Could You Live Without a Refrigerator?

A fridge-free existence can be had with savvy planing.
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According to the New York Times, "drastic as the move might seem, a small segment of the green movement has come to regard the refrigerator as an unacceptable drain on energy, and is choosing to live without it."

A fridge-free existence can be had with savvy planing, or reducing cooling to a small freezer, which can serve for meat and vegetables, the Times reports. A cooler with frozen bottles of water can keep food cold, and meals carefully planned, with fresh food bought in smaller quantities.

 food refrigerator photo

So what's starting this movement? The fridge, one of the few appliances on all the time, is the number one household energy sucker, the U.S. Department of Energy tells us--that is, unless you have a spa or a pool pump. And these guzzling beasts generally last around 15 years--a fact that is seriously detrimental to your electric bill and carbon dioxide production, considering the energy-saving technological advances that have occurred over the last few years. Yet even a newer Energy Star-certified model still consumes some 650 kilowatt-hours per year, and produces around 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. Hefty figures in this time of global warming.

Can't go that far? Try unplugging it when you go on vacation or slim down to a minifridge.

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