Good Morning Sexy Readers!
Let nobody say that Chad is not a planet friendly lumberjack. In fact, all lumberjacks are fans of sustainability, for if we weren’t, what would we axe down? Yes, sexy readership, it’s helpful to love the environment to be a good lumberjack, and one of the ways to make sure that you are, is to watch your giant booted carbon footprint.
It’s a brand new term for all of you people, and that means new faces around campus. One fun way to get to know some of these new faces is to invite them to a sexy party. But which is better? To party at a house, or at a bar? Everyone (except the law) knows that kegs shared between friends are the most economically friendly solution to a tight student budget, but what about the environment? ‘Can a carbon footprint be calculated for a party?’ you ask. Chad Sexington is going to try! First, a few rules: We’re going to assume that these values are correct (I’ve cited sources), and that only the immediate costs of the beer production and transport/storage are involved. We will also consider the transport to the bars and the parties to cancel out as public transit in Waterloo is fairly good.
A typical breakdown of CO2e is as such: Ingredients: 36%, Electricity: 26%, Equipment: 13%, Travel and Commuting: 10%, Freight: 7%, Fermentation: 5%, Packaging: 3%. [1]
First, it’s necessary to know the carbon output involved in acquiring a keg of beer. That one’s easy. For example, the average unit energy per keg of beer produced by small microbreweries is ~46kWh [2]. Combining this with the average carbon released per kWh of energy (460g), we find that one keg of beer releases around 21.6kg of carbon dioxide during production from energy. This is upped by your ice use (~Combine this with the short drive required to pick up the kegs from the local brewery (~10km is about 2.5kg), the ingredient production and storage [3] and assuming that your midsize mid-range fuel economy van can hold 8 kegs, we see that the beer and supplies for your 8 keg party will run up to just under 500g CO2e per 20oz cup [1]. So, if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, drink your beer warm, or cool it with natural means (winter parties anyone?!). This cost is increased when the beer is brewed elsewhere and by big companies.
Compared with going out to a bar, many of the places that Engineers know and love provide music, dancing, air conditioning, glass mugs, fancy taps and pitchers, servers who drive to and from work, etc. etc. etc have high emissions. These aside, just the beer alone (and its storage costs, nearly 50% of the emissions) can run up to 900g CO2e per 12oz bottle of beer (if the recycling is included) or up to 590g CO2e per 12oz can [4]. However, these numbers could be a lie as well, as the Fat Tire Amber Ale company did a 100% lifecycle analysis of their beers sold in a local pub and discovered upwards of 2kg of emissions per 12oz bottle (factoring growing crops and corporate expenses) went into their product. Quite a number! [5].
Any way you slice it, beer can be a costly endeavour, but the opportunities for process optimization and emissions reductions in this booming industry are everywhere. In the world of Chad, at least environmentally, the kegs are way better than the bars and bottles. So next time you have a hankerin’ for a tankerin’, consider the best way to reduce your emissions and love the environment, which loves you so hard, right back again. Party on.
Until Next time
Stay Sexy.
[1] www.guardian.co.uk
[2] Bristlingbadger Beer Blog
[3] www.greenprogress.com
[4] www.grist.org
[5] www.newbelgium.com
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