You Say You Want a Resolution
Well, you know, we all want to change the world. And with that in mind, here are a few ideas for your New Year's Resolution. Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments. And a Happy New Year to everyone. Let's make it a good one.
1) Read one authoritative book on global warming. Al Gore's book version of An Inconvenient Truth is excellent, but just in case you don't trust his take on things, here are some other titles to consider:
3) Conduct a home energy audit. Find out how much power you use domestically and where you can trim it down. Pick the lowest hanging fruit first -- things like extra insulation and more efficient lighting can make a world of difference.
4) Experiment with alternatives to driving. Maybe you can telecommute to work once or twice a week. Or carpool? How about riding your bike to the store for that half gallon of milk?
5) Measure your carbon footprint and consider what it would take to become carbon-neutral.
1) Read one authoritative book on global warming. Al Gore's book version of An Inconvenient Truth is excellent, but just in case you don't trust his take on things, here are some other titles to consider:
- Field Notes from a Catastrophe by New Yorker staffer Elizabeth Kolbert
- The Weather Makers by Australian scientist and Man of the Year, Tim Flannery
- The Discovery of Global Warming by Spencer Weart
- What We Know About Climate Change by MIT climate scientist Kerry Emanuel, (the shortest and most accessible of the bunch).
3) Conduct a home energy audit. Find out how much power you use domestically and where you can trim it down. Pick the lowest hanging fruit first -- things like extra insulation and more efficient lighting can make a world of difference.
4) Experiment with alternatives to driving. Maybe you can telecommute to work once or twice a week. Or carpool? How about riding your bike to the store for that half gallon of milk?
5) Measure your carbon footprint and consider what it would take to become carbon-neutral.
40 Comments:
Great resolutions! This months Sierra magazine prompted me to think about my environmental resolutions for the year as well. Please visit my blog to check out our resolution series for keeping toxins out of our world and our kids. It's called Non-Toxic Kids and the address is: http://nontoxickids.blogspot.com.
Here's another useful book:
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein
which includes information about a nascent worldwide trend to privatize public resources, such as water, in the face of disasters-- war, tsunami, hurricane.
Thank you for the mention of other books. Not all of us are 100% trusting of Al Gore (have never trusted him) - I like the alternative sources. I am going to read the MIT book for starters so I can tell others who also doubt Gore of the facts on global warming from other sources and maybe they will start to come over to the green side.
Another book that is an interesting read, and brings an interesting angle to the debate is "The World Without us" by Alan Weisman
Excellent ideas! Please visit my blog for some more reasons to get excited about the possibilities for change in '08! Check it out at weeklyway.blogspot.com
Great idea! But global warming is just the beginning: solving that is necessary, but what about deforestation? Ground water toxification? The Ozone layer? Species destruction? Overpopulation? A very quick, and interesting, read is A Short History of Progress. For more (much, much more), try Jared Diamond's "Collapse". New data conflict with some details of what he's written, but don't really affect the message. It just might be the most important book ever written.
Stop a coal plant!
Sure cycle to the store to shop, but MILK? Cheese Louise! The dairy industry is one of the worst sources of toxic waste, so how about picking up some soy milk instead? Most critters get weaned at a young age. It's time for us humans to grow up.
Another fascinating book is Collapse, by Jared Diamond.
My resolution is to introduce the world to flexible carpooling. It is more convenient than the traditional form of carpooling. While it uses the internet it is not ride matching, nor is it car sharing like Zip or Flex. To learn more google 'flexible carpooling'. The easiest way to double the energy intensity of a car is to add a passenger. Lets leave some cars behind at the flexible carpool park!
The carbon footprint calculator does not consider food choices. Eating local, organic and low on the food chain is one of the most important things any one person can do to reduce their carbon footprint. And in fact, is one of the easiest and inexpensive things they can do.
These are great, but I'm surprised that buying clean power didn't make the list. One of the easiest, highest impact things you can do. See Clean Volts for more info.
My family decided today to make a compact not to buy anything new for a full year. Our 8 and 4 year old girls are already talking about making birthday gifts for their friends. We are deciding if we should stop the newspaper, we know the answer but I am not sure if we are ready! Kerry, Mpls
After witnessing the destructiveness of the oil spill in the SF Bay, and hearing that China is building many new coal power plants for their industry, I have resolved not to buy anything made in China, but as much as possible to buy locally made or used stuff. After all, we are creating the demand for those manufactured goods that the plants are being built to run, so we have a lot of responsibility in the US for what they do.
My wife and I now live in our new earth sheltered home, with earth berms on 3 sides and 3 feet of earth on the roof. We burn no fossil fuels and emit no greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Next we want to generate our electricity from the wind, further reducing our carbon imprint.
The methane gas produced from the huge numbers of animals raised for food is a major contributor to global warming so an easy way to help reduce global warming would be to switch to a vegetarian, or even better vegan, diet. This would also have an immediate personal benefit in that it would be much healthier for you as well as the planet.
Hi earth persons:
I'd like your idea, could you talk more about it or send me a picture of your earth home? I'de love to do something like that.
Thanks,
Clara
clamora2@gmail.com
I just had a Home Energy Audit this week from a local, family-owned business which I learned about through a Sierra Club meeting. I haven't rec'd my report yet(it takes a few days) but we discovered a huge issue that will DEFINITELY pay for the cost of the audit, and then some! I highly recommend it.
Go Vegan!! (or as close as you can!)
This is the single most effective step we as individuals can take to decrease our carbon footprint.
http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_veggie/ALL/1395//
Just google: vegan carbon footprint if you want to know more!
The most effective resolution any person could make for 2008 is to stop eating meat and dairy. 18% of greenhouse gases are caused by farming animals to eat. The cost to change your diet = $0.00 In fact, you can save money by not buying meat. A veggie diet costs far less than a meat-eaters, so you can put some of the money saved toward buying organic, chemical-free foods as much as possible. Help save the planet for future generations of our descendants!!! Stop eating animals!!! Stop the addiction to eating animals!!! Check out the documentary EARTHLINGS (clips are on YouTube) Check out the videos on www.petatv.org and www.peta.org Animals are not ours to eat, or to wear, or to experiment on, or for our entertainment, or for people to abuse in any way. As long as there are slaughterhouses there will be battlefields. The same indifference towards animals is how some people view other people. It is time for us to evolve to a better understanding of our place on this planet. We are earthlings. Animals are earthlings.
For a carbon calculator that does include your diet, check out The Nature Conservancy at www.nature.org It is the only carbon calculator on the web that factors in the meat factor. 18% of greenhouse gases are caused by eating meat and dairy.
You can save more water by not eating just 1 lb. of beef than by not showering for an entire year!
A meat-eating diet requires more than 4000 gallons of water per day. A veggie diet requires only 300 gallons per day.
Farming animals to eat is a major cause of greenhouse gases, water usage and pollution, land use and degradation, forest destruction, loss of habitat for wildlife, air pollution, energy and natural resources consumption, human illness and cancers, and world hunger.
It takes up to 16 lbs. of feed (soy, corn, etc.) to produce just 1 lb. of meat. More than 70% of the grains and cereals that are grown are fed to farmed animals. The land is being used to farm animals to kill and eat instead of growing food to feed hungry people.
You cannot be a meat-eating environmentalist.
Ride the train instead of driving your car or flying
Why is there such reluctance to deal with the obvious?
We have too many people! Education and access to accurate information about birth control is critical. Available and safe methods that let us make decisions about when and whether to have children could ease the burden on this planet.
Women who have access to education and a means of making a living have fewer children, regardless of religion, class, or culture. Those they do have tend to be healthier.
Check out the clock that shows the growth rate of the human population, maintained by Population Connection. It is scary.
Abstinece only education and the gag rule must go.
Wonderful comments, everyone. I don't get the "distrust" of Al Gore. but there are plenty of other sources. He didn't make it up.
When people ask me why I'm vegetarian, I tell them it's for my health, for the environment, and to live by my ethical standards. Meat is NOT necessary to nourish us, and causes illness.
GET YOUR ENERGY AUDIT TOO! I've had a couple, and have really cut my gas & electric use. Here are the details for those interested:
ACTUAL RESULTS AFTER IMPLEMENTING ENERGY STAR IMPROVEMENTS
After comparing the energy audit results and recommendations of three different contractors in 2006, I chose one of the companies to complete the majority of work that needed to be done to make my home more energy efficient. (Other contractors completed smaller jobs.) The main contractor initiated the paperwork necessary for me to receive not only a $6,000 Energy Star grant, but also a 4% low interest loan through NYSERDA. Here is a list of the work done:
1. Replaced 1950’s era gas furnace with new high efficiency model
2. Replaced a nearly 20 year old refrigerator with an Energy Star model
3. Replaced a 1970’s era (avocado anyone?) washer with Energy Star model
4. Replaced (4) ten+ year old low-quality vinyl windows with Energy Star windows (remainder of windows already replaced with triple-pane vinyl windows)
5. Replaced (6) single pane basement & garage windows with glass block windows
6. Added Air Krete ® http://www.airkrete.com/ insulation in all exterior walls
7. Added foam insulation to all rim joists, and under house wing over garage
8. Replaced rear and side exterior doors (front door already replaced)
9. Finished installation of Hunter Cool-Vent TM panels on roof over vaulted ceilings http://www.hpanels.com/pages/cool-vent_articles.html
I now have a year’s worth of data on the resulting energy savings, from my local utility’s website showing my homes energy use over the past two years.
· My gas usage in therms decreased by 25%
· My electricity use in kWh decreased by 44%
Not too shabby, and I still have things to tweak.
Marjorie Campaigne
18 Maxson St.
Rochester, NY 14609
Use my website as a resource to find hundreds of energy and money saving tips, plus hundreds of nature and eco-website links.
www.Project-HOUSE.us
Household Opportunity to Upgrade & Save the Environment
There are a bunch of great websites out there that can folks easily reduce their carbon footprints. One especially fun and effective site is carbonrally.com.
Users pledge to take small challenges each week that reduce their carbon footprints, and you can set up teams and compete. Check it out.
Bike to work! Bike to the park! Bike to school! Leave the car parked at the curb for a day, a week, a month. Feel the liberation, the joy of moving under your own power. Release the petro-shackles from your ability to get around.
Pick up at least 10 pieces of trash each day as you go about your activities. Do it for a month, do it for the whole year. Recycle as much of it as you can. Rejoice at your self-empowerment to make the world a better place. Change the world for the better, starting right where you live. It's not about being a member of any club, it's about taking responsibility for our community and world.
see www.kab.org
Work for conservation organizations to help educate the public about water quality, work with landowners (read farmers), conduct long term land use planning that includes alternative energy provisions. Here make life better for the environment, the animals, and humans that all must co-exist. Read books about Great Lake management, threats and policy. Support local food, sustainable production methods, and the harvesting of overabundant deer populations for food, Eat this sustainable meat and do the world a favor. I eat meat, and yes, I am an environmentalist. Before we sit upon our soap boxes, lets open our minds. Only through incremental, logical, and realistic, inclusive solutions will we get through this challenge as a global society.
I agree with the previous comments about harvesting overabundant deer for food. High deer populations compromise plant diversity, with particularly troubling impacts on wilderness areas.
Another book that should be mentioned is "State of Fear" by Michael Crichton. It is a novel, but he has some eye opening things to say about global warming.
Great comments.
I agree especially with the comment about our reluctance to talk about population. I think it's a whole different discussion, but population seems to be a touchy, but probably most significant environmental topic.
I've been hearing alot recently about ways to increase personal energy efficiency. However, I keep thinking that it would be nice to see some suggestions that work for people like me, renters with an income of less than $15,000 a year in the most expensive city in America. It would be nice to see suggestions for those of us not rich enough to have a house to make improvements to.
Outside of Al Gore's movie about global warming, it seems as if many other Hollywood stars are rising up to advocate support of the global warming crisis.
Leonardio DiCaprio released a documentary-movie earlier this year called, "11th Hour," and Keanu Reeves teamed up with musician Alanis Morrisette to create a documentary about global warming also called, "The Great Warming."
PBS also has some great movies/documentaries about global warming to purchase through their gift store and catalog. All worth checking out to increase your knowledge about environmental issues that endanger our sustainable future.
Educating yourself as a 2008 New Year's resolution, is a self-gratifying growth experience. To learn more about our environment is helpful on any level as we continue the fight for a eco-friendly harmonious existence.
Another easily understandable book - with a specific plan to make an aggressive transition from fossil fuels - without going nuclear, is S. David Freeman's book, "Winning Our Energy Independence: An Insider Shows How." Given the author's background of running the TVA, the LCRA, LA Power and Water; etc and his appointment by the governor to serve as the "Energy Czar" during California's energy crisis, his plan cannot be easily dismissed by the fossil fuel or coal industries - or other nay-sayers who continue to claim that continued long-term reliance on coal is necessary.
Wow, I really needed to read through these posts. I feel like for everyone of "me", there are 10 of "them". I've been green for well over 20 years (and I'm only 42!) and often wonder "where the heck has everybody been?" now that we have a "green" boom. Man, I hope this lasts.
But our lifestyle of comsumption, whatever it is we comsume, has set the model for the over-populated world. How do we defeat that?
Check out http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html
Want less, "need less," buy less. For example, have you ever worn clothes until they are actually WORN out?
When you do buy, think in terms of birth to death (energy to produce/energy to dispose).
Another book recommendation: The Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawkins. Get your books from bookmooch.com (and exchange your read ones with other readers for the cost of postage).
Use a clothesline.
While getting those of us who are environmentally conscious to do a bit more is certainly worthwhile, finding creative ways to (kindly) get the message to those who simply don't care (for a variety of good and less good reasons) could be a very big help.
To Clara and anyone else interested in earthen homes that do not need to be hooked up to "the grid" and use outside energy: look up the growing cob cottage/earthen building movement by logging onto www.cobcottage.com or just googling cob houses. My oldest son apprenticed with Cob building guru Ianto Evans, in Oregon, last year, and is now traveling the world building earthen dwellings for some very happy and energy-self-sufficient people who are leaving little to no carbon footprint.
Shop at garage sales and rummage sales. Pick up useable trash from the curb to either use or donate to Goodwill, etc. Less trash in the dump and less need for new stuff. Have garage sales or donate useable items. Fix broken items rather than throwing out and buying new. Loose weight and wear your thin clothes at the back of the closet, rather than buying new fat clothes. Be creative with what you already have.
For the renter who is looking for energy saving tips, the Department of Energy has a very good website from their division, EERE (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy). It's full of tips for energy efficiency and renewable energy and includes some suggestions for renters/apartment dwellers.
Nuclear power would allow us to pull out of the Middle East entirely. We have done enough damage in these people's countries, starting with our carving up of their lands after WWI. How about getting out and leaving them alone?
How can we continue sending people into the ground to dig up coal, a dirty, dangerous occupation for them and dirty and dangerous for the environment. How many people in this country have died in mining accidents? How many people have been killed by nuclear power plants?
Nuclear power is clean and cheap, and it CAN BE SAFE! Breeder reactors consume almost all of their own fuel and produce little waste. Can't we at least look into nuclear power? THERE IS NO FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVE. NOT THE SUN, NOT THE WIND, NOT THE DAMS, NOTHING.
We need to do this now, regardless of who or what is causing climate change.
The Green Challenge (www.green-challenge.org) thinks these resolutions are a good idea.
We really do hope Mr. Obama wins the race, and the campaign but more importantly his policies can be influenced by Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Schwarzenegger, and Mr. Gore.
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