for the 4th.

i recently heard an interview with Paul Hawken, author of Blessed Unrest: How the largest movement in the world came into being. during this interview Hawken made the crucial observation that global warming is a new form of colonialism. we've all heard the statistics. how the US has 5 percent of the world's population but consumes 26 percent of the world's energy. or: on average, someone in the US uses 15 times the energy of someone living in the global south. but it is the citizens of the global south who will be most impacted by climate change.

i understand that global warming is a crisis that requires political agitation and corporate accountability. i also know how easy it is to be overwhelmed by the magnitude of this problem, to leave the work of change to a few activists and legislators. so here are some simple ways that we can lessen our impact, to weight those statistics towards something more equitable.

-consider what household appliances are really necessary. this (british) table lists the average energy consumption of most.

-even though refrigerators use a large amount of energy there are ways to improve their efficiency. 1) clean the dust off the back coils with a damp cloth every 6 months or so. 2) move your fridge away from your oven or stove. 3) let food cool completely before placing it inside the fridge.

-even when electrical appliances are off, they still draw energy, an energy loss that composes 5% of your electric bill. to save energy unplug toasters, stereos, computers, etc. from outlets when you aren't using them, or plug everything into power strips that can easily be switched off when you leave.

-make sure your computer goes into sleep or hibernation mode when not in use. a free program for ensuring this can be found at co2saver.snap.com.

-about 5% of all electricity used in US homes is used to dry clothes. if you don't have access to a yard or balcony, drying racks (as sobriquet67 suggests) are great for indoors and don't require much space.

-replace incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs. you can calculate your savings for doing so here.

-some other steps towards home efficiency (for both renters and owners) include wrapping your heater in a water heater blanket, regularly cleaning filters in AC units, caulking leaky windows and putting rugs under door jams.

the US Department of Energy writes that "just by using the "off the shelf" energy-efficient technologies available today, we could cut the cost of heating, cooling, and lighting our homes and workplaces by up to 80%." of course high energy use in the US is due to our patterns of consumption as much as our personal use of fuel and electricity. eating locally, choosing a vegetarian diet and avoiding packaged foods and goods are all ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

links:
-90% Emissions Reduction Project
-PG&E Energy Calculator
-Green Power Options (by State)
-No Impact Man


p.s. air travel is a huge contributor to global warming, though the pollution from flying is rarely addressed (i just learned that taking 1 cross country flight effectively canceled out an entire year of not driving.) so when traveling, taking the train is the most environmental option.