Go Greener Tips

It seems that explaining sustainability is more challenging than actually living it.  Sustainability is broadly defined as living and conducting business and commerce in a resource-conservative and resource-efficient manner to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Although it sounds a bit abstract, it turns out that putting sustainability into practice is pretty straightforward.

For example, on any given day in the late fall Greg Peterson, the co-founder of Your Guide to Green, grabs his colander and collects carrots, parsnips, collard greens, peas and a plethora of herbs to create a meal that he calls his “farm fall soup” grown primarily in his own yard. He has spent bits and pieces of time during the past 15 years converting his suburban yard into edible landscape and now has more than 80 fruit trees, grape vines, vegetables and flowers growing in his 1/3-acre yard. He also has chickens which he says are very easy to keep and they eat vegetable scraps and help complete the growing circle by providing fertilizer. Ahhh the circle of life.

Peterson, who earned a masters degree in environmental planning and created The Urban Farm, (an environmental showcase home and education center in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona http://www.urbanfarm.org), says many people already are living a bit of a sustainable lifestyle. Many of us are well aware of the importance of reusing and recycling as well as buying locally grown food and supporting local businesses. We might even be trying to conserve fuel by walking, using public transit, riding bikes and combining errands. But there are so many more ways we can help conserve.

It’s often simply a matter of rethinking our use patterns.  For example, we can:

• pull the plug on electricity “vampires” – those appliances that consume electricity even when they are turned off
• reduce your electric bill by substituting energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs for incandescent bulbs
• turn off lights when not in use
• use cloth shopping bags rather than plastic ones and save on the limited supply of petrochemical resources required to manufacture plastic bags
• consider converting your yard to an edible landscape and reap delicious benefits from your care and watering efforts
• collect rainwater for your landscape – significantly reducing your need to turn on the tap, thus naturally sustaining your yard
• develop a simple compost pile, where you can dispose of all of fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells and liquids which ultimately creates more rich fertilizer
• purchase biodegradable products – everything from cups, silverware, plates and bowls  and once you’ve used them you can add them to your compost pile
• when purchasing your next washing machine consider a front-loading model that uses less water and cleans clothes better while saving on your water bill
• drying laundry on a clothesline is regaining popularity and providing an energy savings that translates to lower bills

The reduction of electrical consumption is a major component in the exciting journey toward sustainable living.

Peterson, admits that this has been a bit of an obsession for him during the past 10 years. So much so that his electric bill for April, May and June 2008 was an incredible $42…that was for all three months.

So how can you join him in cutting the current and accomplishing such a feat?

To start, look at your electricity consumption and get a handle on the size of the task you are facing. As a rule, the larger the electric bill, the more affordable the energy reduction options there are available to you.

Research the possibilities for:

• minimizing your use,
• increasing your efficiency and
• learning more about alternative forms of energy.

Consider options such as the following to help minimize your use: shade your windows; add insulation to your attic or around your duct system; replace your windows with dual-pane ones. Create shade by planting low-water-use trees on the sunny side of your home.  Increasing your efficiency can be as easy as: changing out your light bulbs to the LED or CFL style; changing your thermostat to the programmable type; even adding a new more efficient air conditioning system. The single biggest change Peterson made was adding ceiling fans in every room. He even has one on his back patio. When appliances need to be replaced, make sure the new ones have the energy star label.

Finally, once you have covered these bases, take some time to look at how you can produce your own electricity. At the Urban Farm Peterson has placed two different types of solar panels on the roof. The first panel is a new technology linked with his water heater that produces all of his hot water for eight months of the year. The second type is the more commonly known Photovoltaic (PV) panel. He has two of these and they produce a significant amount of his electricity. Many government and utility company rebates and tax breaks are offered for solar panel users. Peterson says, “The solar panels were the icing on the cake that made my three-month bill so incredibly affordable. But remember that my journey to a $14-per-month electric bill did not happen overnight. It was a process that spanned a few years and included a significant amount of observation and planning.”   Above all, remember you don’t have to be in the dark, or suffer! Just have fun riding the current… a little less.

Overall it helps to live intentionally by planning ahead enough to fulfill the goal of living more sustainably.