NOTE: This is approximately a 15-minute read. **Also, feel free to print this article up and use it as a guide!**
Many of the stories that I have been reading on Daily Kos lately about climate change and shifting weather patterns have been rather negative. The fear is very real, and a lot of people are on edge about it (including me). I have to openly admit that I am not completely innocent myself. You may have read my story a couple of months ago about how Michigan was baking in abnormally warm temperatures and experiencing an unusually dry spring with little to no rainfall. I understand the pessimism. We have a solid reason to be extremely worried about our planet's future.
However, I want to take a moment and look at this from a brighter and more positive perspective. I thought it would be wise to share with you what my parents and I have been doing to preserve Earth's resources and fight climate change. Not only have our efforts been doing Mother Nature a huge favor, but they also have been saving us quite a decent bundle of money in our bank accounts. (Ever heard the motto “Go green, save green?”)
Now, before they even proceed to read this piece, some people are probably going to say that the planet is doomed anyway, so just go ahead and keep exploiting it. We are not going to do that. We are better than that. While it is true that the climate crisis has gotten significantly worse in the past decade, I feel that we can still take steps to slow it down. As the saying goes, every little bit helps!
I am going to divide this into six sections: water, energy/electricity, fossil fuels, recycling, food and diet, and miscellaneous. At the end of every section, I will also provide a general rule to remember.
WATER
Water is the one resource that I am the most concerned about more than anything else. It is the lone necessity that plants and animals alike need in order to survive. No living thing in the world can go without it. And, need I add that the world is quickly running out of fresh water. So, it is vital that we take steps to preserve what's left of it as much as possible. Lately, manufacturers have been coming out with some solutions, such as water-efficient toilets and washing machines. However, these alone are not enough. Humans should do their part also.
I am the one in the household that seems to be the big water conservationist, and, oddly enough, my efforts to conserve water date back to when I first started brushing my teeth on my own at around seven or eight years of age. Believe it or not, I cannot ever recall a single time when I left the bathroom sink running while cleaning my teeth. Not once. What I still do to this day is keep the sink off until I need to rinse my mouth and toothbrush. That's it. There is no need to leave the sink running while brushing. It is a foolish waste of water.
If I need to wash my hands, I will simply wet my hands for about one second, and then turn the sink off again until I need to rinse the soap off. When I rinse, I usually do not have to have the sink running for more than an estimated five to eight seconds.
My method for preserving water in the bathtub/shower is an interesting one, to say the least. If I feel as though I want to take a bath instead of a shower, I will usually try to wait until I am ready to get in before I start running the bathtub faucet, and fill it to the point where I need just enough to be able to rinse my body prior to washing. So, by estimate, maybe just two gallons of water at the very most. I also have a plastic pitcher that I keep next to my bathtub so that I can keep track of how much water I am using. Then, I will wash my hair and let the shampoo sit while soaping the rest of my body, and only when I am ready to rinse the shampoo and soap off will I turn the faucet on. I will often resort to using my pitcher for this process. Typically, all I need is just one pitcher full of water to rinse my hair, and anywhere from three to four pitchers to get the soap completely off. (I also try as much as possible to turn the faucet off in between fillings.)
When I shower, I just wet my hair so I can shampoo it down, and then turn the faucet off for a moment. Then I turn the faucet back on again for a few seconds to wet my soap bar and washcloth, and then turn it back off to wash and soak. I do not turn the water on until I am ready to rinse my body off entirely.
So, just to give you an idea of how much water I have saved from brushing my teeth and bathing, let's say that the average bathroom sink uses four gallons if it is left running for a few minutes. Let's assume that when a person takes a full shower without conserving water, right around 10 gallons are used, and for a bath, about 25 gallons. If I am 36 years old and I have been brushing on my own since age eight, that is 28 years. By not running the sink nearly as much, I have probably used no more than five percent of that average four gallons. In my lifetime, I can estimate that I have taken baths about 60 percent of the time and showers for the remaining 40 percent. I also know that I started my bathtub/shower conservation efforts since about 2011, so that has been 12 years. By using only so much for washing and rinsing, I will assume that I used 40 percent of that average 25 gallons in the tub (this is likely an exaggeration, but I do accidentally use more water than necessary in the tub once in a while) and only 20 percent of that average 10 gallons in the shower. Using these figures, this gives:
Brushing Teeth = 0.95 x (28 x 365 x 4) = 38,836 gallons saved
Bathing = [0.60 x (0.60 x (12 x 365 x 25))] + [0.40 x (0.80 x (12 x 365 x 10))] = 53,436 gallons saved
TOTAL = 38,836 + 53,436 = 92,272 gallons saved
More than 90,000 gallons saved over my lifetime. That is probably how much it takes to fill about five full-size public swimming pools!
As for washing dishes, I only fill the kitchen sink to the point where all of the dishes are submerged. If there are only a few drinking glasses and/or plates or bowls in the sink, I just fill those dishes alone; there is no need to have to plug the sink and fill it up.
If I need to wash my car, I have gotten into the habit of opting for the most basic wash possible if it is an automatic wash. It is just a layer of soap followed by a rinse; no waxing or any “added enhancements” (those are just a money grab). Not only is it a money saver, it means less water is used. When you get a “premium wash,” chances are it's going to go through a couple of extra rinse cycles, and you cannot stop the machine from using the extra water. At the do-it-yourself car wash, things are a little different. Here is a dirty little secret that owners of these places do not want you to know: you can turn that knob anytime during your cycle to switch between soap, wax, and water while your timer is in motion. I will typically do a full cycle of foam soap followed by a second cycle of 50 percent wax and 50 percent water. If I am really cheap, I will just do one cycle of 50 percent high-pressure soap and 50 percent water.
Before we got our high efficiency washing machine, we had a machine where you had the choice between load sizes (small, medium, or large). My mother would almost always pick the appropriate size to save water. If you still have an old washing machine with the manual load size option, the idea is this: if the drum is no more than one-third its capacity, pick the small size, and if it is around halfway full, pick the medium. Only use the full-size option if your drum is at or near capacity.
Finally, we do not use water sprinklers on our lawn. I have never recalled us using them over the course of my lifetime. It is near impossible to give an actual figure on how many gallons of water we have saved just from this alone, but I can probably safely say it's in the hundreds of thousands.
The General Rule: When it comes to using water, it's all about using only what you need. If you live in the city, you are bound to save yourself a LOT of money on your water bill by following these steps!
ENERGY/ELECTRICITY
The three main things that I will focus on in this section are heating, central air conditioning, and certain household appliances, which are among the biggest power hogs that you can run around the house.
We usually refrain from running our furnace in the spring and fall seasons unless we feel as though we absolutely need it. If the high during the day and/or the low at night is 40ºF (4.5ºC) or warmer, we will just keep the windows shut. The furnace with us, for the most part, is reserved for the winter. We always keep our furnace set at 68ºF (20ºC), which is what power and utility companies consider to be the “sweet spot” for energy efficiency in the winter. At night, before we go to bed, we turn the furnace down to about 62ºF (16.5ºC).
We follow a similar procedure with our central air conditioner. There have to be certain conditions with us; otherwise, we leave the air off and open the windows around the house. The daily high temperature outside has to be a minimum of 85ºF (29.5ºC), the daily low no less than 65ºF (18ºC), and the humidity has to be high with little to no outside wind or breeze. If there are three or more intermittent sweltering days, we will usually sweat it out the first day or two and then turn the air on for the remainder of that period (we have a partially underground basement that naturally stays cool, and we have a television and a living space down there, so we can “hibernate” in the basement if we have to). Our power company, Consumers Energy, recently started hiking daily rates during the summer season from 2:00PM to 7:00PM in an effort to convince people to “take it easy,” because during those times when people are running the air conditioning, it tends to put a lot of stress on the power grid and could lead to blackouts. So, if we use our air, we will turn the air off for that five-hour period while leaving the windows closed so that the temperature in the house stays down. Then, we will turn it back on again after seven. We set our thermostat to 78ºF (25.5ºC) for our air conditioning, the “sweet spot” in the summer.
If I am the only one in the house and my parents are away for the week, I usually refrain from using the central air at night and will often resort to using my mini homemade air conditioner inside my bedroom while sleeping. It consists of a Styrofoam cooler filled with reusable ice packs from the freezer, and the top has two holes cut out. One of the holes has a mini fan facing down and blowing into the cooler, while the other has an elbow pipe to direct the cool air out. It actually works quite well and helps keep my room a few degrees cooler. The only downside is that I may have to get up every five to six hours to swap out ice packs, but it's an easy fix. I got all of my mini air conditioner supplies from Menards for about $20, which is very affordable. It's also a good way to cut down on power consumption. (There is no sense in running the central air if I am held up in just 10 percent of the house at night!)
An article in a past issue of HGTV magazine claimed in the “How Bad is It...” section that it is not a bad idea at all to leave the refrigerator or freezer door open if you are putting groceries away, but I do not take any chances. I still try to keep the door closed as much as possible, especially when I know I will not be opening it back up for a minute or two. We also try to limit the number of times we use the laundry dryer, particularly in the spring and summer. If it is nice outside and there is no rain in the forecast, my mother will hang the clothes out on our clothesline and let them air dry. Heck, she will even hang dry our clothes in our basement during the colder months!
And, just as an aside, while I am at work, I try to help my employer save electricity also. I work as a community college instructor, and if I am the last one out of the faculty office at night, I will shut all of the computers and all of the lights in the office down before I leave. If I pass by a classroom that still has its lights and devices on, I may stop in the room and turn those off as well, even though it is not my responsibility. A lot of the elevators on campus are hydraulic, and these are less energy efficient than traction elevators. I will typically bypass the elevators (especially if I know they are hydraulic) and opt for the stairs. Here's a hint: if the elevator is slow, makes a “buzzing” sound when it travels up, and makes a “whooshing” sound when it goes down, it's a hydraulic. If the building has five stories or less, chances are the building has hydraulic elevators.
The General Rule: It's much like water usage. Be diligent and use common sense. If you can get by without relying on the power grid, do so. Think of it as trying to cope with a power outage.
FOSSIL FUELS
Oil companies are going to hate me for this one. (However, there is not a darned thing that they can do about it!)
I have been driving for nearly two decades, and I have become quite familiar with the processes by which my vehicle's engine uses gas. The following are seven fuel-saving tips that I have found to be the most effective based on my personal experience. Not only have practicing these strategies helped keep a few more bucks in my pocket, but they have also helped keep my engine from burning more-than-necessary amounts of a dirty fossil fuel that is not good for Mother Nature.
1. Cutting my traveling down (well, everyone knows this one). I often try to restrict my shopping trips so that they can all be done just one day a week. Also, I may take my bike out on the shoulder of the road or go for a jog on the shoulder if weather permits so that I can get some exercise without having to burn gas by driving to the gym or park.
2. Driving slow. Seriously, what is the big rush? People pass me on the road and whiz by me on the highway/expressway all the time and sometimes even honk and/or give me the bird in the process. There is no need to drive fast. Plus, common sense would tell you that the faster you travel, the more fuel you are feeding your engine! Based on my personal experience, I have found that I tend to get excellent fuel economy going somewhere between 55 and 65 miles per hour (about 90 to 105 kilometers per hour).
3. Accelerating modestly (but not too quick). I do not slam on the gas pedal when speeding up. Not only is it not good for the engine, it is also an excellent way to waste fuel. Plus, if you screech off, you could end up wearing your tires faster, which could mean some unnecessary money being spent at the tire/repair shop! While accelerating after a stop or a slow down, I generally try to keep my RPMs right around 2,500 (with the needle right smack between 2 and 3 on the RPM meter).
4. Keeping my speed constant as often and as much as possible. I try to take advantage of my cruise control whenever I can, especially when I know I will not be making a stop anytime soon. It is a great way to help keep your speed at a constant rate, and in the process, it can, but not necessarily always, help save fuel as you will not need to use the gas pedal.
5. Avoiding stepping on the brakes at the last minute. I take my foot off of the gas and coast about 1,000 feet (roughly 300 meters) or more prior to coming up to a stop sign, traffic light, roundabout, or some other traffic stop or slowdown when traveling at 45-55 miles per hour (70-90 kilometers per hour). I have found that doing this gives my fuel economy a much anticipated boost. Also, if I am fortunate, I may barely have to step on the brake at all. The engine, tires, and now my brakes appreciate me!
6. Coasting when going down a hill. There is no need to give gas to the engine when traveling down a hill. Gravity is a natural force that causes your vehicle to speed up as the elevation drops. Since this is the case, your car's speed will remain constant (or naturally increase) as you are heading downward.
7. Shutting the engine off after putting it in park, especially when stopped for extended periods of time. Stopped at a railroad crossing waiting for a train to pass? Decided to stay in the car while hubby runs into the convenience store to buy a lotto ticket or two? I don't just put my car in park and then sit and wait, another bad habit that too many drivers have. I tend to turn the engine off after doing so, even if it is just for a couple of minutes. Remember, if the engine is running, it is using fuel!
After mentioning all of this, you may now be wondering what car I drive. It is a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. I understand that the electronic fuel economy meter on a vehicle should just be treated as a tool and is not necessarily meant to give the most accurate reading. However, I cannot help but to watch it while I travel. The official fuel economy rating on the 2017 Malibu is 27 city/36 highway in miles per gallon, with a combined rating of 30. Yet, after following tips two through seven above, I appear to be getting quite a nice boost. These are just estimates, but my economy meter is giving me an average rating of 35-40 miles per gallon in the city and 40-50 on the highway. That is probably right around 37-40 combined, which is a 23 to 33 percent boost in the official combined mileage. I know this is true because while driving in what I call my "fuel efficiency mode," I can notice a significant difference in how quickly the needle on my E/F fuel meter drops.
To understand how much money I am potentially saving, let's say that gas prices remain constant at $5.00 per gallon for a whole year. Assume the "fast" driver who does not care how much fuel s/he wastes ends up having to stop once per week to fill up on a completely empty tank. For an 11-gallon tank, which is about how much my car takes, that equates to $2,860 annually on gas for that person. One source that I read claimed that being economical on fuel consumption and following gas-saving strategies like the ones outlined above can save your fuel tank by as much as 30 percent. So, if this is true for me, it would be a savings of about $800-900 from my bank account per year if I took the exact same routes/trips as that other person and traveled just as many miles/kilometers as s/he did. That is equivalent to one of my auto insurance bills (Michigan, where we reside, has some of the highest auto insurance rates in the country)!
The General Rule: Keep it slow and don't go above the speed limit. Do you want to get a speeding ticket with the added bonus of an auto insurance hike? I didn't think so! Also, try to turn the engine off whenever it is not in use, even if it's just for a few minutes.
RECYCLING
We are huge recycling nuts. We are also frequent ALDI customers. One thing that we like about ALDI is that they use the “How to Recycle” concept, where they indicate on all of their products what can be recycled and what cannot. And, it's very straightforward. It may even give some directions on how to recycle the object properly (e.g., wash out the glass jar and replace the lid). If you are not sure whether it can be recycled or not, or if you are not sure if it is accepted by curbside recycling programs, you may want to take a look at EGLE's recycling page featuring some cute furry friends. This is an easy-to-follow source of information (most curbside programs tend to follow the same rules).
You may have heard about ABC's study where they placed tracking devices on multiple plastic bags to see if they actually ended up in recycling centers. They found that most of them ended up in landfills (Target and Walmart are habitual offenders of this, but you can certainly bet it's not just them). I have been using reusable shopping bags for years now and due to the results of this study, I must now commit to using them routinely (I am not perfect, but I try). The only downside is that store associates may not bag your groceries in them for health and sanitation reasons, so you may have to do it yourself.
The General Rule: Cardboard (sans tape), plastic food tubs, plastic drinking bottles, glass jars, milk cartons, and just about any kind of food cans are accepted by most (if not all) curbside recycling programs. Remove the labels if you can. Also try to resort to reusable shopping bags whenever possible, as those plastic bag recycling programs are mostly a crock.
FOOD AND DIET
For the most part, we are poultry, grain, dairy, egg, nut, fruit, and vegetable people. You may want to take a look at the graphic on this page; this is a good source. It compares the carbon footprints of numerous foods with those of automobile greenhouse gas emissions.
Even if you cannot cut meat out of your diet, but still feel like going vegetarian or vegan every once in a great while (maybe a day or two), some is better than none. Although I am a diabetic and cannot go entirely without chicken, turkey, or shellfish, I still try to go meatless whenever I feel up to it. Still, if I cannot, I try to balance my plate as much as possible (for instance, one serving of meat and a minimum of two servings of fruits and/or vegetables). If everyone on the planet would go meatless or plant-based for just one or two days a year, we would already be doing Mother Nature a tremendous favor. It would make a huge difference in water consumption as well as methane gas emissions from livestock.
The General Rule: The greener and more colorful your plate, the more sustainable it is.
MISCELLANEOUS
We do not buy new things for ourselves unless we absolutely need them. When you keep purchasing products that are new, chances are you are contributing more to those toxic gray clouds of pollution over China (and other parts of the world) that are destroying our planet's atmosphere.
We have furniture and electronics in our house that have been with us since before I was born more than 35 years ago. I have a whole bunch of clothes in my closet and dresser that date back to high school or college (and still fit me). I still shop at thrift stores or antique stores as often as I can because not only is it a good way to look for potential bargains, but you can buy used products that are in working condition. We still have a couple of vacuum cleaners as old as 15-20 years that still run fairly well. My iPad is a fourth-generation from circa 2014 and it still works like new. We have computers as old as 10 years that still run (somewhat) like a charm. With us, the rule is: it stays with us until it goes kaput. Keep it until it reaches the end of its usable life, plain and simple. Only then will we look for a replacement.
Additionally, I am not real huge on using paper products. I try to resort to electronic documents or receipts whenever the option is available. The only time that I will use paper towels or napkins is if I need them to wipe my face while eating, or if I am at the gym and need to wipe the equipment down after each use. In most other cases, I frequently opt for reusable towels, washcloths, etc. This way, it helps preserve our trees and forests and protects our planet's ecosystems.
The General Rule: Keep reusing products until they reach the end of their usable life, or try to buy used/recycled products whenever possible.
CONCLUSION
I can understand why people are so concerned and afraid for our planet. Anymore, much of what we read and hear about in the news is some type of dramatic climate change-related weather event, such as a scorching heat wave, an out-of-control wildfire, a devastating flood or rainstorm, or an intense, prolonged drought. The recent shifts in the world's climate and weather patterns have a lot of people on edge and worried. I get it completely. We all should be pretty alarmed about it. Nevertheless, the constant negativity in the reporting of said events is not going to do a darned bit of good when it comes to addressing the climate change situation. Okay, so another devastating weather event occurred, or is occurring. Well, maybe it's time for us to stop talking about it and actually do something! Our planet needs our help. We cannot trust our government alone to do it. Citizens have to do what they can to lend Mother Nature a helping hand, too! True, climate change is here to stay, and there is no going back from the damage that has already been done to our planet. However, it is never too early or too late for us to take steps that can help slow climate change down before it gets worse.
Our family is going to continue to help Mother Nature out as much as possible, and everyone else should also. (That includes getting out to the polls and voting blue no matter who!)