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HOW TO PICK A BETTER BULB Though we call them “lights,” traditional incandescent bulbs are actually small heaters that produce a little light — and waste a lot of energy making heat. (You know this if you’ve touched one that’s been on for a while!) In the 1880s, they revolutionized the world. But today, we can do better.
Better alternatives use more efficient technology
IN YOUR HOME Adjust Your Thermostat By making simple changes in your life, you can reduce the amount of C02 released into the atmosphere and help stop global warming. Put on a sweater instead of turning up the heat in your home. Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $250 per year.
Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 per year.
Fill the Dishwasher Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs.
energy when they’re off as when they’re on. Make it easy to turn them all the way off— plug them into a power strip and turn off the whole strip.
Take Shorter Showers and Install a Low-Flow Shower Head Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $99 per year. Using less water
in the shower means less energy to heat the water. Save
Use your muscles instead of fossil fuels and get some exercise. Save 80 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.
Inflate Your Tires
store.
Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly. Save 250 lbs.
Buy Minimally Packaged Goods
of carbon dioxide and $840 per year.
Check Your Water Heater
Own a big vehicle? Carpooling with friends and co-workers saves fuel. Save 790 lbs. of
Save 550 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $30 per year. Keep your
water heater insulated could save 1,000 lbs. of carbon diox-
year.
ide and $40 per year.
Unplug Unused Electronics
Weatherize Your Home
Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs. of
Caulk and weather strip your doorways and windows. Save
carbon dioxide and $256 per year. Your electric meter is of-
and $274 per year.
1,700 lbs. of carbon dioxide
carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.
Change Your Air Filter Check your car’s air filter monthly. Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $130 per year.
AT THE OFFICE Use Recycled Paper
IN THE YARD
Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of
Plant a Tree
paper.
Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breathe. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.
Buy Products Locally Buy locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to your
Carpool When You Can
Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120°F.
YOUR PURCHASING POWER
ON THE ROAD
350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150.
of carbon dioxide and $40 per
ten adding up kilowatt hours when you don’t think you’re using an appliance. Unplug toasters and cell phone and other chargers when they’re not in use. Don’t use air fresheners that have to be plugged in. Use power strips. Cable boxes and video game boxes, and to a lesser extent TVs and VCRs, use almost as much
Use a Push Mower
carbon dioxide per ream of
Change the AC Filter Clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.
Less packaging could reduce your garbage by about 10%. Save 1,200 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year.
Ditch the Plastic 2.5 million individual plastic water bottles are thrown away every hour in the US. Start using a reusable water bottle and just say no to plastic!
Bring Cloth Bags to the Market Using your own cloth bag instead of plastic or paper bags reduces waste and requires
Once dismissed as buzzing tubes in offices, fluorescent lights have gone compact and upscale. Energysaving compact fluorescents (CFs) now rival the cozy, warm light of traditional bulbs. They use a fraction of the electricity, which means lower electricity bills and millions of tons less global warming pollution. And in the summer, because they don’t burn as hot as incandescent bulbs, they’ll lower your cooling bills. If every household replaced just three 60-watt incandescent bulbs with CF bulbs, the pollution savings would be like taking 3.5 million cars off the road! If you were disappointed by CF bulbs in the past, it’s time to try again. Today’s energy-saving bulbs can be used just about anywhere—as reading lights, in vanities and wall sconces. Some are dimmable; others work in three-way lamps. All are cheaper and more attractive than earlier models. It’s easy to start saving money and electricity today. Here’s how to make the switch:
1
Start with one bulb.
There are lots of choices, so before switching all the bulbs in a room, try just one to make sure it gives the kind of light you want. Look for bulbs with a color temperature between 2650 and 2850 degrees Kelvin or labeled “warm white.”
2
Know your watts.
Incandescent bulbs are known by how much power it takes to light them—a 40-watt bulb is on the dim side and uses less power; a 100-watt bulb is bright and
uses a lot of juice. Energy-saving CFs provide much more light per watt. Look for a CF bulb whose wattage is about one-quarter of the incandescent you’re replacing. For example, a CF bulb in the 15-watt range replaces around a 60-watt incandescent.
3
Check the shape and size.
Both the CF bulb and its ballast (the bulb’s “engine” in between the glass and the screw-in part) can be bigger than standard incandescent bulbs. Inspect your lamp shade, the harp and the socket to ensure that your lamp can accommodate the CF bulb.
4
Be careful choosing CF bulbs to use with dimmers.
In order for a CF bulb to work in a dimmer, it must be specially designed to do so. Read the package before you buy a CF bulb for a dimmer-controlled fixture.
5
Look for Energy Star.
The most energy-efficient CF bulbs carry the Energy Star label, the imprimatur of the government-backed energy efficiency program. (More about how bulbs qualify for Energy Star.)
6
Dispose of burned-out bulbs properly.
All fluorescent lights contain trace amounts of mercury. But don’t worry — there is far less mercury in CFs than in thermometers or old thermostats. Plus, using these bulbs helps prevent mercury from being released into the air from coal-powered power plants. When they burn out years down the road, recycle them.
7
See if your utility offers rebates.
Energy-efficient bulbs help utility companies lessen their load at peak times, so sometimes they run special programs or rebates to encourage you to make the switch.
no additional energy.
Choose Food Thoughtfully Raising meat contributes more global warming emissions than raising crops. Cutting back on meat even once a week can make a difference.
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