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Most Americans see climate change as a major threat. But income level seems to guide one’s willingness or ability to live a greener lifestyle.

Fifty-nine percent of high-income consumers always or often choose sustainable products, whereas that’s true for only 44% and 42% of mid- and low-income households, respectively, according to a new Deloitte survey. The poll was global, but the findings were consistent across individual countries such as the U.S., said James Cascone, partner at Deloitte.

A sustainable purchase would largely aim to reduce your planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions — for example, replacing a household appliance with a more energy-efficient counterpart or buying an electric vehicle.

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Low earners were much more likely to cite cost as a barrier to an environmentally friendly purchase than high earners, Deloitte found.

“Cost is a big factor,” said Gregory Keoleian, director of the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan.

High earners generally have the largest carbon footprints, noted Deloitte’s Cascone. They own bigger homes, have more vehicles and travel more by air, for example, but they can also more easily afford to change their behavior.

Sustainable products tend to carry a “green premium,” meaning they’re generally more expensive than the standard, experts said.

We're not reducing emissions fast enough, says professor

Even if a purchase would ultimately save money over the long term — due to lower household energy costs, for example — people living paycheck to paycheck generally can’t afford to invest in things such as new home insulation or efficient windows, said Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist for the Nature Conservancy and professor at Texas Tech University.

A new national rebate program aims to ease or eliminate the cost burden of such investments, especially for lower-earning households. EV tax credits also seek to reduce net cost to buyers.

Here are some easy — and inexpensive or no-cost — ways to reduce your carbon footprint today, according to efficiency and environmental experts. You may even save money in the process.

1. Switch to LED lightbulbs ASAP

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Switching out older lightbulbs in your home for LED bulbs as soon as possible is among the best actions you can take, according to Hayhoe.

“It’s a no-brainer,” she said.

Why? LED, which stands for light-emitting diode, is today’s most-efficient lighting technology, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, for example, the Energy Department said. They also last about three to five times longer than compact fluorescent light bulbs.

As such, the average household saves about $225 in energy costs per year by switching to LED lighting, the Energy Department said. While LEDs are a bit more expensive, costs have decreased “dramatically” and prices are expected to fall further, officials say.

However, households start saving money very quickly after switching to LED lighting, meaning it makes sense from both a financial and environmental standpoint to switch now rather than later, Keoleian said.

2. Cut food waste

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The average American wastes more than 400 pounds of food a year. In total, about 30% to 40% of edible food is wasted, Keoleian said.

Reducing such waste saves emissions across the food supply chain on agricultural production inputs such as fuel for tractors and fertilizers, and in other areas such as refrigeration and food distribution, he said.

Organic waste in landfills also generates methane, a greenhouse gas that is more than 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishes a list of ways to prevent food waste at home, such as planning meals for the week before shopping and properly storing fruits and vegetables.

Composting food scraps also “significantly” reduces methane emissions from waste. Check out this EPA list for tips on how to start composting at home.

3. Stop ‘energy vampires’

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Many household appliances draw power from electrical outlets even when off or idle.

These “energy vampires” — which may include computers, hair dryers, cable boxes and coffee makers, among others — can add $100 to $200 a year to the average household energy bill, according to the Energy Department.

Unplug these devices when not in use. You can also plug them into a power strip or an outlet with a wall switch and switch the whole system on or off when you need to.

4. Seal any leaks

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Heating and cooling accounts for nearly half the average home’s energy use, according to the Consumer Federation of America. In aggregate, small leaks around the house amount to leaving open a 3-foot-by-3-foot window, the group said.

“Simple steps” such as caulking windows and sliding draft guards under doors can save up to 20% on heating costs, the group said.

Even buying a clear, plastic film for windows helps insulate from heat and cold by adding a pocket of air between you and the outside, Hayhoe said. Indeed, she did this in her home.

5. Save water

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Conserving water is important because water and wastewater treatment are carbon-intensive processes, as is heating that water at home, Keoleian said.

There are many ways to cut water use. For example, fully load machines such as dishwashers and clothing washers. Those who wash dishes by hand can be efficient by using two basins (one for cleaning and another for rinsing) instead of running the water.

Also, use cold water when possible. A washing machine spends 90% of its energy to heat water, for example, the Consumer Federation of America said. For drying, use a clothesline in warmer weather. On a related note, open the door at the end of a dishwasher’s wash cycle and let the dishes air dry.

Even putting something like a brick in your toilet tank will displace — and therefore save — water.  

6. Tweak your diet, even slightly

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Certain foods are more carbon-intensive than others.

Eating a more plant-based diet and cutting red meat intake is generally more environmentally friendly, as well as cheaper and healthier, experts said.

For example, beef’s greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram is about seven times higher than that of farm-raised fish, 10 times that of chicken and 230 times that of nuts or root vegetables. This is largely because cows produce a lot of methane.

While red meat — beef, pork and lamb — accounts for about 10% of the calories in an average diet, it contributes almost half the greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production, Keoleian said.

Legumes, beans, nuts and lentils are very good protein substitutes, he said.

“You could still eat meat,” Keoleian said. “Just limit it and have a diversity of diet, which will be healthier.”

Of course, this might not be possible, he said. Food and diet are cultural, and not everyone likes plant-based proteins.

7. Use cars efficiently

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Car owners — even those with gas guzzlers — can use their vehicles more efficiently.

For example, “trip chaining” means bundling trips. An example of this would be picking up groceries on the way home from work instead of making a one-off trip to the store.

Households with more than one car can also “rightsize,” a concept that matches the most efficient car with the trip. For example, that may mean commuting to work in a sedan instead of an SUV or pickup truck, Keoleian said.

Public transit, walking, biking and carpooling are other options, too, Hayhoe said.

8. Talk about it

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Reducing individual carbon footprints can have an enormous influence on how businesses cut their greenhouse gas emissions, experts said. An industry will respond to consumer choices, sentiment and buying behavior, they said.

Consumers can therefore have a big effect by talking with friends, family and colleagues about how they saved money by living greener, Hayhoe said.

“The No. 1 thing that costs nothing and is most impactful is starting conversations about why this matters,” Hayhoe said.

“Do something — anything — and then talk about it,” she added. “Make it contagious in a good way.”

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Lectric restocks e-bikes with up to $654 in free gear from $999, Anker 521 station $170, Greenworks battery discounts, Rachio, more

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May 14, 2025

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Lectric restocks e-bikes with up to 4 in free gear from 9, Anker 521 station 0, Greenworks battery discounts, Rachio, more

For today’s Green Deals, we’re starting with Lectric’s ongoing Mother’s Day Sale e-bike deals after the brand has restocked several models that sold out over the last few weeks, including the XPress 750 Commuter e-bikes that are coming along with $336 in free gear at $1,299. Next, we spotted the tried-and-true Anker 521 Portable Power Station dropping down to $170, which has been upgraded with LiFePO4 cells. There’s also a selection of Greenworks 40V and 80V batteries seeing up to 32% discounts, led by the G-MAX 40V 5.0Ah Battery that has dropped to its $126 low. Lastly, we have Rachio’s 3rd Gen 8-Zone Smart Sprinkler Controller falling to $170. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s new DELTA 2 Max solar generator bundle low, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Lectric’s XPress 750 Commuter e-bikes are back in stock and coming with $336 in free gear at $1,299

Lectric has some ongoing bundle deals that are left over from the brand’s short-term Mother’s Day Sale, which are also running alongside the ongoing preorder bundles for its new XP4 and XP4 750 e-bikes that launched last week. Among the offers, one notable option is Lectric’s XPress 750 e-bikes for $1,299 shipped, which are now back in stock and coming with $336 in free gear – plus, it’s one of the few models getting the option for $200 off a spare long-range battery to double the mileage (found with the bundled items on the landing page). This bundle would normally cost you $1,635 in full, but the brand is known for its discounts, primarily being on the add-on packages rather than the bikes themselves. Along with your purchase, you’ll be scoring a steel-encased rear cargo rack, fenders to go over both tires, an Elite headlight upgrade, and a suspension seat post. Head below for more on this and the other models seeing savings.

Coming in both Step-Thru and Step-Over frames, the Lectric XPress 750 e-bikes are one of my favorite commuter models that I’ve had the experience riding, with more and more of them popping up across NYC since their release last year. The stock bike with the 14Ah battery weighs in at just under 60 pounds (so a little more with the added-on accessories), equipped with a 750W rear hub motor (1,310 peak) and providing up to 60 miles of travel while its five PAS levels are active, which are supported by a torque sensor for more effortless pick-up and hill climbing. In terms of speed, it all depends on your local laws, with the motor producing either 20 MPH or 28 MPH top speeds, and of course, there are throttles for pure electric cruises, but this will lessen its travel range.

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As with the case of most of the Lectric’s EVs, there’s a solid array of other features on the XPress 750 e-bikes for its $1,299 price tag, like the puncture-resistant tires, hydraulic mineral oil brakes, front suspension fork, a 7-geared freewheel paired with a Shimano derailleur, removable pedals, a thru-axle wheel attachment system for tool-free installations, kickstand, a hidden cable routing system, an integrated headlight and taillight, and a full-color LCD display with a USB-A port to charge your personal devices, especially if you use them as a GPS while riding.

Lectric’s XP4 e-bike preorders with up to $356 bundles (shipping June 2):

Lectric’s XP 3.0 Long-Range e-bike clearance offers (price cuts only):

XPedition 2.0 offers with up to $654 bundles:

XP Electric Trike with $420 bundle

XPeak 2.0 offers with up to $316 bundles:

XP Lite 2.0 Long-Range e-bike offers with up to $316 bundles:

ONE LR e-bike with $220 bundle

Anker 521 portable power station

Get compact personal backup power with Anker’s 521 portable LiFePO4 station at $170

Through its official Amazon storefront, Anker has dropped the price on its 521 Portable Power Station to $169.99 shipped. This unit normally carries a $200 price tag at full here, with the brand’s direct website pricing it higher with a $250 MSRP. Discounts on this model regularly bring the cost down to $170 or its $160 low, with many Lightning deals staggered between longer-lasting price cuts. Anker’s direct website is currently having a flash sale on it for $180, which is beaten out here at Amazon by $10 for a solid $30 off the going rate ($80 off its MSRP) at the second-best price we have tracked.

While this isn’t one of the latest models from the brand, the Anker 521 power station has been upgraded with LiFePO4 battery cells. It comes as a more compact personal backup power solution that provides a 256Wh capacity to keep your devices juiced up while out travelling or as an emergency means during blackouts. It comes surge protected, delivering up to 600W of output power through its six port options – two ACs, two USB-As, one USB-C, and one car port. There are multiple ways to recharge its battery: via a wall outlet, the USB-C port, with a 65W solar panel, or with your car’s auxiliary port.

greenworks G-MAX 40V 5.0Ah battery

Save up to 32% on Greenworks 40V and 80V batteries like the G-MAX 5.0Ah model down at its $126 low

Amazon is offering discounts across some Greenworks batteries, so you can stock up your arsenal for guaranteed power when you need it. Among the models we’re seeing, the most notable is the brand’s G-MAX 40V 5.0Ah Battery for $125.99 shipped, with the price also matching direct from Greenworks’ website. This upgraded model normally fetches $180 at full price, with two previous discounts in 2025 taking things lower than ever to this same rate. You’re getting another shot at the lowest price we have tracked on this model, helping you stock up while saving you $54 off the going rate.

Greenworks is one of the best beginner-friendly electric lawn care solutions to replace gas-guzzlers, especially considering that its batteries work across multiple tools and even EVs. For those with an arsenal of 40V tools and devices, this battery is the second-largest for that particular ecosystem, only beaten in capacity by its 8.0Ah counterpart. It comes designed with multiple protections against overheating, short circuiting, over voltage, over current, over discharging, over charging, and more – plus, there’s even an LED indicator that gives you at-a-glance battery levels.

Other Greenworks batteries seeing discounts:

Earlier, we saw Greenworks’ latest Pro-tier 2,300 PSI Electric Pressure Washer dropping back to its $280 low, with many other lawn care solutions rounded together in the same post.

rachio 8-zone smart sprinkler controller

Streamline your sprinklers while cutting water costs with Rachio’s 3rd-gen 8-zone smart controller at $170

Amazon is helping folks streamline their sprinkler setups with the Rachio 3rd Gen 8-Zone Smart Sprinkler Controller getting taken down to $169.99 shipped right now. While the device is listed with a $230 price tag, we’ve been seeing it post up at $200 when at full price these days, with discounts having been more sparse since March. While we have seen it go as low as $146 in the past, this is still a solid $30 markdown that lets you upgrade your sprinklers and irrigation system with “30-minute or less DIY installation.” You can also bundle this device with a weatherproof enclosure for $202, down from $270.

Everyone has different needs when it comes to their yards, and for those with more sizable gardens and lawns, you’ll be able to better streamline controls over watering by installing this popular Rachio device, shrinking water costs in the process too. After the “30-minute or less DIY installation,” which requires no special tools, you’ll gain this device’s weather recognition tech that comes programmed to automatically skip watering during or after inclement weather has moved in, with functions like rain skip, wind skip, freeze skip, and more. What’s great here, is that once installed, you won’t have to worry about extra charges or app subscriptions, with it giving you all the controls to manage things through its companion app on your phone.

Best Spring EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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Tesla’s Robyn Denholm made 5x more than next best-paid chair, a role Musk said was usefuless

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3 hours ago

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May 14, 2025

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Tesla's Robyn Denholm made 5x more than next best-paid chair, a role Musk said was usefuless

Robyn Denholm, Tesla’s chairwoman, made five times more money than the next best-paid board chair, a role Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk said was useless.

In 2018, Musk settled with the SEC for falsely claiming he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 a share, he was forced to resign as chair of Tesla’s board.

Musk basically handpicked Robyn Denholm to become the new chair, which he then called a useless “honorific” titled:

“Chairman’ is an honorific, not executive role, which means it’s not needed to run Tesla. Will retire that title at Tesla in 3 years.”

Denholm made a lot of money in this useless honorific role.

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She has made over $530 million, almost entirely through stock option compensation, since becoming Tesla’s chairperson.

Most of her stock sales happened over the last year:

The New York Times released a new report looking into Denholm’s compensation and found that she was paid about 5 times more than the next best-paid nonexecutive chair.

Tesla paid its chair about 5 times more than UnitedHealth’s:

The nonexecutive chair with the next-highest profit from selling shares in the company he oversees was Stephen Hemsley of UnitedHealth Group. Mr. Hemsley has earned more than $100 million from the sale of UnitedHealth shares since November 2018, though he received all of that stock while he was chief executive of the health care company.

To Musk’s point about the role being honorific, it’s not clear what Denholm accomplished during her time as chair.

She and the rest of Tesla’s board oversee Tesla’s executive management, led by Musk, but Musk has been allowed to do whatever he wants for years.

They have backed his every move, granted him a $55 billion CEO compensation package, and remained silent when he threatened Tesla shareholders that he would not develop AI products at Tesla unless given a larger, more controlling share of the company, or decided to fire Tesla’s entire charging team to make an example out of the head of the team.

Most recently, they have not addressed the protests at Tesla stores and product boycotts, which are attributed to Musk’s involvement in politics, angering a significant portion of the population and Tesla’s consumer base.

Only recently was there a report suggesting the board floated the idea of replacing Musk to gain leverage in forcing him to spend more time at Tesla. Even then, the board quickly denied the report, which only claimed that they were doing their jobs in planning the CEO succession.

Electrek’s Take

Based on Musk’s comment, Denholm was paid half a billion dollars to do nothing. That’s literally all that was required of her after replacing Musk as chair of the board: nothing.

Musk is in charge. She is just an “honorific” figurehead that is required to back his every move.

Just as Tesla’s then-third-largest individual shareholder, after Musk, Leo KoGuan, told Electrek last year, when he couldn’t get his concerns about Musk heard by the board, Tesla is “a family business masquerading as a public company.”

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UrbanLink nearly doubles order of REGENT electric seagliders to transport over 4M passengers a year

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4 hours ago

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May 14, 2025

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UrbanLink nearly doubles order of REGENT electric seagliders to transport over 4M passengers a year

UrbanLink

Less than a year after announcing an order for 27 electric seaglider planes from REGENT Craft, advanced air mobility (AAM) specialist UrbanLink has nearly doubled that order size to support plans for high-frequency commercial flights around the southeastern United States.

While advanced air mobility may be a nascent industry, companies around the globe are continuously gearing up to establish commercial networks that support air taxi travel and other sustainable commercial operations. In the US, particularly Southern Florida, UrbanLink has been making tons of moves to establish itself as a major player in that space when it happens.

UrbanLink has already been working for years to enable zero-emission, end-to-end travel within a 500-mile range by 2028 before expanding that range to 1,000 miles by 2030, beginning with its hub cities of Miami, Los Angeles, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The company believes its actions have adequately positioned it to become the first airline in the US to integrate electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft into its fleet. Fellow eVTOL network Archer Aviation is also in the race, so it’s exciting times for commercial air taxi development.

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UrbanLink has committed to purchasing from several eVTOL and electric plane developers, including Artemis Sea Crafts, Eviation Aircraft, and Lilium, as we reported back in June 2024. Last fall, the AAM operator announced it was adding more vessels to its growing fleet in South Florida, committing to purchase 27 electric seagliders from REGENT Craft.

Today, UrbanLink and REGENT announced an expansion of their existing partnership in which the former has upped its purchase order to 47 electric seagliders.

UrbanLink
Source: UrbanLink

REGENT Craft and UrbanLink shared details of the expanded partnership this morning, in hopes of establishing Florida as the bona fide leader in sustainable coastal aerial mobility.

Per the company, the nearly doubling of the existing order for REGENT’s Viceroy electric seagliders will support a more rapid rollout of UrbanLink’s aerial operations between the southern Florida and Puerto Rico regions. REGENT co-founder and CEO Billy Thalheimer spoke about the expanded seaglider order:

UrbanLink’s expanded order is a clear vote of confidence in REGENT’s seaglider technology and is testament to our continued timely execution certification and product development milestones. Together, we’re building a more convenient and connected future for coastal communities.

As the map above shows, electric sea glider travel can cut the travel time from Miami to West Palm Beach by nearly 75%. This single route represents a growing demand for convenient and more sustainable alternatives for short-haul travel in the US, and UrbanLink hopes to provide that to Florida visitors and beyond.

For example, the company shared that it anticipates that its seaglider operations in Miami alone could provide more sustainable travel options to up to 4.3 million passengers per year when commercial operations begin. UrbanLink founder and chairman Ed Wegel also spoke:

We’re proud to expand our partnership with REGENT and bring this revolutionary technology to more passengers traveling high-demand routes across Florida and Puerto Rico. This partnership propels Florida to the forefront of global innovation in advanced, all-electric mobility.

REGENT’s full-scale Viceroy electric seaglider prototype is currently in the process of successful sea trials en route to certification from the US Coast Guard. These 12-passenger vessels can reach up to 180 mph and travel up to 180 miles on a single charge.

First deliveries of the Viceroy seagliders to UrbanLink are expected to begin sometime in 2027.

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