| Vol. 9 | No. 2 | Spring 2007 |
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A Personal Climate Solution |
Global warming is the most serious environmental problem facing the world. Recent studies have concluded that in order to avoid dangerous climate change, the United States and other industrialized nations must reduce their global warming emissions to 20 percent of the current levels by mid-century.
This goal is achievable; taken over time, the reduction is equivalent to approximately three to four percent a year. Nevertheless, meeting this goal will require strong leadership at the federal, regional, and state levels, and consumers must do their part as well. To help reduce your household emissions, we offer the following strategies.
Sweat the Big Stuff
The car you drive is likely your household’s biggest source of global warming pollution, releasing 25 pounds of heat-trapping emissions for each gallon of gasoline it burns. The most obvious solution is to drive less; the average American drives 15,600 miles per year, so a four percent reduction would be equivalent to driving about 12 fewer miles per week. Carpooling, walking, bicycling, or taking public transit just a couple days a week can easily achieve these savings.
Better gas mileage also makes a difference—just one to two more miles per gallon reduces your vehicle’s global warming emissions by four percent. You can improve your car’s fuel economy by:
• minimizing high-speed driving (fuel economy drops 17 percent between 55 and 70 miles per hour);
• applying modest, even acceleration and braking;
• idling for no more than 30 seconds (which gets you zero miles to the gallon);
• using tires with low rolling resistance (which can improve fuel economy three percent); and,
• keeping tires properly inflated.
When the time comes to buy a new car, choosing a model that gets significantly better mileage than your current model will help you achieve several years’ worth of emission reductions at once.
Energy consumption is also a leading source of household emissions, with heating and cooling equipment, lighting, and major appliances topping the list of energy hogs. Start by replacing traditional (incandescent) light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, and older appliances or equipment with Energy Star-rated models, then consider buying “green power” (electricity generated from renewable resources such as the sun and wind) to offset your electricity-related emissions. This is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to reach or exceed your four percent emission reduction goal.
Smaller but still effective steps include insulating attics, crawlspaces, and ducts, and sealing air leaks around windows and doors. Lowering your water heater’s thermostat 10 degrees (or to 120 degrees Fahrenheit) or your heating thermostat by two degrees can both reduce your energy use three to five percent.
While harder to quantify, shopping at your local farmers market or buying regional foods will also reduce your household’s emissions (by minimizing the amount of transportation required to get your food to the dinner table).
Power in Numbers
If you’re already well on the way to achieving your share of the “four percent solution,” encourage your friends, family, neighbors, local businesses, and elected officials to take up the challenge. “People and institutions need to work together,” says UCS Clean Vehicles Research Director David Friedman, “so we can live and work in a way that ensures our long-term economic and public health.”
To calculate your total household emissions and find additional emission-reduction strategies, visit www.climatestar.org.
Also in this issue of Earthwise:
Dialogue
How can compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) be "environmentally friendly" if they contain mercury?
