Single Player Climate Action

From Helplessness to Empowerment

Single-Player Games vs. Multi-Player Games

• Multi-Player Games: You need others to finish the game. You compete against others. Think of tennis, advertising, and conversation.
• Single-Player Games: You can finish the game on your own. You compete against yourself. Think of running, art, and meditation.

The Simple Beauty of Single-Player Mastery

Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors, who at the time were all Vietnam veterans, would show up in my barracks room and the first thing they would inspect was your bed. If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack — that's Navy talk for bed.

It was a simple task — mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle-hardened SEALs, but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.

If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.

And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made — and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.

The Onboarding Manual to Single-Player Climate Action

• Europe is experiencing an energy supply shortage
• Energy prices are going through the roof
• Each euro spent on Russian fossil fuel imports is funding Russia’s illegal war effort

Heating Recommendations 🥵 (50%)

1. Keep the Heater Unobstructed: Hot air needs to circulate through the room and shouldn’t be trapped by a wet towel.
2. Insulate Windows: Poor insulation leaks warmth to the outside. A quick fix is insulating doors and windows with insulation strips. Doesn’t break the bank and keeps your home cozy.
3. “Stoßlüften”: I love the German language because it is very precise. The word “Stoßlüften” describes opening a window completely so that there can be a quick exchange of outside air with inside air. The goal is to keep the duration of airing relatively short to avoid cooling the walls.
4. Close Doors: Keep doors closed if a room is unheated.
5. Use a Smart Thermostat: If you can afford it and/or have the ability to install a smart thermostat then do so. It adapts to your daily waking and living patterns and adjusts the temperature accordingly while minimizing energy usage.
6. Humidify the Air: My girlfriend would say that ‘plants are our friends,’ and she’s right. Not only is it pleasing to the eye but plants also increase the humidity of a room. We perceive humid air as warmer.
7. Release Air from Water Heater: Before starting the heating season it is recommended to release excess air from your water heater’s pressure valve. This allows for more effective heating.

Warm Water Recommendations 🚿 (10%)

1. Shower. Don’t Bathe: On average, a full bath uses twice as much water as a single shower. Besides, you won’t look like a shriveled raisin.
2. Install an Efficient Shower Head: There are ultra-efficient shower heads that reduce the amount of water used while increasing the “feeling of wetness”.
3. Reduce the Temperature: Colder water is better for the skin and better for the wallet.
4. Use Cold Water: For other tasks like brushing your teeth or washing your hands, you can use cold water. I usually keep the handle of my faucet at the “100% cold” position.

Electricity Recommendations 🔌 (10%)

1. Respect Your Washing Machine: Only run full loads and use the eco setting. Fewer wash cycles mean less energy expenditure.
2. Use LED Lights: Modern LED light bulbs use 90% less energy over the entirety of their lifecycle compared to incandescent light bulbs.
3. Use Smaller Devices: This is a tough one admittedly. Purchasing cycles are not as frequent for larger appliances and devices, but if you can, get smaller devices. One example in my setup is switching to an Apple-Silicon-powered MacBook Air M1. It is significantly more energy-efficient.
4. Avoid Standby: Consider using a power chord with a master on/off switch to turn off all devices when you leave the house.

Cooling Recommendations 🧊 (~%)

1. Fill your Fridge: By keeping more products in the fridge, each product contributes to cooling every new addition to the gang. Otherwise, you’re primarily cooling air, which escapes when you open the fridge door.
2. Freeze Minimally: Keep your freezer at the first setting (e.g. -18°C) below the freezing point. You won’t really notice whether something is frozen or extra frozen.
3. Avoid Heat Sources: If possible, avoid heat next to (e.g. oven) or inside of the fridge (e.g. Tupper ware with freshly boiled hot pot soup).

Mobility Recommendations 🚃 (30%)

1. Use Public Transportation: Quickest win if you can do it. Taking public transportation can save up to 78% of energy.
2. Use Bicycles: In urban areas, 19% of all car trips are shorter than 2.5km. Such distances are perfect for our two-wheeled companions 🚲
3. Slow Down: You can save up to 24% of fuel by reducing your top speed. Less speed means less drag on your car’s frame.
4. Pool your Trips: Carpooling is cool. Do it if you can.
5. Check your Tire Pressure: Each 0.5 bar reduction of tire pressure means a 5% increase in energy usage. This is a quick fix.

Playing Single-Player Climate Action

Art’s Personal 80/20 (Low Effort | High Impact)

• Switch Utility Providers [Effort: 1-2 hours]: One of the quickest ways to signal your intent to the market is by letting your money speak. In practice, this means changing your gas and electricity utilities to a clean energy provider. Earlier this year, I switched our German utility contracts to green options.
• Reduce Meat Consumption [Effort: Low]: The meat industrial complex is a massive contributor of greenhouse gas emissions - beef being the major culprit. In the past, I used to eat meat two to three times a day. No more. Luckily, for my health, my wallet, and the environment I cut down meat consumption significantly a while ago. I would count it as low effort since veggie or synthetic meat options are super tasty if you know how to work with spices.
• Reduce Shopping: Living in Berlin, you start to realize that everyone in this city looks like a clown. Thrifting is a status symbol. It’s cheaper, it’s better for the environment, and you won’t be judged for wearing clothes that were fly in the 80s.

Art’s Worthwhile Efforts (High Effort | High Impact)

• Personal Activism: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed me down the green rabbit hole. First via security policy, then via energy policy, and eventually via climate tech. Now, I’m writing to hundreds of readers who are interested in similar topics. I’m putting a lot of effort into these essays. I hope it pays off.
• Personal Career Change: One step beyond activism was my decision to shift my career from tech entrepreneurship to climate law. I’m going back to school to master regulatory environments and identify where I can have the biggest impact in the bigger game. Please ping me if you have any ideas 🙌

Many Levels of Single-Player Climate Action