This Carbon Solution has been designed to help businesses reduce energy use and lessen their impact on global warming, this issue is one in which EVERYONE can play a role. At home, in your job, through your purchases -- you can use your individual actions to begin to "put a lid" on global warming. As you read the action steps that follow, think about the businesses you support or patronize. Pass along a copy to them -- the more firms that participate is a classic "win-win" for us all. STEP I. Measure Your Energy If you can't measure your CO2 emissions, you can't manage them. Emissions can be calculated from your energy bills -- whether it be electricity, oil, propane, natural gas or transportation fuels. At Earthwise Excavation, we noted the amount of gas and electricity used from our utility bills and then used the conversion tables provided by the EPA's Climate Wise program to calculate our manufacturing emissions. You too can calculate your emissions with these conversion tables. Resources:

Climate Wise, a voluntary program of the Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created to encourage businesses to take comprehensive, cost-effective industrial energy efficiency and pollution prevention actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Contact Climate Wise at 800-459-wise or www.epa.gov/climatewise.

STEP II. Reduce Energy Use

Once you've measured your energy usage and CO2 output, you can set realistic goals for implementing efficiency or reduction measures. At Earthwise Excavation, we reduced the amount of energy used by 18% through a variety of activities including lighting retrofits, engine idle policies, employee informational programs and other processes. We also have diverted more than 70% of our "waste" from the landfill through recycling, reuse, and reduction of packaging. These energy savings realize Earthwise Excavation thousands of dollars savings annually.

STEP III. Offsetting Your Carbon Emissions
For growing companies like Earthwise who produce more product and thus use more
energy each year, the goal of a NET reduction in emissions is especially challenging. We continue to look at not only our waste stream but dematerialization as well (e.g. reducing the amount of materials used). Sourcing materials from the waste stream is effective as well, such as using recycled plastics, recycled bio-fuels. Offsetting CO2 emissions is an excellent way to supplement your energy reduction efforts to ensure that your business or home eliminates or net reduces your contribution to global warming. Carbon dioxide offset projects are a way in which we can "neutralize" business or home emissions by investing in CO2 emission reduction projects elsewhere in the US or around the world. Typically the offset investment can pay for itself by the proceeds from energy savings measures in Step
II above. In other words, you can have dramatically reduce your contribution to global warming, while reaping greater profits.

STEP IV. Report Your Results

In their recent study commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund, the Mellman Group, a Washington, DC-based research institute found that more than 2/3 of all Americans see global warming as a serious threat. By reporting your results, you are informing the public that your business is taking action to reduce global climate change! In addition to inspiring hope in a world that can always use more, your business will likely benefit from these efforts in several ways:

Employee loyalty and lower turnover have a bottom line benefit. Employees feel good about working for a company that demonstrates its commitment to the environment.
Environmental stewardship is a way of adding value to your product or service for your customer. Many studies have demonstrated that a large percentage of consumers if given a choice would prefer to buy from an environmentally responsible company.
Enhance your stock value. Numerous studies suggest that attention to environmental performance can positively affect company value. With a growing number of stock purchase decisions based on environmental screens, a company committed to proactive environmental practices has a competitive advantage. The value of returns through building market share, employee loyalty, and improved stock performance translates to a healthier bottom line.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Reversing Global Warming is Simply "Good Business"
At Earthwise Excavation, one of our goals is to help spread our vision for a healthier environment to our consumers, our suppliers, even our competitors. By sharing the results of our efforts to reduce global warming, we hope to inspire more businesses and individuals to take similar actions.

Supporting cleaner air, your health, our farmers, and sustainability

Currently in Washington State there are few retail outlets (locations can be found
through our links page) with B100's average cost at $3.50 gallon, B20 average cost
$2.50 gallon.
Biodiesel is an domestically produced alternative fuel that can be made from any fat or vegetable oil. Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine with few if any modifications and has achieved a full national standard. (ASTM D6751) Below is a table showing emission reductions based upon EPA analysis.

FSC Certification


Some areas of underground work use wood products for construction and design. The
majority of our use stems from the construction of sandfilters where plywood and
two by fours are used for initial support and protection of the sandfilter liner.

We use Forest Stewardship Certified wood which comes from sustainable harvested
forests and or we use reclaimed. The availability of FSC certified wood is still
scarce meaning approximate 30% increase in costs. As demand increases so will
availability lowering costs by 15%.

In order to receive this certification, the forests and watersheds have increased
buffer zones (>150%) and decreased harvesting rates (>30%). The forest and harvesting operations
are independently certified through the FSC.

Please use our link page for further information.

As a guide for our environmental work we have adopted the following four system conditions for a sustainable society.


In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing....

......concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth's crust

......Concentrations of substances produced by society; or

...... degradation by physical means

And in that society....

human needs are met worldwide.

Now that's a beautiful picture.

The Natural Step is one of the worlds leading consultancies in sustainable development.
DR Brian Natrass and Mary Altomare
innostrat@aol.com


The beginnings of this path have seen us implement the following programs

1989 Workplace recycle program Cardboard, Glass, Metal

1991 EPA Waste oil heater

1992 Switch to low sulfur diesel fuels (20,000+gal yr.)

1993 Change to 4-day work week

1994 Stop work oil leak program. Work is stopped until the leak is contained and fixed

1995 Onboard spill kits and training

1996 6500 sq. ft concrete shop pad with 450 gal oil water separator,
Petition regulatory agency for local gravel product approval (saves trucking industry wide)

1997 Equipment Purchase Policy change, Begin Ecological grant program,
minimum 9% of net to ecological conservation. Preference given to repair, rebuilding and
refurbishing with 30% extra cost allowance

1998 Job grouping and No excessive idle policies, (5min diesel, 1min gas)

1998 Begin yearly sponsorship of conservation and ecological radio messages broadcast on KNWX 770 AM Business radio Seattle (30, 30 second spots during drive time spread through out the year)

1999 1750 gal 4 chamber oil water separator, Haz-Mat supervisor, permanent containment booms
Employee parking area changed from gravel to wood chips, preference given for recycled concrete gravel

2000 Rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery program (save 300+ bat.yr), Honda Insight gas/electric hybrid

2001 Drainage system incorporating remaining 18,000 sq. ft yard space into Oil/water separator,
2500 sq. ft yard designated Native Growth Area, begin soil rebuilding

2002 Begin purchasing "Green" power from State line wind farm, Petition regulatory agency for digital controller
acceptance, no mercury floats (eliminate 2000+ mercury floats yr.) Begin Biodiesel program

2003 Switch to Food grade grease for equipment lubrication. Begin replacing petroleum hydraulic fluid with  canola based biodegradable hydraulic fluid. Switch sourcing of 4" drain piping from PVC (poly vinyl chloride) to HDPE (high density poly ethylene) triple wall with 40% recycled plastic content.

2004 Purchase 120 GPD Biodiesel processor, begin organizing community collective. Public brings used vegetable oils in exchange for processed biodiesel. Finish replacing petroleum hydraulic fluid with  canola based biodegradable hydraulic fluid.

At Earthwise Excavation we are committed to doing business in a different way. We have provided superior excavation services to the Puget Sound region while at the same time promoted social and environmental causes. We feel strongly that businesses must take the lead by "inventing a future" that gives our children a chance to enjoy a healthy environment. Our activism around this philosophy has taken many forms including campaigns to reduce global warming, promote conservation and support organic farming. All these efforts have been bolstered by our own commitments to reduce energy use, waste and emissions. We have discovered what may have been known - that it feels good to do good, and that doing good work enhances our company's success.

In October of 1998, we launched our first regional conservation campaign using radio spots with conservation messages to inspire people to join the ranks of real life "Do-ers". This is our way of encouraging people to be involved in causes that will help make the world a better place by taking simple actions that can add up to real social and environmental change. We hope our activism campaign will inspire you to take actions toward a healthier planet and a better world. Let us hear from you!

Buying in bulk quantities, supporting environmental business, speaking out for sustainability have always been in the forefront. Upcoming areas of improvement we have set our sights on are: Local Bio-Diesel Production, Plant based lubricants, and an 3 KW Solar array. While a majority of the development we see and work with does in no way meet the definition of sustainable development, we do see a growing percentage that does. As always we are prepared to offer our clients consultation regarding options and benefits.

It may seem odd the combination, excavation and sustainability, but this is the front line of development. It is rewarding to know how many places we have been able to save simply due to the fact that we offer an alternative to the standard "clear and haul" mindset. We are hoping to raise the awareness of sustainable business practices so we ask that whether you use our services or not, please ask others about their programs and procedures.

Thank you

100 NOBEL LAUREATES

January 12th, 2002

A Warning from 100 Nobel Prize Winners

The most profound danger to world peace in the coming years will stem not from the irrational acts of states or individuals but from the legitimate demands of the world's dispossessed. Of these poor and disenfranchised, the majority live a marginal existence in equatorial climates. Global warming, not of their making but originating with the wealthy few, will affect their fragile ecology's most. Their situation will be desperate and manifestly unjust.
It cannot be expected, therefore, that in all cases they will be content to await the beneficence of the rich. If then we permit the devastating power of modern weaponry to spread through this combustible human landscape, we invite a conflagration that can engulf both rich and poor. The only hope for the future lies in cooperative international action, legitimized by democracy.

It is time to turn our backs on the unilateral search for security, in which we seek shelter behind walls. Instead, we must persist in the quest for united action to counter both global warming and a weaponized world.

These twin goals will constitute vital components of stability as we move toward the wider degree of social justice that alone give hope of peace.
Some of the needed legal instruments are already at hand, such as the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the Convention on Climate Change, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties, and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. As concerned citizens, we urge all governments to commit to these goals that constitute steps on the way to replacement of war by law.

Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel laureate, economics, 2001
Herbert Kroemer, Nobel laureate, physics, 2000
Guenter Blobel, Nobel laureate, physiology/medicine, 1999
Horst L. Stormer, Nobel laureate, physics, 1998
Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Nobel laureate, physics, 1997
Peter C. Doherty, Nobel laureate, physiology/medicine, 1996
Paul J. Crutzen, Nobel laureate, chemistry, 1995
Bertram N. Brockhouse, Nobel laureate, physics, 1994
Joseph H. Taylor, Nobel laureate, physics, 1993
Edmond H. Fischer, Nobel laureate, physiology/medicine, 1992
Richard R. Ernst, Nobel laureate, chemistry, 1991
Mikhail S. Gorbachev, Nobel laureate, peace, 1990
His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Nobel laureate, peace, 1989
Robert Huber, Nobel laureate, chemistry, 1988
Oscar Arias Sanchez, Nobel laureate, peace, 1987
Dudley R. Herschbach, Nobel laureate, chemistry, 1986
Klaus von Klitzing, Nobel laureate, physics, 1985

And 85 other Nobel prize winners including recipients from every year between 1972 and 2001. The statement was issued at the Nobel Peace Prize Centennial Symposium on the 100th anniversary of the Nobel prize, in Oslo,Norway.

Prior to starting your vehicle, a vehicle safety check must be performed. The object of this check is preventative maintenance. Look for possible problems that could cause safety or functional issues. The following list is a guideline for this procedure.

A. Check engine oil level, add if needed. Use proper funnels and tools to avoid spilling oil, wipe up any spilled oil.

B. Check water level, add if necessary

C. Check lights, turn signals and brake lights. This can be done by turning on lights and hazard lights and inspecting the lights.

D. Check tires for proper pressure, damage, unusual wear patterns. Fuel mileage can be decreased by up to 25% by under inflated tires.

E. Check your spill kit to make sure it contains the following.
1.   3 - 12”x 12” blue absorbency pads
2.   10- 12”x18” grey absorbency wipes
3.    3- 30” blue absorbency socks
4.    1- stick sealant putty
5.    5- 6” zipties
6.    5- 14” zipties
7.    5- 12”x12” white oil only absorbency pads
8.    3- 30” white oil only absorbency socks
9.    3- plastic containment bags

F. Check to make sure your load is secured and that there is not loose material that can blow out of the rear of the vehicle.

G. Check your brakes.

H. Check your mirrors, adjust and clean as needed

Inspect your vehicle and load for any other possible safety or performance issues. Remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.        

Vehicle Operation 

Seat belt usage is mandatory. Before moving your vehicle make sure that there are no obstacles or people in the way. If you need to back out, inspect the rear of the vehicle prior to backing. When at all possible the vehicle must be backed in for parking. This eliminates the need to be backing out when obstacles could have moved behind your vehicle.  As you are driving watch your load, stopping if needed to re-secure.

Neatness

It is expected that goodhousekeeping will be applied to all work situations. This includes but is not limited to
1. Service trucks - The driver’s area needs to be clean and tidy. Items being transported need to be in a secure and safe location. Any garbage needs to be inside of a container. Any recyclable items also need to be placed in a separate container. Cargo areas must be organized and free of clutter. Excess materials need to be neatly returned to stockpile locations.

2.  Equipment and transport vehicles - The driver’s area needs to be clean and tidy. Items being transported need to be in a secure and safe location. Any garbage needs to be inside of a container. Any recyclable items also need to be placed in a separate container. Flatbed decks need to be swept clean of rocks and dirt. Equipment needs to be cleaned and free from loose material. This will need to be done after each job and before the equipment is loaded. If decks are cleaned at the shop, excess material will be placed into a wheelbarrow and dumped on the dirt pile. Mud and gravel will not be dumped on gravel surfaces.

2. Jobsite - No littering will be tolerated. Do not bury your garbage within the sites excavation activities. All excess job materials will be returned to the shop at the end of the day. If materials need to be left, they should be stacked neatly in a safe and secure manner. The jobsite will be left in an orderly, clean, and safe manner.

3. Shop and supply area - All shop materials will be returned to their appropriate area. Keep your work area clean. Return job materials to their proper location. If tools are borrowed from the shop, they must be returned to their location immediately after using. If tools need to leave the shop area, ie; needed for jobsite work, etc. you will need to sign out for each tool on the shop signout sheet. 

Oil leak or spill procedures 
In each vehicle and next to the entrance door to the shop are oil spill containment and cleanup supplies. Know which products to use where. There are blue and grey absorbency pads and socks that absorb all liquids. The  Each situation is different but below is listed the basic guidelines. The number one goal is prevention followed by 100% cleanup.

1. Hydraulic hose - Shut down the equipment until leak is repaired and cleaned up or until the leak has been contained. If equipment develops a minor leak that can be contained with absorbency pads and zip ties notify your supervisor of the situation. Caution should be taken to avoid dislodging the containment pads during further work.

2.  Oil Spill - The majority of spills that do occur in this work situation are small, typically 1 gallon or less. More than half of those spills are due to human error. So the first step is prevention. Always be aware of the possibilities. Think before you act. If a spill does occur, know what the procedures are to contain, clean, and care for the situation. More oil ends up in our waterways each year due to urban runoff than the Valdez oil spill.

Each situation is different so an assessment needs to be made whether containment or stopping the leak is the first priority.  is containment. Stop the spill from spreading. This can be done with absorbency pads or booms, earth dams, or other suitable means. The other step is to stop the leak. Turning the barrel or container over so the hole is up, plugging the hole with putty supplied in the spill kits, or shutting off the machine or supply, are some of the methods you can use to stop the leak.

3. Clean up - Use absorbency pads and or “floor dry”, place in plastic containment bags, remove the affected soil and place in containment bags as well. This material will be returned to the shop and placed in the oil containment area. Oil pads will be wrung out into our waste oil tank and pads and soil will be sealed and disposed in the garbage dumpster the day of pickup.  This is done to protect against rupture from other garbage and recontamination.

Where needed use oil only booms and or pads to remove oil from water. If needed with running water, set up a settling pool to allow water to collect and oil to separate and be absorbed by pads or booms.

5. Contaminated soil  - The typical scenario will come from a small leak developing under a parked vehicle. Absorbency pad will be used to contain the leak and clean up the spill. The leak will be fixed or contained prior to equipment usage. The affected soil will be placed on the concrete shop pad and covered. This material will be disposed of at the Everett Rinker site in their dirt burner.

The shop concrete pad has been constructed to allow for containment of any possible oil or fuel spill. All of the surface runoff goes through a three-step oil water separation process. The first step is a two hundred-gallon settling chamber, which allows for the bulk of the oil to separate from the water. The second step is a four hundred and fifty-gallon oil water separator chamber, which has a series of baffles and absorbency materials to remove the oil. The third and final step is a seventeen hundred and fifty-gallon oil water separator that provides the final separation process.

In our experience with this system, the last oil water separator stays very clean, with the absorbency material only being changed annually. A large aspect of this excellent performance is due to our prevention awareness program. Kudos to those of you who really do make the difference.

Engine warm up and cooling periods
Millions of gallons of excess fuel and unnecessary pollution is caused each year due to excessive idling. The following policies take into account current scientific understandings regarding warm up times.

Warm weather 45 degrees or above
Gas engines 1 minute warm up, 1 minute cool down from full load >70% 0 minute cool down otherwise. 
Diesel Engines 2 minutes warm up, 1 minute cool down from >80% load

Shut down triggers
Gas engines Idling to be longer than 2 minutes.
Diesel Engines idling to be longer than 5 minutes

Cold weather below 45 degrees
Gas engines. 2 minute warm up, 1 minute cool down from full load >80%, O minute cool down otherwise
Diesel engines 5 minute warm up, 1 minute cool down from >80% load
Expenses generated through engine wear, pollution, and fuel consumption due to excessive idle policies far outweigh extra maintenance costs for starter systems.

COLD TEMPERATURES:
Emission control systems take longer to warm up and become fully operational in cold weather. However, idling will not help. Modern vehicles need little warm-up; they're most efficient when being driven. Idling for long periods in cold weather can actually cause excessive engine wear.

Drive Wisely: Helpful Habits to Reduce Pollution
Even a perfectly maintained car will pollute more than necessary if it is driven carelessly. Your car's emissions will be lower if you apply common sense to your driving and follow basic rules of the road. Driving situations likely to increase pollution include:
IDLING:You will save gas by turning the engine off and restarting it again if you expect to idle for more than 30 seconds. You will also prevent pollution by avoiding long idles. Try parking your car and going into restaurants, banks, and the like instead of idling in drive-up lanes.
STOP-and-GO DRIVING:Driving in traffic is not always avoidable. But whenever possible, plan trips outside rush hour and peak traffic periods. Try to "smooth" your driving by accelerating and decelerating gradually, anticipating stops and starts for traffic lights, changing traffic speeds, and so on.

In addition to knowing and communicating the benefits of avoiding idling, another key consideration for designing an anti-idling campaign is to be aware of several myths that many people believe regarding vehicle idling. The table below shows three common myths – and the corresponding reality.

Source; EPA, www.epagov.idlepg

Defensive driving is a requirement that should not be taken lightly. Following distances should equal 30 feet for every ten miles of speed. This is triple the standard requirement. A loaded truck will take more distance to bring to a stop. Be aware of other drivers that could well be distracted and fail to obey common sense driving rules. Testosterone and attitude are items that are left at home and definitely have no place behind the wheel.

   The speed limit in the yard is 5 miles per hour, 10 mph out the driveway, and 25 mph on 184th St, Waverly Dr, and 188th St SE. These limits are for safety and neighborhood goodwill.

  Know your route and destination prior to beginning your trip. Should you need to look at the map book that each vehicle is equipped with, find a safe place to pull over. Cell phones can be brought to work for usage on the employee’s personal time. They are not to be used during driving. Driver distractions are the number one cause of accidents.

Earthwise Excavation is once again leading the industry in implementing agriculture based products that are less toxic, biodegradeable, and out perform comparable petroleum based products.  Beginning in 2003, we switched to Food grade grease for daily equipment lubrication. We also  began switching over to a canola based biodegradable hydraulic fluid. This was done at scheduled oil change intervals based on maintenance manuals. (Approx. every 2000 hr.)  As of Nov 2004, 94% of our fleet has been upgraded to biodegradable hydraulic fluids, with 100% expected spring 2005.

When you use Environmental Awareness Lubricants (EALs), you're protecting more than your machines' parts. You're helping to protect the environment. While keeping your equipment in optimum operating condition, you get an environmentally-aware alternative to your current lubricant, without sacrificing protection or performance.

EALs were introduced to reduce the impact on the environment, if they accidentally leaked or spilled. Many types of hydraulic systems operate under high pressure, generally resulting in system oil leakage. Our focus is to improve a lubricant's environmental characteristics for use in more sensitive applications, such as forestry, marine, agriculture and many construction sites.

Benefits of EALs:
• Safety and environmental improvements.
• Assurance of effective maintenance control.

Mobil EAL® 224H: This anti-wear hydraulic oil is a premium high-quality, high-performance oil with an ISO viscosity grade of 32/46. It meets the current requirements of major pump builders and exceeds industry-recognized performance standards. Made of vegetable oil base stocks and a special additive to improve performance, it significantly reduces the environmental-impact of a spill or leak.

"This hydraulic fluid passes the United States and European Community standard of better than 60 percent biodegradability in 28 days. It actually biodegrades more than twice as fast as mineral oil, reaching 80 percent in only 16 days.”

For small spills on the ground the uncontaminated product will be readily biodegraded by naturally occurring soil organisms. Nonetheless, spillage of Mobil EAL 224H should be handled similarly to currently accepted methods for conventional mineral oil spills. 

 Mobilgrease EAL® 100 Series, is the only readily available highperformance, anti-wear synthetic grease specifically designed to be both biodegradable and virtually nontoxic as defined by EPA and OECD tests. Even though it's compatible with nature, it doesn't mean that it compromises performance or effectiveness in any way. It stands up to the most demanding performance standards and helps extend equipment life to keep your operation running at peak efficiency.

Counting the Cost

There are many ways of figuring the cost of switching to a biodegradable hydraulic fluid. There’s the initial cost of the product, which is almost certain to be higher than that for premium-grade, petroleum-based fluid. Vegetable-based hydraulic fluid, for example, costs two to three times the price of a high-grade, petroleum-based oil, and synthetics can cost up to six times as much.

If you can find the right product for your equipment and working conditions, though, you might also find another kind of long-term savings. Better performance under extreme conditions and longer oil life—with correspondingly longer drain intervals—might help offset the price of some synthetic products. Cleanup can also figure into the cost of the type of hydraulic fluid you’re using. "We get lots of calls from people shortly after they have been fined for a spill,"  Scheels points out. There is a clear difference in how biodegradable spills are handled, which can save money and red tape when a hose breaks.

What About Performance?

Although vegetable-based hydraulic fluids are sometimes regarded as having shorter life spans and less temperature resistance, they vary widely. Scheels was part of the team that, in 1990, introduced the EAL (Environmental Awareness Lubricant) 224H, a biodegradable, nontoxic, vegetable-based hydraulic fluid. "The product has to do its intended work," he remarks. "224H does not have the problems that industry has seen over the years with vegetable oils. It’s as good as the best mineral oil." He acknowledges that with any type of fluid, quality can vary tremendously. "There are vegetable oils out there that will last 15 minutes. Some of them oxidize rapidly and go rancid. There are lousy mineral-oil products too. But you can make environmentally safe vegetable oils as good as a mineral oil. And you can make synthetic environmental fluids as good as synthetic oils. It’s expensive, but it can be done."

Finally, good stewardship and the public relations benefits associated with "going green" make the higher cost of biodegradable fluids more palatable to some companies.  And that is truly the path of an evolutionary business.  Capitalism needs to have a triple bottom line.

Profit         People         Environment