Welcome to the home of the
GREENOMETERsm Certification System
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Measuring Green Progress
The Greenometersm certification system is a unique and highly adaptable tool for measuring green progress. The Greenometersm system focuses on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions because CO2 is the most widely accepted common denominator for analyzing pollution generated by anything from electricity consumption to driving a car. Although the Greenometersm system is currently used in connection with the Green Schools Challenge, which measures CO2 reductions at K-12 schools, it can be implemented in a number of important contexts, including a household, business or government.
The Greenometersm gauge can also be "calibrated" to measure progress with respect to specific sources of CO2 emissions, such as electricity consumption or automobile travel, and even to all such sources combined. The Greenometersm system typically measures CO2 reductions or offsets for activities over a period of one year, though it could also be applied to specific events, such as Dream in Green's inaugural celebration event.
The Greenometersm gauge is first set by first calculating the yearly CO2 footprint of an activity that generates CO2 emissions. In the case of electricity consumption, projected kilowatt hour (kWh) usage is converted into CO2 emissions using a national average emissions factor of 1.37 pounds of CO2 per kWh. Ideally, this projection should factor in the historic annual growth rate of electricity consumption by analyzing electricity usage data from previous years.
When the Greenometersm gauge is initially set, it resembles a hot thermometer. The red area in the Greenometersm gauge reflects the reality that our reliance on fossil fuels is changing our climate in dramatic and unsustainable ways. As CO2 emissions are reduced or offset by select measures, green replaces red in the Greenometersm gauge (from top to bottom). Once CO2 emissions are completely reduced or offset, the Greenometersm gauge is completely green.
...more coming soon!
