So, I thought I would be clever in a follow-up the other day on my post on oil addiction. Started looking at the 12 steps, thinking about ways to apply each of the steps to things that I have done and can do to cut oil. But it turns out, it's been done, and done, and done, and done.
So, On With the Show
There is no 28-day program to clean this mess up. Half of the electricity consumed by Americans is generated by coal. One percent of the energy produced in the US is used to manufacture drywall. The US has a fraction of the world's oil supply, but uses a quarter of the world's oil. Like a junkie needs a dealer, the US needs Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Venezuela.
If they decide to cut our supply, we're going to get a hell of a jonesing. Those of us who have already made some accommodation will be better off.
There's cold turkey. You could go off-grid like Jackson Browne, Brian Liloila, or like the BBC sit-com in the 70's about a couple that went the self-sustaining way, "The Good Life". (A bit of urban homesteading.) But, getting up at 4am, milking the cows, gathering the eggs, slaughter the pig, then having ham and eggs for breakfast just isn't my thing.
Steps We've Taken So Far
With our household, it's one step at a time.
- Replaced all bulbs but a few with CFLs or LED lights.
- Power-strips to completely turn-off some appliances except when in use.
- Smart power strips on the computer and the entertainment center, to cut power to the surrounding devices when the primary device turns off.
- Started line-drying about half of our clothes.
- Keep the cars maintained and the tires properly inflated.
- Insulated the ceiling of the garage, to keep the bedrooms above a bit warmer.
- Cut our purchases of plastic products.
- Cut our purchases of Chinese made products.
- High-efficiency furnace and heat pump.
- Insulated windows installed as soon as we moved in.
- Foam sealant behind all of the electrical sockets.
- Electric lawn-mower.
- Lower thermostat and sweaters during the winter. We use an electric blanket, and the boys have a space heater, since they are completely incapable of keeping the covers on.
- Eating much less meat, especially beef.
- Showers instead of baths, and shorter showers, at that.
- Programmable thermostat.
- Eating locally grown and seasonal food.
- I'd like to further insulate the attic.
- Finish insulating the ceiling of the garage.
- At a green expo a few months ago, I chatted with an insulation guy who suggested sealing off the tops and/or bottoms of the wall seams in the attic and garage. A lot of heat gets sucked up through the walls via the chimney-affect, or so he says.
- We're talking to an electrician about a solar panel installation; the effectiveness will be hampered by the height of our neighbors trees. But, I know a guy that knows how to sneak up trees when nobody is looking, and "clean them up".
- Improve the shading on the house during the summer.
- Maybe cutting back to one car. The combined mileage of the two cars is 253,000. So, one is bound to die soon enough.
- See if we can get rid of the second fridge in the garage.
- Cut back on the number of TVs and other appliances in the house, especially older ones.
- Focus efforts on reducing usage and purchases.
- Get my butt on my bike to get to work or telecommute more.
Some articles for reference
- 36 ways to reduce home energy use
- 12 ways to green your home for winter.
- 11 energy saving tips for fall
- 5 steps for a lower carbon diet
- 12 energy saving daily habits
I need to heartily and vocally disagree with Sarah Palin's comment that while climate change is a real problem, it doesn't matter what causes it. To me, that's the equivalent of treating pneumonia with prayer.
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