The following tips, written by Chewonki's Science and Sustainability Fellows, are designed to help you live with less environmental impact.

See below for more about:

1. Zero Waste
2. Gold in Your Garbage
3. Managing Household Waste
4. Getting a Home Energy Audit
5. Joining a CSA
6. Purchasing Green Power
7. Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs
8. Solar Hot Water
9. How Much Energy Does your Computer Use?
10. "Phantom Energy"
    

Zero Waste—Mission Impossible?
Tom Twist, Sustainability Assistant
Published Fall 2011

When I first heard about the idea of Chewonki adopting a Zero Waste goal, I was incredulous. Having grown up in an age of unsurpassed wealth and material possessions—as well as unsurpassed garbage—I saw just about every action or purchase produce a small mountain of non-biodegradable refuse. And this was only the trash I could see. My mind reeled as I calculated how much waste each of my choices was making downstream. Garbage was everywhere; things were made to break and be discarded, plastic packaging was non-optional—what could we possibly do?

Last spring, Chewonki began its Zero Waste initiative, with the goal being total elimination of our dumpster by Fall 2012. I was initially skeptical—and then amazed as we actually started to accomplish our goals. Problems that seemed insurmountable began to give way. The semester students went to work with signage and education campaigns, and after just one semester, they had reduced our dumpster load by half!

Below are the steps the students took to break this enormous task into bite-sized pieces. This list, which represents a hierarchy of actions, is applicable to residences and organizations—anyone who wants to move toward a world with less trash:

• Support thoughtful design. Currently, most items are designed with no thought to their end of life. This is because we consumers don’t demand it. A short list of companies that are exploring thoughtful design includes Patagonia, MycoBond (packaging from fungi), TerraCycle, and MBDC (a cradle-to-cradle design company).
• Buy less/shop wisely. As one of our students said, “More things do not equal more happiness.” When we do purchase things, we can use our purchasing power to support companies we believe in and whose actions minimize environmental harm.
• Reuse. Goodwill is my favorite place to shop, but I understand that not everyone subscribes to my unique style of dressing. Nonetheless, vintage T-shirts are still in, and antique furniture is hip (at least in Maine).
• Recycle. More and more communities are moving toward single-stream recycling, which greatly increases the variety of items that can be recycled and the percentage that find their way into recycling bins. If your community doesn’t have this arrangement yet, call your local transfer station to learn what you can recycle.
• Compost. What’s not to like? It’s easy and produces great soil for gardens and flowerbeds.
• Consider waste to energy. How do we deal with the trash we do end up producing? Waste-to-energy plants have at least two advantages over landfills: they reduce the volume of trash by about 90 percent, and they recover part of the energy inherent in the garbage that gets burned.

The bottom line: Zero Waste is Mission Possible! For more ideas on how to move toward it, check out www.chewonki.org/zerowaste.

Gold in Your Garbage
Ruth Poland, Science and Sustainability Fellow
Published Spring 2011

If you view the world with a “cup-half-full” mentality, you’ll realize that waste can be an opportunity. Food scraps and yard litter constitute roughly 30 percent of the waste stream in the U.S. Trucking and processing this waste produces CO2 emissions, is an expense for towns and cities, and overloads our landfills. Creating compost instead is one of the most elegant ways to not only reuse but upgrade this waste. In short, food and yard waste should be seen as an opportunity rather than a necessary waste product.

Composting is the natural process whereby bacteria, fungi, and insects break down organic matter. Gardeners call compost “black gold,” and studies show that soil mixed with compost produces plants up to 75 percent larger than those grown without it. Composting, like gardening, is a great way to make your daily life more sustainable.

A good compost pile contains a 30:1 ratio of carbon to nitrogen; it is moist to the touch but doesn’t wring out any water when squeezed. As a general rule, materials with a high carbon content are dry and brownish, like fallen leaves and paper. Materials with a high nitrogen content are colorful and wet, like food scraps and grass clippings.

Simple bins consist of two or three 3- x 3- x 3-foot boxes made from chicken wire or pallets. These bins keep the piles neat, are the most efficient size for composting by hand, and allow airflow around them. Using a number of bins allows you to have piles at various stages in the composting process and still have a fresh one to add to. A great website to consult for further advice is www.howtocompost.org.

Debunking the myths:

• Doesn’t compost smell bad? If it does, your carbon to nitrogen, or water to air, ratios are off. You can ameliorate the smell by adjusting these ratios. 
• Won’t weeds and diseases persist in compost? If mixed properly, your pile should heat up to about 160° F, killing weed seeds, fungi, and harmful bacteria. Letting your compost pile cure and freeze over the winter can also help ensure that no pathogens survive.

1. I don’t want to shovel it! Lasagna gardening is a method of layering compost ingredients directly on your garden and letting it cook in place. Check out the book Lasagna Gardening by the inventor, Patricia Lanza, for more information.
2. Can’t I just put food wastes down my garbage disposal? Well, it’s better than sending it to a landfill, as some waste-water plants do separate solids to make compost. But this compost is of lower quality and far from your garden. Instead of using a garbage disposal and then buying soil mix for your garden, it’s better to create a closed-loop system right at home.

The bottom line: Composting is an easy and fun way to turn a large portion of your garbage into “black gold.”

Managing Household Waste
Ruth Poland, Science and Sustainability Fellow
Published Fall 2010

“Reduce, reuse, recycle”—it’s been the mantra of the Green Movement ever since the first Earth Day in 1970. While there is much to celebrate about recycling, garbage generation is still rising. Today the average American generates 4.6 pounds of trash daily, up from 3.25 in 1970. This translates to 251 million tons of garbage a year. Managing this volume raises a host of issues, including greenhouse gas production, pollution, land use, social and environmental justice, and exploitation of natural resources to replace the things we throw away.

To make matters worse, much of our garbage doesn’t even make it to landfills, leading to environmental calamities such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch: a swath of ocean twice as large as Texas that’s filled with floating plastic (listen to Charles Moore’s talk at www.ted.com).

So what can we do to improve? First, we need to educate ourselves and others. Some great resources include two short films: Isla de las Floras (a Brazilian film with subtitles) and The Story of Stuff (available at www.storyofstuff.com). For some incredible visuals, check out www.chrisjordan.com and click on his artwork “Intolerable Beauty.”

Second, we can throw away less. You can reduce your garbage generation by practicing the following:

• Compost—Biodegradable goods represent over 50 percent of our garbage! See www.composters.com for tips on how to get your pile started.
• Recycle—Call your local recycling or redemption center to find out what they process. Visit www.obviously.com/recycle for more general info.
• Reduce—Buy items with minimal packaging. Unnecessary packaging of food and other goods is a major cause of increased garbage production in recent decades. Write to companies that use excess packaging and let them know your thoughts; they provide this packaging because they think consumers want it.
• Reuse—The little things count. Bring reusable bags to the store, get clothes and furniture at thrift stores or have swap parties with friends, and close the recycling loop by buying recycled goods whenever possible.

For more tips and info on the 3Rs, visit www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve

Finally, we can get involved in town and government policy to address the issue using a top-down approach. Look for opportunities to incentivize better waste management, such as supporting “pay as you throw” programs, in which communities charge for garbage bags or waste removal. These programs provide financial incentive to decrease your volume of household trash.

The bottom line: Decreasing the amount of landfill-bound garbage you produce is one of the best things you can do to reduce your personal environmental impact.

Get a Home Energy Audit
Jason Chandler, Sustainability Fellow
Published Spring 2010

Looking for a low-cost step you can take immediately to conserve energy and reduce your carbon footprint? If you haven’t already done so, get a home energy audit. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to have a big impact. As Sustainability Coordinator Peter Arnold says, “This is where we can all get the biggest bang for our buck when it comes to saving the planet.”

A home energy audit calculates how much energy your home uses, determines the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems, identifies where energy is being lost, and evaluates measures that can make your home more energy efficient. Although you can perform a simple audit yourself, a professional audit will be much more thorough and is likely to save you significantly more money.
It’s a sad fact, but most homes in the U.S. have traditionally been constructed to rely on cheap energy, without much consideration for their ability to retain heat and conserve energy. According to our friends at the Midcoast Green Collaborative in Damariscotta, the average Maine house wastes 52% of the energy it consumes and uses 93% more energy for heating than its European counterpart built to meet the latest energy standards. The average Maine home could easily cut its heating fuel use by half. With fuel costs expected to rise, the benefits of saving energy will only become greater.

A typical home energy audit takes about two or three hours and costs between $400 and $500. Federal tax credits and state-level incentives are available to help offset this cost. Depending on what the audit finds, the payback can be very quick; in some cases, just sealing the air leaks found by an audit will pay for the audit in only one year. The Midcoast Green Collaborative estimates that following the recommendations of its energy audits results, on average, in a 40% reduction in energy consumption, a savings on heating bills of $1,333 per year (more if fuel prices rise), and a reduction in carbon emissions of 3.75 tons per house per year.

There’s a wealth of information about home energy audits online. A good place to start is with the U.S. Department of Energy, at www.energysavers.gov. You’ll find information on how an energy audit is conducted, what it accomplishes, and how to find a reputable company to do one. In Maine, check out Efficiency Maine (www.efficiencymaine.com) and the Midcoast Green Collaborative (www.midcoastgreencollaborative.org).

You can also learn about home energy audits on the Chewonki website! Our newest podcast, created by Sustainability Educator Tom Twist, is “The Humble Home Energy Audit.” It’s fun, informative, and well worth a listen.

The bottom line: Getting an energy audit for your home is probably the most efficient step you can take to reduce your carbon footprint and your energy bills.

Join a CSA
By Jason Chandler, Sustainability Fellow
Published Fall 2009

Right eating is essential to our personal health, but most of us don’t take the time to realize that the food we eat can also affect the health and well-being of our neighbors, our communities, our land, and even our entire world. With an industrial food system that draws exotic species in any season from the far corners of the planet to our convenient grocery aisle, it is easy not to think about where our food comes from. It can be bewildering just to begin thinking about what is right to eat.
Should we eat chickens raised in Brazil or pineapple from Costa Rica? What should we do when apples from China become cheaper than those grown in our home state? What is the true cost (in subsidies, kilometers, fossil fuels, and greenhouse gases) of these foods? These questions can be difficult to approach, but here is one solution: simplify your food chain.
All around the U.S. and in many places abroad, a movement is growing that directly connects people with their local farmers in a cooperative effort that enriches local land, community ties, connection with the earth, and the delicacies on our dinner plates. Community Supported Agriculture—CSA—is a partnership between farmers and local eaters, an investment in local food and local land. Shareholders buy a portion of a particular farmer’s harvest for the year. They then receive weekly bags of fresh, local farm produce. Shareholders share both the risks and bounty of a year’s harvest, and they also learn to eat seasonally, in tune with nature and with the unique abundance of their land.
In Maine, we now have more than 140 CSAs, and together they distribute about 6,200 shares. Nancy Chandler, owner of Phoenix Farm in Monmouth and also my mom, says that people choose CSA because “they can identify with the farmer, the food tastes fresher and better, and it is more nutritious, especially if it is grown organically, sustainably, and with fertile soils rich in organic matter.” Her shareholders pick up their veggies at the farm each week, and more than half stay to volunteer for an hour or two of weeding or harvesting as well. I’ve seen it in action!
How can you find a local CSA farm? Talk to your friends and neighbors, and visit local farmers’ markets. You can also check out www.localharvest.org, where you can search for CSA farms and markets anywhere in the country by zip code or state.

The bottom line: Knowing where our meals come from is a healthy choice for our families and for the earth.

Purchasing Green Power
By Peter Sniffen, Teaching Fellow
Published Spring 2009

Many people are surprised to learn that 48 percent of electricity in the U.S. still comes from coal-burning power plants (U.S. Department of Energy, 2007), causing environmental degradation in every step of the process. What’s more, recent research shows clearly that for more than any other fossil fuel, the way the world decides to use coal is going to determine the future of our global climate. The good news is that we all have the choice to buy electricity from clean, renewable sources and help break the dirty coal cycle.

According to the DOE, more than half of retail electricity customers in the U.S. can now purchase a green power product—generated by resources such as wind, solar, or hydropower—directly from their electricity supplier. And consumers everywhere can support renewable energy development by purchasing RECs: Renewable Energy Credits, or Certificates.

RECs are offered by many electric companies as well as various organizations; you don’t need to switch your electricity provider to purchase them. An REC is essentially an agreement (sometimes contracted through a third party) in which your electric company agrees to generate an amount of electricity equivalent to your REC purchase from renewable sources. While RECs don’t change the actual electrons coming to your door, they help drive the market and encourage development in renewable energy.

RECs do cost slightly more than conventional electricity. In Maine, it costs 2 to 3 cents more per kWh to purchase power from hydropower and wind turbines. The average Maine home uses about 6,500 kWh of electricity a year, which means completely separating from dirty coal electricity would only cost about $12 a month—a small price to pay to promote a clean energy economy. Chewonki has recently converted all of its electricity accounts to green renewable sources through RECs.
You can find more about purchasing green power and RECs, including a clearinghouse of options organized by state, at the DOE’s website:

http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying. Maine residents can also visit Maine Interfaith Power and Light at www.meipl.org (or call them at 207-721-0444).
So, join Chewonki and leaders around the country and make the switch to renewable energy sources!

The bottom line: By purchasing green power, you’ll reduce your carbon emissions and support development of renewable energy.

Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs
By Elizabeth Pierson
Published Spring 2007

What would it mean if every household in the United States replaced one—just ONE!—traditional incandescent lightbulb with an energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulb? According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, it would reduce global warming pollution by more than 90 billion pounds over the life of the bulbs—the same as taking 6.3 million cars off the road! "So, replace your incandescent bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescents, which now come in all shapes and sizes," say the scientists. "You'll be doing your share to cut back on heat-trapping pollution and you'll save money on your electric bills and light bulbs."

"For any one individual, you aren’t going to see much difference in your bill," says Pathways Coordinator Peter Arnold. "But magnified, the numbers are staggering. Imagine what it would mean if everyone made the switch. Imagine what it would mean if everyone changed all their bulbs!"

Did you know that CFLs:

• Use at least two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and last up to ten times longer?
• Save $30 or more in energy costs over each bulb’s lifetime?
• Generate 70 percent less heat, so they’re safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling?
• Are available to fit in almost any fixture, indoors or outdoors?

In other words, there’s no excuse not to use them! Do be sure to dispose of spent bulbs responsibly, however, because they contain a little mercury, as do all florescent bulbs.

There’s a wealth of information available on CFLs on the internet, including how to dispose of them. A good place to start is with Energy Star, a joint program of the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy that promotes energy-efficient products and practices (www.energystar.gov).

Also, click here to learn how and where to dispose of CFL's  in Maine:
http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/homeowner/fluorescent.htm

The bottom line: Using less energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Solar Hot Water
By Elizabeth Pierson
Published Fall 2007

If you haven't already installed a solar hot water system, we're guessing you've at least thought about it. Yes, we know, this is a much bigger commitment in time, energy, and money than replacing your incandescent lightbulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescents. But as Pathways Coordinator Peter Arnold said recently, "It's time to start putting solar hot water in the 'Of course!' category."

Although the up-front costs may seem high, a solar hot water heater usually pays for itself through energy savings within a very reasonable time. It can also save significant money over its lifetime and be an example of sustainable living for others.

A typical system provides 50 to 70 percent of a household's hot water needs, saving the existing hot water heater as a backup for times of heavy use or extended bad weather. At a cost of $3,500 to $7,000 before state and federal incentives, a system that replaces an electric water heater can pay for itself in four to six years, last fifteen to twenty years, and provide an internal rate of return of 17 percent. Where available, incentives can cut a system's cost by as much as a third to a half. In Maine, for example, homeowners receive a rebate of 25 percent of the cost of the system or $1,250, whichever is less. As in all states, they also receive a federal tax credit of 30 percent of the system's cost, up to $2,000. Do the math, and it's quite an incentive!

Many tools on the internet can help you estimate the cost and savings of a solar installation. A good example can be found at Findsolar.com. These tools are no substitute for a qualified professional, but they can give you some idea of the potential for your home based on your current utility use. These sites also have information on state and federal rebate programs.

The bottom line: If you own your home and can install a system, you'll be saving money and our planet in no time at all.

How Much Energy Does your Computer Use?
By Meg Giuliano, Chewonki Teaching Fellow
Published Spring 2008

According to the EPA, the United States now has more than 180 million computers in use. These machines consume nearly 58 billion kWh per year (about 2% of our electricity consumption in 2006). The average desktop PC uses 65 to 250 watts of electricity in active mode. If your computer draws 200 watts and is left on 24 hours a day, every day, and your electricity costs $0.10 per kWh, your annual computer-related energy costs could reach nearly $175—and would result in emissions of almost 1,700 pounds of CO2 equivalents.

So, what can you do to reduce your emissions and your bills?

• Set your computer’s options to go automatically into sleep or standby mode after 20 minutes of inactivity. This simple trick reduces energy use immensely.
• Turn your computer OFF at night. While powering on and off can cause small amounts of thermal stress in a computer, it will not adversely affect the equipment within its "technologically useful" lifespan.
• Always shut off your monitor when you won’t be using it for an extended period.
• If you can, get a laptop; they use far less energy than PCs. Also, Macs tend to be more efficient than their PC counterparts.
• Update your monitor from an electricity-guzzling CRT (cathode ray tube) to a more efficient LCD (liquid crystal display). New technology is usually much more efficient than old equipment.
• Be aware of the energy consumption of your computer accessories (printers, scanners, speakers, etc.), and be sure to shut them off too when not in use.
• Take note: screensavers do NOT save energy—in fact, they often use more electricity than letting the computer sit idle.

The bottom line: If you turn your computer off when not in use, you will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money on your electricity bill.

"Phantom Energy"
Peter Sniffen, Chewonki Teaching Fellow
Published Fall 2008

Have you heard the terms "phantom energy," "ghost draw," or "vampire appliances"? They refer to the electricity that many appliances and electronic devices use even when they’re turned off. Computers, microwaves, coffeemakers, TVs, and cable boxes, for example, often draw small amounts of energy even when turned off, to power digital displays and standby modes. Gadgets that use rechargeable batteries and plug-in adapters are some of the most aggressive "vampires," because the adapters draw power even when the gadgets themselves aren't plugged in.

This energy use can really add up—and is growing all the time. In the U.S., phantom energy reportedly costs consumers more than $5.8 billion a year, generates more than 87 billion pounds of atmospheric CO2 a year, and accounts for 5–10 percent of household electricity usage.

What can you do about phantom energy? Plenty!

• By far the easiest solution: unplug appliances when they aren't in use.
• Plug appliances into a power strip and switch it off when you aren’t using them.
• To find out how much energy your appliances "secretly" use, purchase a Kill-a-Watt or similar product. This simple device costs about $25 and can calculate consumption by the hour, day, week, month, or year.
• For a small investment, purchase a product like the Smart Strip Power Strip or the WattStopper. They "know" when an appliance is being used and disconnect the power when it’s not. This is great for bundled electronics like your computer, printer, and scanner.
• When buying a new appliance, consider energy usage. The Federal Energy Management Program endorses an online database of appliances and phantom energy use: http://oahu.lbl.gov/cgi-bin/search_data.pl.
• Finally, perhaps the best advice is to keep it simple. When buying appliances and gadgets, consider if you really need all the extra features. Chances are good they come with secret energy needs.

The bottom line: By reducing phantom energy use, you’ll lower your electric bill and your carbon emissions.

This page takes its name (with permission) from the Step It Up 2007 National Day of Climate Action that took place on April 14, 2007. For more information, visit www.stepitup2007.org.