The Aquarium of the Pacific believes in leading by example when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint.
Classroom. | Andrew Reitsma
The Aquarium of the Pacific was the first among museums, zoos, and aquariums in the nation to register its greenhouse gases and is a leader in green practices, including its carbon-neutral Watershed classroom. We have committed to grow without increasing our carbon footprint. In 2009 the Aquarium was awarded the Super Nova Star Award by the Alliance to Save Energy for being the nation’s most energy-efficient business with revenues under $150 million.
The Aquarium’s efficient lighting, smart operating procedures, skylights, Energy Star equipment, and state-of-the-art building and life support management system help us limit our carbon footprint. Our energy systems are also supplemented by photovoltaic solar panels for the Watershed classroom and the Molina Animal Care Center.
Here is what some of our staff and donors are doing:
I’m vegetarian, I never use plastic bags, I carry my own Tupperware to restaurants instead of to-go boxes, and I ride my bike to work at least three times a month to help fight climate change.
I compost everything I can. I don’t follow the rules strictly so that I can get as much out of the dump to turn into methane as I can. I have four compost bins in the backyard for yard clippings, kitchen scraps, and paper plates and napkins. Many of these have turned into vermicomposting bins [using worms to help break down composted material, creating a nutrient-rich soil supplement]. I also helped to start a vermicomposting bin in the education department. Again, breaking the rules, we’ve added a fair amount of shredded office paper with good results.
I drive a hybrid and make fewer paper copies of things. I rarely buy wrapping paper. I use catalogue pages and other already-printed-and-colorful items to wrap gifts. I eat less meat, use less water, and use natural cleaning products.
I am not using pesticides in my yard and garden. I have changed to CFL bulbs all but two lights in my home. I have double-pane windows and energy-efficient appliances. I hope to replace my lawn with a water-conserving yard when I can afford to do it. I would like to buy a car that uses less gas. I would like to install solar energy on my roof. Thanks to my job here at the Aquarium, I am much more aware of the issues.
I’m fighting climate change by lessening my carbon footprint and taking public transportation where and when I can. Taking public transportation greatly reduces the burning of fossil fuel, reducing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and, therefore, reducing climate change.
I am a vegetarian, buy almost all organic foods, and try to grow as many of my own fruits and vegetables as I can. I use reusable bags when I go grocery shopping. I removed my lawn and installed drip irrigation for the plants. And I replaced most of my lights with CFLs.
We have replaced 75 percent of our lawn with drought-tolerant plants. Our water usage is very low for a family of five. We use less than 100 gallons of water each day. As for power, we average $90 a month for our power bill. We replaced all our light bulbs with CFLs and LEDs, reducing our bill by $25 to $30 each month. We also have made large changes in our use of appliances and when to utilize them. We mainly use our cars for work or travel to other communities. We drive modest vehicles and use our bikes or go on foot to do many of our local chores. To help offset our carbon footprint, we purchase annually a carbon offset service known as TeraPass. By using these offsets we feel a little better that we are paying for a renewable resource that offsets our carbon output. Finally, we have taken many steps to reduce our waste. For well over ten years we have averaged less than thirty pounds of non-recyclables each week. We look to purchase items without the huge amounts of packaging of waste.
Karen and I have been working towards a more fuel-efficient home for over thirty years. It started with educating our son in his youth that wasting electricity, water, gasoline, and natural gas is not only harmful to our environment but also our finances. Today many of the things he learned as a youth he now uses in his own home with three boys. We remodeled our home in 1987, insulating all the interior and exterior walls, floors, and attic. We have added solar panels to our roof, which reduced our electric bill by one-third. We also have dual-panel windows, a tankless water heater, and a forced-air heating system that is 94-percent efficient. All of these items have greatly reduced our utility bills and impact on the environment. In 2007 we had to replace our car. Our purchase of a hybrid moved us toward more fuel-efficient transportation. Over fifteen years ago we installed a timed watering system in our yard.
In our household, we carpool to work a minimum of two times per week, recycle our trash, and use all CFL bulbs throughout the house. When using the heater, we keep it at 65 degrees. We have a water-saving toilet, showerhead, and sprinklers. We turn the sprinklers off when it’s raining and turn the water off when we’re brushing our teeth. We purchase vegetables and fruit from a local farmers market weekly.
I love to pass on to others the information I learn by just educating them about various facts that they may have never heard about. Some examples include discussing urban runoff and how it brings into the ocean various pollutants such as motor oils, dog poop, and cigarette butts, harming the animals that live in it. I try to do simple things such as picking up trash or bringing my own reusable bag when grocery shopping. I have a few different reusable water bottles so that I don’t need to use plastic water bottles. I also try to recycle as much as I can. After I go shopping for clothes, for example, I will save the bag that I got from shopping and will reuse it, whether it’s for shopping again or using it as a trash bag.
I have a new home and I’m trying to do the right things for the environment. I installed LED can lights in the den. They are also dimmable, unlike most CFLs. I understand dimming reduces electricity usage. Other lights in the house will mostly be CFLs. I installed ceiling fans to avoid using the air conditioner, used low VOC paint, will paint with light-colored paint to make the rooms as light as possible to minimize the need for turning on lights. I plan to replace one of the toilets with one that uses less water. I try to buy American where possible to help boost the American economy as well as reduce the carbon footprint from shipping products from overseas. I’m looking at carpets made from recycled plastic and made in America. I run the above-ground spa filter the minimum amount of time needed to keep it maintained in order to reduce electricity usage. I predominantly sweep rather than using the hose to spray down outdoors. I use environmentally friendly products or do-it-yourself concoctions for cleaning. I wear layers and use blankets instead of turning on the heater. I use reusable bottles for drinking water to avoid one-time plastic water bottles. I reuse plastic utensils and bring my lunch in a reusable lunch bag. I sort and recycle all mail, packaging, bags, boxes, etc. I bring batteries, make-up, cleaning solution bottles, vitamins and prescriptions, e-waste, etc. to a hazardous waste disposal station. I bring my own cloth bags to the grocery store and also keep a bag in my purse for other shopping. I donate clothes, shoes, and household items to the Cancer Society or Goodwill. Apparently, I can bring my holey socks and t-shirts to Goodwill and the fabric will go to a recycling program to be used to make new items. I use cheesecloth to clean mirrors and glass to avoid too much paper towel use. I buy organic as much as possible and buy fruit and veggies at the farmers market, eliminating the carbon emitted during the shipping process. I save everything that could possibly be reused, including gift boxes, plastic or cardboard packaging, and breath mint tins. I pick up trash at the beach and Bolsa Chica wetlands. I do errands on way the home rather than going home first. I buy Energy Star products and unplug electronics not in use (for example, cell phone chargers) and turn off power strips. I walk to the store, yoga, restaurants, and the beach and I take a vanpool to work. I donate money to environmental organizations, vote for the environment and sign petitions for the environment. I’m an active member of a volunteer team of employees working to help my company become an even greener organization and to help employees become more green at work and at home. I’ve been a volunteer for thirteen years at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Through being an education volunteer and a training volunteer, my goal has been to share with guests and new volunteers the importance of protecting our environment and give them some useful tips to living a greener lifestyle.
We drive ultra-low-emissions-certified vehicles. We replaced our appliances with Energy Star appliances. Our sprinklers are on a computerized system that is linked to a website that shuts them off if it is raining, if rain is due, or if it has rained. All three of our toilets are turbo-flush, using just one-and-a-half gallons per flush. We recycle all our cans, bottles, magazines, and catalogs. My books get shared around so that many people get to read them instead of all of us buying the same book, saving paper and trees. Our lighting system at home is on a computerized system that only turns the lights on when there is movement in the room, and shuts them off when there is not. We are saving power that way. We recycle batteries and e-waste. Old clothing gets donated. Our washing machine has settings for load levels so we don’t use more water than necessary, and we wash most things in cold water, which saves power. The only things that get washed in hot water are sheets and blankets, to kill dust mites. We only run the dishwasher when it is full. We use reusable grocery bags. And for those times when we forget them, we re-use the paper bags to take old magazines and catalogs to the recyclers at CSULB, and the plastic bags get used to line our small trash bins at home. I recycle all my husband’s old polo shirts by cutting squares out of them to eventually make a quilt. Old, faded, ragged at the edges towels get turned into cleaning rags. We no longer buy printed newspapers and some magazines; we read them online. Batteries and e-waste now go to the Aquarium for recycling.
The biggest change I made this year has been biking to work as many days out of the week as I can. I also try to bike to the store and when running other errands to limit my use of the car. When doing laundry, I wash everything in cold water. Everything comes out just as clean as it would in hot water, and the energy needed to heat the water is reduced.
I like to make notebooks out of scrap paper or expired flyers. I have fun making notebooks for work and friends. Part of the fun is making interesting covers out of found materials that would otherwise be thrown away or sent for recycling. I’ve even hosted little parties for staff members to make their own notebooks.
I currently bring my own tote bags to the grocery store probably about 60 to 70 percent of the time. I would like to plan to build up my supply of recyclable bags, so I always have a steady supply in my car and at home to use these bags 95 to 100 percent of the time and even use them when doing other types of shopping aside from groceries.
I got my family to switch from using Styrofoam to using more eco-friendly alternatives at gatherings.
We have changed to low-flow toilets. We also have changed out all of our bulbs to CFLs. We noticed a big difference in our water bills with the low-flow toilets on the first bill after they were installed. I drive a hybrid—the gas savings has been huge.
