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One problem with switching to renewable energy is that people often end up using more or it. This would be great if production could keep up with demand, but our energy mix is like a bathtub, and when we don't produce enough green energy, other producers using coal, case, or petroleum simply burn more fuel.
Our first consideration should always be about reduction, making sure that we have enough to meet our needs, but reduce energy use through practical measures and swaps. For example using a line or rack to dry instead of a gas or electric drier on a sunny day. Choosing to work from home instead of driving two hours alone in a petrol car or truck. Turning off lights, and only buying what we genuinely need.
Reduce & Replace
Reduce & Replace
The most important thing we can do to help the environment is reduce our energy use. This can be done by using insulation, passive heating and cooling systems, eating lower on the food chain or other culinary changes like eating more raw or sun-fried foods, traveling less or switching to work/learn from home when possible. We can reduce our consumption of manufactured goods by using libraries or sharing within our communities, and recycling or buying second hand items.
We can also reduce by switching to more efficient technologies from lighting to building designs, energy efficient appliances like heaters, ovens, A/C units and washing machines. Even better is that many of the more efficient devices are actually lower maintenance and have longer lifespans than standard models, so you can save money over time, while helping the planet.
Industrial Scale
Industrial Scale
Agrisolar
Agrisolar
Agriculture produces about a 1/4th of our energy-related emissions. By helping farmers switch to renewable energy, we can transition to a cleaner planet, while helping farmers stay profitable and self sufficient.
Consumers & Companies
Consumers & Companies
Paying for or making your own renewable energy is better for the environment that buying carbon credits, which often do more harm than good.
Transportation
Transportation
This link lists modes of transportation from lower impact to heavier impact. Active mobility options are the healthiest for our bodies, minds, and communities, but the passive mobility options can take us further. In each section we try to cover practical considerations, safety, navigation concerns, and solutions to common issues.
Bike-Friendly Communities
Bike-Friendly Communities
Many people rely one bikes, but car-centric infrastructure makes roads dangerous for everyone. Click the button beneath to learn how biking and advocating for bike-friendly spaces will help everyone including drivers, and pedestrians.
Click the Bike Advocacy button to find out which groups are near you, what services they offer, and the programs they need support to keep running.
If you want to help your local school or neighborhood become a safer, cleaner place to travel, click the link below for ideas and resources.
Electric & Hybrid Vehicles
Electric & Hybrid Vehicles
Click bellow to find out about charging stations near you or along the way to your next big destination. Even if the energy doesn't come from a renewable source, EVs and hybrids are more efficient and economical than diesel or petrol, cheaper to keep running, not to mention cleaner for our lungs.
Home
Home
This page lists topics from most electric hungry to less impactful, and discusses options air drying to other practical, easy, affordable ways we can replace, reduce, or change our energy use around our homes.
Gas stoves have been found to release dangerous air pollution even when turned off, and cause rates of childhood asthma similar to exposure to indoor smoking.
Electric and solar alternatives to gas appliances are cleaner plus often cheaper.
Heating & Cooling Buildings
Heating & Cooling Buildings
"The EU’s building stock is responsible for about 40% of the EU’s total energy consumption and 36% of its greenhouse gas emissions. The prevalence of fossil gas boilers in European homes further compounds the issue." according to this article.
By focusing on ways to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels through insulation, passive heating and sustainable energies (preferably in that order) we can reduce the cost of our comfort while protecting the environment.
This link describes a variety of ways to cool buildings, courtyards, patios, and porches without A/C units which use a significant amount of energy, and leak refrigerants into the atmosphere while physically heating the area outside of a building. By using electricity-free or low-electricity/refrigerant-free methods we can help cool ourselves without harming others. These are also a great way to reduce global electricity use, since heating and cooling are among the biggest building-related causes of emissions, with building emissions making up about 17.5% of global emissions.
High Efficiency Heat Pumps can reduce energy use from 50-75% vs traditional gas heaters or A/C units. These devices use ground, water, or air sourced heat sources, plus a fraction of your average energy use to both heat and cool throughout the year.
Laundry & Heating Water
Laundry & Heating Water
Pumping water is one of the biggest energy users in some places, but since water is resistant to temperature changes, it requires a lot of energy to heat too. Old fashioned water heaters can cause attics to overheat and air conditioning systems have to work harder, but in air cupboards they can be useful locations to keep bedding warm for winter use, or to help dry laundry or herbs. The newest and most efficient heaters are electric, but solar and other options are available too.
Drying laundry is the most carbon intensive stage of caring for your laundry, washing uses the most water, and certain products cause various types of pollution. For example laundry sheets should be avoided because they release unwanted chemicals and micro plastics into the environment.
Since so many resources, a lot of energy, and land fill space is used for fast fashion and single-use items, simply taking proper care of your clothing, and washing reusable items will help you significantly reduce your ecological impact. Some examples include: baby wipes, nappies/diapers, period pads, and cleaning rags and "the family cloth".
Cooking & Food Preservation
Cooking & Food Preservation
Refrigeration uses a fairly high amount of energy and releases dangerous gases into the atmosphere, yet storing too much food can end with things being lost, forgotten, then going bad anyway. By reducing our reliance on refrigeration, we can often extend the life of our food.
Having less cluttered fridge and freezer space also helps the equipment work more efficiently than overstuffed refrigeration.
The link above explores electricity free cooling solutions (both products and how to guides to help you build your own), drying methods, canning, and more.
This link explores different ways we can cook and preserve foods with no energy, or reduced energy use. These include solar cookers and dehydrators, drying, canning, microwaving, and how to reduce your energy use with different equipment you may already use daily.
The page also offers a variety of calculators to determine which devices and cooking methods have the greatest or least impact. They can help you decide what to cook with more, or replacement for old, inefficient equipment.
Utilities
Utilities
This directory includes electricity providers and solar power installers. Search by continent and country. Some listings serve businesses only, but most are for residential or general use.
This is for anyone with an electric or EV, or who is considering buying, borrowing, or renting such a vehicle.
Cell Phone Plans
Cell Phone Plans
In the UK EcoTalk has joined with the green energy company Electrocity to buy land and provide habitat to pollinators. We are on the look out for other utility companies offering similar programs.
Web Search
Web Search
Ecosia uses clicks to plant trees, but has also been moving to green their operations by installing solar panels.
Energy Installers
Energy Installers
Solar
Solar
Wind
Wind
These aren't appropriate for all spaces, such as bird or bat nesting areas or migration routes, and are often too noisy for urban settings for homeowners, but are often fine for larger, open spaces.
Maps
Maps
International
International
The Global Integrated Power Tracker (GIPT) (Interactive) is a multi-sector dataset of power stations and facilities worldwide. The tracker provides unit-level information on thermal power (coal, oil, gas, nuclear, geothermal, bioenergy) and renewables (solar, wind, hydro). The tracker includes data on unit capacity, status, ownership, fuel type, start year, retirement date, geolocation, and more. Each power facility is linked to a profile page, hosted on GEM.wiki, that provides further information.
Global Energy Monitor’s eight power sector trackers provide the source of underlying data: the Global Coal Plant Tracker, Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, Global Solar Power Tracker, Global Wind Power Tracker, Global Hydropower Tracker, Global Geothermal Power Tracker, Global Bioenergy Power Tracker, Global Nuclear Power Tracker."
Grants & Funding
Grants & Funding
North America
North America
USA
USA
Self-Help Credit Union "Our mission is creating and protecting ownership and economic opportunity for all, especially people of color, women, rural residents and low-wealth families and communities.
Self-Help Credit Union has branches in NC, SC, FL and VA, and we offer remote services like online and mobile banking to make joining us easy no matter where you live." "We're poised to use a major funding award from the EPA to help create a clean energy future for all."
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