Via Russel Coker.

A. Copy the list below to your own journal and

Bold the actions you are already taking
Underline the actions you plan to start taking
Italicize the actions that don’t apply to you

B. Add one (or more) suggested action(s) of your own

C. Leave a comment here, so that she can track the meme to your journal, and copy your suggested action(s) back to my master list.

  1. Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs - my room has a 12 W bulb. How much watts do you need for lighting?
  2. Choose energy efficient appliances
  3. Wash clothes in cold(er) water
  4. Turn the thermostat of your hot water tank down to 50°C (125 °F)
  5. Install a programmable thermostat (or turn the heat down over night and when you’re out of the house) - it is often sufficient to have the heater go on at like 7 at night and 5 in the morning for an hour each
  6. Register with the [Canadian Marketing Association’s] Do Not Contact Service to reduce the amount of junk mail delivered to your house. - Substitute MPS.
  7. Eat less meat (particularly feedlot beef) - it’s a lot healthier anyway. I enjoy the occasional steak, but you actually enjoy any taste more if you have more variance
  8. Walk, bike, carpool or take public transit as often as possible - I don’t have a car. If I need to transport something big, I borrow one. I do my regular shopping via bicycle or public transit, which saves me looking for a parking space etc. anyway. Also note that when using public transit, you can work a bit, read a book, enjoy some music, … and you arrive less stressed out than when driving a car.
  9. Make sure you know what can be recycled in your area, and try to recycle as much household waste as possible
  10. Compost using an outdoor compost bin or an indoor vermicomposter - at my parents
  11. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
  12. Buy local, organic or fair trade food where possible - tastes much better anyway
  13. Reduce air travel - pity that long-distance trains suck in Australia
  14. Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
  15. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible - don’t own a clothes dryer, hanging up clothes inside near a heater works on cold days - you often can do without ironing, too, by hanging them on a clothes hanger for drying they’ll often be reasonably straight. My washing mashine has a program helping at that, too. It uses 40 C and takes just about .8 kWh and is called “easy iron”.
  16. Plant a tree - pity my trees are dying because of the drought / climate change
  17. Buy fresh foods instead of frozen - especially with meat I do really notice a better taste
  18. Keep your car tuned up and your tires inflated to their optimal pressure - I don’t have or need a car
  19. Use biodegradable dishwashing liquid, laundry soap powder, etc. - causes less allergies
  20. Drink tap water (filtered if necessary) rather than buying bottled water - our tap water here in Munich is better than bottled water anyway, and it saves you from carrying it, too.
  21. Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth
  22. Unplug seldom-used appliances and chargers for phones, cameras, etc., when you’re not using them - consider to use a master switch for them
  23. Plug air leeks and drafts around doors and windows with weatherstripping
  24. Switch from disposable to reusable products: food and beverage containers, cups, plates, writing pens, razors, diapers, towels, shopping bags, etc. - especially shopping bags and beverage containers is easy
  25. Consider garage sales, Freecycle, eBay, or borrowing from friends/family before buying a new tool or appliance - saves energy and money
  26. Reuse bathwater, maybe to flush the loo, water the garden, etc.
  27. Make sure your roof is well-insulated.
  28. Always wear a jumper/sweater and socks indoors unless it’s warm enough outdoors to go without both. - and turn down the heater a bit, it saves a lot of energy and money. Sweater and socks are quite comfortable…
  29. Run your vehicle on biofuel/sustainable fuels
  30. Set up a grey water barrel to use when clean water isn’t necessary
  31. Put grey water on your garden immediately without storing it.
  32. Install tanks to collect rain-water from your roof for watering the garden, washing your car, etc. (at my parents; we also installed an overflow valve which will automatically redirect overflow water to plants that can always use more water)
  33. Don’t keep windows open when your heater is on - especially don’t keep them half-open. If you want better air, turn off the heater and open the windows for a few minutes completely. This will quickly refersh the air in the room. Then close the window and turn the heater on again.
  34. Turn off light that you don’t need
  35. Stop your engine when waiting more than 10 seconds - for example at train crossings; maybe doesn’t apply to Diesel as much because it relies on a operating temperatrue, but I doubt it cools down that quickly
  36. Install a solar panel on your roof for water heating - especially in summer or in sunny regions, this will allow you to completely turn off the heater during summer or even most of the year. A solar water heater will easily heat your water to 60 C (on hot days we reach 70 or 80 C), while even keeping your house a bit cooler). It can be installed yourself. At the same time, maybe add insulation to your pipes. If you minimize temperature loss over night, you’ll even have warm water left in the morning.
  37. Use air circulation for cooling - much cooling can be achieved by having a good air flow, wearing appropriate clothing and avoiding heavy work during the hot hours. Consider doing a siesta and work in the morning and evening
  38. Ask your bank for an online-only account - some banks even offer lower fees if you don’t use paper-based banking
  39. Try to make more use of daylight - that’s like free light, you know.
  40. Walk and run more - it’s healthy, saves you fitness club costs and it saves some energy if you are not using the lift. Walk to the supermarket or fitness club!
  41. Use your local recreational facilities - there are probably nice parks nearby where you can go running, maybe some place to go climbing nearby, some pool, …; this can be an interesting alternative to watching a movie, too
  42. Use the refridgerator smartly - don’t leave it open when not necessary, and keep the temperature only as low as you need it. Bring all your shopping into the house, sort it, and then open the refridgerator and put it all in in one go, for example.
  43. Learn how to cook energy efficient - for example, if you plan ahead you can put frozen foods into the refridgerator to defrost at virtually no power cost. It’s also better for the food. Use lids when boiling water; you can also use it often for cooking if you turn down the heat. For rice, I usually put on the lid, and when the water is boiling I can turn the heat off again. With the lid on, the rice will end up cooked just fine. Also pick an appropriate applicance. A real water cooker will be more power efficient for making your tea than putting a small pot on a large flame.