Simple Abundance Learning Series

Simple Abundance Learning Series

25 ways to Save Money and Reduce your Greenhouse Gas (GHG)

Emissions by 25%

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About Wintergreen

• Wilderness retreat and environmental learning centre

• Wide range of off-site and on-site sustainability

programs

• We partner with a variety of community organizations

and educational institutions

• Registered charity funded by grants, donors, and

program revenue

Simple Abundance Learning Series

Seventh Generation Learning Series Simple Living

This workshop is part of a series provided by Wintergreen Studios to promote sustainable living:

Simple Abundance Get Energy Smart Sustainable Food Renewable Energy Natural Building and Renovating

For more information or to book a workshop contact:[email protected]

Thanks to our partners & funders

This workshop was funded in part by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Thanks to our partners & funders

We work in collaboration with several community partners:

SustainabilityMeeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

~ Bruntland Commission

“In every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the seventh generation... even if it requires having skin as thick as the bark of a pine.”

~ From the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy

Why Live Sustainably?• Fossil fuels are a non-renewable

resource• Extraction, transportation and use

damage the environment• Fossil Fuels cause Climate Change

Need to reduce GHGs by 80% by 2050 (increasing less than 2 degrees Celsius)

• Peak Oil Theory (Consumption is greater than discovery)

• Save money

Canada's GHG Emissions

550

600

650

700

750

800

We need to live within our means

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Make a Plan to Reduce Energy Use• Start by measuring your current energy usage

– Need to become more aware of energy use• Phase 1 – Reduce your consumption

– Save money and energy without spending money• Most people can save 25% within 1 year

• Phase 2 – Invest in energy efficiency– Make a plan to reduce usage by 50% over 10 years

• Get a home energy audit & invest in renewable energy• Phase 3 – Change your lifestyle

– Take 20 years to adjust your lifestyle to reduce by 80%• Downsize and move so you can walk to work• Change your diet, spending and travel patterns

An 80% reduction is possible over 20 years

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Average Canadian Household• 2.6 people per house• 149 square meters in size

- 20 appliances- 44% Air Conditioned

• 20,000 km/year driving- 16 km/day commuting

• 12,500 km/year flying

27,100 kg CO2/year GHG emissions due to household expenditures

Source: Natural Resources Canada, CMHC, Statistics Canada

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http://www.toyota.ca/toyota/en/vehicles/avalon/gallery

How Do We Generate GHGs?

Home26%

7.0 tonnes

Transportation22%

6.0 tonnesFood12%

3.2 tonnes

Other Consumption

40%10.9 tonnes

Source: Statistics Canada

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Major Sources of Household GHG’s

GHG ContributorKg CO2/year

Flying3600Eating meat2600Air conditioning2000

Driving a car5500

These 5 items account for two-thirds of a household’s GHG emissions

18,700

What are the top 5 contributors to the average household’s GHG emissions?

Heating your home5000

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Actual GHG Reductions – Natural Gas

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Original Phase 1 Phase 2

kg CO2 GHG Emissions from Heating

Average

Phase 1 (reduce): Turn down heat & hot water, cold water wash, low flow showerhead

– Saved 1000 kg CO2 & $200/yrPhase 2 (invest): Invested $15k on solar air heater, solar water heater, tank-less hot water, sealed leaks

– Saved 2000 kg CO2 & $700/yrInvested $8k in wood stove

– Saved 1200 kg CO2 & $300/yrTotal: 58% GHG savings (Natural Gas)

– 4200 kg CO2 & $1200/yr Source: CMHC

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What You Can Do to Save – Household Heating & Cooling

The best way to realize the pleasure of feeling rich is to live in a smaller house than your means would entitle you to have. - Edward Clarke

Energy Saving ActionAnnual Savings

Use cold water to wash clothes215 kg CO2

Set your air conditioner to 25 C when you are home and 28 C when you are out in the summer (Peaksaver)

200 kg CO2

Turn down hot water heater to 50 °C190 kg CO2

Set your furnace to 20 ° C when you are home and 17 ° C at night or when you are out in the winter

525 kg CO2

Use low flow shower heads and faucets140 kg CO2

Total Average Household Savings ($150/year)1270 kg CO2

14Small group discussion

Actual GHG Reductions - ElectricityPhase 1 (reduce): Unplugged freezer, stopped using dryer, turned out lights, installed CFLs & power bars

– Saved 1,850 kg CO2 & $700/yr

Phase 2 (invest): Installed LED lights, optimized thermostat for TOU pricing

– Saved 300 kg CO2 & $100/yr

Spent extra $170/year on Bullfrog Power– Saved 1,000 kg CO2

Total: 100% GHG savings

– 3150 kg CO2 & $630/yr

Average

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500


kg CO2

GHG Emissions from Electricity

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http://post.cloudfront.goodinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/008_vampire_energy.jpg

What You Can Do to Save – Household Electricity

If it weren't for electricity, we'd all be watching television by candlelight.

- George Gobel


Unplug your 2nd Fridge250 kg CO2

Unplug your freezer170 kg CO2

Stop using clothes dryer 50% of the time130 kg CO2

Install CFL and LEDs in 10 most frequently used lights250 kg CO2

Put TVs and computers on power bars & turn them off70 kg CO2


Source: Natural Resources Canada

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Shifting Electricity Usage Off-Peak• Peak electricity produces more GHGs and costs more:

– Coal, oil and natural gas used for peak electricity in Ontario– Overnight electricity comes from hydro and nuclear– Summer peak is 11:00am to 5:00pm– Winter peak is from 7:00am to 11:00am and 5:00pm to 7:00pm

• Tips to shift your electricity usage off-peak:– Dry your clothes after 7:00pm and on weekends or hang them up– Program your thermostat to pre-heat and pre-cool your home before 7:00am– Put your swimming pool pump on a timer to run off peak– Put your dehumidifier on a timer to run off peak– Cook your meals after 5:00pm in the summer and before 5:00pm in the winter– Run your dishwasher, clothes washer, and lawn mower after 7:00pm and on weekends

Reduce the electricity peak and save money!


Actual GHG Reductions - Car

Average

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000


kg CO2

GHG Emissions from DrivingPhase 1: One person moved to work closer to home

– Saved 1150 kg CO2 & $400/yrPhase 2: Second person reduced commuting, use e-bike

– Saved 500 kg CO2 & $200/yrTotal: 27% GHG savings

– 1650 kg CO2 & $600/yr

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What You Can Do to Save – TransportationWe are prone to judge success by the index of our

salaries or the size of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service relationship to

humanity. - Martin Luther King Jr.

Source: Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada, Statistics Canada, WWF



Walk or bike to work 1 day per week200 kg CO2

Take the bus to work 1 day per week120 kg CO2

Carpool to work 1 day per week100 kg CO2

Slow down to speed limit on the highway (80 - 100 km/h)275 kg CO2

Reduce idling by 5 minutes per day100 kg CO2


Actual GHG Reductions - Food

Average

2500

2600

2700

2800

2900

3000

3100

3200

3300

3400

3500


kg CO2GHG Emissions from FoodPhase 1:

Restarted herb & vegetable garden, cut buying of prepared foods in half

– Saved 550 kg CO2Phase 2: Joined CSA, buy fruits & vegetables at local market, buy Ontario wine

– Saved 225 kg CO2Total: 23% GHG savings

– 775 kg CO2

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What You Can Do to Save – Food

The most political act we do on a daily basis is to eat, as our actions affect farms,

landscapes, and food businesses. - Jules Pretty

Source: Statistics Canada, CBC, WWF thenourishedself.ca



Buy local food where possible, especially in season225 kg CO2

Grow your own herbs and vegetables200+ kg CO2

Don’t eat prepared food 1 day per week100 kg CO2

Don’t eat meat for 1 day per week(especially shrimp, lamb, and grain fed beef)

370 kg CO2

Drink tap water instead of bottled water90 kg CO2


Actual GHG Reductions - OtherPhase 1: Reduced flying vacations by 1 per year, stopped using lawn mower, snow blower

– Saved 5530 kg CO2 & $1700Phase 2: Driving to ski instead of flying, cut garbage in half

– Saved 3670 kg CO2 & $1200Total: 50% GHG savings

– 9200 kg CO2 & $2900

Average

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000


kg CO2Other GHG Emissions

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What You Can Do to Save – Other Consumption

A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff. - George Carlin

Source: CMHC, Environment Canada, Statistics Canada, WWF



Compost your food waste (new green bin)400 kg CO2

Reduce your garbage by 1 bag per week300 kg CO2

Recycle it (blue and black box)160 kg CO2

Take a driving vacation instead of flying every other year1800 kg CO2

Stop using gas lawn mower (or snow blower)90 kg CO2

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Actual GHG Reductions - Overall

Start by reducing first!

• 19,000 kg CO2 reduction• 26% GHG savings without

spending money– $3000/year savings

• 50% overall GHG savings with $23k investment– $5330/year savings

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0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000


kg CO2

Total GHG Reduction

Other Natural Gas Car Food Electricity

What You Can Save - Overall• 6670 kg CO2 reduction• 25% GHG savings without

spending money• $1950 potential savings

Make a plan and look for ways to save more

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The Next 25% - Investing Money to Reduce GHGs

30%500 kg/year$500Seal up home air leaks

10%500 kg/year$3000+Insulate walls and attic

6%1400kg/year$5000High efficiency gas furnace

50%1000 kg/year$2000Electric Scooter - commuting

12%1500 kg/year$30,000Hybrid car

7%2700 kg/year$20,000+Geothermal heat

10%575 kg/year$20,0002 kW Solar PV array

13%1000 kg/year$4000Solar hot water

9%400 kg/year$3000Tank-less water heater

9%250 kg/year$2000Solar air heater

11%120 kg/year$1000Drain Water Heat Recovery

Not Applicable3000 kg/year$350/yearBullfrog Power

ROICO2 SavingsCostAction

Get an Energy audit if you live in an older home

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The Final 30% - Life in 2050 and Beyond

• Higher costs for gasoline, electricity, water and air travel– Less commuting and leisure driving– Electric trains, buses and cars for local and regional transportation

• Smaller, passive solar homes (no furnace or AC), built with local material– Green roofs with solar hot water and photovoltaic power– Wind and small hydro turbines on farms

• Primarily vegetarian, local and organic diet– Increased local food production and home gardens

• Durable products and packaging designed to minimize waste– Increased local manufacturing of building materials, clothing, furniture, etc.

Creating the world we want is a much more subtle but more powerful mode of operation than destroying the one we don’t want. - Marianne Williamson

Living locally within our means will be very important

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What challenges do you face?

Seventh Generation Learning Series Simple Living

Small group discussion

How To Calculate Your GHG Emissions• Cubic meters of natural gas times 1.9• Litres of heating oil times 2.8• kWh of electricity times 0.241 (Ontario)

– Borrow a kill-a-watt meter from the library to measure electricity usage– MyHydroLink to see usage history: https://secure.hydroottawa.com/usage/

• Km driven times: – 0.1262 for a hybrid car– 0.1830 for a small car– 0.2162 for a mid-size car– 0.2964 for a minivan– 0.3103 for a truck or SUV

• Km of flights <500 km times 0.150• Km of flights >500 km times 0.297• Kg of garbage times 0.7

– Do an audit of all the garbage you throw out for a week to identify savings

Online calculator: http://www.livesmartbc.ca/homes/h_calc.htmlCarbon calculator and offsets: http://offsets.greeningsacredspaces.org/

Source: http://www.kairoscanada.org/

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https://secure.hydroottawa.com/usage/

https://secure.hydroottawa.com/usage/

You Have the Power to Make a Difference!

Reduce• Don’t buy it• Buy the smallest, most energy efficient optionReuse• Buy it used• Give it away when you are done• Repair it when it breaksRecycle • When it can’t be fixed

There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed. - Mohandas K. Gandhi

Make a 20 year plan to reduce your energy usage by 80% 31

Small group discussion

Peaksaver Program

How peaksaver PLUS™ works:A few times a summer, during times of peak electricity demand, your thermostat may be signaled to cycle your central air conditioner in 15 minute intervals.Your furnace fan will continue to run so you likely won't notice a difference in temperature. Activations only occur on weekdays and not on weekends or holidays, plus you can opt out of an activation in advance.

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Greening with Gratitude

• Developed in Ottawa in 2011 by Adam Frey • An idea for sharing energy savings

Adam’s Savings

Ways Adam saved on energy costs:– Moved closer to work to save on fuel– Car sharing– Hang drying clothes– Electricity use

• Saved $8668 over a period of 17 months

Investing Savings• Invested 80% of his savings personally:

– CFL and LED light bulbs– Low-flow showerhead– Geothermal and Solar PV tuition– Bullfrog Power

• Invested 20% of his savings for others:– Donation to Ottawa Sustainability Fund– Hot water heater and pipe insulation– 4.8L toilet with installation

www.motherearthnews.com www.ledbulbsandlights.com

Paying it Forward

• As a renter, Adam could only do so much– Hopes to coordinate with others to make a pay-it-

forward collective– Would like to provide geothermal heating to a low

income family

7th Generation Learning Series

Energy Savings Calculator

• Vehicle• Electricity• Heating• Water• Other

http://www.greeningwithgratitude.ca/step2savingscalculator.htm

Online activity

What will you do differently?… this week ... this month … this year?

Write yourself a letter.Put it in the envelope provided.

Address it to yourself.Give it to a friend to mail it to you a year from now.

Note to self

Thanks once again …

Date post:	25-Feb-2016
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