Wrap it up. Save energy with R-49.

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 09:53:03 -0700

Only about one-fifth of homes built before 1980 are well insulated. Is yours?

To get an idea of what insulation could do for your comfort, your pocketbook, and the climate crisis, consider what it's already doing: without existing residential insulation U.S. carbon dioxide emissions would increase 15%. That's 1.35 trillion pounds of carbon dioxide, and it would take a forest of 300 million acres, equivalent to all of our harvested cropland, to take it back up.

Clean filters, clean air

emily — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:30:50 -0700

Heating and cooling uses about half of the energy in a typical home, accounting for about $1500 a year in annual costs and some 10% of US greenhouse gases emissions. Because these systems condition large amounts of air in homes and apartments, there are many places to look for energy savings. Follow this checklist, then reexamine your home for potential savings unique to your living space.

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

Lighten up - switch to CFLs

emily — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:04:33 -0700

Despite our obsession with advanced technology, almost 9% of residential electricity is used by light bulbs not far removed from the original design invented by Thomas Edison more than 100 years ago! So, how did we let the light bulb get so far behind?