I was reading my friend Wendy Battle's Blog this morning (www.healthy-endeavors.com) and saw that today is Blog Action Day. Being relatively new to blogging I had no idea such a thing existed but I knew immediately I wanted to be a part of it :-)
When it comes to climate change there are many ways we can help. We can be a part of the large movement and support efforts. Check out Greenpeace.org and get involved!
The Copenhagen Climate Summit takes place in December 2009. The goal of the summit is to have our world leaders present and commit to:
- Make sure emissions peak in 2015 and decrease as rapidly as possible towards zero after that
- Developed countries must make cuts of 40 percent on their 1990 carbon emisisons by 2020
- Developing countries must slow the growth of emissions by 15-30 percent by 2020, with support from industrialised nations
- Protect tropical forests with a special funding mechanism - forests for climate
- Replace dirty fossil fuel energy with renewable energy and energy efficiency
- Reject false solutions like nuclear energy
What can you personally do to help?
Go to Greenpeace.org and sign the petition to ask our heads of state to personally attend.
Attend an event on October 24, which is International Day of Climate Change. Click the preceding link and use the handy map tool to find events in your area.
We can also battle climate change right in our own homes and buildings. Here's a brief list from Greenpeace.org
1. Use efficient lighting
Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs). Compact fluorescents use four times less energy, and last eight times longer (8,000h instead of 1,000h) than incandescent light bulbs.
2. Buy efficient electric appliances.
They use two to 10 times less electricity for the same functionality, and are mostly higher quality products that last longer than the less efficient ones. In short, efficient appliances save you lots of energy and money.
3. Refrigerators:
Buy a high efficiency refrigerator that consumes around 100 kWh/y. This is 10 times less than the average in the US, and four times less than the EU average. For most home consumers it is better to buy a two door refrigerator/freezer combination with separate compartments, than a separate refrigerator and freezer. Refrigerator/freezer combinations where the freezer is at the top or bottom of the unit are generally better than ones with side by side doors. Of course, you should always compare energy consumption ratings, pay attention to energy efficiency labels (see above), and look for Greenfreeze technology.
5. Clothes washing machines
Buy a high-efficiency model with a power consumption of less than 0.9 kWh/washing cycle.
Buy a high-efficiency model with a power consumption of less than 0.9 kWh/washing cycle.
6. Clothes dryers
Consider drying the natural way (i.e. on a clothes line outdoors) if practical, this will save you 3-4 kWh/washing cycle. If line drying is not an option, first make sure that your washing machine can spin at 1600 or even 1800 rpm. This will almost halve the energy needed for drying. Drying through spinning is 20 times less energy intensive than with heat.
There are two clothes-drying technologies that use far less energy: the gas-fired clothes dryer and the dryer with an electric heat pump. The gas-fired dryer is the best alternative, especially for more intensive use: it uses 60 percent less energy (including the gas) and dries 40 percent faster. If gas is not available, consider a dryer with a heat pump. A heat pump dryer will use half the electricity of a traditional dryer. However, heat pumps can be rather expensive.
Consider drying the natural way (i.e. on a clothes line outdoors) if practical, this will save you 3-4 kWh/washing cycle. If line drying is not an option, first make sure that your washing machine can spin at 1600 or even 1800 rpm. This will almost halve the energy needed for drying. Drying through spinning is 20 times less energy intensive than with heat.
There are two clothes-drying technologies that use far less energy: the gas-fired clothes dryer and the dryer with an electric heat pump. The gas-fired dryer is the best alternative, especially for more intensive use: it uses 60 percent less energy (including the gas) and dries 40 percent faster. If gas is not available, consider a dryer with a heat pump. A heat pump dryer will use half the electricity of a traditional dryer. However, heat pumps can be rather expensive.
7. Dishwashers
An efficient dishwasher consumes no more than one kWh/washing cycle, compared with 1.4 kWh for an average model. Consider a 'hot fill' model which connects directly to your efficient gas fired hot water heater. That way, gas is used to heat the water instead of electricity, thereby reducing electricity consumption by 50 percent, or even up to 90 percent for the top models. This is because gas is almost twice as efficient for heating water as electricity. Note that installing a 'hot fill' needs to be done properly so good advice is required.
8. Computers and IT
Buy a laptop instead of a desktop, if practical. It consumes five times less electricity.
9. Cut off standby losses ("The vicious energy-suckers")
Most modern electric appliances consume electricity even when turned off. For TVs, VCRs, faxes, HiFis, computer screens, cable boxes, and broadband modems this is on average some 40 – 120 kWh/y. In total, household losses can reach several hundreds kWhs/y, all for doing nothing useful.
The best solution is to buy appliances that have a very low standby energy consumption.
A power strip is also the most practical way to switch of VCR, TV and DVD-player stand-by losses (you can cut off all three devices at once).
A power strip is also the most practical way to switch of VCR, TV and DVD-player stand-by losses (you can cut off all three devices at once).
10. Do not use an electric boiler (hot water heater) for hot water ("Heat the water, not the sky!")
An electric boiler consumes about 3,200 kWh/y (average OECD). But producing that electricity in highly inefficient gas, coal or nuclear plants, and then transmitting that electricity down the power line to your home costs some 9,600 kWh in electricity wasted as heat - so roughly 2/3rds of the energy is lost before it even reaches your home. Using gas or oil directly to heat water reduces energy use to 3,800 kWh.
A solar boiler can further halve that figure to 1,900 kWh in a moderate climate zone (and even less in sunny regions) - for a total energy savings of about five times what the electric boiler uses. However, do not use a solar boiler combined with an electric heating, as this will be less efficient than a gas boiler alone - the energy cost of the electric heating usually wipes out the savings gained by the solar boiler.
11. Use a water-saving shower head
The water-saving shower head delivers high comfort for only half of the water use (5-7 litres/min. Instead of 10-18 litres/min.).
12. Do not use electric space heating
Same reasons as for the electric boiler. Instead add insulation, and (ideally) heat your house using a renewable energy solution like solar thermal. However, gas heating is still far better than electric heating.
To see the full details of the above list go to: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/climate-change/take_action/your-energy
For more information and additional resources visit www.blogactionday.org
There are many things we can do to help. Individually and collectively, we CAN make a difference!
Please don't hesitate to send me your additional thoughts.
Be well,
Rhonda