AT HOME

If anyone can stop global warming, it's you. Don't be fooled by politics or pessimists. YOU have the power to FLICK OFF. And here's what you can FLICKing do about it.

Are you still reeling from the shocking fact that next to Australians, Canadians are pretty much the biggest energy gluttons on the planet? We're even worse than the States, per capita (per person). So start cleaning up the place where you can do the most good: home sweet home. Doesn't matter if it's your parents' place, a condo building or a frat house. These tips cover many bases.

FLICK OFF!
Avoid using electronics that constantly suck up energy while in ‘standby’ mode. Stop putting your computer to ‘sleep’ when you could just flick it off.

  
INSTALL COMPACT FLUORESCENT BULBS AROUND YOUR HOUSE
CFLs use 75% less electricity than incandescent light bulbs. Each incandescent light bulb you replace with a CFL will keep a half-tonne of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere over the course of the life of the bulb. Oh, and while they may seem expensive, CFLs are actually cost-effective considering they last up to 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs.

                       ^{http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/energystar/english/consumers/reference-card.cfm?text=N&printview=N}

INSTALL MOTION DETECTORS
On your porch lights, garage lights and in your backyard. Installing motion detectors on your lights will save you money while keeping you safe. Ask your condo or apartment building to install motion detectors on lights in common areas, laundry rooms, hallways, basements and everywhere you notice they are constantly left on. Timers are also a good solution in any home.


PLUG YOUR ELECTRONICS INTO A POWER BAR
Most electronics—including the TV and VCR—still draw power even when they are turned off. That's as much as 10% of a home’s total energy consumption! Plug your electronics into a power bar. That way you can FLICK OFF the power bar when you FLICK OFF your show.

FLICK OFF THE WATER TAP BETWEEN USES
This applies ALL the time: brushing your teeth, shaving, washing your hands or washing your dishes. You could even turn it off while you lather your hair! It just makes sense. Question your loved ones when you witness them committing these senseless acts of wastefulness!

CLEAN GREEN
Buy environmentally friendly cleaning products. Many cleaning products contain Butyl Cellosolve and methanol and are high in phosphates. What does this mean to you? Butyl Cellosolve enters the body through skin contact or inhalation of vapours, and can cause blood and bone marrow damage with high exposure. Dishwasher detergents, often high in phosphates, create algae blooms in bodies of water, and contain chlorine bleach, a lung and eye irritant. Glass cleaners, made with methanol, can cause blindness or death if accidentally ingested. Think your careful use of these products negates any danger? These products wind up in lakes, rivers and streams after you dump your wash bucket down the drain. Go with the friendly alternative: Non-toxic, ammonia-free, no fumes, hypoallergenic, and septic-safe glass cleaner. And it biodegrades  99% within 28 days! Visit Grassroots to buy environmentally friendly cleaning products and much more, on-line.

TAKE A SHOWER, NOT A BATH
Feeling dirty? A five-minute shower uses 40 litres of water while a bath requires about 75 litres of water to fill up the tub. A low-flow showerhead will save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide from escaping each year.

USE A PLUG-IN KETTLE. USE A MICROWAVE.
Stovetop kettles are not our cup of tea. Plug-in kettles use less energy. On that note, use a microwave to heat up food. It uses 75% less energy than stove ovens.




USE CLOTH DISHTOWELS AND CLOTH NAPKINS
Paper or cotton? Choose cloth dishtowels and napkins instead of paper towels. Save old rags for dusting and cleaning.

WASH CLOTHES IN COLD, RUN A FULL LOAD
Run dishwashers, dryers and washing machines only when you’ve got a full load. Wash clothes in cold water.  85-90% of energy used by the washing machine is used to heat the water. And when you're ready to dry, hang stuff up! If you MUST use the dryer, remember to clean the lint filter. A clogged lint filter can increase energy usage by 30%.¹

 

WASH YOUR CAR AT A CARWASH
Hate washing the car? Don’t do it! Take your car to a car washing service to spare the sewers the runoff and your arms the effort. Car washes conserve water and send dirty water through a filtering process for contaminants. The water is then sent to a sewage-treatment facility.

 
DITCH YOUR CAR - SHARE INSTEAD
It’s a major polluter. And you could do with the extra exercise from walking or riding a bike. Rideshares, carpooling and public transit are all other options for leaving your car behind.

By using a carshare program like Zipcar you can have a car whenever you need it but don't have to worry about the added expense of caring for your own set of wheels.  And what's even better? Over 40% of carshare members decide against purchasing a car, or end up selling their existing vehicle. They drive less: car usage of individuals is reduced by as much as 50%. And they use other transportation. Members use the most efficient means of transportation for the task — walking, biking, public transportation, taxi or Zipcar.

Flick Off supporters can join Zipcar for only $30/year.  To join, click here

PLANT A TREE
A seed, a sapling, whatever. Trees clean the air. It’s basic, really.

BUY LOCALLY
Buying local 'farmers market' fruits and veggies is better than purchasing imported food that’s been hauled halfway around the world. A 40-tonne transport truck releases 5,000 kg of greenhouse gas emissions on an average food shipment. That’s almost the same as what a single Canadian produces for an entire year. Visit Farmers Market Ontario or look online for a local listing of farmers markets in your area.

SKIP THE WARM-UP!
When car engines became electronically controlled, idling to “warm up the engine” became totally unnecessary.

NO MORE JUNK MAIL
Sick of junk mail? Have your name removed from mailing lists to cut down on the annoyance of junk mail and a huge waste of trees. Simply click on the “Do Not Contact Service” button at www.the-cma.org

SPEAK TO YOUR CONDO BOARD ABOUT  INSTALLING A GREEN ROOF.
A garden on your dirty, gross city rooftop? Green roofs are popping up in cities across North America as a healthy combatant to the urban heat island effect. They also look incredibly cool! Green walls are another option. Not only do they perform the same function, but they are also simpler and easier to install.  Address the issue with your condo board or speak to your university's student housing services. For more information check out Light House Sustainable Building Centre.

UPGRADE TO ENERGY-EFFICIENT APPLIANCES
Dump your pea green, CFC-ridden refrigerator from the 1970s and upgrade all your appliances (while you’re at it) to energy-efficient models. You don't even have to have a thirty-year-old fridge to use this tip. You'll find that refrigerator technology has come quite a long way in recent years! For tips on what to look for when purchasing a new fridge, visit the Clean Air Foundation's Chill Out guide.

                             ^{Source: Clean Air & Environment Guide, Spring 2007.}

UPGRADE TO ENERGY-EFFICIENT AIR CONDITIONERS
Winter is almost over, so let's talk summer. According to the Clean Air Foundation, older room air conditioners use 30-70% more energy than newer, efficient ENERGY STAR® models. Using an ENERGY STAR® qualified window air conditioner could cut your cooling expenses in half! Sounds like a cool idea.

 
GET RID OF YOUR OLD, ENERGY SUCKING WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER
Keep Cool, a program of the Clean Air Foundation, encourages individuals to permanently retire and recycle their old, inefficient room air conditioners and to adopt cleaner more efficient cooling alternatives.  Bring in your old room air conditioner to selected retail locations and receive an in-store gift card.  Check out www.keepcool.ca for more information.

SWITCH YOUR HOME/CONDO TO RENEWABLE, CLEAN ENERGY
Sure, it costs a few bucks more, but if you lay off your double-mocha-non-fat-extra-large latte just once a week, you won’t even notice the difference. In Ontario, renewable energy can be purchased from Bullfrog Power. In Alberta, you can choose between TransAlta Wind or Bullfrong Power to fulfill your renewable needs. In British Columbia, Green Power Certificates can be purchased from BC Hydro. In Prince Edward Island, check out the Maritime Electric Green Power intiative. In Saskatoon, green power can be purchased through SaskPower's Green Power initiative. If your province is not listed above, you can purchase Certified Renewable Energy Certificates from Canadian Hydro Developers Inc., The Pembina Institute or ENMAX Green Power Inc.

 

 

GET RID OF YOUR OLD, HIGH POLLUTING GAS LAWNMOWER
Mow Down Pollution, a program of the Clean Air Foundation, encourages individuals to permanently retire and recycle their old, gas powered lawn mowers and to adopt cleaner, more efficient alternatives. Bring in your old lawn mower to any Home Depot location across the country during select times and receive instant rebates off greener mowing alternatives. Check out www.mowdownpollution.ca for more information.

DON'T IDLE
Have your tires properly inflated. Drive smoothly (and in the right gear) and avoid hard braking. Speed freaks beware: the faster you go, the more gas you burn.

 

GET RID OF YOUR RUSTY OLD CAR!
We agree, it sounds a little harsh, but keeping your old car on the road (or in your driveway) isn't helping anyone. Older vehicles lack the latest vehicle technology for cutting air pollution and reducing emissions including CO₂. If your vehicle is a 1995 model or older and still on the road, you may be eligible to receive $1,000 towards the purchase of a new GM vehicle through the Clean Air Foundation's Car Heaven program. Visit Car Heaven for details.

GET A HYBRID CAR
Or at least a fuel-efficient car. Do you really need a Hummer to drop your kids off at school?

 
 

 

RECYCLE!
It’s that easy. You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling half of your household waste. Pressure your city councillor about REAL apartment recycling. Speak to your landlord about making the recycling bins more accessible for those living on top floors.

 

GET RID OF YOUR OLD, INEFFICIENT MERCURY THERMOSTAT
Switch the ‘Stat, a program of the Clean Air Foundation, encourages individuals to switch to newer and more energy efficient programmable thermostats.  The program also helps responsibly dispose of the older mercury containing thermostats to prevent mercury releases to the environment.  Incentives are available through heating and cooling contractors across Ontario.  Check out www.switchthestat.ca for more information.

 

BUY BULK FOODS, NOT BULK PRODUCTS
Often products sold in bulk have excess packaging. Cut down on packaging and materials that can't be recycled by buying food, spices and cleaning supplies in bulk. You might find that in most cases it's less expensive. In other words, shop at Bulk Barn not COST-LESS-TO-BUY-A-LOT-OF-STUFF-AT-ONE-TIME-CO or WAL-WE-DESTROY-SMALL-TOWNS-MART.

 

DON'T START A FIRE
It's a shame, we know. We loved the ambience too. Until we found out that an old-fashioned fireplace has as little as 10% efficiency. Efficiency measures how much of the energy contained in the logs is transferred as warmth to the room. When a fireplace is in use, it sends large quantities of pollution directly into the air (not to mention your home), and when the fireplace is not in use, it's damaging your home's energy efficiency by allowing cold air to seep in. Can't give it up? Look for products like Java-Log which utilizes a renewable, natural vegetable wax, emits 10% less carbon monoxide than firewood and diverts 42 million kg/year of coffee waste from landfills each year. They don't call it Java-Log for nothing!

 

LET THE GRASS BE GREEN.
This is a 'duh!' fact. Don't use a bunch of junk on your lawn just so it can look healthy. Fungicides, pesticides and herbicides kill living things. Don't you see the irony?! Pesticides and fertilizers are also responsible for 10% of common water pollution. Around 70 million pesticides are applied to home lawns and gardens annually. That's gross.²

 

THEY DON'T CALL THEM ICE BOXES ANYMORE
Freezers are to be set at -17 to -15 degrees Celsius. Fridges are recommended to be set at 3 to 5 degrees.

 
 

DOWNSPOUT WHAT?
An awful lot of rainwater is wasted away when it trickles down the sewer. Have the downspout on your house disconnected. Redirect the rainwater into a rain barrel. Now you've got nature's finest all saved up for watering your lawn.



HAVE A BETTER IDEA? Click on "add new comment" below and let us know what you are FLICKing OFF in your home.

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^{1 Source:http://www.energy.gov.on.ca/english/pdf/conservation/Conservation%20Tips%20Brochure.pdf
2 Source: Deacon, Gill. Green Tips: How to Save Money and the Planet. Toronto: Green Living Enterprises. 111.}