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Environmental Topic
Du Jour: Environmental Resolutions
By now you're either well into the throes of your New Year's
resolutions or have given up entirely. Your Exercycle has been
converted into a coat rack and you're back on double cheeseburgers and
hot fudge sundaes. It's not too late to redeem yourself with a few post
New Year actions. These are mine -- why not join me?
1. Switch from incandescent to flourescent bulbs.
For a long time I waited until the old incandescent lights burned out
before replacing them with the longer-burning and way more
energy-efficient flourescent ones. However, these calculations
from Environmental Defense convinced me of the cost savings (and thus
the energy savings) of not waiting. Maybe you're not willing to switch
over for every single bulb -- there is a slight difference in light
quality, I must admit -- but you could make a good faith effort to
re-evaluate the lighting options in your home.
2. Request the cessation of paper bills. I pay most of 'em online, anyway. Why waste the extra paper?
3. Get power strips for electronics and turn them off when not in use. Did
you know that about 5% of the energy used up in your home results from
plugged-in appliances that are not actually in use? It's called phantom energy loss.
The best way to avoid this is to unplug items not in use. For
entertainment areas you can plug everything into a power strip and
power it all down at once.
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What can you do right now to help the environment? Drop a line to save some of nature's BioGems.
It happens to us all: you've got
stuff you
don't
want anymore, don't need anymore, or never liked to begin with. Whether
you're motivated by a natural sense
of thrift, an environmental conscience, a desire to help others -- or
all three -- here are some suggestions as to what to do with many of
your unwanted items.
Hope they help!
Previous
Topics:
links
Veggie Oil Fuel
Extinct Dolphins 2
Giving to Charity
How To Throw A Yard Sale
Enviro Resolutions
The Oceans
Carbon Neutral
Extinct Dolphins
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