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The Dim Bulb Caucus in Congress And Disabilities

Written by

knotofoak on

From: irregulartimes.com

A perceptive mind over at That’s My Congress identified one of the most mindbogglingly idiotic unofficial caucuses in the U.S. Congress: The Dim Bulb Caucus. The Dim Bulb Caucus is named that because its members are so dim-witted that they are supporting H.R. 5616, the Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act. Are light bulbs going out and having babies now? No, nothing like that. The so-called Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act would overturn parts of last year’s important environmental law, the... Read Full Story

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Minimizing Mercury in CFLs

Written by

sjsuarez on

From: got2begreen.com

The lighting company, Sylvania, has developed a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) that uses a fraction of the mercury of typical CFLs. While CFLs hold many efficient benefits to lighting, the news have covered quite a deal of how CFLs could be potentially bad if they are not recycled properly. The bulbs produced by Sylvania only contain 1.5 milligrams of mercury, opposed to the 5 milligrams most CFLs contain, according to Stephanie Anderson, Sylvania’s chief corporate spokesperson... Read Full Story

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Go Green Manhattan Style! Earth Day 2008

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bjames on

From: diaryofabroker.blogspot.com

Earth Day should be every day, but today it is a time to remind us of how important our everyday actions affect the planet. With so many resources and information guides out there, one person can make a huge difference. Be it recycling, walking, mass transit, or taking you own mug to Starbucks, there are many easy tasks and small changes can really make you feel like you are contributing. Recycling everyday items alone can help protect our ozone layer, decrease pollution and decrease tree... Read Full Story

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Saving Money With Dimmer Switches

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bhartzer on

From: www.supercheapelectricity.com

If your dimmer switch is an old one you may find that it just converts the excess power into heat at the dimmer switch itself, which does not really save you any money. However, the later model dimmer switches do help save money by reducing the power when the lights are turned down. One of the biggest advantages of dimmer switches is that they can be adjusted to provide just the right amount of light that is necessary. When you are ready to settle down with a good book to read you can turn... Read Full Story

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Energy Conservation Renovation Links - Earth Hour

Written by

Educator1 on

From: dailyhomerenotips.com

Today I’d like to write about the newest addition to the Energy Conservation area of our blog roll, Earth Hour. Now wait. This is not some 2 week late attempt to get you to participate. Rather, it’s to inform you of another area where the average home owner can go to obtain information on energy conservation tips for the home. Did you know that the Earth Hour web site has a section dedicated for the home? Likely not. And, you wouldn’t be alone. The Earth Hour 1 hour challenge on... Read Full Story

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CFLs and Mercury

Written by

Kandace3 on

From: www.formerfatguyblog.com

The other day, Rob pointed me to an article on a topic which has been in the news quite a bit lately - the concern over the mercury contained in compact fluorescent (CFL) lamps. The original piece is here. That article - and many others - gives the reader a somewhat inaccurate impression of the situation. Here’s a brief look at the use of compact fluorescent lighting, including the safe disposal of broken or used bulbs. What are Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs)? A CFL is essentially just a... Read Full Story

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Looming Lightbulb Liability—–(LLL)

Written by

nuke_gingrich on

From: nukegingrich.wordpress.com

I saw this one coming months ago when California wanted to make these little toxic bombs mandatory. Now people are waking up to the fact that not every energy saving idea that comes down the ‘pike is a good one. Remember when mercury was going to kill us all? Mercury from the old mines in our ground water, mercury in our homes, mercury in the fish we eat, and the Mercury parked in your driveway. (just kidding about the driveway) Anyway, the powers that be thought it would be good to bring... Read Full Story

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Top Links: Ways to personally conserve energy

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Energy Conservation Management Company

Reflective Radiant Barriers are becoming more common in new construction projects be it commercial or residential, as more an m

Got2BeGreen

Get an energy efficient mortgage...

Checklist for action - home energy usage

How to reduce home energy usage

A wikibooks article with many tips on ways to reduce energy usage at home

Reduce Household Waste

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Ways to Reduce Household Waste

Do not purchase products with excessive or unnecessary packaging.
Purchase products in the largest size practical so as to reduce the product:packaging ratio. However, do not purchase products in larger quantities than you will actually use, and be aware that having a larger quantity on hand may cause you to use more of the product than you would have ordinarily used.
Use and reuse gift bags in place of gift wrap.
Bring your own bags or boxes along when shopping to carry your purchases home.
Put off purchases whenever possible. You will often find that you didn't really need the item.
Use rechargeable batteries instead of conventional batteries.
Compost

Ways to Reduce Water Usage

Install water-saving showerheads, faucets, and toilets.
Take showers instead of baths.
Take shorter showers.
Use the light cycle when using a dishwasher on dishes that aren't extremely dirty. Try the same when using a washing machine.
Install a water softener if your water is "hard".
Water outdoor plants early in the morning or late in the evening to reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation.
Use a public swimming pool instead of purchasing your own.
Fix leaky pipes and plumbing fixtures in your home's plumbing system. Toilet tank leaks are easily detected by adding a few drops of food coloring to the water reservoir. If the water in the toilet bowl becomes dyed, water is leaking from the tank and the valve should be repaired or replaced.
Lower the water level of your toilet's water reservoir. Be careful not to lower it to the point that it does not flush adequately. If your toilet's flush mechanism does not allow an easy way to lower the water level, place a brick or glass jar filled with water into the water tank, clear of the flush mechanism, to displace water.

Reduce Lighting Costs

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Ways to Reduce Lighting Costs

Take advantage of sunlight and leave lights off during the day. If possible, adjust your daily routine to align your waking hours with sunlit hours.
Replace incandescent night lights with LED or eletroluminescent lights.
Don't use excessive holiday lighting.
Dust light bulbs occasionally to increase light levels.
Use limited, focused lighting when performing a task in a small area instead of lighting the entire room.
Choose light fixtures that require fewer bulbs, or unscrew some of the bulbs in existing fixtures.
Use compact fluorescent light bulbs in place of conventional incandescent light bulbs. A CFL uses approximately one-fourth the wattage of an incandescent bulb producing a similar level of illumination, and they last 8,000 to 10,000 hours. The savings in electricity typically amounts to over $30 per replaced bulb. Replace your most-used bulbs first for maximum savings.
Install motion-detection switches or timers for outdoor lighting rather than leaving lights on all night.
Install dimmer switches for incandescent light fixtures so you can use less light when less is needed. Most CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs are not designed for use with a dimmer.