Our Voices

I Tried 50 Ways To Reduce Climate Change. Here’s My Honest Take.

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I’m Kayla, and I like testing stuff in real life. I live in a small house in Portland with two kids, a patient partner, and a grumpy cat who thinks every box is his. Last year, I made a list: 50 ways to cut my carbon mess. Then I actually tried them. Some were easy. Some were messy. A few felt silly, till the power bill came in.

You know what? I learned a ton. Here’s what stuck, what flopped, and what made me smile. If you’re after the play-by-play, I put the full story on Our Voices in I tried 50 ways to reduce climate change—here’s my honest take.

Home energy: where the bills chill

  1. I swapped every bulb to LEDs (Philips). The light is warm, not weird. The bill dropped about 12 bucks a month. Win.

  2. I set a Nest thermostat to 68°F in winter, 78°F in summer. I still nudge it sometimes, but the schedule saves me when I forget.

  3. I sealed drafty doors with Frost King strips from the hardware store. Cheap fix. The hallway stopped feeling like a wind tunnel.

  4. I paid a local crew to blow R-38 cellulose into the attic. Not fun to spend on fluff, but the house holds heat now. Fewer sweaters on the couch.

  5. I replaced our old water heater with a Rheem heat pump model (50-gallon). The utility gave a rebate. It hums like a fridge and sips power. Commercial kitchens have their own quirks—see what happened when a bakery hired a climate change consultant.

  6. I cook most dinners on a Duxtop induction hot plate. It’s fast and keeps the kitchen cooler. I still use the gas oven for big bakes, but less often.

  7. I use an Instant Pot for beans and rice. It’s steady and doesn’t heat the room. My chili now tastes better on day two. Funny how that works.

  8. I wash clothes on cold. I use dryer balls and hang towels on a rack by a window. Not fancy. It just works.

  9. I put Kasa smart plugs on the TV and game stuff. I turn them off at night. No more little lights that never sleep.

  10. Ceiling fans save us. I run them forward in summer, reverse in winter. We set the AC higher, and we’re fine.

  11. Thick curtains (NICETOWN) block summer sun and winter drafts. They look nice, too. The cat thinks they’re a fort.

  12. We put 5.2 kW of solar on the roof with Enphase microinverters. Sunny months cover most of our use. Cloudy weeks still happen—it’s Portland—but the bill is calm now.

Want even more low-lift ideas for shrinking your household footprint? The United Nations: Actions for a Healthy Planet checklist rounds up everyday moves that almost anyone can tackle.

Getting around: miles, but make them kinder

  1. I bought a used Prius. I get around 48 mpg, real life. It’s not a race car. It’s quiet and easy.

  2. I ride a basic Schwinn for short trips. I added panniers and a bright bell. My legs got used to hills. My patience did, too.

  3. I got a monthly bus pass. I read half a book every week on the 15 line. Not joking.

  4. I carpool with other soccer parents. Four kids, one van, much less chaos. We share snacks and playlists.

  5. I check tire pressure every month with a little inflator. It helps mileage and keeps the car steady. Five minutes, tops.

  6. I drive smoother now. Slow starts. Gentle stops. It feels boring till the fuel gauge moves slower. Then I cheer.

  7. I work from home two days a week. Zoom isn’t always fun, but skipping the commute is.

  8. We took Amtrak to Seattle instead of flying. It was calm. Big windows. I still fly for family, but I pick direct flights and pack light.

Sometimes the greenest move is simply staying home for date night instead of burning gas to meet up across town. If you still want sparks without the drive, a locally focused adult-dating hub such as Naughty Date can match you with nearby partners or set up flirty virtual meet-ups, letting you keep romance alive while keeping your carbon footprint low. For readers in the Northeast who’d prefer an easy, neighborhood-centric option, consider browsing Doublelist Stamford, a bulletin-style board where Stamford locals post everything from casual hangouts to serious connections—helping you find chemistry close to home and skip the emissions of long-distance travel.

Food and kitchen: tasty, less wastey

  1. Meatless Monday became Meatless Most Days. Black bean tacos with lime won the kid test. I still love cheese. I’m working on it.

  2. I switched to oat milk (Oatly) for coffee. It’s creamy and plays nice with espresso. No weird aftertaste.

  3. We joined a CSA box. I met kohlrabi. We learned fast or else it wilted. Now I make slaw that everyone eats.

  4. I grow basil, mint, and cherry tomatoes in buckets. It smells like summer when I pinch the leaves.

  5. I use a tumbling composter (FCMP IM4000). Scraps turn to soil. Fruit flies show up if I get lazy, so I add browns like shredded paper.

  6. I plan meals on AnyList each Sunday. It kills impulse buys. The fridge looks less like a science fair.

  7. I keep an “Eat Me First” bin for leftovers. We actually eat them now. I label stuff with painter’s tape.

  8. I freeze veggie scraps and make broth once a month. It makes soup taste rich. It also feels thrifty in a good way.

  9. I use lids on pots and match burner size to pan. It’s tiny, but water boils faster. Fewer sighs while waiting.

  10. I boil water in an electric kettle. Then I pour it into a pot for pasta. It’s faster and uses less power.

  11. We cut back on food delivery. We either walk to pick up or cook. Friday still feels special.

Stuff and waste: less new, more clever

  1. I buy some clothes secondhand. Poshmark gave me a used Patagonia jacket that looks new. The zipper was stiff. I rubbed a candle on it. Fixed.

  2. I fixed my iPhone battery with an iFixit kit. Scary at first. Saved money. Learned a skill.

  3. I refill soap and detergent at the co-op. Dr. Bronner’s in mason jars looks cute and costs less.

  4. I carry a Hydro Flask and a KeepCup. It took two weeks to build the habit. Now I feel weird without them.

  5. I keep two tote bags in the trunk and one that folds in my purse. I still forget sometimes. Then I juggle produce like a clown.

  6. I switched to bar soap and shampoo bars (Ethique). Less plastic in the shower. My hair needed a week to adjust.

  7. I use a Merkur safety razor. Close shave, no plastic. I nicked my ankle once. Only once.

  8. I wash synthetics in a Guppyfriend bag. It catches tiny fibers. I clean the lint and toss it in the trash, not the sink.

  9. I group online orders for one delivery day. I click “no rush.” Waiting is a muscle. I’m building it.

  10. I read my city’s recycle guide. No greasy pizza boxes. No wish-cycling. The blue bin looks calmer now.

Yard, water, and little habits: tiny wins add up

  1. I put in a High Sierra 1.8 gpm showerhead. Strong spray, less water. No one complained.

  2. I keep a 5-minute sand timer in the shower. Two songs and I’m done. The kids race it.

  3. I fixed a leaky toilet with a new flapper and added faucet aerators. Cheap parts. Quiet satisfaction.

  4. I replaced the gas mower with an EGO 56V electric. It’s lighter and doesn’t stink. I mulch leaves right into the lawn.

  5. I set up a 50-gallon rain barrel. It waters the garden for free. We drain it before a freeze.

Money, work, and community: the stuff beyond my house

  1. I added my utility’s green power choice for the rest of our kWh. It costs about six bucks a month. It’s simple, so I keep it.

  2. I moved savings to a local credit union and nudged my 401(k) toward a greener fund. I checked funds on Fossil Free Funds first. It felt like grown-up homework. For more money-shift inspiration, peek at how one person moved their money to fight climate change—and what happened when another investor tried the [GMO Climate Change Fund](https://ourvoices.net/gmo-climate-change-fund-i-bought-it-i-held-it-heres-what-happened/

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