Reducing Carbon Footprint at Home
Nine Easy Ways to Reduce Carbon Footprint at Home and save energy
Change incandscent light bulbs to the more energy efficient compact flourescent light bulbs
Change a light, and you help change the world. Replace the incandescent bulbs in your 5 most frequently used light fixtures with the energy saving compact flourescent light bulbs and you will help the environment while saving money on energy bills. If every household in the U.S. took this one simple action we would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars.
Look for ENERGY STAR qualified appliances
When buying new products, such as appliances for your home, get the features and performance you want AND help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, while you save energy and reduce utility bills at the same.
Look for ENERGY STAR qualified products in the more than 50 product categories, including lighting, home electronics, heating and cooling equipment and appliances.
Energy efficient ways to Heat and cool you home
Simple steps like cleaning air filters regularly and having your heating and cooling equipment tuned annually by a licensed contractor can save energy and increase comfort at home, and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and your carbon footprint.
When it’s time to replace your old equipment, choose an energy efficient model, and make sure it is properly sized and installed. And take advantage of the 2009 recovery tax credits.
Energy saving home insulation and sealing
Sealing air leaks and adding more insulation to your home is a great do-it-yourself project. The biggest leaks are usually found in the attic and basement sof your home, and a little attic insulation and basement insulation will go along way toward energy saving. If you are planning to replace windows, choose ENERGY STAR qualified windows and doors, which can reduce your energy bills by up to 15% and help to protect the environment.
Forced air ducts that run through unconditioned spaces are often big energy wasters. Seal and insulate any ducts in attics and crawlspaces to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Not sure where to begin? A home energy auditor can also help you find air leaks, areas with poor insulation, and evaluate the over-all energy efficiency of your home. By taking these steps, you can eliminate drafts, keep your home more comfortable year round, save energy that would otherwise be wasted, while reducing your carbon footprint at home.
Use green power or renewable energy sources
green power is a term used to describe an environmentally friendly electricity that is generated from renewable energy sources such as wind, solar,and biofuels. There are two ways to use green power: you can buy green power through what are termed renewable energy certificates (REC’s) or you can modify your home to generate your own green power, and perhaps sell some of that unsed energy back to the utility, further increasing your energy savings.
Buying green power is easy, it offers a number of environmental and economic benefits over fossil- fuel sources of energy, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, while also supporting an increase in renewable energy sources. for more information on purchasing renewable energy certificate, please follow this link.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
If there is a recycling program in your community, recycle your newspapers, beverage containers, paper and other goods. Use products in containers that can be recycled and items that can be repaired or reused. Here’s a list of items that can be recycled.
In addition, support recycling markets by buying products made from recycled materials. Reducing, reusing, and recycling in your home helps conserve energy and reduces pollution and greenhouse gases from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal.
Be green in your yard
Use a push mower, which, unlike a gas or electric mower, consumes no fossil fuels and emits no greenhouse gases, and provides great excercise. If you do use a power mower, make sure it is a mulching mower to reduce grass clippings. Composting your food and yard waste reduces the amount of garbage that you send to landfills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. See EPA’s GreenScapes program for tips on how to improve your lawn or garden while also benefiting the environment. Smart Landscaping can save energy, save you money and reduce your household’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Use water efficiently
Saving water around the home is simple. Municipal water systems require a lot of energy to purify and distribute water to households, and saving water, especially hot water, can lower greenhouse gas emissions. Look for products with EPA’s WaterSense label; these products save water and perform as well or better than their less efficient counterparts. There are also simple actions you can take to save water: Be smart when irrigating your lawn or landscape; only water when needed and do it during the coolest part of the day, early morning is best. Turn the water off while shaving or brushing teeth. Do not use your toilet as a waste basket – water is wasted with each flush. And did you know a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day? Repair all toilet and faucet leaks right away. See EPA’s WaterSense site for more water saving tips.
Spread the Word
Tell family and friends that energy efficiency is good for their homes and good for the environment because it lowers greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Tell 5 people and together we can help our homes help us all. Want to get the kids involved too? Here’s a cool website with games and quizes, called ecokids, that will get your children’s interest, and will help make them a participant in your projects.