Sometimes saving the planet really does start from home. We can make a difference in our home energy conservation without putting solar panels on our rooftops or installing windmills in the back yard. Here are some good reasons to consider paying more attention to how much electricity we not only use, but probably waste and some simple tips to help save energy, the environment and a few bucks on our electricity bills!
The Environmental Impact
- According to The Environmental Defense Fund, 65% of pollution attributed to global warming (or climate change) comes from the generation of energy and its use.
- Coal is the most common fuel for generating electricity in the United States.
- In 2010, 45% of the Country's nearly 4 trillion kilowatt hours of electricity used coal as its source of energy. [From EIA, the US Energy Information Administration]
- 5 - 20% of our home electric bill comes from phantom or vampire electrical use, which usually comes from electronics that stay plugged in and draw electricity even when they are turned off.
Conserve Energy and Money with these Simple Tips
Learn More About Global Warming
So, What Can We Do?
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- Turn off the lights when you don't need them!
- Get energy-efficient appliances - when you buy new appliances, be sure to buy Energy Star appliances. And you might find some government incentives as well.
- Lighting - consider changing to LED, CFL or ESL bulbs, which are all more energy-efficient.
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Shed light on those vampires and expel them! Even if you switch off most electronics, many continue to draw an electrical current. Our friend, Ed Begley Jr., suggests that we put all the electronics that we usually off when we leave home, on energy-saving smart strips so you can just flip one switch to turn off several things.
- Try The Bye Bye Standby starter kit
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The Smart Strip
- Ed also reminds us NOT to put essential appliances or electronics like the refrigerator or the cable box on the strips that get turned off when you leave the house.
- Understand your energy use - The US Department of Energy offers this tool to calculate your household energy use. Get a home electric meter like to help monitor energy use:
- Try The Bye Bye Standby starter kit
Listen to the 5-minute segment on conserving energy at home.
More Why Should We Care Fun!
We talked to the amazing Fran Drescher actress and activist and founder of Cancer Schmancer for this segment and asked her what she is most passionate about when it comes to sustainable and healthy living and why should we care . . . She really gets that many of the toxins in our every day environment are making us sick and we have to start to pay attention to the food we eat, how we grow it; our homes and how we clean them, etc. AND if you haven't check out her hilarious new TV show, Happily Divorced, you are missing out! Listen to the Fran Drescher, Why We Should Care interview in this podcast of the Green Divas Radio Show.
We REALLY need your help! Please consider a $5 contribution and join us in being part of the solution! If most of our fans donate, we will hit our goal on time! Visit our Why Should We Care Campaign page and please donate (and get some awesome goodies when you do)!
The Green Divas Radio Show, podcasts, audio vignettes and blog posts feature fun and low-stress ways to live a deeper shade of green, while maintaining some comfort and style. Green Diva Meg, co-host Green Diva Lisa and sidekick, Green Dude Paul offer tons of easily accessible information and resources to help make the journey to a more sustainable world easier and a little more fun and entertaining. The radio show broadcasts live every Saturday morning from WMTR 1250 AM in Northern, NJ/NY Metro area, streaming live on WMTRam.com, or catch up on the podcast.
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