Baseline carbon (pp): 9,094 lbs
12-month carbon (pp on 11/16/08): 8,662 lbs
Percent change: -5%

The way we reduced our energy use is by having a person in the house obsessed with energy. A few years ago, I had an energy audit and got a book out of the library on insulation and weather sealing. That led to me putting together an efficiency plan with what seems like 100 little tasks--changing light bulbs, caulking around the windows and cracks in the foundation, buying a air-tight dome for our drop-down attic staircase. These weatherization tasks are ongoing, mostly focused on air sealing and adding more insulation to our attic.

But the big thing that really gave us a dramatic cut in our net home energy use was having solar electric panels installed. They were put on in the spring of 2008 and through most of the summer, produced about as much electricity as we consumed. That hasn't been true in the winter, but it gives us a goal to shoot for. We also use a pellet stove for most of our heating--it's more work than setting a programmable thermostat but I think it's cleaner.

Outside the home, we try to use the car less by biking to work, sports events, or shopping. We also shop for food with an eye towards supporting locally grown organic foods. We're part of a CSA where we buy nearly all our meat and this winter we joined a vegetable CSA that brings us organically grown food from farms on the east coast. In the spring and summer, we try to do all our vegetable and fruit shopping at farmers markets.

Use power strips for your computer gear, TV and the like. It's fine to turn your router on and off every day.

Get a bike overhaul or buy a new comfortable bike and you're more likely to use it.

Learn about air sealing: make sure your attic is well sealed before insulating more.

Greening your home is a long journey. Some of it is work, like hiring an energy auditor and doing some of the work. But more than anything, it's the daily choice you make-upgrading to a fuel efficient car, turning lights off, buying locally grown food. The choices you make are an example to others, particularly children.

The cable show Public Square, hosted by Jeff Thielman, did a show on cutting energy use at home. I was one of the Energy Smackdown participants who was interviewed, showing off some of the changes we did to lower our footprint.