The consequences of the climate change are more serious than earlier expected. The tone has changed from ‘gently warning’ to alarming.
- The Earth’s temperature has already risen 1.1 degree Celsius.
- The consequences are here and already noticeable. We have more extremes: heavy rainfalls, long periods of drought and massive forest fires.
- If we don’t act in the next 9 years, we are going to get some serious problems (because of the ‘tipping points’).
But there is an up-side. We, you and me, can still make the difference for our children. We can reach ‘drawdown’. But we have to do it now. How? We think we set a good example at ‘Ya’. We use only what we need. And because we think really carefully about how much energy we need, we use less. A staggering 70-80% less. And because of this, we can live fossil free.
Energy production causes one fourth of the greenhouse gasses in the world, making it the biggest polluter. So, if you reduce your energy consumption you really help solving the problem. And if you also abandon the fossil fuels, you double your gain. Or actually: triple. Because you also gain in quality of life.
How does this work? Our top 3.
1: Heating
Heat is the one of the best ‘tell-tales’ for energy consumption. What is hot in your house or boat? The stove. Obviously, this is where you can make a major difference. So, we cook our food on an induction cooker. We cook our food until it is really hot and then we turn off the heat. The pan goes into a ‘hay box’, a simple drawer with insulation.
The food cooks in about 2 to 3 times the normal cooking time, but without using any energy. In addition, we use a small pressure cooker that greatly reduces cooking time. It enables us to cook dried beans and stews in 25% of the time that we previously needed.
You can start using these methods on any stove. It saves 70- 80% of the energy. Easier, safer, healthier and tastier.
2: Cooling
Cooling requires lots of energy. In most boats, the refrigerator has to work hard and is a constant source of trouble. If it is not broken, it uses a lot of energy. On board of Ya it can also break down, but the chance is smaller. Because it is not working overtime. The compressor, the ‘cooling machine’, is very small. It does not use much energy. All of this because it is completely insulated with a thick layer of top quality PIR-foam. This way, it can even run a freezer. No generator needed for cold drinks. Cool.
3: Speed
Speed is a major energy eater. We motor only 20 or 30 percent slower than most yachts, but that reduces the energy consumption with about 50%. The physical law: speed equals the square of the resistance.
As you can see in your car, energy consumption goes up exponentially when you pass a certain level. The same goes for our electric engines. If we motor slowly (say 2 knots) we can do it for 2 days. If we motor full speed (say 6 knots), we use up our entire battery bank within 5 hours. Just like most people like to travel in a car, we like to travel in our boat. Traveling can be relaxing. So, we plan carefully. We always check the weather forecasts, while you could check the delays of traffic jams for a relaxed travel. And leave in time. It saves you money and energy. You could try an electric car, like we have electric engines in the boat.
Enjoy the relaxed and silent ride. Oh, and we would almost forget. If we don’t need to motor because we have enough wind, we use this speed to generate energy. Silently and efficiently. You could experience the same if you could walk or bike instead of taking the car. This gives a boost to your energy level.
So, changing to a sustainable lifestyle is not only good and necessary for the climate, but it also improves the quality of life.