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 Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:56 am
Here are a few things from random sites that can help clean up the earth and save energy.
Many consumers don't know this, but there are now highly efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that last for years, use a quarter of the energy of regular bulbs and actually produce more light. Look for the government's ENERGY STAR label, which means the bulb has been tested for quality and efficiency. While each ENERGY STAR qualified bulb will cost more initially – anywhere from $3 to $9 a piece – remember that there are two price tags: what you pay at the register and what you pay in energy costs to over the bulb's lifetime. So you may pay more up front, but you will actually save hundreds of dollars in your household budget over the long term because of their long life.
While CFLs were harder to find a few years ago, they're now widely available and much more affordable. You'll find them at major home improvement and hardware stores – even grocery and some convenience stores.
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:57 am
The sad truth is that your car emits as much CO2 as your entire house. That's the bad news. The good news is that anything you can do to improve the fuel efficiency of your car will have an enormous impact on climate change. In fact, experts say that paying attention to fuel efficiency in your car may be the single biggest thing you can do to prevent global warming
Buying a fuel-efficient car (like a Hybrid) is wonderful. In fact, replacing your gas-guzzling car with a fuel-efficient one is by far the best thing you can do, out of all your choices. But not all of us can do that – at least, not right now. Carmakers haven't sold enough hybrids in the U.S. yet to make them as affordable as they should be. That will change, but not for a few years.
So, in the interim, there are things you can do with the car you drive now to conserve energy and be more fuel-efficient.
Drive less. Every year, Americans as a whole drive more miles than they did the year before. Stop this trend, and we drive a stake in that trend. Telecommuting and public transportation are great options – once a week saves a ton of CO2 a year -- but even piling multiple errands into one trip helps. If you can walk instead of drive, even better.
Get your car tuned up. Just a simple tune-up often improves fuel efficiency by half. If 100,000 of us went out and got a tune up, we save 124,000 tons of CO2.
Slow down, don't race your car's engine, and watch your idling. All of these save on gas (saving you money) and have a big impact on burning gasoline.
Horribly inefficient SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks now make up more than half of the cars on American roads. The real tragedy is that automakers could double the current average fuel efficiency of SUVs if they wanted to, which would save 70 tons of CO2 per car. The technology exists. Unfortunately, consumer demand does not.
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:58 am
Did you know that your friendly refrigerator has a voracious energy appetite? It is, by far, the single biggest consumer of electricity in the average household, responsible for 10-15 percent of the electricity you use each month.
Older refrigerators, as a rule, are far less efficient than the newest ones – as much as 50 percent more efficient in many cases. But buying a brand-new, energy-efficient refrigerator is almost certainly not in the cards for most of us. Fortunately, other things will help.
Don't set the thermostat too high. Even 1 degree will make a big difference.
If your refrigerator is near a heating vent, or always in the sun, then change the location, cover up the heat vent near it or drape the window.
Turn on your "energy saver" switch near the thermostat.
Clean the condenser coil. This one, very simple thing can improve the efficiency of your refrigerator by a third!
Get rid of your second refrigerator. If you don't need it, don't waste the energy.
Make sure the doors seal properly, and keep the cool in.
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 10:00 am
While it is true that planting more trees will help in the short term because they essentially soak up carbon, they also release carbon dioxide when they die. So it just postpones the problem. But there are other reasons to plant trees – as wind breaks to save energy, and as shade to lower cooling costs. And even the short-term help while we get our act together is a good thing.
As for plants, do everything you can in your yard and garden to create ways in which plants use less water. Choose hardier plants, plant things in groups that need more water and put in mulch to help keep moisture in. When you mow your grass, make sure you do it smartly – with sharp blades, and only when the grass needs cutting. Finally, make sure you water your lawn sparingly. All of these will conserve energy.
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 10:03 am
Use reusable containers for food storage instead of wrapping with aluminum or plastic wrap.
Use unbleached coffee filters - bleached paper products create dioxin, a deadly toxic which is dumped into waterways.
Use rags (old t-shirts, fabrics, etc.) rather than paper products.
Reuse paper towels used for drying your hands, let them dry. Better yet just use a towel.
Reuse plastic wrap and plastic bags (it can be washed). Keep in a handy place. Better yet, use containers.
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 10:05 am
Quit smoking
Second-hand smoke is a major indoor air pollutant and health hazard. When you quit, both you and your family will lead longer and healthier lives.
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 2:53 pm
Purplepiratelynn Here are a few things from random sites that can help clean up the earth and save energy. Many consumers don't know this, but there are now highly efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that last for years, use a quarter of the energy of regular bulbs and actually produce more light. Look for the government's ENERGY STAR label, which means the bulb has been tested for quality and efficiency. While each ENERGY STAR qualified bulb will cost more initially – anywhere from $3 to $9 a piece – remember that there are two price tags: what you pay at the register and what you pay in energy costs to over the bulb's lifetime. So you may pay more up front, but you will actually save hundreds of dollars in your household budget over the long term because of their long life.
While CFLs were harder to find a few years ago, they're now widely available and much more affordable. You'll find them at major home improvement and hardware stores – even grocery and some convenience stores.the problem with these is that the amount of light emitted isn't as good as the normal lightbulbs (well... for me) my dad went crazy over these light bulbs and replaced every lightbulb in the house (except for the heated reptile bulb) and threw all of the others out. sadly, there's isn't as much light emitted from these light bulbs and it was be a drag if he went and re-replaced them again. i still like these lightbulbs, on the other hand cause they're more healthy for our enviroment and also is more healthy for our wallets.
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