Where have I been? Thinking of 30%

I have been spending an inordinate amount of time repairing my main PC, bringing up a new one and learning Vista. I'd much rather be working on green issues.

While I have been on hold for a support person, (a week at least) I have been hatching a new idea. This idea stems from my belief that a portion of going green is easy. I also know that a portion of going green is very, very hard.

The reason we care is that none of us are really capable of a zero footprint. We humans will have an impact, the only question is how much and what is proper?

So I like to think of the things that count, as GEWS. Gas, Electric Water and Sewer. We also have garbage and gasoline. If you take all these, they encompass much of our footprint. We could add jet fuel and batteries and stuff we buy but that's all a bit too complex.

So taking these six simple things and reducing them 30% is a big step. In fact, I believe it's a big enough step! If we could all do 30% it would make a huge difference to our planet!

My experience tells me that 30% is a good goal and requires some effort and ongoing vigilance, but not big life changes. We can live our lives at 30% less just by being smart, eliminating waste and sticking to that goal.

Let's look at each part of our footprint individually:

Gas (Natural Gas) - Depending on what your appliances are running on, this one may be one of the tougher ones to reduce 30%. It means lowering the thermostat on the water heater. Getting a programmable thermostat for the furnace. Insulate the water heater and the hot water pipes and seal up the house. I am at 28% for the last six months mainly because I had a recirculating hot water pump that's now on a timer.

Electricity - This is easier because we have so many things that run on electricity. Limiting the time things are on, using a small oven, and again using a programmable thermostat are the basics. I am at 26.5% and going up.

Water - I made some big changes in my sprinkler system, added a low flow washer to our shower and let the yellow mellow. I am at 32% for this item.

Sewer - This item is a reflection of your water use in Dallas. In theory, a water reduction should always reduce sewer use. I don't track it because mine was artificially low last year as I found out right before I picked up the phone to call the city and complain. So mine is higher this year, but through no fault of my own.

Garbage - Recycling/composting - I think 30% is too easy if you aren't really paying attention to what you throw in the bin. If you recycle to the letter of the law, 30%s a good number and the composting is just gravy. Mulching in all my fall leaves gets me way ahead.

Gasoline - Here I still have a problem. My car eats a lot of gas (22 MPG). But to get 30% saving means I only have to get to 29 MPG. That's reasonable for a large four door sedan.

So we can all do 30%. It's really not hard and the money saved might surprise you. My average savings per month this year is $150.58 over the same period last year.

Bottom Line - The first 30% is the right thing to do, pretty easy and has a great return on investment.

Now I am beginning to look at the second 30%. This is much harder and requires much more money with longer paybacks. It includes new sprinkler equipment, some new super windows, possibly a whole house fan, a duct blaster test, new recessed light fixtures, possibly a radiant barrier for the attic, and maybe buying less stuff, or stuff with a lot less packaging.

The last 30% is photovoltaics, geothermal heat pumps, solar hot water, hybrid small car, new windows throughout, large water cisterns and pumps, grey water recycling. landscape change to xeriscape and a winning lottery ticket.