Knock yourself out it you think it'll make a difference ...
I imagine hospitals/restaurants/seniors homes will never switch due to the risk of improper sterilization...
OK, so you just want to deride my comments or argue. Fine. It looks like we are done here. I am. Adios.
Who's arguing ... the earth is overpopulated with mostly poor people. Poor people will always choose the cheaper option. Can you fix those problems? Because unless those problems are solved, the earth is doomed.
OK, so you say we're doomed. Fine.
Look, I think this thread is worth saving not because I made it but because the Earth which feeds and sustains us deserves it.
No, of course I cannot fix the problems that are harming the planet. No ONE person can do that. Saying we're doomed will not make it better either. Anyone here can insist on being negative and pessimistic, that's their right. But that is not the intent of this thread. Maybe doomsdayers could create a "The World is Doomed" thread for those with that view who don't want to talk about solutions on this one.
Don't worry about PJSOUL Brian. He is just very much a glass three-quarters empty kind of guy. I'm not sure what will please you on any level PJSOUL - I've yet to see it! You're the official forum naysayer I think, lol. The straw ban is a great first step. There is also a Canada-wide ban on microbeads already, to take effect I think this year or next, can't quite remember (they gave time for companies to adjust). Obviously hospitals and the like will manage to adjust just fine. I already ordered by set of stainless steel straws, they're on their way. I ordered a set for my mom too, since she has an essential tremour that goes kind of wild specifically when she raises a cup or glass to her mouth, so she sometimes needs a straw to avoid throwing her drink all over the place.
LOL, I'm going to have to sit down with you two with some drinks and bamboo straws and work this out. No one leaves the table until everyone is laughing and happy or passes out. Deal?
Knock yourself out it you think it'll make a difference ...
I imagine hospitals/restaurants/seniors homes will never switch due to the risk of improper sterilization...
OK, so you just want to deride my comments or argue. Fine. It looks like we are done here. I am. Adios.
Who's arguing ... the earth is overpopulated with mostly poor people. Poor people will always choose the cheaper option. Can you fix those problems? Because unless those problems are solved, the earth is doomed.
OK, so you say we're doomed. Fine.
Look, I think this thread is worth saving not because I made it but because the Earth which feeds and sustains us deserves it.
No, of course I cannot fix the problems that are harming the planet. No ONE person can do that. Saying we're doomed will not make it better either. Anyone here can insist on being negative and pessimistic, that's their right. But that is not the intent of this thread. Maybe doomsdayers could create a "The World is Doomed" thread for those with that view who don't want to talk about solutions on this one.
Don't worry about PJSOUL Brian. He is just very much a glass three-quarters empty kind of guy. I'm not sure what will please you on any level PJSOUL - I've yet to see it! You're the official forum naysayer I think, lol. The straw ban is a great first step. There is also a Canada-wide ban on microbeads already, to take effect I think this year or next, can't quite remember (they gave time for companies to adjust). Obviously hospitals and the like will manage to adjust just fine. I already ordered by set of stainless steel straws, they're on their way. I ordered a set for my mom too, since she has an essential tremour that goes kind of wild specifically when she raises a cup or glass to her mouth, so she sometimes needs a straw to avoid throwing her drink all over the place.
LOL, I'm going to have to sit down with you two with some drinks and bamboo straws and work this out. No one leaves the table until everyone is laughing and happy or passes out. Deal?
I want in on this
You got it!
Everyone is invited! But where?
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Knock yourself out it you think it'll make a difference ...
I imagine hospitals/restaurants/seniors homes will never switch due to the risk of improper sterilization...
OK, so you just want to deride my comments or argue. Fine. It looks like we are done here. I am. Adios.
Who's arguing ... the earth is overpopulated with mostly poor people. Poor people will always choose the cheaper option. Can you fix those problems? Because unless those problems are solved, the earth is doomed.
OK, so you say we're doomed. Fine.
Look, I think this thread is worth saving not because I made it but because the Earth which feeds and sustains us deserves it.
No, of course I cannot fix the problems that are harming the planet. No ONE person can do that. Saying we're doomed will not make it better either. Anyone here can insist on being negative and pessimistic, that's their right. But that is not the intent of this thread. Maybe doomsdayers could create a "The World is Doomed" thread for those with that view who don't want to talk about solutions on this one.
Don't worry about PJSOUL Brian. He is just very much a glass three-quarters empty kind of guy. I'm not sure what will please you on any level PJSOUL - I've yet to see it! You're the official forum naysayer I think, lol. The straw ban is a great first step. There is also a Canada-wide ban on microbeads already, to take effect I think this year or next, can't quite remember (they gave time for companies to adjust). Obviously hospitals and the like will manage to adjust just fine. I already ordered by set of stainless steel straws, they're on their way. I ordered a set for my mom too, since she has an essential tremour that goes kind of wild specifically when she raises a cup or glass to her mouth, so she sometimes needs a straw to avoid throwing her drink all over the place.
This is totally against forum rules. Plus it makes no sense.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Knock yourself out it you think it'll make a difference ...
I imagine hospitals/restaurants/seniors homes will never switch due to the risk of improper sterilization...
OK, so you just want to deride my comments or argue. Fine. It looks like we are done here. I am. Adios.
Who's arguing ... the earth is overpopulated with mostly poor people. Poor people will always choose the cheaper option. Can you fix those problems? Because unless those problems are solved, the earth is doomed.
OK, so you say we're doomed. Fine.
Look, I think this thread is worth saving not because I made it but because the Earth which feeds and sustains us deserves it.
No, of course I cannot fix the problems that are harming the planet. No ONE person can do that. Saying we're doomed will not make it better either. Anyone here can insist on being negative and pessimistic, that's their right. But that is not the intent of this thread. Maybe doomsdayers could create a "The World is Doomed" thread for those with that view who don't want to talk about solutions on this one.
Don't worry about PJSOUL Brian. He is just very much a glass three-quarters empty kind of guy. I'm not sure what will please you on any level PJSOUL - I've yet to see it! You're the official forum naysayer I think, lol. The straw ban is a great first step. There is also a Canada-wide ban on microbeads already, to take effect I think this year or next, can't quite remember (they gave time for companies to adjust). Obviously hospitals and the like will manage to adjust just fine. I already ordered by set of stainless steel straws, they're on their way. I ordered a set for my mom too, since she has an essential tremour that goes kind of wild specifically when she raises a cup or glass to her mouth, so she sometimes needs a straw to avoid throwing her drink all over the place.
This is totally against forum rules. Plus it makes no sense.
I was just kidding...my apologies. I will play nice ... maybe, sometimes...we'll see...depends on the day.
Here is what I do on a daily bases to lower my impact on the environment. I am not saying everyone should do this or that I am amazing at being eco friendly, but I am trying. Maybe someone here can find inspiration or even give me practical tips:
- Bamboo tooth brushes instead of plastic - reusable stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic single use - reusable butterfly razor instead of plastic ones (and the result is so much better!) - I usually have a reusable shopping bag on me (my favourite one, has retro Batman signs all over it!) - Before buying new clothes I look in charity/goodwill shops, if they have what I am looking for I buy about 80% of my food at the local farmers market - it's organic and rarely wrapped in plastic, the poultry ladies even take their used egg cartons back - reusable bamboo cup for hot bavvies on the go - instead of cling film/kitchen foil I use wax cloths (you can buy them on Amazon or make them yourself, if you can find bees wax) - old t-shirts and leggins are being turned into fabric strips, with which I crochet rugs and baskets
There maybe even more stuff, I can't think of right now. But these are the wee changes that felt really easy when I implemented them. As I said, I don't expect everyone to do the same, everyone is in a different situation and has a different budget. But if everyone does a little bit, it would help the planet quite a bit I believe (yep, call me naive, I honestly don't care).
I saw that some people here are interested in permaculture and gardening. Unfortunately my living conditions don't allow for a garden but one day I'll hopefully have enough money to buy some land (if I don't spend it all on PJ tours). In the mean time I am learning a lot from a guy called Justin Rhodes on Youtube. Check out his channel, I have learned so much and I don't even have a garden https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOSGEokQQcdAVFuL_Aq8dlg
Here is what I do on a daily bases to lower my impact on the environment. I am not saying everyone should do this or that I am amazing at being eco friendly, but I am trying. Maybe someone here can find inspiration or even give me practical tips:
- Bamboo tooth brushes instead of plastic - reusable stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic single use - reusable butterfly razor instead of plastic ones (and the result is so much better!) - I usually have a reusable shopping bag on me (my favourite one, has retro Batman signs all over it!) - Before buying new clothes I look in charity/goodwill shops, if they have what I am looking for I buy about 80% of my food at the local farmers market - it's organic and rarely wrapped in plastic, the poultry ladies even take their used egg cartons back - reusable bamboo cup for hot bavvies on the go - instead of cling film/kitchen foil I use wax cloths (you can buy them on Amazon or make them yourself, if you can find bees wax) - old t-shirts and leggins are being turned into fabric strips, with which I crochet rugs and baskets
There maybe even more stuff, I can't think of right now. But these are the wee changes that felt really easy when I implemented them. As I said, I don't expect everyone to do the same, everyone is in a different situation and has a different budget. But if everyone does a little bit, it would help the planet quite a bit I believe (yep, call me naive, I honestly don't care).
I saw that some people here are interested in permaculture and gardening. Unfortunately my living conditions don't allow for a garden but one day I'll hopefully have enough money to buy some land (if I don't spend it all on PJ tours). In the mean time I am learning a lot from a guy called Justin Rhodes on Youtube. Check out his channel, I have learned so much and I don't even have a garden https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOSGEokQQcdAVFuL_Aq8dlg
Great ideas here, MissSnowdrops!
We were talking about recycling today and I was mildly horrified and very disappointed to learn that there is no recycling in the city of Ketchikan, Alaska (we know people who live there). The only consolation my wife could come up with was the reminder that "recycling" is the third "R". It comes after "reduce" and "reuse".
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Here is what I do on a daily bases to lower my impact on the environment. I am not saying everyone should do this or that I am amazing at being eco friendly, but I am trying. Maybe someone here can find inspiration or even give me practical tips:
- Bamboo tooth brushes instead of plastic - reusable stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic single use - reusable butterfly razor instead of plastic ones (and the result is so much better!) - I usually have a reusable shopping bag on me (my favourite one, has retro Batman signs all over it!) - Before buying new clothes I look in charity/goodwill shops, if they have what I am looking for I buy about 80% of my food at the local farmers market - it's organic and rarely wrapped in plastic, the poultry ladies even take their used egg cartons back - reusable bamboo cup for hot bavvies on the go - instead of cling film/kitchen foil I use wax cloths (you can buy them on Amazon or make them yourself, if you can find bees wax) - old t-shirts and leggins are being turned into fabric strips, with which I crochet rugs and baskets
There maybe even more stuff, I can't think of right now. But these are the wee changes that felt really easy when I implemented them. As I said, I don't expect everyone to do the same, everyone is in a different situation and has a different budget. But if everyone does a little bit, it would help the planet quite a bit I believe (yep, call me naive, I honestly don't care).
I saw that some people here are interested in permaculture and gardening. Unfortunately my living conditions don't allow for a garden but one day I'll hopefully have enough money to buy some land (if I don't spend it all on PJ tours). In the mean time I am learning a lot from a guy called Justin Rhodes on Youtube. Check out his channel, I have learned so much and I don't even have a garden https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOSGEokQQcdAVFuL_Aq8dlg
Great ideas here, MissSnowdrops!
We were talking about recycling today and I was mildly horrified and very disappointed to learn that there is no recycling in the city of Ketchikan, Alaska (we know people who live there). The only consolation my wife could come up with was the reminder that "recycling" is the third "R". It comes after "reduce" and "reuse".
And that's such an impirimpo point, because it really is the third biggest priority among them. Something doesn't need recycled at all if you never use it.
Exactly, if we change the way we shop and implement small changes in reducing rubbish in the first place, then nature doesn't have to deal with it in the first place and if businesses notice a decline in sales of their single or plastic use items they might (hopefully) change their range and adapt
Something else I remembered I am doing: - Cotton swabs made from paper or wood instead of plastic - re-usable camping cutlery instead of single use plastic - buying big bags of coffee grounds instead of pad/pod thingies
I am not much for theoretical discussions on how the big picture could change. Instead I am a very practical person and just do what i can...
Here is what I do on a daily bases to lower my impact on the environment. I am not saying everyone should do this or that I am amazing at being eco friendly, but I am trying. Maybe someone here can find inspiration or even give me practical tips:
- Bamboo tooth brushes instead of plastic - reusable stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic single use - reusable butterfly razor instead of plastic ones (and the result is so much better!) - I usually have a reusable shopping bag on me (my favourite one, has retro Batman signs all over it!) - Before buying new clothes I look in charity/goodwill shops, if they have what I am looking for I buy about 80% of my food at the local farmers market - it's organic and rarely wrapped in plastic, the poultry ladies even take their used egg cartons back - reusable bamboo cup for hot bavvies on the go - instead of cling film/kitchen foil I use wax cloths (you can buy them on Amazon or make them yourself, if you can find bees wax) - old t-shirts and leggins are being turned into fabric strips, with which I crochet rugs and baskets
There maybe even more stuff, I can't think of right now. But these are the wee changes that felt really easy when I implemented them. As I said, I don't expect everyone to do the same, everyone is in a different situation and has a different budget. But if everyone does a little bit, it would help the planet quite a bit I believe (yep, call me naive, I honestly don't care).
I saw that some people here are interested in permaculture and gardening. Unfortunately my living conditions don't allow for a garden but one day I'll hopefully have enough money to buy some land (if I don't spend it all on PJ tours). In the mean time I am learning a lot from a guy called Justin Rhodes on Youtube. Check out his channel, I have learned so much and I don't even have a garden https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOSGEokQQcdAVFuL_Aq8dlg
Great ideas here, MissSnowdrops!
We were talking about recycling today and I was mildly horrified and very disappointed to learn that there is no recycling in the city of Ketchikan, Alaska (we know people who live there). The only consolation my wife could come up with was the reminder that "recycling" is the third "R". It comes after "reduce" and "reuse".
And that's such an impirimpo point, because it really is the third biggest priority among them. Something doesn't need recycled at all if you never use it.
"impirimpo", si! Fantasctico, amico mio! Saluti!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Just as sickening (from the article): "Globally, eight million tons of plastic — bottles, packaging and other
waste — are dumped into the ocean every year, killing marine life and
entering the human food chain, the United Nations Environment Programme
said in December."
I can't even imagine what 8 million tons looks like... and this is yearly? Not good...
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
And again, not to preach but just to encourage, plastic bags can be rinsed and reused over and over. We never buy them. If someone gives us something in a plastic bag, it get rinsed or, if necessary, washed and reused over and over until absolutely unusable-- and then it gets recycled. There is no reason 8 million tons of plastic should be being dumped in the ocean every year.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
And again, not to preach but just to encourage, plastic bags can be rinsed and reused over and over. We never buy them. If someone gives us something in a plastic bag, it get rinsed or, if necessary, washed and reused over and over until absolutely unusable-- and then it gets recycled. There is no reason 8 million tons of plastic should be being dumped in the ocean every year.
and again to encourage...I have used the same ziplock bags for years. Amazing to me how people could just toss them out.
Sky Farm! I love the idea of being a “sky farmer”.
The statement in the article to the effect that “the built environment shapes how we move” really struck me. My city government has pushed ahead with building more and my dedicated bike lanes, despite loud opposition from car drivers and, at some points, the transit management and union. As soon as one major lane is complete, they just move on to the next one. These are great to cycle on - bidirectional, separates from the traffic, with their own automatic traffic lights. And it’s working - cycling is way up. Every day when I cycle to work I see masses of people on their bikes, heading out for their day. Parents with kids, students, businesspeople; everybody. It’s true that the built environment of our cities can constrain or support us.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
Sky Farm! I love the idea of being a “sky farmer”.
The statement in the article to the effect that “the built environment shapes how we move” really struck me. My city government has pushed ahead with building more and my dedicated bike lanes, despite loud opposition from car drivers and, at some points, the transit management and union. As soon as one major lane is complete, they just move on to the next one. These are great to cycle on - bidirectional, separates from the traffic, with their own automatic traffic lights. And it’s working - cycling is way up. Every day when I cycle to work I see masses of people on their bikes, heading out for their day. Parents with kids, students, businesspeople; everybody. It’s true that the built environment of our cities can constrain or support us.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
"Yeah, and PG&E sent me a notice saying 'Please reduce you air-conditioning use tomorrow between 2 and 6 PM'. You think I'M going to lower my A/C use tomorrow? HA! No way!"
"Haha, no Mr. [name]."
At which point, still keeping my eyes on the deposit slip I was filling out, I interjected, "Beats having a black-out."
That man will blast his A/C tomorrow and then be the first to complain when the power goes out.
But, yes, this thread is about solutions. So when the weather gets hot (as it already is here in the Sierra Foothills, instead of blasting the A/C, take off some clothes. In fact, when possible, run around butt naked and sing along with your favorite Pearl Jam record. You'll feel better and save energy at the same time!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Here's an interesting little thing I just learned. It's late June and in this part of California, we are already very near the 100 Fahrenheit mark (that's about 37.8 Celsius for those of you who live in the rational parts of the world using the metric system.) So I'm sitting here thinking, "I could sure use a cold drink. I went to the fridge, popped the ice out of one of the ice cube trays, threw some in a glass and poured myself some lemonade. And then I got to thinking (goddamn it, why am I always thinking?), I got to wondering how much harm my having ice was doing to the planet. So I looked it up and found that, though yes, it is doing a tiny bit of harm, it could be worse. Turns out that if I had a fridge with an automatic ice maker I would be doing more harm than using ice cube trays the way we do.
I ran across this article and the first thing it say is, "Want to save the Earth? Easy, just buy a couple of ice trays." And then it explains why this is better than using automatic ice cube makers. Very interesting!
Want to save the Earth? Easy, just buy a couple of ice trays. To the
long list of human inventions that are wrecking global climate—the
internal combustion engine, the industrial era factory—add the automatic
ice maker.
Climate modelers have long known that households are far bigger
contributors to global warming than most laypeople realize. For all the
blame tailpipe emissions take for escalating temperatures, homes and
office buildings are actually the single largest contributor to
greenhouse gasses. One key reason is the 100-plus million refrigerators
in America’s 111 million households. According to the Department of
Energy, the standard fridge sucks up about 8% of the electricity used by
all homes—a pretty big share given the dozens of big and small
appliances and electronics that are also drawing juice.
That energy gluttony has always made refrigerators prime targets for
design improvements and most of the big manufacturers have made real
progress in squeezing every last bit of efficiency out of their
machines—especially since they know that cash-strapped consumers are
paying closer attention than ever to energy-consumption ratings before
making their purchasing decisions. The problem is, those ratings are not
always terribly precise. In general, refrigerators will simply get a
gross energy-use score, without anyone examining just which components
in the overall machine are driving the numbers up or down. Ice makers
have thus long gotten a pass, but analysts at the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) recently decided to give them a closer
look—and they got a surprise when they did.
According to the just-released findings, the average ice maker in the
average fridge increases energy consumption by 12% to 20%—a whole lot
of juice for an appliance that is in operation 24 hours a day from the
moment you first plug it in till the moment you replace it a decade or
more later. The reason that number was so unexpected was that the large
majority of refrigerators are refrigerator-freezer combinations
anyway—which means they’re freezing water and making ice no matter what.
So why should the simple business of automating the process be so
energetically expensive?
The answer, it turns out, is the tiny motor inside the freezing
system that’s used to release the bits of ice from the mold and dump
them into a tray. A motor that is designed to operate in so cold a
setting needs an internal heater to keep it from freezing up, and
heating elements require a lot of power—in this case, roughly three
fourths of the total additional energy the ice maker uses.
Certainly, on the list of big things that are responsible for global
warming, the icemaker ranks a good ways behind the coal-fired power
plant, but averting climate catastrophe is often a game played in
increments and inches, and every kilowatt hour helps. NIST is thus
urging refrigerator manufacturers to look closely at the design of their
icemakers, insisting that there are “substantial opportunities for
efficiency improvements merely by optimizing the operations of the
heaters.”
That appeal to reason, NIST officials hope, will be enough. But just
in case it isn’t, the Department of Energy has announced that it intends
to add 84 kilowatt hours to the efficiency rating of every refrigerator
equipped with an icemaker. Consumers will feel that fact in the
wallet—and if manufacturers don’t scramble to improve their numbers,
they soon will too.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Why the FUCK do people still litter. That is my biggest pet peeve. Even if you don't recycle at least put your litter in a proper garbage. In the landfill is better than the waterways.
Comments
- Bamboo tooth brushes instead of plastic
- reusable stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic single use
- reusable butterfly razor instead of plastic ones (and the result is so much better!)
- I usually have a reusable shopping bag on me (my favourite one, has retro Batman signs all over it!)
- Before buying new clothes I look in charity/goodwill shops, if they have what I am looking for
I buy about 80% of my food at the local farmers market - it's organic and rarely wrapped in plastic, the poultry ladies even take their used egg cartons back
- reusable bamboo cup for hot bavvies on the go
- instead of cling film/kitchen foil I use wax cloths (you can buy them on Amazon or make them yourself, if you can find bees wax)
- old t-shirts and leggins are being turned into fabric strips, with which I crochet rugs and baskets
There maybe even more stuff, I can't think of right now. But these are the wee changes that felt really easy when I implemented them.
As I said, I don't expect everyone to do the same, everyone is in a different situation and has a different budget. But if everyone does a little bit, it would help the planet quite a bit I believe (yep, call me naive, I honestly don't care).
I saw that some people here are interested in permaculture and gardening. Unfortunately my living conditions don't allow for a garden but one day I'll hopefully have enough money to buy some land (if I don't spend it all on PJ tours). In the mean time I am learning a lot from a guy called Justin Rhodes on Youtube. Check out his channel, I have learned so much and I don't even have a garden https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOSGEokQQcdAVFuL_Aq8dlg
Something else I remembered I am doing:
- Cotton swabs made from paper or wood instead of plastic
- re-usable camping cutlery instead of single use plastic
- buying big bags of coffee grounds instead of pad/pod thingies
I am not much for theoretical discussions on how the big picture could change. Instead I am a very practical person and just do what i can...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/dead-whale-found-thailand-17-pounds-plastic-its-stomach-n879581
The statement in the article to the effect that “the built environment shapes how we move” really struck me. My city government has pushed ahead with building more and my dedicated bike lanes, despite loud opposition from car drivers and, at some points, the transit management and union. As soon as one major lane is complete, they just move on to the next one. These are great to cycle on - bidirectional, separates from the traffic, with their own automatic traffic lights. And it’s working - cycling is way up. Every day when I cycle to work I see masses of people on their bikes, heading out for their day. Parents with kids, students, businesspeople; everybody. It’s true that the built environment of our cities can constrain or support us.
Want to save the Earth? Easy, just buy a couple of ice trays. To the long list of human inventions that are wrecking global climate—the internal combustion engine, the industrial era factory—add the automatic ice maker.
Climate modelers have long known that households are far bigger contributors to global warming than most laypeople realize. For all the blame tailpipe emissions take for escalating temperatures, homes and office buildings are actually the single largest contributor to greenhouse gasses. One key reason is the 100-plus million refrigerators in America’s 111 million households. According to the Department of Energy, the standard fridge sucks up about 8% of the electricity used by all homes—a pretty big share given the dozens of big and small appliances and electronics that are also drawing juice.
That energy gluttony has always made refrigerators prime targets for design improvements and most of the big manufacturers have made real progress in squeezing every last bit of efficiency out of their machines—especially since they know that cash-strapped consumers are paying closer attention than ever to energy-consumption ratings before making their purchasing decisions. The problem is, those ratings are not always terribly precise. In general, refrigerators will simply get a gross energy-use score, without anyone examining just which components in the overall machine are driving the numbers up or down. Ice makers have thus long gotten a pass, but analysts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently decided to give them a closer look—and they got a surprise when they did.
According to the just-released findings, the average ice maker in the average fridge increases energy consumption by 12% to 20%—a whole lot of juice for an appliance that is in operation 24 hours a day from the moment you first plug it in till the moment you replace it a decade or more later. The reason that number was so unexpected was that the large majority of refrigerators are refrigerator-freezer combinations anyway—which means they’re freezing water and making ice no matter what. So why should the simple business of automating the process be so energetically expensive?
The answer, it turns out, is the tiny motor inside the freezing system that’s used to release the bits of ice from the mold and dump them into a tray. A motor that is designed to operate in so cold a setting needs an internal heater to keep it from freezing up, and heating elements require a lot of power—in this case, roughly three fourths of the total additional energy the ice maker uses.
Certainly, on the list of big things that are responsible for global warming, the icemaker ranks a good ways behind the coal-fired power plant, but averting climate catastrophe is often a game played in increments and inches, and every kilowatt hour helps. NIST is thus urging refrigerator manufacturers to look closely at the design of their icemakers, insisting that there are “substantial opportunities for efficiency improvements merely by optimizing the operations of the heaters.”
That appeal to reason, NIST officials hope, will be enough. But just in case it isn’t, the Department of Energy has announced that it intends to add 84 kilowatt hours to the efficiency rating of every refrigerator equipped with an icemaker. Consumers will feel that fact in the wallet—and if manufacturers don’t scramble to improve their numbers, they soon will too.