Personal Ways to Use Less Energy or Reduce Global Warming Emissions

Created 6/2005 by Simply Living's Peak Oil & Global Warming Learning Group.

If you want to learn about Peak Oil & Global Warming or contribute your ideas, please attend one of this group's meetings (open to the public).
Check Simply Living's online Calendar of Events for times.

GENERAL

• The Three R's - Reduce (1st) -- Re-use (2nd) -- Recycle (last)
• Buy local (choose local over non-local - food, restaurant, grocery, bank,…anything)
• Move to less energy-consuming residence
• Move to a walkable/sustainable neighborhood

TRANPORTATION

• Use more efficient means of transport
• Ride bicycle instead
• Walk instead
• Take mass transit instead
• Car pool
• Take better mileage car (including hybrid)
• Limit car use to fewer days per week
• Combine errands into one car trip
• Telecommute

FOOD

• Grow food
• Buy a greater percentage of less-energy-to-create foods
• meat requires more energy than almost all non-meat foods
• organic local is best; local non-organic next; organic non-local is next; non-organic, non-local is last
  (Average grocery item travels 1,200 - 1,500 miles)
  (Hawaiian pineapple, Spanish clementines, Chilean grapes etc)
• Drink local water instead of packaged water or soda
• Buy from local farmers through farmers' markets or co-ops
  (e.g., Clintonville Co-op or CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) local farm)
• Microwave oven - for smaller portions of food, or water, microwave uses up to 65% less energy than gas or electric oven or stovetop when cooking, reheating or defrosting.

HOME

• Improve house
  • More insulation
  • More energy efficient windows (different ones on sunny side vs. shady side)
  • Caulk/weatherstrip - windows, doorjambs, thresholds
  • Replace furnace with higher efficiency model
  • Insulate hot water heater (do not go to central tankless model - does not save)
  • Replace old toilet with low-flush toilet
  • Use window shades & drapes to prevent heat transfer
• Use less air conditioning in summer (raise thermostat, use fans - whole house exhaust or attic-only exhaust or inside house fans)
• Use less heating in winter (lower thermostat)
• Replace old appliances and computers with energy star models (www.energystar.gov)
• In summer, shut off gas furnace's pilot light
• Use all natural, non-toxic household cleaners (e.g., for carpet, upholstery, floor, sink, toilet)
• Turn down thermostat on hot water heater
• Run dishwasher only when it is full
• Wash clothes in cooler water, both wash and rinse cycles
• Dry clothes in the air, outside or inside
• Replace air filters frequently in forced air systems
• Use more energy efficient light bulbs where appropriate
• Use less hot (and cold) water when showering
• Decrease (eliminate) lawn chemicals or pesticides
• Mow grass with non-motor mower
• Replace lawn with ground cover or other plants, especially native plants that don't require watering
• Compost
• Plant trees near home to keep it cool

OTHER

• BRING YOUR OWN BAG instead of using store-supplied shopping bags (plastic or paper) - cloth bags pay for themselves in 2 years or less, or use no bag, when possible
• Print on both sides of computer printer paper (one Simply Living member can supply all the "reuse" paper you need)
• Don't dry clean
• Buy clothes made from hemp or organic cotton
• Recycle by:
• Buying/selling through garage/yard/church sales and thrift or consignment shops
• Give away goods through your local freecycle system, e.g., groups.yahoo.com/group/FreecycleColumbus
• Recycle old furniture instead of landfill (Furniture Bank by Material Assistance Providers - www.mapfurniturebank.org)
• Buy minimally packaged goods - ultimate is buy in bulk/unpackaged - Clintonville Co-op, Wild Oats, Sunflower (High St near Hudson), Beechwold Natural Foods, Whole Foods
• If you buy in bulk, bring your own containers - staff will gladly "tare" your containers.
• Sign the EDF's petition to curb CO2 emissions by passing the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act actionnetwork.org/campaign/globalwarming_petition?source=
• Contact your federal, state and local government officials about changing legislation/regulations to use less energy. See Progress Report on Local Action Plan on Global Warming at www.sustainableportland.org. Then click "Publications & Reports", then scroll down to "Global Warming".

Updated 12/2005

Back to the Simply Living's Peak Oil homepage.