During a Syracuse winter, keep your house toasty and warm should be high on your priority list. But not wasting money, heat or fossil fuels should also make that list.

We all know it’s cold, and this week it’s just going to get colder as temperatures drop into the ‘teens and single digits. We’ll keep warm in our classrooms and dorms, but for those of us living off campus, keeping warm can be a tougher issue to tackle.

Many houses in the university neighborhood are older than dinosaurs, and not surprisingly, insulation and windows also date back to an earlier era. If your house isn’t up to par with home construction advances, weather-proofing may be in order.

A strongly insulated house will save you money in heating costs by keeping the heat inside. Without proper insulation, it’s like your furnace is trying to heat up the entire neighborhood, and to no avail.

The heat rises and travels out of your house, mixing with the frigid outside air. Through these same gaps, cold air can whittle its way in with strong gusts of wind, creating drafts in your house.

You’ll have to burn more gas or oil to make up for loss of heat and drafts of cool air in the house. Not only does this create a higher heating bill, but it also means more fossil fuels are being consumed – a non-renewable resource that really does date back to the dinosaurs’ time.

The increased burning of fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases, which warms the earth’s surface and influences global climate change.

Increased fossil fuel consumption also intensifies other aspects that degrade our ecosystems. When demand for fuel escalates, this increases the use harmful methods of extraction, processing and transport.

Each step in this system negatively affects the planet we call home, whether it’s through increased carbon emissions from transportation or extremely risky and unregulated extraction methods, such as deep-sea oil drilling, tar sands and hydraulic fracturing.

The key is that every one of us, even as students, can help make a positive impact by decreasing our consumption, while also saving money and staying nice and warm.

Keeping in the heat could be as simple as closing windows and doors. If you feel extremely motivated, and have permission from your landlord, go all out and buy insulation and caulking from your local hardware store.

If you have the time and money invested in your off-campus dwelling, go for the more intensive solutions, but that may not be practical in all cases. Try to seal up windows with plastic wrap or Plexiglas to create an insulating layer. Lock your windows to create a tight seal. This will strengthen defenses against leaks.

As a rule of thumb, if you see light coming from outside, especially in attics and basements, cover it with something. These gaps mean air can easily get out and in. Blankets, newspapers or other household items may be helpful, but in all cases, use common sense to stay wary of fire hazards.

Seal up your home this winter to reduce cost, both economically and environmentally, as well as keeping yourselves happy, healthy and warm.

Meg Callaghan is a junior environmental studies major and writing minor at SUNY-ESF. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at mlcallag@syr.edu.

Published on January 23, 2013 at 2:15 am