How to Make a Big Impact: Energy

A constant theme has been growing in the green movement for years now, and as of late, has picked up some speed. Going green can be expensive. Though there are many aspects to eco-minded living that actually save money, there can be aspects of it that take you to the bank. Since being smart with your money is as important now as ever, how can a person be sure they are getting the biggest bang (or smallest foot-print) for their buck?

EVO's Total Environmental Impact Chart gives consumers a quick look at what actions have bigger impacts than others. Photo: Evo.com

This question got us thinking, and we decided to approach the subject from a new angle. Since we know the level in which most people get involved with environmental causes has a lot to do with what they are limited by, we decided to take from a ‘one-shot’ type of approach.

So, the idea is this – if you only invested in one green initiative this year, what should it be? What actions make the biggest impact? Now don’t get us wrong, there are tons of small ways to make an impact, especially ones that add up over time. This is more for the big items on your list, the once-in-a-while choices that require more money and time than others.

As the Total Environmental Impact chart by Evo.com shows us, the larger items in our life have the largest impact. Though adding up items like clothing and lifestyle show that they play a major role, the big players are a great place to invest some cash. From the type of car you drive to the amount of energy you use, environmental conscious improvements in these areas can do a lot.

To get started, we need to take into account the four major areas of consumer impact on the planet:

• Energy
• Air Quality
• Water Quality
• Land Devastation

Since these topics span a wide variety of conversations, we broke this series up into installments. The first one we are going to tackle is a major player in our daily lives, energy. Though energy is one of the easier things to tackle, there are some major purchases that can be made in the name of energy reduction.

Get Plugged In

Normal energy use for the average consumer comes in a few forms. These include:

• Coal
• Electric Power
• Fossil Fuels
• Natural Gas
• Nuclear
• Oil

These more common forms of energy give us the ability to run our cars and power our homes. However, energy use is not without its consequences. The harvesting, production and use of these energy sources leads to byproducts and in some cases, greenhouse gases.

The cool thing about energy savings, alternative energy options and CO2 reduction, is that technology and awareness can help make some big changes, fast. For instance, take the CFL.

When properly disposed, a CFL is a perfect environmental choice that may cost more up front but pays off in the end. This video from National Geographic gives some startling information about the impact this tiny bulb can have (hint: it has the potential to be as powerful as the removal of a million cars).

The Bigger Picture

In the end, most energy concerns come from the idea that greenhouse gases contribute to climate change, causing many to believe they have the largest environmental impact of all. While some greenhouse gases naturally occur in the environment, these include water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), it is the human connection to these gases that are raising concern.

According to the U.S. EPA, “Although the direct greenhouse gases CO2, CH4 and N2O occur naturally in the atmosphere, human activities have changed their atmospheric concentrations. From the pre-industrial era (i.e., ending about 1750) to 2005, concentrations of these greenhouse gases have increased globally by 36, 148, and 18 percent, respectively.”

Ways to reduce greenhouse gases range from what we drive to what we eat. The EPA releases a U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory each year to report on what the U.S. trends are in relation to emission and removals. This report is a great way to gauge what industries are having the biggest impact, and in turn affect your future purchase decisions, such as:

• What kind of car to buy
• What type of energy to utilize – solar, wind, coal, etc…
• What type of diet to adopt
• What appliances and consumer goods to invest in

To take a more exact approach, check out what the The Union of Concerned Scientist reported as the most harmful consumer activities and/or purchases as it relates to CO2:

1. Cars and light trucks – account for 27 percent of CO2
2. Home Heating & Cooling – account for 16 percent of CO2
3. Electricity – accounts for 15 percent of CO2

Ready? Dive In!

If you think energy is the area of savings you want to invest in, check out the Tax Incentives Assistance Project (TIAP). This organization is an alliance of nonprofit groups, government agencies and those in the energy efficiency field. The organization is “designed to give consumers and businesses information they need to make use of the federal income tax incentives for energy efficient products and technologies passed by Congress as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and subsequently amended several times.”

With help from tax breaks and incentives, some of these major projects might leave a little left in your piggy jar…maybe enough to start saving for next year’s great, green purchase.