Preserve Our Climate (POC)

Personal actions by individuals and families, such as buying products and services, traveling, recreating and property maintenance, ultimately determine a large part of how much a community, state, etc., spends on energy and the aggregate amount of greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere. We can all help to reduce totDoing the following things will take you a long way toward reducing your energy use and your monthly budget. And less energy use means less dependence on the fossil fuels that contribute to global warming.

1) Be an Informed Consumer

Learn more about environmental issues so that you can make wise choices for yourself and your family. Investigate renewable and non polluting sources of energy for your home, such solar and wind power.

2) Get a Report Card from Your Utility Company

Many utility companies provide home energy audits to help consumers identify areas in their homes that may not be energy efficient. In addition, many utility companies offer rebate programs to help pay for the cost of energy-efficient upgrades.

3) Don't Leave the Water Running

Remember to turn off the water when you're not using it. For example, while brushing your teeth, shampooing the dog, or soaping up your car, turn off the water until you actually need it for rinsing. You’ll reduce your water bill and help to conserve a vital natural resource.

4) Turn Down Your Appliances

Set your water heater at 120 degrees to save energy, and wrap it in an insulating blanket if it is more than 5 years old. Buy low-flow showerheads to save water. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water to reduce your use of hot water and the energy required to produce it. Use the energy-saving settings on your dishwasher and let the dishes air-dry.

5) Buy Energy-Efficient Products

If you have to buy a car, choose one that gives you the best gas mileage. Home appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are now designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than standard light bulbs.

6) Leave the Car at Home Whenever You Can

Less driving means fewer emissions. And besides saving gasoline, walking and biking are great forms of exercise. Explore your community's mass transit system, and check out options for carpooling to work or school.

7) Insulate Your Home

Add extra insulation to your walls and attic, and install weather stripping or caulk around doors and windows. This step alone can reduce your home heating costs by more than 25 percent, by reducing the amount of energy you need to heat and cool your home.

8) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste. And whenever you can, recycle: paper, plastic, newspaper, and aluminum cans. If there isn't a recycling program at your work, school, or in your community, ask about starting one.

9) Conserve Electricity

Turn off your lights when lighting isn't needed. Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones. Plug appliances into power strips that you can turn off when not in use. Appliances that are plugged in but not in use still use electricity.

10) Eliminate Unnecessary Long-distance Travel

Transportation is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions from the United States, followed by emissions from the industrial, residential and commercial sectors. By avoiding long-distance travel entirely - whether by air, bus, train or car - we can significantly reduce our personal emissions of greenhouse gases, each year. Plan vacation trips close to home, and avoid choosing work positions and other obligations that may require frequent long-distance commuting.

11) Contact Your Elected Officials

Your elected officials represent you, but it's up to you to make sure that they know what you want. Write to them, call them and hold constituent meetings. Tell them what you want and that they need to act now to help slow global warming while we still can.

References: http://www.climateemergency.org http://www.danenet.org/bcp2006/neuman_gw.pdf