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By Lori Johnson (taken from the Internet)
Surveys show most Americans recognize the environmental crisis and they're concerned about global warming. But to actually do something about it? Excuses abound.
Going green is a lot like losing weight. Many of us talk about doing it but when it comes right down to it we come up with myriad excuses.
Some people think greening their home means installing
"fancy-schmancy" things like solar panels, but it's simpler than that,
says Jenny Powers, spokeswoman for the Natural Resources Defense
Council. For example, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs cost more
upfront (an estimated $2 to $15, for specialty bulbs), but they last 10
times longer than standard incandescent bulbs, she notes. CFL bulbs use
75 percent less energy, resulting in savings of $30 or more in
electricity costs during the life of each bulb, according to data from
the federal government's Energy Star program. "So you'll be paying a lot
less on your energy bill, and over time you'll more than make up for
your cost," Powers says.
Seeing the potential savings in the long run is a way to get beyond this
excuse, says Edwin Stafford, associate professor of marketing at Utah
State University in Logan, Utah, who studies green marketing. Powers
says you can look for products with the Energy Star seal because they
are more energy-efficient and will result in savings on your electric
bill. "It doesn't mean switching to solar power or putting up a wind
turbine in your yard," she says. "Those are great things to do, but it's
not necessary." Thomas Kostigen, co-author of "The Green Book: The
Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time," notes
that even turning down the thermostat a degree lower for the heat and a
degree higher for air conditioning can save approximately $100 a year on
your utility bill.
Just look at the statistics. Americans saved enough
energy in 2006 to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those
from 25 million cars, according to Energy Star data. These efforts also
saved $14 billion on their utility bills.
It may be tough to understand what it means when statistics refer to
taking 25 million cars off the road, Kostigen1 says. But he advises
looking at it like this: You're saving energy and also helping save the
planet because you're not emitting as much carbon, which relates to car
pollution.
"There are very simple things we can do that seriously add up to a
great, great impact," Kostigen says.
Note 1 Thomas Kostigen, co-author of "The Green Book: The
Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time."
It's a misconception to think you have to live out in the
country to be eco-friendly, says Powers, who lives in New York City. She
says urban living can be great for the environment, if you take steps
such as using public transit or shopping at local farmer's markets.
"You can be green whether you are living in a concrete jungle, like I
am, or you're living out in nature," she says.
Maybe you think the problem isn't where you live, but the stage of your
life. She says parents can buy organic food for their kids. Suburbanites
can use a rail system instead of driving to work. Tech-savvy folks can
use eco-friendly gadgets, such as those with solar-powered features or
batteries that can be recharged.
"It fits into all types of lifestyles," Powers says. "It's about energy
use and transportation, choices at a supermarket or the mall."
Green products often carry negative baggage, Stafford
admits. When they started being sold in the 1970s, people believed they
were using "some mix of twigs and things to unclog their sinks."
"That, I think, has changed," he says. "You have a lot of green products
that I think actually work better than nongreen products."
Front-load washing machines clean clothes better, use less detergent and
are energy- and water-efficient. They're also gentler on your clothes,
due to the technology of tumbling clothes rather than having them sit in
a big pool of water and trying to shake the clothes clean, Stafford
says.
Other products he identifies as being successful in offering a consumer
benefit include compact fluorescent bulbs, Tide Coldwater detergent and
solar-powered items. He notes that users of Tide Coldwater can also save
$63 a year -- the company claims users can save up to 80 percent of the
energy normally required per load.
When Stafford recently remodeled a bathroom in his home, he tried to use
nontoxic and energy-efficient items.
"I found all of these things at Home Depot and Lowe's," he says.
"The greenness almost became secondary," he says. "Most consumers don't
buy products to save the planet. They buy products because it's going to
clean their carpets, it's going to nourish them, it's going to provide
them warmth."
The Steering Committee has committed to making VGCC greener and invites you to be green too. Here are some local recycling sites:
For more information see the websites consulted for this list: Tree Hugger and Consumer Reports