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Energy Conservation - How Small Changes can dramatically reduce your Energy Bill
There are many good reasons to conserve energy. If we use less
gas, oil and electricity we will save money, and the pollution
associated with extracting and using fossil fuels will decrease.
Reducing greenhouse gas production may help to reverse...
National Parks - Get Out of Your Car!
The national park system in the United States is full of beauty
and surprises. Still, you'll be wondering if they're worth it
when you run into the crowds of other visitors.
Road Side Viewing
Sure, millions of people visit our national...
New Outdoor Clothing Technology Keeps You Comfortable
New Outdoor Clothing Technology Keeps You Comfortable During
Winter Weather
Temperatures are changing and as you select your outdoor
clothing winter wear take the time to choose the products that
will keep you comfortable. There are many...
Solar residential outdoor lighting is becoming the product of choice for millions of consumers
Residential outdoor lighting is a billion dollar a year industry
in the United States. It is getting so popular, there is now a
corporation that franchises individual businesses dealing only
in exterior landscape lighting design, supply, and...
The "Reduce" of Recycle and Reuse
Most of us are familiar with recycle and reusing, but how often
do we think of the third R - REDUCE?
"Reduce" is probably the most important of the three Rs because,
if we reduced, it would limit the need to recycle and reuse. By
reducing,...
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Schreiber, Johansson Build A 'Bridge' To A Classic
Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson are starring in a widely praised revival of Arthur Miller's <em>A View From The Bridge</em>. They tell reporter Jeff Lunden that as in all great tragedies, this one's clashes and catastrophes have something of the inevitable about them.
Stargazing At The Opera
The Hayden Planetarium in New York takes opera to the moon with a new production of <em>Il Mondo Della Luna.</em> Diane Paulus and Philip Bussmann talk about merging cosmos footage with music, how science can enhance the arts and the future of technology and theater.
Obama 'The Musical' Opens In Germany
A new theater production <em>Hope: The Obama Musical Story</em> opened this week in Frankfurt, Germany. It tells the story, in song and dance, of America's first black president. It is likely to be a big success in a country where President Obama is still immensely popular.
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Easy Ways to Save Energy
With this fall's spike in oil and natural gas prices and the
further impact Hurricane Katrina will have on this winter's
heating oil supplies, it's become more important than ever to
make sure our homes are as energy-efficient as possible.
Luckily, there are a number of easy, inexpensive ways to button
up your home for winter. Numerous cost-efficient products on the
market for your windows and doors will go a long way toward
preserving the heat you generate with your heating system.
Make sure your windows and doors are tight. Self-stick foam
weather-stripping at the tops and bottom of windows, as well as
across the separation between the top and bottom halves of the
window, will block out drafts. Additionally, clear plastic,
secured to the window frame with double-sided sticky tape, will
also block out drafts and create an air barrier between the
window and you.
Additional weather-stripping around all four edges of doors will
also help to block out the cold. Also, don't forget your water
heater! You can buy inexpensive padding to wrap around the unit
itself, and sturdy foam insulation for all the pipes.
The way you furnish your home can add to your level of comfort
this winter. Thick, insulated drapes will cut back on drafts
from windows; wall to wall carpeting will cut back on drafts
from cold air coming in from gaps between walls and floors; both
wall to wall carpeting and thick area rugs will retain heat and
add to your comfort.
Believe it or not, you can lose heat through the switch plates
and wall plugs in your outer walls. Another inexpensive product
will solve that problem; for three or four dollars you can buy
insulated pads to install behind the plates. Simply remove the
switch plate, pop in the appropriate padding, and screw the
switch plate back on. A single package contains insulated pads
suitable for single and double on-off switch plates
We Ask The Pros: Should You Friend Your Boss On Facebook?
Rejecting a friend request from your boss could be seen as a vote of no confidence, but do you really want his Burning Man photos showing up in your news feed? Comedian Baratunde Thurston and media technologist Deanna Zandt discuss proper workplace friending etiquette.
Thirty positive actions for a sustainable Earth
There are many ways we can use our human energy to lighten the load on natural resources and tread lightly on our home planet. Check how many of these you do already: 1. Recycle and re-use Wherever possible, separate waste into compost material,...
and two-plug
outlets.
Experiment with the way you dress and see if you can turn the
thermostat down and still be comfortable. Wear warm fleece; keep
your feet warm with thick socks and shoes or fuzzy slippers;
even consider wearing a hat indoors. You should be able to turn
the thermostat down to at least 68 degrees and still be
comfortable. If you have an altern
ate source of heat - a wood, corn or pellet buring stove -
consider using it as a primary source of heat.
If you have thermostats in each room, you may want to consider
shutting off the heat in unused rooms, or at least lowering the
thermostat in those rooms to 55 degrees. If this is an option,
be sure to put weather-stripping around the doors to the
unheated rooms.
If you're really strapped for funds, don't hesitate to call your
local human services agencies to find out if you can qualify for
home heating assistance. As a taxpayer, you've undoubtedly been
supporting all kinds of social programs for years, or even
decades; don't let embarrassment prevent you from getting help
when you need it. Adequate heating isn't a luxury, it's a
necessity.
If you take careful stock of the heating problems in your home
and take a few simple measures to solve those problems, you
should be able to minimize the impact rising fuel prices will
have on your winter heating budget. Keep warm!
About the author:
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern
New Hampshire and frequently contributes to Tips and
Topics. She has published numerous articles in local and
regional publications on a wide range of topics, including
business, education, the arts, and local events. Her feature
articles include an interview with independent documentary
filmmaker Ken Burns and a featur
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