Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Other Environmental Costs by
Offering Financial Incentives that Reward Less Driving, Flying and Home
Energy Use
By
Michael T. Neuman
November 1, 2000

“For all practical purposes, there is today only one world suitable for
man. Measured by nature’s standards rather than by those of historical
man, it is at present a delicately balanced, highly perishable world that
has evolved over long geologic epochs of environmental change. And man,
acting as if he owned this world, or at least had come into leasehold
possession of it, has played his role as lessee very indifferently…”
(Lyton Caldwell, 1971)

Entire text of Conserve, NOW! (CN) on pdf & below.

Best to view tables in Appendix A of CN on pdf, at:
http://danenet.danenet.org/bcp/neuman_gw.pdf

Text of CN also given below, beginning with "Summary".

Summary

This paper provides the framework for offering temporary positive
voluntary financial incentives for reducing automobile driving, airplane
travel, and annual home energy use. While the paper is mostly focused on
reducing energy use in the State of Wisconsin, the methodology could be
applied nationally, or even worldwide.

In general, the main source of funding for the financial incentives would
be the savings in user fee revenue generated by not having to build the
additional highway, airport and energy plant capacity expansion projects.
The federal transportation fund, the aviation trust fund and public and
private energy utility accounts would fund the program.

After significant reductions in public motorized travel and home energy
use occur, “transportation fees”, as defined in this paper, could be
charged on commercial and industrial goods shipped long distances (by
truck, air or plane - thus burning up considerable fossil fuels), and the
revenue generated from that source could also be used to fund the
program, if necessary.

Finally, and ideally, it would be good, and right, if all investments in
military preparedness, throughout the world, could be phased out, and
eventually eliminated. This “phase out”, should begin no later than the
end of 2001. Complete abandonment of national militaries should be
scheduled for January 1, 2005.

The money generated by the phase out of military operations throughout
the world should be used to fund the Conserve, NOW! Program; thus
providing ample world financial resources to eliminate all world hunger,
world poverty, disease and ignorance (due to limited family funds for
education), for all the world’s citizens, and the world society as a
complete whole.

Offering world citizens and families “financial incentives” for low
annual driving miles traveled on highways, whether they choose to drive
at all or not, and for low (or no) annual flying miles traveled, and for
using less than typical therms of energy in their households, as defined
in this paper, would greatly reduce worldwide greenhouse gas emissions to
the atmosphere, by at least 25%, on a yearly basis.

Bringing into fruition a worldwide environmental mitigation strategy,
such as the strategy outlined in the text below, would help humankind
deal not just with one problem, but with many problems. The problems are
interrelated, to some degree, but not so much by the commonality of the
trouble they cause; but more importantly by the commonality of the
solution needed to abate them. Rather, than deal with each particular
problem and issue by itself, the Conserve, NOW! proposal would bring
forth a multifaceted, but uniform, attack on the many interrelated
problems that have grown and grown over time in the world, and now
threaten to annihilate the world, in its entirety.

Rapid Global Heating

Global warming of the Earth is now a certainty. Earth’s temperatures are
rising, faster and faster each year. The reason is too much fossil fuel
burning by a growing and ever more energy-dependent human population.

Burning fossil fuels for energy releases greenhouse gases (carbon
dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, others) to the air, which contributes to
the growing stockpiling of those gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. The
increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
ultimately increase the ability of the Earth’s atmosphere to capture and
hold the Sun’s heat. And since many of the greenhouse gases remain in
the atmosphere for centuries, their concentrations continue to increase
as more and more fossil fuels are burned on Earth, resulting in a
stronger and stronger “greenhouse effect” in the Earth’s atmosphere, over
time.

Each gallon of gasoline (or diesel fuel) combusted either in cars,
trucks, boats, planes, recreational vehicles, equipment, etc., adds 22
additional pounds of carbon dioxide to the Earth’s atmosphere’s stockpile
of greenhouse gases, where it will remain upwards of 120 years (Worrest,
2000).

Each ton of coal combusted in power plants or other furnaces adds 7,320
pounds of carbon dioxide to the Earth’s stockpile of atmospheric
greenhouse gases, where it also will remain upwards of 120 years.

Each therm of natural gas combusted in furnaces or appliances adds 11
pounds of carbon dioxide to the Earth’s stockpile of greenhouse gases,
where it, too, will remain upwards of 120 years.

Scientists now say global warming has actually been in progress for
several decades already, but that various measurement complexities have
prevented them from actually proving it. The rate of global warming has
accelerated since the mid-1950s when it was first predicted. The
continuously growing stockpile of greenhouse gases being added to the
Earth’s atmosphere is making Earth’s atmosphere much more effective in
“trapping” the Sun’s energy.

And scientists now say the rate at which Earth’s atmosphere is heating up
is reason for worldwide concern; they are sounding the alarm for urgent,
major action to slow global warming down, because the ultimate effect of
continued global warming could conceivably be catastrophic to all Earth’s
life forms.

There is only one widely known and currently available method for slowing
global warming down, immediately. That method is energy conservation.
Energy conservation methods might include driving less; flying less,
buying more energy efficient (and smaller) homes, automobiles and
appliances; buying locally produced goods whenever, and wherever,
possible; and greatly reducing (or eliminating) participation in
recreational sports or activities that burn fossil fuels for energy.

Many energy conservation methods were employed by the public, with
considerable success, in the-mid 1970’s and early 1980’s, in response to
the “energy crisis” and relatively high fuel prices. Energy conservation
was also successful during time of World War II, when conservation of
fuel was necessary for the war effort. Energy conservation was
successful then, and it can be successful now, to reduce the threat of
continued global warming.

Energy conservation is the only realistic and economically feasible
option for conserving energy in the next several years. The risk of
humans failing to successfully slow global warming today far exceeds any
imaginable or real economic or convenience losses that might have to be
borne in the short term by today’s populous.

In time, alternative technologies are likely to be developed and
available that will allow humans to use energy, without emitting
dangerous levels of greenhouse gases to the Earth’s atmosphere. But that
time has not yet arrived. Consequently, conservation of energy must
begin immediately.

The effects of continuing to release substantial quantities of greenhouse
gases to the atmosphere, by burning fossil fuels or consuming electricity
produced through fossil fuel burning, are cumulative and irreversible.
“Reducing emissions is the most important action we can take now to
minimize damage to people, ecosystems, and economies” (Bloomfield, 2000).


Increases in Automobile Driving in Wisconsin and U.S.

The population of the State of Wisconsin increased from 4.4 million in
1970 to 5.2 million in 1998, an 18% increase (Wisconsin Legislative
Reference Bureau, 1999). The number of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on
Wisconsin highways increased from 21.9 billion VMT in 1970 to 50.4
billion VMT 1998, a 132% increase. (Wisconsin Department of
Transportation (DOT), 1999) (Appendix A: Table 1).

The average family of 4 in Wisconsin traveled 19,880 miles in 1970. In
1998, they traveled 39,000 total miles, a 96% increase.

The per capita vehicle mileage that Wisconsin residents traveled in 1980
(including children and adults choosing not to drive) was 6,358 miles per
capita. By 1998, this had increased to 9,680 miles per capita (excluding
heavy trucks). Result: the average Wisconsin resident traveled 52
percent more miles in a vehicle in 1998 than the average Wisconsin
resident traveled by auto in 1980.

The total highway vehicle passenger miles traveled in the U.S., excluding
miles counted for heavy truck and bus travel, is estimated to be 3.8
trillion miles per year. The total VMT in the U.S. is estimated to be
2.36 trillion miles per year. (U.S. Department of Transportation (1997).


Costs of Providing for Increased Automobile Driving in Wisconsin and the
U.S.

In 1999, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation proposed a plan to
provide for the projected motor vehicle driving needs in Wisconsin
through 2020 called Wisconsin State Highway Plan 2020 (WisDOT, 1999).
The plan recommends $20 billion be spent on new state highway
construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation and maintenance through
2020. The plan proposes approximately one third of the $20 billion ($7.3
billion) be used for new highway capacity expansion projects, for the
purpose of accommodating increased driving by Wisconsin residents.

The cost of the plan is to be paid by users of the state and local
highway system through fuel taxes and annual vehicle license fees.

The $7.3 billion is the monetary cost of building the new highway
capacity expansion projects. It does not cover the cost of maintaining
those new highways, nor does it cover the non-monetary “environmental
cost” of building the new highways. The environmental cost of new
highway development can be substantial.

New highway building generally creates a direct environmental cost as
highway corridors often must be built through farmland, wildlife habitat,
wetlands and other valuable natural and productive landscape. Indirect
costs from improving travel on the highway are many and diffuse. They
include: more air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (from increased
auto emissions); more vehicle travel noise, roadkills and possibly more
human injuries and fatalities (because of increasing traffic levels),
and, of course, more urban sprawl development.

Urban sprawl development is really nothing more than misplaced urban
development. It is facilitated by improved highways because the added
auto accessibility the improved highways provide makes longer auto
commutes simpler, safer, and, of course, quicker.

Improved highways make it easier and safer for people to live outside of
cities, yet retain reasonable access to the amenities and the services
that cities traditionally provide (jobs, entertainment, shopping, etc.).
In essence, improved highways enable commuters to take advantage of the
city’s benefits, regardless of whether they reside or pay property taxes
in the city, and irrespective of the environmental costs their automobile
driving has on others in the afflicted communities along the way, or the
Earth’s environment in general.

The quantity of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere by automobiles
traveling in Wisconsin was 17.6 million tons in 1970 (Table 2). In
1998, it was 26.0 million tons, an increase of 47%. For the foreseeable
future, it will continue to increase with increasing levels of traffic.


The increased use and expansion of Wisconsin’s highway system through
2020, as approved by the Wisconsin DOT, will increase the quantity of
greenhouse gas emitted to the atmosphere even more, since it removes
impediments to driving more miles on the highway system. This method of
addressing travel “needs” (building in more highway capacity) has
traditionally been the most popular approach to dealing with increasing
traffic problems in the United States (and elsewhere). But it clearly
has come at considerable economic, social and environmental cost.

In contrast, providing incentives to bring about reductions in automobile
travel would reduce traffic levels (estimated by up to 25%), negating the
need to build more highway infrastructure, and reducing the environmental
and social costs of continuously increasing automobile and SUV driving
throughout the state.

Financial Incentives for Reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled in Wisconsin

Rather than spend $7.3 billion on highway capacity expansion over the
next 20 years, the State of Wisconsin could establish a program that
provides financial incentives to Wisconsin households who voluntarily
limit their motor vehicle travel in a year. The source of funding for
the financial incentives program would be the portion of the gas taxes
and annual vehicle license fees that would have otherwise been paid for
the $7.3 billion worth of new highways. Since the projected number of
vehicles operating on the highway system will have been reduced by less
driving, the need for building more capacity into the highway system will
have been effectively eliminated, making it possible to return those
funds to the public.

Following is an example of how the VMT reduction plan would work:
A family of four with two drivers voluntarily enrolls in the program by
driving its car(s) into the local Department of Motor Vehicles office,
paying $30 in administrative fees, and getting the mileage on their
vehicle’s odometer(s) officially recorded. Alternatively, DOT offices
could be staffed with employees or volunteers who would travel to
neighborhoods to officially record the participating households’
vehicle(s) odometer mileage. [Technology also is now available, patented
through the auto insurance industry, that enables vehicle mileage of many
vehicles to be monitored, and recorded, from a central location. This
would eliminate the need for manual checking of vehicle odometers.]

After a year goes by, (based on participant’s day of choice), the
participant(s) would receive a $400 check if the participant’s
odometer(s) showed less than 13,500 miles for the preceding year (Table
3). If the family participant managed to lower the household vehicle
mileage traveled to 9,000 miles over the year, they would earn $1,200.

The fewer miles the family drives in a year, the more money it could earn
as a reward for “driving less” for that year. Households not owning or
driving personally registered cars would be eligible to receive a maximum
of $2,800 for that year, as a payment, (or reward), for not contributing
to the financial, social, or environmental costs of automobile driving
borne by everybody.

Methodology for Calculating Financial Incentives for Reducing Total VMT

The methodology used for computing the financial incentives for low
annual VMT is as follows:

Total Household Mileage Threshold/Year

= x + Dx + Px

Where x = 1,000 (1…6) household vehicle(s) miles;
D = Number of Additional Drivers (.75)
P = Number of Persons in Household (.25)
A 25% reduction in vehicular travel is postulated with full
implementation of the plan, at a cost of $810 million a year. Using an
average reward of $400 for each Wisconsin household each year: $400 X
2,026,000 HH (Wisconsin Bureau of Energy, 1999) = $810,400,000.

After 10 years of awarding the financial incentives, the program could be
ended, since the behavioral change resulting in reduced driving will have
become permanent, eliminating the need to continue offering the
incentives. If their was a need to continue the program after 10 years,
to maintain the financial incentives program for reduced driving, a
supplemental tax on the price of gasoline could be levied to continue
with the funding on the program.

By offering financial incentives to households who record low annual
motor vehicle miles traveled in a year, this transportation alternative
would encourage people to make more informed choices about where to live
relative to where they need to travel. When they do need to travel, the
financial incentives would encourage them to choose more environmentally
friendly means of travel (bicycling, walking, taking a bus, carpooling),
over driving environmentally harmful and greenhouse gas emitting
automobiles. Table 4 lists other ways to reduce vehicular travel on
public highways. Table 5 provides the corresponding modal energy
efficiencies relative to automobile transportation.

Increases in Air Travel

At an international aviation conference held recently in Chicago, United
Airlines chief James Goodwin was reported (Associated Press, 1999) as
saying the projected increases in air traffic in the U.S. are
“frightening”, and that “the skies are crowded and getting more so every
day”. According to the report, Goodwin warned, “the global skies are
teeming with so many planes that the entire airline industry is near
crisis”.

The U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ data shows U.S.
enplanements on scheduled domestic flights increased from 297 million
emplanements, in 1980, to 634 million in 1999 (a 114 percent increase).
The U.S. Census Bureau reports the U.S. population increased 21 percent
from 1980-1999, from 226 million to 274 million; therefore, the effective
airline emplanement increase, exclusive of population increases from 1980
to 1999, was 93%. This means the average U.S. citizen today flies twice
as many times a year as the average U.S. citizen did in 1980.

The U.S. commercial airline industry burned 10.7 billion gallons of fuel
in domestic and international operations in 1979 (@ $.58/gal). By 1999,
the industry burned 19.6 billion gallons (@$.53/gal), an increase of 83
percent over the amount of fuel burned in 1979. The effective increase
in gallons of fuel burned in airlines from 1979 to 1999 was 62 percent.

In servicing the increasing number Americans who chose to travel by
airplane in 1999, American airplanes discharged 215.6 million tons of
carbon dioxide to the Earth’s atmosphere.

Methodology for Calculating Financial Incentives for Reducing AMT

The methodology used for computing the financial incentives for low
annual airplane miles traveled (AMT) is as follows:

Airplane Mileage Threshold/Year/Person = y

Where y = 100 (1…6) miles flown in an airplane

A schedule for providing financial incentives for encouraging U.S.
citizens to fly less is provided in Table 6.

The reward threshold is not increased for families having more than 5
persons.

No exclusions would be allowed for business trip mileage. This would
provide added incentives for business to minimize employee air travel
requirements.

How the program would work:

Any person over 18 years of age who chooses to enroll in the AMT
reduction rewards program would need to file a one-time application with
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), along with a nominal
administrative fee. That person would then be registered for the program
for life, and therefore eligible for annual rewards each year that he or
she commercially flies less than the amount of threshold miles specified
in Table 6.

The FAA would require that each commercial airline document the annual
mileage flown by all registered AMT participants using its service. Each
airline service would be required to prepare and forward individual
mileage summaries for each registered AMT participant to the FAA by the
end of the calendar year. The FAA would summarize the total annual miles
flown for each AMT participant and issue the incentive payments based on
the amounts specified in Table 6.

Funding for AVT Reduction Incentives

Some of the money to fund the financial incentives would be available
from the money saved by not having to build additional airport runways,
taxiways, terminals, and to employ additional airport personal to service
the otherwise projected increases in the number of flights.
Environmental savings would result from reduced greenhouse gas emissions,
reduced air pollution, reduced noise, less air traffic congestion, and
less wildlife habitat and farmland loses from airport expansion projects.

The remainder of the funds would be provided from federal taxes levied on
the price of aviation fuel, as a fixed percentage of each gallon of
aviation fuel combusted, in commercial and non commercial aircraft
(excluding only military aircraft). If one dollar in tax were charged
for each gallon of aviation fuel used by airlines in the U.S., this would
generate $20 billion to help fund the program.

Congress recently authorized nearly $10 billion for airport
infrastructure development over the next 3 years (GAO, 2000). This
amount, coupled with the $20 billion in fuel tax revenues over the next 3
years would be enough money to provide financial incentives of an average
of $1,000 per year for 23,000,000 adults in the U.S., or more than 11% of
the country’s total adult population.

Currently, aviation fuel is purchased and combusted by the airline
industry to power its planes, tax-free.

Financial Incentives for Encouraging Household Energy Conservation

Just as positive incentives can be used to encourage reduced fossil fuel
burning dependent automobile and airplane travel, so too can positive
financial incentives encourage reduced energy use in homes. Utilities
could offer financial incentives to encourage people to use less energy
in heating, cooling and lighting their homes, and for minimizing uses of
other forms of electricity in their daily lives. This would reduce
cumulative power demands, reducing the need to build more power plants,
transmission lines, fuel lines and other expenditures and environmental
costs associated with increased capacity demands.

Depending on the amount of the reductions, significant cutbacks in global
greenhouse gas emissions might be possible from power plants that burn
fossil fuel for electricity, or from other utilities that distribute fuel
and natural gas for direct burning in household furnaces.

Wisconsin’s per capita (per individual) resource energy consumption in
homes in 1998 was 404 therms (Table 7). A 4-person household in
Wisconsin uses, on average, 1,600 therms of energy in the home for
heating and electrical conveniences (4 X 400 therms).

Financial incentives for encouraging energy conservation in homes would
work similar to the systems used for encouraging people to reduce their
driving and flying. That is, households using low per family size annual
energy amounts could be eligible to receive monetary returns at the end
of the year for conserving energy (Table 8).

Methodology for Calculating Financial Incentives for Reducing Total
Energy Use

The methodology used for computing the incentives for low energy use is
as follows:

Total Household Energy Use Threshold/Year

= z + Rz

Where z = 100 (1…6) therms

R = Number of Additional Residents X .25

No additional credit is provided for more than 5 person residing in the
household, and the enrolled persons must occupy the home at least 90
percent of the total number of days in the proposed year of enrollment.

There are many things homeowners and renters could do to improve energy
efficiencies in their homes and reduce overall fuel and electricity
consumption.

Appendix B identifies some ways to reduce energy use in the home and
recreation activities that burn fossil fuels that should be avoided.

The state could also subsidize consumer’s purchase of energy efficient
compact flourescents. At least one consumer still uses some of the less
energy efficient condescends simply because the initial purchase price of
compact flourescents is several times as costly as the less energy
efficient alternatives.

Funding for Low Home Energy Use Incentives

Assuming 25% of reductions in energy use could be achieved without cost
to the economy (DeCanio, 1997), the amount of money that would be needed
on an annual basis for this household energy conservation measure would
be the same as that required for the VMT reduction incentives ($810
million, annually).

The money to fund the financial incentives would be available from the
money saved by not having to build additional power plants, transmission
lines and power stations in the future, money that therefore becomes
available because of the reduced energy demands.

For example, Wisconsin Energy Corporation has proposed to spend $6
billion to build three new power plants in Wisconsin and upgrade other
WEC power generation facilities to accommodate projected public demands
for more power. The plans call for a new power plants in Port Washington
(gas-fired); Oak Creek (coal-fired) and another coal-fired plant in an
undetermined location in Wisconsin.
As to the nation as a whole, USA TODAY (article by Fred Bayles, 9/11/00),
following their review of utility industry projections, suggests the cost
of building new power facilities to meet growing demands will approach
$80 billion during the next two decades. That amount would fund an
annual average financial incentive of $155 per year for 25% per cent of
U.S. households, who might be expected to apply for the low energy use
financial incentives (by such measures listed in Appendix B.)

Additional non-monetary environmental savings would result from reduced
greenhouse gas emissions, reduced air pollution, less wildlife habitat
and farmland loss from building more power plants and transmission lines
in those areas, and reduced discharges of excess cooling water, since
less cooling water would be needed for reduced energy generation.

An additional method of funding financial incentives for environmental
conservation, which would itself help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
would be the adoption of a “transportation tax” on raw materials and
products requiring transportation over a certain distance. This would
lead to reductions in the amount of energy used in transporting products.


The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) should be given the
authority to collect a "transportation tax" on all raw materials and
products sold in the United States, that are transported over 50 miles,
whether the transportation is via land, water or air. The tax would be
applicable to all raw materials, intermediary and final goods
commercially transported over 50 miles, at a cost of 10 cents per item,
10 cents per pound weight, or 10 cents per cubic foot, whichever unit
amount is higher. The total transportation tax for a shipment would thus
be the sum of the applicable per unit tax of the products that are
shipped, multiplied by the number of miles the products are shipped (from
origin to destination).

The USDOT would collect the money in this program and place it into a
"transportation tax fund" (TTF). The money that accumulates into the TTF
would be used to provide financial incentives to the public to reduce
driving, flying and energy consumed in homes.

Other sources federal surpluses available should be used for this purpose
as well, since the beneficiary of conserving energy and reducing
greenhouse gas and other emissions will spread to all U. S. citizens, and
the U.S. economic system should provide higher rewards for
environmentally conscientious decisions than is now provided.

Conclusion

Major new highway, airport and power plant investments require billions
of public dollars to build, their construction causes major and
significant environmental disruption, and their end uses create
significant air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and other adverse
environmental consequences. Government has the responsibility to protect
and uphold the general welfare of its citizenry. Ensuring positive
financial incentives are provided to the public, to discourage overuse of
highways, air space and energy resources, and thereby to reduce the need
to build new highways, airports and power generating infrastructure, is
an appropriate and worthwhile function of government.

Continuing to burn vast quantities of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gasoline)
on Earth for energy is increasing average global temperatures due to the
greenhouse effect. Studies show Earth’s air, land and water temperatures
are rising, at rates some scientists say are alarming, greatly exceeding
the more conservative predictions made only a few years ago.

Many scientists throughout the world are saying it is urgent that
worldwide actions be undertaken, immediately, to curb, and reduce (some
say by 80%!), the increasing quantities of greenhouse gas emissions.
Moreover, many scientists concede the potential for worldwide cataclysmic
calamity related to global warming is possible, not just in eons, but in
centuries and perhaps even decades!

To this call for urgency, the global warming “skeptics” continue to
demand proof. Before the skeptics (who’s numbers are dwindling rapidly)
agree fossil fuel burning should be cut, they want to see proof global
warming is occurring, that fossil fuel burning is the main cause of it,
and that the costs of increasing global warming exceed the costs of
slowing it down.

Scientists claim the buffering characteristics of Earth’s natural
resources (cool oceans and permafrost store carbon), which have
historically kept Earth’s atmospheric gases in check, could ultimately
become unbalanced by global warming, increasing the potential for a
“runaway greenhouse effect” to occur on Earth.
If a runaway greenhouse effect got started on Earth, Earth’s surface
temperatures could increase dramatically. Grinspoon (1997) speculates
this could have been what happened to Earth’s twin planet, Venus, which
now has an average surface temperature of 864 degrees, Fahrenheit (water
boils at 212 degrees F.; steak broils at 550 degrees F.).

Grinspoon claims the temperature on Venus is much higher than it should
be, relative to the planet’s mass and distance from the Sun, and that the
reason for the hotness is that Venus experienced a runaway greenhouse
effect early in its existence:

“That brings us to the question of water. Evolutionary models suggest
that if Venus started out with an ocean of water, it could have been lost
early in the planet’s history by a “runaway greenhouse effect”. Water
vapor is a powerful infrared absorber. A little water in the air can
heat things up a lot. But in the presence of liquid water, if the air
gets hotter, more water will evaporate. This creates the possibility of
a powerful positive feedback loop: evaporating water increases the
greenhouse effect, making the atmosphere so hot that more water
evaporates, and so on. Any physical system like that, dominated by
positive feedback, is inherently unstable. Once it gets going, there is
no stopping it. Venus may have had oceans that simply boiled away,
leaving large amounts of water vapor high in the atmosphere where solar
ultraviolet radiation split up the molecules, allowing the hydrogen to
escape into space” (pg. 149).

A Call for Action

When it comes to the long-term sustainability of our planet, it’s much
better to be conservatively safe, than deeply sorry. Being “deeply
sorry”, when Earth’s populous might have done something to change a final
negative outcome is not only being insincere, but even worse: unconcerned
and callous.

Necessity now demands everyone accept responsibility for making energy
conserving sacrifices, right away. Greenhouse gases accumulate in the
Earth’s atmosphere, over time. Therefore, they remain in the Earth’s
atmosphere long after the time of their release, warming the planet for
those who had nothing to do with their release.

Due to recent (since mid 19th century) and an ever increasing reliance on
fossil fuel burning by humans, the Earth’s atmosphere has become more
saturated with carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The
concentration of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere has gone from a
preindustrial level of 280 parts per million (ppm) to a present day level
of 365 ppm+ (and increase of 30%+ over preindustrial levels). The
current concentration level of CO2 in the atmosphere is already outside
the bounds of natural variability seen in the climate record of the last
160,000 years. “If the world proceeds on a “business as usual” path,
atmospheric CO2 concentrations will likely become more than 700 PPM (an
increase of 150% over preindustrial levels) by 2100, and they will still
be rising.” (Executive Office of the President, 1997).

The balance between the Earth’s greenhouse and non-greenhouse gas
concentrations has clearly been thrown out of kilter in the last 150
years. This imbalance is likely to grow significantly larger over time.
Even in the very unlikely event that increases in greenhouse gas
emissions from human activity cease, the concentration levels of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will continue to increase, since there
remains no other place for them to go.

And, now, with the world’s population having doubled since 1960, and
expected to increase to 9 billion (by 2054 - Table 14), the potential for
reducing - let alone slowing - annual global greenhouse gas emissions,
and therefore global warming, has become exceedingly difficult.

Scientists the world over are now claiming, with increasingly serious
overtones, that major and significant worldwide action must be initiated,
now, to reduce the volumes of greenhouse gases being injected into the
Earth’s atmosphere. To do so will require a dramatic and abrupt change in
humankind reliance on fossil fuel burning.

To be unresponsive to the now almost unanimous scientific community call
for immediate (not 15 years from now), and drastic (not just slowing the
rate of increase) is not prudent. For the world’s population to
dramatically increase fossil fuel burning and greenhouse gas emissions,
with minimal attempts being made to conserve energy in travel,
recreational and home energy use, is tantamount to global genocide.

In conclusion, the time is now already overripe to drastically cut energy
use in homes, cars, planes, trains and trucks. This paper offers an
approach to accomplishing that, devoid of instituting regulatory controls
over people’s everyday lives.

Governmental officials should, without delay, create programs that offer
financial incentives to the public to encourage environmental
conservation and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Nonessential and all
recreational uses of energy derived from the combustion of fossil fuels
should be greatly reduced, starting immediately, so that the Earth’s
environment continues to remain habitable, indefinitely, by all forms of
life.

Acknowledgments
I wish to credit my brother, Patrick J. Neuman, for his careful review of
this paper throughout its many iterations of development, and to thank
him for his personal support as well, without of which this paper would
not have been completed.

References

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Science, Vol. 288.

Associated Press, December 7, 1999, “Airline Head Warns of Crowded
Skies”.

Bayles, Fred, September 11, 2000, “Can Expansion Cure Airport Gridlock?”,
in USA TODAY.

Bloomfield, Janine, 2000, “Wake Up to Global Warming Threat, U.S.
Warned”, Environmental News Service,
http://www.ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-12-08.html.

Boulding, Kenneth E., 1968, Beyond Economics: Essays on Society, Religion
and Ethics, The University of Michigan Press.

Boulding, Kenneth E., 1971, “The Economics of the Coming Spaceship
Earth”, an essay in Problems of the Modern Economy: Pollution, Resources,
and the Environment, edited by Alain C. Enthoven and A. Myrick Freeman
III, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc..

Caldwell, Lyton, Keith, 1971, Environment: A Challenge to Modern Society,
Chapter 4, Anchor Books Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York.

DeCanio, Stephen J., 1997, “Prudent CO2 Emissions Cuts Make Economic
Sense”, Excerpted from the testimony of Stephen J. DeCanio before the
Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment of the U.S. House Committee on
Science, October 9, 1997, in The World Environment & the Global Economy,
Gary E. McCuen Publications Inc., Hudson, Wisconsin.

Executive Office of the President, 1997, Climate Change: State of
Knowledge, Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Foley, Jonathan, June 3, 2000, personal communication.
Gumbu, Phinjo, March 18, 2000, “Smog Kills 1,000 Annually in Toronto,
Study Shows, Toronto Star newspaper.

Government Accounting Office (GAO), August 2000, Aviation and the
Environment: Airport Operations and Future Growth Present Environmental
Challenges.

Grinspoon, David Harry, 1997, Venus Revealed: A New Look Below the Clouds
of our Mysterious Twin Planet, Helix Books, Addison-Wesley Publishing
Company, Inc..

Intergovernmental Panel of Climate on Climate Change, 1996c, Climate
Change 1995: Economic and Social Dimensions of Climate Change,
contribution of Working Group III to the Second Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Ed. James P. Bruce, Hoesung
Lee, and Erik F. Haites, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Iltis, Hugh, Wisconsin Public Radio Interview with Tom Clark, April 22,
2000.
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1998, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King,
Jr., edited by Clayborne Carsen, Intellectual Properties Management,
Inc., in association with Warner Books.

McCullough, Jennifer, December, 1999, YES! A Journal of Positive Futures,
“Are You Kyoto Cool?.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2000, finding of NOAA
scientists reported by H. Josef Herbert, Associated Press, in Wisconsin
State Journal,
March 24, 2000, pg. 6A.

Neuman, Michael T., June 6, 2000, E-mail Memo to globalwarming@....

Neuman, Patrick J., June 8, 2000, Calls for Global Warming Awareness,
Chanhassen Villager.

New Dream, June 2000, “Cold Wash and Line Dry”, Step by Step No. 9,
http://www.newdream.org.

Newman, Judy, May 18, 2000, “Alliant Reflects on a Positive Year with
Eyes to a Global Goal”, Wisconsin State Journal.

Population Reference Bureau, June 16, 2000, e-mail memo from Zuali
Malsawmal, to author.

Ruckelshaus, William, D., September 1989, “Toward a Sustainable World”,
in Scientific American, pages 166-174.

Schipper, Lee; Steiner, Ruth; Meyers, Stephen, 1993, “Transportation and
Global Climate Change”, American Council for An Energy-Efficient Economy,
Washington D.C..

Shindell, 2000, in Wisconsin State Journal, May 22, 2000, Section 11A
Wampler, Allen, J., 2000, in Wisconsin State Journal, May 22, 2000,
Section 11A.

U.S. Department of Energy, May 31, 2000, “Energy Efficiency Tips”,
Internet, www.doe.gov/tipsheet.htm.

U. S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics,
1999 and 1997 Washington D.C..

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000, Internet,
www.epa.gov/globalwarming.

Worrest, Robert C., 2000, U.S. Global Change Research Information Office,
E-mail to Michael Neuman, 27 March 2000.

Wills, Diane, 2000, E-mail to Michael Neuman, 6 June 2000.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation, 1999, Wisconsin State Highway
Plan 2020.

Wisconsin Energy Bureau, 1999, Wisconsin Energy Statistics.

Wisconsin Energy Bureau, no date, bookmarks, “10 Energy Saving Tips”.

Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, 1999, “1999-2000 Blue Book”.

U.S. Department of Energy, 2000, Atmospheric Radiation Measurement
Program, Oceanic Properties, http://www.arm.gov..

Appendix A: Tables

Table 1. Wisconsin Population and VMT in 1998 in Comparison to
Population and VMT in 1970.

YearPopulation (Millions)VMT (Billions)VMT per PersonVMT per Family of
419704.421.874,97019,88019985.250.49,69238,976Difference.828.54,72219,096
Increase18%130%95%95%
Population Source: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, State of
Wisconsin 1999-2000 Blue Book, 1999.

VMT = Vehicle Mileage Traveled. Source: Wisconsin Department of
Transportation, personnel communication, 1999.

Table 2. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions from Personal Automobiles in
1998 in Wisconsin Compared to CO2 Emissions from Personal Automobiles in
Wisconsin in 1970.

YearVMT (Billions) (Exc. Heavy Trucks)Average Miles Per Gallon of
Gasoline1Gallons of Gasoline (Billions)CO2 Emissions (Millions of
Tons)2197021.8713.61.6117.7199850.421.52.3425.7Difference 28.8 7.9
.738.0Increase132%46%45%45%

Table 3. Financial Incentives for Typical Wisconsin Households Based on
Recorded Vehicle Miles Traveled Over a 1-year Period

Financial Incentives (Annual Rewards)
$400 $1,200 $2,000
Household SizeTotal Annual MilesTotal Annual MilesTotal Annual Miles1
person6,0004,0002,0002 people, one drives7,5005,0002,5003 people, one
drives9,0006,0003,0002 people, both drive10,5008,7503,5003 people, 2
drive12,0008,0004,0004 people, 2 drive13,5009,0004,5005 people, 2
drive15,00010,0005,000
Payment awarded based on a maximum of 5 persons per household.
Person must be 18 years old to receive payment and identified “head of
household”.
No extra mileage credit allocated for vacations, out of state travel, or
business use of personal vehicles.
Ownership of a vehicle or possession of a driver’s license is not
required for receiving non-driver reward, but person must be a Wisconsin
resident.

Table 4. Ways to Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled1

At Home At Work By Others
Seek Out Rides with Others Going to Same LocationsUse Teleconferencing
Whenever PossibleOffer Rides to Others, or to Pick Up Goods at Stores for
Others in NeighborhoodWork at Home or at a Nearby “Satellite” Office
Whenever Possible (if Driving is Otherwise Required)Choose Meeting
Locations to Minimize Overall Travel by Meeting ParticipantsBuy Locally
Produced ProductsUse Non-Motorized Transportation or Walk Whenever
Possible, Otherwise Take TransitReserve the Smallest Number of Transport
Vehicles Possible Choose Products Having Less PackagingMove Residency
Location if Work Location is Unlikely to Change Frequently and Driving or
Carpooling is Always RequiredAlways Select Conference Sites and Building
Locations (& Designs) Having Pedestrian, Transit Access and Bicycling
(Plus Parking & Shower) Facilities Avoid Buying Unneeded Products, and
Encourage Others to Avoid Buying Unneeded Products, Too.Minimize VMT by
Choosing Places to Shop, Recreate, and Work that are Closer to
HomeEncourage Employees to Work at Home, or to Use Satellite Offices,
Whenever PossibleProactively Encourage Coordinated Transportation to Any
Events You Participate In

Table 5. Relative Transportation Mode Fossil Fuel Efficiencies1

Auto 1.00 (Ref.)Rail .48
Inter-city Bus 2.20 Airline
.92Bicycling Walking 0.00

Table 6. Payment Schedule for Low Airplane Miles Traveled Per Person

PaymentYearly Threshold (Miles Traveled)$2,800
0$2,400100$2,000200$1,600300$1,200400$800500$400600

Table 7. Wisconsin Residential Energy Consumption by Fuel Type, 1998

PetroleumNatural GasCoalElectricity1Total End Use2Total Resource
Use3Trillions of Btu Used33.9117.7.459.4211.4343.1Percent of Total Energy
End Use16%56%<.128%100%162%Per Capita Use (In
Therms)64.8224.8.7113.5403.9655.5
Therm = 100,000 Btu
Source: Wisconsin Energy Bureau, Wisconsin Energy Statistics, p.14, 1999.
Wisconsin Population: 5,234,350 (Wis. Legislative Reference Bureau
(1999))

Table 8. Payment Schedule for Low Household Annual Energy Use

PaymentNumber of Persons in HouseholdYearly Energy Use Threshold
(therms)$2,80010$2,80020$2,80030$2,80040$2,80050$2,4001100$2,4002125$2,40
03150$2,4004175$2,4005200$2,0001200$2,0002250$2,0003300$2,0004350$2,00054
00$1,6001300$1,6002375$1,6003450$1,6004525$1,6005600$1,2001400$1,2002500$
1,2003600$1,2004700$1,2005800$8001500$8002625$8003750$8004875$80051,000$4
001600$4002750$4003900$40041,050$40051,200

Table 9. Payment Schedule for Low Household Annual VMT - One Driver

PaymentNumber of Persons in HouseholdYearly VMT Threshold
(Miles)$2,8001 0$2,8002 0$2,80030$2,8004 0$2,80050$2,4001 Less than
1,000$2,4002 Less than 1,250$2,4003 Less than 1,500$2,4004 Less than
1,750$2,4005Less than 2,000$2,0001 Less than 2,000$2,0002 Less than
2,500$2,0003 Less than 3,000$2,0004Less than 3,500$2,0005Less than
4,000$1,6001 Less than 3,000$1,6002 Less than 3,700$1,6003 Less than
4,500$1,6004 Less than 5,250$1,6005Less than 6,000$1,2001 Less than
4,000$1,2002 Less than 5,000$1,2003 Less than 6,000$1,2004 Less than
7,000$1,2005Less than 8,000$8001 Less than 5,000$8002 Less than
6,200 $8003 Less than 7,250$8004 Less than 8,750$8005Less than
10,000$4001 Less than 6,000$400 $4002 3 Less than 7,500 Less than
9,000$4004 Less than 10,500$4005 Less than 12,000

Table 10. Payment Schedule for Low Household Annual VMT - 2 Drivers

PaymentNumber of Persons in HouseholdYearly VMT Threshold
(Miles) $2,8002 0$2,8003 0$2,8004 0$2,8005 0$2,4002 Less than
1,750$2,4003 Less than 2,000$2,4004 Less than 2,250$2,4005 Less than
2,500$2,0002 Less than 3,500$2,0003 Less than 4,000$2,0004 Less than
4,500$2,0005 Less than 5,000$1,6002 Less than 5,250$1,6003 Less than
6,000$1,6004 Less than 6,750$1,6005 Less than 7,500$1,2002 Less than
7,000$1,2003 Less than 8,000$1,2004 Less than 9,000$1,2005 Less than
10,000$8002 Less than 8,750$8003 Less than 10,000 $8004 Less than
11,250$8005 Less than 12,500$4002 Less than 10,500$4003 Less than
12,000$4004 Less than 13,500$4005 Less than 15,000

Table 11. Payment Schedule for Low Household Annual VMT - 3 Drivers

PaymentNumber of Persons in HouseholdYearly VMT Threshold
(Miles)$2,8003 0$2,8004 0$2,8005 0$2,4003 Less than 2,500$2,4004 Less
than 2,750$2,4005 Less than 3,000$2,0003Less than 5,000$2,0004 Less
than 5,500$2,0005 Less than 6,000$1,6003 Less than 7,500$1,6004
Less than 8,250$1,6005 Less than 9,000$1,2003 Less than 10,000
$1,2004 Less than 11,000$1,2005 Less than 12,000$8003 Less than 12,500
$8004 Less than 13,750$8005 Less than 15,000$4003 Less than
15,000$4004 Less than 16,000$4005 Less than 18,000

Table 12. Payment Schedule for Low Household Annual VMT - 4 Drivers

PaymentNumber of Persons in HouseholdYearly VMT Threshold
(Miles)$2,8004 0$2,8005 0$2,4004 Less than 3,250$2,4005 Less than
3,500$2,0004 Less than 6,500$2,0005 Less than 6,700$1,6004 Less than
9,750$1,6005 Less than 10,000$1,2004 Less than 13,000$1,2005 Less than
13,250$8004 Less than 16,250$8005 Less than 16,500$4004 Less than
19,500$4005 Less than 19,750

Table 13. Payment Schedule for Low Household Annual VMT - 5 Drivers

PaymentNumber of Persons in HouseholdYearly VMT Threshold
(Miles)$2,8005 0$2,4005 Less than 4,000$2,0005 Less than 8,000$1,6005
Less than 12,000$1,2005 Less than 16,000$8005 Less than 20,000$4005 Less
than 24,000

Table 14. World and United States Population for 19th, 20th and 21st
Century

Year World Population U.S. Population
18041 Billion -
19001,650,000,00076,094,00019272 Billion
-19502,521,000,000152,271,41719603 Billion -19744 Billion
- 19875 Billion -19996 Billion
-20006,067,000,000274,114,00020137 Billion -20288 Billion
-20508,909,000,000403,687,00020549 Billion
-21009,459,000,000570,954,000

Appendix B: Transportation, Home and Recreation Energy Conservation
Measures

Energy Using Transportation Reduction Measures

1. Take vacations near home.

2. When you must drive to get necessities, plan errands to minimize
driving. Plan shopping so you can get all your groceries in one week.

3. Buy a fuel-efficient car. Better yet, buy a bike - and use it
regularly, or wake or take a bus when it is important that you travel
longer distances.

4. Move closer in to where you normally must travel to, so you can
either bike safely or walk more places more often.

5. Don't move far away from your family if you are close to them, so you
don't have to fly in during holidays to see them every year. Or if you
are far away from them, consider moving back to where they are.

Buy liquids in condensed forms when possible. It saves room in the
refrigerator, and
limits the amount of trips necessary to the grocery store.

7. Avoid purchasing products such as bottled water, beer, pop, liquor
and other commodities in non-recyclable plastic containers. Not only is
excess energy burned in transporting the water in those products to the
grocery store, but there is also energy burned in producing the plastic
containers for these products, and in transporting and disposing of the
containers.

Conserving Energy in the Home: Lighting and Windows

Install screw-in fluorescent bulbs (compact fluorescent), where
practical.
Replace two 60-watt incandescent bulbs with one 100-watt bulb (same
amount of light).
Clean light fixtures (dirt reduces light output).
Turn off lights in parts of the house not in use.
Limit number, number of days used, and duration of operation of
holiday/festival lights.
Long-life incandescence is less efficient than standard incandescence.
Use “task lights” to provide light where you need it; reduce background
light levels.
Chose light colored rooms and ceilings over dark colored ones; white
ceilings reflect light back into room.
Use natural daylighting; one 3’ by 5 ‘ window can let in more light than
100 standard 60-what bulbs.
Organize rooms for maximum use of daylighting to reduce need for
artificial lighting.
Ways to improve the energy saving potential of older windows include
caulking, weather-stripping, replacing sashes and re-glazing.
Increasing the number of “glazings” (layers of glass) increases the
energy saving potential.
Adding plastic film to the outside of windows, or insulated window
coverings to the inside of windows, increase the energy saving potential.
New windows should have at least an R-3 insulating value.
Awnings, overhangs and sunscreens reduce summer heat gain through windows
by up to 90 percent, while still letting in light. Drapes left open
around windows where the sun shines into homes (south and west-facing
side of house) can make air conditioners work 2 to 3 times harder.
Shut air conditioning vents and close doors in areas not in use, or used
infrequently.
Change air conditioner and furnace filters when dirty.
Turn off lights when not needed for considerable length of time (longer
period okay for florescent lights, but turn off overnight).

Conserving Energy in the Home: Remodeling and Building Decisions

Make sure there is sufficient levels of insulation: at least R-44 in
roof or attic; R-23 in outside facing walls; R-19 in box sill; and R-10
around foundation.
Install a continuous air infiltration barrier.
Design rooms to take advantage of daylighting.
Install energy efficient fluorescent light fixtures, where possible.
Build vestibules for outside doors.
Install high efficiency condensing furnace with outside combustion air
and exhaust.
Select an insulated outside door of R-5 or greater.
Choose low-E glass for the windows.
When landscaping, consider planting trees to shade house in summer, and
to serve as
windbreaks (especially north side of house) in winter. [Trees also
sequester carbon dioxide, a “greenhouse gas”, from of the Earth’s
atmosphere.]
10. Choose an appropriately sized home for the number of persons who will
live in the
home 12 months out of the year. Avoid building and buying a home much
larger than needed for the residents to live comfortably.
Avoid building and buying a home on a much larger sized lot than is
needed by the persons who plan to live in the home. More energy will be
required to maintain the property (cut lawn, bushes, etc.); and the
placement of numerous homes on large lots ultimately contributes to
unnecessary and energy inefficient “sprawling out” of neighborhoods,
cities and villages.

Conserving Energy in the Home: Appliances and Heating/Air Conditioning

When (or before) hot water heater needs replacing, install a natural gas
water heater with an energy factor of greater than 0.58.
When (or before) furnace needs replacing, install high efficiency
condensing furnace with outside combustion air and exhaust.
When (or before) appliances need replacing, purchase (or ask landlord to
purchase) high efficiency appliances.
When (or before) air conditioner needs replacing, install a high
efficiency air conditioner (if air conditioning considered necessary).
When washing clothes, wash dark and colored clothes in cold water (to
avoid using energy for heating the water).
When drying clothes, line dry them to avoid using the energy in drying
them in the dryer.
When conditioning the air, use portable, ceiling and/or whole house attic
fans for cooling over air conditioning, whenever possible. Less
electricity is used in operating fans.
Insulate water heater, insulate pipes, install low-flow shower head, set
water heater temperature at 120 degrees F.
In summer, do not run the air conditioner when no one is at home, and
when someone is home, run the air conditioner only when necessary and
turn it off completely on cooler nights.
In winter: keep the thermostat below 60 degrees F. when you are no one is
home, and turn it down for nighttime hours. Make sure all the windows
and doors are sealed, and cover the air conditioner with plastic or
remove it from the window completely. Wear sweaters to allow for lower
comfortable temperature settings during the daytime hours.

Participate Only in Low-Energy Consuming Recreational Activities

1. Choose recreational activities that do not rely heavily on burning of
fossil fuels or electricity consumption. If one want to be truly energy
wise and slow global warming for everyone, the following heavily energy
depended recreational activities should be avoided completely:
snowmobiling (for recreation purposes); all terrain vehicle riding; motor
boating; jet skiing; motorcycle riding; recreational flying; going on
heavily energy using carnival rides.

2. Avoid participation in activities or sports that require lots of
travel. If travel is required, it is usually more efficient to travel by
bus or train, then to fly or take personal transportation. If personal
transportation is required, coordinate rides to insure the minimum number
of vehicles are taken to any recreational event.

Do not cater to events or festivities that burn large amount of energy
for primarily
enjoyment viewing. Examples of these activities include auto racing,
motorcycle racing, boat racing, airplane shows, tractor pulls and
fireworks displays.

>
Appendix B: Transportation, Home and Recreation Energy Conservation
Measures

Energy Using Transportation Reduction Measures

1. Take vacations near home.

2. When you must drive to get necessities, plan errands to minimize
driving. Plan shopping so you can get all your groceries in one week.

3. Buy a fuel-efficient car. Better yet, buy a bike - and use it
regularly, or wake or take a bus when it is important that you travel
longer distances.

4. Move closer in to where you normally must travel to, so you can
either bike safely or walk more places more often.

5. Don't move far away from your family if you are close to them, so you
don't have to fly in during holidays to see them every year. Or if you
are far away from them, consider moving back to where they are.

Buy liquids in condensed forms when possible. It saves room in the
refrigerator, and
limits the amount of trips necessary to the grocery store.

7. Avoid purchasing products such as bottled water, beer, pop, liquor
and other commodities in non-recyclable plastic containers. Not only is
excess energy burned in transporting the water in those products to the
grocery store, but there is also energy burned in producing the plastic
containers for these products, and in transporting and disposing of the
containers.

Conserving Energy in the Home: Lighting and Windows

Install screw-in fluorescent bulbs (compact fluorescent), where
practical.
Replace two 60-watt incandescent bulbs with one 100-watt bulb (same
amount of light).
Clean light fixtures (dirt reduces light output).
Turn off lights in parts of the house not in use.
Limit number, number of days used, and duration of operation of
holiday/festival lights.
Long-life incandescence is less efficient than standard incandescence.
Use “task lights” to provide light where you need it; reduce background
light levels.
Chose light colored rooms and ceilings over dark colored ones; white
ceilings reflect light back into room.
Use natural daylighting; one 3’ by 5 ‘ window can let in more light than
100 standard 60-what bulbs.
Organize rooms for maximum use of daylighting to reduce need for
artificial lighting.
Ways to improve the energy saving potential of older windows include
caulking, weather-stripping, replacing sashes and re-glazing.
Increasing the number of “glazings” (layers of glass) increases the
energy saving potential.
Adding plastic film to the outside of windows, or insulated window
coverings to the inside of windows, increase the energy saving potential.
New windows should have at least an R-3 insulating value.
Awnings, overhangs and sunscreens reduce summer heat gain through windows
by up to 90 percent, while still letting in light. Drapes left open
around windows where the sun shines into homes (south and west-facing
side of house) can make air conditioners work 2 to 3 times harder.
Shut air conditioning vents and close doors in areas not in use, or used
infrequently.
Change air conditioner and furnace filters when dirty.
Turn off lights when not needed for considerable length of time (longer
period okay for florescent lights, but turn off overnight).

Conserving Energy in the Home: Remodeling and Building Decisions

Make sure there is sufficient levels of insulation: at least R-44 in
roof or attic; R-23 in outside facing walls; R-19 in box sill; and R-10
around foundation.
Install a continuous air infiltration barrier.
Design rooms to take advantage of daylighting.
Install energy efficient fluorescent light fixtures, where possible.
Build vestibules for outside doors.
Install high efficiency condensing furnace with outside combustion air
and exhaust.
Select an insulated outside door of R-5 or greater.
Choose low-E glass for the windows.
When landscaping, consider planting trees to shade house in summer, and
to serve as
windbreaks (especially north side of house) in winter. [Trees also
sequester carbon dioxide, a “greenhouse gas”, from of the Earth’s
atmosphere.]
10. Choose an appropriately sized home for the number of persons who will
live in the
home 12 months out of the year. Avoid building and buying a home much
larger than needed for the residents to live comfortably.
Avoid building and buying a home on a much larger sized lot than is
needed by the persons who plan to live in the home. More energy will be
required to maintain the property (cut lawn, bushes, etc.); and the
placement of numerous homes on large lots ultimately contributes to
unnecessary and energy inefficient “sprawling out” of neighborhoods,
cities and villages.

Conserving Energy in the Home: Appliances and Heating/Air Conditioning

When (or before) hot water heater needs replacing, install a natural gas
water heater with an energy factor of greater than 0.58.
When (or before) furnace needs replacing, install high efficiency
condensing furnace with outside combustion air and exhaust.
When (or before) appliances need replacing, purchase (or ask landlord to
purchase) high efficiency appliances.
When (or before) air conditioner needs replacing, install a high
efficiency air conditioner (if air conditioning considered necessary).
When washing clothes, wash dark and colored clothes in cold water (to
avoid using energy for heating the water).
When drying clothes, line dry them to avoid using the energy in drying
them in the dryer.
When conditioning the air, use portable, ceiling and/or whole house attic
fans for cooling over air conditioning, whenever possible. Less
electricity is used in operating fans.
Insulate water heater,insulate pipes,install low-flow shower head,set
water heater temperature at 120 degrees F.
In summer, do not run the air conditioner when no one is at home, and
when someone is home, run the air conditioner only when necessary and
turn it off completely on cooler nights.
In winter: keep the thermostat below 60 degrees F. when you are no one is
home, and turn it down for nighttime hours. Make sure all the windows
and doors are sealed, and cover the air conditioner with plastic or
remove it from the window completely. Wear sweaters to allow for lower
comfortable temperature settings during the daytime hours.

Participate Only in Low-Energy Consuming Recreational Activities

1. Choose recreational activities that do not rely heavily on burning of
fossil fuels or electricity consumption. If one want to be truly energy
wise and slow global warming for everyone, the following heavily energy
depended recreational activities should be avoided completely:
snowmobiling (for recreation purposes); all terrain vehicle riding; motor
boating; jet skiing; motorcycle riding; recreational flying; going on
heavily energy using carnival rides.

2. Avoid participation in activities or sports that require lots of
travel. If travel is required, it is usually more efficient to travel by
bus or train, then to fly or take personal transportation. If personal
transportation is required, coordinate rides to insure the minimum number
of vehicles are taken to any recreational event.

Do not cater to events or festivities that burn large amount of energy
for primarily
enjoyment viewing. Examples of these activities include auto racing,
motorcycle racing, boat racing, airplane shows, tractor pulls and
fireworks displays.

end

fwd by:
Pat Neuman
npat1@...
Twin Cities


________________________________________________________________
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