Talking About Green

As natural gas, oil, gasoline and coal are burned, they increase the level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere which greatly contributes to global warming and the greenhouse effect.  We can all play a part in lowering the demand for fossil fuels by doing some basic things on an everyday basis.

1) Recycling is not a new idea and there are programs in schools, at the workplace and in your community that are there to remind us to do our part.  When you choose reusable products you are helping to reduce waste.  Buying products in economy sizes cuts down on packaging and recycling your plastic, newspaper, aluminum cans and glass are all easy to do tasks that make a difference.  In your home, it is the added insulation in your attic and walls that will allow you to use your heating and air conditioning less often. Weather stripping windows and doors along with better insulation can reflect a twenty-five percent savings on your bill.

2) If you still have regular light bulbs in your home, replace them with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Did you know that the CFLs last ten times longer, emit seventy percent less heat and us two thirds less energy?  If every home in the US replaced just one regular light bulb with a CFL, that would compare to removing over seven million cars from our roads.  If we could drive less, we would not only save on gas but put less emissions into the air.  Public transportation is always available and riding a bike and walking is good exercise.  If you can, set up a carpool for school or work so you are doing your part.

3) Lowering the temperature setting on your hot water heater to one-hundred and twenty takes only a second.  This saves the energy to produce hot water and you can do your laundry in warm or cold water.  Then check your dishwasher for an energy saving setting and let them air dry instead of using the heated dryer cycle.   When you are not using your computer, TV, video player or stereo, turn them off.

4) Take a look at your yard, do you have the room to add a tree?  If you do, planting a tree is another way to deal with carbon dioxide in the air.  Plants and trees absorb the carbon dioxide in the air during photosynthesis and so they are natures way to do an atmospheric exchange.  Although trees alone cannot combat the growing increase of carbon dioxide from manufacturing, auto emission and other activities we humans create, they can absorb during their lifetime about one ton of carbon dioxide.

5) Why not educate your family, neighbors and friends about how energy conservation and recycling is something we can all do to better our world.  These are just some of the many ways we can all save on energy and at the same time save on our monthly bill. We are all in this together.

Article contributed by Holly Adams from Coupon Croc. Consume less energy and “Go Green” by replacing your electronics and household appliances, and save with Comet discount codes.