500 ways to save energy around the house
Would you like to save energy around your house. This is the most comprehensive list I’ve seen. I found this link on the site of Rocky Mountain Institute, and the list is cross-categorized in several helpful ways.
BTW, have you seen a gradual shift in the media coverage regarding “peak oil“? Though this term (”peak oil”) is still avoided, I’ve seen many articles and many sources that are now acknowledging that we are in the twilight of the age of oil. Yet go back 5 years, and the thought that we were running out of reasonably priced oil in our lifetimes was mostly scoffed at. I think we have entered the age of resignation, without any official announcement.
“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win” — Mahatma Ghandi.
I’d call the list silly-long, but not comprehensive. That is, whoever put the list together didn’t comprehend all the redundancies and internal contradictions.
Redundancy example: 458-462 and 487-490 are all “use rain water”.
Contradiction: Save electricity by hand washing dishes vs. save water and gas by using a (fully loaded) dishwasher.
Many of the tips are very small scale, like 32, “Use Flat-Bottom Pans”. It makes no difference if you cook with gas or induction, and a very slight difference on an electric stove. Yet I don’t think I own any pan that doesn’t have a flat bottom. Where would I find one?
Or take 467 and 468 “Don’t water on windy days.” This would only help noticeably with high spray watering in desert climates, like L.A.
Take 353 “Install Skylight For Sun’s Heat in Winter” that opens an R-1 to R-3 hole in an R-30 or better ceiling/roof. Unless your winter temperature stays well above freezing (like in L.A.) this tip is counterproductive.
The dozens of “turn off appliances” entries bug me because they all assume summer conditions. My computer helps keep my office warm in the winter. A BTU from the gas furnace costs more than a BTU from my electric appliances. That’s in terms of out-of-pocket dollars; environmentally, it’s a tougher call.
Dan: I liked the list as a checklist. Yes, there were many things that were minimal and some were silly. There were many good suggestions too.
Most of the good suggestions fall into the “duh” category for people who would view that website in the first place.
I don’t disagree that there are good suggestions, merely that the choir has already heard them.
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