It’s that time of year when many of us get together with friends and family to catch up and have spirited conversations. Instead of gathering around the table, many of us will be socializing with family and friends over Zoom. I know I like to let people know what I’ve been doing over the past year and inevitably the conversation turns to how we can be more environmentally responsible. Here are some FAQs for environmentally focused conversation:
- What are the top 5 contributors to climate change?
We call them the Filthy Five and they are:
- Gasoline vehicle
- Natural gas furnaces
- Natural gas water heaters
- Eating large quantities of meat and/or dairy products
- Purchasing carbon-intensive products, especially single use like plastic
- What can I do to eliminate my carbon footprint today?
For #1-3 on the list above, you can convert to vehicles, furnaces and water heaters that are powered by clean electricity from our grid. #4-5 can be implemented immediately.
- Won’t converting to all electric make me more vulnerable during a power outage?
Most gas powered appliances need electricity to power ignitors or to rotate motors or drums. The gas stove is probably the only appliance that will work but a camping stove would work just as well during an emergency and should be part of every Californian’s earthquake kit. For those who must have electrical power, they can pair an appropriately sized battery back-up system with solar panels and live off the grid for weeks.
- I’ve heard that electric appliances are just as dirty as those that use fossil fuels because the electricity used to power them was made in a power plant using fossil fuels. Is that true?
While this was once the case, most places around the US no longer predominantly use fossil fuels. Utilities all over the US are shifting away from polluting coal to clean carbon-free renewable power for their electric grids. Nearly 2/3 of California’s electricity came from carbon-free sources in 2019.
- I’m ready to get rid of my gas furnace, what are my options?
You can get a heat pump HVAC which also provides cooling as an added benefit. Electricity use can be reduced by about 50% as compared to furnaces and baseboard heaters. (energy.gov/energysaver/heat-and-cool/heat-pump-systems)
I hope these conversation starters get your holidays off to a great start with the added benefit of getting more people on the road to decarbonizing. Every action counts!
- Written by Climate Action Leadership Team volunteer Desiree Grahn