It All Starts at Home: How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Part II
Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast
Episode 67
It All Starts at Home Part II
One of the most common questions I hear regarding sustainability is “How can I reduce my carbon footprint?” The answer to that question is not the same for everyone. For example, a sherpa in Nepal that spends his time taking people up Mount Everest has a completely different carbon footprint compared to your average urbanite in the United States.
That said, there are three different areas of our Iives where we produce our greatest ecological impact: how we travel, how we live, and what we eat. E66 I covered the topic of how we travel. In this episode, I am going to discuss how we live.
If you want the whole story then stick around for It All Starts at Home/Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Part II.
Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E67 which is called It All Starts at Home/Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Part II.
Going back to the central question I hear most commonly which is “How do I reduce my carbon footprint?” as I stated above, there are three areas in our lives where we produce our greatest impact.
How we travel, meaning the use of our automobiles, accounts for approximately 30% of our ecological impact. Our homes accounts for an additional 30% of our impact. How we eat accounts for approximately 18% of our impact. So these three areas of our lives accounts for 78% of our total ecological impact. Consequently, if you truly want to reduce your carbon footprint, it is imperative that you address these three areas in your life. The underlying point of this three part series is there is a lot we can do as individuals instead of sitting back and waiting for big business and big government to make decisions on how to save the planet. In many ways it is a matter of changing some old habits and making changes in your lifestyle. In this episode I want to focus on how we live. And that simply means how we manage our homes.
I must say from the start that to some degree I am opposed to using this term “carbon footprint” simply because it started as the result of an enormous greenwashing campaign by British Petroleum in order to shift the blame of global warming from big oil to the consumer. Now I don’t want to belabored that point here but if you want more information on that then go back and listen to E52 Your Carbon Footprint is Just a Sham.
But, this term “carbon footprint” is here to stay. It is a term that is thrown around a lot in the world of sustainability. If you use that term then most people know what you are talking about. But I typically do is flop back and forth between the terms carbon footprint and ecological impact.
I will say from the start that carbon emissions from our homes accounts for approximately 30% of our ecological impact. Depending on the source that your reference, you will hear talk of 35% to 40%. I am not going to belabor the particulars of the statistics because the point here is that our homes are another significant source of our individual impact.
There is a significant focus on this area right now. Architects, engineers, scientists, and many other folks are looking at ways to construct carbon neutral buildings and homes. You will hear the term “net zero” energy. What this means is that a building produces as much energy as it uses. And while this should be our goal, we can’t exactly tear down and rebuild the entire world. We have to start with what we have.
Now there are numerous ways to accomplish this, some will cost almost no money and is a matter of changing some of your habits, others will cost thousands of dollars and may be out of reach for a lot of people. But I first want to start with factors that are common to every household.
Depending on the source you reference, our households produce 30% to 40% of our ecological impact. There are a number of things that factor into this total. Household waste, the products we use and consume, and energy usage. Some of these topics I have covered in previous episodes so I will not repeat myself. What I want to focus on is the energy that we use.
In August 2020 the National Academy of Sciences published what some consider as the most definitive study to date on the source of greenhouse gas production from our households. According to this study, our energy usage alone accounts for 20% of our individual greenhouse gas production. This energy usage is directly tied to heating, cooling, and powering our households. The carbon emissions is primarily related to the continued use of fossil fuels such as natural gas, propane, and fuel oil.
Well, you may think that the easiest thing to do is to decarbonize the electrical grid. However that is not going to be sufficient to meet the 28% reduction in carbon emissions in the household sector that is needed by 2050 in order to meet the standards set forth by the Paris Agreement. Other changes are needed such as significant energy retrofits, low carbon energy sources, and even the reduction of the average size of our homes. Although homes these days are becoming more energy efficient, average energy usage in the US per household is continuing to go up.
To some degree, the complete electrification of our homes could be the answer. This is entirely possible and within our reach with the technology we have now.
Approximately 62% of our homes are still heated and cooled by the burning of fossil fuels. The stoves and refrigerators we use are horribly inefficient. Air conditioning is also extremely inefficient and heating with natural gas increases our emissions. But there are also alternatives.
Using a heat pump for heating and cooling is far more efficient than air conditioning and does not produce the emissions of natural gas. Using magnet powered kitchen appliances are far more efficient than our present stoves and refrigerators. And certainly generating electricity from solar is by far the best option.
Yes, this will be a huge transition and something we are not accustomed to. But our country has seen this type of transition before. Coal and wood started being phased out in the 1940s and 50s due to inexpensive and clean natural gas. Leaded gasoline was phased out in the 1970s. Eventually we will start to see the phasing out of fossil fuels in order to heat our homes.
Fortunately many builders are starting to come to the realization that building anything that is powered by fossil fuels is now obsolete the minute construction is complete. Additionally, many builders are looking to alternative materials for home construction. We may see methods of building that are more durable, storm resistant and literally fire proof. This is because nearly 1/3 of the homes in the United States are at risk of natural disaster related to climate change. But as I stated before, we cannot simply tear down the whole world and rebuild it.
The average lifespan of a residential home these days is somewhere between 100 and 200 years. That said, if we are to make headway in reducing our ecological impact at home, we have to work with what we have and change our habits and lifestyles. We just can’t go along and take things for granted any longer. While we all sit back and wait for big business and big government to make up their minds, there is a lot we can do. That is why I say it all starts at home.
Start thinking in terms of decarbonizing your home. This is one of many ways in which we can be more conscious of our lifestyles, make better choices, and take one more step toward sustainability.
The first step is to think in terms of energy efficiency. When designing and building my cabins, especially the newer one, I paid attention to every detail because the best step to going all solar is to first maximize your energy efficiency.
You can start by improving the insulation of your home and eliminating air leaks. This may simply be a matter of replacing some molding around your doorways and calking windows. While wall insulation is more difficult, increasing the insulation in your attic is often very easy to do.
The next easiest thing is to look at the efficiency of your doors and windows. Most modern homes have double pane windows as a matter of standard. Make sure everything forms an airtight seal. Installing insulated blinds, which is what I have in both of my cabins, greatly improves efficiency. If you have areas of your home that get very little sun exposure in the winter, purchase a roll of window insulation that can be cut to fit each window and keep the windows covered. I often do this in the winter when temperatures get down to the single digits and it makes a huge difference. Keep in mind that during the summer if your home get a lot of direct sun, you can use the same techniques to insulate against excessive heat and thus reduce your need for cooling. There is a product called Reflectics that I found at a home improvement store. It comes in a big roll and costs about $25. You can easily find this product online as well. Just search for RV window insulation and it should come right up.
Another simple technique is to take advantage of natural lighting. If possible, install skylights or solar tubes that divert natural light into your home. This reduces you need for artificial light.
One extremely simple thing is to also convert all in home lighting to LED. I did this before installing solar at the cabin and reduced my energy usage for lighting by 70%.
Another simple thing to do is to eliminate phantom loads or what some people call vampire power. This simply refers to the energy that our devices consume even when not in use. There was a time when something was turned off it truly was turned off, meaning it was not consuming energy. But that is not the case anymore because practically everything is digital.
It is estimated that as much as 20% of our base load electricity consumption in solely related to appliances and equipment in off or standby mode so that they can be powered up quickly.
The issue is that many of these devices that were previously purely mechanical have gone digital. Washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators, thermostats, coffee makers, microwaves, etc, all have digital displays and consume energy whether they are being using or not. For example, a Samsung cable box uses 28 watts when it is turned on. It used 25 watts when it is in stand by mode.
The solution here is really simple.
-Unplug electronics, devices, and appliances when they are not in use.
-Set your electronics to energy save mode when not in use and turn off your monitors when not in use.
-Use a power strip to turn off all devices at once. This is the same as unplugging something from the electrical socket and prevents vampire power or phantom energy usage.
-Use more energy efficient appliances, especially those that are certified by the Energy Star Program
-Unplug devices when they are fully charged
-Unplug small appliances when not in use such as your coffee maker and microwave.
Bottom line, what I call our “always on consumption rate” costs American $19 billion dollars a year and translates into fifty 500 megawatt power plants of electricity. That is a significant unnecessary strain on the environment.
And speaking of our digital age, one of the true advantages is that we have smart devices and smart controls for our homes. If you do not have a smart thermostat then get one. This enables you to control what is going on in your home from virtually anywhere.
And of course one of my favorite options is to power your home with renewable energy. Solar is the most common application. Depending on your local, wind and geothermal may also be an option.
The cost of renewable energy has gone down significantly over the past 20 years. Additionally, with government incentives and tax rebates at the federal and state level, it makes it more sense than ever to install solar. One hundred percent off grid capability is the most expensive option just because of the cost of batteries. But grid tie is very common and often much more affordable.
And if you are considering renewable energy, then consider going all electric. Modern high efficiency all-electric appliances such as induction cooktops and heat pump water heaters are far more efficient than gas appliances. So it is a win-win situation. If you are considering replacing older kitchen appliances, then go with something far more efficient even if you spend more money up front.
Since I am already all solar, I personally use a high efficiency DC refrigerator and freezer. Both of these appliances running 24 hours a day uses far less electricity than one 50 watt light bulb. If you could do anyone thing, is would be very inexpensive to set up a small solar array with battery back up sufficient to run your refrigerator and freezer and at least have that part of your home completely off grid.
Another fantastic option is to use an on demand water heater. Since the homestead is run completely off of solar, this is what we do and it completely avoids using energy to keep a constant reservoir of hot water that is only used a small percentage of the time.
You would be surprised to know that I have used an electric clothes dryer only once in the past 5 years. I accomplished this by hanging clothes out on the line to dry. When this was not possible, mostly in the winter, I have an indoor clothes line. And by the way, the line is also a good place to hang socks because our little dog thinks they are the best possible chew toy.
Now there are many other ways to decarbonize your home that I have covered in previous episodes. Things such as reducing your food waste, recycling, composting, and conserving water. I am sure there are many other options as well.
If this sounds like a lot, then allow me to give you a good example of just what can be done.
Most of us are familiar the this huge iconic building called the Empire State Building. Construction was completed in May, 1931. It is just over 2.7 million square feet. Ten years ago the Empire State Building was an energy guzzling monster. On a daily basis this building was consuming electricity sufficient enough to power 40,000 homes. By upgrading windows, lighting, insulation and installing a new energy management system, carbon emissions were reduced my 40% over 10 years. Additionally, the entire building has been run completely off of renewable energy since 2011.
Our homes are a prime opportunity to reduce our ecological impact. There are simple, affordable changes that can be made that are much less complicated than what the owners of the Empire State Building had to undertake. Investing in sustainable improvements for your home will pay off for years to come.
Do your homework. Look into federal and state level incentives to installing solar. Take steps toward increasing the energy efficiency of your home. Unplug devices when not in use. Go all electric. Use an on-demand water heater. Reduce your food waste, recycle, conserve water, and compost.
The point here is that while we sit back and wait for big government and big business to decide the fate of the world there are many things we can do as individuals. We can start by not being a part of the problem. And that starts by living more consciously and making a commitment to change your lifestyle. Making a commitment to be more sustainable. And remember that when it comes to our homes, the greenest energy is the energy that we never use.
So this wraps it up for episode two of this three part series It All Starts at Home. Stayed tuned for my next episode that will cover our ecological footprint related to how we eat. And don’t forget to take advantage of the resources listed in the transcript of this episode.
And if you have enjoyed my podcast, then please take the time to leave me with a review. You can also subscribes to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast as well as my companion blog Off Grid Living News.
This is your host Patrick signing off until next week. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.
Resources
The Carbon Footprint of Household Energy Use in the United States. National Academy of Sciences
Five Charts Show How Your Household Drives Up Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Carbon Footprint Fact Sheet, University of Michigan
How Your House Will Go Carbon Free
Seven Simple Steps to Decarbonize Your Home
Ten Steps to Decarbonize Your Lifestyle
Patrick
