Reducing Personal Consumption

[matrixman]

I'm posting this to honor Earth Day and to complement Skyweir's environment thread. Please don't take this as a holier-than-thou rant: I'm as guilty as anyone of being a wasteful consumer. But I recognize the waste and it does weigh on my mind, no doubt about it.

As a perhaps naive but nevertheless admirable way to motivate its citizens to take action on climate change, the Government of Canada has a program called the One-Tonne Challenge. It asks Canadians to reduce their annual greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by one tonne. The average Canadian produces five tonnes of GHGs each year, so one tonne is a reduction of about 20%.

This is meant to be a reasonable and realistic goal. Of course, it's up to the individual citizen to decide what constitutes a reasonable goal. I guess we're fortunate that we still have the latitude to decide how to address climate change on our own. We're not yet at the point where global environmental pressures are forcing critical decisions upon us.

Anyway, I thought I'd share some "starter tips" from the One-Tonne program that might be of interest and some use to my fellow Watchers. If the info is useless to you all, well, at least no one got shot in the making of this post. The figures are specific to us wasteful Canadians, of course, but you get the picture:

On the Road

Drive less by taking public transit, car-pooling, walking or biking, and tele-working. If you drive 20,000 kilometres a year, reducing your annual distance by 2000 kilometres or 10% will reduce your GHG emissions by half a tonne or more, plus you'll save money and help give us cleaner air.

Drive smarter. Try combining your errands, working flexible hours to avoid rush hour traffic, and using ethanol blended gasoline.

Don't idle. Idling for 10 minutes a day can produce about a quarter tonne of CO2 emissions each year and cost you about $70 in wasted fuel.

When buying a new vehicle, choose a fuel-efficient one. Switching from a sports utility vehicle to a mid-sized sedan will reduce your GHG emissions by 2 tonnes a year. Buy the most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets your needs.

Check your tire pressure once a month. Did you know that 70% of vehicles have at least one tire that is over or under-inflated? Maintaining the correct tire pressure could reduce your GHGs by at least 1/8 tonne each year and save $50 in fuel costs.

At Home

Draft-proof your home. Use caulking and weather-stripping to reduce your home heating needs by up to 20%, and reduce your GHG emissions by up to half a tonne.

Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They last up to ten times longer and use one-quarter of the electricity of a regular incandescent light bulb. Replacing 5 regular light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent lightbulbs will reduce your GHG emissions by 1/8 tonne.

Install and use a programmable thermostat. For every 1° C you lower your thermostat you can save 2% on your heating bill. A reduction of 3 degrees C at night or when you are away during the day provides optimal savings and can reduce your GHGs by half a tonne.

When buying a new appliance, choose an energy-efficient one. A 2002 model EnergyStar qualified refrigerator uses less than half the electricity of a unit built ten years ago, and can reduce your GHG's by 1/10 of a tonne each year.

Reduce your household waste. In Canada, about 25% of our garbage is currently recycled or composted. But studies show that much more - about 70% of our household waste could be. A family of three can reduce their GHGs by more than 1/8th tonne each year by composting.

[Loredoctor]

Excellent thread, MM!!

[variol son]

In New Zealand we can now recycle plastic rubbish bags as of tomorrow. The bags are melted down and made into a substitute for treated timber that can be used for fence posts, pavement and garden edging, etc etc. This is quite a big thing for us, as, even though we have a clean, green image, we are woefully indifferent about actively having to do anything ourselves to keep our country that way. At least we were. I think things are picking up.

Sum sui generis
Vs

[Edinburghemma]

Great post MM. I am a keen believer in all things green, and try everything I can to minimise my waste and polluting activities. I am sure all of us want to, but many don't have the necessary impetus or indeed knowledge to do so effectively. I am sure the more threads we get of this nature, the better it is for all of us.
It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.
As Jonathan Porritt says (FOE) "seeing, living and being green is a form of self-empowerment; a practical, unpretentious commitment to the dispossessed, to future generations, and to the Earth itself."

[matrixman]

Some more useful ideas:

To reduce home energy use, look around your house. Do you really use all the things plugged into your wall? Once you unplug various items you may notice how little you actually use them. Other ways to save energy:

-Microwave ovens tend to be more efficient than conventional stoves and ovens. However, if frequently used for defrosting and warming, energy savings may be diminished.
-Only use your dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer when you have full loads.
-Turn off appliances, lights and electrical equipment when not in use.

Cutting back on hot water use is an important step in reducing home energy consumption. Baths and showers account for about 40% of household hot water use. Installing low flow showerheads and faucets can reduce water use by 20% to 40%.

Also, take a quick shower instead of a bath. A 5-minute shower, for instance, uses up to 50% less hot water than a bath.


Personally, I've committed myself to at least some of the above tips, such as taking showers instead of baths and using a low flow showerhead. I also mainly use my microwave oven rather than my stove, which I seldom touch. I also wash my dishes by hand; for a single person, I think a dishwasher is overkill.

[danlo]

Reminds me of the old hippie bumpersticker: "Save water, shower with your steady!"

[Tulizar]

Some more useful ideas:

To reduce home energy use, look around your house. Do you really use all the things plugged into your wall? Once you unplug various items you may notice how little you actually use them. Other ways to save energy:

-Microwave ovens tend to be more efficient than conventional stoves and ovens. However, if frequently used for defrosting and warming, energy savings may be diminished.
-Only use your dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer when you have full loads.
-Turn off appliances, lights and electrical equipment when not in use.

Love thue ti'ps!!

My keyboagrd is not behuavingr so my 'post is bgrief.

No AC = low bills & low energy use.

[Worm of Despite]

I'm not the type of person to go out of my way to do the "environmentally right" thing. I love this planet, but I'm the type that doesn't care until you lose it.

A lot of the stuff you mentioned I already do, especially the "turn off lights when not in use" one. But that's less about the environment and more about me thinking too many lights on at one time is tasteless. I like dim, sparse lighting. But that's for the Fashion Forum, if there was one.

[Iryssa]

Good post, Matrixman!
My parents have replaced all the lighting we could with compact flourescents...I don't think we've needed to change a bulb for over a year.

I burn candles as often as possible to save on electricity...and I like to brood in the dark

[sindatur]

They're great tips, but I question the statistics, the average person uses (Emits, whatever) 4 tons, yet, the savings tips adds up to more than 4 tons, so the math can't be right.

I use most of them, however, my AC is precious to me, so it stays at 75 degrees Farenheit (I'm a smoker, so I get hotflashes)

[matrixman]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

It bears repeating that these aren't radical steps that require people to give up modern comforts, but realistic, small-scale actions. So yes, things like turning appliances off when not in use seems like a no-brainer, but it's something everyone can do. The question is, does everyone do that or remember to do that?

Of course, it's unfair to just paint homeowners as waste producers. What about office buildings, our workplaces? I wonder about the amount of energy these places suck up and the amount of waste they spit back out. But that's out of our control as individuals. A way to tackle office waste would be to have a dedicated recycling program--for paper, at the very least. My workplace does recycle paper, and I'm very glad for that. We go through a LOT of paper in one week's time--and I consider our building to be a modest-scale site! At a mere 7 floors, we're far from one of the big boys with their own zip code, but we still eat up plenty of paper for what we do. We used to have a Recycling Committee that oversaw all our recycling efforts, but committees seem to have a certain limited lifespan and then peter out. Budgetary constraints don't help the cause either.

So it still boils down to what we can do in our homes. At least there we can control our choices.

Re: the numbers -- it says the average Canadian produces 5 tonnes of GHGs, not 4, so I don't think we're in danger of violating any laws of mathematics yet. But, sindatur, I'm impressed that you actually added up the tonnage! Give this person...an environmentally-friendly, er, personal floatation device! Yeah, that's the ticket!

[Iryssa]

Another little tip; keep your engine in good health! You would not believe some of the nasty emissions some cars are spewing out (as if the ones from well-maintained vehicles aren't bad enough)...I was just thinking about it today when I got behind some old truck that was leaving a nasty, smelly black cloud behind it everywhere it went...it's gross..

Besides avoiding that kind of nastiness, getting your oil changed, filters cleaned, and a tuneup will do wonders for reducing emissions and keeping everything running smoothly...I think residents of Vancouver Island actually have to meet a certain standard when it comes to keeping their vehicles from producing unnecessary emissions...I don't know how they enforce that kind of thing, but it probably does wonders for reducing emissions.

[Ylva Kresh]

Digging up an old thread that I felt deserved it...

I am getting more and more scared - I am starting to believe that the green house effect is far more advanced and occuring at a much higher speed that anyone predicts. All the scientific reports seems to be rather careful in their predictions. The last year has been the warmest for quite a long time here in Sweden, and one hot year is not that strange - but it has acctually been escalating for the last 5 years in a row now. This "winter" I have not seen more than a maximum of 15 days of snow and very few days more of temperatures below zero (Celcius). It might be coincidence. Or it might not be.

I have at least decided to change all my old light bulbs to low-energy versions (=compact fluorescent light bulbs?) even though I don't like the light from them (it looks bleak and cold I think, not at al cosy...). I will also try to get enought money to buy a hybrid-car (batteries) when I have to get rid of my very very ooold one (preferlingly before it gets rid or me). I will also try to start up my compost again and sort all the garbage with greater energy than I have so far (I admit to being a lazy person).

I should also try to minimize my traveling - which will be hard since I will live in Scotland for at least 4 months and would like to go home at least once every month...

- A frightened Ylva Kresh

[sindatur]

Ylva, certainly I agree Global warming is a real problem, and that Humans have alot to do with.

But, keep in mind, that tempatures and weather patterns, do indeed go in cycles. 40-50 years ago, they say we were in the same cycle we are in now, so, I wouldn't worry about the world ending tomorrow, just keep up your efforts, and try to convince others to make efforts as well, and we should have a number of years before things get really bad. Only 15 days of snow, though, that does sound pretty dire for your part of the world. It would be helpful if the Gov'ts recognized the issue does loom, and businesses weren't afraid of implementing solutions, as alot of the solutions can actually be more profitable to them in the long run, than what they are afraid of giving up.

[Avatar]

Ylva Kresh! What a pleasure to see you back at the Watch.

Check out the "An Inconvenient Truth: Global Warming" and "Human Impacts on CO2 Levels" threads for more on this ongoing issue.

How many years we have before things get really bad doesn't matter I think Sin. The point is, that things will get bad.

--A

[matrixman]

Wow, didn't think I'd see this old thing resurrected, but thanks for you input, Ylva!

I've switched all my lighting to compact fluorescent bulbs. Yes, their light may seem a little harsh at first, but I rather like the change. I got the cool-white type, which supposedly mimics natural sunlight. Anyway, it works for me.

Like you, Ylva, if I were to get a car, I'd want it to be a hybrid, too. I just wish there was a greater push for hydrogen energy here in North America. I've heard that European countries, especially Germany, have been leaders at implementing hydrogen refuelling stations in their cities.

Oh, and I might as well provide an update: the One Tonne Challenge I mentioned in my initial post is a defunct program now. Also, the current Conservative government scrapped Canada's commitment to the Kyoto Accord in favor of a "made in Canada" program to address climate change. But it became evident that the Conservatives had never really been interested in developing an alternative strategy. The whole "made in Canada" thing was a smokescreen. But now the fragile minority Conservative gov't is scrambling to present itself as a "greener" party than the opposition, now that the environment has seemingly become a hot button election issue.

I've taken myself out of the global warming debate. I just do what I can on a personal level - simple things like those light bulbs. Beyond that, I've got other things to worry about. Good luck to you, Ylva, if you want to wade into that debate.

[Avatar]

If everybody just did exactly that, (what they could on a personal level I mean), we could probably made noticable inroads if nothing else into the problem.

--A

[Prebe]

Has anyone seen a cradle to grave analysis of environmental impact of flourescent energy saving light bulbs? I was just wondering, as I looked at the one in my bedside lamp. It looks a damned sight more intricate than your average light bulb.

[Avatar]

Isn't it just a more compact version of a flourescent? Sorta folded in on itself?

Still, I would like to see an input vs output analysis of it.

--A

[sindatur]

Ylva Kresh! What a pleasure to see you back at the Watch.

Check out the "An Inconvenient Truth: Global Warming" and "Human Impacts on CO2 Levels" threads for more on this ongoing issue.

How many years we have before things get really bad doesn't matter I think Sin. The point is, that things will get bad.

--A

Agreed, I just think at this point we should only be concerned and do what we can and keep the debate alive, not be panicked that things are going to be dire tomorrow. The more dire you make things sound today, the less likely the naysayers are to give you credibility.