Join the 2nd session of the AARP / JCOS 5-part ‘Carbon Footprint’ series! Wednesday, March 26, 6-7:30pm
‘Reducing Our Carbon Footprint‘ is a five-part webinar series led by the Juneau Commission on Sustainability and AARP Alaska Community Action Team volunteers. The series focuses on steps that people can take to reduce their carbon footprint and build climate-resilient communities.
The next installment
“Home Green Home: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Buildings While Saving Money” is Wednesday, March 23!
More information and registration for the session can be found HERE.
90-minute discussions (see below) will continue every other week through May 4.
A quote in recent Juneau Empire coverage on the series states, ““The whole idea is providing people with tools and empowering people,” said Linda Kruger, one of the series’ organizers during a recent video interview. Event organizers said climate change can feel oppressive, and the goal is for the series to offer hope as well as specific examples of how to be part of the solution.”
- How much energy do Alaskans use?
- What are the big things people can do to reduce their home’s energy costs?
- How can we reduce our carbon footprint and help others who may not be able to do so on their own?
This session will provide practical tips to improve a building’s energy efficiency and how beneficial electrification saves money and cuts carbon emissions. The two things that come closest to being silver bullets are air-sealing, (plugging up air leaks) and addition of heat pumps, especially for milder climates and coastal communities.
Colleen Fisk, energy educator for the Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP), will lay out the range of things homeowners can do to reduce energy use and costs, including improvements to appliances, lighting, hot water and space heating.
Chandler Kemp, energy auditor and owner of Kempy Energetics, will discuss energy audits and demonstrate a “blower door” test to show how to measure air leakage in your home and to help find the places where heat is being lost so they can be sealed up. Did you know that the average house has numerous small leaks that can add up to the equivalent of a 2-foot square opening to the outside?
Andy Romanoff, Executive Director of Alaska Heat Smart, will talk about Alaska Heat Smart and how its free home energy assessments can empower people to feel confident in deciding how to add a heat pump to their home energy mix and enjoy energy, money, and carbon savings. He’ll also discuss Renewable Juneau’s Carbon Offset Fund and explain how and why you may want to be involved.
We’ll also have a couple of guests talking about things they’ve done to their Juneau homes. Senator Jesse Kiehl will share his experience in having a heat pump installed in his older downtown Juneau home. And, Douglas resident and recent Thermalize Juneau participant Allison Bidlack will talk about why one of the first things she did when she bought her Douglas home last year was to replace the Toyo oil heater with a heat pump.
More information and registration for the session can be found here.
If you missed the session’s first session, there is a recording available here!
The three next sessions in our series, every 2nd Wednesday, will be:
Wednesday, April 6, 6-7:30 PM: Getting Around: Transportation as a Climate Solution
Wednesday, April 20, 6-7:30 PM: Grub and Garbage: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Food and Waste
Wednesday, May 4, 6-7:30 PM: Building Resiliency: Mental Health and Climate Change
More info can be found on the AARP website.