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Consumption & Climate 3: What you can do

Suggestions on conservative personal consumption.

Disengaging from industrial civilization and living "off-grid" is generally unattainable, especially for the urban majority of humanity. Yet, to have some chance of thwarting the annihilation of the bulk of civilization, we must collectively reduce consumption significantly. Refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle and replace in that order. What you can refuse includes destructive business, finance and politics.

Related posts:

Consumption & Climate 1: Introduction (to climate change)

Consumption & Climate 2: How Consumption Destroys

Contents

1. Water

2. Water and electricity together

3. Electricity

4. Electricity or gas

5. Fossil fuel used directly

6. Other consumption

7. Waste disposal

8. For the small business

9. Causes to support

1. WATER

Reduce your direct consumption as follows, aiming for a long-term average of about 165 L per day per person:

a. Water tank (When making changes):

= In a hot climate, install a non-metallic tank in shade.

= Position its overflow outlet such that you will hear or otherwise detect any overflow.

b. Leaks (Maintenance): Occasionally, when no water is being used in the building, check the water meter over an interval [To detect any significant leak].

c. Taps, showers and hoses:

= When making changes: Install aerated taps and showers that cut off the flow when released. For existing taps, fix an aeration attachment. Use hoses that have trigger nozzles.

= Usage: Use just an adequate flow of water. Shut off non-auto. outlets whenever water is not actually required, e.g. when soaping hands or a dish. In addition, you can adjust the control valve to the particular tap.

d. Bathing:

= When making changes: Install a shower.

= Usage:

+ Understand that in warm weather, the body will rectify excessive soaping almost immediately.

+ Allow time for the soap to work, rather than having to soap again.

e. Toilet (up to 18 L per flush):

= When making changes: Unless your toilet is connected to a municipal system utilises sewage for fertilizer, fuel, etc., install one of these: (i) A dual-flush cistern and bowl that uses only 6 L / 3 L after verifying this quantity will be sufficient for the specific sewer pipe design of your house (ii) If the property is landed, a water-free toilet, e.g. a pit or composting toilet. Alternatively, reduce the cistern capacity by putting in one or more objects that will not interfere with the mechanism, e.g. small plastic bottles filled with water and pebbles.

= Usage:

+ Do not use the toilet bowl as a waste bin, e.g. for hair, facial tissue paper, cigarette butts etc. [Complicates sewage treatment or shortens the period after which your septic tank has to be cleared]. It is even worse if you flush after doing so.

+ Reconsider the modern obsession with keeping the toilet bowl and other surfaces "sparkling clean" and antiseptic [Complicates the treatment of sewage and renders it unfit for conversion into fertilizer].

+ For tissue paper, avoid the wasteful varieties that are very soft.

+ Minimise flushing. If the cistern is not low-capacity, use a large dipper to flush instead.

= Maintenance: Occasionally, check for leaks: add some food colouring to the tank. Colour appearing in the toilet bowl within about 30 min. indicates a leak. After 30 min., flush to remove the colouring.

f. Outdoor usage:

= When making changes:

+ Channel grey water into the lawn or into a water feature constructed in your compound [For cooling, to filter out some pollutants, to reduce the frequency of drains in the neighbourhood overflowing in heavy rain, and for resilience against drought]. For this, switch to a salt-free laundry detergent, and pour salt-rich liquids directly into the main drain.

+ Channel rainwater from the roof into a water butt, which can overflow onto the lawn.

+ Plant only hardy local shrubs that do not require watering or agrochemicals. Given time, most plants initially susceptible to pests will recover.

+ For a water feature, select one designed such that it is well shaded and does not produce spray.

+ Get a lawn mower that leaves the grass about 58 cm. high [To reduce evaporation and runoff] which does not utilise disposable plastic ties as blades.

= Usage:

+ To clean the driveway, use a broom instead of water. Consider mopping floor areas that you now wash.

+ Reconsider the frequent washing of car tyres, porch, drains etc.

+ Use a pail and sponge to wash your motor vehicle, and rinse using a watering can. It is not necessary to apply soap every time.

+ In a dry climate, do not maintain a lawn by watering, other than with grey water.

+ Water the base of shrubs rather than their leaves. Spread mulch including fallen leaves around the base. Water only once a week or so [Over-watering kills plants]. For any extended cultivation, use a greenhouse and drip-irrigation.

+ Aerate the soil with holes [To improve absorption].

g. Well or stream (When making changes):

= If you have suitable land, construct a covered well [Not for agriculture but to reduce dependence on the environmentally expensive and fragile public system].

= If you depend on a well or stream, keep the areas where used water sinks into the ground about 10 m or more away from the water's edge.

2. WATER AND ELECTRICITY TOGETHER

Reduce your direct consumption as follows:

a. Dish washer (2.83 kW):

= Alternative: Wash by hand instead, after wiping off most of the food and grease using a piece of newspaper [Also keeps outlet pipes clear and reduces methane, vermin and pesticides. The machine also harbours pathogens]. Use a washing tub or second sink. Allow a short while for the detergent to work.

= Usage:

+ In a house as opposed to a restaurant, this is a device of dubious hygiene. If you must use it, at least skip the drying function.

+ Reduce the number of pans, dishes and plates you just use out of convention.

b. Washing machine (up to 25 L per cycle, 0.5 kW without heating or 2kW with):

= Alternative: Hand-wash at least small items.

= When making changes: Get a front-loading model [50% or less water, 0.2 kW] with a spin-dryer.

= Usage:

+ Avoid washing merely out of convention. Airing can reduce the frequency.

+ Accumulate a good load before washing.

+ Allow the load to soak in detergent for at least 1 hour.

+ If you opt for hot water, around 90% of the energy used goes to that. Modern detergents work well at room temperature. Consider taking advantage of the warmer piped water in the afternoon, or placing the soaking clothes in a pail in the sun.

+ Familiarise yourself with the minimum amounts of water, detergent, length of rinse cycles and number of cycles required. Use dishwasher detergent, lemon or hydrogen peroxide to remove stains.

+ After the first rinse cycle, spin-dry the load [To remove most of the detergent].

+ Instead of draining the last batch of water, retain it to soak the next wash load if your spin dryer is separate.

c. Swimming pool a high-impact feature (When making changes):

= Install a water-saving filter pump (0.52 kW) and reduce its daily period of operation, especially in colder months.

= For an outdoor pool, install a cover [To reduce evaporation when not in use].

= If you require heating, install solar pool heating.

3. ELECTRICITY

Reduce your direct consumption as follows:

a. Electrical appliances in general:

= When making changes:

+ When buying an appliance, retain documentation of the claimed power consumption, efficiency and lifespan. Look for independent certification. Confirm that the service centre designated for any maintenance is not too far away.

+ If you are a tenant, suggest changes to the landlord.

+ Install plug sockets that incorporate their own switches [Routine unplugging poses the danger of shock].

+ Install a switch near the front door to power off all appliances except those that must stay on [This also reduces the risk of fire].

+ Notes: (i) Whether electricity or gas is environmentally and monetarily better to run major household appliances is in debate. (ii) Take care not to overload household circuits or individual sockets. A common circuit breaker protects multiple sockets on one household circuit. Depending on whether the breaker or fuse is marked 15 or 20, the continuous capacity of the circuit for appliances it can support is 2.88 or 3.92 kW respectively. (iii) The rating of an appliance in kW equals its consumption in kWh for 1 hour of continuous usage. (iv) To protect the building including electrical components from lightning, use only Franklin rods on the roof a sufficient number for the size of the building. To protect electronic equipment, install surge protectors and voltage regulators at their sockets.

= Usage:

+ Switch off unused appliances ["Up to 10%" of all electricity is wasted on standby mode].

+ When you leave the house for a few days, consider switching off the mains. If water pipes in a heated house may freeze, use a very low heater setting or drain the pipes.

+ During the daytime (i) If you work at home, consider sharing it with a similar user (ii) Try to operate fewer appliances at least simultaneously [To reduce peak regional load and discourage the construction of new power plants].

+ The spread of electricity consumed depends on whether the house is cooled or heated. With air-con cooling, the proportions could be: cooling 17%, water heating 17 to 24%, lighting 17%, electronic appliances 5 to 13%, other appliances 13%, fridge 8 to 12%, other usage 212%. Space heating with poor insulation may require up to 2.5 times as much as cooling.

b. Water heater (about 3 kW for instant type, 9kW for storage type):

= When making changes/alternative: Replace the storage heater [It is uses power throughout the day, around 17% of the household total in a cold climate. If gas-powered, it requires special maintenance]. Evaluate these:

+ Heat pump [mentioned under "Common aspects for air-con and space heater"].

+ Multiple instant heaters, e.g. for the kitchen and bathroom. Water is also saved by having to operate only 1 tap. Get the type that allows unheated water to flow without the power being turned on.

+ An auxiliary solar hot water system.

= Usage: Reduce the usage of hot water, and lower the temperature setting [Also gives off harmful dissolved gases within the bathroom].

c. Clothes tumble dryer (about 2.5 kW): Alternative: Unless you live in a constantly damp climate, use a spin dryer (0.3 kW) usually a part of your washing machine and then hang the clothes on a drying rack [A gas tumble dryer is only a little better. Tumble dryers are considered too inefficient to be issued with ratings].

d. Clothes iron (11.2 kW):

= Alternative: Get clothes that require little or no ironing after drip-drying.

= When making changes: Get the type that incorporates steam.

= Usage: Iron only essential items. Do them before they get too crumpled. Reduce the time you leave the appliance on. Leave any folding for later by hanging the ironed items temporarily.

e. Tanning lamp: This is carcinogenic and therefore obsolete technology.

f. TV (about 50300 W):

= Alternative: When replacing a CRT TV, get an LED, LCD, DLP or OLED type, not plasma type. For LCD, check whether the viewing angle is too narrow.

= Usage: To just listen to music, use a radio instead, or route the audio channel from the decoder to small speakers or earphones.

g. TV decoder (about 45 W for satellite TV decoder without integrated recorder):

= Usage: Ignore the official advice and switch off when unused, except for a few minutes in standby mode every week or so.

h. Computer equipment:

= Alternative:

+ If you change only a CRT monitor (about 90 W), instead of a plasma type, get an LCD type (40 W or more), or better yet, an LED type.

+ When changing the desktop (60 - 250 W excluding monitor), get a laptop (about 45 W).

= Usage:

+ Set the monitor to switch to sleep mode after a suitable period of inactivity say 10 min. Use a somewhat longer setting for the CPU.

+ Keep air vents clear, e.g. on top of a CRT monitor.

+ Switch on the printer-scanner only when required.

i. Vacuum cleaner (about 900 W):

= Usage: Try to move obstacles out of the way in advance.

= Maintenance: Clean the filter and dust reservoir without waiting for the latter to get full.

j. Lighting (commonly 60100 W for one incandescent bulb):

= Alternatives: Replace with CFLs or fluorescent tubes [They use 1/4 the power and last about 1015 times longer. Some provide "full-spectrum" light [Relevant to mood for long hours spent indoors. Some are small enough to fit existing light sockets]. 5 W CFLs may suffice for the bathroom, bedroom ceiling and bedside. Note: LEDs use the least power but (a) are still expensive (b) are not bright enough for general use (c) emit blue light that upsets the circadian rhythm.

= When making changes:

+ Get (i) lamp shades (ii) reflectors (iii) light colours on interior walls and ceilings. Eliminate halogen lights.

+ If the heat permits the use of sunlight for lighting during the day, install reflective blinds, skylights or light tubes. Note: Dimming of lights cannot be done for individual CFLs; instead you have to switch off some of group of them.

+ For your compound, install lights (i) motion sensors to trigger the light or (ii) solar-powered lights.

+ Change tube ballast from electromagnetic type to electronic [To eliminate flickering and reduce consumption by about 1/3].

= Usage: Sleep without artificial lighting [Also vital for health; to visit the toilet in the middle of the night, use a dim red light].

= Maintenance: Dust light fixtures periodically.

k. Electric blanket (100 W): Use a quilt instead [An electric blanket may also be harmful].

l. Fridge (1475 W over the long term):

= Alternatives:

+ For vegetarian food, consider a cooler instead [A temperature of about 13 C will do].

+ Note that foods not requiring refrigeration include (i) most processed ones [sold cold to imply that they are fresh] (ii) many of those to be consumed within a few days. Just store them in a net-protected (insect-proof but allowing in air) food cupboard, or an airtight container in the case of baked food.

+ You need less stock of refrigerated food if you live within walking or cycling distance of a food store. You can take an ice box along when shopping.

= When making changes:

+ Get a unit that is not too large, with a separate door or at least a spring-closed internal cover for the freezer compartment. It should have moisture control. Note: If there is a power-saver switch, it may be a gimmick related to the "anti-sweat heater". If little condensation appears when it is off, leave it off.

+ Locate it in a relatively cool spot, away from outer walls, with the radiation coils (at the rear) out of direct lighting and sunlight. Allow a gap of 5 to 10 cm from the wall, and some space at the sides.

+ Discontinue the use of the old fridge, if any.

= Usage:

+ Try to make do with a temperature setting of not lower than 45C.

+ Close the door immediately after taking an item out or putting it in.

+ Allow hot food to cool down somewhat before placing it inside.

+ Reduce sources of moisture inside. Place lids on dishes of food, and close bottles.

+ If time permits, to thaw frozen meat before cooking, initially use the fridge shelf furthest from the freezer compartment.

+ Before leaving the house unoccupied for more than a few days, empty the fridge so that the mains can be switched off.

= Maintenance:

+ When the ice build-up is about 1 cm thick (in an old model), defrost the unit.

+ If there is excess space, place closed empty containers inside [To reduce the loss of cold air]; you can fill these containers with plastic bags of ice cubes.

+ Occasionally, check that the door gasket is snug all around: close the door on a slip of paper at various points around the door; the gasket is OK if the paper cannot be slid out gently. Otherwise, try wiping the gasket or applying silicone spray away from food.

+ Periodically, dust the radiation coils.

m. Fans (7590 W for 145 cm ceiling fan, depending on setting):

= When making changes:

+ Install window shutters that can be angled to direct breeze into the house.

+ If air-con. is not also installed, (i) Add windows and louvers mainly on the north and south sides, for cross-ventilation in every room using openings on at least 2 walls. (ii) Install light curtains.

+ Install one of these: (i) Fibre-glass fan blades (ii) Reversible window fans (iii) A whole-house fan [It drives air to above the ceiling, and then drives it out together with the hot air accumulating there].

= Usage:

+ Make do with lower fan speeds.

+ Shut off the fan if no one will be present [It will not cool the room as it works mainly by aiding perspiration].

+ Keep windows open (provided they are barred and have mesh to keep out insects) and the curtains closed.

= Maintenance: Periodically, wipe the blades.

n. Fans and air-con. common aspects:

= When making changes,

+ On the sides of the house facing the sun, (i) Place cupboards against the inside of walls (ii) Install awnings or plant shade trees: deciduous trees if you use a heater for part of the year, evergreen otherwise. If there are roof-top solar appliances, select short trees.

= When making changes for cooling throughout the year:

+ Provided the house is away from other houses, use high-albedo paint on the outside of compound walls, external house walls and the roof. Alternatively, shield them with trellises or netting, which can support creepers [Also purifies the air].

+ Use an irregular surface or trellis on the inside of compound walls.

+ Replace any skylight with a multi-layered (prefab) one, or add a coating [To cut down incoming infrared radiation]. Note: Ordinary glass blocks most of the UV.

+ Reduce outdoor paving, especially darker types. Where necessary, use a medium-coloured surface (e.g. of small paving blocks) with gaps every few cm for grass. Cover non-essential paving and the building apron with grass, creepers on netting or plants in pots made from recycled plastic. Make the surface of the driveway slightly concave so that it accumulates a layer of earth.

+ For a games court, install a raised netting of broad filaments, to be moved into place after using the court.

+ Install passive convection vent fans in the roof.

+ Add narrow breaks or openings in the compound wall. Incorporate breeze traps, e.g. at wall or roof corners. For air-con., route the breeze under the roof.

+ When building the house, consider these: (i) In the tropics, an East-West axis. (ii) The ground floor raised off the ground, and the roof raised off a weather-proof ceiling. Also, if fans are in use, grilles in the floor. (iii) A flat roof accessible by stairs and surrounded by a low wall [To sleep on during warm nights].

o. Air-con. "split" units (0.52 kW):

= Alternative: Consider using fans instead. If dust is also a problem, you can add a dust filter-ionizer.

= When making changes:

+ Position the unit about 2 m up the wall. For daytime usage, shade the external condenser. For centralised air-con., get professional advice.

+ Install proper insulation. Excessive condensation extracted by the air-con shows poor insulation. Remove sources of open water such as an aquarium. However, in some cases, increasing the intake of fresh air (if such a setting is available) and running a dehumidifier to compensate may reduce the energy used for cooling.

+ Install multi-layered prefab windows, or a coating, to cut down incoming infrared radiation direct and indirect.

+ Note: Daytime air-con powered directly by solar radiation is under development.

= Usage:

+ Try to make do with a higher temperature setting, e.g. 26 C. Turning on a fan concurrently may help.

+ Use the timer to switch off the unit in the cool hours of early morning.

= Maintenance: Periodically, clean the unit as per guidelines: filters, external and internal condenser fins [This also removes accumulated pathogens].

p. Fan, air-con. or space heater common aspects:

= When making changes:

+ Use tall shrubs or compound walls to break winds that are too hot or cold.

+ When building a house, consider integral insulation, e.g. (a) building into a hillside or the ground (b) using straw-filled cladding on walls facing the sun, hinged at the bottom.

= Usage: Dress appropriately for the weather and time of day. In warm weather, accept some sweating as healthy, especially before bathing.

q. Air-con. or space heater common aspects:

= When making changes:

+ If you use both air-con and heating, consider a dual-purpose unit.

+ Install insulation over the ceiling or under the roof (without blocking a minimal movement of air that keeps rafters dry).

+ Install only pre-insulated ducts.

+ Install a programmable thermostat. It requires proper placement to work well.

+ Select an air-con. or heater that uses fuzzy logic [To reduce the duration for which the unit operates by dampening fluctuations in temperature]. Verify that the filters are easy to clean on your own.

+ For moderate climate, install a heat pump (extracting heat from the air or preferably the ground) for both cooling and heating. Notes: A ground heat pump suits only some land, and is expensive. The apron around the building or the driveway may be suitable sources of heat. Whether driven by gas or electricity, and whether for cooling or heating, a heat pump is far more efficient than a conventional air-con. or heater.

+ Install thick dark curtains that can be affixed all around window frames using velcro.

+ When building a house, (i) Select a progressive and responsive builder. (ii) Keep to a small area and height. (iii) Select good insulating material, e.g. hollow bricks, hemcrete, straw-filled mud, sand-packed tyres, earth embankment, logs, wood panelling, wooden window shutters. (iv) Utilise old building materials, or give away yours.

+ Install air-con. or heating only in essential rooms, with proper insulation. Seal unused vents and rooms.

= Usage:

+ Close windows, and draw the curtains or blinds. Depending on the brightness of the sun, blinds may be easier to adjust for light in the daytime.

+ Reduce the periods for which external doors are kept open; install a door closer or warning buzzer if necessary.

+ Switch off the unit shortly before going out.

r. In-house renewable generation of auxiliary electricity

= When making changes: Evaluate (i) domestic generation of electricity (ii) domestic storage of electricity that takes advantage of off-peak rates. Notes: (i) Such equipment is expensive without subsidies, mainly because of hidden subsidies to electricity businesses (ii) Avoid solar panels based on cadmium telluride as cadmium is poisonous and the rarity of tellurium implies a great deal of mining.

4. ELECTRICITY OR GAS

Note: While petroleum gas is a fossil fuel, it is far less destructive than liquid petroleum fuels.

Reduce your direct consumption as follows:

a. Space heater (oil heater 2 kW; fan heater 2 kW; ceramic heater 1.5 kW, panel heater 1.1 kW):

= When making changes:

+ Provided that a heat pump (mentioned above) cannot be used, (a) For gas or oil, install a sealed combustion furnace (for safety and efficiency). (b) Replace a normal gas heater with a condensing boiler (which uses heat-exchange). (c) Locate the heater on masonry insulated below, either centrally or close to an internal masonry wall. (d) Note: Gas is generally more efficient than electricity for this but provides no scope for controlling the CO2 emitted.

+ Install an internal front door a couple of metres from the outer one.

+ Install auxiliary solar thermal (air-heating) ventilation. This can be HRV (filtering and bringing in warm air from above the ceiling and exchanging heat).

+ If condensation occurs, install a dehumidifier. Otherwise, a humidifier may allow you to lower the heater setting a little.

= When making changes for heating around the year:

+ Use low-albedo paint or an irregular surface on external walls and the outside of masonry walls of the compound (up to about 10 m away). Use low-albedo paint for the roof.

+ Install multi-layered prefab types of windows and skylights, or apply a coating on them.

+ When building a house (i) Where applicable, plan jointly with others, e.g. to lay out the houses back-to-back or around a common garden covered with glass. (ii) Align one of the longer sides to face the sun, with the larger windows located there. (iii) Reduce the shade from overhangs, awnings, or vegetation on windows, masonry walls and the building apron. (iv) If there will be no cellar, consider raising the ground floor off the ground, and closing off the crawl space with a partition (which can be opened in warm months). Lay a wide apron of thick masonry on the sunny side(s), surfaced with dark material.

= Usage:

+ Try to make do with a lower temperature setting, e.g. 20 C.

+ Try to lower the setting a little when going to sleep.

+ Before opening windows to air rooms, switch off the heater in advance.

+ Shortly before going out, depending on potential damage to pipes, turn heating off or lower. For an absence of days, if switching off could be damage pipes, consider draining them.

+ When in a room with others, consider sitting around a table, with a fan heater on the side which is closest to a wall.

+ Whenever the day is warm enough, turn down the heating and open window curtains or blinds. Arrange furniture so that sunlight coming in falls on bare masonry: floor, wall or pillar.

= Maintenance:

+ Ensure adequate maintenance, e.g. professional maintenance of the furnace once a year, cleaning furnace filters, bleeding trapped air from hot-water radiators (unless it has an automatic valve), wiping radiators.

+ If air from a vent is being deflected by furniture, rectify this.

+ Stop drafts using weather-stripping or temporary caulk. At the bottom edges of external doors, place draft guards or install door sweeps. If you also have an air-con., use an internal cover to block it.

+ Periodically, check the roof for gaps.

b. Cooking appliances (about 2.5 kW for 4-ring range, 1.2 kW for toaster, 0.8 kW for microwave; some points here also apply to gas appliances):

= When making changes:

+ If you use air-con. but no heater, locate the cooking appliance at a window, an exterior wall, or in a semi-enclosed extension to the kitchen. If a heater is in use but no air-con., locate the appliance against an internal wall.

+ Opt for (a) an oven that uses steam or convection fans or (b) an induction stove.

= Usage:

+ Cook with the air-con. off or close the kitchen door.

+ Open the kitchen windows or switch on the kitchen hood.

+ Where appropriate (i) Use a pressure cooker first to soften food that require lengthy cooking. (ii) Reduce the size of food pieces. (iii) Cook in larger quantities at a time. (iv) Use a stove instead of an oven. (v) Use a flat-bottomed pan with a lid. (vi) Use pre-heated water.

+ Turn off the appliance a few minutes before you expect the cooking to be done [It continues to give off heat].

+ Notes: Microwave is efficient, but poses dangers to health. For gas, do not raise the flames beyond the bottom of the pan.

= Maintenance: Periodically,

+ Check the oven door gasket for leaks, as for a fridge.

+ Clean the reflective pans of stoves.

c. Kettle (1.5 3.8kW, more efficient than a stove-top kettle):

= Alternatives:

+ For small amounts of water, use an electric jug kettle.

+ If you use large amounts of hot water during the day, get a solar hot water system.

= Usage: Store extra hot water in a thermos flask. Note: Boiling the same water again may even concentrate dissolved contaminants.

= Maintenance: Periodically, clean the coil as per guidelines to remove any deposits.

5. FOSSIL FUEL USED DIRECTLY

Reduce your direct consumption as follows:

a. Motor vehicle:

= When making changes / Alternatives:

+ Consider getting a job closer to home (accessible on foot or bicycle) or accessible on public transport. Under good conditions of weather, health and cycling paths, cycling is suitable for up to about 30 km.

+ Select a vehicle of light weight (where applicable), light external colour, certified fuel efficiency and for diesel efficient filtration of black carbon.

+ If there is an LPG station on your normal route, get the motor vehicle modified to utilise this too.

+ For long journeys with not more than 1 passenger or with more goods, select a model in which rear seats can be removed, or modify the vehicle accordingly.

+ Avoid using motorcycles and lawn movers that incorporate 2-stroke engines [Inefficient, up to 30 times as much CO2e as 4-stroke engines, high output of poisonous gases].

= Usage:

+ Reduce travel.

+ Try to (i) share transport with others (ii) use public transport [A bus uses only about 25-45% of the energy for 1 person, while a train uses only 822%] (iii) replace commuting with Internet communication.

+ For a fuel-injection engine, do not wait to "warm up". However, maintain a low speed until the engine temperature comes up to the normal level.

+ Adhere to recommended cruising speeds. Be aware of the average usage of fuel. The efficiency in many cars peaks at 7080 kph.

+ Accelerate and decelerate smoothly, using engine noise and the tachometer as a guide. To decelerate; instead of braking, stop depressing the accelerator or shift to a lower gear in advance.

+ At halts likely to last more than about 30 sec., shift to Neutral gear. At longer halts, (i) shift to Park gear and engage the hand-brake (ii) if you are not in the flow of traffic, switch off the engine.

+ When the car is stationary, do not use it for cooling or heating. Except in slow traffic, reduce the use of the air-con. (fan speed and temperature setting). However, driving with the windows rolled down more than about 1/4 may increase drag. On hot days, park in shade with the air-con. vent open [To also reduce plastic fumes]. Keep the car somewhat clean and shiny [To improve radiation].

+ When refuelling, reduce the time the tank inlet is left open.

= Maintenance:

+ Maintain the recommended tyre pressure; verify this using a hand-held meter.

+ Use radial-ply tyres rather than cross-ply ones [To reduce friction].

+ During long periods of disuse, instead of periodically idling the engine to maintain battery charge, consider disconnecting the battery, provided the air-con. will be unaffected.

+ Remove unnecessary objects from the cabin and boot space.

+ Adhere to recommended servicing, particularly for the air filter.

b. Fireplace:

= When making changes:

+ Consider an efficient, enclosed, ready-made unit, linked to the heat exchange system.

6. OTHER CONSUMPTION

Reduce your consumption of the following:

a. Any product or service (including investment)

= Originating outside your district, or whose profit is sent elsewhere.

= From an irresponsible or dangerous business. This includes a business employing staff (directly or through its suppliers) who have no effective union representation.

b. Food or drink in these categories:

= Beef, pork, dairy products and farmed fish.

= Genetically modified, by selecting food certified as organic. The ubiquitous items added to processed foods are (a) soya or maize flour (b) soya, canola or cottonseed oil (c) beet sugar or maize fructose syrup (HFCS) (d) potato.

= Unnaturally defect-free or non-seasonal fruits or vegetables.

= Drink packaged in dilute form including "mineral" or "bottled" water. Check the quality of your tap water supply before deciding to boil or filter it.

= Rice from wet rice cultivation.

= From industrial-scale farming.

= Refrigerated from the time of harvest or manufacture.

= From a distribution system or event that wastes large quantities of food, e.g. luxury restaurant, supermarket.

c. Wood product:

= Bleached, coloured or very soft facial tissue, serviette or toilet paper. Instead of facial tissue, use a handkerchief.

= Un-recycled plain paper.

= Unsolicited brochure. Where feasible, replace it after reading or notify the sender.

= Draft or personal copy of a computer-based document. Before printing, always proof-read and review the layout for avoidable spill-over to additional pages. In the case of large documents, print only the relevant pages.

= Newspaper, even if you have to pay for an online edition.

= Furniture or panelling made from particle board [compacted and glued wood chips, often using small branches or young trees].

d. Item that can be borrowed, shared or rented:

= Common item, e.g. book, magazine and music recording, lawn mover, ladder.

= Item for occasional usage, e.g. sports equipment, costume, crockery, special tool.

e. Item that pollutes waterways excessively:

= Caustic or synthetic cleaning fluid. Try using vinegar and baking soda instead.

= Phosphate-rich detergent: Use a low-foam, bio-degradable variety. Shampoo and shower gel are detergents. Clean dirty collars using a sponge.

f. Other product or service:

= Packaged excessively, e.g. (i) shaving foam in a can (ii) in a pack of foil, paper and wax [hard to recycle] (iii) in a disposable tray, plate or cup (iv) where each piece is wrapped separately. Notes: (i) Where available, select a refill for an earlier container (ii) Leave excess packaging such as padding and fancy cartons behind (iii) PVC (including cling film) and polycarbonate plastic are particularly dangerous for food and drink (iv) Bring your own reusable shopping bag, glass or steel containers, tiffin carrier, etc. (v) For a regular purchase, select a larger package size and, where feasible, share the purchase with others, e.g. two 1 L packages instead of one 2 L equivalent increases the packaging you pay for and discard later by about 67%.

= Excess that is likely to be discarded, even if offered free. This includes "free gifts" and souvenirs. Do not misuse food for entertainment.

= For short-term use "disposable" or of poor quality such that it is likely to fail early.

= Gold, whether for ornament or investment.

= Cotton or synthetic clothing or furnishing, especially if alternatives of kapok (tree cotton), hemp, jute, wool etc. are available.

= Large, heavy or from far away, e.g. furniture, dilute liquid when a concentrate is available. If you must have carpeting despite the risk to health, consider segments that can be replaced or cleaned individually.

= Medicine. Most pharmaceutical medicines are effective beyond their so-called expiry dates; exceptions include nitro-glycerine, insulin, and some liquid antibiotics.

= Single-use battery if a rechargeable version is available.

= CD or DVD for computer back-up. Use a pen drive or external disk instead.

= Gift of industrial origin. Do not give or receive such gifts as a routine practice.

= Any item that is restricted to the purchaser under the terms of the sale.

= Novelty you have not taken the time to evaluate.

= Item that requires borrowing, called "credit". Even a purchase using credit card for which you do not incur interest results in a charge to the retailer and thus a higher price.

g. Luxury service [which wastes supplies or energy]:

= Luxury sport or entertainment, especially one that requires a great deal of space, special equipment, energy, pollution or destruction, e.g. golf, equestrian sport, private aircraft, indoor ice sport, water scooter [Also deprives others of opportunity. Golf clubs provide a way of exporting some nuclear waste].

= Luxury service, e.g. hotel, resort and transport. Use low-budget alternatives.

= Premise that uses excessive climate control [Also more likely to spread infection].

h. Wildlife:

= Pet, object of hunting, food, trophy, ornament or live display. This includes unlicensed hunting and fishing, shark's fin and bird's nest as food, ivory and feathers [Other impact: brings new diseases].

= Unfounded or unsustainable medicine consisting of wildlife parts.

= Nature resort that fails to manage its impact, including its waste.

Note: During travel through wilderness, do not approach wild animals, feed them, take or destroy any part of wild plants, or stray away from designated routes. Do not use sun screen or sun tan before swimming or diving near coral reefs [Kills corals. Also harms you if it contains nano-particles].

7. WASTE DISPOSAL

a. Compost your kitchen waste (other than meat and oils) and garden waste. At least leave grass where it is cut. Alternatively, you can plant a slow-growing variety of grass or suppress it using fine gravel.

b. Install a sink strainer and grease trap in your kitchen.

c. Give away or sell (a) used objects (b) material such as plastic, glass, metal, un-shredded paper, cardboard, wood, garden waste, used cooking oil. Segregate soiled items and shredded paper. If there is too little of one category, accumulate enough before dumping it. Contact any local recyclers. Knot light plastic (bags, wrappers etc.) together [To retard their dispersal].

d. Consider using paper as fuel for a stove, using a briquette maker if necessary.

e. Compress waste where applicable, e.g. plastic, aluminium cans [To take up less waste bags]. Seek ways to reduce the quantity of waste. Weigh the purchase of an efficient new product against the waste you create by disposing of the old one.

f. Take hazardous waste like CFLs, fluorescent lights, batteries and chemicals to specialist depots. Do not pour chemicals such as detergent, vegetable oil, motor oil or paint down the drain.

g. Do not discard waste in natural settings, especially near a waterway.

8. FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS

a. Water:

= Fit urinals with pressure switches or infrared sensors for flushing, or install waterless urinals.

= Use a rain harvesting system to provide toilet water.

= Provide drinking water from a filter connected to a tap rather than from delivered bottles.

= Get staff to use personal drinking glasses or mugs.

b. Electricity:

= Consider shifting the hours of daily operation to a small extent, as compared to other businesses, either to ease the travel of staff and to reduce the load on the electrical grid.

= Installing a modern lift may be more efficient. Note: Specifications and standards are not freely available.

= Encourage the use of the stairs instead of the lift, especially to go up 12 storeys or to go down 14 storeys. Note: To be inviting, stairs should slope gently following an ergonomic ratio of step height to step width, have practical banisters and generous half-way landings, and be well lit [Also reduce the spread of infections and invigorate your staff].

= Schedule maintenance regularly for the air-con. or heater, as well as ducts [Also reduces illness].

= Do not use "air curtains" to close off air-con. areas.

= Use timers to shut off (a) lighted advertising at a appropriate hour (b) electrical appliances after working hours, except by special arrangement. In an office, routine computer back-ups can be run during the lunch break.

= If you use a great deal of hot water, install a water waste heat recovery system.

= Reduce the use of vending machines for your staff that cannot be shut off.

c. Fossil fuel:

= Provide explicit incentives for staff to travel less, and to consume less energy and supplies.

d. Office paper:

= Use a combined dual-side unit to replace the printer, photo-copier and scanner, with default use of both sides of sheets and sleep mode. If the warranty is dependent using the manufacturers' toner, ask whether they accept spent cartridges for recycling. Replace fax with scanned attachments to e-mails.

= Track the overall usage of paper. Discourage the printing of transient correspondence. Restrict the use of colour printing [which increases waste]. Penalise the printing of large personal documents. To reduce re-prints, consider getting altered or new documents proof-read by someone other than the author.

= Encourage brevity. Reduce the number of pages of publicity material and of forms.

= Discourage the printing of extra copies of common documents. Where presentation slides must be printed, have them done 2-up or 4-up, or e-mail them to attendees who can select relevant pages.

= Recycle obsolete single-sided documents. Keep a pile of such paper available near the printer.

= For discarded paper, shred only the sensitive documents [Shredded paper is difficult to recycle].

= Buy recycled paper stock for use where feasible.

= At wash basins, opt for a hand dryer to replace the waste of toilet paper.

e. Other consumption:

= Negotiate to reduce the packaging of your supplies, and reduce the packaging of your products, where feasible.

= Negotiate with suppliers to recycle wholesale containers and pallets.

= Negotiate with suppliers, and provide incentives to customers, to recycle of retail containers. It is sounder for customers to bring their own containers.

= Opt for staff, suppliers and customers who are located closer, where feasible.

= When setting up new premises, specify energy-saving changes in the early stages. This includes automating the utilisation of sunlight.

= Keep abreast of relevant developments in your business.

9. CAUSES TO SUPPORT

a. Advocate these standards and facilities, including related inspections enforcement:

= At the planning stage of urban expansion [to reduce motor transport],

+ Medium density for buildings.

+ Adequate distribution of infrastructure such as public service buildings, fuel depots, etc.

+ Proper sidewalks and bicycle paths.

= Standards for the construction of buildings:

+ Energy efficiency.

+ Safety in relation to weather disasters including snow storms, cyclones, floods, sandstorms and earthquakes.

= Ratings (and incentives) for the energy efficiency of appliances and machines.

= Standards for the safety of

+ Microwave and other transmission towers.

+ Domestic chemicals like insecticides, cleaning fluids and cosmetics.

+ Agrochemicals and their contamination of waterways.

+ Food, including labels showing ingredients (e.g. GM food), additives and age.

= Evaluation of any new substance, technology, business practice, industry or type of project before it becomes entrenched.

b. Advocate these actions:

= Urgently preparing and building capacity to tackle disasters arising from weather or industry.

= Inspecting all civil works and commercial activity regularly for impact.

= Confining the usage of streetlights strictly to hours of darkness.

= Controlling irregularities in managing urban and suburban plants and trees [for the benefit of crony contractors]:

+ Planting of ornamental trees instead of shade, timber or fruit trees.

+ Unauthorised felling.

+ Frequent replanting.

+ Excessive trimming [which weakens trees].

= Conserving topsoil before construction or delayed replanting.

= Reducing the generation of methane from decomposition:

+ At dump sites, by keeping out food and vegetation, or at least by burning the gas if unutilised.

+ From the water-logging of additional land.

+ From wet rice cultivation, by promoting the dry rice variety.

= Limiting the destruction of hills, forests (logging) and wetlands.

= Recycling these:

+ Industrial waste (including integral containers by manufacturers or importers) including agricultural waste.

+ Domestic waste, separated at source. Used cooking oil is particularly prone to misuse.

= Providing waste dumps for:

+ Every licensed industry including marine shipping.

+ Hazardous consumer waste.

= Providing comprehensive public transport.

= Prioritising food crops over other agriculture.

= Penalising false commercial claims, advertising or labelling heavily, e.g. the failure to identify GM food as such.

= Stopping providing direct and indirect subsidies and tax cuts for large businesses, especially destructive ones.

= Reducing the frequency of changes to school texts.

= Decentralising government

= Providing better reporting of (a) achievements from government spending. End public construction that brings little or dubious benefit, e.g. (a) inaccessible buildings inside parks and water catchments or on hill slopes (b) poorly maintained public facilities.

= Providing better access to public records.

= Public officials filing details of their wealth annually.

= Elected public officials filing details of their election funds.

c. Advocate these initiatives:

= Barter trade.

= Improving access to books or their digital content.

= Organic, integrated farming. Notes: NGOs have demonstrated that even millenia-old practices like weeding and ploughing can be counter-productive. They have revived extremely arid and abandoned villages by managing rainwater or nurturing the first stretches of trees on a small scale.

= Local, small-scale business and industry including farming, as there is more social responsibility and less tax evasion. Farming can be urban or suburban.

= Local, small-scale, renewable energy that does not have to compete against subsidies to established sources, e.g.

+ Solar, wind and wave power.

+ Mini-hydro applied to streams, major drains or runoff from large roofs in places with heavy rainfall.

+ Methane from sewage, and discarded food.

+ Oil from non-food crops. This may include algae.

+ Wood gas and charcoal from waste wood and paper.

+ Vortex energy from hot air and hot waste gases, including factory chimneys.

+ Biomass. (a) Programmable bioreactors from Scalene Greenergy Corp. produce up to 98%-pure methane free of SO2 and (unlike natural gas) of butane, propane and pentane. They utilise vegetation (including the lignin and hemicellulose portion), sewage or other organic waste. In 1020 days, 1 tonne of biomass produces up to 200 kg of gas, besides high-grade fertiliser and pest repellent. The gas is suitable for cooking, diesel generators (which have been modified minimally) or motor vehicles (after compression). (b) "Torrefication" discovered at Leeds U in 2010 provides 75% of the energy of coal from wood (that need not be ground up) or grass cuttings.

= Public, online publishing of state or district matters, regardless of the popularity of each entry:

+ Suggestions, proposals.

+ Concerns, protests, complaints, delays.

+ General dissatisfaction with government policy including the judiciary.

d. Share information within the immediate community, e.g.

= Things to rent out, share, give away, borrow, or even buy or sell, e.g. tools, transport, bulk waste.

= Innovations, bargains, purchasing in bulk or barter trade.

= Goods and services produced within the community.

= Alerts, e.g. weather, fraud (sub-standard goods and services, false advertising and propaganda).

= The fundamentals of the environmental paradigm:

+ The essential nature of capital, factors that drive production, and fascist propaganda including the denial of climate change.

+ Factors that drive consumption, and the impact of personal awareness or ignorance, insecurities, credit, one's contribution to the behavioural norm.

+ The role of government as servant.

+ The global nature of climate change, as opposed to something for you and your kind to face or to ignore provincially.

+ Realistic expectations of our future.

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- version 12 dated 2012-02-15