Go Green: Related Resources and Links
Our mission here at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies is to encourage and equip you to help save the planet. That's a big ambition for a small store, but luckily we aren't doing this alone!
The Maine Switch
Read Fred's column on The Maine Switch's Be Green page.
In my December column, the spirit of Winter Solstice future urged me to share this knowledge of how to live without fossil fuel.
What Are Fossil Fuels?
Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons that are found in the Earth's crust, including petroleum, coal and natural gas. They are called "fossil" fuels because it is believed they were formed over millions of years from the remains of living organisms.
Why Are Fossil Fuels Unsustainable?
Burning fossil fuels is expected to lead to economic and environmental catastrophe. Once the natural supply of these fuels is exhausted, enormous price spikes should result. These price spikes will be difficult for financial markets to accommodate, triggering global recessions and economic contraction.
Besides the economic difficulties forecasted, environmental challenges may be even more difficult to handle. Evidence indicates that the carbon dioxide that results from burning fossil fuel is accumulating in our atmosphere. This change in atmospheric chemistry is projected to have fatal consequences for plants and animals adapted for a planet with lower levels of carbon dioxide. Within a few dozen human generations, the planet may experience another major extinction event like the one that occurred 65 million years ago when the dinosaurs died out.
How Can I Live Without Fossil Fuels?
Buying green electricity and then switching your home heating and water heating from fossil fuel to electricity will get you most of the way to a fossil-fuel-free lifestyle. Transportation is then your biggest challenge, but all-electric vehicles are now on the market.
Here's a step-by-step guide to living without fossil fuels, in order of importance:
- Buy green electricity. If you live in Maine, go to Maine Renewable Energy to buy your electricity from hydropower dams and wind farms.
- Heat with solar space heaters, electric heaters, and a wood stove as back up for power outages.
- Switch to a solar hot water heater, with electric or wood back up.
- Eat locally-grown food in season.
- Walk and bicycle as much as you can.
- If you have a gas or diesel vehicle, trade it in for an electric vehicle.
- Choose paper, glass, metal and bio-resin products instead of plastic.
- Choose natural flooring and building materials instead of vinyl and petroleum-based synthetics.
The good news is that we have consumer choices available now that allow us to live without burning fossil fuels. The sooner we get started, the easier the transition will be to a life free of fossil fuels!
Sustainable Living Handbook
Find practical tips and ideas in our Sustainable Living Handbook.
Environmental Standards and Certifications
- EnergySmart Home Scale
- Energy Star
- Forest Stewardship Council
- Green Seal
- ISO 14000 Environmental Management
- NAHB National Green Building Program (industry conceived)
- Rainforest Alliance
- Sustainable Forestry Initiative (industry conceived)
- U.S. Green Building Council LEED Rating System
Environmental Magazines and Web Sites
- E Magazine
- The Ecologist
- The Green Guide
- Green Home Guide
- Greenlight Magazine
- Grist
- Home Energy Magazine
- Home Power Magazine
- Mother Earth News
- Orion Magazine
- Plenty Magazine
Books
We also invite you to browse our recommendations available through Amazon.com.
