Update: Ways to save energy, carbon, or pollution – NOW!:

Ways to save energy, carbon, or pollution – NOW!:

1. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs –
especially those you leave on for an extended period. LEDs may be even
better. Fluorescent bulbs may contain mercury, so dispose of them
properly.

2. Use a clothesline whenever possible to dry clothes.

3. Walk, bicycle, or use public transit instead of driving a motor
vehicle.

4. Put a solar water heater or photovoltaic array on your roof.
Besides saving electricity, it helps keep the house cool. Lobby to get
photovoltaics installed over all of our roads, where they won't shade
any wildlife habitat. Rumor has it that Israel has invented a new,
cheaper, more efficient form of PV that uses a metal instead of
silicon.

5. Grow your own food. Not only will you save energy, but you will be
able to eat fresh, organic fruit, vegetables, and maybe even a few
chickens, if you are so inclined. In general, eat food that is grown
locally.

6. Paint your house white (in southern climates, to absorb less heat
from the sun) or dark (in northern climates, to absorb more heat from
the sun). Plant deciduous trees on the south side of the house to
provide shade in the summer.

7. Turn off the pilot light on your heater during the months
(March-November?) when you don't need it.

8. Insulate your house in the attic, below the floor, and in the
walls, preferably with recycled cotton denim insulation (unless being
flammable is a problem).

9. Put an insulated blanket on your hot water heater. Putting
insulated curtains on the outside of west facing windows to minimize
summer heat gain (shutters or awnings work also).

10. Have no more than 1 or 2 children.

11. Buy only what you really need: reduce, reuse, repair, recycle.

12. Don't eat beef. Raising cows is very energy-intensive.

13. Turn down your thermostat. You may be surprised (I was) to be able
to tolerate indoor temperatures as low as 55. At night, you can
probably turn the thermostat off (all the way down).

14. Minimize the amount of energy used in cooking. Eat raw rather than
cooked, steamed (heating a small amount of water) rather than boiled,
fried rather than baked.

15. Minimize the amount of water used in bathing. Use the shower
rather than bathtub. Wet yourself, turn the water off while shampooing
and washing, then rinse briefly.

16. Share your energy-saving ideas as widely as possible.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

Mike Vandeman wrote:

1. Sew Mike Vandeman's mouth, nose, and ass shut and you've saved
300,000 tons of CO2 from being expelled to the atmosphere.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

On May 9, 9:30 am, Ride-A-Lot wrote:
Mike Vandeman wrote:

1. Sew Mike Vandeman's mouth, nose, and ass shut and you've saved
300,000 tons of CO2 from being expelled to the atmosphere.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-owww.schnauzers.ws

As has already been discussed, most of these are pretty good ideas. In
many cases, there are also other positive side effects that aren't
even related to energy. Credit where it is due. My family already
does many of these, and there are a few more we could brush up on.

Bruce Jensen

On Wed, 09 May 2007 16:30:07 GMT, Ride-A-Lot
wrote:

Mike Vandeman wrote:

1. Sew Mike Vandeman's mouth, nose, and ass shut and you've saved
300,000 tons of CO2 from being expelled to the atmosphere.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande