Create Your Own Individual Action to Shift to a Low Carbon Future
Commit to an action of your own choosing to shift to a low carbon future
There are myriad ways you can be part of our collective shift to a low carbon future. You can create your own commitment to new action below. Check out the side bar to see what other people just like you are committing to.
Use our share forum to share what you are already doing or have done in the past and inspire others. Use the commitment form below to take your next step, deepen what you're already doing, and commit to NEW ACTION.
Individual Action
76 Commitments
This form is for individuals and households; if you are making a congregational or organizational commitment, visit the congregational commitment form.
Okay, I walk to get most of my groceries, almost a mile away.
Decades ago, I commuted to work by bicycle, 14 miles away, for 14 years until a car ran a red light and hit my from wheel. I switched to Metro, which took longer.
I am committed to persuading my fellow liberals and environmentalists that “zero fossil carbon” is essential, and that trees are better than lawns or even meadows. I am learning to scythe.
I have found that a reactor design from http://transatomicpower.com , can CONSUME what others erroneously call “nuclear waste”, and can run on uranium enriched to half the level of presently deployed reactors, meltdown proof, and with a waste production for a gigawatt year of dependable energy, of less than a ton of waste. The waste itself is a thousand times shorter lived than Pu-239.
It is the brainchild of a group from MIT.
The reactor is rated at 520 MWe, small enough for factory production and easier to transport than one single blade of a 5 MW wind turbine. This means that 2,000 of these, over 1,000 GWe of nameplate capacity, could replace ALL of the USA’s present electric generators, providing with their off-peak power enough energy to charge a huge number of electric vehicle batteries, or electricity to supply a hydrogen economy.
To supply the USA’s annual energy consumption of about 450 gigawatt_years would require, at the optimistic wind estimate of a 25% production factor, 1800 GW of wind capacity, which is 360,000 of the gigantic 5 MW wind “turbines”. But most of the wind energy would have to be stored, to be supplied when actually needed.
I am committed, as a retired employee of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to combine the knowledge I learned there with everything the Internet web can supply me, to identify and make known to others the possibility and necessity of a worldwide ZERO fossil carbon footprint.
I have analysed the NRDC’s compilation of emissions reports and find that Dominion Power company,, of which I am a customer, has a carbon dioxide footprint far better than most US electric generating companies, by virtue of the fact that 48% of their energy comes from nuclear. I am doing what I can, including this, to make such knowledge better known, and to banish the idea that wind turbines can do any good whatever.
California was a pioneer, in my boyhood, of nuclear physics research. Not the names Americium, Californium, Berkelium and Lawrencium.
Installed solar panels, grow lots of Vegetables in my yard and also a permaculture community garden, I will use public transportation and bike more often.
Here is a solution to the Climate Crisis that you and Bill Schulz and the Pope wrote about.
I am a member of Citizens Climate Lobby whose purpose is to lobby Congress to adopt the Carbon Fee/ Dividend proposal. Last week we had 900 lobbyist in Washington DC doing our very best.
(by the way, of our 2000 members, 25% are Unitarian Universalists)
Briefly stated, a fee of 15$ per ton of CO2 produced is charged when a fossil fuel is extracted or imported. The fee goes up 10$ per year.
The money from the fees are distributed 100%, monthly, to every household equally so that people can afford the slightly higher costs. In fact, the 60% of the less affluent households will have more than enough, so there is a touch of Robin Hood here. CO2 emissions are cut by 50%
This proposal should appeal to those who hate regulations because all the decisions about energy would be made by individuals and companies. The free market reigns as guided by the rising cost of fossil fuels.
There are constructive side effects above the base case:
Over the 20 years there will be 250,000 fewer deaths due to pollution.
The GDP is increased by $1.4 trillion.
2 million jobs are created
Do you want to solve the climate crisis? Well here you go. This is how the economists would do it.
Please have someone call if there are any questions. 704-367-1895 Or a spokesperson from CCL would give a fine presentation to UUA staff.
I am the coordinator of the Modesto CA chapter of Citizens’ Cllimate Lobby, a nationwide nonprofit organizationpromoting the passage of revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend legislation in Congress. We have lobbied our congressman regularly, beginning in February, 2015. We urge other Unitarians to join Citizens’ Climate Lobby (on the web)!
We now have 18 solar panels on our roof – generating nearly all of our electricity needs on these long sunny days. All of the lights in our home are LED. We drive a plug-in hybrid (Ford c-max Energie) with current mileage reading of 132.4 mpg. I will purchase carbon offsets from Carbonfund.org.
I have started a Citizens Climate Lobby chapter that meets at my congregation.
Our congregation’s Green Sanctuary team will be presenting multiple services over the next several months to educate and motivate congregants to take action on the climate crisis.
I will purchase carbon offsets for my major trips with an organization that will use the money to plant trees. I will donate money for tree planting in honor of friends and family and mail them each cards. I will participate in an Ecosattva training course (Buddhist environmental action group). I will get out my rechargeable batteries and chargers and use them when possible.
I will continue to shop locally and organically whenever possible. I will bike and walk more, drive 20% less. I commit to eating vegetarian meals 2 days a week.
I hope to buy an electric car this year, increase my bike riding to church and errands, reduce eating meat. Open my home to a promotion/demonstration on how to install solar energy on private homes.
Ride tricycle whenever possible; decrease use of plastic, decrease amount of water used; compost; recycle paper, plastic, metal and glass; stop using gas fireplace; continually be conscious of ways to reduce my use of energy.
1. Develop an urban organic garden. Preserve, use & share yields. Reduce food waste. 2. Reduce driving by 50% by walking and using public transportation. 3. Icorporate reused fabric into my quilting projects.
Switching to Arcadia (wind) Power as my residential electric utility, minimize driving (w/ fuel efficient settings), recycle, reuse, and reduce, lower/raise thermostat temperatures, new higher efficiency furnace and a/c unit, reducing meat consumption, buy locally, less water use, always fill dishwasher
Reduce driving, minimize use of A/C, use all-organic lawn and garden products, continue to eat and promote a vegetarian diet for myself and family, grow a small vegetable garden, organize a ‘green’ committee at work to reduce waste and increase recycling.
Drive less, lower thermostat temperature for our furnace, participate in Climate Watch with our local buddhist community, encourage our City Council to decommission the coal fired plant in this community and source more energy from renewables, grow my own food and purchase food from local markets and farmers, never eat processed foods or industrially raised meats
My wife and I decided to go vegan at the end of May. It will take a few weeks to eat up the food in our house that doesn’t qualify. We have been getting ready for awhile, but still have some hurdles to deal with where old habits run deep or suitable foods are hard to find. We know that kind of diet will save the planet more than any other single thing we could do.
Buy dry foods in bulk. Choose non-packaged veggies and fruits. Eat a meatless, dairy less diet MOVEAWAYFROMUSINGPLASTIC, walk when possible and use public transportation….wear a sweater rather than turn on the heat and NOT use the air conditioner. Try to shop at the farmers market more.
I commit to buying foods in bulk and mostly avoiding plastic but reusing glass containers, car pooling when possible or walking. I will reduce meat consumption especially red meat which has a higher carbon footprint, buy local organic, grass fed, small farmed food. Recycling everything I can. Also avoiding non-recyclable blister packaging, and styrofoam. Bring a travel mug when I order coffee. Get organic free trade coffee. Bring a cloth napkin and reusable utensils wherever I go. Turnoff lights, use compact fluorescent bulbs (are they really better? aren’t they are hazardous waste?) Drive a compact car. Don’t flush unless I have too.
I am going to work harder to lower my consumption of energy for heating my apartment and for my electric bill. I have changed from being vegetarian to being vegan since last August, and will continue that life style.
Create Your Own Individual Action to Shift to a Low Carbon Future
Showing 76 reactions
Decades ago, I commuted to work by bicycle, 14 miles away, for 14 years until a car ran a red light and hit my from wheel. I switched to Metro, which took longer.
I am committed to persuading my fellow liberals and environmentalists that “zero fossil carbon” is essential, and that trees are better than lawns or even meadows. I am learning to scythe.
I have found that a reactor design from http://transatomicpower.com , can CONSUME what others erroneously call “nuclear waste”, and can run on uranium enriched to half the level of presently deployed reactors, meltdown proof, and with a waste production for a gigawatt year of dependable energy, of less than a ton of waste. The waste itself is a thousand times shorter lived than Pu-239.
It is the brainchild of a group from MIT.
The reactor is rated at 520 MWe, small enough for factory production and easier to transport than one single blade of a 5 MW wind turbine. This means that 2,000 of these, over 1,000 GWe of nameplate capacity, could replace ALL of the USA’s present electric generators, providing with their off-peak power enough energy to charge a huge number of electric vehicle batteries, or electricity to supply a hydrogen economy.
To supply the USA’s annual energy consumption of about 450 gigawatt_years would require, at the optimistic wind estimate of a 25% production factor, 1800 GW of wind capacity, which is 360,000 of the gigantic 5 MW wind “turbines”. But most of the wind energy would have to be stored, to be supplied when actually needed.
I am committed, as a retired employee of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to combine the knowledge I learned there with everything the Internet web can supply me, to identify and make known to others the possibility and necessity of a worldwide ZERO fossil carbon footprint.
I have analysed the NRDC’s compilation of emissions reports and find that Dominion Power company,, of which I am a customer, has a carbon dioxide footprint far better than most US electric generating companies, by virtue of the fact that 48% of their energy comes from nuclear. I am doing what I can, including this, to make such knowledge better known, and to banish the idea that wind turbines can do any good whatever.
California was a pioneer, in my boyhood, of nuclear physics research. Not the names Americium, Californium, Berkelium and Lawrencium.
I am a member of Citizens Climate Lobby whose purpose is to lobby Congress to adopt the Carbon Fee/ Dividend proposal. Last week we had 900 lobbyist in Washington DC doing our very best.
(by the way, of our 2000 members, 25% are Unitarian Universalists)
The official two page proposal is here:
http://dv7gcmvxe5e8l.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Carbon-Fee-and-Dividend-April-2014.pdf
A four page summary of the detailed model study is here:
http://citizensclimatelobby.org/remi-report/
Briefly stated, a fee of 15$ per ton of CO2 produced is charged when a fossil fuel is extracted or imported. The fee goes up 10$ per year.
The money from the fees are distributed 100%, monthly, to every household equally so that people can afford the slightly higher costs. In fact, the 60% of the less affluent households will have more than enough, so there is a touch of Robin Hood here. CO2 emissions are cut by 50%
This proposal should appeal to those who hate regulations because all the decisions about energy would be made by individuals and companies. The free market reigns as guided by the rising cost of fossil fuels.
There are constructive side effects above the base case:
Over the 20 years there will be 250,000 fewer deaths due to pollution.
The GDP is increased by $1.4 trillion.
2 million jobs are created
Do you want to solve the climate crisis? Well here you go. This is how the economists would do it.
Please have someone call if there are any questions. 704-367-1895 Or a spokesperson from CCL would give a fine presentation to UUA staff.
Our congregation’s Green Sanctuary team will be presenting multiple services over the next several months to educate and motivate congregants to take action on the climate crisis.
Intentionally stop to pick up discarded plastic bags and bottles for re-purposing and/or recycling.