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WESTPORT SPEAKS...
Be sure to check the Past Postings under Westport Speaks (see navigation column to the left.)
Thoughts from our community:
(Martin Yellin wrote this piece for the Westport News)
April 20, 2007.
Global Warming/Climate Change What we can do about it Climate change is the most serious problem we face in the 21st century. Our children and grandchildren are depending upon us to help turn things around. Global warming can be slowed, and stopped, with practical actions that yield a cleaner, healthier atmosphere. The question is: will we act soon enough. The longer we wait to do something about it, the more change we will have. Ultimately it is up to each of us, as individuals and families, to take action to slow down and eventually reverse global warming through everyday awareness of our energy use and attention to ways we can conserve electricity and minimize fossil fuel usage. What we can do: The goal is to bring global warming under control by curtailing the release of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping "greenhouse" gases into the atmosphere. In the US individuals release 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per person every year. Compare that to Western Europe where the number is less then 3000. We can help immediately by becoming more energy efficient. Reducing our use of oil, gasoline and coal also sets an example for others to follow. Reduce electricity usage around the home. The largest source of greenhouse gases is electric power generation. The average home actually contributes more to global warming than the average car. This is because much of the energy we use in our homes comes from power plants which burn fossil fuel to power our electricity needs. We can significantly reduce our electricity usage by the following : · Switch to energy-efficient lighting - Replace the familiar incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). For each CFL bulb replacement, you'll lower your energy bill and keep nearly 700 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air over the bulb's lifetime. CFL bulbs last 10 to 20 times as long as an equivalent incandescent lamp and use only a quarter of the energy consumed by conventional bulbs · Buy energy-efficient appliances - When shopping for a new appliance - especially a major appliance such as a refrigerator, dishwasher, or air-conditioner - select the one with the highest energy efficiency rating. By opting for a refrigerator with the Energy Star label -- indicating it uses at least 15 percent less energy than the federal requirement -- you can reduce carbon dioxide pollution by nearly a ton in total. It pays to operate appliances that use hot water wisely. Running the clothes washer with a full load and using cold water whenever possible can lead to big energy savings. Use detergents that clean clothes effectively in cold water. · Reduce energy needed for heating and cooling - According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling systems in the U.S. emit over a half billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. Much of the energy used for heating our homes is wasted, and yet the prevention is, in many cases, simple and inexpensive. Move your thermostat up five degrees in summer and down two to five degrees in the winter during the day and down to 60 or less during the night. The lower the nighttime setting, the moister and healthier the air will be. · Weatherize your home; caulk and weather-strip your doorways and windows. You can even add insulation. Not only will all this save energy, it will save you money too! · Unplug your cell phone charger, TV and other electronics from the wall when you are not using them. Did you know that even when turned "off" your cell phone chargers, DVD players, computers, and cameras use small amounts of energy? The process can be made easier if you have everything plugged into a surge protector with its own switch. If you're leaving your computer for a while, put it on stand-by. You'll be able to restart it quickly, and it'll take less energy than shutting it down and then restarting it. · Choose clean energy options- In Westport you can choose your electricity supplier. . Call your local utility and sign up for renewable energy. Pick a company that generates a significant portion of its power from wind, solar energy and other renewable sources Improve vehicle fuel-efficiency The second largest source of greenhouse gases is transportation. Motor vehicles are responsible for about a third of all carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. We can significantly reduce our energy needs by the following: · Practice fuel-efficient driving - Every gallon of gasoline burned puts 26 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. You can boost the overall fuel-efficiency of your car as much as 30% by simple vehicle maintenance and by maintaining constant mph values no higher then 60 - 65 · Buy a fuel-efficient car - Even more important is the choice of car or truck you buy. If you buy a new car that gets 10 more miles per gallon than your old car, the amount of carbon dioxide reduction realized in one year will be about 2,500 pounds. The new hybrid cars, using efficient gas-electric engines, can cut global warming pollution by 30% or more. In fact if everyone drove a hybrid, our oil import requirements would drop to zero! Conserve energy in the home and yard Yard maintenance contributes significantly to greenhouse emissions. Per hour of operation, a power lawn mower emits 10-12 times as much hydrocarbon as a typical auto. A weedeater emits 21 times more and a leaf blower 34 times more. Don't use a leaf blower. Instead, buy a rake and do it by hand. It will help your lawn get more oxygen and sun and you'll get a little bit of exercise. Your neighbors will thank you for the noise reduction, too! The same goes for other yard work, including mowing (with a mechanical push mower), weeding (instead of weed-whacking), and fertilizing (using a compost bin or heap instead of a shredder). Compost your food waste too and avoid using chemical fertilizers, which are made from fossil fuel · Reduce lawn size - Lawn size can be reduced by adding shrubs, beds, ground covers and mulched areas. Try creating a lawn area small enough to be mowed using an efficient reel (push) mower. Lawn edging can be set low enough to mow over, reducing or eliminating the need for a weed-eater. · Recycle whenever possible - aluminum cans, newspapers, magazines, cardboard, glass - anything recycled reduces the energy needed to create new products.· Eat locally produced food - Today, the food choices available in supermarkets come from all over the world. All of this 'traffic' in food requires staggering amounts of fuel - generally by refrigerated airplanes or transport trucks. Food transportation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. While it may be difficult to adopt some of these suggestions, any amount of energy saved is significant. Making energy conservation a part of our daily awareness is essential to the goal of reducing global warming.
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