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Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
Page 1 of 15
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon:
www.checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com
We each need to reduce our carbon footprint by
90% to preserve any semblance of our current
planet.1 This is a checklist of what we can each do
now to work toward this goal.
Table of Contents:
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
11.0
12.0
13.0
13.1
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Foreword
Your Food
Family Planning & Your Health
Money, Shopping & Stuff
Waste
Driving and Flying
Playing & Pets
Your Home
Work
School
Renovation/Construction
Calculate your Footprint
Buy Carbon Offsets
Conclusion
Epilogue (get political)
About the Checklist
Checklist Sources
Climate Change 101 – a reading list for
everyone
Foreword:
In 2005 the eminent climate scientist Dr. James
Hansen said, "We are on the precipice of climate
system tipping points beyond which there is no
redemption." Just a few years later, we are now
crossing some of those tipping points. It's time to stop
talking. We must reduce now. Read the checklist.
Download it, edit it, make it your own and distribute it.
Melting polar ice will soon disintegrate, raising oceans
to threaten the existence of Miami, New York,
Shanghai, Jakarta, Calcutta, Lagos, London and other
cities. The polar bears are going to die. And 20 to 40%
of animal species will be extinct by mid-century. The
tropics are turning to desert. Monsoon rains will cease.
There will be drought, famine, and millions of
refugees. We could be among them. Hundreds of
millions of lives will be at risk, quite possibly billions.
Yes, billions.
We face these consequences not in 1,000 or 100 years,
but in our lifetime. We face an emergency, the likes of
which civilization has never seen. What is to be our
legacy?
The tipping point for atmospheric CO2 concentration
is approximately 350 parts per million (ppm). Past it
we are on the road to catastrophe. It's now 383ppm and
rising 2ppm per year.
We need to take immediate action. We must halt the
building of new coal and gas power plants that don't
capture the CO2 they produce, and require the
conversion of all existing coal power plants to capture
CO2. If the power plants cannot be converted, let's
shut them down.
With projected population growth, the earth’s
weakening ability to absorb CO2, and affirming the right
of people in developing nations to emit as much CO2 as
anyone else, 90% reductions become a minimum target
for stabilizing atmospheric CO2 levels.
1
There's no "silver bullet" to fix the problem - we must
also massively invest in clean energy sources, forest
restoration, public transportation, and in building a
carbon neutral society. We need to elect leaders who
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
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are serious about this emergency to every level of
government and educate the ones who are not.
Let's examine our own lives and make them as
carbon free as possible. This checklist is a simple
way to get started.
As the dynamic of climate change feeds on itself,
shocks lie ahead. The previously benign Siberian
soil, locked for ages in permafrost, is now melting,
releasing greenhouse gases (GHG) that exceed the
total output of U.S. manmade emissions.
The oceans - now absorbing 2 billion tons of CO2
annually - are becoming acidic dead zones.
Eventually if they tip they'll switch to being
massive CO2 emitters, radically raising atmospheric
temperature and sea levels.
While the challenges are enormous, let's start with
what we eat and how we live and work. Let's begin
by eliminating our personal carbon footprint.
Please read the lists. Think about it. Let's all do
what we can.
Ken Levenson
Feb 29, 2008 (edited 2009)
1. Your Food:
1. Don't eat beef - or at least much less beef. Going
vegetarian is best, but less is a start. (If you do
just one thing, do this.)2 (high impact)
2. Chicken in lieu of beef is better too.3
3. Stop eating all that processed food – or, like beef,
at least eat much less. (high impact)
4. Read In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto,
by Michael Pollan. (Quick read. Very
informative.)
5. Don't eat fish or eat significantly less. Buy
sustainably harvested wild fish when possible.4
6. Find out which fish are sustainable and which
aren't at Fishonline.
7. Monitor what you eat and don't eat.5 (high impact)
8. Buy organic when possible.6 See Organic Food
Info.
9. Become a locavore and buy regionally grown
food.7 (high impact)
10. Find local farmers and consider a community
supported agriculture subscription (CSA) at Local
Harvest.
11. Shop at the local Farmer's Market.
12. Consider joining the Park Slope Food Coop.
13. If you can't get it locally buy fair-trade food.8 Find
out more at Fair Trade Resource.
14. Grow your own food if you have the space. Some
if not all. The more the better. Read Food Not
Lawns by Heather C. Flores. (high impact)
15. No decent soil? Use pots.
16. Drink tap water, not bottled water. Tap water is
safe, clean and just as good for you. If you have
concerns, filter the tap water.
2
Cattle produce 33% of all agricultural greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions. And agricultural production creates 25%
of human-induced GHG.
3
Chicken’s carbon footprint is about one third of beef. Pork
is half of beef.
4
Overfishing and fish farming are putting tremendous strain
on already compromised ecosystems.
5
One quarter of America’s food goes to waste.
6
Note that while studies show GHG is lowered for some
organic products such as wheat and potatoes, for others such
as eggs, milk and chicken the GHGs can actually be greater
unless additional mitigation is utilized in their production.
7
A conventional meal creates 4 to 17 times the GHG as a
locally sourced one.
8
Commonly found fair-trade foods include: coffee, tea,
chocolate, cashews, olive oil, rice, sugar, hearts of palm,
salmon, honey, salsa, jam and syrup.
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
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17. Love Food, Hate Waste.
2. Family Planning & Your
Health:
2a. Family Planning:
Global overpopulation is the single biggest
contributor to the climate crisis we face. While
perhaps an uncomfortable subject to speak of, it
must be if we are serious about saving the planet as
we know it.
1. Prevent unplanned pregnancies. (high impact)
2. Plan in a way that makes sense for you - but
plan. Two, of many possible sources for
guidance: Planned Parenthood , The Catholic
Church
3. If you're thinking about having a second child,
consider adoption.
4. If you're thinking about a third or fourth child,
really, really consider adoption.
2b. Your Health:
The U.S. spends 16% of its gross domestic product
on health care, the highest percentage in the world.
Needless to say, health care in America has a
massive carbon footprint.
1. Don't smoke.
2. Reduce sugars9, high fructose corn syrup and
sodas.
3. Reduce white flour and white rice.
4. Reduce fried and processed foods.
5. Eat and drink in moderation.
6. Get a regular medical check-up.
7. Get enough sleep.
8. Exercise and control your weight. (walk, ride
your bike and take the stairs instead of the
elevator!)
9. Practice good dental hygiene.
10. Keep yourself healthy through preventative care
with all of the above. (high impact)
9
Sugar can cause or make worse: diabetes, obesity,
immune system suppression, hyperactivity in children,
alcoholism, arthritis, asthma, heart disease, gallstones,
osteoporosis, some types of cancer and cataracts.
3. Money, Shopping & Stuff:
3a. Money:
1. Patronize and invest in companies that are
working to solve the problem.1011 Help change our
business culture. (high impact)
2. Boycott ExxonMobil.12
3. Consider investing in climate change oriented
mutual funds.13
4. Bank and pay bills online - get statements via
email.
5. Don't ask for ATM receipts.
6. Use a green credit card. They offer points
specifically for use towards carbon offsets or
renewable energy credits. Brighter Planet from
Bank of America is one option.
3b. Shopping & Stuff:
Every consumer dollar spent on new stuff puts
approximately .5 lbs of carbon into the atmosphere.
The average American spends $10,000 per household,
per year on consumer goods. (Things like gifts, toys,
music, books, tools, household goods, cosmetics,
toiletries, paper goods, etc... But not including things
like mortgage, health care, debt service, car payments,
etc...) A 90% cut would be $1,000 per household, per
year.14
1. Watch the online video "The Story of Stuff with
Annie Leonard". And monitor what you buy.
(high impact)
2. Give special attention to major purchases.
10
Find out which are and which aren't at Climate Counts.
Some of the scores are bound to surprise you.
11
McKinsey Global Institute reports that with targeted
annual investment of $170 billion, investors could cut by
half the rate of projected global energy growth over the next
13 years – while earning an average annual return of 17
percent.
12
While all oil companies are problematic, ExxonMobil is
alone in denying the urgency of the problem and is actively
undermining the public’s understanding of climate change
by funding bogus front groups and think tanks. See
ExxposeExxon.com.
13
Calvert Global Alternative Energy Fund, DWS Climate
Change Fund, Spectra Green Fund and Winslow Green
Solutions Fund.
14
Riot 4 Austerity.
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Updated July 22, 2009
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3. Purchase recycled products.15
4. Purchase green products and avoid "greenwashed" products. They say they're green but
the labels may tell a different story.
5. Shop locally at locally owned businesses. Invest
in a vibrant local economy - so you never have
to drive.
6. Purchase natural and concentrated cleaning
products.16
7. Buy Green beauty products.17
8. Use organic dry cleaning.
9. Or avoid buying clothing that requires dry
cleaning.
10. Consider natural, organic-fiber clothing.18
11. Use Freecycle - people who are giving (and
getting) stuff for free in their own towns.
12. For fashionistas: Clothing Swap and Swap
Style.
13. More green wardrobe choices.
14. Reuse construction material and equipment.
Planet Reuse.
15. Online vendors in green goods: Make Me
Sustainable.
16. Rediscover your local library.
17. Buy staple items in bulk or in the largest size
possible.
18. Don't buy over-packaged items. Avoid
individually wrapped single servings.
19. Buy fresh foods instead of canned.
20. Buy music downloads and avoid the packaging
altogether.
21. Say no to Styrofoam.
22. When shopping, bring your own bags to use.
4. Waste:
3. Recycle paper, metal and plastics per NYC law.20
4. Consider recycling the plastics NYC won't accept
at the Park Slope Food Coop.21
5. Opt out of mail order catalogs you don't want
through Catalog Choice.
6. Stop junk mail. Go to Eco-Cycle.
7. Donate or sell your castoffs: Freecycle, NYC
Stuff Exchange, Clothing Swap, Swap Style.
8. Sell it on EBay, Craig's List or on the stoop.
9. Recycle what you can't sell or give away.
10. Cell phones22 and rechargeable batteries - Call 2
Recycle.
11. Shoes - Reuse a Shoe.
12. Carpet - Carpet America Recovery Effort.
13. Computers - Electronics Take Back Coalition.
14. Building supplies - Habitat for Humanity.
15. CDs & DVDs - Green Disk.
16. Say "No" to disposables.
17. Use reusable shopping bags.23
18. Use cloth napkins.
19. Use dish towels instead of paper towels.
20. Don't use disposable plates, cups, or silverware.
21. Use rechargeable batteries.
22. Compost! If you live in an apartment, compost at
your nearest community garden. A great source of
nutrients for plants and gardens.
23. Place a water bottle in your toilet tank and reduce
the volume of water you use.
24. Your laptop is about five times more energyexpensive to make than a car or fridge. So
upgrade first before you replace. Install more
memory or faster processor. Reuse. Give your PC
away. Recycle. Many manufacturers will take
your machine when you buy a new one.
25. Feeling like no matter what you do it's just not
enough? Install an Envirolet composting toilet!
1. Audit Audit and reduce your garbage.19 (high
impact)
2. Work to reduce your waste a little bit more ever
day: Eco-Cycle can help.
15
Making products from recycled aluminum uses 95%
less energy than from virgin aluminum.
16
Biokleen, Ecover, Method, Seventh Generation,
Shaklee, Solay Simple.
17
Farmaesthetics, Burt’s Bees, L’Artisan Parfumeur,
Ecotools, Acquarella, Jurlique, Korres Natural Products.
18
Under the Canopy, Patagonia and Prana.
19
The average American generates 1,460 pounds in a
year. Think about what you can do to improve your
recycling and consumption rates, and do it!
20
Metal mining consumes approx. 9% of our global energy
output.
21
The Coop has three collection days each month, and best
of all, they accept plastics from any neighborhood resident
(excluding businesses), not just Coop members.
22
Cell phones are about 14% copper by weight and contain
other precious metals and are valuable.
23
If you forgot your bag and need to choose between paper
and plastic, while debatable, the carbon reduction advantage
goes to paper as it is more easily reused and recycled.
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
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5. Driving & Flying:
5b. Flying:
Average American gasoline usage is 500 gallons
per person, per year. A 90 percent reduction would
be 50 gallons per person, per year.24
Air travel currently contributes about 3 percent of
global carbon emissions as well as nitrous oxide which
has double the impact of CO2. Air travel is set to
triple by 2030.
1.
Set concrete goals for reducing your travel
(high impact).
5a. Driving:
1. Walk, ride your bike, or take public
transportation instead. (high impact)
2. Get a hybrid.
3. Trade in the SUV or truck for a higher mileage
car.
4. Get a diesel engine and run it on local used
cooking oil. Check out Tri-State Biodiesel, Fill
Up for Free and Grease Car for more info.
5. Use bio-fuel with caution.25
6. Consolidate trips: don't drive until you've got a
few errands.
7. If you drive to work, share your commute.
8. Maintain your car's fuel efficiency. Tune it up.
Change the oil. Fix a cracked or missing gas
cap. Strip the rack when not in use. Unload the
trunk. Maintain recommended tire pressure.
9. Drive the speed limit.26
10. And stop driving like a maniac - those abrupt
starts and stops can cost you up to 37%in fuel
efficiency.
11. Use cruise control on the highway.
12. Avoid excessive idling.
13. Don't top off the fuel tank.
14. Need a car service? Try NYC Green Car.
24
Riot 4 Austerity.
Biofuels, -- made from surgarcane, corn, palm and
soybeans –were once thought to be a miracle, reducing
greenhouse gases and employing farmers. Recent
studies in Science and Nature conclude that when
produced on converted lands, biofuels will effectively
emit more GHGs than the fossil fuels they displace.
Where farmers have changed from growing feed corn to
fuel, no such problem exists. So the trick is to get your
biofuel from properly managed land. New land use
regulations will be required to insure that the use of
biofuels fulfill their promise of net reductions.
26
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that for
every 5 mph above 60, the decreased fuel efficiency
costs $0.20 a gallon.
25
1. Don't fly. (high impact)
2. Take a train instead of flying.
3. If you must fly: Book direct flights. One stopover on a 3,500 mile trip will produce 25% more
carbon dioxide than flying direct. Fly in a newer,
more fuel-efficient plane.27 And consider buying
carbon offsets to balance specific trips.
4. The best frequent flier miles are those unspent.
Donate your miles to the Red Cross, Make a Wish
Foundation, the National Marrow Donor Program
or a charity of your choice.
6. Playing and Pets:
6a. Playing:
Remind yourself what it is you're trying to save: the
environment we've got. Get out and enjoy: City
parks. State parks. National parks.
1. Carry it in, carry it out.
2. Observe wildlife, don't disturb.
3. Hike, row, sail, ski, or paddle - don't motor. (high
impact)
4. Don't Cruise.28 Or consider a sailing cruise.
5. Take a vacation close to home. (high impact)
6. For green vacation tips check out Green
Globetrotter, The International Ecotourism
Society, Traveling the Green Way and Whole
Travel.
7. Share books, CDs, tapes, magazines with friends,
hospitals, and prisons.
8. Throw a party and raise consciousness. Or join the
festivities planned for Earth Day , Clean up the
World Day or World Car Free Day.
27
Such as the Airbus A340 or A380 or Boeing 787
Dreamliner.
28
Data recently released by cruise line owner Carnival
shows the carbon footprint of a typical cruise is over 400
lbs. of carbon per passenger per day or more than three
times higher than the carbon footprint of long-distance plane
travel.
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
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9. Plan a green wedding celebration at Ethical
Weddings.
6b. Pets:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Get your pet from an animal shelter.
Don't get exotic pets.
Spay or neuter your cat or dog.
Select healthy pet food at Pet Diets.
7. Your Home:
Average US electrical usage is 11,000 kwh per
household, per year, or about 900 kwh per
household per month. A 90% reduction would mean
using 1,100 per household, per year or 90 kwh per
household, per month.29
US or where it originated, the Passivhaus Institut.
(high impact)
8. Conduct a Home Energy Audit - do-it-yourself
via the U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence
Berkley National Laboratory's Home Energy
Saver. Or hire a certified home energy audit
professional through the Residential Energy
Resources Network. (high impact)
9. Monitor your home electrical use. Real time
access to your household's energy information will
allow you to smartly reduce your electric bill.
Use The Energy Detective (TED) to give you a
fascinatingly detailed picture of how you use
electricity in real time. Available through Energy
Circle and TerraPass among others. (In the future
Google will also be offering Power Meter across
the U.S.) (high impact)
7a. Re-Insulate:
1. Switch your home's electrical power source to
wind and/or solar or hydro power. ConEd and
other utilities obtain power from traditional and
green sources and you can choose green, which
adds approximately $10/month to your electric
bill. Help push the utilities to produce more
renewable energy. Go to Power Your Way.
(high impact)
2. Sub-size it. Houses between 1,500 and 2,000
s.f. consume 40% less energy than a 4,000+ s.f.
McMansion. (high impact)
3. If you're moving, choose a home near public
transportation – and use it. (high impact)
4. If you're moving, consider a row house or an
apartment building instead of a detached home.
Promote the construction of energy-efficient
apartment buildings over single-family homes.
5. Consider renovating an old home rather than
building new.30
6. Rehabilitate, renovate, reuse and preserve. Get
resources at the National Trust for Historic
Preservation.
7. Whether renovating or building new, single
family or multi-family, consider Passive House
construction standards to truly achieve 90%
energy reduction and optimal light and air
quality too. Visit the Passive House Institute
29
Riot 4 Austerity.
Renovating, rather than building a new home captures
the “embodied energy” of the existing structure.
Restoration produces less waste and uses less energy.
30
If your home is more than 10 years old, it is probably
under-insulated. Heat loss due to inadequate
insulation can account for 30% of home heating and
cooling costs. Most heat escapes through the roof as
heat in the home rises, so a properly insulated attic is a
priority for an energy efficient home.
1. Install as much insulation as possible, everywhere
possible – incorporate as many of the items listed
below as possible.. (high impact)
2. Weather stripping and caulking - Probably the
least expensive, simplest, most effective way to
insulate and cut down on energy waste in the
winter. Improperly sealed homes can waste 10 to
15% of the homeowner's heating dollars. Check
around doors and windows for leaks and drafts.
Add weather stripping and caulk any holes you see
that allow heat to escape. Make sure doors seal
properly.
3. If your windows leak really badly, consider
replacing them with newer, more efficient ones.
Keep in mind, however, that replacing windows
can be expensive.
4. Every duct, wire or pipe that penetrates the wall or
ceiling or floor has the potential to waste energy.
Plumbing vents can be especially bad, since they
begin below the floor and go all the way through
the roof. Seal them all with caulking or weatherstripping.
5. Electric wall plugs and switches can allow cold air
in. Purchase simple-to-install, pre-cut foam
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
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gaskets that fit behind the switch plate and
effectively prevent leaks.
6. Roofs - Install a green roof - plantings provide
building insulation in summer, and site water
management. See Green Roofs for Healthy
Cities.
7. Windows & Doors - Close the blinds on hot
summer days, open them on cool winter days.
8. Install window quilts.
9. Use storm doors and windows in cool
environments.
10. Install high-performance windows when it's
time to replace them.
11. Heating and Cooling Systems - Examine your
house's heating ducts for leaks. Mostly out of
sight, ducts can leak for years without you
knowing it. You can save roughly 10% of your
heating bill by sealing them.
12. Insulate hot water pipes.
13. Fireplace -Avoid using the fireplace when the
heating system is on.
14. Install fireplace inserts (doors and circulation
blowers) so less warm air goes up the chimney
when the fireplace is going.
15. Don't forget to close the damper on your
fireplace when not in use.
7b. Heating:
US average natural gas usage is 1000 therms per
household, per year. A 90% reduction would mean
a reduction to 100 therms per household, per year.31
Heating Oil (this is used by only about 8% of all US
households, mostly in the Northeast). Average US
usage is 750 Gallons per household, per year. A
90% cut would mean using 75 gallons per
household, per year.32
Wood. This is a tough one. The conventional line is
that wood is carbon neutral, but, of course, wood
that is harvested would have otherwise been
absorbing carbon and providing forest. There are
good reasons to be skeptical about this. Therefore
wood is divided into two categories.33
31
Riot 4 Austerity.
Ibid.
33
Ibid.
32
a) Locally and sustainably harvested, and either
using deadwood, trees that had to come down
anyway, coppiced or harvested by someone
who replaces every lost tree. This is deemed
carbon neutral, and you can use an unlimited
supply. This would include street trees your
town is taking down anyway, wood you cut on
your property and replant, coppiced wood
(that is, you cut down some part of the tree but
leave it to grow), and standing and fallen
deadwood. You can use as much of this as you
like.
b) Wood not sustainably harvested, or
transported long distances, or you don't know.
1 cord of this is equal to 15 gallons of oil or 20
therms of natural gas.
1. Have your heating system cleaned and inspected
regularly by a qualified contractor.
2. Set your thermostat to 68 degrees during the day
and 60 degrees at night and when no one is home.
Each degree over 68 can increase by 3 percent the
amount of energy you use for heating.
3. Put on a sweater. There are numerous ways to
improve home heating efficiency, but none so
simple as dressing warmly and dialing back the
thermostat.
4. Install a programmable thermostat and set it to
turn down the heat at night and when no one is
home. Lowering the thermostat 10 to 15 degrees
for eight hours a day can save you about 10
percent a year on heating costs.
5. Keep drapes or furniture away from radiators and
baseboard heaters so heat can flow freely.
6. Remove window air conditioners when the
weather gets cool. If you can't, enclose them with
a cover.
7. Open blinds and shades, particularly on the south
and west sides of your home before you leave in
the morning to make use of the sun's heating
potential.
8. Use an efficient humidifier to maintain
comfortable humidity levels and help you
conserve heat. Proper humidity helps you feel
comfortable without turning up the heat.
9. Use ceiling fans to circulate warm air in winter,
especially in rooms with high ceilings.
10. Close doors and warm-air vents in unused rooms,
but in extreme cold, be aware of water pipes that
could freeze and burst.
11. If you have a hot-water heating system, release
any trapped air from radiators.
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Updated July 22, 2009
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12. Radiators can lose heat into exterior walls.
Reduce this loss by placing reflectors between
the wall and the radiator.
13. Clean or replace filters for your hot-air furnace
and heat pump every month during the heating
season or use filters made to run six to 12
months before needing replacement.
14. Insulate any hot-water pipes that pass through
unheated spaces. For steam pipes, use nonfoam
insulation, as foam can melt.
15. When buying a new furnace or boiler, look for
the ENERGY STAR label.
16. When you're away turn the thermostat down to
50 degrees.
7c. Air Conditioning:
1. Dress cool: don't turn on the air conditioning.
(Sweating it out could be good training for a
hotter planet.)
2. Switching to high-efficiency air conditioners
and reducing your air-conditioning use can cut
your cooling costs by 20 to 50 percent.
3. Install properly sized high efficiency AC units.
A larger-than-needed air conditioner cycles on
and off more frequently, reducing its efficiency.
4. Inspect and clean your air conditioner or
cooling system regularly. A well-maintained
unit uses less electricity.
5. If you have central air conditioning, keep the
condenser unit's coils and fins clean. Remove
grass, leaves, and other debris that may collect.
6. Set your air conditioner to no cooler than 78
degrees. Lower than 78 degrees can increase
your costs by up to 40 percent.
7. Install ceiling fans or whole house fans to help
reduce your need to use the air conditioner. A
fan will make a room feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler,
making it possible to raise the thermostat from
78 degrees to 82 degrees or higher. For every
degree you raise the air conditioning
thermostat, you can save 7 to 10 percent on
cooling costs.
8. Alternate the use of air conditioning and fans.
When you're comfortable, shut down your air
conditioner and turn on the fan. This approach
can cut air conditioner use by up to 40 percent.
9. Don't air-condition an empty room.
10. Whenever the outdoor temperature is below 72
degrees open windows for cooling in lieu of
A/C.
11. Turn your air conditioner off when you leave
home.
12. Install a programmable thermostat or use a timer
to turn on your air conditioner a half hour before
you return home rather than having it run all day.
13. If you have central air-conditioning, consider Con
Edison's offer of a free programmable thermostat.
Visit ConEdison and find out more.
14. Clean or replace air-conditioner filters at least
once a month during the cooling season.
15. Shade windows that face south, east, and west.
Keep windows, drapes, and shades closed during
the day. About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes
in through windows.
16. Install your air conditioner in a shady area, if
possible.
17. When it's time to cook in the summer months, grill
outside and keep your oven off.
18. In the summer months, run your washing machine,
dryer, and dishwasher early in the day or at night
when it's generally cooler.
7d. Water Consumption & Heating:
The Average American uses 100 Gallons of water per
person, per day. A 90% reduction would mean 10
gallons per person, per day.34
1. Visit the Alliance for Water Efficiency.
2. Next to heating or cooling, water heating is
typically the largest energy user in the home. To
conserve energy, conserve hot water.
3. Plan on buying an energy efficient water heater
before your old one fails. If your gas water heater
is more than 10 years old, it may be operating at
less than 50 percent efficiency.
4. Set your water heater no higher than 120 degrees.
5. If appropriate, consider a demand water heater that
has no storage tank. It can reduce your energy use
by 10 to 15 percent.
6. Wrap your hot-water storage tank with an
insulation blanket. If it's a newer model check to
confirm it doesn't void the warrantee and is fully
compatible.
7. Fix leaky faucets.
8. Don't leave the water running while washing
dishes.
9. Take showers rather than baths. Showers generally
use half as much hot water as baths. And install a
34
Riot 4 Austerity.
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
Page 9 of 15
low-flow showerhead. And take shorter
showers. And shut off the shower while
soaping, scrubbing, or shaving.
10. Shut off the faucet while brushing your teeth.
11. Install a low-flow toilet.
12. Install a rain barrel to reduce storm runoff and
to water your garden. www.rainbarrelguide.com
7e. Lighting:
1. Use ENERGY STAR-qualified compact
fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). They use less
than 25 percent of the electricity standard bulbs
use and last 10 times longer. Look for color
temp 2700K to provide similar light quality to
incandescent. Recycle used CFL bulbs.
2. Consider light emitting diode (LED) lights for
most possible savings. Available for undercabinet kitchen lighting and a growing number
of applications.
3. Turn off lights when not in a room. If family
members won't turn off the lights, install
motion sensors.
4. During the day, let daylight do the work and
turn off lights near windows.
5. Install light tubes to increase natural lighting.
6. Instead of brightly lighting an entire room,
focus the light where you need it.
7. Keep bulbs and fixtures clean.
8. Replace light switches with dimmers or motion
sensors.
9. Use bright lights only where you read or work.
10. When you go away, use timers to turn your
lights on and off.
11. Turn off outdoor lights. Choose lights with
dawn/dusk sensors. If you can, get lights
powered by solar panels and batteries so that
you don't have to install any electrical wires.
4. Turn off stereos and TVs with a power strip to
avoid continuous power drain. In the average
home, nearly 75% of all electricity used to power
electronics is consumed by products that are
switched off but still plugged in.
5. Unplug chargers (think cell phones and iPods)
when not in use.36
6. Use a laptop instead of a desktop computer.37
7. Ensure your computer's power settings are
enabled: set your computer to automatically
hibernate and set your monitor to automatically
sleep.
8. Turn off your monitor when you leave your
computer for more than 20 minutes. Screen savers
use electricity.
9. Recycle your rechargeable batteries and old cell
phones. Go to Call 2 Recycle.
7g. Appliances:
1. Appliance over 15 years old should typically be
retired.38
2. Choose ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances.39
3. Use the energy-saving setting for all appliances,
particularly your refrigerator, air conditioner,
washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher.
4. Clean and maintain appliances so they work
efficiently.
7h. Refrigerator:
1. If your refrigerator is old, think about replacing it.
Some older models may account for up to 50
percent of your monthly electricity bill.
2. Make sure your refrigerator is the right size for
your needs.40
36
7f. Electronics:
1. Don't watch television, or watch as little as
possible. Our flat screens are beautiful powersucking monsters.
2. Get a smaller TV. Do your really need a 40
inch screen? Didn’t 19 or 21 inches work for
most of our lives?
3. If buying a new TV, get an LCD.35
35
LCDs consume 30 to 40 percent less power than a
plasma of similar size.
Only 5% of the power drawn by a cell phone charger is
used to charge the phone. The other 95% is wasted when it
is left plugged into the wall.
37
A typical laptop, while plugged in, uses 50 watts of
energy compared to the typical desktop system that uses
about 270 watts (including the CPU and monitor), making a
laptop 80% more efficient.
38
The good news is that about 80 percent of a refrigerator or
a clothes washer is recyclable.
39
Energy Star appliances use 10 to 15 percent less
electricity than standard models. Look for the yellow
EnergyGuide label to help you compare the efficiency of
different major appliances.
40
Bigger isn’t better. Refrigerators with the freezer on
either the bottom or top are much more efficient than those
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
Page 10 of 15
3. Don't keep that old, inefficient refrigerator
running in the basement for occasional use.
4. Resist the temptation to overfill the refrigerator.
Loosely stored food in the refrigerator allows
air to circulate around it.
5. In the freezer, pack items tightly. If there's extra
space, add bags of ice.
6. Set your refrigerator to 40 degrees, and freezer
to 0 degrees.
7. Open the refrigerator and freezer doors only
when necessary.
8. Check your refrigerator door's seal.
9. Install your refrigerator away from the stove,
radiator, heating duct, or direct sunlight, if
possible.
10. Allow hot foods to cool before putting them in
the refrigerator.
11. Cover liquids in the refrigerator. Uncovered
liquids make the refrigerator work harder.
7i. Cooking:
1. Use a microwave rather than an electric or gas
oven as much as possible.41
2. For certain recipes that require long cooking
times, use a Crock-Pot.
3. Use copper-bottom pots and pans. They heat up
faster than regular pans.
4. When baking, preheat your oven no more than
five to eight minutes.
5. When broiling or roasting, don't preheat your
oven.
6. Don't open the oven door more than necessary.
Every time you open the door, the oven loses
25 to 50 degrees.
7. Cook as much of your meal as possible at one
time in the oven.
8. You can turn the oven temperature down 25
degrees when using glass or ceramic pans. The
cooking time will remain the same.
with the freezer to the side of the frig – even more so
when through-the-door icemakers and water dispensers
are included. These features will increase your
refrigerator’s energy use by 14 percent to 20 percent.
Bottom freezer models are the most efficient, using
approximately 16 percent less energy than side-by-side
models and 3 percent less than top freezer models.
41
Microwaves use less than half the power of traditional
ovens. And up to 90 percent of the energy used by
traditional ovens is wasted.
9. Use the self-cleaning oven feature right after
you've used the oven to cook a meal - while it's
still hot. (But try not to use this feature too often.)
10. An electric kettle generates about half as much
greenhouse gas as using a microwave oven or a
cook top. Be careful not to boil more water than
you need.
7j. Dishwasher:
1. Run your dishwasher only when it's full.
2. Don't run the dishwasher's dry cycle. Let your
dishes air dry, or put a towel to them.
3. Turn down the water temperature on the
dishwasher to 120° F
4. Use the energy-efficient setting if available.
5. Pack your dishwasher efficiently.
6. Scrape dishes before placing them in the
dishwasher. Don't rinse.42
7. Use the "soak" or "prewash" dishwasher setting
only for burned-on or dried-on food.
7k. Laundry:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Use your clothes washer only when it is full.
Wash and rinse your clothes in cold water.
Straighten and clean the air ducts on your dryer.
Clean the lint filter in the clothes dryer before each
load.
5. Don't overdry your clothes.43
6. Better still, use a clothes line to dry.
7. More esoteric is a drying closet. Washed, wet
clothing is hung in a closet acting also as the
return air plenum to your home's ventilation
system, and passively dried in the process.
7l. Yard:
1. Plant deciduous trees that shade your home during
the summer. Or just plant a tree. And plant a
sidewalk tree too.
2. Check out Trees New York and Million Trees
NYC.
3. Utilize Xeriscaping.44
42
Rinsing dishes under running hot water before putting in
dishwasher can use more hot water than the dishwasher
itself.
43
Except for towels, no more than 10-15 minutes drying is
typically required.
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
Page 11 of 15
4. Use natural pesticides.
5. Use a rake, not a leaf blower.
6. Create a more porous exterior walkway,
driveway or yard to reduce storm-water runoff.
7. Consider drip irrigation.
8. Take your yard global. Adopt some rain forest.
Visit The Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre.
7m. Home Renovation:
If a renovation is in the cards, in addition to all
suggestions above, consider:
1. Integrating natural cooling techniques such as
operable skylights to vent hot air.
2. On-site renewable energy sources:
3. Geothermal Heating and Cooling - see NY
State programs.
4. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels - see more NY
State incentives.
5. Solar Thermal Water Heating - see U.S. DOE
info on the subject.
6. Wind Turbine Electric - see NY State
programs.
7. Reuse construction material and equipment.
See Planet Reuse.
8. For new millwork and cabinetry use wood
substrate that is urea- and formaldehyde-free.
9. Flooring - consider certified woods, natural
linoleum, cork or bamboo.
10. Maintain and re-use existing walls and building
components where possible
11. Use low - VOC (volatile organic compounds)
sealants, adhesives, paints, coatings and carpets.
12. Use green insulation materials: blown-in
cellulose and recycled denim.
13. During construction, work with the contractor
to divert as much waste as possible from the
landfill - many materials can be recycled or
sold.
8. Work:
1. Work at home.
2. Telecommute.
44
Xeriscaping is a comprehensive approach to
landscaping for water conservation. Principles include:
planning and selecting plants for your regional and
microclimate. Limiting turf. Efficient irrigation and use
of mulches.
3. Ask your company to calculate its footprint.
4. Ask your company to install bicycle racks and use
them.
5. Find alternatives to traveling to a meeting: use
the old-fashioned phone, use video and web
conferencing software. Meet virtually in Second
Life.
6. Switch your company's electrical utility provider
to green energy via Power Your Way.
7. Turn off the screen saver and let your computer
sleep during the work day.
8. And turn off the computers at the end of the day.
9. Send e-mails and electronic copies whenever
possible.
10. Scan or print-to-pdf everything and store and send
as electronic files. Make the paperless office a
reality.
11. Invoice via email only and pay bills with a credit
card or electronically directly from bank account.
12. Does it really need to get there absolutely,
positively overnight? Use the U.S. Postal Service.
13. Need to ship something - consider carbonbalanced shipping.
14. Reduce paper usage.45 Use the Environmental
Defense Fund's Paper Calculator.
15. Use 100% recycled paper.
16. Preview your documents and proofread them
carefully before you print
17. Print only the necessary information.
18. Copy reports and memos double-sided.
19. Circulate, don't copy, paperwork.
20. Reuse tubes and envelopes for mailing.
21. Recycle scrap paper.
22. Use a laptop in lieu of a desktop.
23. Add greenery - houseplants can remove toxins
from indoor air.46
24. Use a mug at work - not paper or Styrofoam cups.
And no disposable stirrers.
25. Use silverware and plates.
26. Drink less coffee.
27. No bottled water - drink tap water.
28. Talk and share. Start an electronic bulletin board
where carbon-reducing ideas can be posted.
29. Have your company consider purchasing carbon
offsets to balance its footprint.
45
The average American consumes more than 700 pounds
of paper a year.
46
Spider plants and Peace Lilies can remove carbon
monoxide, and Ficus and Aloe Vera the formaldehyde or
adhesives found in furnishings.
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
Page 12 of 15
30. Check out ClimateBiz, a green resource for
businesses.
10. Renovation/Construction:
9. School:
Residential and Commercial buildings consume
40% of energy contributing to climate change.
And of that, over 90% is consumed in the
operations of the building: lighting, heating,
cooling, equipment etc... So unless one tackles
operational efficiency seriously, it won't matter
how much "green materials" are installed in the
building - it will be an energy disaster.
1. Join the Green School Initiative.
2. Encourage your school to switch to green
power via Power Your Way.
3. Install solar PV panels at your school with state
incentives via School Power Naturally.
4. Establish an eco-committee and adopt an
environmental vision statement
5. Do an energy audit.
6. Make an action plan and monitor progress.
7. Integrate greening into the curriculum.
8. Rally kids to the cause! (If they haven't already
been rallying you...)
9. Organize events to encourage energy auditing
and energy savings - make a friendly
competition.
10. Organize fundraisers to raise awareness and
consider buying carbon offsets for the school.
11. Copy bulletins and exams on both sides.
12. Make notes and drafts on scrap paper.
13. Reuse textbooks and school supplies.
14. In college buy used textbooks and sell them
back when you're done.
15. Buy school supplies with high recycled content.
16. In cafeterias, use non-disposable trays, dishes,
and silverware.
17. Make sure your school recycles.
18. Seek out a food donation program for your
school instead of discarding unused cafeteria
food.
19. Compost cafeteria vegetable waste.
20. Get kids a water bottle.
21. Prepare waste-free lunches with a reusable
lunch bag. Avoid faddish or super cute designs
that will age badly.
22. Carpool. Stuff the neighborhood's kids in the
minivan/crossover, and resume your own lowcarbon walking or public transport routine at
least a few days a week.
23. Are they old enough to walk or bike to school?
24. In college live on campus and walk.
10.1 Renovation
1. Items coming soon...
10.2 New Construction
1. Items coming soon...
11. Calculate Your Footprint:
Now that you've made a serious effort to reduce,
measure your carbon footprint and find out where you
stand. There are many carbon footprint calculators
available on the internet. A selection:
1. EPA's Household Emissions Calculator.
2. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Home
Energy Saver.
3. U. Cal at Berkeley, The Berkeley Institute of the
Environment's CoolClimate Carbon Footprint
Calculator for almost everything. Maybe the best.
4. The Nature Conservancy's Carbon Footprint
Calculator.
5. Terra Pass' Carbon Footprint Calculator for car, air
travel and home.
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
Page 13 of 15
12. Consider Carbon Offsets:
Carbon offsets have been called a sin tax, compared
to Catholic indulgences or paying for a war
substitute. But carbon offsets are meant to be used
only as a supplement, not a substitute. Choose
carefully, and carbon offsets will genuinely reduce
emissions.
As a gesture toward neutralizing your remaining
footprint consider buying offsets. Well regarded
U.S.-based companies and organizations that
provide carbon offsets:
1.
2.
3.
4.
CarbonFund.
Climate Trust.
Native Energy.
TerraPass.
13.0 Conclusion:
Hooray! You've gotten down to zero - in a manner
of speaking anyway.
But let's be honest, while you've made good
progress, there's much more to do. Change
incrementally - it will insure greater long-term
success.
So the last step is to go back to the beginning. Work
toward more reduction and fewer offsets.
Consume less, share more, live simply.
13.1 Epilogue (get political):
1. Copy and distribute this checklist. Download it.
2. Talk to neighbors about how to make the
neighborhood greener.
3. Join groups of folks working together to
reduce: EcoMom Alliance.
4. Join a Carbon Rationing Action Group
(CRAG).
5. Use internet sites that help you reduce your
carbon footprint and have fun doing it. Check
out Make Me Sustainable and Carbon Rally.
6. Get political - join and support organizations
fighting to stop climate change: 1Sky,
Environmental Defense Fund, Greenpeace,
Natural Resources Defense Council and the World
Wildlife Fund to name a few possibilities.
7. Lobby for green building codes. Architecture
2030, Efficiency First.
8. Talk to skeptical family members, friends and
neighbors. Be patient and listen, but explain,
explain, explain. For skeptic arguments and
responses see Grist's How to Talk to a Climate
Skeptic. An appropriate take-down of skeptic
opinion makers: see Chapter 2, "The Denial
Industry" in the book Heat, How to Stop the
Planet From Burning by George Monbiot, 2006.
About the Checklist:
The checklist is a step-by-step guide to
comprehensively reducing your carbon footprint now.
It's a cut-and-paste job, compiled by Ken Levenson.
It is hoped that people will download the checklist,
copy it, edit it for their local conditions, and make it
their own.
Sensing many want to start fighting climate change,
yet aren’t sure what the options are - a Park Slope
Civic Council forum on sustainability provided the
deadline to make the initial checklist.
Launched in February 2008, the checklist was finetuned with the help of many. To acknowledge a few:
Eric McClure's proofreading/editing, Ellen
Honigstock's springboard of initial sustainability lists,
and my wife Katherine's essential support.
Ken Levenson is a principal in Levenson McDavid
Architects P.C., and a concerned father, living in
Brooklyn.
The website header picture is of our eldest daughter and I'm hoping we can ensure she's walking toward a
better future. Let's get to zero now.
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
Page 14 of 15
Checklist Sources:
Books The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental
Choices, Practical Advice from The Union of
Concerned Scientists, by Michael Brower and
Warren Leon, 1999
Garbage Land, On the Secret Trail of Trash, by
Elizabeth Royte, 2005
Global Warming, The Causes, The Perils, The
Solutions, The Actions: 51 Things You Can Do
Edited by Kelly Knauer, Time Inc., 2007
The Green Book, by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas
M. Kostigen, 2007
Green Living, The E Magazine Handbook for
Living Lightly on The Earth, by the editors of E,
2005
Heat, How to Stop The Planet From Burning, by
George Monbiot, 2006
Living Like Ed, A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life,
by Ed Begley, Jr., 2008
The Live Earth Global Warming Survival
Handbook, by David de Rothschild, 2007
Reports Cool Farming: Climate impacts of agriculture and
mitigation potential, by Jessica Bellarby et al.,
Greenpeace, 2008
The Case for Investing in Energy Productivity,
McKinsey Global Institute, February 2008
Newspaper and Magazine Articles –
Biofuels Deemed a Greenhouse Threat, by
Elisabeth Rosenthal, New York Times, Feb 8, 2008
Ethical investing: Funds that favor planet savers,
by G. Jeffrey MacDonald, Christian Science
Monitor, Feb 25, 2008
For ‘EcoMoms,' Saving Earth Begins at Home, by
Patricia Leigh Brown, New York Times, Feb 16,
2008
Websites The Alliance for Climate Protection.
Alliance to Save Energy.
Australian Government, Department of Climate
Change.
Berkeley Lab, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory.
Brighter Planet
California Energy Commission - Consumer Energy
Center.
ConEdison.
Earth Lab.
Ellen Honigstock Architect P.C. , Brooklyn Green.
Energy Star.
Green School Initiative.
The Nature Conservancy.
New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation.
New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority.
Stockholm Environment Institute's Carbon Offset
Research & Education.
Riot 4 Austerity.
TerraPass.
U.S. Dept of Energy - Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Webopedia.com.
Checklist Toward Zero Carbon
Updated July 22, 2009
Page 15 of 15
Climate Change 101 – a reading list
for everyone:
Climate science data and analysis are evolving fast.
Here's a short list of books, reports and websites
where you can get a snapshot of where things stand.
The Basic Scientific Understanding:
Basic Fossil Fuel Facts - an indispensable
condensed explanation - at the end of a letter
addressed to Governor Gibbons of Nevada by Jim
Hansen. (The facts starts on page 5 - the letter is
very good too.)
Climate Code Red: The case for a sustainability
emergency - a great summary of the science up to
the start of 2008, giving the crisis the urgency it
deserves.
Understanding and Attributing Climate Change IPCC makes the case. (See also Dire Predictions in
Books below.)
Detecting and Attributing External Influences on
the Climate System: A Review of Recent Advances Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Assessing key vulnerabilities and the risk from
climate change - the IPCC's take on what's at stake.
The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land
Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity,
Executive Summary - U.S. Dept of Agriculture
The Science Behind the Science and Why it can
be trusted:
Scientists Explain How They Attribute ClimateChange Data - A Wall Street Journal article shows
why the science can be trusted.
Models 'key to climate forecasts' - BBC examines
one of our most powerfuls tool in understanding
climate change.
Addressing Doubt:
Climate change: A guide for the perplexed - a great
"round-up of the most common climate myths and
misconceptions".
Skeptical Science: Examining the science of global
warming skepticism
How to Talk to a Global Warming Sceptic - and
stop them in their tracks.
How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic - Grist's rundown
is great help too.
The Denial Industry - George Monbiot's eye
opening account of the origin of the concerted
network opposing legitimate climate science. Think
Big Tobacco.
Best Global Warming Blogs:
Climate Progress
Real Climate
Gristmill
Related Websites:
Climatic Research Unit
MET Office – U.K. Center on Climate Change
Jim Hansen
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Snow and Ice Data Center
Climate Ark
NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change
Books:
With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear Tipping
Points in Climate Change by Fred Pearce - The best A
to Z treatment I've read.
Dire Predictions - Understanding Global Warming by
Michael E. Mann and Lee R. Kump - The best
explanation of the IPCC findings anywhere.
Hell and High Water: Global Warming--the Solution
and the Politics--and What We Should Do by Joseph
Romm
The Discovery of Global Warming by Spencer R.
Weart
Censoring Science: Inside the Political Attack on Dr.
James Hansen and the Surprising Truth About Global
Warming by Mark Bowen
Heat: How to Stop the Planet from Burning by George
Monbiot, Matthew Prescott
The Atlas of Climate Change: Mapping the World's
Greatest Challenge by Kristin Dow, Thomas E.
Downing
The Revenge of Gaia: Earth's Climate Crisis and the
Fate of Humanity by James Lovelock, Crispin Tickell
And Now Action:
Okay, enough reading! Armed with the facts, go out
and fight for our children's future - change our
personal, political and public lives. A comprehensive
place to start is with the checklist. Download it, edit it,
make it your own, and pass it on.