Ideas for energy conservation from several sources:

• EcoAction's energy consumption calculator andeco- tips
• Energy Action Planner
• The movie: An Inconvenient Truth

Online energy consumption calculator

Here's an easy to use "Eco-Calculator" from EcoAction to calculate your savings in greenhouse emissions for the planet ~ and for your pocketbook.

Energy Action Planner (EAP)

This is part of the 'Greening Sacred Spaces' program from Faith and the Common Good. Scroll down to obtain a printable EAP booklet or to read the tips online.

EAP booklet

EnergyActionPlanner.pdf

Full of ideas to reduce energy consumption in your home.

EAP summary

GENERAL

1.  Set thermostat (for heating) 1°C / 2°F lower 24 hours a day.

2.  Set thermostat (for cooling) 1°C / 2°F higher 24 hours a day and/or 2°C / 4°F higher at night.

3.  To keep the heat in (during winter), close window coverings each night and open for the daylight hours on sunny days.

4.  To keep the cool air in (during summer), close window coverings for the daylight hours on sunny days.

5.  Clean or replace your furnace filter (should be done every two months).

6.  Use cold water instead of hot water every time you possibly can when you wash your clothes.

7.  Reduce the number of drying cycles by half (by hanging your clothes or making sure your dryer is full).

8.  Turn radiators down and keep all air vents and doors to unused rooms closed when your furnace or air conditioner is operating.

9.  Clean the condenser coils on the back of your refrigerator by brushing off or vacuuming the dust.

10.  Use your dishwasher only when full; use the energy-saving or light wash cycle; select the air dry option.

11.  Turn off lights, computers and TVs when not in use.

12.  Close the fireplace damper or air-tight fireplace door after each use of your fireplace.

 

HEATING AND COOLING

Set thermostat for heating back: (SELECT ONE)

• By 2°C / 4°F 24 hours a day 

• By 2°C / 4°F at night only 

• By 2°C / 4°F during the day and 3°C / 6°F at night 

Set thermostat for cooling up: (SELECT ONE)

• By 2°C / 4°F higher 24 hours a day 

• By 4°C / 8°F higher at night only 

• By 2°C / 4°F higher during the day and 4°C / 8°F at night 

Use fans in conjunction with your air conditioner 

Do comprehensive draft-proofing, such as:

• Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows

• Cover windows and unused doors with plastic sheeting 

• Install insulating gaskets in electrical outlets and light switches, and install childproof plugs in the same outlet (particularly on outside walls)

Upgrade attic insulation to R40 (about a foot in depth) 

Upgrade basement insulation to R-18 

Install double glaze low-e argon-filled windows throughout your house 

Permanently seal an unused fireplace 

 

HEATING WATER

Lower hot water tank temperature by 5°C / 10°F and aim for the ideal energy savings temperature of 49°C / 120°F (run hot water from your tap onto a meat thermometer to figure out the temperature)

Place insulation around at least the first three feet of water pipes attached to your hot water heater

Install a low-flow showerhead and faucet aerators 

Repair leaky faucets and showerheads throughout your house 

 

LIGHTING

Replace frequently used incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (SELECT ONE)

• Replace 2 bulbs 

• Replace 4 bulbs 

• Replace 6 bulbs 

Replace frequently-used outside lights with motion detecting lights.  Install timers for frequently-used outdoor lights 

 

APPLIANCES

Discontinue use of a second refrigerator.  Discontinue use of a stand alone freezer 

Replace low efficiency furnace with high efficiency furnace 

Install a tankless hot water heater 

Replace an old refrigerator or freezer with a new energy efficient one 

 

SWIMMING POOLS

Set your pool heater thermostat back: (SELECT ONE) Use a solar blanket to cover your swimming pool for each night of the summer season when the outside air temperature is cooler than the pool water 

• By 1°C / 2°F 

• By 2°C / 4°F 

• By 3°C / 6°F 

An Inconvenient Truth (AIT)

Source: http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/whatyoucando/   

AIT printable version

InconvenientTruth-WhatYouCanDo.htm

AIT summary

GLOBAL WARMING: WHAT YOU CAN DO  --  REDUCE YOUR IMPACT AT HOME

Most emissions from homes are from the fossil fuels burned to generate electricity and heat.  By using energy more efficiently at home, you can reduce your emissions and lower your energy bills by more than 30%.  In addition, since agriculture is responsible for about a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, you can reduce your emissions simply by watching what you eat.

Here’s how:

·         Replace your regular incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL)

• CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb.  [Note: If every household in Canada replaced just one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, greenhouse gas emissions would be cut by nearly 400,000 tonnes and save $73 million in energy costs.  To replace your 60-watt incandescent bulb, ask for the following kind of Compact Fluorescents:  “compact minis” – 13 to 15 watt – 2700K which is the same colour as incandescent.]
• Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
  • Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling.  You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.
• Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
  • Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
• Install a programmable thermostat
  • Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night [or when you are out of the house e.g., during working hours] and raise them again in the morning.  
• Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
  • Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models.  If each household in North America replaced its existing appliances with the most efficient models available, we’d eliminate over 175 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year!
• Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
  • You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action.  You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Use less hot water
  • It takes a lot of energy to heat water.  You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.
• Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
  • You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.
• Turn off electronic devices you’re not using
  • Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you’re not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
• Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them
  • Even when turned off, things like hairdryers, cell phone chargers and televisions use energy.  In fact, the energy used to keep display clocks lit and memory chips working accounts for 5 percent of total domestic energy consumption and spews 18 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year!
• Only run your dishwasher when there’s a full load and use the energy-saving setting
  • You can save 100 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
• Insulate and weatherize your home
  • Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.  Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year.
• Be sure you’re recycling at home
  • You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.
• Buy recycled paper products
  • It takes 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.
• Plant a tree
  • A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.  Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%.
• Get a home energy audit
  • Many utilities offer home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient.  With recommended changes, you can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
• Switch to green power
  • You can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar.  [Investigate www.bullfrogpower.com]
• Buy locally grown and produced foods
  • The average meal can travel thousands of km from the farm to your plate.  Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.  Buying locally is preferred to buying organic when the organic produce must be shipped from a great distance.
• Buy fresh foods instead of frozen
  • Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.
• Seek out and support local farmers markets
  • They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth.
• Buy organic foods as much as possible
  • Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms.  If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!
• Avoid heavily packaged products
  • You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%.
• Eat less meat
  • Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters.  Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.

GLOBAL WARMING: WHAT YOU CAN DO -- REDUCE YOUR IMPACT ON THE ROAD

• Almost one third of the carbon dioxide produced comes from our cars, trucks and airplanes.  Here are some simple, practical things you can do to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide you produce while on the move.
  • Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible
  • Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year!  Find transit options in your area.
• Start a carpool with your co-workers or classmates
  • Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year.
• Keep your car tuned up
  • Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions.  When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.
• Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated
  • Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%.  Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!
• When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle
  • You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets an additional 3 miles per gallon.
• Try car sharing
  • Need a car but don’t want to buy one?  Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance.  These companies may offer low emission or hybrid cars.
• Try telecommuting from home
  • Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week.
• Fly less
  • Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly.  You can also offset your air travel by investing in renewable energy projects or carbon credits.

HELP BRING ABOUT CHANGE LOCALLY, NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY

Your actions to reduce global warming can extend beyond how you personally reduce your own emissions.  We all have influence on our schools, workplaces, businesses, and on society through how we make purchases, invest, take action, and vote.  Here are some ways you can have a positive effect on global warming.

·         Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions

o        You can extend your positive influence on global warming well beyond your home by actively encouraging others to take action.  Download toolkits for schools and businesses to take action outside of your home.

·         Join the virtual march

o        The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort to bring those concerned about global warming together in one place.  Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of others urging action on this issue.  www.stopglobalwarming.org

·         Encourage the switch to renewable energy

o        Successfully combating global warming requires a worldwide transition to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass.  These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them.  Take action to break down those barriers.

·         Protect and conserve forests worldwide

o        Forests play a critical role in global warming: they store carbon.  When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is release into the atmosphere -- deforestation now accounts for about 20% of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

 

If you believe in prayer,

pray that people will find the strength to change.

When you pray, move your feet…
- Encourage everyone to see the Al Gore movie An Inconvenient Truth
- Vote for leaders who pledge to resolve this crisis
- Learn as much as you can about combating global warming
- Then, put your knowledge into action!