers has been holding their meetings at the Public Library. Since the meetings include a potluck, organizers instituted the BYOP rule, the BYOU rule and the BYOD rule; that is, in addition to whatever you bring to share, you bring your own plate, bring your own utensils and bring your own drink. And whatever you bring, leaves with you to compost, recycle or wash.

It's a little hard for people to get their head's around at first, but it means the organizers don't have to charge for the event (last night we heard Woody Tasch of SlowMoneyAlliance.net) to cover things like paper plates and plastic forks and the event is putting its actions where its topics are, that is cutting down on waste.

And as a host, think of all the dishes and clean up you won't have to do! So, if you are having a large gathering and potluck, consider asking guests to BYO instead of relying on disposables.

Say No To FrankenTrees

Goinggreen — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:31:17 GMT

From the Organic Consumers Association:

The USDA is currently taking public comments on whether or not the company ArborGen should be allowed to conduct 29 field trials of genetically engineered (GE) "cold tolerant" eucalyptus trees in the U.S. This massive experiment, which is on the verge of being green-lighted, will literally be using nature as the laboratory to test more than 260,000 frankentrees. Scientists across the U.S. are voicing concerns over this proposal including:

-The USDA failed to do an Environmental Impact Statement to assess potential negative issues related to the proposed field trials.

-Studies have shown tree pollen can travel up to 1,000 kilometers. The spread of the these plants into the wild through seeds and plant matter is highly likely, and the impacts on native ecosystems from this invader are unknown.

.-One of the experimental GE tree varieties is a known host for cryptococcus gatti, a fatal fungal pathogen whose spores cause meningitis in people and animals.

Comments are being accepted by the USDA until July 6, 2009. Go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main... to submit or view comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically. (Docket ID is APHIS-2008-0059)

OR Postal Mail/Commercial delivery: Please send two copies of your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2008-0059, Regualtory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2008-0059.

Where to Buy Gas

Goinggreen — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:39:07 GMT

We know that the goal is to get off of fossil fuels. But in the meantime, most of us are using modes of transportation that require us to fill up at the gas station on a regular basis.

Are some gas companies better than others, though? According to Better World Shopper they are. In fact, at LOHAS last week, the handed out cards ranking gas stations according to their social responsibility which includes the environment, human rights, community involvement, animal protection and social justice.

Here are their rankings:

Sunoco - A-

BP, Amoco, ARCO - B+

Valero, Beacon, Total, Diamond Shamrock - B

Citgo - B-

Marathon, Ashland - C+

Costco, 7-Eleven - C

Shell - C-

Conoco, Phillips 66, 76, Jet, Circle K - D+

Chevron, Texaco - D-

Exxon, Mobil - F

Is Your Cell Phone Funding the Conflict in Congo?

Goinggreen — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:14:31 GMT

According to Raise Hope for Congo, a project of the Center for American Progress, your cell phone may be fueling the conflict in Congo. Here's what they have to say:

The conflict in eastern Congo, the deadliest in the world since World War II, is being fueled by a multi-million dollar trade in minerals that go into our electronic products from cell phones to digital cameras. Over five million people have died as a result of the war, and hundreds of thousands of women have been raped in eastern Congo over the past decade. The armed groups that are perpetuating the violence generate an estimated $144 million each year by trading in four main minerals, the 3 Ts and gold:

Tin – used inside your cell phone and all electronic products as a solder on circuit boards. 53% of tin worldwide is used as a solder, the vast majority of which goes into electronics. Armed groups earn approximately $85 million per year from trading in tin.
Tantalum (often called “coltan”) – used to store electricity in capacitors in iPods, digital cameras, and cell phones. 65-80% of the world’s tantalum is used in electronic products. Armed groups earn an estimated $8 million per year from trading in tantalum.
Tungsten – used to make your cell phone or Blackberry vibrate. Tungsten is a growing source of income for armed groups in Congo, with armed groups currently earning approximately $2 million annually.
Gold – used mainly in jewelry, gold is also a component in electronics. Extremely valuable and easy to smuggle, armed groups are earning between $44-88 million per year from gold.

There are things you can do. Urge your Senator to co-sponsor the Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009:

If passed, this bill would provide the authority and direction for the United States government to help ensure that the mineral trade stops contributing to human rights violations, including killings of unarmed civilians and sexual violence, while at the same time developing mechanisms to allow the Congolese people to benefit from these resources.

In a further positive direction, the bill demands greater transparency and accountability from companies: all companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges - including major electronics companies which are among the largest end-buyers of some of these minerals would have to disclose the origin of their supplies to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. For those minerals coming from Congo or neighboring countries, companies would need to disclose the precise mine of origin.

On the website, you can learn more about the life of a Congolese miner and the supply chain of Congo's conflict minerals. You can also take the Conflict Minerals Pledge to:

1.    contact the largest makers of cell phones, portable music players, digital cameras, PC’s, and video games, and urge them to sign the pledge;
2.    commit to only purchasing electronics from firms that have taken and are abiding by the conflict minerals pledge; and
3.    educate fellow consumers and activists about the crisis in Congo, the role of conflict minerals, and how they can be a part of the solution.

Or you can make a video to help spread the word.

Newstracker says that:

According to USGS statistics:

In 2008, Congo supplied just under 1% of the world’s tin.

Australia, Brazil and Canada supply the lion’s share of the world’s tantalum and niobium (aka columbium), which are the minerals extracted from coltan. Congo’s contribution is so small, it is lumped with “other countries” at the bottom of the “World Mine Production, Reserves, and Reserve Base” lists. (However, according to “Enough!,” the figure may be as high as 30% due to a halt in Australian production)

Congo is lumped with “other countries” for tungsten mining. China dominates the global market with ample reserves.

Still, any amount that is funding the horrors in Congo are enough to take action.

MobileActive.org says:

The report, "Can You Hear Congo Now? Cell Phones, Conflict Minerals, and the Worst Sexual Violence in the World," details how "conflict minerals" that are mined in the war-torn DRC are sold by rebel groups to purchase arms. "The conflict in eastern DRC - the deadliest since World War II - is fuelled in significant part by a multi-million-dollar trade in minerals," the report states.

Hat tip to Jeff McIntire-Strasburg at Sustainablog for posting about the campaign.

Eco-Friendly Party Tip - The Swap Moment

Goinggreen — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:36:54 GMT

Here's a fun idea to break the ice at any party and make it more eco-friendly. At your next summer barbecue or 4th of July party, start the festivities off by going around the room and finding out if anyone has anything they are trying to get rid of or trying to find.

You never know if the person looking to unload old CDs might match up with the person that makes them into coasters. Or maybe you're looking for a new stereo system and someone else knows of a site where you can find a high-end used one. Or perhaps someone just needs to borrow a power drill for the afternoon.

Swapping and giving away instead of throwing away is a better use of resources and keeps items out of landfill where they create greenhouse gases. Borrowing instead of buying means less money out of your pocket. It will also connect people at your event around common interests. Plus, your guests will learn about the benefits of recycling over wasting.

Environmental Contaminants Disrupt Male Fertility

Goinggreen — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:40:35 GMT

Today’s Science Daily has the disturbing results of a study on environmental contaminants and low birth weight, genital malformations in male newborns and decreased male fertility. Researchers believe that environmental contaminants are reducing male hormone action in utero and creating a cascade of adverse effects.

The study, which analyzed more than 5 million Canadian public health records, shows a decrease in the differential between male and female birth weights. Normally, male birth weights are higher due to male hormones in the fetus.

“…the investigators effectively show a sustained decrease in birth weight differences between boys and girls, which supports the hypothesis of growing endocrine disruption related to environmental contaminants. Contaminants found in plastic materials represent plausible candidates, since they are known to diminish the action of male hormones.”

It’s ironic that as we are polluting the earth, we are also polluting ourselves. Our reliance on things like Bisphenol A plastics, which are known to be endocrine disruptors, pesticides, artificial fertilizers and other chemical contaminants, is jeopardizing not just fetal health but the reproductive health of future generations.

Maximizing Your Cars Fuel Efficiency

Goinggreen — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:34:11 GMT

Friday night, Paul Scott, co-founder of Plug In America and featured in the film Who Killed the Electric Car, spoke about maximizing your cars fuel efficiency through hypermiling and proper maintenance. I've been trying to put it in practice, but it is challenging. If you are anything like me, you have some bad driving habits.

Here are a few of the tips he shared.

- Use the brakes as little as possible. Of course, use them for safety reasons, but consider how driving more slowly and coasting can help you avoid using them because everytime you step on the brakes, you are wasting energy that you have put into the car's engine.

- From a stop, accelerate very slowly. It will be counter-intuitive and you will worry about the people behind you, but you waste a lot of gas by punching the gas.

- Coast to a stop at a red light. If you see the light turn red, start coasting. Chances are that if you start coasting, it will turn green again before you get there.

- Keep a few car lengths between you and other cars on the highway. That way, you can coast when you see there brake lights come on instead of breaking

- Use your cruise control to maintain a steady speed of 60 or 65 on the highway.

- Over 40 mph, roll up the windows

- Keep your tires properly inflated. Depending on the age of the tires, check every month to 6 months

Gas is expensive and polluting. The less of it you use, the better. Sure, the guy or gal behind you might get annoyed, but they are wasting gas and you won't be. And maybe by practicing some of these techniques, you can turn other people onto hypermiling and start a trend!

More Green Habits, Courtesy of Scientific American

Goinggreen — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:26:56 GMT

Scientific American had an article today about 11 environmentally friendly habits. Most of them are stuff we've covered before - toilet paper made from recycled materials, growing your own food, putting away the electronic appliances, switching from hot water to warm and cold for your washing machine. But here are a few more to consider.

- According to Bill Nye the Science Guy, you can save energy by putting a lid on the pot whenever you boil water. If every U.S. household did this just once, we'd save up to $2,212,175.

- For beginning gardeners, I like the Burpee "Money Garden" seed pack. It costs $10 and can produce $650 worth of carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, beans, peas and peppers.

- Did you know that a 2008 study by researchers at the University of Illinois found that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder who took walks outdoors raised their attentiveness scores and that kids who walked in natural settings did better than those who walked city streets? Says Scientific American, if you get kids outside and away from the video games, we can save 16 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, about four times the output of Hoover Dam.

- The PayItGreen Alliance says that switching to electronic billing would save 6.6 pounds of paper, 63 gallons of wastewater discharge, 4.5 gallons of gasoline and 171 pounds of greenhouse gases per household per year. They also say that if just 2 percent of American households switched from paper to electronic billing, more than 180,000 trees would be saved and greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by the equivalent to taking 32,572 cars off the road. You can calculate your own savings here.