How to Reduce Your Greenhouse Gas Emissions
House & Garden
Fruit and vegetables in supermarkets and most markets are often shipped or flown from distant countries, even if they can easily be grown locally. This requires the burning of fossil fuels for transport, so buying locally grown produce can save a lot of oil.
Ø Redecorate with Eco-products.
Use latex paint rather than oil-based.
Ø Sign up for renewable energy.
Ø Reduce your heating.
Weather-proof your home. Caulk and weather-strip your doorways and windows.
Unplug your cell phone charger, TV and other electronics from the wall when you are not using them, because they use energy when plugged in and on standby. The process can be made easier if you have everything plugged into a surge protector with its own switch.
Turn off lights and other energy-sucking devices when they aren’t being used.
Replace older light bulbs with energy-saving fluorescent bulbs. Fluorescent light bulbs are a little more expensive, but much more efficient - they use about a seventh of the power and last about 12 times longer.
Replace fluorescent light bulbs with Ultra Compact LEDs (UCLEDs). These use less energy and last longer than fluorescent light bulbs. Additionally UCLEDs do not contain any dangerous mercury. Even though LED light bulbs are currently more expensive, remember that your money is spent for a good cause: it will pay for the development of cheaper and more effective generation of LEDs.
If you're leaving your computer for a while, put it on stand-by. You'll be able to restart it quickly, and it'll take less energy than shutting it down and then restarting it.
Ø Try alternative energy devices
Solar energy, especially solar collectors for water heaters, is possible for most homes. Some companies will buy back excess electricity.
Ø Buy durable goods.
Buy items that will last instead of buying the same item several times in a decade. It will save on transport and manufacturing emissions.
Ø Reduce the usage of refrigerants and air-conditioners.
Ø Pack your refrigerator more tightly to reduce cooled air.
Ø Use a reel (cylinder) lawnmower
Ø Reduce your fully vented septic tank greenhouse gases by using a septic vent pipe filter.
Water Conservation
Ø Take short showers and share bathwater.
Ø Turn off taps properly.
Especially when brushing your teeth - every little bit helps.
Ø Fix dripping taps.
The constant drip wastes water, energy and money, so repair them as soon as possible. You can also save by installing an inexpensive "flow control" device in shower heads and faucets.
Ø Turn down your water heater.
The water heater is the second largest energy consumer in the home and using it efficiently can reduce emissions. If your house will be vacant for two or more days, you can lower the temperature of your water heater or even switch it off until you return.
Ø Use appliances efficiently.
Running the clothes washer with a full load and using cold water (30 degrees Celsius) whenever possible can lead to big energy savings. Use detergents that clean clothes effectively in colder water.
Ø Use an efficient dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand.
The more efficient models of dishwasher use less water and power than washing dishes by hand, which uses many bowls of hot water. Only run it when it's full.
Transportation
It may take up to one year for one tree to fix the amount of CO2 found in 3 liters of gas, so:
Ø Buy a bike and use it.
With gas prices so high, it will pay for itself. Ride it to work, to run errands, or to have fun. Everyone benefits when you ride a bike. You help conserve our limited oil resources, you are not polluting, and you are exercising. Encourage your spouse, kids, co-workers and friends to join you. Some companies have even started offering incentives to employees who bike to work. Ask your employer about installing a shower at the office for longer, or hotter, commutes. Bikes can be loaded on buses to extend its range.
Ø Buy an electric bike or an electric motor adds on kit for a regular bike.
This is a significant benefit for those who aren't in shape, have a long way to cycle, have to bike on hot days or don't want to sweat, or have to ride through lots of hills.
Ø Walk short distances rather than drive.
Ø Use public transportation or carpool for long trips.
Ø Consolidate your trips.
If you must drive to do laundry, shopping, etc., plan to do all weekly errands on one day. You can get everything you need in one trip, saving you money and time. It's also more fuel efficient to start a car if it's already warmed up.
Ø Use less gas.
The gas you pump into your car or SUV is derived from fossil fuels which, when burnt, release a good share of greenhouse gases into the air.
Ø Consider ditching the car altogether.
Ø Research biodiesel.
This is a diesel made from a percentage of plant and animal fat (in some cases reused fat). This is not suitable for all diesel engines.
Ø Research energy efficient, electric, hybrid and diesel engines when buying a new car, motorbike or scooter.
Diet
Ø Eat low on the food chain.
This might mean becoming vegetarian or even vegan. On average, it takes nearly 10 times as much fossil fuel to produce animal protein compared to plant protein, like beans and grains.
Ø Buy local produce when you go to the grocery store rather than items trucked in from far away, and bring it home in reusable bags.
There can be exceptions, as when imported food has been produced in a more sustainable way than local and then shipped (energy efficient) rather than flown (very energy inefficient).
Ø Buy sustainable or organically-produced food.
Conventional farming uses massive quantities of petrochemicals in the manufacture of artificial pesticides and fertilizers and to run farm machinery. Organic and other traditional or natural farmers use minimal fossil fuel inputs. Some even use draft animals instead of internal combustion engines.
Ø Buy only post-consumer recycled paper products, including toilet paper and tissues.
The paper industry is the third greatest contributor to global warming emissions. Buying recycled is as important as recycling - it's called "closed loop" recycling.
Don’t buy from companies that refuse to make post-consumer paper! Producing new paper, glass, and metal products from recycled materials saves 70% to 90% of the energy and pollution that results from products made from virgin materials.
Ø Buy certified FSC wood to support sustainably managed forests.
This includes garden furniture, wooden-handled hair brushes and bird boxes.
Ø Take corporate action.
Tell the companies you invest in that you care about global warming and you will pull your investments if they don’t address the issue.
Ø Look for the Carbon Counted logo.
There is a logo called Carbon Counted that companies can put on their products to communicate their carbon footprint. Look for products that have a low Carbon Counted footprint number.
Ø Avoid using plastic bags from grocery stores.
The 5-cent solution has gone into action in many stores, which is charging a 5 cent fee on a plastic bag. Use reusable bags, boxes, or just carry your items. If you need a plastic one, make sure you use it again and again.
Ø Look into Transition Towns.
This is an initiative that focuses on the strength and sharing of community to cope with the peak oil phenomenon.
Ø Knowledge is power.
Learn everything you can about global warming. What is it? How does global warming work? Why is it happening? What are the causes? What are the critics saying?
Ø Write to the editor of your local newspaper about the dangers of global warming.
Ø Start a petition.
Then hand this over to the local politicians.
Ø Call a local radio talk show to tell them you care about global warming or to question a skeptic.
Ø Join a national or local environmental group that is fighting the climate crisis every day, so their membership numbers swell and their voice has more power.
Ø E-mail relevant articles to your friends and family to get them up to speed about global warming.
Ø Write to your local council to ask for environmentally minded services such as recycling collection.
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