The cheapest, cleanest, most renewable source of energy is conservation and that’s what Conservation Hardware is all about. We make it easy for everyone to use less energy and water, and save a lot of money.

Founded in 2009 by former City Council member and environmental advocate, Richard Skorman, Conservation Hardware is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the Pikes Peak Region become more green and lean — and less reliant on dirty energy.

Household

  • The typical American household generates 55,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually: the typical German, 27,000 pounds; Swedish, 15,000 pounds.
  • U.S. households directly and indirectly produce and release 25% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.
  • U.S. households comprise less than 5% of the world’s population.

Automobile

  • For each mile driven by the average car (20 MPG), one pound of CO2 is released into the atmosphere.
  • For every gallon of gas burned in that automobile engine, 20.35 lbs of CO2 is released into the atmosphere.
  • The average automobile gas tank holds 18 gallons, thus emits 366 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere with every fill.
  • The average automobile releases about 10,000 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere every year.
  • El Paso County has more registered cars than licensed drivers.

Garbage

  • U.S. households produce about 4.5 lbs of garbage (solid waste) per day.
  • One third of U.S. solid waste is from packaging from items being brought into the home.
  • The average American produces 7,000 to 10,000 pounds of trash a year.
  • The average European produces about 2,000 pounds of trash a year.
  • For every pound of solid waste that goes to the landfill about 2 pounds of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere from transporting, land-filling the waste, and from natural decomposition of waste into methane gas.
  • For every ton (2000 lbs) of solid waste put into the landfill, 4000 pounds of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.

Household Water & Energy Use

  • Showers account for about 22% of home water use.
  • A family of four each showering ten minutes a day will use 1400 gallons per week, 72,800 gallons a year: that’s a six-year drinking water supply for one person.
  • Hand-washing dishes uses one third more water and energy than using a full electric dishwasher.
  • Hand-washing dishes produces 3 lbs of CO2 per dishwashing.
  • Electric dishwashers produce 2 lbs of CO2 per load.
  • The refrigerator is the biggest energy hog in our house. It consumes an average of 1,155 kWh a year. That equals or $98.17 a year in Colorado Springs.
  • Your extra refrigerator uses nearly $100 a year.
  • 90% of the energy used in clothes washers goes to heat the water and only 10% goes to running the machine.
  • Lighting accounts for 17% of a typical household utility bill.
  • 95% of the energy used in an incandescent bulb goes to heat, 5% for light.

Colorado Springs

  • A nationwide study by the national environmental group SustainLane ranked Colorado Springs 43rd out of the 50 most populous cities for sustainability (Gazette, September 22, 2008).
  • Colorado Springs ranks 47th in mass transit ridership.
  • Colorado Springs ranks 48th in recycling.
  • Colorado Springs ranks 31st in Energy and Climate Change policy.
  • 70% of Colorado Springs power comes from coal.
  • 60% of the vehicles in El Paso County are SUVs, trucks or vans.
  • Coal prices are predicted to rise by 80% by 2018, not taking into account carbon taxes or cap and trade fees.
  • Nearly one half of Colorado Springs Utilities current annual $1 billion budget is spent on coal.
  • Low income households in Colorado Springs spend 14% of their total annual income on energy, compared to 3.5% for the average household.
  • 50% of the water used in Colorado Springs is for landscaping. As much as 50% of that water is wasted by over watering or using inefficient methods.