3 easy energy choices
1. CFL light bulbs. This one is a no-brainer. Modern compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) are cheap, energy efficient, and they produce high quality light. (But don’t take my word for it, read this review in Popular Mechanics.) The beauty of the CFL is two-fold: first, they use 25% as much energy as their incandescent cousins. If you replace your most-used lights, this can lead to significant monthly savings on your energy bill. Additionally, the bulbs last much longer–8000 hrs or more (compared to 1000 hours for incandescents). And at only $2-4/bulb, you are saving on bulb replacement costs as well!
There’s really no excuse for keeping your old fashioned light bulbs. Go to the ecoLightBulbStore and order a dozen bulbs. Or check out your local hardware store, as CFLs are now very common and easy to find. As a final added bonus for all you Wisconsin locals, you can get a rebate of $2/bulb from Focus on Energy!
2. Ride a bike. If you live in anything resembling a city, your life will be greatly improved with the addition of a bicycle. Any destination within 5 miles of your home is easily accessible by bike. With a little careful planning, you can greatly reduce the amount of driving you do on a daily basis. Plus it’s great exercise!
Now for a few minor caveats: First, do not mistake the two-wheeled junk heaps at Target, K-Mart or Walmart for a bicycle. They most certainly are not. If you want to buy a bicycle, you must go to a bike shop. A brand new bicycle will cost $300-500. This may seem like a lot, but keep in mind that a well maintained bike will easily last 10 years or more. A used bicycle will cost $100-200, and if you buy it from a reputable used bike shop you will likely end up with a great bargain.
Bicycles, like cars, require regular maintenance. You can easily perform this maintenance yourself with a few tools and a little know-how. This is why you bought your bicycle at a bike shop–they will happily instruct you on how to oil a chain, adjust your brakes, and add air to your tires.
Finally, buy a helmet and front & rear lights. Don’t take unnecessary chances!
3. Opt-in for green electricity. Many utilities offer voluntary programs for customers to pay a little more on their bill to support green energy projects. Here in Milwaukee, WE Energies offers their Energy for Tomorrow program. I pay an extra 1 cent per kWh of electricity which goes to fund projects like wind turbines and biofuels in the region. I know that MG&E (in Madison, WI) offers a similar program, and chances are that your local utility does as well.
These programs serve a few purposes: most importantly, they support projects that reduce the environmental impact of generating electricity. As an added bonus, it serves to remind you to conserve electricity by gently pinching your wallet every month. It also demonstrates to utilities, politicians, and the public that there is a very real demand for green energy.
Don’t delay. Make a change today. Here you have three easy ways to make an appreciable difference in your personal impact on energy resources and environmental impact. Pick one that you like and make the change today. Or be a super all-star and do two or three. We simply can’t wait for top-down government regulations to reverse the trend of environmentally costly energy. We can all take action today and drive change from bottom up.
Filed under climate change, culture, energy : Comments (2) : Apr 18th, 2007 by tadfad
April 20th, 2007 at 10:20
1322 Chandler proudly accomplishes all 3 of those tasks.
April 20th, 2007 at 11:50
I tip my hat to 1322!