What Good Does It Do?
The September issue of Backpacker has an article detailing the measured impact of making eco-friendly changes. I thought it would be fun to compare some of our tips to the list and see what it all amounts to. The numbers equal the yearly result.
- Use a laptop and cut 400 lbs of CO2. (Backpacker says that a laptop uses up to 80% less energy compared to a desktop!)
- Turn down your water heater and cut 880 (natural gas) to 1,200 (electric) lbs.
- Carpooling cuts 500 lbs.
- Unplug what you aren’t using and cut 2,000 lbs.
- Switch to an electric mower and cut 80 lbs.
- If you ride your bike to run errands you’ll cut 1,000 lbs. Ride to work every day, and you’ll save 2,200 lbs.
- Shop at yard sales and cut 55 lbs by limiting the demand for production of new goods.
- Hanging one load of clothes out to dry per week cuts 200 lbs.
- Switch to Compact Florescent Lightbulbs and cut 120 lbs per bulb.
If you can make a reduction of 6,000 lbs a year, it’s the equivalent of saving 310 gallons of gas. Add up the savings on the changes you’re making and enter them into the U.S. Climate Technology Cooperation Gateway Calculator to see the difference it makes. And pick up the Global Warming issue of Backpacker (or read it at your local library) to learn about more small changes that have a big impact.
August 13th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
I read only today whilst doing dissertation research that we must look beyond energy consumption of computers, because the supposed energy saving in usage is counterbalanced by embodied energy in the production process. Desktops and Laptops are very different, in usage energy and in embodied - it’s difficult to put one above the other.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
That’s a really good point, Sarah. It’s important to consider embodied energy as well, and do what you can to keep your computer running as long as possible, because it takes a lot of energy and materials to produce a computer.