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Three Ways To Decrease Your Carbon FootPrint - A Global Warming Article On How To Reduce Your CO2 Emissions
Using the carbon
footprint calculator provided by stopglobalwarming.org, I have learned that there are three ways you
can quickly and easily reduce your carbon footprint, helping to reduce global warming, while also saving you
money. Best of all, two of these changes only need to be made once and
none of them require you to spend a dime!
1. Change your thermostat by two degrees:
Decrease In Your Carbon Footprint: 2,000 pounds of CO2 emissions
Annual dollar savings: $98
Because space heating and cooling takes such a tremendous
amount of energy, just this slight change helps reduce your global warming impact more than you might think.
During the hot months, turn the thermostat up two degrees and in the
cold months, turn it down two degrees.
Also, many thermostats are programmable, allowing you to maintain the
desired temperature only when a building's occupants are in the
building and awake. Learn
more about programmable thermostats.
Consult your thermostat's owner's manual to learn how to program it. If
you are unable to find the manual, it is very likely that you can
download it from the manufacturer's web site.
If these changes prove to bring lots of savings for you, it might be
worth considering decreasing your reliance on carbon-intensive heating
and cooling even further. In the summer, opening windows to allow for
cross-ventilation combined with the use of fans could easily achieve
some of the cooling of air conditioning, just as wearing layered
clothing in the winter could take the place of a furnace or space
heater in more mild cold spells.
2. Set your hot water temperature to 120°F or below:
Decrease In Your Carbon Footprint: 500 pounds of CO2 emissions
Annual dollar savings: $30
When shipped, water heaters are
typically set to 140°F. However, most households' needs can still
be met after decreasing this setting to 120°F or lower.
This easy fix has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of
carbon dioxide emissions your
home, apartment or condominium creates while heating water. For
reference, imagine using the water from a hot tub or
jacuzzi (usually between 100°F and 110°F) to shower or wash
dishes or clothes. If you foresee that temperature as being sufficient,
it is likely that you won't even notice a difference in the temperature
of the water at the faucet after making this change. Perhaps you'll be
so impressed that you will try lowering the temperature even more!
3. Only run your dishwasher when it is full:
Decrease In Your Carbon Footprint: 200 pounds of CO2 emissions
Annual dollar savings: $40
The energy used to heat water, spray it on the dishes and
finally dry them can add a lot to your carbon footprint. Try loading the machine
completely before running it. Also, it is important to remember to use
the machine's energy-saving setting for drying dishes and to not use
heat to dry them. If you are unsure about how to do this, consult the
appliance's owner's manual or look for it online. As a last resort, you
can always turn the machine off when it gets to the drying cycle and
let the dishes air dry.
Loading the dishwasher fully will also decrease your time spent
unloading, especially if you're able to bypass putting dishes away by
removing them from the dishwasher as you prepare for the next meal.
Total Decrease In Your Carbon Footprint: 2,700 pounds of CO2 emissions
Total annual dollar savings: $168
This quantity of carbon dioxide emissions is roughly equivalent to what
would be saved by driving a compact car 4,000 fewer miles each year.
If you find these tips helpful and enjoying knowing that you are easily
saving money and helping to decrease global warming, tell your friends and family! Making
small changes like these can only have a big impact if there are lots
of people making the changes. I strongly encourage you to make the
small steps to being the change you wish to see and helping others to
do the same.
Nathan Brown
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This article may be reprinted freely as long as this resource box is
included.
Nathan Brown is an
activist creating a revolutionary movement by showing people how to help prevent global warming.
You can sign up to join and help spread the movement: http://www.acoolerclimate.com
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P.S. Did these three recommendations help you in decreasing global
warming? Please share your feedback below.
Related Global Warming Article: What Are The Main Facts And Myths About The Causes of Global Warming And The Future Effects On Humans, Animals and The Earth?
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