ProjectGaian.org

1) Stop the Silent Energy Thief — StandBy Power!

Standby power is the electricity used to power electrical devices even when they are turned off. Battery chargers (including phone & laptop chargers), TVs, VCRs, DVD players, computers, and stereo systems all use standby power when they are plugged in.

• To save electricity, plug several of these devices into a power strip that has an on/off switch. An entire cluster of items can then be shut off — really shut off — just by flicking one switch.
• Always switch off any electrical equipment not in use. Turn off your computer at night…do not put it in the ‘sleep mode’….turn it OFF.

2) Watch the lights.

• Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Use lighting directed at a specific area instead of overhead or general lighting, which may light unused areas of the room.
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs

  Replacing a 100 watt incandescent light bulb with a 25 watt compact fluorescent bulb will save 135 kWh of electricity annually, and can reduce associated carbon dioxide emission by 193 pounds (based on 5 hours per day use and 1.43 lbs CO2/kWh). Check out Energy Federation Incorporation

• Replace outside lights with motion-sensing lights.

3) Practice Earth-friendly laundry practices.

• Run your washing machine or dishwasher only when you have a full load to save energy and water.
• Drying heavy and light fabrics separately keeps drying time to a minimum. Mixing different weight fabrics causes the dryer to run longer than necessary.
• Do the laundry in cold water using a cold water detergent. About 90% of the energy used in washing is just to heat the water.

  Cold-water detergents clean clothing as well as conventional detergents, and help prevent dye color from bleeding.
  We prefer liquid cold-water detergents for easier dissolving.

• Dry one load after the other so the dryer doesn’t have to reheat.
• Only dry full loads. Hang up small items like socks instead of using the dryer.
• Clean the lint filter. It takes more energy to dry your clothes when the lint filter is clogged.

4) Pamper your electric water heater.

Domestic water heating makes up nearly a quarter of the typical family’s utility bill.

• Turn down your water heater thermostat to 120 F.
• Wrap a fiberglass blanket around your water heater and secure it with duct tape. You can save up to 10 percent on water heating costs.
• Insulate hot water pipes in unheated basements or crawlspaces.

5) Use energy-saving settings on washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators.

• For example: Set your refrigerator temperature at 38 to 42 degrees Fahrenheit; your freezer should be set between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Use the power-save switch if your fridge has one, and make sure the door seals tightly. You can check this by making sure that a dollar bill closed in between the door gaskets is difficult to pull out. If it slides easily between the gaskets, replace them.

6) Use a microwave instead of a conventional oven.

• Microwaves cook food quicker than ovens, and they use 70-80 percent less electricity.
• If you must use a conventional stove, put lids on pans when you’re cooking. The food heats faster.

7) Heat and cool your home or office wisely.

• Set thermostats to 68 F in winter when you’re home, and to 55 F when you go to bed or when you’re away.
• Close heating vents in unused rooms and avoid placing furniture over or in-front of air returns.
• Close drapes and windows during sunny summer days and after sunset in the winter.
• Make insulating shades for your windows or add insulating storm windows.
• Leave your storm windows on all year long. They provide valuable year-round insulation and create substantial fuel savings.
• Seal and insulate heating and cooling ducts.
• On hot days use ceiling fans or box fans instead of an air conditioner. Ceiling fans can draw up and distribute the cooler air that lies along the floor throughout the entire room.

8) Check your refrigerator & freezer.

Refrigerators consume a relatively large portion of the household energy budget, but there are several simple things you can do to get the most bang for your refrigeration buck.

• Keep your freezer full to increase efficiency, but don’t block the fan that allows cold air to circulate.
• Clean your refrigerator’s condenser coils once a year.
• Just as combining driving trips in your car reduces the amount of gasoline your car guzzles, it makes sense to open the refrigerator door once to remove all the food you need at any one time. Opening the door repeatedly pulls cool air from within and causes the compressor to come on, making your electric meter spin. Anticipate what you’re going to remove from the refrigerator, open it, remove what you need, and then quickly close it again.

• Fix dripping faucets.

  You can save 300 to 4000 gallons of water every month.

• Turn the water off when you brush and you save about 3650 gallons of water every year.
• Don’t leave the water running when you wash dishes.
• Run your washing machine or dishwasher only when you have a full load to save energy and water.
  
• Use a low-flush toilet.

  Conventional toilets use 3.5 to 5 gallons or more of water per flush, but low-flush toilets use only 1.6 gallons of water or less.
  

• Use a low-flow showerhead.

  Showers account for about 20 percent of total indoor water use. By replacing standard 4.5-gallon-per-minute showerheads with 2.5-gallon-per-minute heads, which cost less than $5 each, a family of four can save approximately 20,000 gallons of water per year.
  

• Use Gray Water.

  Domestic wastewater composed of wash water from kitchen sinks and tubs, clothes washers, and laundry tubs is called gray water. Gray water can be used by homeowners for home gardening, lawn maintenance, landscaping, and other innovative uses.
  

• Xeriscape Landscapes.

  Benefits of xeriscape landscaping include reduced water use, decreased energy use (less pumping and treatment required), reduced heating and cooling costs because of carefully placed trees, decreased storm water and irrigation runoff, fewer yard wastes, increased habitat for plants and animals, and lower labor and maintenance costs.
  

• Take a shower, not a bath.

  Water can be saved by taking short showers rather than long showers or baths and turning the water off while soaping.

The National Recycling Coalition maintains a recycling database for electronics (e.g. computers).

IN SOUTHERN CALIIFORNIA (for example) RECYCLE THE FOLLOWING:

• All Clean Dry Paper
  computer, ledger, wrapping, arts and craft paper, unwanted mail, flyers, telephone books, note cards, newspaper, blueprints, magazines, file folders, paper bags, Post-it notes, catalogs; and all envelopes including those with windows
  All Cardboard Boxes and Chipboard
  cereal, tissue, dry food, frozen food, shoe, and detergent boxes; paper and toilet rolls; and corrugated boxes broken down and flattened
  
  All Aluminum, Tin, Metal, and Bi-Metal Cans
  rinsed if possible, soda, juice, soup, vegetables, and pet food cans; pie tins; clean aluminum foils; empty paint and aerosol cans with plastic caps removed, and wire hangers
  All Glass Bottles and Jars
  rinsed if possible, soda, wine, beer, spaghetti sauce, pickle jars, broken bottles, and etc.
  Empty Plastic Containers
  rinsed if possible, soda, juice, detergent, bleach, shampoo, lotion, mouthwash, dishwashing liquid bottles, milk jugs, tubs for margarine and yogurt, plastic planters, and etc.
  
• All Plastic Bags and All Film Bags
  grocery bags and dry cleaner bags

DO NOT RECYCLE THESE ITEMS:

• Contaminated Paper
  all soiled papers or bags with oils and food waste
  Broken Glass
  window glass, mirror glass, auto glass, light bulbs, fluorescent lights and ceramics
  Other Plastic
  plastic trays from frozen dinners, plastic six-pack rings, plastic hygienic items, plastic hangers, and plastic toys
  Miscellaneous Materials
  coated milk cartons, electrical cords, cloth/fabric, PVC, styrofoam polystyrene, products used for packing or from fast food restaurants, appliances, mini blinds, kitchen utensils, lawn furniture, garden hoses, rubber tires, construction materials, including asphalt or concrete, wood and wood products
  
• Hazardous Materials
  syringes, all partially filled aerosol cans and containers for cleaning fluids, automotive fluids, batteries, pesticides, oil based paint, garden chemicals, and pool cleaners

Know how to properly dispose of electronic waste and hazardous materials.

Recycling Electronics
The National Recycling Coalition maintains a recycling database for electronics (e.g. computers).

Fall in love with thrift shopping.
Donate your unwanted goods to needy organizations like Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent DePaul and more.

Become an Eco-Fashionista.

Purchase products that are packaged in recyclable containers.

• Drive a car that gets more miles to the gallon or ride your bike or walk.
• Use the best form of earth-friendly transportation - the bicycle.
• Make sure the tires on your car are properly inflated to increase gas mileage.
• Utilize mass transit.
• Carpool & encourage others to carpool.
• Drive a vehicle powered by alternative fuel.

  We at Project Gaian drive vehicles that run on 100%
  vegetable oil, converted by LoveCraft BioFuels in Los Angeles, CA.
  

• Drive a hybrid vehicle such as the Toyota Prius.

• Buy large family sizes and items packaged in recyclable containers.
  
• Purchase household appliances that have earned the ENERGY STAR. They meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and US Department of Energy.
• Purchase a vehicle that uses alternative fuel other than gasoline including 100% vegetable oil.
• Purchase a hybrid vehicle that uses both electricity and gasoline.
• Become an Eco-Fashionista & buy products made from recycled materials with a zero environmental impact. (Stay tuned to ProjectGaian.org for more info).