Wrap it up. Save energy with R-49.

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 09:53:03 -0700

Only about one-fifth of homes built before 1980 are well insulated. Is yours?

To get an idea of what insulation could do for your comfort, your pocketbook, and the climate crisis, consider what it's already doing: without existing residential insulation U.S. carbon dioxide emissions would increase 15%. That's 1.35 trillion pounds of carbon dioxide, and it would take a forest of 300 million acres, equivalent to all of our harvested cropland, to take it back up.

Wear a Sweater

emily — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:38:05 -0700

In most homes, heating is the single largest energy cost. Keeping warm can make up two thirds of your total energy bill in colder parts of the country, and puts more than a billion tons of CO₂ overall into the atmosphere. Even small changes in home heating efficiency can lead to large reductions in greenhouse gases.

Turn it down... automatically

emily — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:21:26 -0700

Winter or summer, a programmable thermostat keeps your home temperature on a schedule that maximizes both efficiency and comfort. Are you typically gone all day but want the home toasty when you return? Just teach your thermostat to do it for you. By setting the temperature back 10% to 15% for 8 hours when no one is home, you can save as much as $150 a year. If every house in America did this it would drop our total greenhouse gas production by about 35 million tons of CO₂.

Getting Shady and Staying Cool

emily — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:09:48 -0700

One of the great paradoxes of climate change is that the very technology we've designed to keep us comfortable in the heat is also a big contributor to global warming. According to the EPA, about one-seventh of US electricity generation is used to air condition buildings, accounting for more than 4% of national greenhouse gas emissions. Making the most of that air conditioning -- or finding more efficient ways to stay cool-- could reduce overall emissions a percent or two and substantially lower your energy costs.

Top tips for staying cool