It’s time for me to get back to brass tacks, whatever that means. I think I was starting to feel hopeless and overwhelmed because I haven’t really made any more progress in the lifestyle change department. Furthermore, the last lifestyle challenge I took on, I didn’t really follow through with (yes, I ended up buying the books and DVD). So, it’s time. Time to get back to the ‘phantom energy’ issue. First of all, HELP!!! I have had no success with unplugging things. Here are my excuses: my entire entertainment system, where most of my phantom energy happens, hinges upon the DVR which needs to stay plugged in all the time (I think. Or does it?); my computer is set plugged into a power supply that’s connected to our cordless phone charger which needs to stay plugged in all the time (I think. Or does it?); my husband’s computer is plugged into an outlet that’s almost impossible to reach. Does anybody have any ideas, comments, solutions, etc? Here’s another electrical issue. I want to change to those light bulbs that look like soft serve ice-cream, but I don’t know if I should just replace all of the light bulbs in the house now or if I should wait to replace them as they burn out. Has anybody made the switch to soft serve? How did you do it? How has it worked out?
What Kind of Day Has It Been? July 21, 2007
Part of our intention with this blog is to create some accountability for Shelly and myself by outing our goals and intentions – and then reporting back on them to all ya’ll. We’ve been up and running for about a month, and here’s where I’m at: I’ve reduced my plastic bag, paper bag, and paper towel usage by about 75%! Not bad.
My goal is to reduce this even further by Sept. 1 and to feel like I really have a handle on making my life work without those products. This will get interesting because I’ll be away from home for most of August in a rustic cabin in the woods, toting my own garbage to the dump. I have a feeling that sustainable choices will actually be easier out there.
So what’s next? In September I plan to focus on reorganizing my home appliances to reduce phantom energy drainage. If you’ve got goals or victories to share, please post comments about ‘em! We’d love to hear from and support you.
Next Challenge July 4, 2007
The paper towel thing is going pretty well. I’ve now hidden the paper towel dispenser, and barely even think about my old addiction. Although I am getting a little bent, a little too obsessive, about NOT using paper products, I call it the Sheryl Crow effect, I’m hoping I’ll soon taper off into just a normal non-paper towel using person who can take one napkin at Starbucks without making a ferderal case of it. So it’s time for a new challenge. I’m choosing turning off lights when they are not directly needed and unplugging things at night. I’d heard for a while about the whole ‘phantom energy’ problem when things are left plugged in. But because I never understood how it was possible, I never thought to do it. Yesterday, I had it explained to me, and all became clear. There are many appliances that still require energy even when turned off because of internal clocks, LCD displays, etc. It’s not that my $15 toaster is covertly sucking energy even when I’m not toasting and then storing the energy in a plot to become a Transformer or something. This is what I had thought before. So now I’m just going to focus on unplugging the power supply I have hooked up for the T.V., cable box, modem, printer, and computer. I predict this is going to be hard to remember, and I’m going to have to fight the irrational belief that these appliaces ‘need’ constant electricty at night to be fully functional in the morning. Here’s a fact to serve as the motivation of the day: if 1,000,000 households halved their phantom energy use, we could eliminate 150,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
