Manhattanite Josh Spodek has gone without a refrigerator for more than a year after identifying the appliance as the biggest source of electrical use in his apartment.
abc.net.au/news/living-sustainably-in-new-york-city-by-unplugging-appliances/101900844There are those for whom recycling and composting are not nearly enough, who have reduced their annual waste to almost zero, ditched their clothes dryer or given up flying, and are ready to take the next step in exploring the frontiers of sustainable living.
Mr Spodek is quick to point out that he is not against refrigeration in general, but views it as unnecessary for everyone to have running 24/7. In many parts of the world, he notes, refrigerators are a rarity. For those with large families or who need to drive to get groceries, more frequent shopping trips can cancel out the energy savings.Also, improvements to fridges over the years mean they typically use less power now than, say, a heating system or water heater.
"I don't want to say there's no room for improvement, but the story of more environmentally friendly refrigerators is a massive success story," he said. He cooks with an electric pressure cooker and, very rarely, a toaster oven, powering them with a portable solar panel and battery pack.Since he lives in a city apartment, that means schlepping the panel and battery pack up 11 flights of stairs a couple of times a day to the roof of his building.When he is climbing the stairs, he says, he thinks about people around the world who live without modern amenities.
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