Creation Care

Creation Care

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS


There are endless numbers of Sustainable Solutions that we could identify on this page.  

Project Drawdown is the world's leading source of climate solutions.  Drawdown as defined on their website https://www.drawdown.org is the
point in the future when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and then start to steadily decline, ultimately reversing global warming.  Project Drawdown is a world-class research and communication organization which serves as a non-partisan, non-commercial, highly-trusted source of solutions to reverse global warming.  They have identified 80 solutions that are being applied right now that if expanded could lead to the drawdown point.  We encourage that you check out the website or check out its' book Drawdown for more detailed descriptions.  
Of the 80 solutions identified and rated there are some that are more specific to what we as individuals can apply in our daily lives.  We again refer you to the list that is provided in the Steps We Can Take page of this website which provides a general list of steps we all can take.

What will be identified in the list below are solutions that are LOCAL and that are more specifically addressed by households under the solutions from Drawdown rather than businesses or governments.  Next to each solution will be the ranking given by Drawdown.  Though some are not specifically referred in the ranking to household we are listing them because of the local reference we want to make.  Take advantage of them when you can.  Change has to take place at all levels.  These are good ways to start.

Those solutions listed are: Reduced Food Waste, Plant-Rich Diet, Rooftop Solar, Electric Vehicles, Insulation, LED Lighting-Household, Mass Transit, Airplanes, Water Saving- Home, Household Recycling and Composting.

REDUCED FOOD WASTE Ranked #3
Under construction
PLANT-RICH DIET Ranked #4

The western diet that we are accustomed to comes with a steep climate price tag.  The most conservative estimates suggest that raising livestock accounts for nearly 15 percent of global greenhouse gases emitted each year; the most comprehensive assessments of direct and indirect emissions say more than 50 percent.  The production of meat and dairy contributes many more emissions than growing vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes. 
Cows/beef are the most prolific offenders generating the potent greenhouse gas methane as they digest their food.  In addition, agricultural land use and associated energy consumption to grow livestock feed produce carbon dioxide emissions, while manure fertilizer emit nitrous oxide.  If cattle were their own nation, they would be the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

Over consumption of animal protein also comes at a steep cost to human health.  In many places around the world, the protein eaten daily goes well beyond dietary requirements.  On average, adults require 50 grams of protein each day, but in 2009, the average per capita consumption was 68 grams per day or 36 percent higher than necessary.  In the US and Canada the average adult consumes more than 90 grams of protein per day.  Eating too much animal protein can lead to certain cancers, strokes, and heart disease.  It is possible to eat well, in terms of both nutrition and pleasure, while eating lower on the food chain and thereby lowering emissions.  According to the World Health Organization, only 10 to 15 percent of one’s daily calories need to come from protein, and a diet primarily of plants can easily meet that threshold.  (Content provided by "Drawdown")

On average, U.S. household food consumption emits 8.1 metric tons of carbon each year.  The production of food accounts for 83% of carbon emissions, while its transportation accounts for 11%.
Meat products have larger carbon footprints per calorie than grain or vegetable products because of the inefficient transformation of plant energy to animal energy.  A vegetarian diet greatly reduces an individual's carbon footprint, but switching to less carbon intensive meats can have a major impact as well.  For example, replacing all beef consumption with chicken for one year leads to an annual carbon footprint reduction of 882 pounds of carbon.

Greenhouse gases from average food consumption amounts to: 47% for meat; 18% dairy products; 13.9% poultry, fish, seafood and eggs; 4.9% vegetables; 3.6% fruit; 3.0% grain products; 7.5% sugars, sweeteners, fats and oils; and .5% other.

ROOFTOP SOLAR Ranked #10
Under construction
ELECTRIC VEHICLES Ranked #26
Electric Vehicles are listed in Drawdown under a larger category of Transport.  We live in a car culture in the US.  Much of our life centers around getting from one place to another by an automobile.  The primary source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States is transportation emissions (28.9% in 2017 per the EPA).  Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation primarily come from burning fossil fuels from our cars, trucks, ships, trains and planes.  There are a lot of ways to reduce excess burning of the gas in our cars.  You can drive more efficiently through variety of ways.  You can drive a car that gets a higher rate of MPG. 
You can also consider purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle (EV).  You don't have to go new as EVs have been on the market in the Midwest since 2010 and used ones are readily available if you search for them.  Driving and owning an EV is a whole new experience compared to what we have conditioned our selves to since the beginning of the 20th century.  Instantaneous torque when you need it and no motor noise are some of the many benefits.  There are two different types of EVs, A PHEV which is a plugin hybrid usually has a short range that it drives on battery before a hybrid engine takes over.  A BEV is a battery only EV where the only source of power is a battery.  More recently the market is moving towards the BEV as the dominant EV but PHEVs are still readily available.  The reason for this is that the cost of batteries have been dropping significantly recently.  
Because of the uniqueness of EVs it really warrants studying them before purchasing or leasing.  A good source here locally is the Minnesota EVOwners group.
  It is a nonprofit group made up of EV owners who encourage the driving of EVs.  Their website is https://www.shift2electric.com/. Another website is a national group called Plugin America and it can be found at https://pluginamerica.org/ .  As an EV owner myself I would encourage you to email me at carsoc77@gmail.com for questions.

If you are curious to see how cars are evaluated against climate targets comparing greenhouse gas emissions to costs (vehicle, fuel and maintenance) check out this interactive graph at http://carboncounter.com/ .

INSULATION Ranked #31
Using fossil fuels at home in the form of natural gas to heat your home in Minnesota has become an expected norm.  Reducing our use of this form of energy in our homes is a good goal.  Increased insulation at home can help us meet that goal.  Insulation is one of the most practical and cost-effective ways to make your home more efficient—both in new construction and through retrofitting older homes that are not well encased.  At relatively low cost, insulation results in lower utility bills (less natural gas usage), while keeping out moisture and improving air quality.

We often assume that our home is properly insulated.  Building codes however change over time and it is remarkable to know that a home built only 10 years ago required less insulation than they do know.  Homes built only ten years ago may have required R30 insulation in the ceiling.  R50 is now a standard. 

Your natural gas supplier whether it be Centerpoint or Excel or someone else wants you to reduce your consumption of this energy and will provide rebates to improve your insulation.
A good starting point is to check into your energy supplier’s website.   Centerpoint can be found at https://www.centerpointenergy.com/en-us/residential?sa=mn .  Excel Energy can be found at https://www.xcelenergy.com/programs_and_rebates

They will recommend that you get an energy audit of your residence to see what needs you do have.  This is a very valuable tool and worth the initial cost ($100 estimate).  Depending on what is needed rebates can be obtained up to $500.00 of the cost of the work done.  Other rebates are also available for many other services and are well worth checking out.

A final note is to set your thermostat in the winter at the recommended setting of 68 degrees when your home and 58 degrees when you’re away or asleep.

LED LIGHTING-HOUSEHOLD Ranked #33

It is time to replace our light bulbs.  Why you say?  The standard incandescent light bulb we have been using for decades to light our homes is an energy hog.  Incandescent bulbs are so inefficient they have been likened to space heaters that emit a little light.  The obvious choice to replace them with is the LED (light emitting diode) bulb.  When turned on, an LED uses 90 percent less energy for the same amount of light than an incandescent bulb, and half as much as a compact fluorescent, without toxic mercury.  On top of that, an LED bulb will last much longer than either type of bulb-- twenty-seven years if turned on five hours a day.  This translates into a 10 to 30 percent return on investment if you buy and replace older lighting fixtures with LED.  The diverse range of LED lighting now available means that virtually any type of bulb currently in commercial or residential use can be replaced by an LED bulb.  This a tremendous way to reduce your energy use in the home.  Your utility companies provide rebates for LED's but you may find that sales at your local hardware store really don't warrant the extra effort to gain the rebate.  The next time an incandescent goes out replace with an LED and watch your utility bills drop.  The less energy used the less carbon emissions released into the atmosphere.  This is a great way for us individually to make a difference.

MASS TRANSIT Ranked #37

AIRCRAFT  Ranked # 43

So why do we include Aircraft in this listing of local solutions?  We Americans often find the need to travel by air for either business or recreation.  Mobility is an undeniable social good and important to the global economy.  The greenhouse gases that follow the movement of aircraft in the form of exhaust are significant.  Efficiency trends in air craft are headed in the right direction but it will be a while before they will be carbon neutral.  A better solution would be to take high speed trains but the United States is still way behind Europe and Asia in this mode of transportation.

So what can we do in the mean time?  We can buy Carbon Offsets.  There are numerous organizations that have set up links that have formulas set up so you only have to key in your starting airport and ending airport and whether you are doing a round trip.  The solution they provide is then a contribution amount that you can apply to one of many programs they offer around the world like preserving old growth forest in Alaska or helping to provide improved more efficient cook stoves in Uganda or Wind projects as an example.

The following are just a sampling that can be used.

Cool Effect at https://www.cooleffect.org/

Carbon Foot print at https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

WATER SAVING-HOUSEHOLD Ranked #46

RECYCLING (Zero Waste living) Ranked #55

If you are like most of us, you produce close to 4.38 pounds of landfill-bound trash every single day, according to the EPA.  For a family of four, that is a daily output of more than 17 pounds of trash, officially called Municipal Solid Waste resulting in an annual total of more than 6,200 pounds.  Zero-waste living means aiming to reduce landfill-bound trash to the bare minimum.  A lot of your trash can be recycled, reused or re-purposed and that is highly encouraged.  Another way to address that trash is to reduce it.  As an example plastic will take up to 1,000 years to decompose.  The more we reduce our use of plastic the better.  Check out these products as suggestions for making a noticeable change.  Watch how you can also save money at the same time.

ECO DRYER BALLS

Friendsheep Eco Dryer Balls are an all natural and organic
fabric softener handmade from 100% premium New Zealand wool as reported by the Friendsheep website at https://www.friendsheepwool.com/collections/eco-dryer-balls .  This is an opportunity to stop using single-us chemically treated plastic dryer sheets and fabric softeners that contain harmful chemicals.
The website continues by saying "Friendsheep Eco Dryer Balls naturally soften and fluff your laundry by gently tumbling in your dryer.  Their movement helps separate your fabrics allowing the heat to better flow between them.  This will reduce wrinkles, static cling, and will help you sensibly reduce drying time.  These wool dryer balls are individually hand made for fair wages in Nepal from 100% premium organic New Zealand wool.  They are reusable for 1000+ times, completely biodegradable, chemical free, scent free, hypoallergenic and baby safe.  Similar products can be found on the web and now in local stores.

SEA TO SUMMIT X-MUG

Have you ever been to a local church or community event and they provide coffee, tea or lemonade as a refreshment and they offer a styrofoam cup to use.   You
cringe at the thought that the cup will end up in the trash and it will be there for ever because it does not break down.  Here is a solution.  It is advertised as a "Space-saving Mug for Life-Saving Beverages.  The X-Mug is a collapsible mug that is also calibrated as a measuring cup.  The flexible silicone sides collapse making this a small compact disc sized dinnerware piece.  The heat-resistant silicone is BPA-free.  It is also heat resistant to 440 degrees F and doesn't crack in the cold".  Check out the full description on Amazon at  https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Summit-Mug-Pacific-Blue/dp/B00HXA3C9Q/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1548721237&sr=8-24&keywords=sea+to+summit#customerReviews .
This product is also found at your local outdoor camping equipment
stores locally if you don't want to buy on Amazon.  By the way it easily fits into your pants pocket or purse when collapsed and not in use.









REUSABLE GROCERY OR SHOPPING BAG

The reusable grocery bag as an alternative to the paper or plastic bag has been around for 12 to 15 years and longer in some parts of the country.  It is remarkable how much our habits established decades ago are so difficult to change.  It has been clearly identified that using paper bags has been a waste and plastic is much worse.  Plastic does not breakdown.  It will be around in our landfills and lakes and oceans for a lifetime and more.  Change is happening faster now as people around the world are seeing the damage that is being done to our oceans.  Organizations are demanding change and it is now happening.  Grocery stores, cities, counties and states are proposing laws banning single use plastic.  You can now purchase reusable bags not only at your grocery but also at department stores.  Some bags have unique designs and are quite fashionable. 
Convenience is important also.  Many bags are too big to be carried around if you are just window shopping.  It is kind of nice to have a bag always available in a pocket or purse in case you need it and you are too far away from your car to pick up one from that source.  The Knalla shopping bag is ideal in this case.  This is a bag that is available at Ikea in Bloomington or on their website at ikea.com.  It is small enough to fit in your pocket and easily opens up quickly into a usable bag for most any purpose.












REUSABLE MESH/PRODUCE BAGS

How often have we used the convenient plastic produce bag
dispenser at the grocery store and found after getting home and placing our produce in the refrigerator that we have three to five of these bags that we have to recycle.  Why do that.  Now you have a reusable mesh produce bag that you can keep using each time you go to the store.  The Purifyou Premium bags are only one of many brands of this type of reusable bag available in a variety of websites.  Purifyou can be obtained through Amazon.  They are double-stitched strength, with tare weight on tags, are lightweight, see-through and in three sizes.  They claim to be safe and durable with a lifetime warranty.  They are BPA, lead, and Mercury free and made in a facility free from harmful manufacturing chemicals with the highest standards of quality.  They can also be used for other purposes.  This
is another great way to reduce the use of plastic bags.  This writer has used our supply for the last 6 months and found them very useful.  We keep them with our reusable grocery bags.









BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSHES

The battle to reduce the use of plastic can also happen in the
bathroom.  Why not bamboo toothbrushes.  Dentists recommend changing your toothbrush every 3-4 months.  What happens after that?  They end up in the trash.  You really can't recycle them.  Zero Waste Cartel at their website zerowastecartel.com offers this product along with others.  They are made from sustainably harvested bamboo with a "delicate and wholesome finish".  They also come in a cardboard box.  The price is less than most plastic ones you find at the local store when you purchase a box of ten.  I should add I did find at my local Cub that they have started offering the bamboo brush.  The only difference is it is enclosed in a plastic covering.

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