For Those Who Oppose Both Petroleum-based and Nuclear Energy...

[MineralMan]

What have you done, yourself, to remove yourself from the grid and from the use of petroleum? What measures have you taken? Telling us what you have done could help us understand what we can do to emulate your removing of yourself from the use of fuel and electricity.

Please help us understand the measures you have taken. I see lots of strong words about this, but not so much about practical ways we could take that you have already taken. Education is a good thing.

[nebenaube]

1. I moved to where I was always driving...

and I don't drive anymore.

[MineralMan]

2. I've worked at home, for myself, and so has my wife.

That's a very good way to save energy. Me, since 1974, and her, since 1988. We put very few miles on our vehicles. We also live in a very small house, in which we have worked very hard to minimize our energy usage.

[Tikki]

3. First of all...we moved away from a contaminated nuclear site and then...

We buy local as much as we can, we recycle, re-purpose and reuse.
We walk and ride a bike and drive a hybrid vehicle.
In the plans..we will be obtaining solar energy for our home and rental.

This is the legacy we hope to leave to our grown sons and our grandchildren.


The Tikkis

[MineralMan]

5. Thanks.

That's a good start.

[panader0]

4. I make my friend drive

Okay, a joke. I am not one of those who boast about non petroleum use. But I am hoping to purchase a solar set-up in a few years. By then, I'll be retired. For now, I need my gas guzzler pick-up to haul construction materials.
http://www.firemountainsolar.com/packagesystems.html
Edit to add link to solar........

[jwirr]

6. I started riding the bus to work and back. This is a good idea but

for me it backfired. My schedule is so different than the other pickups that I end up riding alone in a bus to work - I'd be doing better if I drove an SUV. However, I am supporting the bus service and encouraging others to do the same. Other things that were mentioned above also. Want to help family with individual wind mill if possible. Some solar, greenhouses for the garden, chickens, couple of feeder pigs who do a lot of composting for us.

[L0oniX]

7. Have you ever tried to ride a bicycle to/from work in Florida? You won't survive. n/t

[MineralMan]

16. I don't live in Florida, so I can't comment. However, Florida

should be a great bicycling state. It's flat. Are you saying that nobody bicycles in Florida? Really?

[L0oniX]

20. 300% the national fatality stats. n/t

[NYC_SKP]

8. A few things, not enough.

Maybe the most significant thing was to choose to move from a large 3,000 sf house to one under 1000 square feet.

I bought a Prius against all suggestions to get an SUV.

No incandescents, all CFLs and LEDs.

Fans instead of AC much of the time.

Heated mattress cover instead of heat in the winter.

And, as a career, I work with schools and students to understand the impact of energy use on climate change.

It's my job.

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle-Rethink-Recover-Refuse-Renew-Respect-Repair-Replace-Restore-Repurpose-Respond-Relocalize-Rebuy-Remember

:patriot:

[MineralMan]

17. Good job!

[PJPhreak]

9. I live 40 miles away from the nearest town of any real size,

That being the case...

1 I own a car that gives me 28+ mpg,but only drive it when its too cold or have more to carry than this can handle...



85 Mpg @ 60 Mph,Plus its a Hoot to ride! Just did 855 Miles thru Ks. and Mo. last weekend...Total fuel usage...9.1 gal! not bad fer a Old Trail 110.

2 use single room cooling (Set at 77 Deg.) and single point wood heat (Wood Stove)

3 Low wattage light bulbs everywhere in the house.

4 Mow my lawn only enough to keep the County off my back.

5 Have my computer set to "Auto-Shutdown" after 15 min.

6 Minimal use of "Power Vampires" ie Cell Phone Chargers Ect.

7 Eat a reasonable amount of cold food to avoid using my electric stove.

8 I have a 500 Gal Propane Tank hooked up to a space Heater...Total Propane usage in the last 12 months...3 gal. The County CooP think the Hippies are Nuts! (The local Propane Dealer)

9 Cool Showers, Not Cold mind you,but not "Hot".

10 Minimal use of Plastics

This is the stuff I can think of off the top of my head...Ever Since the days of "Odd/Even Plates" I have tried my best to use as little Petrochemicals and Energy as I reasonably can.

[MineralMan]

18. Excellent!

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. That's a good question

and while the answers provide some movement, I hate to point this out. All the puters used to answer are petroleum based. The industrial processes to get them solar cells produced require petroleum, including the plastic subtrate for the cells.

I could go on.

Reality is that we all can do things to reduce our use of energy, but the true solutions are at the policy level and until GOVERNMENTS realize that, well we are pretty much spinning our wheels. Sadly I am not kidding.

The mess in the gulf MIGHT, just MIGHT create enough of an incentive for those governments to act.

Oh and I also hate to point this out... we still EAT quite a bit of it... and sadly with a population of 7.5 billion, with millions yearning to join us in this wasteful life style...

Yes go ahead, call me miss debbie downer, or miss sunshine...

And yes I do all the same things... but am aware just how little of a real difference it really makes.

[FBI_Un_Sub]

11. Life style changes

1. We moved from the Lake Erie-Lake Ontario snow belt to Northern California
   
2. Moved from a 3000 square foot detached house (poorly insulated, mega heating bills) to a high rise condo.
   
3. Down sized our cars (Prius, Scion)
   
4. Cut our driving by 50%
   
5. Use public transit.
   
6. Grocery shopping -- we are LOCAVORES.
   
7. Replaced our Lab (after she died) with a shelter kitty.
   
8. We use flat panel photovoltaic panels on the patio to recharge the ubiquitous rechargeable AA cells.
   

Note: I am "fair to middling" on nuke power (my undergrad minor was "NukeE"),and I have worked in the industrial electrochemistry, battery. fuel cell, and electric vehicle industries for almost 30 years.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. I don't know what a LOCAVORE is...

:shrug:

:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. You eat things that grow witihin 100 miles

and only in season

[CaliforniaPeggy]

15. Ah, thanks for the info...

I guess I am too...for the fruits and vegetables, anyway...

I patronize two local farmer's markets every week.

Mostly...

[flvegan]

13. I'm a mostly local vegan, I telecommute as often as I can

I've converted most of my office to a paperless system. I'm saving for a solar system. Bought a house well under the square footage I could have afforded. My animal rescue dogs are all vegetarian. I buy American as often as I can. I just replaced my entire a/c system with a 15 SEER system (which cut my electric bill in half) and to a lesser extent, my fridge as well was just replaced with a vastly more efficient model.

Small things add up.

[MineralMan]

19. Small things DO add up. Good job.