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Global warming is a problem that impacts all living systems on our planet and needs immediate action from us all. When the people lead, the government will follow: these steps to a greener path will help us get there.
Here are 50 simple actions that we all can do to reduce our energy consumption and combat global warming. Some ideas cost next to nothing in terms of effort and money, others require some investment, but will save you money in the long run, and will help to save our planet, too.
Reprinted with permission from Global Warming Facts
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Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year
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Install a programmable thermostat
Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.
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Move your thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer
Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has more tips for saving energy on heating and cooling.
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Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
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Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models available.
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Do not leave appliances on standby
Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.
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Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
You'll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50 degrees C.
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Move your fridge and freezer
Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35 degrees C, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.
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Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.
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Don't let heat escape from your house over a long period
When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10 degrees C or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.
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