Changes
You Can Make
REDUCE YOUR IMPACT
AT HOME
Most emissions from homes
are from the fossil fuels burned to generate electricity and heat. By using
energy more efficiently at home, you can reduce your emissions and lower your
energy bills by more than 30%.
In addition, since agriculture
is responsible for about a fifth of the world's greenhouse gas emissions,
you can reduce your emissions simply by watching what you eat.
Here's how:
-
Replace a
regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch
will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. If every family in
the U.S. made the switch, we'd reduce carbon dioxide by more than 90 billion
pounds! You can purchase CFLs online from the Energy
Federation.
-
Move your
thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and
cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with
this simple adjustment. The American
Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has more tips for saving
energy on heating and cooling.
-
Clean or replace
filters on your furnace and air conditioner
Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide
a year.
-
Install a
programmable thermostat
Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air
conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save
you $100 a year on your energy bill.
-
Choose energy
efficient appliances when making new purchases
Look for the Energy
Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models.
If each household in the U.S. replaced its existing appliances with the
most efficient models available, we’d eliminate 175 million tons of
carbon dioxide emissions every year!
-
Wrap your
water heater in an insulation blanket
You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this
simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat
no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
Use less hot
water
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water
by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved
per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved
per year) instead of hot.
-
Use a clothesline
instead of a dryer whenever possible
You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your
clothes for 6 months out of the year.
Turn off electronic devices you're not using
Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer
when you're not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide
a year.
-
Unplug electronics
from the wall when you're not using them
Even when turned off, things like hairdryers, cell phone chargers
and televisions use energy. In fact, the energy used to keep display clocks
lit and memory chips working accounts for 5 percent of total domestic energy
consumption and spews 18 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every
year!
-
Only run your
dishwasher when there's a full load and use the energy-saving setting
You can save 100 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
-
Insulate and
weatherize your home
Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your
home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and
weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. The Consumer
Federation of America has more information on how to better insulate
your home.
-
Be sure you're
recycling at home
You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling
half of the waste your household generates. Earth
911 can help you find recycling resources in your area.
Buy recycled paper products
It takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and
it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.
-
Get a home
energy audit
Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your
home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off
your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy
Star can help you find an energy specialist.
-
Switch to
green power
You can purchase renewable energy from your local energy provider.
Find out what renewable energy programs your local energy provider offers
by clicking here. (www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml?state=WI)
Or install renewable energy products, like wind generation and solar water
heating, in your own home. (link not available
right now)
-
Buy locally
grown and produced foods
The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from
the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in
your community.
-
Buy fresh
foods instead of frozen
Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.
-
Seek out and
support local farmers markets
They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport
the food to you by one fifth. You can find a farmer's market in your area
at the USDA
website.
-
Buy organic
foods as much as possible
Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels
than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans
organically, we'd remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!
-
Avoid heavily
packaged products
You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your
garbage by 10%.
-
Eat less meat
Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows
are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple
stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.
REDUCE YOUR IMPACT
WHILE ON THE MOVE
Almost one third of the
carbon dioxide produced in the United States comes from our cars, trucks and
airplanes. Here are some simple, practical things you can do to reduce the
amount of carbon dioxide you produce while on the move.
OFFSET THE EMISSIONS
YOU CAN'T REDUCE
Once you've reduced your
emissions as much as possible, consider offsetting the remainder of your emissions.
By offsetting, you can help fund valuable restoration projects and help the
growing renewable energy market.
