Reducing Your CO2 Emissions
Following are tips on how you can directly reduce your CO2 emissions on a daily basis. If you follow some of these tips, you will find that becoming carbon neutral can also be dollar neutral with the money you save.
Auto Travel Tips
Think Before You Drive
Telecommute
Choose A Fuel Efficient Vehicle
Drive Smart
Air Travel Tips
Household Tips
Monitor Your Heating and Cooling
Use Passive Solar Heating
Lower Your Water Heater Temperature
Use Efficient Lighting
Unplug Electrical Equipment
Put Your Computers to Sleep
Check Your Refrigerator and Freezer
Buy Energy Efficient Appliances
Wash With a Full Load
Get a Home Energy Audit
Weatherize Your Home or Apartment
Buy Locally
Reduce Your Waste
Plant A Tree, Protect A Forest
AUTO TRAVEL TIPS
The transportation industry is one of the largest sources of climate change emissions in the United States. Transportation in the US is responsible for approximately 27% of all CO2 emissions. In fact, American cars and pickup trucks are responsible for nearly half of the CO2 emitted by automobiles globally. Consequently, to effectively reduce our CO2 emissions, we must modify our driving habits.
Think Before You Drive
Consider public transportation, carpooling, walking and biking as an alternative to driving your vehicle. Also, reduce the amount you drive by planning ahead and combining your errands.
Telecommute
Depending on your particular work responsibilities, telecommuting enables you to work at home all or some portion of the week, reducing your emissions from traveling to work. Ask your employer about telecommuting as an alternative to coming into the office every day.
Choose A Fuel Efficient Vehicle
When buying your next vehicle, look for one that has a high fuel economy rating. A vehicle that gets 20 miles per gallon will emit about 50 tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. A car getting 40 mpg will emit half that much and will save roughly $3,000 in fuel costs. (See www.fueleconomy.gov for a fuel economy comparison guide.)
Drive Smart
Reduce your CO2 emissions and the amount you spend on fuel by following these simple steps:
- Avoid hard acceleration because this uses more fuel.
- Keep your speed down. For every mile per hour (mph) faster than 55 mph, fuel economy drops by about 1%. The faster you go, the faster the fuel goes.
- Turn off your engine if you think you’ll be stopped for more than 30 seconds.
- Make sure your car is serviced regularly. A tune-up could boost your miles per gallon anywhere from 4 to 40%; a new air filter could get you 10% more miles per gallon. Have the A/C coolant recycled.
- Check your tire pressure regularly. If all Americans kept their tires properly inflated, gasoline use nationwide would come down 2%.
- Travel outside of rush hours to avoid congestion and unnecessary idling.
- Travel light and remove unnecessary loads and racks when not in use.
AIR TRAVEL TIPS
Reduce Air Travel
Aircraft emit out carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases high in the atmosphere, where they do even more damage than close to the ground. The official Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change calculates that commercial aircraft are responsible for at least 3.5% of global warming, equivalent to the emissions from all of Canada. There does not seem to be a good alternative to flying — other than not flying.
You can reduce your air travel by utilizing new technologies such as webcams, virtual meeting spaces (e.g. WebEx), and teleconferences to hold meetings with people far away. When you do have to fly, choose direct flights whenever possible to reduce CO2 emissions. Buy renewable energy certificates (RECs) to offset your carbon emissions, and include the cost of RECs as part of your normal business travel expenses.
HOUSEHOLD TIPS
Making your home energy-efficient helps to reduce air pollution and prevent global warming. Every time you flip on a light switch, run your dishwasher or turn on your air conditioner or furnace, you use energy, which means more pollution from power plants. The more energy we save at home, the more we can help protect the climate from overheating.
Monitor Your Heating and Cooling
Heating and cooling systems consume more energy than any other system in your home. Set the air conditioning (A/C) to a moderate 78°F and the heating at 68°F. You can cut 5-8% off your bill for every degree change in the thermostat. Replace your standard thermostat with a programmable one that has an automatic timer. It will keep your heating and A/C off while you are at work and turn itself back on before you get home.
Use Passive Solar Heating
When it is cold but sunny outside, leave shades and blinds open to take advantage of passive solar heating; then close them at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows. Close shades and blinds during hot summer days or when the air conditioner is in use to reduce solar heating.
Lower Your Water Heater Temperature
Many water heaters are set at a higher temperature than necessary (120°F is sufficient). For every 10°F you drop the water temperature, you can save 6% on your water heating cost. If your water heater is over 5 years old and has no internal insulation, wrap it with an insulating jacket. Better still, purchase a solar water heater or tankless unit.
Use Efficient Lighting
Lighting can account for as much as 20% of your household energy use. Don’t sit in the dark, but whenever possible turn lights off if you don't need them, and replace your traditional incandescent bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. Fluorescent lights are 80% more efficient, and you’ll save $30-$45 over the lifetime of the bulb.
Unplug Electrical Equipment
Use power strips to switch off televisions, home theater equipment, and stereos when you're not using them. The "standby" consumption by this equipment can be equivalent to that of a 75 or 100 watt light bulb running continuously.
Put Your Computers to Sleep
Enable the "sleep mode" feature on your computer, allowing it to use less power during periods of inactivity. In Windows, the power management settings are found in your Control Panel. In Macintosh, open the Apple menu, then "System Preferences," and look for energy saving settings.
Check Your Refrigerator and Freezer
In most households, the refrigerator is the single biggest energy consuming kitchen appliance. Set your refrigerator temperature between 38° to 42° F. Your freezer should be set between 0 and 5° F. Use the power-save switch if your refrigerator has one, and make sure the door seals tightly. Vacuum the coils on the back of the refrigerator every 3 months. If you have an old refrigerator or freezer, defrost it regularly. If your refrigerator is more than 15 years old, consider replacing it with a new, more energy efficient unit, which can be as much as 50% more efficient. Replacing a refrigerator bought in 1990 with a new ENERGY STAR qualified model would save enough energy to light the average household for nearly four months.
Buy Energy Efficient Appliances
Household appliances account for about 20% of annual home energy consumption. When purchasing new appliances, look for the Energy Star label, which identifies the most efficient appliances. You may spend a little more up front, but you'll save a lot on electricity — and reduce CO2 emissions.
Wash With a Full Load
Run your washing machine or dishwasher only when you have a full load. Wash clothes in cold or warm water. Use the energy saving setting to dry your dishes.
Get a Home Energy Audit
The typical American family spends close to $1,500 a year on utility bills. As much as half of that expense could be saved by making the home more energy efficient. Whether performed by you or a professional, an energy audit can help you determine where your house is losing energy and what changes would most improve its efficiency.
For a list of home energy audit options, including online tools, click here.
Weatherize Your Home or Apartment
You can cut your heating and cooling expenses and reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a minimal investment. Use weather stripping to seal drafts around windows and doors. If a draft comes through electrical outlets or switches on outside walls, install foam draft blockers behind the cover plates. Insulate your walls and ceilings; this can save about 25% of home heating bills. If you need to replace your windows, install the best energy saving models.
Buy Locally
Lifestyle choices can make a big difference in your environmental impact. By purchasing products that are produced locally, or as close as possible, you are directly helping to reduce transportation emissions both locally and globally. And, locally grown food, in season tastes better!
Reduce Your Waste
Buy food and other products with reusable or recyclable packaging instead of those in non-recyclable packaging. Choose reusable products over disposable ones.
Plant A Tree, Protect A Forest
Trees absorb CO2, reduce the need for air conditioning by shading your house in summer, cut down on heating costs by shielding it from wind in the winter.
