Make
easy lifestyle changes and small investments in fuel efficiency and
alternative technology
Burning one gallon of gasoline emits 23.8 pounds of carbon-dioxide,
so even small reductions in gasoline use have a major impact on
the environment.
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Consider carpooling at least a day or two per
week. If your car gets 25 mpg, driving alone you get 25 passenger-miles
per gallon. If you carpool with a friend or family member, you
will each average 50 passenger-miles per gallon; with a carpool
of 4, 100 miles passenger-miles per gallon, better than any commercial
car available.
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If you need someone to carpool with, try Commuter
Services of N. Florida at FSU College of Business, 1-888-454-7433.
They have a free computerized ride matching service. You leave
your name and work phone. If you carpool at least two days a week,
they offer a free ride home for an emergency by taxi or a rental
car.
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Use a bicycle for short trips and get
exercise while you reduce your carbon dioxide emissions, and your
gasoline bill. Forty percent of car trips in the U.S. are two
miles or shorter, and 25 percent are one mile or less. Ninety
percent of the emissions from a seven-mile car trip occur in the
first mile, before the engine warms up.
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Walk whenever possible if you live close
to work or shopping, or if you work close to shopping and lunch
places. You get exercise, and the impact in reduced emissions
is greater than average per mile not driven. Consider a walk an
earth-friendly alternative to a trip to the gym!
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Whenever you have a choice, use your most
fuel-efficient car. If you have a truck, van or SUV, leave
it at home as much as possible.
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Web sites for more information
Heating and Cooling
The average heating and cooling system consumes half or more
of the average family's utility bill
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Wear a sweater and lower your thermostat in winter
to 68°F or lower. For each degree Fahrenheit you lower your thermostat
in winter when you are heating, you cut your energy use by about
3 percent
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Dress lightly and use ceiling fans in summer.
You can raise the thermostat to 78° F and still be comfortable.
For each degree Fahrenheit you raise your thermostat in summer
when you are air-conditioning, you reduce your energy use by roughly
5 percent.
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Install a programmable clock thermostat to raise
the thermostat for AC, or lower it for heat, when no one is home
or everyone is sleeping. You can also warm up the house before
you wake up, or cool it down just before you get home! They cost
around $100, and save 11 to 18 percent on heating and cooling.
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Air leaks around doors, attic openings, outlets
and windows in the typical American home are the equivalent of
leaving an average-size window open all the time. Close them with
weather stripping for a cost of less than $2.00 for one door or
two windows. Hardware stores also sell pre-cut outlet insulators.
If you can see daylight around your door, attic hatch or window,
it needs weather-stripping or caulking. Reducing small air leaks
in your home can save 10 percent or more on your energy bill.
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Web sites for more information on saving energy
on heating and cooling
Water heaters are the second largest energy user among household
appliances. They typically account for about 20% of the average
family's utility bill.
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Install high-efficiency showerheads and install
aerators on faucets. You'll have a better shower and use only
half to a sixth as much hot water. Aerated faucets reduce the
flow of water from 50 to 90 percent, but aerated water doesn't
bounce off, so it works as well as a faster flow. For $25 you
can buy a showerhead and two faucet aerators, and save $86 annually
in electricity.
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Wrap your water heater in an insulation jacket,
available pre-cut and ready to tape on. It will generally pay
for itself in less than a year.
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Wrap your hot water pipes wherever they are accessible
in split-foam-rubber pipe insulation, available at any hardware
store.
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Lower your hot water temperature at 120°F rather
than the standard 140°F. It's hot enough for most needs, including
dishwashers (Even the setting of 140° F does not kill germs-that
requires water at least at the boiling point, 212° F).
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Wash clothes in cold or warm water, and rinse
on cold. Several effective cold water detergents are available.
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Wash only full loads of dishes. Use the air-dry
setting or turn the dishwasher off after the final rinse and open
the door.
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Web sites for more information
Lighting uses around one quarter of the total electricity generated
in the U.S.
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Use compact fluorescent bulbs. They last 10 times
as long as standard incandescent bulbs and use only one-fourth
of the energy to produce the same amount of light. Even with the
higher purchase price, they save over $40 per bulb over their
lifetime.
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Get rid of halogen torchieres. They can add $100
or more to your electric bill per year (and are a fire hazard).
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Use only the amount of light needed, and turn
lights out when you leave a room. Turning them on again, even
after a few minutes, uses less energy than leaving them on (even
with fluorescents).
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Web sites for more information
Refrigerators consume up to 25 percent of your electric bill.
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Check the settings: the refrigerator should be
between 38° F and 42° F, and the freezer should be between 0 and
5° F.
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Keep the condenser coils clean.
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Replace old gaskets that don't seal properly.
Clothes Dryer
The clothes dryer uses more energy than any other appliance except
the refrigerator.
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Use the microwave, stovetop, or a gas grill whenever
possible-electric ovens are highly inefficient.
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Cover pots when cooking-this can reduce energy
use during cooking by up to two-thirds.
- Web sites for more information
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