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What Can Residents Do?

While there are many actions you can take that will have an impact on Nashville’s air quality, research done by the Vanderbilt University Climate Change Research Network has shown that the seven simple and no cost or low cost actions below have the potential to achieve large improvements in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

1. Reduce Idling. An idling vehicle gets 0 miles per gallon! Approximately 5 to 8% of all gasoline consumed by personal passenger vehicles is consumed while idling. If you are going to idle for longer than 20 to 30 seconds, shutting off the engine and restarting when you are ready to go will reduce fuel consumption and wear-and-tear on the vehicle.

2. Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use. Many items continue to use power even when they are turned off. This means you are paying for electricity on items 24/7 even when it is not in use. Standby power can equal 5 to 7% of the average household’s total electric bill.

3. Use compact fluorescent bulbs. Replacing bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs) is one of the easiest and most effective ways to save. CFLs typically consume only 25% as much electricity as regular incandescent bulbs. While CFLs cost more initially, the payback period is usually a few months.

4. Adjust your thermostat. By adjusting your thermostat settings two degrees lower in the winter and two degrees higher in the summer you could save as much as $125 a year.

5. Drop the temperature on your water heater. Many water heaters are preset to temperatures between 140 to 150 degrees. By adjusting the temperature down a modest 20 degrees you could save between $24 to $40 each year.

6. Check the pressure in your tires. Vehicles are responsible for about 33 percent of the emission in Nashville and studies have shown that approximately a third of all personal motor vehicles do not have properly inflated tires. The US Department of Energy estimates that vehicle gas mileage improves an average of 3.3 % by inflating tires regularly to proper pressures.

7. Change air filters regularly. By replacing the air filter on your car, you can improve the efficiency of your vehicle and extend the engine life. You could save up to $240 a year in gasoline alone and improve your gas mileage 7 to 10 % by regularly changing your air filter.

Source: “Individual Carbon Emissions: The Low Hanging Fruit” by Michael Vandenbergh, Jack Barkenbus & Jonathan Gilligan at Vanderbilt University