by Kirstin McPolin
The Quick Facts: In a weekend, your family can reduce the amount of carbon they emit. To improve your family’s energy efficiency: turn your thermostats to 68ºF when you’re home and 55ºF when you are away; use compact fluorescent light bulbs; unplug electronics (cell phone chargers, DVD players and televisions) when they aren’t in use or use power strip. To conserve hot water: reduce the temperature on your hot water heater to 120ºF (most are set at 140ºF); take shorter showers; only run washer and dishwashers when full; wash clothes in cold water; and insulate your water heater. To reduce transportation needs, combine errands; walk, bike, take a bus and car pool; keep your car tuned with the tires properly inflated; don’t leave your car idling; accelerate slowly; use cruise control; obey the speed limit; and frequent farmer markets and downtown areas to buy locally grown or made products which could save 1500 travel miles for food shipped from farm to dinner plate. To consume less: reuse more; recycle; plant a tree; and calculate your carbon footprint and offset it.
Most scientists agree that global warming is a reality that will lead to potentially
catastrophic climate changes, and that human-driven greenhouse gas emissions,
particularly carbon dioxide emissions, are fueling that reality. For more
information on global warming, see Real Mama, Inc.’s Spring 2007 Issue article
entitled, What’s Hot in 2007? The Earth.)
According to Environmental Defense, a leading national nonprofit environmental
organization operating since 1967, the average two-person American Household
emits 33.8 metric tons of carbon (or 30,000 pounds) every year from home
energy use, transportation and from the energy used to produce all of the
products and services consumed. That is about the same amount of carbon
pollution created by cutting and burning all the trees in a section of the
Amazon rainforest the size of 4.2 football fields. While that statistic
may be daunting and shocking, you shouldn’t let it overwhelm you. There
are many things your family can do to reduce global warming. In fact, there
are many things you can do in a weekend as a family to reduce the amount
of carbon your family emits.
Step 1. Improve your Energy Efficiency.
The best way to reduce carbon emissions is to improve your energy efficiency at home and at work.
Conserve in Temperature, Lighting and Electronics.
- Reduce thermostats to 68∞F when you’re home and 55∞F or lower when you’re away.
- Turn off lights when you leave a room.
- Instead of using standard light bulbs, use compact fluorescent lights which
cost more than standard ones but last up to 10 times longer and use 66%
less energy. (This could become mandatory for some. See Real Mama, Inc.’s
Spring 2007 Issue article entitled, Lighten Up:
California’s Controversial Light Bulb Legislation.) - Unplug electronics such as cell phone chargers, DVD players and televisions when they aren’t in use or use power strips (they consume far less energy). If you can’t unplug your computer enable the power management feature that allows the computer to “sleep” or go into a low-power mode.
Conserve hot water.
- Reduce the temperature on your hot water heater to 120ºF (most are set at 140ºF).
- Take shorter showers.
- Only run the washer and dishwasher when full.
- Wash clothes in cold water.
- Insulate your water heater. A hot water tank is the second largest user of energy in a home. Installing an outside layer of fiberglass on your hot water tank will reduce the rate of heat loss and the energy required to keep water at the desired temperature. Water heater insulation kits are available that consist of a blanket of fiberglass insulation and do-it-yourself insulation instructions.
Step 2. Reduce Transportation Needs.
Many Americans are defined by their vehicles. In addition, many of us shop at the “big-box” stores and go home with more than we ever intended to buy. Break free from the habit of driving everywhere and shopping in bulk; it will have not only an impact on global warming but your lifestyle as well.
- Combine errands.
- Walk, bike, take a bus and car pool.
- Keep your car tuned with the tires properly inflated.
- Don’t leave your car to idle.
- Accelerate your car slowly.
- Use your car’s cruise control feature.
- Obey the speed limit.
- Buy locally grown food. At a farmer’s market, buy food grown locally or buy local produce at your grocer instead of stocking up at a “big-box” store. Also purchase locally raised grass-fed meat rather than conventional meat. From farm to dinner plate, food grown in the U.S. travels 1500 miles on average. In addition to transportation emissions, energy is used to package and refrigerate food.
- Purchase Goods from Local Artisans. Like with food, the less distance products travel, the less they pollute. Shopping in a downtown area rather than a “big-box” store allows you to walk from store to store and provides opportunities to purchase handcrafted goods and gifts from local producers.
Step 3. Consume Less and Reuse More.
Simplify your life and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by needing less and using what you have.
- Consume less. Everything we buy from toys to furniture takes energy to
manufacture, package and ship. Instead of buying something new, explore second-hand stores or flea-markets. Before you buy anything, ask yourself if you really need it. - Reduce and reuse. Choose pre-owned products, products that have recycled content and products that are sold with less
- Recycle. Store recyclables in sorted bins, and set them out for collection in accordance with your collector’s instructions, or take a trip to your local recycling center.
Step 4. Have Fun!
Not all this saving-the-world-stuff has to be work. There are things you can do with your kids that are fun and can improve the global warming situation.
- Plant a tree. A single tree will absorb up to 2000 lbs. of carbon dioxide in its lifetime. Shading your air conditioning unit with trees and shrubs can reduce its energy usage by 10-15%.
- Calculate your carbon footprint and offset it. Your carbon footprint is a representation of the amount of carbon dioxide you emit and the resultant effect you have on climate. Visit websites like www.nativeenergy.com or www.safeclimate.net/calculator to determine how much carbon dioxide you and your family emit. Once you know the amount of carbon dioxide you and your family emit, the amount of power generated by burning fossil fuels can be reduced by your supporting renewable power. The way the energy market works requires that for every unit of power generated by a renewable generator (e.g., wind), one less unit will be generated by fossil fuel generator. Many programs exist on the internet to “buy” the amount of carbon you use. Additionally, Whole Foods stores carry a Wind Power Card from Renewable Choice Energy that you can buy at their store. When you buy such a card, the money goes to wind farms to cover the extra cost of adding more clean, sustainable energy to the national electric grid which pushes out the need for power generated from fossil fuels. Buying a family card for $15 will cover the amount of power an average family uses per month.
Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:
http://www.nativeenergy.com/individuals.html
(NativeEnergy is a privately held Native American energy company that builds
wind energy and methane projects in communities in need with the support
of those who buy offsets)
http://www.safeclimate.net/calculator/
(The SafeClimate carbon footprint calculator allows you to determine carbon
dioxide emissions from major sources: home energy consumption and transportation
by car and plane. SafeClimate for Business engages the private sector worldwide
in creating solutions to critical global environmental problems in which
industry plays a defining role)
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html
(EPA website about climate change designed for kids)
www.fightglobalwarming.com (Environmental
Defense is a leading national nonprofit organization representing more than
500,000 members that links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector
partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental
problems)
Tags: carbon footprint, energy efficiency, family, global warming, solutions
