Lynn Glorieux resolved the problem of gasoline-linked carbon dioxide emissions entirely by riding the mile and half from her home to the meeting on her bicycle.

Sunday, August 12, 2007
By Bob Podurgiel

They come from all walks of life, ages and addresses, but members of this group have one thing in common: They want to shed weight.

But this weight is not the obligatory 10 pounds around our tummies that we all want to lose. These weight watchers want to cut the thousands of pounds of carbon we produce each day as we go about our lives, doing everything from driving cars to washing clothes.

Most of the carbon our bodies generates ends up in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, where scientists say it helps to create a greenhouse effect by trapping heat from the sun.

Some scientists say that the negatives of the greenhouse effect include rising sea levels as polar ice melts, more severe droughts, and rising temperatures worldwide.

The local group, which has been meeting about once every two weeks since the beginning of June at the Allegheny Universalist Unitarian Church on Pittsburgh’s North Side, is using as its guide a book called “The Low Carbon Diet — A 30-Day Program to Lose 5,000 pounds” by David Gershon.

Taking a page from techniques often employed by successful diet programs, but applying them to carbon reduction, the book outlines a step-by-step program to lower carbon dioxide emissions.

The Low Carbon Diet book says the average American household produces 55,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, while the typical German household emits 27,000 pounds, and a comparable Swedish household 15,000 pounds.

Those emissions come from a variety of sources — lighting, heating, air-conditioning, appliance use — and even the amount of garbage we produce. About one pound of carbon dioxide is released for every pound of garbage we put out at the curb as it decays in landfills

Crucial to the success of the program is meeting every week or two in a small group of six to eight people.

“The concept is a great idea because you can learn from other people. Being with the group makes you want to do something,” said Brookline resident Helen Ortmann.

North Side resident Tim Nuttle introduced the concept of the Low Carbon Diet to church members after doing research on the Internet about calculating the carbon effect of everyday activities for an ecology class he teaches at the University of Pittsburgh.

At a recent meeting, member Sister Jean Murin, of the Sisters of Mercy, displayed a tiny, four-watt, fluorescent light she convinced the order to install as night lights in the hallways of the sister’s residence at Duquesne University. The new lights use about 75 percent less power than the old night lights they replaced.

Reducing electricity consumption is an important element in the low carbon diet since electricity use is responsible for about 16,290 pounds of yearly carbon dioxide emissions from every American household according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

At a recent meeting, Ms. Zang, who helped the group purchase the Low Carbon Diet book at a group discount rate of $10 each through PennFuture, a statewide environmental advocacy group, demonstrated a combination radio and LED flashlight that doesn’t use any electricity but derives its power from simply cranking a lever on the side of the radio.

“No electricity and no batteries needed,” she said.

Ms. Ortmann said since joining the group she has started to pay more attention to how fast she drives, limiting her speed to 55 mph, checking her tire pressure regularly, and slowing down gradually before coming to a stop sign.

By making these simple changes, she said, she increased the gas mileage of her Honda Civic by 6 mpg — from 35 mpg to 41 mpg.

Ms. Zang also is reducing her gasoline consumption, which is an important element of the Low Carbon Diet since so much carbon dioxide in the air comes from auto emissions.

“I used to just jump in the car and drive a mile or two for coffee or to buy groceries. Now I think twice about the trip, and the fastest quickest way to run errands. It saves time and cuts down on gas use,” she said.

Group members also pay more attention to the air in their car tires to boost mileage. Ms. Ortmann bought an inexpensive tire pressure gauge at an auto parts store to check her readings.

Lynn Glorieux resolved the problem of gasoline-linked carbon dioxide emissions entirely by riding the mile and half from her home to the meeting on her bicycle.

As a result of the meetings, she said she has redoubled her recycling efforts. She picks up litter almost every day in her neighborhood, and separates the recyclables from the litter, and she has purchased a new energy efficient washer, and tries to limit use of her dryer to cut energy use.

Over the past two months, group members say they have been able to make significant reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions.

Ms. Zang said it’s important, too, for people to just become aware of how we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by taking individual actions and not becoming obsessive about points and pounds.

The North Side group is planning an open, public meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 29 at the Allegheny Universalist Church, 1110 Resaca Place.

First published at PG NOW on August 10, 2007 at 7:52 am
Bob Podurgiel is a freelance writer.