We have to start breaking our addiction to fossil fuels. We all know that.
However, we're not all sure how to do that.
This diary is dedicated to plain old conservation ideas - and then the things you can do if you have the cash. Note that for those who have homes and means, there are substantial federal tax credits for which you can apply as individuals which expire in 2010. It would make sense if Congress would extend these federal tax credits, for obvious reasons, but hey, we KNOW we can't count on Congress to always get things right (although I love you, Nancy Pelosi).
There are other federal tax credits which expire later, in 2016.
Conservation is always the first step
There's a lot we can do.
- Transportation: Walk or bike. Public transportation. Inflate your tires. Take fewer trips. Carpool. Reduce the load inside your car (don't keep stuff in it). Less air conditioning in summer. When you do drive, drive gently instead of aggressively, as this improves your mpg.
- Your house: Turn off lights. Curtains. Shorts in summer, and sweaters in winter. Insulate. Your water heater at 120. Line-dry. Shorter showers.
- Your work: If no meeting has been called to discuss how to save energy, then call one. People will have lots of ideas, from using a different font (saves a lot of ink) to more insulation to buying energy-saving light bulbs.
- Other: Eat less meat. If you're overweight, eat less in general (another reason to lose weight is that it costs a lot to maintain and transport the collective extra poundage of Americans and the World). Practice safe-sex and donate to Planned Parenthood. We have too many people, and we're still producing way too many. Grow a garden.
- When you go on vacation, make sure you don't leave your thermostats at levels preferred by human beings. Plants should be able to tolerate a wider variation.
You want more ideas?
More tips on what to do
Do you want to go further? Do you have the wherewithal, and the opportunity and/or need to make adjustments to your house?
As I wrote earlier, the federal government is providing
tax credits for saving energy. Here's a quick run-down on what expires in 2010. That's right, up to the end of this year you can get a 30% tax credit of cost up to $1500 (that works to a rebate of $450 if you spend the total $1500) for work in the following areas:
Biomass Stoves
Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning
Insulation
Roofs (Metal and Asphalt)
Water-Heaters (Non Solar)
Windows and Doors
Now, there's some fine print. In some cases the costs apply to installation; in other cases not. Not everything qualifies, sometimes it has to be your principal residence. But if you think you might qualify, then this is your opportunity to do something about the oil spill. (There was a diary yesterday on where to send money for cleaning up the oil spill - in my opinion it was well intentioned but as I want BP to pay for cleaning up the oil spill, I'd recommend spending dollars, if you have them, on reducing your energy costs. But that's just my opinion.)
If you have more money, land, space, whatever, there are other tax credits that expire at the end of 2016 and are 30% tax credits with no limits that I could find. These are what will help even more to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, because they actually create/take energy from other sources:
Geothermal pumps
Small residential wind turbines
Solar power
This is at the same website above. And some of these things are not all that expensive.
Note that there may be additional tax credits and rebates from your state.
We have to lead the way out of this hell, folks. I'd love to hear about your ideas and deeds.