Save the Icebergs
The Polar Ice Cap
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LIVE GREENER
Save energy. Save the icebergs. Save the planet.
Since 1979, more than 20% of the polar ice cap, which helps regulate the Earth's climate, has melted away. Reducing your consumption of fossil fuel energy you can help stop the trend and every day your choices make a difference.
Here are 10 things you can do right now:
1. Turn off lights and computers when you leave the room.
"When to Turn Off Personal Computers" is a guide from The US Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Read it here.
2. Turn off your engine if you idle for more than 10 seconds.
After 10 seconds of idling cars, buses and trucks use more gas or diesel and create more global warming pollution than simply restarting the engine. Surprised? The 10-second rule has been proven by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the EPA and the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency.
Find out how.
3. Change your light bulbs to compact fluorescents.
Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) bring the advantages of fluorescent lighting to incandescent sockets. On average, they use less than a quarter of the energy used by an incandescent bulb for the same amount of light.
Read more on the Energy Star website
4. Drink tap water instead of bottled water.
The New York Times editorial "In Praise of Tap Water" is still making waves.
Read the editorial
5. Switch to green power from your local utility.
If 10 percent of New York State households chose green power, it would reduce the state's annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by about 3 billion pounds. CO2 makes up 80 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. Most electrical utilities can provide power from renewable energy sources--contact your utility to find out more. If you live in New York City, visit Con Edison's Green Power website for information on how to enroll in their Green Power program:
Con Edison's Green Power website
6. Adjust your thermostat.
In cold weather put on a sweater. In warm weather open the windows. Also, set your thermostats properly: the government's ENERGY STAR program recommends 70 for heat and 78 for cool.
Heat & Cool Efficiently
7. Make energy efficiency an important purchase criterion.
Look for the ENERGY STAR label when purchasing appliances and for the best gas mileage when investing in a vehicle.
Read about appliances on the Energy Star website
8. Conduct a do-it-yourself home energy audit.
With a simple walk-through, you can spot many problems on your own. Reduce your energy use by first tightening up your home. Weatherizing can help cut your heating and cooling costs by 15 to 30 percent and increase your comfort at the same time. Learn how:
Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits
9. Wash clothes in cold water.
You can save up to 80% of energy per load by washing in cold water with a product like TideŽ Coldwater detergent. For more information on best energy use practices when it comes to laundry, visit the Tide Coldwater website:
Read about easy ways to save energy on household chores.
10. Ride a bicycle instead of driving.
While bicycling Albert Einstein discovered the theory of relativity. And Ernest Hemingway said that, "It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them."
Read more in "Why Ride a Bicycle."