A Cragger's guide to CRAGs in the USA

What is a CRAG?

A CRAG (or Carbon Reduction Action Group, known as Carbon Rationing Action Group in the UK) is a group of people who have decided to act together to reduce their individual and collective carbon footprints. They do this in annual cycle. First they set themselves an annual emissions target or “carbon goal”. Then they keep track of their emissions over the year by keeping a record of their household energy use and private vehicle and plane travel.

Finally, at the end of the year, they take responsibility for any “carbon debt” (i.e. emissions over and above their goal) that they have built up. It’s very simple. Visit http://www.carbonrationing.org/. The site has some good resources and a forum to help you along the way.

CRAGs: a short guide
The full guide to CRAGs, by Andy Ross with US modifications by Shannon Moore.

Aims
The main aims of the scheme are as follows:

1. to make us all aware of our personal CO2 footprint and how much this costs us in energy bills
2. to find out if it can help us make cuts in our personal CO2 emissions and in our energy costs
3. to help us argue for (or against!) the adoption of similar schemes at a national and/or international level (this is a bigger issue in the UK)
4. to build up solidarity between a growing community of carbon conscious people.
5. to share practical lower-carbon-living knowledge and experience

The background
The average US citizen directly causes about 26,766 pounds of CO2 to enter the atmosphere (13.3 US short tons or 12.1 metric tons)[1]. These are due to the person’s share of household energy, personal vehicle trips, and air travel:

• air travel (1,021 lbs)
• household heating and fuel use (5,500 pounds)
• personal vehicle use (includes commute but not business-related travel, 12,100 pounds)
• household electricity consumption (8145 pounds)

When you burn fuel to produce energy, use electricity, or fly in an airplane, it not only costs you money; it also causes the emissions of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Greenhouse gases are measured in carbon dioxide equivalents, also known as CO2e. The US emits about ¼ of all greenhouse gases worldwide[2]. Energy use by citizens represents 35% of all greenhouse gas emission in the United States and 9% of all emissions worldwide. United States citizens have a huge impact on global warming worldwide; that means that we also have a tremendous opportunity to reduce our emissions and save money from energy conservation.

To give you perspective, the entire United States as a whole emitted 15,491,883 trillion pounds, or 7,027 Teragrams (Tg, 1012g) of CO2e in 2001[3]. All told, energy use for residences (home fuel use and electricity), personal vehicle use, and personal flights resulted in 35% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the US in 2001, amounting to an estimated 2,429 Tg of CO2e. This figure does not even include personal trips on an airplane. Here is the breakdown:

• Driving: The US Department of Energy estimates that citizens drove 2,287 billion miles for personal travel in 2001, used 113.1 billion gallons of gasoline, and spent 150.3 billion dollars on fuel[4]. The 113.1 billion gallons of fuel consumed for personal vehicles resulted in the emissions of over 2,122.2 billion pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. That amounts to about 962.6 Tg of CO2e. Personal use of vehicles in 2001 accounted for 13.7 % of all US greenhouse gas emissions.
• Heating oil, natural gas, and other home fuels: Residential fuel use emitted another 363.9 Tg, or 5.2 % of US greenhouse gas emissions.
• Electricity: Production for residences emitted 760.9 Tg, or 10.8 % of all US greenhouse gas emissions.
• Personal flights (numbers for 2005): Resulted in 779,004,706,880 miles of travel[5] and the emissions of 342.0 Tg[6], or 4.9% of all US greenhouse gas emissions.

To avoid dangerous and potentially runaway climate change the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that at least 80% of human-caused greenhouse gases will have to be eliminated by 2050. It is possible that the required cuts are even greater. To achieve a 90% reduction in personal emissions by 2030 would require a rate of reduction of close to 10% each year.

[1] http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html (electricity, driving, fuel), http://www.carboncounter.org/offset-your-emissions/calculations-explained.aspx (air)
[2] http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/ggccebro/chapter1.html
[3] http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads06/07CR.pdf
[4] http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/rtecs/nhts_survey/2001/tablefiles/t0464(2005).pdf
[5] http://www.transtats.bts.gov/Fields.asp?Table_ID=264
[6] http://www.carboncounter.org/offset-your-emissions/calculations-explained.aspx#_edn33

Intro to CRAGs

CRAGs give us all an opportunity to start contributing our fair share to that goal. Any group can form a CRAG. Every CRAG is autonomous. Each CRAG sets its own reduction goal each year from a set emissions level (established as a number of pounds). The emissions level can be a national average, group average, or some other agreed-upon number. The emissions level minus the reduction goal is the cap. Each person tries to meet or exceed the reductions needed to meet the cap. The group as a whole hopes to meet or exceed the total cap for the group.

The Maryland CRAG is using national averages for direct carbon emissions in the US. US per capita direct emissions from energy use come to 13.3 short tons, i.e. 26,761 pounds, of CO2 per person in 2007. The Maryland CRAG is proposing a 10% reduction in the first year (2,676 pounds). The individual cap (set emissions level minus the reduction amount) is decided by consensus during the first few weeks of the Carbon Year. Maryland’s cap is 24,085 pounds per person.

The Carbon Year is the year over which you track your direct energy use and carbon emissions. The Carbon Year for the Maryland CRAG begins December 1.

The CRAG scheme can reward those who live within their goal and penalize those who exceed their goal. In this sense it follows the general principles of Contraction and Convergence and UK Domestic Tradeable Quotas now renamed Tradeable Energy Quotas. The Maryland CRAG is not planning to reward or penalize members at this time for going under or over goals, though many CRAGs charge their members a few cents per pound (or pence per kilogram in the UK) over the year’s goals which the group then decides how to spend.

How to join
Each group has a Carbon Accountant. You join a CRAG by letting your nearest group’s “Carbon Accountant” know and by explaining something about your living circumstances as this will affect how your CO2 is counted.

For example, my details are:

• I live in a single family house by myself
• My heating is by fuel oil (diesel)
• I don’t get my electricity from a renewable source
• I own a truck
• I am the only one joining the scheme
• My goal would therefore have to cover 100% of the household’s emissions and all of my car’s emissions.

If there isn’t an existing group near you, give us a shout and we will help you start your own.

How it works
At the start of the year, the Carbon Accountant will credit your CO2 account with your annual goal (24,089 lbs in 2007). Every time you get an energy bill, gas receipt, or a plane ticket, you will hang on to it. (e.g. how many kWh of electricity, annual car mileage, flight destination, etc). The next time you meet with your group, the Carbon Accountant will debit the equivalent amount of CO2 from your account and let you know your new CO2 balance. You will probably meet about 4 times per year.

If your group decides on penalties or rewards, they must come to an agreement by the end of the first quarter of the carbon year as defined by the group. The Maryland CRAG is not establishing penalties or rewards at this time. At the end of the year, if you are overdrawn, the Carbon Accountant will ask you to pay off your carbon debts! Debts will be paid at a rate your group decides on, of X cents per lb of CO2. Debtors will pay their dues into a “carbon fund” held with a friendly bank. The fund will then be distributed in a way agreed upon by the group, for example, amongst the CO2 savers in proportion to their share of total savings, or to a charity, or to a green project, or a combination of all of these or none. It is up to each group to decide for itself.
At the end of the year, whether you are in CO2 credit or overdrawn, if you want to remain in the scheme, you should send the Carbon Accountant paper copies of your bills as proof of your year’s carbon footprint. These should get to her/him before the end of the first month of the new carbon year. Carbon debts due on the old year should be paid in by the end of the second month of the new carbon year (if your group uses them). The carbon fund (if you have one) should be distributed by the end of the first quarter of the new carbon year just as the group is deciding on the New Year’s goal and carbon penalty.

Enforcement

Threat of exclusion from the scheme is the only means of enforcement at our disposal.You will be excluded if:

1. you fail to provide proof of your carbon footprint by the agreed deadline, or
2. you fail to pay off your carbon debt by the agreed deadline (if you have one), or
3. you opt out of the scheme

The last one prevents people going off for a carbon binge and rejoining the next year without paying their carbon dues.

Frequently Asked Questions
The answers to these FAQs are only suggestions. Ultimately it is up to each group to agree by consensus.

Q1. How will the Carbon Accountant calculate the CO2 emissions associated with the energy use that I report. A1. She will use the conversion factors from the US government except for airline miles:

Pounds of Carbon dioxide equivalents produced from each fuel type

• 1 gallon unleaded gas: 19.56
• 1 gallon diesel or heating oil: 22.38
• 1 ccf/therm of natural gas: 12.06/11.71
• 1 gallon propane: 12.67
• 1 kilowatt-hour electricity: 1.34 US Average (varies by mix of fuels used in state to produce electricity) 1.37 in Maryland
• Burning wood for heat: 0 (part of natural cycle)
• Airline Miles: http://www.coolcapitalchallenge.org/

Sources: DOE:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/coefficients.html
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/ee-factors.html#note2
These will be posted on the website. The numbers come from the US Department of Energy. Please feel free to check the accountant’s arithmetic when she updates your balance..

Q2. How can we ensure the group hits its annual emissions target? A2. If total CO2 savings are equal to or greater than total CO2 debts at the end of the year, then you will have hit or bettered your target. This may not happen in the first year because the group may (not unreasonably) choose to set the cost of carbon debt too low. You will probably be more aggressive in the second year and easily hit your target.

Q3a. I am a student and live 30 weeks a year in a dorm and the rest of the year I am either travelling or at home with the folks. How does that work? A3a. Your personal share of electricity and heating energy consumption is difficult to quantify. You probably don’t have much control over them. It is suggested you accept the CO2 goal for car and plane use only (i.e. 55% of standard goal) and report only these.

Q3b. What happens when I move out of the dorm and into an apartment? A3b. You’ll get the full goal. We will divide the household’s emissions calculated from the bills by the number of people officially resident and that will be your share of emissions.

Q3c. What if energy bills are included in the rent? A3c. You cannot be serious! But if you are, I would suggest you get a copy of the bill off the landlord and we would do it as per A3b above.

Q4. What is to stop me cheating by not reporting a flight? A4. Only your conscience. This scheme will depend on us trusting one another not to cheat. The better we know each other the easier this will be. Therefore the more local the group the better. Groups should aim to meet up at least once a quarter to catch up and compare CO2 notes.

Q5. Can I join part way through the year? A5. Yes, but you’ll need to report your CO2 emissions (i.e. dig out your energy bills, MOT and plane tickets) for the first part of the year.

Q6a. I have a baby. Does she get a full goal too? A6a. Generally, yes, as does any dependent that lives full time in the same house as you. Discussed at Allowances for children?. Note the group can decide to give half or zero allocations to children if it chooses.

Q6b. I have a baby. What will the Carbon Accountant do when I report our household energy use? A6b. I will calculate the CO2 equivalent and debit half of it from you and the other half from your baby’s account.

Q6c. I have a baby. What will the Carbon Accountant do when I report our car mileage? A6c. She will calculate the CO2 equivalent and debit all of it from your account. It’s your car after all.

Q6d. I have a baby. What will the Carbon Accountant do when I report our air travel? A6d. If you both flew, she will calculate the CO2 equivalent for the journey and debit it from each account.

Q7a. I live with my partner and we share a car but he is not interested in his CO2 emissions. How will that work? A7a. You will be debited only half your household energy emissions whether he joins in the group or not.

Q7b. And what about the car emissions? A7b. If you own the car, they will be debited from your account. If you don’t, they won’t.We have to keep it simple.

Q8. I drive/fly on business. Does that come out of my goal? A8. The scheme only covers car/plane travel for private purposes. If you use your car for work AND private use, you will have to explain how you split the mileage. Don’t you have to do that for the taxman anyway?!

How do we start a CRAG?

Finding people for your CRAG
Networking locally
A good place to start is with your own friends, work colleagues, networks and local groups. Friends know what to expect, they will feel comfortable about calling you up and asking questions and will happily forward your email to others they know that might be interested.

You can start a CRAG with any number of people but a small CRAG might not survive a small disagreement and a large CRAG won’t easily fit in a front room. A group of ten works very well but not everybody knows nine other people that would be interested. In which case, you might want to gang up with someone else who will share the responsibility of recruiting the other members; finding five people is much easier. If you are working on your own, try holding a meeting with those that have shown interest so far and discuss how to recruit a few more people.

There are potential Craggers in any group: faith groups, campaign groups, scout groups, book clubs, etc. Make use of notice boards in community centers and libraries, and the local paper. Make announcements or write short articles for neighborhood newsletters. Try to provide as much information as possible, tell them about yourself, give them links to the website and newspaper articles, where the group might meet and how often it might meet but without being over prescriptive. Surprisingly there are people out there who want to take personal action on climate change but have no intention of ever campaigning about it.

Recruiting potential Craggers through the carbon reduction website
Set up a group space on the CRAG website. This is the shop window for the group. Many groups leave their group page blank and wonder why nobody else has subscribed! Post up the contents of your emails so that others can see that you really do want to start a group. Edit your personal profile and talk about climate change and your contribution to it and say as much or as little as you like, see Jacklyn’s inspiring profile. This is a slow but steady way of recruiting members and requires very little effort. (If people do contact you about your CRAG please respond even if you do not plan to call the first meeting for several weeks).

It is tempting to look for a mix of high and low emitters but it does not really matter. It is much more important to find a group of people that get on and that you can build trust amongst the group.

The Really Important Meetings
The first two or three meetings are really important; this is when the CRAG will make the key decisions, it is also the time when some people will drop out. But the good news is that others will be very enthused and motivated by the whole thing. You also don’t need to ask people to commit to being in a CRAG for six months or a year; just work on the basis that if they come to the third meeting they are probably are going to stay!

Before inviting everyone to the first meeting, ask everyone to roughly calculate their carbon footprint (using worksheets or spreadsheets or anything they are comfortable with using). Every Cragger needs to know whether they are likely to be high or low emitters before deciding how much carbon credits will cost or whether there should be a maximum penalty! It also helps if they have read about CRAGs, for example CRAGs: a short guide.

Not every CRAG member is going to be able or want to come to every meeting. However when a group of environmentally aware people come together, there is no shortage of things to discuss. Be prepared for some discussions to take a while and don’t try to cover too much at the first meeting. Consider allocating time for particular items and having a chair to ensure everyone gets to speak and that they don’t interrupt each other! Some people can be intimidated (or just bored!) by the more vociferous or informed, and may be deterred from returning. Try to ensure that everybody in the CRAG buys into every decision even if they don’t agree with it. The challenge is to agree the rules before anyone drops out!

Recording and publishing the decisions the group makes in the early meetings is invaluable especially when it comes to settling up. Before the meeting you might want to looking at the agendas and minutes of other groups to see what they decided in their first meetings e.g. Oxford, Islington.

Here are some suggestions for items that you might want to discuss in the first two meetings:

1. Agree on what you want to count. Keep it simple and just focus on home fuel use, electricity, car and air travel.
2. Broadly agree on any financial rewards and penalties. Most groups have penalties of 4 or 5 cents per pound of CO2 debt., some groups reward low emitters as well.
3. Agree to set a maximum penalty. Each Cragger then knows in advance the maximum amount that they would have to pay (but it is a cop out!).
4. Agree on allowances for any children in the group.
5. Agree a start date.
6. Agree on how you are going to communicate with each other between meetings. Several groups use a yahoogroup.
7. Agree on when and where the subsequent meetings are going to be held. You don’t need to meet every month. Islington and Hackney CRAG meets on the same day of each month, however all CRAG members are urged to come to only 4 meetings a year. Two of those meetings are six monthly settlement meetings and the other two are just ‘keep in touch’ meetings which can be used to change the rules of the CRAG

Then there there are some less important technical and practical issues that you might want to leave to the second meeting.

1. Agree on which if any suppliers of renewable energy certificates or offsets qualify for a carbon discount.
2. Agree on how aviation emissions are going to be counted. CO2 from flying is a complicated issue. The most reliable approach is to calculate the emissions using a good external website.
3. Agree on all the other conversion factors. These are generally uncontroversial. The Maryland CRAG uses numbers from USDOE; most other calculators use similar numbers, though some calculate in additional emissions such as line loss and energy production.
4. Decide who the group’s coordinator is going to be and who the “Carbon Accountant” is going to be. These are two largely separate roles in a CRAG. The roles can be done by one and the same person but it is better to have two people share the load. This can be very effective as there is little overlap in the work.
5. Agree on how carbon emissions will be recorded. This can be done with a combination of diaries, spreadsheets and web sites. It is important that everyone believes that everyone else is recording their emissions correctly especially if the high emitters are going to be buying carbon credits from the low emitters. It is not that Craggers are likely to be dishonest with each other but some Craggers do keep very meticulous records of all their trips while others find this very hard to do.
6. Agree on how carbon emissions will be recorded. Will each Cragger calculate his/her own emissions? or will each Cragger email the “Carbon Accountant” or will the whole group try do the sums each time you meet up?
7. Agree on the settlement process if you are charging penalties. Are you going to open a bank account with a friendly organization? If high emitters are paying low emitters i.e. effectively trading carbon, you need to decide how much each low emitter gets. Or are penalties going to be paid to an appropriate campaign or cause?
8. Agree on when and how often you are going to settle. Most groups settle every 12 months but 6 months isn’t so long to wait.
9. Agree on whether you are going to allow unused credits to be carried from one period to another, this may be fair if you settle every 6 months.

If you have followed all the steps you are already Cragging! Subsequent meetings can be a little more relaxed and there’s time to talk about the finer things in life; compact fluorescents, clothes drying racks, energy efficiency ratings and insulating houses with solid walls.

Good luck! And remember- there are lots of other Craggers out there that would be happy to help you!