Comments on: Climate Change: Individuals Cannot Make A Real Difference http://fivepercent.us/2009/12/16/climate-change-individuals-cannot-make-a-real-difference/ If you cannot change the world by yourself, start by making a small change ... just 5% less is easy, and here's how. Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:01:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Tony Wildish http://fivepercent.us/2009/12/16/climate-change-individuals-cannot-make-a-real-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-62559 Tony Wildish Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:32:56 +0000 http://fivepercent.us/?p=1347#comment-62559 Darryl, good on you for setting up the new site. I see you already link to 1010uk, but did you know they were trying to take it global too? Not very effectively, it seems, they aren't the most web-savvy of people by the look of their site. There's a <a href='http://www.1010uk.org/people#what_is_1010/not_in_uk' rel="nofollow">page buried deep in their site</a> for people outside the UK, with a contact email address. You might be able to help each other spread the word better together. Darryl, good on you for setting up the new site. I see you already link to 1010uk, but did you know they were trying to take it global too? Not very effectively, it seems, they aren’t the most web-savvy of people by the look of their site.

There’s a page buried deep in their site for people outside the UK, with a contact email address. You might be able to help each other spread the word better together.

]]> By: Darryl McMahon http://fivepercent.us/2009/12/16/climate-change-individuals-cannot-make-a-real-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-62558 Darryl McMahon Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:06:05 +0000 http://fivepercent.us/?p=1347#comment-62558 Tom and all, I have gone a step further for 2010. I have initiated a campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in 2010. It started as a New Year's resolution out of my frustration with the failure of COP15 in Copenhagen. As I spoke to a few people in late December, there was a sense they did not know what they could do that would make a positive contribution. Therefore, I decided to create a new Web site to provide that sort of information, that could be used by regular consumers and citizens to help them reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as well, without reducing quality of life. The focus is on Canadians, but much of the information will work in at least parts of the U.S. as well. If that is of interest, please visit 10n10.ca. If you think it is helpful, please spread the word. Tom and all,
I have gone a step further for 2010. I have initiated a campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in 2010. It started as a New Year’s resolution out of my frustration with the failure of COP15 in Copenhagen. As I spoke to a few people in late December, there was a sense they did not know what they could do that would make a positive contribution. Therefore, I decided to create a new Web site to provide that sort of information, that could be used by regular consumers and citizens to help them reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as well, without reducing quality of life. The focus is on Canadians, but much of the information will work in at least parts of the U.S. as well.

If that is of interest, please visit 10n10.ca. If you think it is helpful, please spread the word.

]]> By: Alex http://fivepercent.us/2009/12/16/climate-change-individuals-cannot-make-a-real-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-62556 Alex Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:38:50 +0000 http://fivepercent.us/?p=1347#comment-62556 Tom We do read what you post, and at times we comment! Change begins with one person who has a vision, sometimes slowly and sometimes quickly, but when the people with vision give up, that is when a society dies. Energy saving cannot be for the money, ours is like $20.00 per months, 35% of the small apartment we live in, and our carbon saving are less than visible at best. But I believe we make a difference, and one day we will all (well almost all) save, simply because it is the right thing to do! Tom

We do read what you post, and at times we comment!

Change begins with one person who has a vision, sometimes slowly and sometimes quickly, but when the people with vision give up, that is when a society dies.

Energy saving cannot be for the money, ours is like $20.00 per months, 35% of the small apartment we live in, and our carbon saving are less than visible at best.

But I believe we make a difference, and one day we will all (well almost all) save, simply because it is the right thing to do!

]]> By: Darryl McMahon http://fivepercent.us/2009/12/16/climate-change-individuals-cannot-make-a-real-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-62517 Darryl McMahon Sun, 27 Dec 2009 04:41:12 +0000 http://fivepercent.us/?p=1347#comment-62517 For Christmas, I received a ScanGaugeII - a vehicle monitoring device that I have wanted for a couple of years. While I have electric vehicles, there are still gassers in the household fleet. This should help me to improve my driving efficiency techniques still further. Even though my household energy consumption has dropped (upgraded insulation & windows, solar heating, programmable thermostat, efficient appliances, water use reductions, hot water use reductions, etc.), I expect 2010 will bring still more ways to reduce our energy consumption. Does it make a difference? I know it has to, and as more people see that it doesn't reduce our quality of life, I expect they will find it less intimidating, and try some things themselves. Try, measure, repost success, repeat. For Christmas, I received a ScanGaugeII – a vehicle monitoring device that I have wanted for a couple of years. While I have electric vehicles, there are still gassers in the household fleet. This should help me to improve my driving efficiency techniques still further.

Even though my household energy consumption has dropped (upgraded insulation & windows, solar heating, programmable thermostat, efficient appliances, water use reductions, hot water use reductions, etc.), I expect 2010 will bring still more ways to reduce our energy consumption.

Does it make a difference? I know it has to, and as more people see that it doesn’t reduce our quality of life, I expect they will find it less intimidating, and try some things themselves.

Try, measure, repost success, repeat.

]]> By: Tom Harrison http://fivepercent.us/2009/12/16/climate-change-individuals-cannot-make-a-real-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-62507 Tom Harrison Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:45:48 +0000 http://fivepercent.us/?p=1347#comment-62507 Mike's Wife -- As it turns out, we also had dinner with another couple -- it wasn't <em>your Mike</em> that revealed the holiday present. Your Mike is getting you a Hummer and shares in ExxonMobil. Sorry -- I guess I should have "anonymized" the data in the post a little better. Who knew anyone I know read the drivel I wrote? And thanks for dinner, it was awesome as always! And the guy who did our energy audit is Flemming Lund at Infrared Diagnostics. There's a link at the bottom of<a href="/2009/05/19/energy-audit-what-we-learned/" rel="nofollow">my post on the results of the audit</a>. Mike’s Wife –

As it turns out, we also had dinner with another couple — it wasn’t your Mike that revealed the holiday present. Your Mike is getting you a Hummer and shares in ExxonMobil.

Sorry — I guess I should have “anonymized” the data in the post a little better. Who knew anyone I know read the drivel I wrote? And thanks for dinner, it was awesome as always!

And the guy who did our energy audit is Flemming Lund at Infrared Diagnostics. There’s a link at the bottom ofmy post on the results of the audit.

]]> By: Mike's Wife http://fivepercent.us/2009/12/16/climate-change-individuals-cannot-make-a-real-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-62506 Mike's Wife Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:46:14 +0000 http://fivepercent.us/?p=1347#comment-62506 Tom, Thanks for joining us for dinner and revealing my present. I've been wanting an electricity monitor for a long time! Don't worry, I'll act surprised. Electricity monitor today . . . paperless office tomorrow. We're on our way. And so are millions of others. It's a fight worth fighting. Thanks for being a good friend and role model, Mike's Wife P.S. Can you send me the name and phone number of the person who did your energy audit? That's on the list for 2010 as well. Tom,
Thanks for joining us for dinner and revealing my present. I’ve been wanting an electricity monitor for a long time! Don’t worry, I’ll act surprised.
Electricity monitor today . . . paperless office tomorrow. We’re on our way. And so are millions of others. It’s a fight worth fighting.
Thanks for being a good friend and role model,
Mike’s Wife
P.S. Can you send me the name and phone number of the person who did your energy audit? That’s on the list for 2010 as well.

]]> By: Tom Harrison http://fivepercent.us/2009/12/16/climate-change-individuals-cannot-make-a-real-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-62502 Tom Harrison Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:48:26 +0000 http://fivepercent.us/?p=1347#comment-62502 Kirsten and Tony -- Just my view, rationalizing what may have been better described as "peeing into the wind". Still, you both are "mavens" -- it's hard when you want something to happen, and the outcome is just "it might happen". Thanks for your support. All of this will, of course, happen. The only question is: when? Tom P.S. Now would be good. Kirsten and Tony –

Just my view, rationalizing what may have been better described as “peeing into the wind”. Still, you both are “mavens” — it’s hard when you want something to happen, and the outcome is just “it might happen”.

Thanks for your support.

All of this will, of course, happen. The only question is: when?

Tom

P.S. Now would be good.

]]> By: Tony Wildish http://fivepercent.us/2009/12/16/climate-change-individuals-cannot-make-a-real-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-62501 Tony Wildish Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:50:16 +0000 http://fivepercent.us/?p=1347#comment-62501 Hi Tom, as one of the people who has been inspired by your blog, I have to agree with what you say. I now measure my electricity, water, and petrol consumption, and am actively looking at ways to reduce them. Keep up the good work! Hi Tom,

as one of the people who has been inspired by your blog, I have to agree with what you say. I now measure my electricity, water, and petrol consumption, and am actively looking at ways to reduce them. Keep up the good work!

]]> By: Kirsten@Nexyoo http://fivepercent.us/2009/12/16/climate-change-individuals-cannot-make-a-real-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-62500 Kirsten@Nexyoo Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:38:42 +0000 http://fivepercent.us/?p=1347#comment-62500 Great post. No matter how small individual efforts may be in the big picture, I agree that they're still important. It's important that as individuals we also lend support to political change, too. We all need to do everything that we can! Great post. No matter how small individual efforts may be in the big picture, I agree that they’re still important. It’s important that as individuals we also lend support to political change, too. We all need to do everything that we can!

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