Find empowerment! Tired of feeling powerless against big fossil fuel companies, auto companies, or big utilities? Well, the clean energy revolution is gaining momentum and now you can be part of the cheaper and healthier solutions instead of just being frustrated.
The good news? Far from being a futile attempt to cut our tiny portion of global emissions, the large majority of the impacts of your decarbonization are local. For example, every gallon of gasoline you use costs around $3.50 for climate-change pollution outside of the US; but that gallon also costs about $2.50 in your local community for toxic pollution and for climate change pollution in the US; plus around $3 of maintenance costs for keeping the engine running; plus another $2-4 for indirect job losses in our region. So electrifying transportation is a huge win for communities everywhere–even for communities that are drilling for oil.
Estimate your footprint: Our new, clean-energy infrastructure will be cheaper and healthier, but it’s not obvious where to start. Like studying your bank account, an estimate of your greenhouse emissions shows you the big picture and where to focus effort or money. Start by adding up your emissions using the CoolClimate Calculator. (Don’t fret the details, but the more accurate you are, the more useful it will be for you.) The calculator compares your results to regional averages. To compare per capita averages, divide your total emissions from the calculator by the number of people in your household.
Create a plan to achieve the global requirement. In 2018 the climate scientists at the IPCC issued a stern warning that we must reduce GHG emissions by at least 45% by 2030, from 2010 levels. Here is an example of how an average US household can achieve that, while also saving money.
Are you up for the challenge? Thanks for everything you do to help clean up our air!
Additional Info: