by Pablo Päster under Energy Efficiency on Mon 24 Nov 2008
[2] Comments
Dear Pablo,
I recently heard a radio ad by a freight train company, claiming that it moves 1 ton of goods 422 miles on 1 gallon of fuel. Can this be true? And how does it compare to my car’s fuel economy?
The freight company is CSX and its exact claim is, “Trains can move a ton of freight more than 423 miles on a single gallon of fuel.” While this number sounds astounding, and the freight company cites it to show off its “environmental stewardship,” the metric used is quite different than the “miles per gallon” we use with passenger cars. (more…)
Pablo Päster is a weekly columnist for TreeHugger.com, an experienced greenhouse gas engineer and the Senior Environmental Program Manager at
Hara Software. Send your questions by submitting
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by Pablo Päster under Product Sustainability on Mon 3 Nov 2008
No Comments
Dear Pablo,
I’ll be blunt: Is my big new flat-screen TV killing the planet?
What you are referring to is the use of nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) in manufacturing LCD televisions. Back in 1992, NF3 was seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to the ozone-damaging perfluorocarbons that the semiconductor industry used in the plasma etching of silicon wafers. While this change undoubtedly had an impact on the success of the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer, the international agreement to plug the ozone hole, it is now being blamed for contributing to climate change. NF3 may not damage the ozone layer, but it has been shown to be 17,200 times worse for the climate than the main climate change culprit, carbon dioxide. (more…)
Pablo Päster is a weekly columnist for TreeHugger.com, an experienced greenhouse gas engineer and the Senior Environmental Program Manager at
Hara Software. Send your questions by submitting
this form and connect to his
RSS feed.
by Pablo Päster under Politics on Mon 20 Oct 2008
No Comments
Dear Pablo,
I keep hearing that China is currently building around one coal-fired power plant per week. Even the presidential candidates repeat it. Is it true? Do you know any sources for it? The candidates also keep talking about “clean coal.” What’s the story with that?
Good question. I have heard various figures from various sources, and some say the number is actually higher. According to John Ashton, the top climate change official at the U.K. Foreign Office, “China is now building about two power stations every week.” Joel Blum, the John D. MacArthur Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Michigan, says, “Coal-burning plants are being built in China at an alarming rate — something like two per week.” (more…)
Pablo Päster is a weekly columnist for TreeHugger.com, an experienced greenhouse gas engineer and the Senior Environmental Program Manager at
Hara Software. Send your questions by submitting
this form and connect to his
RSS feed.
by Pablo Päster under Environment on Mon 6 Oct 2008
1 Comment
Dear Pablo,
I am still haunted by colony collapse disorder (CCD). I know the scientists are studying it, but is there anything that I and other individuals can do to help the bees?
The mysterious disappearance of honeybees in North America has been truly disturbing. According to some sources, over 40 percent of honeybee colonies have vanished each year since 2006 (30 to 90 percent according to the United States Department of Agriculture). While no one knows for sure what is causing this alarming trend, there are several theories, as well as some steps that you can take to help protect the bees yourself. (more…)
Pablo Päster is a weekly columnist for TreeHugger.com, an experienced greenhouse gas engineer and the Senior Environmental Program Manager at
Hara Software. Send your questions by submitting
this form and connect to his
RSS feed.
by Pablo Päster under Product Sustainability on Mon 22 Sep 2008
[2] Comments
Dear Pablo,
Like many people in my generation, I am both a technophile and an environmentalist. Can I have the latest gadgets and be green?
I think you may have discovered the quandary of Generation Y (or is it “Why?”). How do we reconcile our visions for a more sustainable world with that uncontrollable urge to bring everything shiny and electronic back to our nests? The most sustainable answer, of course, is to address the root of this perceived need. Do I really need it? Can I borrow one? Can I rent one? Can I fix my old one? Can I play with it for hours at the Apple store until the novelty wears off? (more…)
Pablo Päster is a weekly columnist for TreeHugger.com, an experienced greenhouse gas engineer and the Senior Environmental Program Manager at
Hara Software. Send your questions by submitting
this form and connect to his
RSS feed.
