Global Warming: Be Part of the Solution

Despite the ongoing campaign to discredit the science of global warming, a recent TIME/ ABC News/ Stanford University poll reports some encouraging, if surprising, news about American attitudes toward the problem. According to the survey, 85% of Americans now believe that global warming is underway and 80% believe that human activity is contributing to the problem — although two-thirds still think, incorrectly, that there is significant scientific disagreement on the issue (this is one baneful result of the Right's disinformation campaign). Moreover, a majority of Americans (60%) think that "a good amount" or "a great deal" can be done to reduce future warming, and 35% percent think the federal government should do more to solve the problem (as opposed to 5% who think it should do less, and 25% who think it's doing about the right amount). Clearly, there's room for improvement in these numbers, but the truth slowly seems to be sinking in, and the desire for concerted action seems to be rising. Because the United States is a disproportionate contributor to greenhouse gases, this is welcome news for the rest of the planet.

Many of us realize that, while the federal government needs to step up quickly and aggressively to address the problem of global warming, we should not sit around waiting for it to do so. We know that it is time to take action ourselves.

So you ask: What can I do to help?

First, always keep in mind that we don't buy energy for itself, but for the services that it provides. It is simply a means to an end. What people want are warm showers, lighted rooms, cool air in the summer, heat in the winter, a convenient way to get to and from work, and so on. If we could have all these things while using less energy, we would be happy indeed. And yet Americans, even those who are concerned about global warming, tend to be very inefficient in their use of energy. The upside is that, since inefficiency accounts for a significant portion of greenhouse gas production, a key part of the solution is in our own power (so to speak).

To see how dramatic the benefits of improved energy efficiency can be, in the context of existing capacity, we need only look at what happened in California in 2000-2001. That year, California started to experience rolling blackouts and rapidly growing energy costs. At the time, many people said the state had been under-investing in new power plants, that the blackouts resulted from excess demand on the system, and that for California to get out of the crisis, it would have to increase capacity by 83%. (Of course, today we know that the reason California faced an energy crisis was because energy providers had figured out how to game the system by taking energy plants offline). What California did instead was to put together a crash energy efficiency program that stopped the crisis in its tracks. As the Natural Resources Defense Council reported this spring:

"The state poured $1 billion in emergency funding into a newly invigorated set of incentive programs dubbed "Flex Your Power." And Californians flexed, big-time. In short order, they replaced nearly eight million light bulbs with CFLs [compact fluorescent light bulbs] in their homes. Cities and towns installed thousands of light-emitting diode (LED) traffic lights, which use less than half as much electricity as the incandescent lamps they replaced. Factories swapped out thousands of old motors for more-efficient new ones."

The program saved enough energy to meet all of Los Angeles' daily needs, and all those new light bulbs, traffic lights and motors continue to save energy, long after the crisis is over. Today, California enjoys one of the lowest per-capita energy consumption levels in the country — about 7,000 kwh/person compared to the national average of 12,000 kwh/person. Just imagine what could be recovered in costs if everyone in the United States were as efficient as Californians in their energy usage.

Here, then, are some practical tips and resources for reducing your own domestic energy consumption.

For starters, find out how much energy you are using by getting a home energy audit. If your power company doesn't provide one, you can use the on-line energy audit tool provided by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This audit will help you figure out how you can get more value for your money and help reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.

Next, buy energy efficient appliances. Look for the Energy Star for appliances that have been rated for their efficiency. Often you can earn tax rebates from your state when you purchase an energy efficient appliance. When thinking of appliances for the outdoors, find non-polluting mowers and leaf blowers.

Visit the Environmental Defense website for other actions you can take. While you are there, sign up to switch out your old incandescent light bulbs with the new compact florescent bulbs that fit into regular light bulb sockets — you'll save both energy and money.

Check to see if your utility has any programs that promote higher efficiency and if they don't, ask them to consider putting a program together. (PG&E customers can get lots of information by visiting the PG&E Energy Efficiency website.) Buy renewable power if you can find it in your area and work with your community to see what you can do to make it more available.

Take public transportation, walk, or bicycle whenever possible. Or if you are in the market for a new car, consider a hybrid car, which will not only be more fuel efficient, but also much cleaner in its emissions. Buy the most fuel efficient car you can afford.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, become more of a proselyte, more of a squeaky wheel. Talk to your workplace supervisors and suggest that they also take an energy audit — for their sake as well as the environment's. Encourage your neighbors to do the same. Lobby your local government, at town council meetings or other venues, to take energy efficiency seriously, and write your state and federal representatives asking that they start taking more responsibility to address global warming. After all, we will all need to do our share to put the brake on global warming.

• Printer-friendly version