Top 10 actions you can take to reduce your personal GHG emissions

1. Drive your personal vehicle less – walk, bike, bus or carpool

On average, carpooling with one person can save 2,000 litres of gasoline a year and automatically cut your car emissions in half. By using public transit for a year instead of a car, you can reduce your GHG emissions by approximately one tonne.

2. Be idle free

Ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting your engine. Idling your vehicle for 10 minutes a day uses an average of 100 litres of gas a year. If the cost of gas is $1.00 a litre, you can save $100 per year.

3. Keep your vehicle well maintained

A poorly maintained vehicle can increase fuel consumption by up to 15% and up to 50% if your car has not been regularly maintained – and greenhouse gas emissions by even more.

4. Drive the most efficient vehicle that can meet your needs

Vehicle efficiency technology has improved substantially in the last few years. A pre-1995 vehicle emits 65 times more emissions than a 2007 vehicle. Sports utility vehicles (SUVs), minivans and pick-up trucks consume 50-70% more fuel than other passenger cars.

5. Avoid the use of 2 stroke engines – boats, lawnmowers, and snowmobiles

Depending on the year, make and model, lawnmowers emit as much pollution in one hour as driving a car from 30 to over 300 kilometres. Four-stroke engines are 70% more efficient than two-stroke engines or consider an electric mower which can reduce emissions by 90%. Push lawnmowers are quiet and don’t emit any greenhouse gases or ground level air pollutants.

6. Make your building more energy efficient

Insulating basement and attic walls can save you as much as 30% in energy costs and insulating your water tank can increase energy efficiency by 25-40%. Keeping your furnace or boiler well maintained can improve efficiency by 10-15%. Properly sealing/caulking windows can prevent heat loss by up to 25%.

7. Reduce, reuse, recycle and compost household waste

Composting helps to avoid the methane (CH₄) produced when organic matter breaks down in a landfill. Methane traps 21 times more heat than carbon dioxide (CO₂). Composting can reduce the amount of garbage you produce by one third and the finished product can be used as fertilizer for your lawn.

8. Consume wisely

When possible, choose local, organic, minimally packaged foods and durable, reusable, recycled, biodegradable products. A typical meal travels long distances before it reaches your dinner plate, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions. On average, packaging makes up half of our garbage volume.

9. Carefully manage fertilizer application

Nitrogen-based fertilizers produce nitrous oxide (N₂O) which traps 310 times more heat reflected from the earth than carbon dioxide and can cause surface and groundwater contamination. Consider organic options such as mulched lawn clippings.

10. Plant trees

Planting trees around your house can save you an average of 20-25% in energy costs, in comparison to an unsheltered house. Trees also help absorb carbon. Plant deciduous (leafy) trees on the south side of your home to provide cool shade during the summer and allow sunshine through during the winter. Plant coniferous (evergreen) trees on the north side of your home to protect your home from cold winter winds. Choose local species – they are adapted to Manitoba's climate and require less water and maintenance.

Predictions and analysis were excerpted from:
Environment Canada
Climate Change Connection
Resource Conservation Manitoba

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