START WHERE YOU ARE! Building Climate Resilience

Guest article by Doug White

How can we live climate safer and more sustainable lives starting today, right where we are? Many of us are asking and answering that question. Whether you plan to move to a new Climate Safe Village, stay exactly where you are, or are thinking of moving to a new home in a climate safer community, you can start here and now. Improvements to your home and garden, learning new knowledge and skills, and building cooperative networks can help us all lead climate safer and more sustainable lives. We can build now, and adapt or move later.

This series of posts will offer succinct practical advice, not debate policy changes, nor offer encyclopedic details. It will focus on what we can do now, even without major improvements in policies, laws and systems. The advice and examples will be organized by types of climate threats and overarching topics such as emergency preparedness and cooperation. Much advice will start from the perspective of an urban/suburban homeowner, though others may help broaden that to renters, rural settings, and more mobile lifestyles.  We welcome and encourage comments and reactions to these Start Where You Are! posts, especially constructive ones adding to the coping strategies and examples.

Let’s Start Where We ARE!  It’s July and much of the Northern Hemisphere, including the US, is dealing with excessive heat, or will be soon. So let’s start with excessive heat and how to cope with it.

HEAT

The biggest cause of climate/weather-related human death is heat. How do we stay safer and somewhat comfortable during heat increasing drastically due to climate change?

1. Shade
 

Grow large trees south and west of your home.  Remember to do this 20 years before you want shade :>  Or pick a new home that has plenty of shade from trees on the south and west (Northern Hemisphere assumed). Even if you plan to move, consider the long term benefits of adding shade trees for others.  Add a pergola or awning for shade where trees are not possible.

Example: the large old maple tree in our south facing front yard provides the cooling of a large home air conditioner and allows more light and heat in winter. A north side pergola, removable shade cover, and umbrella add shade where trees won’t fit. We picked the home with shade in mind.

2. Passive geo-thermal.  Having some part of your residence below ground will be naturally cool. Avoid insulating the lower floors to maximize ground-cooling.

Example: the lower level of our house is finished for comfort and has a north-side walkout to the patio, and several windows for air circulation and natural light. It is our naturally cool refuge on hot days.

3. Insulation and sealing. Seal and insulate your house well to hold cool air in.  Seal top plates of walls, sill boxes, and exterior walls. Insulate attic, sill boxes and exterior walls as much as possible. Add high efficiency insulated windows, with low UV filters, and doors. Put multilayer cellular shades on all windows. If you don’t know what’s needed or where to start, hire a company to do a Home Energy Audit that should give you great directions, including how to get tax credits. Hire insulation contractors or DIY.

Example: After a thorough Home Energy Audit, we did extensive sealing and insulating, upgraded windows and doors, added cellular shades and got big tax credits that helped pay for it.  This greatly reduced our energy use making our home more sustainable and climate resilient.

4. Fans. Use multiple ceiling fans in common rooms, with floor stand and box fans for auxiliary rooms.  Use battery operated fans for power outages.

5. Dehumidifier/air conditioner.  Use several high efficiency dehumidifiers/air conditioners for the hottest and/or wettest times.  If a new major unit is needed, consider a high efficiency air exchange heat pump and top of the line air conditioners. Avoid over-relying on AC by using the other methods outlined here.

Example: Our high efficiency dehumidifier/air conditioner is only run on the hottest evenings. If the house is closed during hot days, no AC is needed, though small dehumidifiers in lower level help keep humidity down to avoid damage to household items.

6. Location. If you are in a high heat region, consider if you can relocate to somewhere where temperatures and humidity will be more moderate.

Cooperation for Community Resilience

Work with the local governments to increase shade trees in your area.

Work with local neighbors and land trusts to protect more old trees in your area.

Help your neighbors by encouraging them to make the changes outlined above.