Happy Friday! Check out this interesting video from NPR’s Skunk Bear. It takes place in Rochester and it poses the question of using a bicycle to power a home. Spoiler: their answer was no. Here’s a few ideas a friend helped me brainstorm for small and not-so-small changes that could reduce the energy you use in your home.
- cold brew coffee – this requires no heat and very little effort and can get you some delicious coffee that is ready to go when you wake up in the morning
- turn down the heat – use blankets and add layers instead of turning up the thermostat
- air dry clothes – dryers use a lot of energy and really aren’t that necessary
- don’t be afraid of the dark – that is, turn the lights off when you leave a room or when you really don’t need them
- take shorter showers. Or colder showers – both save some of the energy that would be used by the water heater
- have a smaller refrigerator – get a fridge that makes sense for what you need it for
These are just a few of about a billion things you could do to reduce your energy consumption at home. Perhaps they could get you a little bit closer to powering your home with a garbage plate, if you can get yourself to move after eating one of those.
Written by Mariah Greico, Class of 2018