90 Percent Project - Week 7

Sunday, 6:42 pm

By Kate

Some progress on the 90 Percent Project and some backsliding this week. Electricity and trash are doing very well, but gasoline and water—not so much. Still less than the national average, but that’s not the goal. Gasoline use will definitely drop after the lad leaves home, but it’s a real challenge for now.

Electricity
Week 7: 31 kWh

US Average: 11,000 kWh per household per year (avg. of 900 kWh per month, 211 kWh per week)
90 Percent reduction goal: 1100 kWh per household per year or about 90 kWh per month.

Continuing the downward trajectory. The daily values for 2 of the 3 days that the lad was gone (of the weekly counting period) were just beautiful...3 kilowatt hour days. He left his laptop home for me to use and it made quite a difference.

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Gasoline purchased (for 1.5 people)
Week 7: 9.08 gallons

US Average: 500 gallons per person per year.
90 Percent reduction goal: 50 gallons per person per year.

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Water (for 1.5 people)
Week 7: 359.08 gallons

US Average: 100 gallons per person per day, 700 gallons per week.
90 Percent reduction goal: 10 gallons per person per day, 70 gallons per week.

This doesn’t seem right to me, but there it is. I suppose part of the use was the water used in the loads of laundry done before the lad left on vacation. But I don’t know what else accounts for it. I didn’t use very much water, I didn’t think. I have to keep a closer eye on the water meter for a while. Sloppy habits must be creeping back.

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Natural Gas
Week 7: 5 cu. ft./5.35 therms

US Average: 1000 therms per household per year.
90 Percent Reduction Goal: 100 therms per household per year.

Nothing new or different here.

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Trash (for 1.5 people)
Week 7: 4 lbs.

US Average: 4.5 lbs per person per day, 31.5 lbs per week.
90 Percent Reduction Goal: .45 lbs per person per day, 3.15 lbs per person per week.

By golly, I actually used a paper grocery bag this week. It looked very lonesome (but cute) sitting by the curb on Thursday, with its top neatly folded over.

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Consumer Goods
Week 7: $53.57: $13.99 - Igloo cooler, $34.00 - PUR Water Filter, $5.58 - Terry’s dog chews

US Average: $10K per household per year.
90 Percent Reduction Goal: $1000 per household per year.

The cooler was on sale, so I grabbed it quick. There will be more to say about that in the next couple of months. It has a mission or two.

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Food
The Farmer’s Market is my best friend. Overdosing on sweet corn, fresh tomatoes, yummy pasteurized milk, and fresh garlic-onion baguettes. There were also a couple of cuts of beef in there. Locally raised with no antibiotics or hormones added. Tastes unbelievably good, too. I am curious why the fresh locally grown beef that I buy has that dark purple color (same color as fresh venison, I think) rather than the rosy red the grocery store meat has. Anyone know?