| Going green can mean all three: saving energy, | | | | view are not always right, after all how many |
| saving money, and saving our planet. These are | | | | different ways have we told to even plant a |
| just some useful tips to incorporate into your | | | | three foot tree at the same lawn and garden |
| lifestyle. | | | | center or even the local greenhouse, depending |
| How many times has that guy or gal at the | | | | on who working that day. So how do we set the |
| store, your family members, and your close dear | | | | record straight on what saves more energy? |
| friends told you how to save energy and save | | | | We all can learn how to think of going green |
| money by saving energy? Help the planet and | | | | when considering waste and waste management. |
| help yourself! Sounds good, right? You actually | | | | We can commit to learning how we can recycle, |
| take their suggestions and what happens? That is | | | | reduce, recover, and reuse to help save our |
| right! Your energy bills go up and up and up! Why | | | | planet. If we use waste as a resource we turn |
| does this happen? Someone gets an idea, just an | | | | landfill gas into energy, waste to energy, recycle, |
| idea, and then starts circulating it believing that the | | | | and use beneficial land reuse. A few tips to save |
| idea is the gospel on energy savings. Our planet is | | | | energy and to save money so you can take a |
| in dire need of rescue from energy hogs, so we | | | | longer vacation or stay longer at that hotel or |
| start thinking we have the best idea on how to | | | | motel at your favorite vacation spot, or start |
| save energy. Then, we circulate the idea until the | | | | feeding the pig and save the money for |
| idea becomes something out of never, never land. | | | | retirement or that new project that you need so |
| Gossip may start out in partial truth, a one-sided | | | | much. |
| truth; however, when it finishes up and with all | | | | Tip one. Leaving a light bulb on does not save |
| good intentions, we receive something like to that | | | | electricity. All light bulbs draw more current initially |
| of the Lock Nest Monster. Like the Lock Nest | | | | in order to heat up a cold filament or to excite |
| Monster, the idea becomes what we now know | | | | the gases used in fluorescent bulbs. But, the |
| as a myth, or at least we believe it may be a | | | | start-up only lasts for an instant. Frequent on and |
| myth. The information is so distorted by the time | | | | off cycles do cut down on the number of hours a |
| we receive the valuable information that it has | | | | lamp will light, but the lamp still lasts longer |
| become the next thing that we have to cancel | | | | because the light bulb is not on as much. |
| off our lists as far as an energy saving plan or | | | | Tip two. Water saving toilets save water and |
| idea. | | | | save energy in supplying the water. Some early |
| There is a lot of misinformation and now some of | | | | models required extra flushing so they were not |
| the truth can be revealed. Truth in invaluable and | | | | efficient, but now according to the CWWA |
| knowledge is power. A lot of people just use | | | | website, the water saving toilets are now worth |
| good old common sense, trial and error, or the | | | | replacing an older toilet. |
| experience of learning the hard way to get to the | | | | Tip three. Do not water your plants when the sun |
| truth of energy savings. They tally, keep a | | | | is strong because the water evaporates too |
| running log book, up how many hours they use | | | | quickly. This wastes water. Water in the morning |
| what appliance, or how many hours the lights are | | | | with a longer, deeper irrigation. Late evening |
| on, or how many times they use hot water in | | | | watering of your plants may cause plant fungal |
| their washing machines to tell where all the | | | | disease. |
| energy is being used. Month and month, they do | | | | Tip four. Look for the Energy Star Label. New |
| this. Then, they finally figure out that the even | | | | Energy Star washers use an average of 40 |
| the energy star appliances, though more energy | | | | percent less energy than standard models. Most |
| efficient, still use a lot, I mean a lot, of energy! | | | | of the savings stem from the fact that they use |
| Hour after hour of running different appliances | | | | less than half the water, and heating that water |
| throughout the month adds up when you consider | | | | accounts for 90 percent of a washer's total |
| an entire home with a lot of different energy | | | | energy use. Use cold water on the wash and rinse |
| hogs. | | | | cycles and save money. For extra saving; of |
| After doing some research, what to believe about | | | | course, you can always hang you washed laundry |
| energy savings is more easy to swallow. What | | | | on a clothesline if that is available to you. |
| directions, step-by-step instructions, to take to | | | | Tip five. Use hand tools instead of power tool for |
| save energy becomes visibly clear. Of course, | | | | small jobs. For quick repairs, perhaps a handsaw |
| logic tell us most of what we can believe, but | | | | or screwdriver would be both quicker and save |
| what about the specifics? What you are hearing | | | | energy and even time of getting out the power |
| from everyone else is not exactly right. | | | | tools for the job. You should consider that even |
| The record of the log book reveals the truths of | | | | using rechargeable batteries use energy when |
| household energy savings. Even some contractors | | | | being charged. |
| can tell us misleading information about how to | | | | Going green can mean all three: saving energy, |
| save energy, not knowing exactly how they are | | | | saving money, and saving our planet. These are |
| interpreting the information they use on a day to | | | | just some useful tips to incorporate into your |
| day basis. So what do we do? Popular point of | | | | lifestyle. |