Who Are Carbon Shredders? Carbon Shredders started in the Mad River Valley of Central Vermont but is becoming a larger network. We are a collaboration of concerned citizens and institutions focused on energy conservation and education.
Mission: We are helping individuals and groups go on "the low carbon diet" and track their C02 footprint. The Low Carbon Diet book and Do Your Part online tracker are our main tools to track carbon and energy costs.
Our long-term goal is to help enable a clean energy future for communities everywhere. Our short-term goal is reduce our combined energy usage and C02 footprint of everyone in our network by 10% by 2010.
Kick-Off: Approved Town Meeting Resolution in Warren, Fayston and Waitsfield, Vermont.
Shall the voters of the Town of ___resolve to support the “10 by 10” carbon reduction initiative, as proposed by the Mad River Valley-based group Carbon Shredders, through active participation in the “10 by 10” program. This participation would include calculating current C02 footprint and using tools made available for free by Carbon Shredders, and pledging a 10% reduction in energy-usage and CO2 emissions by 2010. This resolution would pledge participation by Town institutions and facilities within the restrictions of the towns resources.
Volunteer Contributors (please join us, we need more help!)
Bob Ferris, Director of Yestermorrow, Design and Build School
Carlene Ramus, Landscape Designer, Architect
Bill Maclay, Architect
Jack Byrne, Middlebury College, Campus Sustainability Coordinator
Sucosh Norton, NRG Systems
Roni Donnenfeld, Warren School
Dennis Derryberry, Waitsfield, Town Energy Coordinator
Beth Schoellkopf, Do Your Part, ICF International
Nils Behn, Project Manager, Distributed Energy Systems
Rob Williams, Professor, Editor of VT Commons
Teresa Lansgton, Net Spin Internet Services
Gregor Barnum, Director of Corporate Consciousness, Seventh Generation
Jasna Brown, Corporate Social Responsibility, Green Mountain Coffee
Gaelan Brown, Marketing Manager, Green Mountain Coffee
Ryan Driemiller, Graphic Designer, Green Mountain Coffee
Corporate Sponsors/Contributors:
Yestermorrow Design and Build School
Seventh Generation
Do Your Part / ICF International
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
NRG Systems
Sweet Pea Natural Foods
American Flatbread
Big Picture Theatre
Tools and Programs:
- Carbonshredders.org:
a. Portal to an advanced C02 footprint calculator and tracking system known as Do Your Part, which enables individuals, groups and communities to measure, reduce, and aggregate their collective C02 footprint and energy usage.
b. Forum for sharing information and community-building around individual and group experiences locally.
c. Online reference materials in support of workshops, events and training programs.
- Workshops offered free to the public:
a. How to calculate household and commercial energy costs and CO2 footprints.
b. How to make simple, easy changes in behavior to improve energy-efficiency, reduce waste and save $.
c. Understanding how these behavior changes impact energy use, energy costs, and C02 emissions.
d. A step-by-step process to gradually reduce C02 while saving money on energy costs through conservation and efficiency.
- Books about conservation and energy efficiency as well as other reference materials made available free to the public.
- Participation incentives made available through our corporate contributors.
Example Population Statistics of Mad River Valley Towns(2000 Census Data):
| Town |
Households |
Population |
| Moretown |
650 |
1653 |
| Fayston |
484 |
1141 |
| Waitsfield |
734 |
1659 |
| Warren |
742 |
1681 |
| 4-Town Valley Total |
2610 |
6134 |
Household Energy Use and C02 Emissions Data
The average American draws energy from several different sources in their combined household and travel consumption, equivalent to the energy from 952 gallons of gasoline per year.
According to the EPA, the resulting footprint of CO2 emitted per year equals 9.44 tons per person.
In the Mad River Valley for example, based on 2600 households and 6,100 residents, this equates to 2,240 gallons of gasoline and 22.2 tons of CO2 annually.
If every MRV household reduced its annual energy usage (and thereby CO2 emissions) by 10%, each household would save about $694 (based on $3.10 for a gallon of gas).
This would reduce the carbon footprint of the valley by 1,588,400 pounds and put an extra $1,811,340 in the pockets of local residents.
By comparison, based on the current carbon-offset market price of $7 per ton, the cost for the Valley to buy carbon credits (such as planting trees, investing in renewable energy projects, etc.) to offset these 11.5 million pounds of CO2 would be just over $40,000.
To not do anything at all about our carbon emissions here in the Valley could well result in major losses to our tourism economy, our sugaring potential, and other climate-related implications affecting our local food supply and future lives here. The solution that Carbon Shredders proposes is to start saving and reducing now.
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