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It all seems so daunting.
Climate change. Carbon credits. Biofuels, hydrogen power, and solar energy. The vocabulary of a new century. There's a lot to learn.
The news is full of disturbing reports about global warming, threatened species, and the gradual realization that the way we live -- particularly in the developed nations -- will have to change if we want to enjoy a clean and sustainable future.
But there's no reason to feel overwhelmed. Every journey begins with a single step. At Lighter Footstep, we've rounded-up the ten easiest ways for you to start moving toward a lighter lifestyle. Some cost nothing at all. Others provide a lot bang for your eco-dollar. In every case, these ideas will save you money, cut energy use, and help balance your household's greenhouse gas budget -- the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere to produce goods or electrical power.
So pick a few, and give them a try. Before long, you'll establish the habits we all need to develop as we face the challenges of a resource-hungry planet.
 Make the switch to Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs). Just a few years ago, CFLs were bulky, expensive, and hard to find. Thanks to environmental commitments by companies such as Wal-Mart, CFLs are now readily available at about $2.00 each. That's more expensive at purchase than incandescent bulbs, but lumen for lumen (the unit by which a light bulb's brightness is measured), CLFs use much less power. They also last up to ten times longer than regular bulbs. That means that the average CFL bulb will save $30 in energy costs over the course of its life. Accoring to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, if every American household were to swap just one bulb to CFL, we would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.
 Monitor your thermostat. Small changes make a big difference over time. Make a note of where you normally keep your thermostat. Once you've got an idea where it is usually set in the summer and winter, make the Two Degree Pledge: up two degrees in the warmer months, and down two degrees when it's cold. Check Lighter Footstep for energy-efficient ways to stay comfortable through the seasons and save up to $100 a year on your power bill. That's equivalent to one ton of greenhouse gases which would have been produced by the energy you saved.
 Clean or replace your air conditioning filter. Depending on where you live, air conditioning filters can get dirty in a matter of days. An air conditioner with a clogged filter has to work harder, which means higher power bills and the creation of more greenhouse emissions. Running clean, you can save up to $150 each year. You'll also enjoy the benefit of fewer allergy causing particles in the air, and a more comfortable home or office.
 Unplug idle appliances and electronic devices. Just because that cellphone charger doesn't have a phone attached to it doesn't mean it's not drawing energy. Devices such as televisions with standby modes can use up to half the power they would draw when turned on. Don't just turn something off: unplug it. The average household can save up to several hundred dollars a year just by pulling the plug on silent energy vampires.
 Buy a low-flow shower head with a shutoff valve. In most homes, you can replace an old-style shower head with a modern unit in about fifteen minutes. You'll reap two-pronged savings, both in water and the energy you'd have used to heat it. You're also saving your community the power it would have used to treat the wastewater. The benefits can be pretty impressive, since water heaters account for about 25-percent of home energy use. Put several hundred dollars back into your budget each year and keep water use to a minimum.
 Drive smarter. In real world testing of common fuel-saving tips, the Edmund Automotive Network found some surprises. First, it's a good thing to keep tires properly inflated, and this is a commonly recommended strategy for saving gas. But Edmund found others which make a more noticeable difference. Use your cruise control on the highway for up to a 15-percent improvement in mileage. Driving less aggressively is the single most effective way to save gasoline: accelerate out of lights more gently, avoid rapid braking, and only drive as fast as you must. And turn off your engine rather than idling excessively. If your car starts reliably, consider shutting it down at long lights. Skip the drive-through window, park, and walk your business inside whenever possible.
 Get an annual tune-up for your car. At $200 to $300, a full engine tune-up sounds like a pricey way to save fuel and money. In practice, it's a good investment. A faulty oxygen sensor, for instance, can penalize your car up to 3 miles per gallon. Worn spark plugs and dirty air filters can cost you another 4 MPG. It all adds up -- fast. Set a fixed time each year to give your car the attention it needs. And check that fuel cap, while you're at it. A loose or poorly sealed cap will vent gasoline vapor, polluting the air and costing you up to 2 miles per gallon. Tighten up!
 Dust-off that bike. Bicycles are the most efficient form of human transportation, and the only thing they burn is calories. Consider whether bike commuting might fit your lifestyle. Even if this isn't the case, bicycles are a healthy and environmentally friendly way to run those short errands. You'll need a helmet, a good lock, and proper lighting if you're out before dawn or after dusk. Start by resolving to use your bicycle instead of a car just once a week, a build from there. Watch Lighter Footstep for articles on choosing an appropriate commuter bike and outfitting for comfort and safety.
 Go meatless once a week. If you're not already practicing a vegetarian diet, consider cutting back on the amount of meat in you consume. As Frances Moore Lappé pointed out in her bestselling book, Diet for a Small Planet, livestock production absorbs sixteen pounds of grain and soy feed for every pound of meat that actually gets to the plate. Each calorie of animal protein requires 78 calories of fossil fuels to produce, and irrigation directly associated with livestock production (including feeds) amounts to about half of all the consumed water in the United States. Give meatless substitutes like Boca Burgers a try, or scan vegetarian recipes for healthy and earth-friendly meal ideas.
 Buy local; buy in season. According to the non-profit group Sustainable Table, the typical carrot travels 1,838 miles before it ends up in your kitchen. That's a lot of food miles, and a tremendous amount of wasted fossil fuels and packaging. Buying regionally produced food is a keystone of sustainability: not only does it save the energy costs associated with shipping bulk produce, it keeps a portion of your grocery money close to where live. So locate your local farmer's market and add it to your weekly errands. You'll be supporting local growers while enjoying fresh, seasonal produce.
By the time you've a few of these steps, you'll probably be thinking of other actionable ways to present a lighter environmental footstep. And that's how meaningful change begins: consistent, incremental improvements to the way we manage our personal and community resources. Join with Lighter Footstep in fashioning a wiser and more sustainable future.
Readers have left 77 comments. 1. Untitled
Nancy P., Guest Some really nice tips here. My husband and I swapped our mercury bulb thermostat for one that tracks the room temperature and our comfort habits. We saw savings on our very first electric bill. 2. Untitled
Nancy P., Guest Some really nice tips here. My husband and I swapped our mercury bulb thermostat for one that tracks the room temperature and our comfort habits. We saw savings on our very first electric bill. 3. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Thanks for sharing, Nancy. Hope you'll keep us posted as you continue making changes in your lives. Let us know what works! 4. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Thanks for sharing, Nancy. Hope you'll keep us posted as you continue making changes in your lives. Let us know what works! 5. Untitled
GeekTieGuy, Guest In support of point 7, dusting off that bike, I've recently written about the energy usage implications of cars vs. bikes. Check it out at http://www.geektieguy.com/2007/01/26/more-on-pouring-away-gas/ 6. Untitled
GeekTieGuy, Guest In support of point 7, dusting off that bike, I've recently written about the energy usage implications of cars vs. bikes. Check it out at http://www.geektieguy.com/2007/01/26/more-on-pouring-away-gas/ 7. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest GeekTieGuy: Welcome! I'm behind anything that gets people on bicycles -- the single most efficient mode of transportation ever invented. Good work. 8. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest GeekTieGuy: Welcome! I'm behind anything that gets people on bicycles -- the single most efficient mode of transportation ever invented. Good work. 9. Untitled
Barb B., Guest #6, if we drive smarter, maybe there would be a little less road rage and less accident too! 10. Untitled
Barb B., Guest #6, if we drive smarter, maybe there would be a little less road rage and less accident too! 11. Untitled
Robyne Chamberlain, Guest First of all great site and I am going to put a link on my blog.
This is a good list...I could tick of all of them. The thing is, it is all relative isnt it? When I visit the US I am shocked by the waste and consumption there compared to other countries...things like packaging there are ridiculous. I recently bought an ice cream that had 3 wrappers...including a wrapper, a box then another wrapper. We have to stop buying these products and let the manufacturers know.
What gets up my nose is the way the governments are now using the Global Warming awareness to sneak in other "fund raising" schemes which are badged as addressing the environmental challenges whilst in reality are simply finding a new way to use money. They learn the language, compile the glossary and then use it to achieve their own agenda. This is happening in the Uk at the moment with this ridiculous pay as you go car tax. Perhaps they should begin with an affordable and reliable public transport system. 12. Untitled
Robyne Chamberlain, Guest First of all great site and I am going to put a link on my blog.
This is a good list...I could tick of all of them. The thing is, it is all relative isnt it? When I visit the US I am shocked by the waste and consumption there compared to other countries...things like packaging there are ridiculous. I recently bought an ice cream that had 3 wrappers...including a wrapper, a box then another wrapper. We have to stop buying these products and let the manufacturers know.
What gets up my nose is the way the governments are now using the Global Warming awareness to sneak in other "fund raising" schemes which are badged as addressing the environmental challenges whilst in reality are simply finding a new way to use money. They learn the language, compile the glossary and then use it to achieve their own agenda. This is happening in the Uk at the moment with this ridiculous pay as you go car tax. Perhaps they should begin with an affordable and reliable public transport system. 13. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Barb: sorry I missed your comment earlier. I think road rage is the natural outcome of the awful urban environments we've created for ourselves. So reaching for sustainable living solutions can't do anything but help people stay calm behind the wheel.
Robyne: glad you found us! You're right about overpackaging -- what a waste. Inconvenient, too. As for politicians, I'm less concerned with what they say (or their motivations) then their actions. If they talk the talk, let's see them walk the walk. 14. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Barb: sorry I missed your comment earlier. I think road rage is the natural outcome of the awful urban environments we've created for ourselves. So reaching for sustainable living solutions can't do anything but help people stay calm behind the wheel.
Robyne: glad you found us! You're right about overpackaging -- what a waste. Inconvenient, too. As for politicians, I'm less concerned with what they say (or their motivations) then their actions. If they talk the talk, let's see them walk the walk. 15. Untitled
Kent Swanson, Guest Nice post! What about adding "10 First Steps in Your Yard and Garden?" Using drip irrigation and native plants would be my first two! Thanks for your great posts! 16. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest There will be additions to the series -- and you bet, we'll be going out into the garden. :-) 17. Untitled
Kent Swanson, Guest Great! I'll look forward to reading more. You're blog is a wonderful resource. Keep up the good work and thanks for visiting Ecobackyard.com as well!
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Kent Swanson, Guest "your blog..." that is...more coffeee please! 19. Untitled
JSun, Guest How did recycling not make the list? 20. Untitled
graham Heyes, Guest I support everything written here. I live in the USA and last summer my wife and I had an addition built on the back the house. We bought the house expecting to have no family but now have two teenage boys. Rather than sell and buy new we decided to upgrade our home and make it more environmentally friendly at the same time. We added extra insulation and used the highest efficiency windows we could use, heat pumps and LED lighting. We got a tax refund for our efforts and the gas and power bills since last summer have all been down (we replaced all of the windows and lighting in the whole house). I'm not sure when we will get ahead in terms of environmental friendliness since, I assume, the more energy efficient windows, lighting and appliances cost more resources to manufacture than ordinary ones.
As far as other things are concerned we cook using fresh, unprocessed and minimally packaged, food as much as we can. The other thing that makes a big difference is cutting down on food waste. I found myself cooking with one onion, one pepper etc and ending up with more food than four of us can eat at one meal. I then found that some meals were never appealing as leftovers and stayed in the refrigerator until thrown away. So now I cut an veggies in half and store the fresh food to make another meal. For example leftover onion can be used in curry, salad, chili or pizza sauce. On the other hand when cooking BBQ chicken breasts I discovered that the store sells chicken breast in packs of three or five and there are four of us. I used to freeze the leftover fresh chicken thinking that I would use it in other meals. In fact it turned out to be better to cook all the chicken at once and use the leftover in sandwiches etc.
Same with other meat, better to cook when fresh than save and try to assemble enough leftover frozen stuff to make a meal.
I hope that this helps someone.
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graham Heyes, Guest Another thing. Most of my US neighbors have nice green lawns with short grass. I have a lawn at the front but cut it to no shorter than four inches once a week with a mulching blade in prime growing season. It amazes me to see people cut grass to two inches in an area where the temps reach 90F in summer then water it to keep it growing. They then bag the grass clippings and put on fertilizer or, worse, have tru-brown-chem-spill weekly. I've lived here fifteen years, hardly water the lawn in summer and only apply fertilizer once every year or two to top up. The self mulching clippings do the rest. Again, hope this heps someone. 22. Untitled
Bill Peschel, Guest Here's an easy way to handle energy vampires: plug them into surge protecters. We put our two computers and the TV/DVD/game boxes on them.
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Radical, Guest Another idea: do not live in the United States. This will be your greatest contribution to the planet. 24. Untitled
Tom, Guest I agree with most of what you have written in the article, just a few notes:
i) Public transport and carsharing is missing from the list... I guess that's because it's US-focused? Because many might hesitate switching their car for a bicycle just yet, but with the public transport offerings available in most cities switching for subway, train and bus isn't so hard.
ii)
iii) There is a study from the UK out there (I have to find the URL, I guess) that shows that "buying local" can - energy-wise - be the wrong way to go: Agricultural production in the UK is much more energy-intensive (both because they use a lot of machinery and they need to use a lot of energy to compensate for the less than perfect climate conditions) than in most developing countries. So they estimate that you will actually use less energy if you get the produce from some developing countries and shipping it all the way to the UK than by buying home-grown stuff. 25. Untitled
Tom, Guest Oh,
now I missed ii):
ii) If you go on holidays in far-away places, think about offsetting the carbon emissions from air travel by buying certificates from companies like myclimate. (http://www.myclimate.org/index.php?lang=en) 26. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Great to see you Lifehacker folks on the scene. Thanks for commenting -- please grab our feed -- and contact us directly at if you're looking for a pointer to resources or there's anything we can do for you.
The Archives tab up top is organized by topic and will help you find your way around the site.
Happy Earth Day! Do something ... well ... earthy. :-) 27. Untitled
Jason, Guest One of the biggest energy savers, at least for us here in the United States, is stop building in and moving to the suburbs.
Move back to the city centers, live in smaller homes or condos, drive less, and get back to real neighborhoods.
The other suggestions on this list, however, are excellent. 28. Untitled
Indigent, Guest Every one of these pieces I see on energy saving always forgets the biggest money waster in the home, your WATER HEATER. I live in Japan, and the water heaters in the house are on-demand systems, not these bulky tanks that suck energy all day long. If I don't need hot water today, my water heater isn't wasting energy to produce it for me. Also, there is a neat trick to save even more money with an on-demand system. I turn the water temperature WAAAY down for my shower water heater. I turn it down so that the temperature is what I like for a shower with ONLY hot water (what's the point of heating up water so high just to cool it back down by mixing it with COLD water??????). I keep the kitchen sink's heater set high for washing dishes, but I have saved Thousands of dollars in the 3 years I have been in Japan as a result. As an added bonus, you also save on your water bill, as you are using less water.
Another thing about Japan, it is harder to find incandescent bulbs here. Everything is CFL, and they are Incredibly cheap. I pay Y180 (about $1.30) for each bulb. Also, Japan runs on 100V 50hz, so they don't have to spend as much energy generating the higher voltages.
Other than that, I agree with everything here. Great tips! It is addicting to see how much money you can save once you start.
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Chris Baskind, Guest Indigent: I agree with you one the water heater (and we've written about them elsewhere). We heat hot water 24/7 against a few minutes of demand a day.
Knocking back the thermostat is a good start. Tankless water heaters are to the point now that they're feasible home improvement projects.
CFLs have their limitations but they're probably our best energy savings bet for the next five years. That -- and $50 of weather stripping -- and you'll really watch the power meter slow down. 30. Untitled
Tom, Guest Great tips! It's a great idea to get people to reduce their impact by starting small. We all don't have to "pocket compost" (Sipmson's reference) to help the world out. 31. Untitled
john, Guest I agree with every one of the ten points. I do all I can to carry them out. And yet here is my confession. I believe entirely in caring for my planet, I detest pollution and yet the more I hear about the science of man made global warming the less I am convinced. I speak as one who began convinced but the more I read about solar activity and its effects over the last centuries the more I look for other answers. In my country, England, there have been centuries when vines were grown in London and following centuries where it was possible to skate on the Thames. My lay man's understanding of CO2 is that it lags behind temperature change by a few hundred years. It is the causee not the cause.
So here is my question - and I can feel the annoyance as you read! Will you accept one such as me into your fold who has not yet commited to the science that so many accept as fact. I wish to do all that you do - your list is admirable - although I suspect offsetting will in time be widely abused by charlatans. This earth deserves our care and I truly admire you all for what you do and what you believe. But in your rush to convince, is there a danger that those like me who want to help but don't share your view on the science will remain in the shadows for fear of being pilloried for what we beleive. We can share an aim for different reasons. 32. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest > So here is my question - and I can feel the annoyance as you read! Will you accept one such as me into your fold who has not yet commited to the science that so many accept as fact.
Of course: Sustainability is for everyone. Climate change aside, we face tremendous challenges in resource management during the coming century, and each of us approach these issues as best we can, from wherever we are at the time.
So come along and lighten your footstep, too. It all works for the good. 33. Untitled
Alex, Guest Regarding #4, the energy vampires... It's really easy to write that one off as too much trouble- Unplugging and replugging everything in whenever you use it.
A good way to make this easier on yourself (and make you more likely to actually do it), is to plug all those types of devices into surge protectors. That way, when you're done watching TV, just flip the switch- The DVD player, cable box, and sound system (none of which are in use when your TV is off) turn off with it. 34. Untitled
telstar, Guest consider: global population increase may null all these efforts. refrain from procreation. adopt a child. 35. Untitled
Jasper, Guest "Dust-off that bike. ... You'll need a helmet ..." You dont need a helmet in the Netherlands.  @JSun Probably because recycling is overrated. Perhaps seperating compost helps to an extend. (a lot is already seperated in the factory) The one I am missing is get politically active. Stuff like the war in Iraq is a big cause of polution, and also a lot of energy-use/polution is caused by industry. I do not think consumer-chosing of products alone is enough. People do not have the oversight of what a product really costs environmentally. 36. Untitled
CFL Guinea Pig, Guest Recently started using CFL bulbs in my office / studio. I was looking forward to the miraculous reduction in energy costs, but disappointed to realize they buzz and sometimes flicker, annoyingly, just like other flourescents.
They are definitely not appropriate for all applications/environments.
PS: death to logins; long live captchas! 37. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest CFL Guinea Pig: ouch! Sounds like you got bulbs with cheap ballasts. CFLs are *not* directly equivalent to incandescent bulbs, but they shouldn't flicker.
We have a CFL follow-up here:
http://lighterfootstep.com/how-to-live-with-cfls.html
Hope you find a better CFL solution -- try another brand, wattage, or light temperature. You deserve a better experience than that. 38. Untitled
tantowi, Guest We also can reduce our electrical bills by doing those things.
"How to Substantially Cut Your Energy Bills"
http://orangtuamurid.info/blog/?p=253 39. Untitled
cerement, Guest For point 10, what's a good site for getting information on seasonal produce? (the Sustainable Table site claims they focus more on animal products) Walking into your local supermarket, everything is available all year round, no longer any indication that winter squashes were ready in winter, summer berries in summer, etc.
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Chris Baskind, Guest cerement: Here's a good start:
http://100milediet.org/ The Hundred Mile Diet
If you're in the U.S., here's a directory of local growers, viewable by state:
http://www.localharvest.org/
There must be equivalents for Europe and other places. Suggestions, anyone? 41. Untitled
yuzle, Guest I don't get it either... Digg is weird like that sometimes. 42. Untitled
SnappyFrog, Guest There are now "smart" powerstrips that you can buy. Just plug in the main appliance (i.e.-TV) in the smart plug-in and everything else in the other plug-ins on the strip. When you turn the TV off, it turns everything else off as well. 43. Untitled
BASpider, Guest All those chargers in the car that are plugged in reduce your mpg, even when you aren't using them. 44. Untitled
maggie, Guest Use a clothsline!! Even one load per week is a great savings! Nothing like the scent of fresh sheets of the line! 45. Untitled
matt, Guest Another thing worth mentioning, along with watching the thermostat, is ceiling fans. They're pretty easy to install and they can really help cool a room and don't use nearly as much electricity as an air conditioner. 46. Untitled
country mouse, Guest big caution on biking. a significant number of bicyclists experience groin damage from the bike seat. I never found a seat that didn't make my wobbly bits go numb in 30 min and leave them numb for an hour post ride. took about 3-4 years off the bike for things to heal mostly ok. women also suffer from similar nerve damage. rule of thumb: if your bike seat makes anything go numb, stop using the bike! see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling#Injuries
If you want to ride without self inflected injuries, get a recumbent.
on 100 mile eating, at this time of year (end of april), the only food that meets those rules is grain, very old potatoes, canned fruit, dried fruit, and fresh meat. fresh greens and peas will show up in june (in a good year) and other fresh foods in late july through september. then it is back to stored food.
for a real good indicator of what 100 mi food means to your food choices, take a look at accounts of farm life in the 1800's. for extra credit, figure out how many acres of land and labor is needed to feed 1 person for a year (2100 cal/day for male, 1500 cal/day for female) and how much it will cost.
phantom loads: there is a strong disincentive when the device takes 5-10 minutes to wake up (thinking about my sat receiver). also, sat or cable with dvr means you never turn devices off so that unattended recording works.
real loads: I'd like to find a way to throttle back my 24x7 machines. I'm migrating to virtual machines so I can reduce the number of physical machines running but I have not found a way to spindown disks and cpu speed when idle and spin back up on demand. 47. Untitled
Nicole, Guest Can I print a big copy of that and hang it all over the place here in Kuwait?! Nobody really cares here. Energy's for free  n Anyway, I'll do my share and thanks for the tips! 48. Untitled
country mouse, Guest oh yea, clothslines are a great way to collect pollen (ka-chew) and bird droppings.
re: fans. they don't cool. all they do is move air which is great of you have a source of cool air. another problem is the noise. unless the fans are on low, the noise is too much for me most of the time.
re: suburbs, many people hates cities and do not want to hear or see any of their neighbors. remember, neighbors are like family. you didn't pick them and you avoid them at all cost.
I could give a long list of city problems but it all boils down to economics and robustness. everything is much more expensive (food, housing) and the environment is much more fragile (New Orleans was not a special case). ask yourself this. what happens if a city looses all or even some it its external water sources. how long would people survive?
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Chris Baskind, Guest Nicole: Yes! Please print this and email it to as many people as you please.  Following reader requests, I've recently added a "print friendly" and "email this article" feature throughout the site. We;ve not announced this yet because our initial feedback is the icons are too small and obscure -- something which will be fixed shortly. To prepare a print-friendly version of our articles, click the little printer icon at the top right of the article. You must have javascript enabled. After a moment, a nicely formatted copy will pop-up. Click the print icon in this window to print, and you should be home free. The small email icon next to it pops-up an email form which works almost the same way. Country mouse: thanks also for your comments. I rode bicycles competitively and sold them for some years. Numbness in the groin area is experienced by some riders (most commonly in males). The usual cause is poor bicycle fit. You're right: if you experience numbness, you should stop riding and talk to two people -- your doctor, and someone in a competent bicycle shop. Saddle numbness is usually temporary, fading in hours or days. But repeated abuse can cause permanent damage. Not cool. The specific cause is almost always riding a too-large bicycle frame. This makes the bike's "cockpit" too long and causes the rider to pitch his or her weight forward to reach the handlebars, placing undue pressure on sensitive nerves and tissues. There are other causes, too: saddles adjusted too high, resulting in excessive pelvic rock; and poorly designed or constructed saddles. Proper fitting or a saddle change can remedy these issues. As an aside, men are generally more comfortable when the nose of the saddle is slightly angled to the right or left, depending on their body. This creates the extra ... uh ... room that men need. Padded bike shorts are a great blessing. Cycling is a healthy activity for both sexes. As for clotheslines: humans managed to dry their clothes without gas or electric dryers for thousands of years. It'll be okay. 50. Untitled
Nicole, Guest Well, they don't even heed their own signs. If you would see all the trash around here, you would go nuts  Well, Babysteps will get me there. Monday, I'll take a trash bag to our beach and clean that one up a bit.... Have a good weekend, Nicole 51. Untitled
country mouse, Guest @chris re line drying. my mother line dried and we had summer colds from april to september. she got a dryer and the colds went away (mostly). I like being able to breath. :-)
re bike numbness, at 6'1" I had a hard time getting a large enough bike frame and inspite of all the bad advice from multiple bike shops on seats, clothing and padding, I had to give up on uprights. moving to a 'bent removed all the hand, neck, and groin pain. I wish 'bents had more availability because they are very friendly to novices, and people with physical problems over a wide range of ages. Unfortunately the dismissive attitude of most wannabe racers in the bike shops make it difficult for average folks to get good info.
wrt biks, another thing to think about is the total infrastructure. biking to work (as I did in my 20's) means taking a shower 2x/day (once at work, other at home) or having coworkers that love the smell of your sweat stink. I also believe you should be able to take your bike with you on all forms of mass transit without any delay so you can extend the effective range of your bike.
effective biking range is another important factor. in my 20's, my range was about 5-7 miles one way. october rain and available daylight set my riding limits. now at 50, I would not ride to work because of the stink factor, my lower energy levels, and reduced tolerance for sharing roads with cars. give me a 400cc scooter anyday.
As we all age, some of the energy saving things we did in our 20's don't work. in your 20's, you may have spent your Saturday hunting for food and fuck buddies from a bunch of farmers markets but in your 60's when you can no longer ride because of bad joints and a cranky prostate, your choices are limited to whatever overpriced crap your only local market happens to stock.
experiment: carry a weeks worth of groceries for 2 people and 1 child by yourself on public transport.
experiment: what are the social implications of moving everytime you change jobs?
experiment: what are the economic implications of owning nothing and renting everything (durable goods, snd experiences)
experiment: contrast moving a moderately bulky item (printer, computer, tv) home on public transport (daytime and night time) vrs a car vrs taking time off from work to wait for the delivery person.
experiment: what are the safety implications of driving much of the time vrs driving as needed? what will happen to the accident rate?
experiment: contrast suburban living where distances are too great to walk anywhere but you can walk freely and leave doors unlocked most of the day vrs urban living where you are afraid to walk anywhere and you need to live behind a security barrier for your own safety.
yea, I have my biases and I have more of these thought experiments :-)
--- pd 52. Untitled
Motorcycle Guy, Guest I heard some of those CFL bulbs were known to cause fires. Is that true? I'd rather not burn down the whole house trying to save energy. 53. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Motorcycle Guy: No, CFLs are UL rated and pose no more fire hazard than a standard bulb. They run substantially cooler than incandescents.
CFLs should not be used in enclosed fixtures unless they are designed for that purpose, however. Just check the product packaging before you buy. 54. Untitled
Ed Æ’ MN, Guest CFLs and long tubes can be a medical hazard for some people who are sensitive to flickering lights.
I noticed when I switched the tri bulb light to 3 CFL's the frequency emitted could no longer power a solar calculator. The previous Type A bulbs could. The Light put out by the CFL's is a lesser amount as well. The ones they say equate to a 60w (13w) do not produce the same output (or frequency span). Would be interesting to see the frequency of the two side by side.
I found in my place, I cut power to everything when I was gone for one month except a clock, a few transformers were plugged in (less than 2W total) nothing else was on, no lights. My bill was almost the same as the month before, only down SLIGHTLY. Power company told me the Fridge is the main power drainer. I thought my bill would have dropped with lights being off, no TV, no DVD, no audio, no computer ussage over that time. 55. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Ed: if your home is all-electric, the water heater is usually the biggest energy draw. Others in the Top 5 are heating, the fridge, cooling, and lighting (in that order, but it really depends on your climate).
Modern CFLs have step-up devices which increase the frequency of the current supplied to the tube. Humans can't perceive flicker at 120 Hz. Some people *can* perceive 60 Hz, though -- especially strobing. As for the light, CFLs do produce the same number of lumen as their incandescent equivalents -- but they radiate that light very differently, and we're screwing CFLs into fixtures designed for traditional bulbs.
We talk about this issue in our CFL guide:
http://lighterfootstep.com/how-to-live-with-cfls.html 56. Untitled
zack kushner, Guest well done, chris! if half the people who read this try half the things on this list you'll have made a huge difference. i'll be covering your tips on the blog i'm running: http://liveearth.spaces.live.com. 57. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Thank you Zack -- and good luck with the new site! Now that Spinal Tap has signed-on for the London Live Earth venue, it can truly be said this is the biggest concert event even.  58. Untitled
zack kushner, Guest yes! i'm hoping we go way past 11. 59. Untitled
Allison, Guest I live without a car. I'm not all that concerned about the carbon emissions (although it's an excellent bragging point) as much as I am really addicted to spending money on things other than gas, insurance, and a car payment. It's been tough living without a car in a car-loving town in Oregon (in Portland, it is easy to leave the car at home - less so anywhere else). There's often about a mile between cross walks, the philistines! But I couldn't for the life of me come up with a good way to get groceries home, even from the grocery stores that are pretty near my apartment, by bike. Trailers are obnoxious, backpacks don't hold that much. So I bought a used Radio Flyer Town & Country wagon. I can carry over 50 lbs in the thing without much strain on the wheels or my arms. And it's also absurdly fun - and it's more stable than even those granny grocery baskets. I go through the grocery store with a big ole' grin on my face, watching everyone's reaction that range from, "Hey, you're going to run over my toe" to "Hmm...that's a good idea" to "Uh! She doesn't have a car?!?! How UNCOOL!" (those are my favorite). 60. Untitled
jjs, Guest Personally I was suprised how much money I spent to the car by owing a one. Since public transportation works were I live and all my daily needs can be reached by walking less than 10 minutes, the decision was easy to make. I can get a car whenever I want through the car-sharing club and still I can spend 2000-3000 euros (2700-4000 dollars) in a year to something else - like 340 pints of beer :-). 61. Untitled
Heather, Guest Having two babies at home, I was limited to errands around my neighborhood that were within 5 miles. Once I got a bike trailer, that all changed! I can bike to Trader Joe's (7 miles roundtrip) and have room on the trailer for a week of groceries. And since the park, the post office and Target are all on the way, I can hit everything with one big ride. The babies (1 and 3) love the trailer as they have a better view outside than in the car. The extra bonus of losing weight and staying fit helps!! 62. Untitled
Diane, Guest I encourage my friends to do more green things and have campaigned to get green bins on my street from my local authority. Hopefully this'll lead to less landfill. Every little helps and I love to read other people's ideas on how to do their bit to protect the planet we live in. 63. Untitled
mombird, Guest We have been doing alot of the stuff on the list. I use power strips and turn off/unplug everything. Changed out lightbulbs-rearranged to take advantage of natural lighting. When our washing machine finally died went an got a more efficient washer and started hanging things on drying racks in Winter and outside in warmer months....haven't been plaqued by bird droppings on clothes. we have rain barrels out and use those to water when needed. We lower the thermostat in house during winter to 66 degrees and put on sweaters or pullovers to take the edge off. Unless it's a sub-zero day or week it doesn't go up. We will turn the heat up to a whole whopping 68 on subzero days. We went to a smaller size trash can and it costs less. We recycle to begin with and now we compost what we can. Didn't realize just how much we tossed until we got the smaller trash can. Alot more gets recycled. The tips listed are great starters! 64. Untitled
Susie, Guest Great tips.. I also offer Eco-friendly ideas for green living if you want to check it out. 65. Untitled
Missy, Guest Let's not forget about the old standard of just plain old recycling. This is also another first (light) step in moving and starting to live a more eco-friendly life. In can all branch from there. 66. Untitled
Jane Brazell, Guest Public transportation is another simple step for those who have it available and it is effective. The money I save buying a monthly pass over paying for gas and insurance is astounding. Also, you generally end up walking some distance -- good for health. The final benefit to mention here is the ability to start forming community with your companions on the transit system. 67. Untitled
Dana, Guest I agree with most of the points made in this article. I think each and every one of us can do small things that can make a big difference.
I would, however, like to comment on point #9. I think you must have the American feedlot system in mind when you state the things you do. My father is a grain and beef farmer in Canada. His cattle drink water from the creeks that are on the land and they graze in the pasture land. In the winter, they have oat-based chop twice a day and hay bales to eat. He plants one crop of oats every year to provide the oats for the cattle. My dad does not irrigate any of his crops, he relies solely on rain to water. I believe that our beef is very healthy and to be honest, better on the environment than grains.
In order to produce the grains (wheat, canola, chickpeas, lentils, split peas are the ones my father grows), you need to seed the crops and harvest them, using big equipment that consume fossil fuels. He also fertilizes them and sprays them for insects and diseases.
And a side note on organic vegetables and grains...In order to get "true" organic foods, you should find out where the veggies and grains were grown. If the organic farmer is in amongst "regular" farmers, the crops will still get exposure to pesticides and insecticides; it just won't be sprayed directly on the crops. 68. Untitled
Dana, Guest I agree with most of the points made in this article. I think each and every one of us can do small things that can make a big difference.
I would, however, like to comment on point #9. I think you must have the American feedlot system in mind when you state the things you do. My father is a grain and beef farmer in Canada. His cattle drink water from the creeks that are on the land and they graze in the pasture land. In the winter, they have oat-based chop twice a day and hay bales to eat. He plants one crop of oats every year to provide the oats for the cattle. My dad does not irrigate any of his crops, he relies solely on rain to water. I believe that our beef is very healthy and to be honest, better on the environment than grains.
In order to produce the grains (wheat, canola, chickpeas, lentils, split peas are the ones my father grows), you need to seed the crops and harvest them, using big equipment that consume fossil fuels. He also fertilizes them and sprays them for insects and diseases.
And a side note on organic vegetables and grains...In order to get "true" organic foods, you should find out where the veggies and grains were grown. If the organic farmer is in amongst "regular" farmers, the crops will still get exposure to pesticides and insecticides; it just won't be sprayed directly on the crops. 69. re: pd/country mouse
Chris E, Guest RE pd/country mouse and your experiments.
You have good points, and these begin to leave the realm of environmental friendliness and more of environmental/urban design.
chris re line drying. my mother line dried and we had summer colds from april to september. she got a dryer and the colds went away (mostly). I like being able to breath. :-)
Well if you have allergies you're right there's not much that can be done about that sadly.
wrt biks, another thing to think about is the total infrastructure. biking to work (as I did in my 20's) means taking a shower 2x/day (once at work, other at home) or having coworkers that love the smell of your sweat stink. I also believe you should be able to take your bike with you on all forms of mass transit without any delay so you can extend the effective range of your bike.
Totally, here in Calgary most busses in the summer have bike racks on the front that hold up to 3 bikes, and the light rail transit allows bikes outside of rush hour, I believe probably 4 per car (2 at each end). The shower thing is a good point as well, what would be cool would be small bike 'parkades' throughout the city core, with bike lockers, and showers.
effective biking range is another important factor. in my 20's, my range was about 5-7 miles one way. october rain and available daylight set my riding limits. now at 50, I would not ride to work because of the stink factor, my lower energy levels, and reduced tolerance for sharing roads with cars. give me a 400cc scooter anyday.
Indeed, if you work in a city's 'downtown' the further you live out in the burbs the less likely biking will work, unless you can bike to nearest transit. Failing of some cities transit systems. Scooters are good too.
experiment: carry a weeks worth of groceries for 2 people and 1 child by yourself on public transport.
For me this is an urban design failing, at one time neighbourhood markets were abundant, so one could pick up food or fresh produce within a few blocks of any home every few days, now it's all concentrated into larger, but less numerous, supermarkets that require a special trip less often with a larger haul. Urban design failing. I'm quite lucky as the city train that takes me from a block from my work to 10 blocks from my home, also has a stop in between that has a weekly farmer's market nearby.
experiment: what are the social implications of moving everytime you change jobs?
Again a failing of the city transit/bike infrastructure, you shouldn't have to move.
experiment: what are the economic implications of owning nothing and renting everything (durable goods, snd experiences)
In a consumer driven society, likely not to great for the economy, that said this sort of behaviour would change so gradually that the economy may be able to adapt fairly easily. For me I try to scour the local 'bargain finder' or garage sales on a regular basis, looking for used items I know I'll likely need eventually (trying to find something used when you need it NOW, not so useful I find)
experiment: contrast moving a moderately bulky item (printer, computer, tv) home on public transport (daytime and night time) vrs a car vrs taking time off from work to wait for the delivery person.
Indeed, not only taking time off, but you likely sit around all day waiting for the delivery. Weekend deliveries would solve a lot of that grief, but they are very elusive. Also, if a decade from now, everyone only drove to get oversized items, using environmentally friendly cars, that might not be so bad.
experiment: what are the safety implications of driving much of the time vrs driving as needed? what will happen to the accident rate?
Possible that the big reduction in drivers on the road would compensate.
70. re pd/country mouse
Chris E, Guest experiment: contrast suburban living where distances are too great to walk anywhere but you can walk freely and leave doors unlocked most of the day vrs urban living where you are afraid to walk anywhere and you need to live behind a security barrier for your own safety.
This is unfortunate, for me personally I live 21 blocks from the downtown core (albeit across a river and up a bluff as well :) and never have felt remotely unsafe, that being said that might be uncommon in most American cities, other than say.. Portland etc.
Good points pd, other 'devils advocate' points I've heard is that once you have a family, the thought of just using bikes, not having a yard to play in semi-attended (such as an apartment), is really just not fun.
71. what is better?
Melanie-WV, Guest I dont have a heat source other than propane or keroscene. My question is which one is better for my family and my pocketbook? Thank you. Love your tips by the way. use all of them and love it. 72. To Melanie in WV
Chris Baskind, Super Administrator I'd think propane is your all-around best bet. It's safest to store and lacks kerosene's heavy payload of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The Sierra Club generally recommends propane over other petroleum-based energy sources. 73. Be gentle.
Shane, Guest Excellent article. Until about 2 days ago I had never made the connection between locally produced items and fuel usage. I am amazed to learn how much energy is wasted so we can consume meat with every meal. I think the number one step anyone can take is not necessarily to become a vegitarian, but consider cutting back considerably on meat consumption. Use it sparingly or rotate. 74. The Sietch Blog
Chris Baskind, Super Administrator Thanks, Shane. We've never taken the hard-and-fast stance that you must become a vegetarian to be truly "green," but there's little argument that the livestock industry has more negative environmental impact than the world's entire automobile fleet. Cutting back or eliminating meat from our diet is a responsible and compassionate choice. 75. I am inpired
zane, Guest i can do these  76. saving water
sst, Guest While I wait for hot water to reach my shower I catch the water in milk jugs. I use that water for plants. When showering I get wet, turn the shower off, soap & shampoo up, then turn the water back on to rinse. 77. Go Green Please
Guest, Guest These are all great and easy ways to go green please do it. Save our planet and our Natureal Resources |
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