by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist (read the original in Noozhawk by clicking here)

In my self-appointed role as an eco-writer, my goal has been to persuade us that our actions on behalf of earth are also the ones that will benefit us. I believe this whether “us” refers to individuals and households or to Santa Barbarans, Californians, Americans, and earthlings. A healthy environment is a prerequisite for a healthy economy.

With that personal mantra, I was pleased that one of several Earth Day webinars I attended in April compared household planning for the climate to household budgeting for the family.

In budgeting for the expensive proposition of raising kids, for instance, you’d want to consider everything from food, clothing and books to electronics and medical costs. You might set aside monthly funds for high-cost potential future expenses such as emergencies, buying a house, college, or wedding costs.

In a parallel way, you can work toward the more energy-efficient household required for your family’s future by planning for earth-friendly infrastructure purchases. Not surprisingly, these will save you money in the long term. You might consider a 20-year plan where you substitute greener choices for items when they need replacing:

» Water heating: Inefficient water heaters now have a plethora of competition from heat pumps, indirect heat, integrated space and water heat, and solar water.

The Smarter House website discusses options such as gas versus electric, storage versus on-demand, and stand-alone versus integrated with your heating system. It may be worthwhile to replace your water heater now, even if it’s still working.

» Kitchen fuel: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has proposed a plan that would effectively ban the sale of natural gas appliances in new homes by 2026, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While cooks like me value gas burners, electric stovetops have improved tremendously in recent times.

If you have already installed solar or wind power, your electricity source will now be more valuable.

In terms of oven types, convection ovens cook in about 20% less time. That’s a lot of energy savings for bakers. Self-cleaning ovens are also more efficient because of the extra insulation required.

» Furnace/Space heat: The CARB draft plan also calls for gas heating in new-build houses to be banned by 2025. That still leaves the question of heat pumps versus furnaces. For moderate climates like ours, heat pumps are more efficient than furnaces.

The least efficient space heaters are those manufactured before 1992, when AFUE standards (Annual Fuel Efficiency) came into use. A 30-year-old system, whose rating might have been around AFUE 56%, could emit 1.5 more tons of CO2 per years than natural gas.

A bonus of investing in any of the home systems (other than the car) is that it will also raise the resale value of your home. This is in part because the initial investments have been made, but also because to presents a picture of a home that is up to date and ready for the future.

» Driving: Gasoline cars eclipsed both steam-powered and electric vehicles in the mid-1900s, but their reign is finally ending. A Union of Concerned Scientists 2015 analysis shows that “driving an electric car in California creates less greenhouse gas emissions than even the most efficient gasoline vehicle.”

A gas car would require fuel economy of 87 miles per gallon to rival electric, even considering powerplant emissions and battery lifecycle.

In the crucial effort to minimize climate change and reduce its effects, governments have the largest share. Policies must favor renewable energies and reducing the consumption of water and fossil fuels. But people, as consumers and voters, have the ultimate power to drive earth-appropriate policies with their purchases and votes.  

Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist

Karen Telleen-Lawton is an eco-writer, sharing information and insights about economics and ecology, finances and the environment. Having recently retired from financial planning and advising, she spends more time exploring the outdoors — and reading and writing about it. The opinions expressed are her own.More by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist