Busy? A Little Distracted? I'm Right There with You

Since the summer of 2006, I've been in a mad dash to help stop global warming. (Ooops. Make that "climate change." Wouldn't want you to think I'm a nut case.) When ZiptoGreen launched in Oct. 2009, I thought I could finally take a breather. No such luck. Since then I've done everything except stand on my head to get folks to engage in energy-saving solutions. I would have done that, too, if anyone had suggested it might work. That's why I can't tell you exactly how much energy and money my household has saved. I've been very, very busy. Really.

When someone asks about my personal savings, I'll go on and on about the insulation we blew into the attic, the Energy Star appliances we purchased, the CLFs scattered throughout the house and our great low-flow shower head. I'll say the typical household spends 25% of energy costs on heating water—needlessly. I'll tell anyone who cares to listen about the disadvantages of a side-by-side refrigerator with an ice maker and water filter in the door, even if it is an Energy Star model. I'll talk about problems I've encountered with trying to use energy efficient lighting. What I can't say is exactly how much money and energy has been saved. I can't do that because I don't know exactly. The truth is, I trust the wealth of data already out there. In large part, it's the same data from the U.S. Dept. of Energy that ZiptoGreen is based on. Generally speaking, I know I've save a lot.

However, the other part of the truth is I've been so busy and distracted some energy-saving actions have been left undone. There's plenty more I can do to reduce my energy use. Unfortunately, most people are also very busy. Especially anyone who fancies him/herself a leader. Even environmental leaders! That doesn't bode well for global warming.

In late 2010, I was struck by a solution—one that might encourage at least a few people to take the time to reduce their energy consumption. What if I walked my talk, consistently?! Every single month. What if I were a better example? What if I kept track of how much money and energy I'm saving? And what if—since I am first and foremost a writer, and a journalist second—I wrote about walking my talk. You think that might work? Sounds like a plan to me.