Introduction

BRC is a local non-profit worker cooperative and the mission is to develop projects that foster sound energy policy while promoting sustainable living within San Francisco. Carbon reduction programs are directly related to the work, as carbon dioxide reduction is one of the outputs of all of the projects directly or indirectly. Waste streams recycled into energy, displaces not only disposal efforts, but also assists in meeting the energy demands of our societies.

Biofuels

Biofuel is a quickly expanding alternative energy field that closely correlates the benefit of a new energy source with global carbon reduction initiatives. By growing plants and pressing just one third of the seed for oil for biodiesel, greatly reduces or eliminates the need for fossil fuels. As traditional petroleum fuels are burned they release carbon dioxide that was trapped approximately 250 million years ago. This additional carbon dioxide is changing our climate and is driving the most catastrophic event of all time to the diversity of life on earth.

Carbon Dioxide Calculations

Each gallon of traditional diesel fuel weights approximately 7.5 pounds per gallon and is considered a dense carbon source. As this carbon is mixed during combustion with the oxygen in the atmosphere, each carbon combines with two oxygen atoms that each weighing more than a carbon atom. This creates a nearly threefold increase in the carbon weight such that for every 7.5 pounds burned, 22 pounds of carbon dioxide is released.

Carbon Dioxide is often measured in tons or 2000 pounds and using 20 pounds per gallon of reduced emissions, correlates to 100 gallons of biodiesel displacing traditional petroleum diesel.

It should be noted that there are little to no studies that articulate the differences in the overall life cycle analysis of each of the biofuels. Conventional soybeans or palm trees planted in Malaysia for a feedstock have a greater impact on the global environment than using waste vegetable oil recycling into fuel locally. In the absence of this more detailed information, estimations are still used for the calculations.

Comment on Additionality

To verify that climate impact was the driving factor in a business decision, a test of additionality is used to differentiate between traditional market economy forces and environmental initiatives. The intent of a carbon economy is to reward and facilitate projects that reduce the global carbon dioxide output. This is the most single contentious issue in the development of voluntary and compliance based Green House Gas (GHG) markets. If the test of additionality is not complete, it may result in Phantom Reductions (no net CO2 decrease) and Lost Opportunities (both uncounted reductions & stunted project development). This test is most important when determining the intentions of a profit based organization and their project parameters.

In general, municipal environmental initiatives survive the test of additionality as they are started to reduce the impact to the global & local environs. There are no economic incentives for these actions past financially backed goals set by political will supported by the voters. The municipality is creating pollution not as a by-product of revenue generation, but by coping with societies development and cultural legacy. This is the root reason for GHG markets and their continued development, to encourage and spur global climate initiatives.

Nearly every effort that a city makes towards reducing climate, can be seen as a Lost Opportunity until an accurate, defensible quantification is performed. At that time, the municipality can use the project when participating in the GHG market.

Public Benefit Corporations or non-profits that base their work in climate change, also survives the additionality tests as the projects are performed independent from standard free market economy influences.

Within each project and activity the conversation of additionality must be discussed to continually identify the status and goal of the projects, GHG reduction.

Carbon Fund Project Descriptions

In general, waste vegetable oil is improperly disposed of in both the solid waste stream and the wastewater stream. This material causes difficulties for the management of these waste streams while increasing GHG production. Currently there is no place for this material to go and there is little to no tracking of the quantities or where they go.

WVO Recycling Staff & Intern

The vegetable oil at the SFPUC Biofuel Transfer Station is recycled into biodiesel and there is a continual flow of oil that must be transferred from the plastic jugs that the oil is picked up from. This oil is handled at great expense compared to current industry trends. This large portion of material can be recycled provided staff workers recycle the oil. The more labor on the site, the more this material is diverted.

BRC will coordinate and report on the performance of both permanent staff and interns that participate in the recycling of the material.

Recycling approximately 75 gallons per hour of work per ton of reduced CO2

Extra benefits - EJ job training & placement, ongoing need that is adaptable in scope and volume of material diverted.

Residential Drop Off Sites

Residential Drop off sites can be located throughout the greater Bay Area to serve as a collection point for small-scale kitchens. These sites are not available in the existing market. Provided the labor for the servicing of the site and the recycling of the material, significant quantities of WVO can be channeled into the biofuel industries.

BRC will coordinate and report on the performance of both the permanent staff and interns that participate in the establishment of sites, the service at these sites and the recycling of the material.

Extra benefits - EJ job training & placement, Regional scope of services & effect

Educational Material & Outreach for WVO Recycling

Education is the cornerstone of behavior change and biofuels is a relatively new industry. There is a significant amount of social marketing that must occur to achieve broad public participation. The focus of this campaign is residential kitchens, commercial kitchens, school children, environmental groups and public sector employees. The effect of educational material & outreach efforts is quantifiable and verifiable through estimated volumes using empirical participant data. The goal is to encourage diversion of material into the biofuel market for displacement of conventional feedstocks and diesel fuel.

BRC will coordinate and report on the performance of the permanent staff, interns and subcontractors that participate in the creation of the educational material and participate in the training programs.

Extra benefits - composting & solid waste education opportunities, provides significant outreach that compliments many environmental initiatives.

Low Income & EJ Neighborhood Biofuel Assistance

Low-income residences and non-profits do not have equal access to alternative and clean technologies due to economic restrictions. This allows for direct assistance in the use of the alternative fuels to pass the test of additionality. By easing the economic additional costs for biodiesel use to qualified participants, carbon reduction can occur in the neighborhoods that need it the most from the section of society that traditional will have access last.

Home and small business fueling infrastructures will be permitted and purchased for qualified entities. The additional cost of biodiesel over diesel fuel will be calculated and added. The participants sign a contract committing to reporting and using a set quantity of fuel that balances the costs and the carbon reduction.

For example, a fueling set up costs $2,000 & $2,000 for the increase in fuel cost of $0.50/gal over 4,000 gallons results in 40 tons of reduced emissions or $4,000.

BRC will coordinate and report on the performance of both the permanent staff, interns and subcontractors that participate in the creation of the contracts, fueling set ups, biodiesel delivery and reporting of the project.

Extra benefits -EJ job training & placement, Regional scope of services & effect

Commercial Education & Outreach

Education is the cornerstone of behavior change and biofuels is a relatively new industry. There is a significant amount of social marketing that must occur to achieve broad public participation. The focus of this campaign is commercial kitchens, the largest generator of FOG biofuels. The effect of educational material & outreach efforts is quantifiable and verifiable through estimated volumes using empirical participant data. The goal is to encourage diversion of material into the biofuel market for displacement of conventional feedstocks and diesel fuel.

BRC will coordinate and report on the performance of the permanent staff, interns and subcontractors that participate in the creation of the educational material and participate in the training programs.

Extra benefits - composting & solid waste education opportunities, provides significant outreach that compliments many environmental initiatives, coordinates activities of Bay Area experts (ESA & others), SFPUC BERM & SFGreasecycle, SFDPH restaurant inspections, SFE & Norcal Composting and Organics information, verifiable tons diverted from landfills

WVO and Compost Program Carbon Quantification Project

Establishing the metrics or carbon footprint of activities within the city provides verifiable and rational information to dynamically track carbon dioxide emissions of a specific project and what affects them. If the emissions reporting accuracy capability is increased by 10% for a project, then the amount of reported achieved emissions is increased. In other words increasing our understanding and efficiency of reductions will increase the amount that any activity reduces because the reporting is accurate.

Currently there is little city specific information that covers the life cycle carbon impacts of programs such as the green bin or the WVO recycling efforts. By going much deeper into the quantification and reporting of emissions, reporting results will be tied more closer to actual activities.

For example if there is 10,000 tons of carbon reduced through these programs and we can achieve an extra 1,000 tons reported reduced due to increased reporting accuracy of 10%, that is $100,000 for the analysis project.

BRC will coordinate and report on the performance of the permanent staff, interns and subcontractors that participate in the creation of the carbon footprint modeling and analysis.

Extra benefits - composting & solid waste education opportunities, provides significant outreach that compliments many environmental initiatives, provides the perfect fodder for environmental social marketing efforts, ongoing projects receive the benefit of increased carbon reporting numbers and may be able to increase their size and scope.