Kick the disposable battery habit

Kick the Disposable Battery Habit
August 2009
Read this issue of Greentips online

Americans buy about three billion household batteries (about 10 per person) annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency—and nearly all of them end up in landfills. The next time you need to power up your gadgets, choose rechargeable batteries instead. Unlike disposable alkaline batteries, rechargeable batteries can be reused hundreds of times, which not only saves money and resources, but also reduces global warming pollution associated with battery manufacturing and transport. An independent study conducted for battery manufacturer UNIROSS estimates that using a disposable battery to create 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity has a global warming impact equivalent to driving a car 283 miles; using a rechargeable battery is equivalent to driving 10 miles.

Rechargeable battery technology continues to evolve, but there are only a few types widely available today:

• Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) is the most common rechargeable battery type. Like their nickel-cadmium predecessors (see below), NiMH batteries come in standard sizes (AAA, A, C, D, and 9V) but are considered less toxic and offer superior performance. New “low-self-drain” (or “hybrid”) NiMH batteries come fully charged, like alkaline batteries, and stay charged longer, making them good for slow-drain gadgets like remote controls.
  
  
• Nickel-cadmium (NiCad or NiCd) batteries have fallen from favor in recent years because they contain cadmium, a carcinogen. However, older handheld tools may still run on NiCads, and they are still sold in stores.
  
  
• Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are mostly used in high-end electronics like laptops and cell phones, as the battery’s light weight and high storage capacity help improve gadgets’ portability. They are more expensive than other rechargeable batteries, however, due to their advanced circuitry, and are currently unavailable in standard sizes.

No matter which type of rechargeable batteries you use, you can make them even greener using these strategies:

• Choose an energy-efficient charger. Energy Star-rated models use 35 percent less energy than standard chargers, while solar-powered battery chargers use no electricity at all. For further energy savings, look for a “smart” charger that shuts off when the batteries are fully charged (overcharging shortens battery life). Regardless of charger type, unplug it when it is not being used as it will continue to draw electricity even when not charging.
  
  
• Care for idle batteries. Do not leave batteries uncharged or unused for long periods, which can shorten their life. Remove batteries from infrequently used devices and store away from heat and moisture.
  
  
• Dispose of batteries properly. Rechargeable batteries contain toxic materials and should not be thrown out with regular trash. When purchasing batteries, ask the retailer whether it takes them back for recycling; if it does not, you may be able to bring them to your municipal hazardous waste facility or a local recycling center (see the Related Resources).

Related Resources

Bio Intelligence Service—Ditch the Disposable Lifestyle(pdf)

California Integrated Waste Management Board—Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers

Energy Star—Battery charging systems

Earth 911—Battery Recycling Locations

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Harvard University Green Tip of the Month - July 2009

A nice green tip from the Office for Sustainability...

----- Original Message -----

From: Harvard Office for Sustainability

This is the campus-wide Harvard University Green Tip of the Month. Having trouble reading this newsletter? Click here to see it in your browser.

Eat Less Meat! Industrial meat production, especially beef, accounts for 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions* (from the entire meat production cycle). Pick up some vegetarian ingredients at a local farmer's market, including three near Harvard: Science Center market: Tuesdays 12:30-6pm, until October 27th Allston market: Fridays, 3-7pm Charles Hotel market: Fridays, 12-6pm & Sundays, 11-3pm Restaurant Associates weekly farmer's markets at HMS: Wednesdays, all day, Courtyard Cafe and Elements Cafe (alternating weeks) Mission Hill market: Thursdays, 11am-6pm at Brigham's Cricle (*near HSPH) Or find a market near you: http://www.massfarmersmarkets.org * United Nations (September 2008) "Livestock production alone contributes to 18 percent of the global warming effect - more than the emissions from every single car, train, and plane on the planet. Though livestock production only contributes 9 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, the sector is responsible for 37 percent of methane and 65 percent of nitrous oxide, both potent greenhouse gases." http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.htm Setting the Record Straight It is healthy to be vegetarian. Studies have shown that vegetarians (who follow a well-balanced, low-fat, high-fiber diet) often have lower incidences of coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity and some forms of cancer. Your Actions Add Up! If every Harvard affiliate replaced one average daily diet containing meat with one vegetarian meal a week, we would Prevent 14 million pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. That's like taking 1,280 cars off the road! Resources How Meat Contributes to Global Warming (article) Meatless Mondays Edible Boston magazine Slow Food Boston Get Green Tip posters and past Green Tips from our website: green.harvard.edu/green-tip

Stella Zhou Joins Brighter Green as an Associate 7/20/2009

Harvard Public Health graduate student Stella Zhou becomes a Brighter Green Associate. Stella's interests include population-level bioethics, animal rights, and the relationship between public health and diet. A Chinese citizen, Stella hopes to use her degree to reinvigorate the bioethics curricula used in Chinese Universities. Brighter Green looks forward to working with Stella and gaining from her fresh insights.

China: Animal Welfare on the Legal Docket

by Stella Zhou

July 26, 2009 8:58pm

Filed under:

• Rights

In future, a different destiny?

China has drafted it first Animal Protection Law. At present, Chinese animal law covers wildlife only. A team of experts headed by Chang Jiwen, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Social Law Research Department, is looking to change this. On June 15, 2009, state media reported that the team finished drafting China’s first Animal Protection Law. According to the draft, severe cases of animal abuse, such as the hauling of cats from all over China to Guangdong Province for a Cantonese delicacy of shui zhu huo mao or water-boiled live cats, can result in the jailing of violators. Lighter punishments include fines of up to 6,000 yuan ($877.50) and detention periods of 15 days or less. The draft also proposes implanting data chips in pets as a means of controlling stray populations, and improving farm animal welfare through the adoption of humane breeding, transportation, and slaughter practices.

In August, the draft law will be published to solicit public opinion and will be submitted to various government departments by year-end. Repeated accounts of animal abuse reported by the Chinese media have spurred on the legal drafting team’s work. In 2002 for example, a student from Tsinghua University poured sulphuric acid into the mouths of Beijing zoo’s black bears. In 2005, a graduate student from Fudan University abused 30 stray cats, gouging out their eyes and eventually killing them. More recently, in 2006, a group of teenage girls in high heels trampled a number of cats to death, supposedly for fun. An Internet uproar ensued and the events sparked off heated ethical debates.

While China’s animal lovers responded eagerly to news of the draft law, critical voices were also heard. “We’re unable even to take care of the numerous poor, let alone animals. Let’s talk about human rights first!” was a common public response. Some went further, accusing the scholars and activists of blindly emulating the West and pointing out the hypocrisy of “animal welfare,” as the animals are ultimately killed regardless of how humane the slaughter.

In an interview with CCTV, Professor Chang, head of the drafting team, responded to such criticisms. He stressed that the team sought to craft the law in accord with the actual conditions for animals in China, with anti-abuse (that is, punishing the infliction of unnecessary pain on nonhuman animals) forming the basis of the law. Professor Chang admitted that it while it is currently unrealistic for China to mirror Western standards of animal welfare, he detailed step-by-step measures to improve Chinese animal welfare that can be implemented within the next two decades.

A final version of the draft law will have to go through the State Council, China's highest executive organ, and undergo three readings at the National People’s Congress (China's national legislature) before taking effect. Every change in life presents its own set of challenges. Such difficulties are inevitable, but are never reason enough to avoid action. This draft presents the Chinese people with a plan detailing not only better animal treatment, but also reforms to industrial animal agriculture systems and rural labor. The "humane" path will encounter roadblocks in China, but it is an important route to the future.