What can one person do about climate change? Part 1: Start at home

• Rachel McDevitt
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Rachel McDevitt reports on energy, the environment, and climate change for StateImpact Pennsylvania at WITF.
  
  Rachel covers Pennsylvania state government’s policy on climate change, its effects on people, and lawmakers’ approach to the industries that generate many of Pennsylvania’s greenhouse gas emissions. Her work through the collaborative Climate Solutions puts special focus on communities and individuals working to address the effects of climate disruption.
  
  Her stories have aired nationally on the NPR shows Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, and Science Friday.
  
  Rachel joined WITF in 2014 as a Radio Pennsylvania reporter before becoming the local host of All Things Considered in 2017. The western Pennsylvania native started her journalism career with the CBS affiliate in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Rachel holds a degree in Communications and Spanish from Temple University.

The State College Community Land Trust and Envinity are working to retrofit this home in State College into a highly energy efficient "passive house." They built an "envelope" around the exterior of the home that will be filled with insulation. (Jeremy Long - WITF)

Home energy and electricity use make up an estimated 20% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, and it’s often our biggest source of personal emissions.

That doesn’t mean you need to shell out a ton of money to renovate your house. Simple efficiency measures can go a long way.

Find the rest of the series:

• What can I do about climate change? An introduction
• Part 2: What we (don’t) eat
• Part 3: Dig in the dirt 
• Part 4: Getting around 
• Part 5: Shop smart 
• Part 6: Upgrade your home 
• Part 7: Speak up 

What efficiency upgrades can you make in your home?

An energy efficient home helps people save money on utility bills. It also plays a role in lowering climate-warming emissions. About 20% of the country’s emissions are because of energy and electricity use in homes.

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About StateImpact Pennsylvania

StateImpact Pennsylvania is a collaboration among WITF, WHYY, and the Allegheny Front. Reporters Reid Frazier, Rachel McDevitt and Susan Phillips cover the commonwealth’s energy economy. Read their reports on this site, and hear them on public radio stations across Pennsylvania.

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