Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

In Portland, the average home uses 11,395 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year and 668 therms of natural gas.* Depending on the source of electricity, that equals 9-14 tons of CO₂ (carbon) emissions per household annually.
*Source: Oregon Public Utilities Commission.

The City of Portland and Multnomah County’s draft Climate Action Plan calls for an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. Portland’s per capita carbon emissions have decreased by 17 percent since 1990, so we already know it is possible to live on less energy:

Check out the suggestions from the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainablity on steps that individual homeowners and businesses can take to reduce their carbon footprints and save energy:

1. Calculate your carbon footprint: www.b-e-f.org/calc
2. Get free assistance to reduce carbon at your business: www.bestbusinesscenter.org
   or call (503) 823-3919.
3. Discover how to drive less: www.drivelesssavemore.com
4. Contact your utilities and sign up for clean energy:
   Portland General Electric — www.portlandgeneral.com
   or (800) 542-8818
   PacifiCorp — www.pacificpower.net
   or (888) 221-7070
   NW Natural — www.nwnatural.com
   or (800) 422-4012
5. Learn about energy-efficiency and green building before your next home project: www.buildgreen411.com
   or call (503) 823-8431
6. Reduce the amount of garbage you generate: Contact the Metro Recycling Information hotline at (503) 234-3000
7. Count the number of times you eat red meat in a week: Replace 20 percent of your red meat consumption with other food.
8. Talk about the climate: Ask a friend what she or he is doing to address climate change.
9. Go Solar: The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability’s Solar Now! program provides technical assistance to help you decide which solar energy options are best for your home or business. Learn more
10. Buy fuel-efficient cars: A growing number of hybrid and other highly efficient vehicles are now available, some of which get over 50 mpg.  Before you buy a car, compare the efficiency of different vehicles at www.fueleconomy.gov and choose the most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets your needs.
11. Reduce, reuse and recycle: Recycling generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions than throwing things away, but reducing waste in the first place is even better. Learn more
12. Plant trees: In addition to improving water and air quality, trees remove CO2 from the air as they grow. The Portland Parks and Recreation’s Street Tree information page for trees that are appropriate to plant in Portland. The non-profit organization Friends of Trees also has a variety of programs to help people plant, care for, and learn about city trees.