[MD]

OK gang, time to match words with action.

How much have you reduced your personal/household energy use this past year?

screwed up the poll. Last was :

80-100%, compost me i'm dead.

since the dead can't vote, except in America, where the dead have cast millions of votes, it shouldn't be an issue

[MD]

Cut vehicle miles from 20k to 6k
turned off AC this year(well, almost..a couple days there it was damn hot)
80% organic, no processed foods, no fast food
I am waiting for the dryer to break, I will miss it, but I am tired of buying cheap life-cycle engineered appliances.


Making progress, but still a high maintenance American

[leal]

Over a year ago I moved closer to work. Now I can walk or bike to work instead of driving, thus reducing the need for fossil fuels. This was more than twelve months ago however so that doesn't count?

[Licho]

I actually increased my energy use. I moved from one flat (where I lived with 5 people) to another where we are just 2. I'm trying to not use heating as much and I try to off electronical devices (instead of standby). But some can't handle it Digital cable TV settop box "loads" and authrozies channels again if you turn it off completely and it takes hour or so..

I now live 5min away from work and I can walk everywhere, all shops I need are around, swimming pools and other stuff I visit also. But I bought a new car (I tried to pick small and efficient one - so I have toyota yaris) and I'm traveling longer distances by car instead by train now (I'm trying to fill it with people as much as possible though).

[TorrKing]

Very little I am afraid. My living situation doesn't allow for all that much reduction in energy use. Have no land to grow crops on. There is no other possibility for heating than electricity (or wearing outdoors clothes inside).

Any reduction would have to come from foraging wild edibles and poaching fish and game.

This is not my post-PO location luckily.

[MD]

Over a year ago I moved closer to work. Now I can walk or bike to work instead of driving, thus reducing the need for fossil fuels. This was more than twelve months ago however so that doesn't count?

yeah, good point. after posting I throught it would have been better to make it "power down since personal awareness day".

oh well. maybe somebody should repost the whole thing with a new poll and trash this one.

[americandream]

I ceased caring a long time ago when the dumbos in the West peddled the crack cocaine of "democracy" to then fairly simple societies.

Now, I'm comsuming and don't care. Am in fact considering revving up my polluting ways to the high heavens.

I'm all for destroying the planet. It may not work, but heck, it's never really worked for the Third World so whats to save.

The rock will still be here in one form or another, minus a few hundred million arrogant free loaders.

[MD]

This question should be modified and reposted as a sticky.
what say?

[basil_hayden]

If it can be done properly, 0-20% "no action"? I was as low as I could go already, just cut the fun out. No, I'm not living in a yurt.

[jato]

I voted:

0-20% all words, no action

I am not "all words" since I never agreed to use less energy. If you want me to use less, raise the price to destroy my demand.

I actually used more energy in 2006:

-I bought a larger SUV.
-I had another baby
-I used tons of electricity during our massive summer heat wave.

[smallpoxgirl]

I actually increased my energy use pretty dramatically in the last six months.

I was already living in a tiny cabin in the woods.

I parked my 76 F150 and bought a 93 Saturn. 15mpg->36 mpg.

The clincher though is that I took a job that's over 500 miles from my home. I'm commuting back and forth every week...mostly on airplanes.

On a personal level it smart to be prepared to cope with the fuel price spike we know is coming. On a societal level, the sooner we use this stuff all up and crash, the better the world will be.

[Ludi]

Not very relevant. I use little energy in day-to-day life compared to the average American. Our household and business combined use about 550 Kwh per month. I don't keep track much of driving, I guess we go to town a couple times a weeks, so, maybe 50 miles a week driving, sometimes more if we go to "big town."

[Armageddon]

I am doing my part to get PO here as quickly as possibly. I am using more energy than I have ever used.

[ChicknLittle]

In the last year I've 1) bought a more efficient house which is 3) 3 miles from my job 3)Meaning I can bike to work. I also sold my second automobile (the nice car), keeping a little old practical pickup truck. I bought cellular blinds (helps with insulation) for the windows, and insulated the roof up to R-50. Oh, and I have bought flourescent lights. And, Im learning to garden. Future plans include buying a lot for wood if possible and digging a cistern (within the next few years)...

Despite all of this I'm pessimistic, realizing that short of becoming self sufficient (for food, shelter and energy... not going to happen on 1 acre) I cannot insulate myself from a collapse. I'll keep working in this direction, but realize I'm dependant on everybody else's response : (

[WisJim]

We already produce 2/3 or so of our electricity with wind and sun, but I am finally getting solar hot water radiant heat hooked up in the garage/shop, and our new (replaced a similar old one) forced air wood furnace should burn less wood, give more uniform heat, and preheat our domestic hot water, and provide some hot water for the radiant floor heating in the sun room/greenhouse, so will be be using more heated space this winter, and should have less heat bill (burning less wood). Also replaced our 1992 Geo Prizm (35 to 40mpg) with a 2000 Chevy Metro (40-55mpg).