#41 Wellness - Going Green - Part 2

I have been looking at the suggested websites for this activity, and have seen several ideas that will reduce energy consumption. Some of these suggestions are things we are already doing, some would be easy to implement, and some would be difficult or very time consuming to try to do.

We already have a few compact fluorescent bulbs in our home and are considering moving to the using of these in more of our fixtures. The CFLs use much less electricity and last longer, but are more expensive to buy and must be recycled to avoid dangerous mercury poisoning. My fear is that many people will not recycle these, and therefore the resulting pollution will be of greater environmental impact than the savings in energy use. I have found out that local Home Depot stores accept these bulbs for recycling, so that overcomes one major obstacle for me. According to the calculator on the city of Houston site, using CFLs could save us about $16 per month on energy costs

We also already follow several other of the suggestions made. We have a new washer and dryer, purchased this year, that are Energy Star rated. We set our AC at 80 degrees in the summer and use ceiling fans. We have turned down the temperature on our hot water heater, rarely use the dishwasher, and change our AC filter regularly. We do not have a programmable theromstat, but we do adjust the thermostat when we leave the house or at bedtime. Our house seems to be pretty weather tight, but there might be improvements that can be made in some areas.

The Consumer Reports Mileage Tips are a good place to look for improvement. We do not regularly carry cargo on top of the car, and we do combine trips to minimize driving. My car has sensors that remind me when tire pressure drops too low, and my husband checks the tires regularly. A harder change to make is to reduce speed, especially when one is in a hurry. I will try to do that to save some gasoline.