Green The Style

Have you ever really thought what toxic waste is? With all the talk lately about being green and such, I’m quite sure you’ve heard the term mentioned once or twice. So what is toxic waste?

Well, it is constituted by poisonous byproducts of nearly every aspect of human life, from farming, septic systems, manufacturing, construction, laboratories, garages, hospitals and many other industries. It comes in a variety of forms—waste can be solid, liquid or sludge, and it contains chemicals, heavy metals, radiation and dangerous pathogens.  Even your own house creates hazardous waste from items such as used computer equipment, batteries, and leftover paints or pesticides. The toxins are harmful to all forms of life if encountered in streams, groundwater supplying the drinking water or buried in the ground. Some heavy metals persist, for instance mercury, and are consumed by both people and animals when eating fish.

So what happens with all these ..

Source: WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND

From the current issue of All You Magazine “Live Green and Save”…

1. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Swap a regular 110-watt bulb for a 32-watt CFL, which uses almost 70% less energy. Plus, it lasts 10 times longer!  (Savings: $30 in energy for the life of a bulb)

2. Put your computer on sleep mode. Your computer sucks up energy even when it’d idel, so program it to sleep for 12 hours a day.  You’ll help extend its working life, too. (Savings: $44 per year on your energy bill)

3. Don’t drive once a week.  You can reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by 800 pounds a year just by taking the bus, carpooling, riding your bike or walking instead of driving one day a week. (Savings: 130 gallons of gas per year, or $390)

4. Shorten your shower. Using less H2O when you bathe means you consume less energy to heat the water.  Install a low-flow showerhead and you’ll conserve even more. (Savings: almost $250 per year)

5. Rearrange kitchen appliances. If you refrigerator is in direct sunlight, recruit someone to help you move it away from the window.  Heat from the sun makes your refrigerator work harder; For each degree above 70 around the fridge, it’ll use 2.5% more power. (Savings: up to $70 per year on your utility bill)

6. Don’t wash dishes by hand. All that rinsing wastes lots of hot water.  Use your dishwasher (be sure it’s a full load) and save 5,000 gallons of water as well as a whopping 230 hours of your time every year! (Savings: $40 per year if you own an Energy Star appliance)

7. Adjust your water heater. Peek at the thermostat on your heater.  You’ll save 3-5% in energy costs for every 10 degrees you turn it down.  Optimal is 120 degrees year-round. (Savings: $28 per year on your electric bill)

8. Fix leaky faucets. Repair a pesky drip and you’ll conserve 5 gallons of water per day, which adds up to more than 1,800 gallons each year! (Savings: only $3, but a lot of H2O)

9. Raise the thermomstat this summer. If you turn up the air conditioner just 3 degrees, your home will still be plenty cool but you’ll use less energy.  Change the filter as recommended and you’ll save even more. (Savings: about $180 on your utility bill)

10. Heed the speed limit. Driving 65 miles per hour instead of 75 on the highway can stop the emission of about 1,500 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.  (Savings: 75 gallons of gas per year, or about $225)

Great tips!  I have praised All You Magazine over and over for it’s abundance of manufacturer coupons, but the articles are great, too! Order your subscription today!