84 ways you can help the planet
SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. Energy conservation can be simple, but it has a big impact. If every home in the United States replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), the energy saved would prevent greenhouse-gas emissions equivalent to taking more than 1 million cars off the road, says Arthur Rosenfeld, a physicist and member of the California Energy Commission. He also says that if Americans achieved a 2 percent reduction in energy use each year for the next 30 to 40 years - a feasible rate - we would be halfway to stabilizing our greenhouse-gas emissions. “What many people don't realize is how easy conservation is,” says Rosenfeld.
MAKE SURE “OFF” IS OFF. Household electronics account for more than 25 percent of home electricity use, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Since chargers for iPods, cellphones, electric drills, and the like draw electricity even when not connected to their mates, these should be removed from sockets as soon as the devices are juiced. Anything with a standby light - TVs, for example - should be plugged into a power strip that is shut down when not in use. (Electronics qualified by the federal Energy Star program - a joint effort of the EPA and the Department of Energy - use lower wattage in standby mode.)
REDUCE, THEN REUSE, THEN RECYCLE. In the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, authors William McDonough and Michael Braungart - an architect and a chemist who collaborate on developing ecologically-smart products and materials - note that “more than 90 percent of materials extracted to make durable goods in the US become waste almost immediately.” Think about it: Whether you buy a candy bar or a DVD player, you will undoubtedly toss some packaging into the trash before ever taking a bite or watching one movie. Someday there will likely be a wide variety of packaging that can be composted or endlessly reused and recycled; until then, consuming less that's new, reusing anything you can, and recycling what's left are your best options.
AND THEN RECYCLE EVEN MORE. When citizens ask for and participate in recycling programs, cities respond. Boston Recycles launched a pilot program this year in Jamaica Plain and Roslindale that gives residents large, wheeled bins for all of their recyclables - there's no sorting wine bottles from newspaper from plastic. “The results are very encouraging,” says James W. Hunt, chief of Environmental and Energy Services for the city of Boston, who notes that recycling tonnage has gone up 53 percent in those areas. No matter where you live, recycle as much as you can, and ask your municipality to do more.
CONDUCT AN AUDIT. More than 20 percent of the atmosphere-warming carbon-dioxide emissions created in the United States come from energy used in homes, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. Getting a professional energy audit is the single best way to identify and solve inefficiencies, experts say, which, of course, can save homeowners money on energy bills, too. Some utilities, such as KeySpan (keyspansaves.com), now part of National Grid, offer help setting up audits and provide rebates for weatherization upgrades and equipment improvements.
STOP HAND WASHING THE DISHES. Good news: Using the dishwasher is actually better for the planet than washing dishes by hand. The average energy-efficient dishwasher uses just 4 gallons per cycle, saving as much as 5,000 gallons of water per year compared with hand washing, as well as $40 in energy costs and 230 hours of washing time, according to the EPA.
REPLACE WITH ENERGY STAR. When you need a new major appliance, heating or cooling device, or light fixture, buy an Energy Star model. Prices vary, but many manufacturers offer a range of certified products. “There are two price tags when you buy a product,” says Maria Vargas, EPA spokeswoman for Energy Star. “The actual one, and what it costs to operate a device over its lifetime. The Energy Star promise is payback on your energy bills within five years or less.”
POWER THE GRID. Going “off the grid” - living without power from central utilities - sounds like a good way to lessen your personal impact on global warming, but there's a better way to help. Homes that use a decentralized renewable energy source like solar panels can sell excess power back to the public utility provider. In Massachusetts, utilities are required to offer “netmetering,” a system that allows the meter to spin backward when a home creates more power than it uses, sending energy back to the supplier and showing up as credit on bills.