Act Now!

Climate change and you. What you can do now! From the Montana Department of Environmental Quality:

10 Initial Steps to Save Energy

1. Take inventory of energy use in the home. Most utilities offer methods to calculate energy usage in the home. Northwestern Energy offers a calculator that can be used by any homeowner. Also, try the carbon footprint calculators.
2. Order an energy audit. Most utilities offer energy audits for residential customers. Visit the following sites for more information, and don’t forget to follow the recommendations:
   * Northwestern Energy
   * Montana Dakota Utilities
   * Flathead Electric
   * Bonneville Power Administration
3. Change out light bulbs at every opportunity with energy efficient bulbs, such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light emitting diode (LED) units as appropriate. These types of lights use one-third to one-half the energy of conventional bulbs.
4. Install programmable set-back thermostats to better govern space heating use. Space heating is the biggest energy user for most homes. Set-back thermostats are programmed to not call for heat while the occupants are sleeping or are away at work or school.
5. Weather-seal doors and operable windows, and look for places to caulk and seal around window and door frames. These are avenues of direct energy loss. Caulking and sealing has the earliest return and improves comfort.
6. Take a good look at windows and plan for energy saving replacements as necessary. Energy Star ratings for windows (PDF 932 KB) are available. A south-facing double-paned window is a net heat gainer at our latitude in most areas of Montana. Windows facing other aspects lose heat, however. Consider operable window treatments that conserve heat loss at night.
7. Take a close look at the hot water heater. Whether electric, natural gas, or propane, the water heater uses energy. Many units can be insulated to boost efficiency. Energy Star ratings are not currently available for new water heater units. But read labels carefully and select an appropriate size. Low-flow shower heads are an easy way to conserve.
8. Think about a new refrigerator. Refrigerators are a great energy saving success story. New Energy Star rated units are surprisingly affordable and use way less energy than models more than 10 years old. The same goes for freezers. Got an old refrigerator in the garage? Recycle it. The energy it uses far outweighs any convenience.
9. Drive less. Drive slower. Keep the car timed, tuned, and the tire pressure up. Think long and hard before purchasing a replacement automobile. A high-mileage conventional car is often the best solution.
10. Watch out for those winter-time extras. Headbolt-style engine heaters for cars can really burn the juice. Put them on a simple timer. An hour-and-a-half is usually plenty for most engines. Stock tank heaters can run up energy use as well. If possible, earth berm the tank or insulate it, including a partial lid. You may be able to use a smaller heater on a timer. Outdoor hot tubs, too, use plenty of energy, especially during winter use. The integrity and amount of insulation is important as is the stand-by temperature.

Climate Change Action Tips

US EPA Climate Change Website - What You Can Do
This site provides over 25 easy steps you can take to not only reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, but also reduce air pollution, increase the nation's energy independence and save money.

Ten Ways to Reduce Your Energy Use
From the Montana Environmental Information Center
Ten ways — tailored to residents of Montana — that we can reduce our “global warming footprint” while also reducing our energy bills.

5 Ways You Can Fight Global Warming
Practical steps to reduce your carbon footprint as an individual or as a business from the Sierra Club.

Treehugger's How to Go Green Guides
TreeHugger breaks it down for you in a series of in depth how-to articles that will help you green your life.

Climate Change Action Articles

Why Bother?
By Michael Pollen, New York Times, Published April 20, 2008

Why bother? That really is the big question facing us as individuals hoping to do something about climate change, and it’s not an easy one to answer.