Today 9 households around the world start their energy diet.
Mine is not one of the 9 being featured in National Geographics 360º Energy Diet, but Ive signed up.
Here are the points one can earn in each of six categories (Goods, Food, Transport, Home, Water, and Waste). Ive colored the ones Im already doing green, the ones Im not yet doing red.
1) GOODS
15 points each
Tally your water, electric, & gas use and calculate how you could cut CO2 Switch to organic for three produce items you regularly buy Switch to natural/eco-friendly cleaning methods for three tasks Switch from an imported non-produce item to a version produced locally
Swap disposables that you regularly buy for reusables (e.g., cleaning wipes) Repair or extend use of clothing items rather than buying new ones Use old printer paper/magazines/retail shopping bags, etc. for wrapping paper Rent or borrow an item that you rarely use, such as a drill or steam cleaner
Eat a vegetarian diet one day a week Eat at home or brown-bag it at least once per week Limit daily intake of beef to 8 ounces per person Only consume seafood that has been sustainably raised and fished
Start a food-based garden (hurray for aquaponics) Go vegan or raw one day per week Buy grass-fed beef instead of conventional Give up one processed food that you normally eat
Drive no faster than the speed limit, and avoid rapid acceleration/braking Remove extra weight from your car and inflate tires to the proper pressure Use public transportation instead of your car at least once a week Reduce planned air travel by one trip
Buy carbon offsets for your travel Carpool or find a ride-sharing program Switch to a more fuel-efficient car
Turn heat/AC off when gone & change the thermostat by 3 ºF to reduce fuel use Set frig to 37 ºF, freezer to 0 ºF, water heater to 120 ºF and washer to cold Replace at least one third of your light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs Disconnect TV, stereo, and computers and other electric devices when not in use
If you have a second old refrigerator in your house, get rid of it If your refrigerator is > 10 years old, get a new one with a top-mounted freezer Insulate your water heater Replace appliances with EnergyStar appliances Hang clothes up to dry instead of using the dryer Seal all windows and doors in your home with caulk or weather-stripping
Give up bottled water for filtered tap water Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth or scrubbing dishes Shortening your shower by one minute or more. If you bathe, switch to showers Replace shower head or tap with a low-flow model
Use xeriscaping for your yard and avoid thirsty plant types Install a rain barrel to collect water for garden, lawn and plants
Recycle all glass, aluminum, plastic, paper, batteries, and CF lightbulbs Eliminate junk mail by taking yourself off their mailing lists Change to paperless billing for bank account, credit card and bills Eliminate the use of plastic and paper bags, both when shopping and at home
Begin composting at home Using biodegradable bags for walking the dog if the family has one Recycle old athletic shoes and clothes Recycle or donate old computers, cell phones and other electronics
I went through my compiled data for the water readings just after I put that last blog out and realised that Garth had given it a dressing of lime. So there are now two factors that could be responsible for the amonia starting to kick on again. By the way it is still moving the nitrites so the plants are eating again, thats nice to know hey...
Just last week in the lowlands of Scotland
, within the town of Moffat an old fire station has been converted into an aquaponics farm.
Element14 and Adafruit just launched a global design challenge to turn a hat into a wearable item that is interesting and useful using the Adafruit GEMMA and an accessory pack from Adafruit."
"Participants will re-imagine the hat into new wearable technology solutions that provide real-world functionality using the Adafruit GEMMA...The Adafruit GEMMA is a tiny Arduino-compatible sewable microcontroller...Competitors will be encouraged to develop hat-like garments that provide functionality beyond shielding the wearer from sun or rain...The recruitment period, which starts today, will conclude August 4. A total of 10 competitors will be selected to build their designs and blog at the element14 design community, addressing their ideas and key challenges throughout the process. The competition will conclude October 31, 2014. Competitors will be judged on their creativity, quality of documentation and the execution of their project. The grand prize winner will receive an Oculus Rift from element14 and one complete FLORA Collection parts pack from Adafruit."
