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*In Your Home - Conserve Energy*** * 1. Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month.* *2. If you have central air conditioning, do not close vents in unused rooms.* *3. Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120.* *4. Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.* *5. Turn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods.* *6. Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time.* *7. Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5 .* *8. When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door.* *9. Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses less energy.* *10. Unplug seldom used appliances.* *11. Use a microwave when- ever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove.* *12. Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.* *13. Reverse your indoor ceiling fans for summer and winter operations as recommended.* *14. Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use.* *15. Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refrigerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models.* *16. Only use electric appliances when you need them.* *17. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.* *18. Keep your thermostat at 68 in winter and 78 in summer.* *19. Keep your thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter when you are away* *20. Insulate your home as best as you can.* *21. Install weather stripping around all doors and windows.* *22. Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.* *23. Plant trees to shade your home.* *24. Shade outside air conditioning units by trees or other means.* *25. Replace old windows with energy efficient ones.* *26. Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible.* *27. Connect your outdoor lights to a timer.* *28. Buy green electricity - electricity produced by low - or even zero-pollution facilities (NC Green power for North Carolina - www.ncgreenpower. org). In your home-reduce toxicity. * * * *In Your Home - Reduce Toxicity*** * * *29. Eliminate mercury from your home by purchasing items without mercury, and dispose of items containing mercury at an appropriate drop-off facility when necessary (e.g. Old thermometers) .* *30. Learn about alternatives to household cleaning items that do not use hazardous chemicals.* *31. Buy the right amount of paint for the job.* *32. Review labels of household cleaners you use. Consider alternatives like baking soda, scouring pads, water or a little more elbow grease.* *33. When no good alternatives exist to a toxic item, find the least amount required for an effective, sanitary result.* *34. If you have an older home, have paint in your home tested for lead. If you have lead-based paint, cover it with wall paper or other material instead of sanding it or burning it off.* *35. Use traps instead of rat and mouse poisons and insect killers.* *36. Have your home tested for radon.* *37. Use cedar chips or aromatic herbs instead of mothballs.* * * *In Your Yard*** * * *38. Avoid using leaf blowers and other dust-producing equipment.* *39. Use an electric lawn- mower instead of a gas-powered one.* *40. Leave grass clippings on the yard-they decompose and return nutrients to the soil.* *41. Use recycled wood chips as mulch to keep weeds down, retain moisture and prevent erosion.* *42. Use only the required amount of fertilizer.* *43. Minimize pesticide use.* *44. Create a wildlife habitat in your yard.* *45. Water grass early in the morning.* *46. Rent or borrow items like ladders, chain saws, party decorations and others that are seldom used.* *47. Take actions that use non hazardous components (e.g., to ward off pests, plant marigolds in a garden instead of using pesticide).* *48. Put leaves in a compost heap instead of burning them or throwing them away. Yard debris too large for your compost bin should be taken to a yard-debris re-cycler.* * * * * *In Your Office*** * * *49. Copy and print on both sides of paper.* *50. Reuse items like envelopes, folders and paper clips.* *51. Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope.Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope.* *52. Set up a bulletin board for memos instead of sending a copy to each employee.* *53. Use e-mail instead of paper correspondence.* *54. Use recycled paper.* *55. Use discarded paper for scrap paper.* *56. Encourage your school and/or company to print documents with soy-based inks, which are less toxic.* *57. Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of a disposable cup.* * * *Ways To Protect Our Air*** * * *58. Ask your employer to consider flexible work schedules or telecommuting.* *59. Recycle printer cartridges.* *60. Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.* *61. Report smoking vehicles to your local air agency.* *62. Don't use your wood stove or fireplace when air quality is poor.* *63. Avoid slow-burning, smoldering fires. They produce the largest amount of pollution.* *64. Burn seasoned wood - it burns cleaner than green wood.* *65. Use solar power for home and water heating.* *66. Use low-VOC or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers.* *67. Purchase radial tires and keep them properly inflated for your vehicle.* *68. Paint with brushes or rollers instead of using spray paints to minimize harmful emissions.* *69. Ignite charcoal barbecues with an electric probe or other alternative to lighter fluid.* *70. If you use a wood stove, use one sold after 1990. They are required to meet federal emissions standards and are more efficient and cleaner burning.* *71. Walk or ride your bike instead of driving, whenever possible.* *72. Join a carpool or vanpool to get to work. * * * *Ways to Use Less Water*** * * *73. Check and fix any water leaks.* *74. Install water-saving devices on your faucets and toilets.* *75. Don't wash dishes with the water running continuously.* *76. Wash and dry only full loads of laundry and dishes.* *77. Follow your community's water use restrictions or guidelines.* *78. Install a low-flow shower head.* *79. Replace old toilets with new ones that use a lot less water.* *80. Turn off washing machine's water supply to prevent leaks.* * * *Ways to Protect Our Water*** * * *81. Revegetate or mulch disturbed soil as soon as possible.* *82. Never dump anything down a storm drain.* *83. Have your septic tank pumped and system inspected regularly.* *84. Check your car for oil or other leaks, and recycle motor oil.* *85. Take your car to a car wash instead of washing it in the driveway.* *86. Learn about your watershed.* * * * * *Create Less Trash** * *87. Buy items in bulk from loose bins when possible to reduce the packaging wasted.* *88. Avoid products with several layers of packaging when only one is sufficient. About 33 of what we throw away is packaging.* *89. Buy products that you can reuse.* *90. Maintain and repair durable products instead of buying new ones.* *91. Check reports for products that are easily repaired and have low breakdown rates.* *92. Reuse items like bags and containers when possible.* *93. Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones.* *94. Use reusable plates and utensils instead of disposable ones.* *95. Use reusable containers to store food instead of aluminum foil and cling wrap.* *96. Shop with a canvas bag instead of using paper and plastic bags.* *97. Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently.* *98. Reuse packaging cartons and shipping materials. Old newspapers make great packaging material.* *99. Compost your vegetable scraps.* *100. Buy used furniture - there is a surplus of it, and it is much cheaper than new furniture. * <http://in.rd.yahoo.com/tagline_dbid_7/*http://in.promos.yahoo.com/address> -- The Difference between the impossible and the possible lies in man’s determination. Vanakkam Subbu
