Hi All, Climate Master John Fischer here with KLCC's Living Less Unsustainably.
This time of year take-offs on the “12 days of Christmas” are common for comic, fundraising, and serious education. I won't subject you to that, but I do have 12 things you can do to halve your carbon footprint ranging from “Duh!!” to “that's easy.”
I'll pass them on in that order.
1. Don't waste food. Eat it later, freeze it if there's too much. Bring your own container for restaurant leftovers. 1a. Don't throw food, or yard waste in the garbage can. It produces methane, a very potent climate changing gas.
2. Cut back- way back - on meat and cheese - beef is 10 times worse for the planet than chicken - even grass-fed beef. Meatless Monday is a good, but mostly ineffective idea. Legumes, like lentils, sequester carbon. Mac and cheese sauce can be made with nutritional yeast. Get creative. The internet is full of good (tasting) ideas.
3. and 4. Drive less by planning out trips to be efficient - you'll save time too. And get a more efficient vehicle - electric is great in the Pacific Northwest. Hydropower is the source of most of our electricity. It can harm fish, but work is being done. It has flooded too many beautiful places - thankfully, some dams are coming down. Yes, electric vehicles have an impact. Mining for lithium - once - has impacts, but pumping for oil - forever - has much more impact. The batteries are easily recyclable, but have not needed to be much yet. Here's a link to a website comparing costs and emissions of ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vs EV, Hybrid, and PHEV (Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle). All electric always wins Finally, Drive like you care. No need to rush to that next stop stoplight so you can slam the brakes on.
5. Reheating your house is ALWAYS more efficient than keeping it warm. Turn the thermostat down when you are gone, or asleep. Ask any physicist about the second law of thermodynamics.
6. Use zonal heat. Heat just the room you're using - not the whole house.
7. Get a heat pump for the house, and for your water heat. The energy savings will pay back the costs, and there are rebates and tax credits available too.
8. Grow some of your own food - and don't waste it. You'll save transportation emissions, and eliminate packaging.
9. Fly rarely, and stay awhile. No weekend European weddings. 5% of warming effects come from air travel. Frequent fliers - one international trip per year, or three domestic flights puts you in the top 10% who are responsible for three quarters of all air travel emissions. Small planes and private jets are the worst by mile, but frequent fliers are perpetual polluters. If you don't book, the planes won't fly, and emissions will go down.
10. Turn off the lights -- when you aren't in the room. And use LED bulbs.
11. Buy less stuff - especially clothing you wear only once or twice. Donating it does not eliminate it's impact. And mend or fix broken things rather than replacing them
12 . And finally, buy in bulk with your own re-used containers.
I'm John Fischer with Living Less Unsustainably.
