I built my new room, I put in the best insulation I could afford-walls, floor and ceiling. Now I don’t have to use as much heat and it stays warmer longer.
I’m hearing about more ways to keep carbon in the soil when I do my garden. I’ve been using cover crops and mulching and adding biochar, a kind of charcoal. Check it out. My garden looks good and I am helping reduce climate warming pollution.
A few years ago I started looking at how many gas and oil companies were in my retirement funds. A lot of people, organizations, churches, even cities, are divesting from fossil fuel companies. I found some good fossil free funds with a reasonable return and changed to them. Now I feel good because I’m supporting the transition to a sustainable economy.
My friend decided to walk her kids to school two days a week. She had to rearrange their routines which took a little doing, but then she discovered she loved being outside and the walk time with her kids was wonderful
When it’s time to replace my car, I’m definitely going to check out a hybrid or an electric vehicle. They are getting cheaper. I know two families who have electric vehicles and they really like them. I think there are used ones for sale now, so not so spendy.
Solar is getting cheaper. A couple of my friends have put solar panels on their houses and set it up so they have electricity even when there is a power outage. And I’ve heard there are tax credits for installing solar. Sounds like a win win.
We heard we can do an energy audit to evaluate our home’s current energy use. There are some ways to do-it-yourself online. Once we determine what improvements we want to make, Energy Trust can help with cash incentives.
Turning down my thermostat saves me energy. I just put on a sweatshirt and my slippers. Less energy used, less climate warming pollution.
We were looking at switching our heating from natural gas. I’ve heard it’s a big source of climate pollution in Oregon. The most energy efficient way of heating seems to be an electric heat pump. Check it out!
We have discovered that keeping our tires properly inflated (like it says on the driver’s side door jamb) saves gas and so makes less climate warming pollution. Cool!
Did you know that getting your car regularly serviced and especially changing the air filter regularly saves gas and reduces climate warming pollution.
As I get older, I’m in less of a rush. And now I find out that driving 5 mph slower has a big effect on gas mpg. And avoiding unnecessary braking and accelerating actually saves on gas. Calm and consistent means less gas to buy and reduces climate warming pollution.
You know those LEDs use so much less power. I’ve had my LED lights for years, they just don’t seem to burn out.
Dad was right. Turning off the lights when you don’t need them saves energy. And it’s also good to unplug appliances and electronics when you’re not using them, they still use a trickle of energy when they are turned off. If you plug them into a power strip then its easier.
I was looking at getting a new computer. I didn’t think about it but someone said that laptops use less than desktops. Guess that’s another way to save energy and reduce climate warming pollution.
These days I keep my water heater on a lower setting. Apparently you don’t really need it to be hotter than 120 degrees for all uses. Saves energy, saves on your bill, and reduces climate warming pollution!
We choose foods that are in season and are grown nearby. That way we aren’t contributing to all the climate warming pollution from transporting food long distances.
I’ve decided to think about the clothes I buy. Producing clothes causes so much climate pollution. Now I wear them longer, repair when I can, and check out second hand stores for something new to me. Vintage!
Washing clothes in cold water cuts down on a lot of the energy our washer uses. I found that the detergents work fine and I feel better about using less energy.
When we need to replace an appliance, we look for the Energy Star rating. Then we can choose the model that uses the least energy. It saves money over time and reduces climate warming pollution.