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What can I do?
by John Wilson
January 19, 2002
During the construction
of our solar house we had established several principles which directed
the many choices we had during this process. These principles provided
criteria which we placed above standard choice making criteria such as
appearance, colour, and style. These principles which we can all apply
in our daily lives will change the world.
- Select the most
energy efficient and long lasting (high quality).
- Eliminate the use
of fossil fuels as much as possible.
- Select natural
and renewable materials.
- Select products
which are healthy and nontoxic.
The results of these
principles thus far are summarized below. The experiences which led to
choices made here were often enlightening. For the most part adding these
principles to your choice making in daily life adds a great deal to the
analysis required especially in the face of a world that typically does
not apply these principles. The result may be, at times, difficult conversations
with sales people who simply assume your criteria must be based on price,
colour, style, brand, and features in that order. Take these experiences
in stride and have fun with them.
My wife and I have
had many enjoyable visits to our local appliance retailer and Home Depot
for instance where the idea that our primary criteria is finding the appliance
with the highest power efficiency requires a whole new search for numbers
not in the sales persons current skill set. Most are very helpful once
your criteria are explained and will provide as much support as they can
to find what you are looking for even if they must point out that it may
not be on sale or is not their number one seller.
In any case some of
the choices we made may help you find ideas for choice we can all make.
If you want to do something, think about the choices you make every day
and to make the largest impact take a look at these selections we made
and try make your selections for the same reasons. This choice making
has two important impacts. First, you will minimize your impact on the
environment. Second, you will send a very important and clear message
the the manufacturers of these products that will encourage the further
development of this type of product, bringing prices down, and leading
to further improvements in efficiency, quality and selection.
| Selection |
Reason |
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Appliances
Maytag refrigerator
Asko dishwasher
GE cooktop
Bosch dryer
and washer
Creda small
convection oven
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Appliances with
the lowest "EnerGuide" ratings in general. Also, look
at the various models in terms of total volume and water usage to
determine which uses the least. Typically we found these to be models
which appeared to be built to last longer than the most popular
standard brands.
The Maytag refrigerator
we purchased had a rating of 463 kwh/year. This is about twice the
rating of a Sunfrost which is typically used in a solar house. We
selected the Maytag, however, because it was half the price (which
we determined would let us purchase an extra solar panel), higher
volume (22 cubic feet rather than 19 cubic feed), was self defrosting,
had useful storage spaces and available at our local retailer.
The Asko dishwasher
has a rating of 377 kWh/year which was the best we could find at
our local retail store. It also was reasonable with the amount of
water it used.
The Bosch washer
has a rating of 189 kWh/year and also has a low water usage requirement
when compared to others.
Obviously, the
general idea is to look at the kWh/year ratings and pick the units
which have the lowest ratings. In general we paid a more for these
appliances, however, in terms of energy savings and quality (useful
life) I suspect these units will pay for themselves.
Every light
fixture we purchase has been selected to ensure that we could use
either florescent, low voltage or in a few cases halogen (which
we've put on dimmer switches so that we can minimize the energy
required relative to the light needed for the task).
All of the plumbing
fixtures you select should be low flow.
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Car
Toyota Prius
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My desire is
to purchase the Toyota Prius once we need to replace our Subaru
wagon. The Toyota Prius is a hybrid vehicle which combines a very
efficient gasoline engine with an electric motor. The Toyota Prius
reduces emissions by an estimated 90%, is twice as fuel efficient
most cars (which saves you 50% on you gas bills), and is able to
travel long distances.
Currently we
have a Subaru Outback which gets 30 miles per gallon. The car you
select should get at the very least 30 miles per gallon. With the
Toyota Prius you are approaching twice the efficiency and 90% less
emissions.
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Fuel
Sunoco
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In
our area the Sunoco gas stations offer a premium grade of gasoline
that is rated at 94 octane. This fuel also is composed of 10% ethanol
(alcohol). Alcohol may be distilled from renewable biomass in future
which makes it a better choice than fossil fuels. The higher the octane
the greater the efficiency and lesser the emissions. This higher octane
gasoline has other benefits as well including better mileage which
saves money and ensuring a cleaner engine which reduces emissions
and maintain the engine in better condition so that it lasts longer. |
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Food
Organic
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For all of the
food that you buy try to ensure that as much of it is Organic as
possible especially the locally grown organics. These foods are
grown without harmful pesticides and polluting fossil fuel based
fertilizers. In general organic foods are better tasting and most
agree that they are better for your health.
While you are
at the grocery store or local organic food store make sure you make
every effort to replace the use of conventional cleansers, dish
washing liquids, soaps, and insect repellents with natural types
which are biodegradable.
For all of the
organic waste material make sure that you have a system for composting.
This material when composted provides a wonderful natural fertilizer
for your garden.
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Home
Solar
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The next time
you think about your next home or changing your existing home, think
solar, think efficiency, think orientation, and insulation.
The home you
select to live in has a major impact on the environment. The current
demand for solar homes is small which means finding a solar home
may be difficult or impossible in your area. Many aspects of a solar
home can be achieved through a well conceived renovation which takes
orientation, materials, and energy systems into account. By demanding
solar features, starting with smart passive design and orientation,
you will encourage builders to take these into consideration.
In order to
encourage the development and market for this type of home, if you
have the resources, think about building one yourself. The possibilities
are limitless and the budget may be as good or better than a conventional
home depending on the design, materials and processes you use. If
you are on a tight budget, keep it simple (a square), keep the design
simple, use straw bale construction (learn to do it yourself by
joining local groups who need volunteers), find local materials
(trees for the posts) and sand for concrete, and do as much of the
work yourself. The process is extremely satisfying and can produce
results which are personal and exemplary solar homes.
The energy systems
in this type of home should also include double glazed, argon or
krypton filled, windows of the highest efficiency rating you can
find. Insulate as much as possible, with straw bales where possible.
For the other major power requirements try to budget for photo voltaic
electrical power systems for solar energy. Also, solar water heaters
and wind mills may be a good idea depending on the area.
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Water
Composting toilets
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The pollution
of local water ways, lakes and oceans with sewage waste is a major
contributor to water pollution and contamination. The composting
toilet system reduces clean water waste to near zero. The composted
toilet material is transformed into a soil material which is a great
fertilizer for your trees, grass and forest soils.
The use of low
flow water fixtures for the shower and sinks will minimize the waste
of clean water.
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Copyright 2002 John
Wilson
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