96.5 JACK FM - Playing What We Want, SEATTLE, WA. - <font color="#00CC66">Welcome to JACK's Green Page</font>

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Welcome to JACK's Green Page

Sponsored By:

20057 Ballinger Way NE
Shoreline, WA 98155
Tel (206) 362-9100

Washington Tree and Lawn Care: Locally owned. Family operated. No one else in the Northwest makes as many yards beautiful as Washington Tree and Lawn Care. They offer fully organic green programs as well as traditional programs to make your yards gorgeous. It’s your choice. Click HERE to learn more.


How Does Jack live a Green Life? Here are some tips Jack wants to share with you...
	Tip # 1 Get on Your Bike! For every mile you ride your bike instead of driving a car, you avoid the production of about one pound of carbon dioxide.
	Tip # 2 Save Water with Powder Detergents Switch from liquid detergents to powders. Laundry liquids are mostly water (approx. 80%). It costs energy and packaging to bring this water to the consumer.
	Tip # 3 Save a Tree, or Two or Three Get tough on tissues. If every household in the U.S. replaced one box of 85 sheet virgin fiber facial tissues with 100% recycled ones, we could save: 87,700 trees, 226,500 cubic feet of landfill space ( equal to 330 full garbage trucks), 31 million gallons of water (Annual supply for 240 families of four), and avoid 5,300 pounds of pollution! Buy only recycled paper products for your office, bathroom and kitchen.
	Tip # 4 Check Your Water Heater Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120°F. Save 550 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $30 per year. Talk to your building or condo manager to upgrade the efficiency of the boiler in your building to magnify the savings.
	Tip # 5 Change Your Light Bulbs Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. This will save approximately 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 per year.
	Tip #6 Muscle Mow Your Lawn Mowing for an hour with a gasoline- powered lawn mower can produce as much air pollution as a 350-mile drive in a car. Consider this alternative which emits nothing other than clippings and burns calories too: push a lightweight reel mower.
	Tip #7 Change Your Thermostat Conserve fuel by turning down the heat at night and while you are away from your home — or install a programmable thermostat. Setting the airconditioning thermostat in your building to 76 degrees in the summer will dramatically reduce your electricity bill and you'll do your bit to save energy and the environment.
	Tip # 8 Reduce Garbage Buy products with less packaging and recycle paper, plastic and glass. You can save around 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year by reducing, reusing and recycling.
	Tip # 9 Use Recycled Paper According to the EPA, from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, household waste increases by more than 25 percent due to holiday gift-giving. When wrapping gifts, remember to recycle and reuse. Also whenever possible use 100% post-consumer recycled paper when printing and save approximately 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.
	Tip # 10 Fill Your Dishwasher Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save approximately 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year. Why not set it to eco-mode to save even more energy and water?

Green Gets You Green - Good News About Tax Credits

Filed under: Green by the Numbers

(Photo by Energy Star)

It's countdown to tax day! Maybe you're one of those "organized" people who filed back in February and are chuckling at the rest of us with our piles of receipts covering the dining room table. Or maybe you're (normal and) scrambling to file your extension by April 15th.

Either way, as long as we're all thinking about taxes and saving money, here's some interesting information from the Energy Star website about tax credits created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which will give you tax breaks for making energy efficient choices.

If you upgrade your home in 2009 and 2010, you can get a credit of 30% of the cost, up to $1,500 for installing new:

windows and doors
insulation
roofs
HVAC systems
water heaters (non-solar)
biomass stoves

Even better, through 2016, you can get a credit for 30% of the cost -- with no upper limit -- when you add these energy efficient systems to new and existing homes:

geothermal heat pumps
solar panels
solar water heaters
small wind energy systems
fuel cells

Thinking about getting a new car? You can find a tax advantaged solution there, too! Even though credits for Toyota and Honda hybrid cars have been phased out, you can still get tax credit for gas-electric hybrids from Ford, GM and Nissan. Also, the first 250,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles sold will earn the buyer a tax credit.

We're all glad when we don't have to think about taxes, but it's always good to hear that you will be rewarded for making the right choice for the planet!

Green Gets You Green - Good News About Tax Credits originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pepsi Tests Green Vending Machines

Filed under: Food, GreenTech, Green by the Numbers

Along with a new, supposedly more youthful and hip logo redesign, Pepsi is launching an energy-conscious effort to keep themselves relevant to the Pepsi generation -- energy-sipping vending machines. The cola giant is rolling out 30 test machines in the Washington DC area to field test the greener vending machines with a 15% lighter energy footprint than current machines -- which are already 44% more efficient than those from six years ago.

Will your Pepsi be as cold and refreshing from a machine that uses only 5.08 kWh per day, rather that 6 kWh? That's what Pepsi hope to find out with these tests. The machines, which will generate 12% less greenhouse gases emissions will get the title of being the first green vending machines in the US (although Coca-Cola operates HFC free machines in the UK and at the Beijing Olympics). If successful, the energy efficient vending cola incubators will go worldwide over the next few years. Pepsi operates about 5 million vending machines globally.

Pepsi Tests Green Vending Machines originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nix the Candles for Earth Hour?

Filed under: Activism, Green by the Numbers, Climate Change

A hand cupping a candle during Earth Hour 2008

While the act of turning out the lights for Earth Hour is largely considered to be symbolic, if you happen to be someone who's really hoping to cut down on your greenhouse gas emissions, you might want to reconsider your lighting options. According to EcoGeek, living by candlelight for an hour might not be so eco-friendly after all.

In order to equal the light provided by one 40 Watt incandescent bulb, you would need to burn 40 candles -- which releases 10 times more CO2 emissions. Of course, most people participating in Earth Hour won't be burning 40 candles in their home, but there's a lesson here somewhere. Perhaps, the lesson is: don't examine well-intended traditions too closely if you want to really enjoy them. Or maybe its just that technology, while it may be destructive in some ways, is still pretty amazing and under appreciated by most.

I'm not sure if this defies the spirit of Earth Hour or not, but it seems like an LED head lamp would be a pretty energy-efficient -- yet still useful -- compromise.

[via Treehugger]

Nix the Candles for Earth Hour? originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK Green Advisor Says Cut Population in Half

Filed under: Kids and Parenting, News, Green by the Numbers

Every month or so, some insular policymaker says something to indicate that there's some kind of environmentalist plot to eradicate Earth's human population ... could they only seize power. Well, here's this month's. At this week's annual conference of the Optimum Population Trust, leading politico Jonathon Porritt will recommend that Britain reduce its population to 30 million to promote food sustainability.

"Population growth, plus economic growth, is putting the world under terrible pressure. Each person in Britain has far more impact on the environment than those in developing countries so cutting our population is one way to reduce that impact."

Have fun with this one conspiracy theorists ... I won't stand in your way. Aside from the fact that it is in fact true that less people would emit less greenhouse gases -- in the developed world, there's really no more counterproductive PR battle than trying to advocate massive population reductions. It's a little bit totalitarian and disconcerting. Sure OPT, have fun holding your annual conferences and recommending massive population cuts ... just don't expect to win any support by offering up a Chinese style one-child policy.

UK Green Advisor Says Cut Population in Half originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Cheap Gas Killing the Hybrid Market?

Filed under: Cars and Transportation, Alternative Energy, Green by the Numbers

If you're in the market for a new car, you've probably noticed that the number of hybrids parked on dealer lots higher than ever -- even as the market for cars in general has collapsed. Much of the reason for this is the intense tongue-lashing the auto industry has received for focusing on SUVs and not the smaller, fuel-efficient cars of tomorrow. The trouble is, now that a glut of hybrids are being pumped into the market, the demand for hybrids seems to be vanishing like a mirage.

This month, Toyota celebrated the sale of its 1,000,000th hybrid -- and while execs were reveling in their hybrid domination, they were also digesting the news that Prius sales were down 33% since last February. Hybrid sales across the board are down almost 2/3rds since last April. "When gas prices came down, the priority of buying a hybrid fell off quite quickly," says Wes Brown of LA-based Iceology. In some places, car buyers are trending back towards SUVs and trucks. Still, the slate for most automakers, especially the ones who took bailout money (ahem, GM and Chrysler), is loaded to the brim with hybrids and fuel-sippers. Has the demand for hybrids really collapsed, or is it just the ailing economy? Is our fuel consciousness truly only engaged when energy prices rise?

[via AutoblogGreen]

Is Cheap Gas Killing the Hybrid Market? originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Demand for Oil Set to Drop Again in 2009

Filed under: GreenFinance, Green by the Numbers, Climate Change

Finding a silver lining in the gigantic economic mess that is gripping the world right now is pretty hard to do, but if you were to look for a silver lining, experts are predicting a major drop in oil demand and global emissions. Ideally, the drop in emissions would come as a result of people making responsible choices, not the expansion of poverty -- but the word on the street is that oil demand will drop 1.5 percent this year from 2008 levels, which were already down .4 percent from 2007 levels.

If the experts are right -- and it looks like they will be -- this will be the first time that global demand for oil has dropped in two consecutive years since 1982-1983. To put that into some kind of concrete yet still unimaginably large and therefore abstract terms, the IEA estimates that the world will consume 270,000 fewer barrels of oil every day. On a related not, a professor at Cambridge University is predicting a 40-50% drop in greenhouse gas emissions due to the global economic downturn. So, that's kinda like a platinum lining for you.

[via Earth2Tech]

Demand for Oil Set to Drop Again in 2009 originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EPA Proposes Carbon Reporting for Factories

Filed under: Polit-eco, Green by the Numbers, Climate Change

Get ready for European style carbon trading, because here it comes. As the EPA tinkers with the idea of creating a carbon market they first need to know exactly how who's doing the emitting and how much. That's why they've gone public with a proposal to make heavy polluters in the steel, chemical, and auto, and hopefully coal power industries submit annual reports of their overall greenhouse gas emissions to Washington in an effort to monitor America's impact on climate change.

When the EU launched its carbon trading market in 2005, the first couple of years were a major debacle, because the government lacked sufficient data on how much pollution each facility was releasing -- they were also heavily lobbied to give the permits out for free (which they did). Learning from the EU's mistakes, the US plan will most likely have a few years of emissions data in the run up to the opening bell -- if indeed team Obama is able to successfully launch a GHG permitting scheme.

EPA Proposes Carbon Reporting for Factories originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ag Secretaries Ask Obama to Raise Ethanol Blend Limits

Filed under: Cars and Transportation, Alternative Energy, Green by the Numbers

What's the ethanol industry to do when both consumers and the scientific community fail to recognize the benefits of corn-based fuel? Like most other industries of scale, the only thing left appears to be to lobby the government to push the product. After a glut of studies have indicated that ethanol might be worse for the environment than gas, the struggling ethanol industry has convinced Ag secretaries from 11 states to send a letter that appeals directly to President Obama.

Current ethanol regulation caps gas-ethanol blends at 10%. Unless of course you're going with E85 (85% ethanol), and most cars aren't built to withstand its corrosive effects. The coalition of Ag secretaries are hoping that the government will boost corn sales by allowing a 15% or even 20% ethanol blend. In the letter to the President, the ethanol enthusiasts contend that ethanol reduces GHG, a claim that has been hotly disputed recently. Another primary justification for expanding ethanol, which garnered 66% of federal renewable energy subsidies in 2007, is that it would help fund research into more efficient means of ethanol production, like cellulosic ethanol.

[via AutoblogGreen]

Read the letter after the break.

Dear Mr. President:
We are writing to thank you for your strong support of renewable energy and respectfully request your continued leadership on this issue by encouraging the acceptance of ethanol blends beyond the current regulatory cap of 10 percent.

For more than 30 years, ethanol has had a positive impact on our economy. Clean, affordable, domestically produced ethanol has enhanced America's economy through job growth, increased domestic production and a larger tax base. In 2007 alone, the ethanol industry created more than 200,000 American jobs that cannot be exported or outsourced, while contributing $47.6 billion to our GDP and generating $4.6 billion in tax revenues.

Ethanol has environmental benefits as well. In addition to being completely biodegradable, ethanol has been shown to dramatically reduce tailpipe emissions. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 13 trillion tons of greenhouse gases were avoided in 2007 due to the use of biofuels. Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln recently announced that ethanol produced from corn can reduce GHG emissions by as much as 62 percent relative to gasoline. As we expand cellulosic ethanol production in the coming years, even greater GHG reductions will be realized.

The EPA's longstanding decision to limit the base blend of ethanol to 10 percent was based on 1970s science, antiquated fuel systems designs, and outdated technology. Conversely, countries like Brazil have successfully utilized blends between E20 and E100 for decades. The EPA implemented the E10 blend limit at a time when ethanol production capacity and conversion efficiency was a fraction of what it is today.

In the 21st century, ethanol offers a sustainable solution to our country's energy needs, while reducing our dependency on foreign oil and addressing the serious challenge of global climate change.

The federal government embraced this concept through passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which among other things, mandated 36 billion gallons of ethanol be blended into our domestic fuel supply by 2022. However, the current EPA regulatory cap of 10 percent ethanol hinders that opportunity. Simply put, there is a government rule contradicting a government law. Now is the time to move forward by increasing the base fuel blend to 15 or 20 percent ethanol.

As you know, the American ethanol industry is under considerable financial stress. Much of this pressure stems from the fact that ethanol, unlike oil, is held to less than 10 percent of the market. By moving beyond the 10 percent cap, we can improve domestic investment, stimulate our economy with green jobs, and enable our country to comply with the existing Renewable Fuels Standard.

Timing is critical. American ethanol production has nearly reached 10 percent saturation. We must move to a base blend of 15 or 20 percent in 2009 in order to continue growing this vital industry. By working together to promote domestic production and improve market access, we can continue to deliver a clean, renewable fuel that has a positive impact on our domestic economy.

Thank you for your leadership and support.

Ag Secretaries Ask Obama to Raise Ethanol Blend Limits originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time to Pay Americans to Scrap Their Clunkers?

Filed under: Cars and Transportation, Polit-eco, Green by the Numbers

an extremely old jalopy parked on the street

While politicians consider throwing billions down the financial sinkhole that is the US auto industry, some opponents are wondering if officials might be looking at the wrong side of the equation. Instead of giving assistance directly to automakers, why not pay Americans to retire their old carbon-spewing jalopies and thus help them purchase a ride with a newer emissions control system?
The idea is being floated, after Germany released figures that show auto sales skyrocketing up 21% last month. That's because, of course, the German government has instituted a national car scrapping program that pays citizens €2,500 ($3,148) to give up their dirty old rides.

Obviously, lots of Germans are using that extra cash to buy a new cars -- which appears to be stimulating the economy while reducing greenhouse emissions. No matter how much it seems like robbing Peter to pay Paul ... for a politician, it's pretty much a slam dunk.

Of the many questions surrounding this approach, the most prevalent seems to be: is buying a new car really better for the environment? No matter what the the fuel economy, a new car's pollution controls are much better than the cars of yesteryear, but what about the energy and emissions resulting from manufacturing a new car?

It's pretty much the ultimate question for green gearheads, and there's no easy answer. If you only consider the energy side of the new vs. old car debate, Wired magazine say a used car is better than a hybrid. Since it takes about 113 million BTUs to build a Prius, the hybrid doesn't pay off its "carbon debt" until it reaches 46,000. If you buy a fuel efficient used car, someone else has already paid off the carbon debt.

Do you think subsidizing a new boom in auto sales would be a positive thing for the environment? Would it help stimulate the economy? Or just create a new bubble?

[via AutoblogGreen]

Time to Pay Americans to Scrap Their Clunkers? originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EPA Announces 2008's Top 10 Energy Star Cities

Filed under: Local, GreenTech, Green by the Numbers

Frosted glass seal at a EPA regional office

Although vehicle emissions get most of the ink, the energy used inside our homes and businesses end up producing the lion's share of emissions each year in the US: 48%. That's why, each year, the EPA takes an inventory on which cities are making the largest effort to lower their skyline's carbon footprint. They measure that by the number of Energy Star labeled buildings in a given city.

In order to get that coveted rating, a building must consume 35% less electricity and emit 35% less greenhouse emissions than a conventional structure its size. 2008 saw a massive 130% jump in the number of Energy Star qualified buildings around the nation. Here's a list of the cities that really put their money where their mouth is.

Gallery: EPA's Top 10 Energy Star Cities

EPA Announces 2008's Top 10 Energy Star Cities originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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