Kate Warner’s Nine-Year Plan

What are we doing to reduce our energy consumption by 2030? If your answer is “Um …,” let Kate Warner be your guide.

Learn more about Kate Warner and her solar home with Kate Warner’s Day in the Sun.

Get the electricity you need from renewable resources

Go solar, or visit capelightcompact.org/clcgreen to be sure you are using clean, sustainable energy to power your needs. 

Exchange that combustion engine for an electric vehicle

Save yourself money on maintenance, and cut out a big user of fossil fuels. Go to normalnow.com or drivegreen.greenenergyconsumers.org to find out what’s available.

Switch out your fossil-fuel-consuming heating system 

Go with a cold-climate air source heat pump, and lessen your operating costs. Go to masssave.com and bit.ly/go-clean to learn more.

Exchange your hot-water system for a hybrid electric water heater, enhancing summer dehumidification, and saving on your energy bills. bit.ly/go-clean

Go solar at your home or business

Learn the basics at this Island Climate Action Network link: bit.ly/ican-solar. Contact David Smith at db****************@ho*****.com to learn about many Vineyard solar installers.

Cut back on plastics

Use a water bottle. Make a pledge to not buy single-use beverages that are in plastic containers.

To reduce plastic in your pantry, check out Mollie Doyle’s story on how to rid your pantry of plastic. Make your own yogurt, so as to not buy plastic containers of yogurt each week.

Try a shampoo bar. Warner loves the rosemary lavender one from chagrinvalleysoap.com.

Get metal tiffins for your kid’s lunch. The Charter School has switched to these for all the food they serve.

Cut back on flying 

Learn more at theworldcounts.com. When it comes to carbon dioxide emissions per passenger per distance, flying is second to none. Only do it when absolutely necessary.

Avoid sites like Amazon 

They encourage mindless consumption and a throwaway culture. Use our libraries, Dumptique, and Chicken Alley to find the things you need. Or ask friends if you can borrow an item, instead of buying one for yourself.

Stop investing in companies that are damaging our planet

Read about the companies you are investing in, and don’t support any fossil fuel exploration, extraction, or combustion. See our story about divesting.