Since the BP catastrophe, there have been a number of good diaries pointing out how each of us that use oil products are also responsible for the BP mess. I completely agree with this point. I also have to add that ever since President Carter set out to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels, every politician that stood by without taking action as well as those who actively undercut this policy own even more of the problem.
The reality is that we Americans are spoiled brats. We had what appeared to be an unlimited supply of cheap energy and we have been behaving like a six year old in a candy store. We are so used to this behavior that many well intentioned folks refuse to take any responsibility for the pickle that we are in (not just oil spills but all the other problems with fossil energy). We have become so spoiled that the idea of making a small change in behavior that has a minute inconvenience is unthinkable. Many of us who think of ourselves as environmentalists think our only responsibility is to vote or give money to elect politicians that at least talk about cleaning things up. The reality is very few politicians actually are willing to take bold action to turn things around. We need to take the lead on this and lead by example. The politicians will eventually follow.
We all have many choices on how we impact our planet. Taking bold action to minimize our individual impact is possible and very fulfilling. Each of us can make better choices. Below I have summarized what action we have taken in the past few years. It is not my intent to put ourselves on a pedestal. I still act like a spoiled brat from time to time driving somewhere for my own selfish pleasure. We still use fossil energy and therefore are part of the problem. There are still changes that we need to make. Not everyone can make all the changes we have made also. Each person's situation is different which presents different opportunities for each of us. My hope is that these examples can help the reader come up with a list of positive changes they can make in their life.
First some background on our situation. My partner and I live in the country about 7 miles from a town with a population of about 20,000. My partner works in town. I work in a larger town almost 50 miles from our home. To get to our house you need to travel on a busy two lane country road with a 55 mph speed. Our home is about 2000 sq feet, heated by delivered propane, cooled by central air. Our climate is a bit extreme. Winter temperatures start out with a low in the 20-30's with a high in the 40-60's. Summer temperatures start out with a low in the 50's to 60's with a high in the 90's to 110 or so.
So here are the things we have done over the past few years to reduce our consumption of fossil energy:
General Conservation at home.
-Replaced all bulbs with compact fluorescent
-Put all appliances that don't fully turn off on their own on outlet strips
-Use a clothesline rather than the drier.
-Got rid of the back lawn to eliminate the daily watering needed in the summer.
Minimized the use of the central heat and A/C
-Only heat the bedroom at night using a small space heater (winter).
-Ensured the bedroom (and whole house) was well insulated with no leaks.
-Wear a jacket if too cold during the day.
-Installed high efficiency single room A/C in the computer room.
-On a hot day we stay most of the time in the computer room and don't run central A/C.
-On moderate heat days, sit outside in the shade in the breeze don't run any A/C.
-Single room A/C consumes 400 watts, central A/C consumes well over 3,000 watts.
Installed a home built solar hot water heater.
-Provides 100% of hot water in summer
-Reduces propane use by over 50% in the colder months.
-Made with mostly recycled material, total cost $100
-Payback in a few months.
Installed a grid tied solar power system on our roof.
-After conservation efforts, system needs were smaller, which lowered cost.
-Total cost after rebates and tax credits, less than $19K.
-System will payback in less than 15 years at today's electricity prices.
-We increased our conservation so much that at first we were generating more power than we were using.
Purchased an electric car to go between home and town.
-1982 Jet Electa (Ford Escort) 40 to 50 mile range, freeway speeds ok.
-has 16 lead acid batteries, 100% recyclable, $1,500 every 2 to 3 years to replace batteries.
-Put about $8,500 into car including first battery set.
-Only maintenance on car filling batteries with water every couple of months.
-Car is charged 100% with solar power from excess from solar system on house.
-Can make the trip to town two times easily without recharge.
-Electric car used for my partners work commute and all trips to town.
Used Telecommuting and the bus to further reduce transportation emissions.
-I work a 4X10 schedule, reducing one commute a week.
-I got my employer to agree to one day a week telecommute, reducing another commute a week.
-I take the bus to work one day a week. (adds about 2 hours to my commute)
It is hard to calculate the exact reduction in fossil fuel and greenhouse gas emissions, but we have easily reduced our use to over half of what it was a few years ago. We can do better, and we are always on the look for other ways to pinch a bit of fossil energy. If you want more detail on our efforts, including pictures here is a web page that goes into much more detail on all our efforts.
These changes we have made will save us money in the long run. The only thing that had a significant expense was the solar panels. Everything else was cheap or free and had quick payback. Some of the changes do require a bit more effort, inconvenience or work on our part, but honestly it is minimal. The fulfillment we get from knowing that our efforts are making a difference is a great feeling. We have kinda made it like a game,trying to eek every bit of benefit out of every bit of energy we use.
I need to make a point about the solar system cost. I can't tell you how many environmentalist friends ask how much we spent on the panels and immediately respond that it is too expensive. To be truthful, we were a bit gun shy to plop down almost $20K of our hard earned cash for solar panels. But the reality is that it really is not that expensive for most of us. These panels will be providing us with clean reliable electricity for many decades. The warranty is for 25 years, but it is likely that they will last over 50 years. Their output does drop slightly with time, but they will still be generating power for a long long time. The payback was about 15 years at today's electricity prices. How many of you think electricity will be the same price in 5, 10 or 15 years from now? Our utility is already proposing rate increases. Most people reading this diary have no problem plopping down $20K or more for a new car that will be worthless in 10 or so years. Why so many people balk at a similar amount for clean power for 25-50 years is beyond me. If you don't have the cash now, there are many programs where you can pay a monthly lease payment rather than needing that cash up front.
There is more that we can do. After the BP mess I started thinking about my commute, wanting to completely eliminate it. I am working on a plan where I take the bus every day that I need to go to the office, but get off as soon as the bus stops in the town where I work and ride my bike through town to my office. This will lessen the added time the bus trip adds to my commute so I should be able to take the bus every time I need to go to the office.
The bike is a wonderful invention. There was a great diary a few days ago about it. Unfortunately, we can't make as much use of it as most people because to get to our house you need to ride on a 55 mph road that is pretty dangerous for bikes. But others should really consider how many times a bike could work well for your transportation.
I hope this diary does not come off as a lecture. I am just so sick of hearing everyone complain about why someone else or some politician doesn't fix this problem for us. That would be great and would give us even more options, but look at the reality, it is not going to happen that way. Democrats have control of congress and the WH and the best we have is a climate change bill that gives billions to nuclear plants, promotes more offshore oil, billions to "clean coal", and we are not sure we even have the votes for that. We need to provide the leadership, it clearly isn't coming from the politicians.
So please think about what changes you can make. Get creative. Be willing to take a small inconvenience or effort to avoid using oil. Next time you need to go across town, consider the bus or bike, even if it takes a bit longer or you might end up a bit sweaty. My idea for the day is to find the most disgusting heart wrenching photo of a bird soaked in oil and tape it to the dash of my oil burning car. Then I will see what impact my driving has before I turn the key.