Sierra Club Green Home

We’ve put together these basic frequently asked questions to give you a starting point in your global warming education. When you’re done reading up on the basics, check out our site to learn more about how you can do your part to lower your contribution to global warming.

Times are tough, there’s no doubt about it. We’re facing multiple crises, from a warming planet to dwindling fossil fuel reserves to a stumbling economy. Reducing energy consumption won’t make all these problems disappear, but it can make a difference. To fire you up, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite energy-saving tips, starting with ones that won’t cost you a penny.

Win-win or pay to sin?
You’ve seen it in the news: Celebrities are flying all over the globe in private jets, then assuaging their guilty consciences by paying a fee to a company to “offset” their emissions of carbon dioxide and other climate-altering greenhouse gases. Or maybe you’ve passed a Hummer on the highway with a [...]

Homes account for a whopping 21% of all U.S. emissions of climate-changing carbon dioxide. And that’s just from powering furnaces, air conditioners, lights, and appliances. It doesn’t take into account the energy that goes into building, furnishing, and maintaining our homes. Want to learn more? Read on!

In a recent press conference, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson said that in the next few months, carbon dioxide (CO2) will be declared a dangerous pollutant. As Jackson states it, a formal “endangerment finding”will cause the government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, which will, undoubtedly, help move climate change legislation through Congress.

Is your lunch causing global warming?!?! Did you know, the food system is responsible for 1/3 of global greenhouse gas emissions? With every meal you eat, you have the power to reduce climate change.
The Bon Appétit Management Company Low Carbon Diet Calculator is designed to allow you to compare the relative carbon impacts of your [...]

Looking for a place to recycle your waste? Try this free service offered on our site through Earth911. Beginning a recycling program is an important first step to having a green home.

Want to know why even small steps like recycling matter? Read on to find out!

Originally published in Sierra Magazine in 2007
By Reed McManus
IN FEBRUARY 1977, JIMMY CARTER donned a cardigan to encourage Americans, still reeling from the effects of the Arab oil embargo, to turn down their thermostats as a way of immediately reducing the country’s dependence on imported oil. The former nuclear engineer was parodied for what looked [...]