Are you kitchen aware?

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:00:28 -0700

If your refrigerator is more than 10 years old, it could be using twice the energy of a new one and costing you twice as much in power bills. If you've been thinking about getting a new refrigerator, energy efficiency is a good excuse to go shopping today.

Pump your ride

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 09:35:11 -0700

Most people seem to notice their tires when they are flat, not realizing that an under-inflated tire uses up more gas, which is bad for the environment and bad for your wallet. Under-inflated tires reduce gas mileage because they are less round than properly inflated tires, and because of that, it requires more energy to begin moving and to maintain speed. If you don't believe us, try rolling a box.

Forget the rules of thumb

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 08:13:50 -0700

Whether you're a truck driver, office worker, janitor, daycare provider, teacher, carpenter, CEO, farmer, engineer or concerned parent, you do have the power to help solve the climate crisis through making changes in your job and at your workplace.

Finding the savings takes a little creativity and true, American out-of-the-box thinking and innovation, but the rewards are huge -- both the impact on the climate and the sense of accomplishment you'll have.

So, what does a Climate P.I. do to hunt down energy savings and climate-friendly solutions?

Read the global label

emily — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 08:12:33 -0700

Here is a challenge to you that will help solve the climate crisis: lower the CO₂ emissions of your appliances and electronics by up to 50% by buying the most efficient ones available. Be sure to ask your retailer how its products stack up against your country's efficiency ratings. For more information about how to understand product efficiency ratings, read on.

Set it in motion - sensors save

emily — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:51:53 -0700

Lights out. It's a simple directive, but hard to follow in some environments, particularly in office buildings where the switches can be inconveniently located or you think somebody else might be coming any minute now. But in commercial buildings lighting accounts for about 29% of electrical energy use, a huge emitter of greenhouse gases. Motion and occupancy sensors can cut this use by about a third to almost half, depending on office rhythms.

Wear a Sweater

emily — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:38:05 -0700

In most homes, heating is the single largest energy cost. Keeping warm can make up two thirds of your total energy bill in colder parts of the country, and puts more than a billion tons of CO₂ overall into the atmosphere. Even small changes in home heating efficiency can lead to large reductions in greenhouse gases.

Turn it down... automatically

emily — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:21:26 -0700

Winter or summer, a programmable thermostat keeps your home temperature on a schedule that maximizes both efficiency and comfort. Are you typically gone all day but want the home toasty when you return? Just teach your thermostat to do it for you. By setting the temperature back 10% to 15% for 8 hours when no one is home, you can save as much as $150 a year. If every house in America did this it would drop our total greenhouse gas production by about 35 million tons of CO₂.

Getting Shady and Staying Cool

emily — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:09:48 -0700

One of the great paradoxes of climate change is that the very technology we've designed to keep us comfortable in the heat is also a big contributor to global warming. According to the EPA, about one-seventh of US electricity generation is used to air condition buildings, accounting for more than 4% of national greenhouse gas emissions. Making the most of that air conditioning -- or finding more efficient ways to stay cool-- could reduce overall emissions a percent or two and substantially lower your energy costs.

Top tips for staying cool

Home Sweet Efficient Home

emily — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:50:06 -0700

Nearly one-fifth of America's greenhouse gases come from home energy use. Half of that is used to heat and cool our living spaces, while the other half goes to lighting, appliances, and your electronic entertainment infrastructure. That means a 10% reduction in heating and cooling expenditure would result in a 1% drop in the nation's total greenhouse gases emissions!

Kansans for green laundry

emily — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:21:09 -0700

If you're in the market for a new washing machine, give thanks to the dirty laundry of tiny Bern, Kansas (population 210). When Maytag and the Office of Renewable Energy were looking for a place to test European-style front-loading washers on Americans born and bred to be top-loaders, they came to Bern. The study took background data on 103 conventional washers in and around the town, then gave them all new front-loaders, also called horizontal axis machines.