apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Think of generating your own power as the last step in your approach to saving energy. According to Lora, who's been thinking this very issue through with a bunch of other smart people at UC Berkeley, everyone agrees on this point: step one is conservation. That means CFL bulbs in light fixtures, rethinking the setting on the thermostat (or getting on the phone with building management if you live in one of those buildings that's always way, way too hot.) If you've got a really super landlord, perhaps they'll take the plunge and put solar panels up on the roof—or, as in the photo above, as shading devices for south-facing windows.

If you get your own electric bill, you can call the utility and switch to a greener form of energy. (Not many offer solar power, but most offer a greener option, like wind energy.)

More resources: Lora recommends these sites to learn more about what you can do. The last might be especially helpful for convincing skeptical landlords:

• Enviro-Conscious Apartment Living: Creating Urban Wildlife Corridors
• Ideas on Enviro-Conscious Apartment Living
• Greening the co-op: improving energy efficiency means saving money

image by Jonathan Bean