If the fight to protect our environment really is war, then we need weapons and war strategies And fortunately, we have a list of the perfect weapons and strategies sure to help you and your fellow citizens win the fight for earth's resources. These include:
CFL's or Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs : Go through each room in your house and determine which room gets the most use, then rank them 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on. Start with the room that gets the most use and change out all of the light Bulbs in that room to CFL bulbs.
You can change out all of the bulbs in your house at once but this can get pricy. Remember, this is about conservation of your monetary resources as well, so let's just go with one room at a time.
"Energy Star" and other companies say that a CFL bulb lasts longer (about 10 times longer) and uses 75% less energy than regular incandescent bulbs. Do a bit of simple math and you'll see that over time you can save quite a bit of money using the bulbs, and since they put out less heat, you can also save on your cooling costs too.
Unplug Your Appliances: Ok this sounds too simple and it is! That's the beauty of it, and it won't cost you a dime extra to implement it.
Each appliance you have in your home is plugged into an electrical current/source. Whether or not that appliance is being operated or running that electrical current is constantly running through the appliance wiring so that you can have access to that energy in a nano second just by flipping the switch.
This is somewhat like leaving your car running at all times just in case you want/need to use it. Even Bill Gates would hardly opt for that convenience.
Go around your house, determine which appliances have a clock or memory to maintain or need to keep things at a certain temperature and allow those appliances to remain plugged in. We'll call those the "Essential Appliances."
This makes all the rest of them "Non-Essential Appliance" category. Then go out to your garage and grab a few of those power strips you've got stored and put them to work on the "Non-Essential Appliances" like your TV, Printer, Shredder and Desk Lamps in your home office.
Each room will have "Non-Essential Appliances." Once you've identified them plug them into the power strips so that when your not using them all you have is one plug to remove from the wall socket.
A good power strip not only protects against power grid surges but the back up battery is sufficient to keep the internal clocks and memory running even if it's not plugged in. Just remember to "Shut Down" your computer before you unplug the power strip.
Paper Towels : This habit may be one of the hardest of all to break, but you must force yourself to stop using paper towels. The cost is enormous, even if you buy them at one of the big container warehouse stores.
Instead, invest in things like cloth napkins to use at meals, and inchamois style towels . You can buy enough to have around for any use in the house.
Also inexpensive and wrinkle free, cloth napkins can be found anywhere. Buy enough to use at each meal for a week and then just throw them in the wash once a week with the Chamois towels then sit back and add up your savings.
There you have it: three simple tips to begin saving energy, money and the environment at little to no cost. Yes, change is difficult and it may take a bit to get used to, but hey you managed to quit smoking and get back to the gym right?
Just stay focused and implement each of the tips one at a time. Once you get used to the first, go on to the next and before you know it you'll be a 21st Century Eco Warrior!
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