Cut your Carbon Footprint, Save Money
As energy costs rise and the risk of accelerated global climate change is affirmed, reducing fuel usage is more important than ever. The following are some ways to help, without making big sacrifices.
1. Cutting fossil carbon pollution is largely a matter of reducing fuel usage and using renewable fuels that result in little net CO² accumulation. Something typically excluded from low emission claims. This includes lowering electricity usage, since over half of the power generated in the U.S. is from fossil fuels. See below for some easy, specific ways to trim fuel and power consumption.
2. When possible, use alternative transportation, such as walking, bicycling, or mass transit. Otherwise, try to combine tasks and carry passengers. Choose your most fuel efficient vehicle for solo and long trips.
3. When purchasing your next vehicle, choose a relatively efficient model, perhaps a hybrid or one that can run on alternative fuels like biodiesel. The sooner efficient vehicles gain market share, the faster we’ll see a real transition on our roadways. Even some “cleaner diesel” non-hybrids (such as the Volkswagen Golf TDI, Jetta TDI, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class) are a better option than a standard gasoline engine. Although current diesels are in some ways a lesson in tradeoffs, higher efficiency and biodiesel compatibility can make them worthwhile, and improved models will arrive after 2008. Considering a heavy SUV or truck as a primary mode of personal transit? Ask yourself if it’s really worth the disproportionate impact these vehicles have, including on future generations. Even with hybrid technology, excess weight and surplus power are killers of average fuel economy.
4. Reduce your consumption of meats, particularly mass-produced ones like beef. Intensive animal agriculture can be a significant source of greenhouse gas emission (both direct and indirect). Many people eat far more protein than needed from animal products, and with that high consumption comes health trouble too.
5. Buy local (or at least national) as much as possible, particularly for food and heavy merchandise. This reduces the freight transit portion of your carbon footprint.
6. The three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) help conserve resources and energy. Example: Except in voltage-sensitive applications or emergency equipment, use rechargeable batteries. Also, avoid replacing items that can be repaired or restored (unless they waste energy).
7. Contact your senators, representatives, and your governor, and let them know you’re concerned about America’s energy future and global climate change. Urge them to work for reasonable efficiency standards (also vital for economic reasons). Also, show your concern via StopGlobalWarming.org, and Help educate
8. Regardless of your political persuasions, or your impression of Al Gore, “An Inconvenient Truth” is a compelling (though not perfect) presentation of the basics, and a portion of gross ticket sales go to The Alliance for Climate Protection. Preview: The original presentation the film is based on (broadband connection required/233.8 MB). Not as vivid as the film, though.
Share the Truth provides free tickets & DVD’s
Make a request, or donate.
9. See something misleading in the media? Say something. Thousands, if not millions, of people can be exposed to misinformation via television, radio, and newspapers. Insisting on greater accuracy could help keep reporters on their toes.
10. Investors: Increase your holdings in responsible companies that focus on efficiency technologies and environmentally conscious resource management.
11. With the help of nitrogen and minerals, plants use carbon dioxide and water to produce carbohydrates. So planting trees with a moderate growth rate and decent life expectancy can help store excess carbon (the net amount varies by species and situation). But there are a few caveats: Outside of the tropics this may have limited offset potential, and new plantings (particularly evergreens) that absorb more sunlight than their surrounding environment can actually make a net contribution to warming over time. In some regions, particularly those with high precipitation, replacing native grasslands with trees may result in soil carbon release, countering the positive effect.
For those doing mass plantings, using trees that have some lumber value would prevent carbon stored in the wood from being returned to the atmosphere after decades of growth. Deriving fuels from sustainable wood can also help by displacing fuels that are a net source of carbon. Native forests that are allowed to complete their natural cycles are important, but so are plantations that are carefully managed and harvested.
12. Reduce paper mail received. Consider switching to online/electronic statements if your financial institution offers them. Sometimes they’re available for years past, and they’re usually as legal for tax purposes etc. as a mailed copy (this may vary at a state or local level: Check with authorities). This step not only saves the resources and energy used in paper production and delivery, but you have less clutter to store.
Specific Tips for Saving Fuel & Energy
Transporation
Other than buying a more efficient vehicle, the following will help you get more miles per gallon:
• Check your tire pressure every couple of weeks (when the tires are cool), and keep them properly inflated. Avoid using tires with higher than necessary traction – the extra resistance can cost a lot of extra fuel.
• Driving habits, like frequent hard acceleration and heavy braking, can impact fuel economy. Every time you brake, kinetic energy gained from the combustion of fuel is dissipated as waste heat. Failing to anticipate the need to slow down means wasting more energy.
• Keep up on the servicing needs of your vehicle, especially the basics like air filter replacement, spark plug checks/replacement, and the testing or replacement of oxygen sensors. An old or defective oxygen sensor can affect engine performance and cut gas mileage. Normally, one and two-wire sensors should be replaced every 30,000-50,000 miles, and newer (post-1995) heated-type sensors, with three or four wires, can last 60,000-100,000 miles. It’s easy for a mechanic to test for a failed sensor, but detecting a slow one requires a more expensive oscilloscope or scope meter test. O2 sensors cost around $100 for a typical mid-class sedan, but can pay for themselves in fuel savings.
Don’t neglect oil checks and changes. Although some recommend a change every 3,000 miles, those who usually drive conservatively under normal conditions and do mostly highway or a good mix of city and highway driving can usually change their oil every 5,000 miles. The Saturn S Series is one exception that’s better under the “severe” service schedule, because of their greater sensitivity to oil cleanliness. Some automakers recommend 7500 miles for “normal” use, but depending on the vehicle and conditions this may be pushing it with a conventional oil.
• Avoid opening your windows at highway speeds. Usually, modern cars will use less fuel with the air conditioner running than they will with the extra drag of open windows. Proper refrigerant pressure and a condenser that’s not clogged up with dirt and bugs will help your air conditioner run more efficiently.
• Remove excess weight from your car by unloading things you don’t need to be hauling around.
• Avoid idling your engine unless you really need to run the heater in cold weather. At startup, idling a modern engine more than thirty seconds to one minute (depending on temperature) is unnecessary and wastes fuel. Frequent extended idling can actually be harmful to your engine. A better strategy: Drive away sooner but drive gently until the engine is around normal operating temperature. In very cold weather (0 degrees F or lower), a 3 minute idle time or the use of an engine block heater may be desirable.
Home Energy Efficiency
Lighting:
• Replace your most-used light bulbs with UL-listed compact electronic fluorescent or LED (light emitting diode) lamps. There are several sizes and wattages to choose from, their average life is much longer, and many of them have good light quality. Don’t forget exterior lights, particularly if you leave them on all night.
Heating & Cooling:
• The basic law here is that the greater the temperature difference between the inside and outside of your home, the greater the heat transfer (and energy consumption). During the warm season, maintain a thermostat setting of 78°F, or as warm as tolerable, and perhaps a couple of degrees lower overnight for sleeping comfort. Consider using fans to increase air circulation, and open windows during cool evening or morning hours. This natural cooling can be enhanced by using a fan to exhaust stale air (from an upstairs window in a 2-story home). Plant trees/shrubbery near the Southern and Western sides of your home to reduce solar heating (in temperate areas, use trees that drop their leaves in the winter), and when re-roofing, consider a light to medium gray color to reduce heat absorption. Maintain furnace filters and have your system checked and cleaned every year or two for efficient operation (some utilities offer incentives for tuning/upgrading).
• During the cool season, maintain your home’s temperature at around 68°F, or as cool as tolerable while wearing a reasonable amount of clothing. Decreasing the temperature by 8-10°F overnight and while you’re away can also help (the energy used for recovery is usually less than that lost over hours by a larger inside-outside temperature difference). The ideal approach is to use a programmable thermostat that will raise the temperature before your morning wake time or return home. For heat pumps, a specially-designed setback thermostat with an energy management (“intelligent”) recovery feature is best. Otherwise, leave the system at a constant temperature, or change it no more than a couple degrees at a time to minimize the use supplemental/auxillary (“AUX”) heat. An outdoor temperature sensor can help reduce supplemental heat usage as well. For conventional heat pumps, setting back is best avoided when temperatures will dip below the thirties (F), or snow/ice accumulation is expected.
• If you have zonal heating, keep unoccupied rooms cooler. In homes with central heat, registers in less occupied rooms can be closed, but closing too many (more than ~10%) can restrict flow, reducing efficiency or damaging the system. Air flow is particularly important for heat pump systems, so avoid closing registers.
• Test windows and doors for drafts, sealing and weather-stripping as necessary. Consider adding insulation to older homes and replacing single-pane windows with more energy efficient models. check with your utility for any conservation incentives and/or a free energy audit.
• Check with your local utility for any conservation incentives, payment plans, and/or an energy audit.
• Got a gas fireplace with a continuous pilot light? Shut it off when it’s not used for an extended period, especially over summer. A pilot left on for months without the fireplace in use can significantly increase annual gas usage.
Water Heating:
• Check your hot water temperature. To reduce “standby losses” of energy, keep your water heater at 120 – 125°F (on some gas water heaters, this is the “warm” setting). You can always turn the heater back up a little if the temperature ends up too cool. For older/less efficient models, add an insulation jacket. Other solutions include tankless “on demand” water heaters for smaller households, and solar water heating systems (for which your utility may offer a rebate).
• To save even more money on water heating, especially in older homes, make sure the shower heads you have installed are lower flow models rated at 2 – 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM). Many of the newer ones have enough pressure for effective rinsing.
Appliances Etc.:
• Check the temperature of your refrigerator. It should be around 38-42°F, and the freezer around 0-5°F. If your settings are colder than necessary, you’re wasting energy. Also, keep the refrigerator/freezer as full as practical and clean the condenser coils every year to maintain efficient operation. Many appliance stores carry coil brushes for this, or carefully try a ceiling fan cleaning brush and a vaccuum cleaner for any stray “dust bunnies”.
• Consider replacing an old refrigerator (more than 10 years old) with a newer, more efficient model. If your old unit is to be disposed of, make sure it’s handled by a recycling center that can salvage materials and prevent refrigerant leakage.
• When buying your next washing machine, choose an energy-saving horizontal axis model. These not only save a lot of water and water-heating energy, but they also clean clothes better than a standard vertical axis agitator. When possible, wash clothes in cold or warm water.
• Clothes dryers are potential energy wasters. If you can, air dry your clothes (if you have the yard space, buy a clothes line dryer). Otherwise, use your dryer’s energy-saving sensor setting if you have one, instead of trying to guess how long the dryer should run. Clean the lint trap after every load, and make sure moist air is being properly vented.
• Choose EnergyStar-rated products
• When heating small portions of food, use the microwave oven. Although microwave generation is less electrically efficient than resistive heating, it takes less time to heat food. Microwaves heat directly, rather than spending a lot of energy heating the air in the oven.
• Most modern computers are not power hogs if energy management is enabled. To save some power and reduce a type of wear, set your hard drive(s) to spin down after an hour of inactivity, and shut down the computer overnight or during any long period of non-use. Note that CRT monitors are often the single most energy consumptive part of a computer system. LCD flat panels are better.
• Unplug unused devices, particularly those using large transformer plugs. These use a modest amount of power even when the device itself is off. Over thousands or millions of households, this can make a difference.
• If your home has an air exchange system installed for the purpose of bringing fresh air into the house, consider it’s timing. This is usually adjustable from the air handler unit. These may be set arbitrarily by the installer. If the system seems to be running too long for your house size and number of occupants, it could be wasting energy. You may be able to reduce the amount of time the system is exhausting conditioned air and drawing cold or hot air from outside without adversely affecting air quality. In the first year after a home is built, there’s more of a need for ventilation (and filtration) in order to reduce any pollutants from new carpeting, plaster work, and adhesives, etc. If you reduce ventilation and notice a decline in air quality (stale air, chemical odors, watery eyes…), increase the time a little. In any case, if you do alter the system’s settings, take ventilation time away from the parts of the day that are the coldest in the winter or warmest in the summer, to further reduce energy loss.
