Global Warming: What Can You Do!

13 September 2006

By Kellie Tranter

"The science is unambiguous.  In order to allow the climate to stablise, we need to reduce our emissions globally by 70%." Ross Gelbspan (a key advisor to the former United States Vice President Al Gore).

Most emissions from homes are from 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%.

Here are 25 easy ways to cool global warming:

• Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl).  CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular light bulb.  This simple switch will save about 135 kilograms of carbon dioxide a year.
• Move your thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer.  Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling.  You could save almost 1 tonne of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.
• Clean or replace filters on your air conditioner.  Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 157.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide a year.
• Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases.  Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models.
• 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 (157.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (225 kilograms saved per year) instead of hot. Only fill the kettle with the water you need!
• Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible.  You can save 315 kilograms of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.
• Turn off electric devices you're not using.  Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo and computer when you're not using them will significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions every year.
• Unplug electronics from the wall when you're not using them.  Even when turned off, things like hairdryers, mobile phone chargers and televisions use energy.  In fact, the energy used to keep display clocks lit and memory chips working spews millions of tonnes 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 45 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year.  Better still, wash your dishes by hand. 
• Be sure you're recycling at home.  You can save 1080 kilograms of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.
• Buy recycled paper products.  It takes 70 to 90 percent less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.
• Plant a tree.  A single tree can absorb one tonne of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.  Shade provided by trees can reduce your airconditioning bill by 10-15 percent. 
• Discover how to become a smarter energy user.  Many utilities now provide interactive online tips!
• Switch to green power.  Green power is generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar.
• Try telecommuting from home.  This can help you reduce the number of kilometres you drive every week.  
• Buy locally grown and produced foods.  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 and store.
• Buy organic foods as much as possible.  Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms.
• Avoid heavily packaged products.  You can save 540 kilograms of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%. 
• Reduce the number of kilometres you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking public transport.  Grow legs!
• Car pool with your coworkers or classmates.
• Keep your car tuned.  When car owners properly maintain their cars, carbon dioxide emissions are significantly reduced.
• Check your tyres weekly to make sure they are properly inflated.  Proper inflation can improve fuel consumption by more than 3%. 
• Make sure your voice is heard!  We must have a stronger commitment from our government in order to stop global warming and implement solutions and such a commitment won't come without a dramatic increase in citizen lobbying.