Tips to Reduce

Just say “You bet I can”.

We can all contribute to stop global warming. Commit to the one-tonne challenge.

If JJ can pledge to cycle 11,000 kilometers, you can pledge to save 11,000 tonnes.

More actions you can use to help stop global warming:  

Tips to Reduce

In-house
 Replace Light bulbs: Replacing old incandescent bulbs with halogen or fluorescent light bulbs can reduce energy consumption by 60% to 80%. Not only will you lower your energy bill and help the environment, this simple change will save you from constantly changing bulbs as fluorescent and halogen bulbs generally last up to 7x as long as their more antiquated counterparts.

 Lower your Water Heater Temperature: Lowering the temperature of your hot water heater from the typical factory setting of 60◦C to a more-than-adequate temperature of 49◦C can reduce water-heating energy consumption by 6- to 10%.

 Go Low-Flow: Replacing regular shower heads with low-flow shower heads can reduce energy consumption by up to 15%, as they use only 6 to10 litres of water per minute, compared to 10 to 20 litres of water per minute.

 Weatherize Your Windows: It is known that 25% to 40% of heat loss in an older home occurs due to air leakage, particularly around windows. By replacing older windows with storm or double-glazed windows, or simply by repairing caulking and/or weatherstripping your existing windows, you can save 10% - to 25% on your heating bill annually. However, this doesn’t just go for windows; caulking and repairing cracks around doors and in heating ductwork can further decrease heat and energy loss.

 Invest in New Appliances: Still using the green fridge and clothes dryer? It might be time to look into replacing your old appliances with new ones. A new standard fridge typically uses 600kWh less per year than a fridge circa 1990. These savings can further be increased by buying certified EnergyStar products.

 Improve Insulation: Adding more insulation or replacing the old, rotting pink stuff can reduce your heating needs by up to 15%, thereby reducing costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The major areas of concern: the attic, the walls and the basement.

Habits
 Wash with cold water. Cleaning your dirty clothes with cold water instead of hot can reduce your energy bill by up to 25%.

 Don’t Heat an Empty House: Turning down the heat while you’re out for the day or cozy in bed at night will save you between 10% to 20% on your annual heating bill. As long as you read the instructions, a programmable thermostat could be your new best friend in energy reduction, while still ensuring a warm house to wake up to or come home to.

At the Store
 Go Cloth: Some stores are starting to catch on to the green movement, charging you for their plastic bags. It’s a start, but does that 5 cents/bag really deter you from enjoying the convenience of plastic bags at the store? Spend the extra 95 cents and buy a cloth bag you can bring with you every time you shop. You’ll help save millions of plastic bags from entering landfills, reduce clutter under your sink and get this…GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS! Plastic bags are made from petroleum, so from start to finish, they’re bad for the environment.

 Boycott the Bottled Water: Bottled water is one of the biggest polluters in the Western world with 90% of bottles being thrown into landfills instead of being recycled. Considering that 40% of bottled water is just filtered tap water, why spend the money, use the petroleum and drown the world in empty bottles? If you can’t stand the taste of your tap water, try filtering it though an inexpensive filtering jug; you’ll get the same result and help save the world, too.

 Get Back to Basics: Avoid items at stores that are wrapped up in excessive packaging (cookies, video games, computer accessories). Instead buy used products that no longer are wrapped up in large amounts of packaging, or bake your own cookies. It’s all better for your health and your pocketbook.

 Be a Creative Gift-Giver: During Gift-giving occasions such as holidays, birthdays etc., rather than giving “things”, give services – massage, pedicure, rock climbing, art lessons, membership in a community garden. No wrapping, almost nothing manufactured. Almost no footprint.
We don’t need more ‘stuff’.

Getting Around

 Eliminate Idling: The average motorist idles his/her car 5 to 10 minutes per day. Idling your vehicle just 10 minutes a day can add up to the use of 100 litres of gasoline a year. Stop idling and you’ll have $100 more to spend on yourself every year.

 Slow Down: Reducing your speed on the highway by just 10km/h can reduce fuel consumption by 10%. This equates to 17 kg less greenhouse gas emissions per 1km/h speed reduction, and a pretty penny saved from your change purse.

 Keep Up the Pressure and Maintain Regularly: For every tire under-inflated by 2 psi, there’s a 1% increase in fuel consumption. A poorly maintained vehicle can increase fuel consumption by up to 50%; a clogged air filter alone can increase fuel consumption by 10%. By maintaining your vehicle you can decrease fuel consumption easily by 10%, saving up to half a tonne of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

 Carpool, Use Transit, Bike or Walk: Either one of these actions gets cars off the road, which results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions. The benefits of alternate means of transportation don’t only equate to fewer greenhouse gas emissions and money savings, but will also keep you strong and healthy.

 Increase Fuel Efficiency: Buying a new car? There are many new options available from better mileage to the gallon to hybrid to hydrogen fuel cell engines. Obviously, some options reduce emissions more than others, but replacing a vehicle by one that is 25% more efficient can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.15 tonnes per year. If you’re not ready to buy a new car, increase your fuel efficiency by keeping the weight down in your trunk and regularly pumping up your tires.

 Wash Your Car at the Car Wash: Car washes use less water than your hose to do the job, and the used water is filtered for contaminants and sent to a water-treatment plant for reuse.

 Reduce Air Travel: For every km you travel by air, you are releasing 0.214 kg of greenhouse gas emissions. Try teleconferencing instead of flying to every meeting (there are many software tools such as Gotomeeting and Microsoft packages that will allow you to give presentations from afar).

Whatever actions you choose to follow, just remember that everything comes down to the basic 3R’s: Reduce (use only what you need), Reuse (use objects such as clothes more than once) and Recycle (instead of buying something new, fix what you already have or become creative in alternative uses for objects). Every change is a small step to success!


Here are actions and beliefs JJ tries to live by, to reduce his ecological footprint on the planet:

• Feel deeply about every living thing
• Plant more trees
• Feel a spiritual connectedness to sustainability

• Take the stairs
• Join a fitness club
• Take your own reusable bags or boxes to the grocery store
• Go for walks, hikes, runs
• Ride your bicycle instead of always taking the car.