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More Actions to Honor the
Future
More actions to reduce utility billsWith your kit of eight CFLs installed,
you have demonstrated utility bill savings that also benefit the planet. Around your home are many other
probable opportunities, where an investment of well under $100 can have big
payoffs. A great place to learn
is § An automatic setback thermostat can produce huge savings with no loss of comfort, especially if there are regular blocks of time when no one is at home. § Are there cracks where cold air rushes in on Hanukkah nights? Weather stripping and caulking can make an enormous difference in both comfort and cost. § Low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators can provide more comfort with less water, and cut down on water-heating costs. Wrapping hot water pipes with insulation is a no-brainer. § What’s better than a CFL? Let sunlight into your home for zero energy costs and the benefits of being connected with the rhythms of nature. In the hoped-for future, building design will use proper orientation, overhanging eaves, and indirect lighting techniques to maximize solar lighting while screening out summertime solar heating. Once the cheap fixes are done, consider the following: § Add thicker attic insulation § Upgrade to an efficient refrigerator – ditch your energy hog for an “Energy Star.” § Study Energy Star ratings when upgrading other appliances. § Upgrade your heating and cooling units. To get an idea of the relative effectiveness of various steps in reducing carbon dioxide and other pollutants, see the worksheet prepared by Maine Interfaith Power and Light. Healthier mobility
It almost goes without saying that cars are at the top of the list of human activities that degrade air, water, and climatic stability. Restoring moderation to your use of the automobile benefits your health and pocketbook while contributing to a healthier planet. No solution fits everyone, but here are some possibilities: § Walk or bicycle when moving around your neighborhood. § Find ways to use public transportation for commuting. § Carpool and combine trips. § Choose more fuel-efficient vehicles such as the new gas-electric hybrids. § Choose a neighborhood that shortens your commute and makes walking a pleasure. §
Support pedestrian and bicycle organizations: in Eating without devouringJews rightly celebrate and honor the joy of eating. In our surroundings, we have so much to be thankful for: cheap, fresh produce any time, food preparation that can be next to effortless if we choose, and dozens of different cuisines to choose from when we eat out.
It can come as a shock to realize that in this prime way of expressing our connection to nature, nature is losing out. It is even more sobering to realize that a degraded nature is gradually losing the ability to support a growing human population. Some of the ways we can restore a healthy relationship to the world of food include:
Industry we can live withIn Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, architect Bill McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart point out that today’s industry follows the paradigm “take-make-waste.” Industry is acting as if nature is an endless source of raw material and an unlimited absorber of every kind of waste. If civilization is to be sustained, they argue, there needs to be a “next industrial revolution” in which industry learns to abide by nature’s laws, including the law that “waste equals food.”
Helping to bring about this changed approach is perhaps the most exciting and fulfilling way you can pursue leaving future generations a world that is better than you found it. Here are some possible steps.
Demanding the right energy supplyAccording to Natural Capitalism coauthor Amory Lovins, of the Rocky Mountain Institute, 90% or more of the move away from fossil fuels can be accomplished just by reducing the mountain of energy that we now waste. Although this “Factor Ten” reduction is controversial, there is no doubt that energy-saving technologies such as your CFLs represent the cheapest and most environmentally benign way of phasing out fossil fuels. Nevertheless, developing a supply of alternative energy is critical to sustaining civilization beyond the next few decades. It’s encouraging that wind power is the fastest growing source of electricity, with costs that compete well with natural gas and nuclear. Solar (photovoltaic) electricity too is far cheaper than a decade ago, and can now compete in remote locations with the cost of hooking up to the grid. As photovoltaic costs drop and green building technologies improve, it is becoming possible to make buildings with “solar shingles” that actually generate more energy than they consume. These developments could be greatly accelerated if the cards were not stacked in favor of fossil fuels and nuclear, as they are now in the U.S. There are some actions you can take: § Support legislation to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels and nuclear energy, and to support research on photovoltaics, energy efficient technologies, and hydrogen fuel cells. § Support “tax shifting” that moves the tax burden from desirables such as income to undesirables such as the use of fossil fuels. This will produce a price signal that better reflects the negative economic impacts of environmental degradation. § Encourage your electric utility to offer a green power option, where you pay a slightly higher rate in exchange for their buying electricity produced by wind turbines or other less polluting means. Watch www.gipl.org to determine when an acceptable green power option has been made available.
If you have questions about the kit or campaign, you can send e-mail to: |
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