Personal Energy Descent Action Plan

Family/Personal Energy Descent Plan: 

How to Change Your Habits & Save the Earth

Sample Energy Descent Guidelines:

·         Fix or don’t replace; or if needed, buy smart (quality, longevity, ease of repair, efficiency); if possible, plan how to phase out.

·         Use less, buy less; develop sharing & barter strategies

·         Move to low maintenance & wherever possible, to no maintenance.

Stages of Energy Descent:

·         Immediate (first steps)

·         Intermediate (projects or changes that require some learning)

·         Energy Descent (commitments to change designs & behaviors)

Some Areas to Rethink:

·         Food (growing, finding/gathering, preserving, cooking, sharing)

·        Energy Management (increasing efficiency, preventing waste, developing new       strategies for usage)

·         Water (multiple use strategies, preventing waste, collecting rain water)

·         Transportation (changing driving habits, planning for ride-sharing, alternatives to the auto)

·         Property Maintenance (redesign yards according to permaculture principles, develop cooperative arrangements with neighbors such as tool-sharing)

·         Acquisitions/Consumer behaviors (reduce-reuse-recycle, buy from/support local suppliers & businesses, develop ways to share items when possible)

·         Investing (investigate the ideas of the Slow Money movement, learn about socially responsible investing, explore agencies that primarily support local &/or regional enterprises)

An Example Modeling Energy Descent Planning:

AREA                         IMMEDIATE                   INTERMEDIATE                  LONG TERM GOAL

Water for Garden      Use drip irrigation          build rainwater                  use non-motorized

                                                                    collectors                         pump(s)

Food-growing            Create garden beds       learn about growing          grow 50% of food

                                                                    winter vegetables

Food preserving        learn how to can           build a solar dryer             preserve 40% of food

                                & dry foods

Lawn mowing            leave some areas          electric or hand mower     all areas in garden or

                                unmowed                     study permaculture           natural

Home heating            install programmable     increase insulation, seal     replace heating system

                                thermostat                                                           with solar system

(See reverse side to create your own individual energy descent plan.)

Area	Immediate	Intermediate	Long-term goal