Make your Own Climate Impact
I cut my emissions by more than 50%. You can too. Here’s how.
My new (to me) 2019 Nissan Leaf and Liza Borches, President and CEO of Carter Myers Automotive.
I’ve cut my household and transportation emissions by more than half in the last year. What’s even better is that those emissions will continue to decrease every year without further action.
How did I do it? Maybe you’re thinking I took a shortcut by purchasing carbon offsets, that I made an added investment like solar panels, or that my lifestyle requires sacrifice to achieve these reductions. The truth is that I did it simply by maintaining my household, understanding the opportunities, and seizing the moment to slash my carbon footprint through electrification.
Why Electrify?
That’s right, my home and my car are now 100% electric. In 2020, we swapped out our gas furnace and water heater for electric heat pumps and switched our gas range to electric induction. Then in September of 2021, I purchased my first electric vehicle (EV).
The result is that my household emissions are down by 51% in the last year, and my EV purchase should cut my transportation emissions by 50 - 80% depending on how much I use it over my remaining gas-powered vehicle.
Using electricity still creates emissions, but each year as more renewable energy sources are added to the grid, the emissions from electricity decrease. Since 2015, emissions per megawatt-hour of electricity have decreased by 25%. That improvement will continue as we approach the Commonwealth’s goal of carbon-free electricity by 2040.
Because my home and primary vehicle are now fully electric, my household emissions could reduce another 15% by 2025 and 30% by 2030 without additional action.
Seize the Opportunity
There are key decisions we make only once or twice a decade that significantly impact our ability to reduce our personal greenhouse gas emissions. We mostly make these decisions with very little information or planning. But if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, you need to understand these opportunities, make a plan for how to respond, and invest in a lower carbon future.
If you are like me, you didn’t purchase, build, or rent a new home. That means that the decisions about energy efficiency, heating and cooling fuel sources, and most installed appliances were made by someone else, possibly a decade or more before you arrived. Most people don’t even think about these systems — until they fail.
To position your household for carbon reduction, the first question you should ask is, “How old is my equipment?” You can expect a traditional furnace to last for 15 - 20 years, a water heater to last for 8 - 12 years, and a cooking range to last for 15 years. If any of your equipment is staring down its expiration date, you may have an opportunity to drastically reduce your emissions.
My new electric heat pump HVAC system and hybrid heat pump water heater.
The same is true for your transportation. When will you need to replace one or more of your vehicles? If that time horizon is approaching, I encourage you to consider how an electric vehicle can fit into your lifestyle.
Be a Part of the Solution
To prevent the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions must reduce by 45% or more by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The major decisions you make today for home energy use and transportation will last for a decade or more. By making a plan to become more efficient and electrify before your next major purchase of a household or transportation system, you can make your own impact on climate change.
As for me, I will be seeking my next opportunity to accelerate my household emissions reductions. Now that my home and car are fully electric, solar panels will be my next climate action. What’s yours?