Ideas for Making Earth Day a Part of the Household Routine
The 30th annual Earth Day is Saturday and environmentalists are ready with ideas to make the occasion a household celebration.
For motivation, they point out that the average American home is an energy hog and responsible for twice as much air pollution as the average automobile, which usually gets the rap. (They say fossil fuels are burned to generate electricity for homes, causing air pollution.) There are several ways to improve the eco-performance of a home:
* Join the Earth Day Energy Fast, begun in 1991 by environmentalists who wanted to encourage direct action. Consumers are asked to cut back or go entirely without man-made energy on Earth Day. Trying to get through a day without using electricity can be eye opening.
* For the rest of the year: Put computer control-panel settings into energy-saving mode. Keep the thermostat between 66 and 72 degrees. Turn your water-heater setting down at least one notch. Turn out unneeded lights or dim them. Details at https://www.earthdayenergyfast.org.
* For more specifics about household reform, sign on to https://www.energyguide.com. The Web site’s QuickFind service will scout out the best values in your area for gas and electric power--and you may be amazed at the choices in this age of deregulation. Another service compares your energy use to that of similar homes and can help cut energy bills.
* When you need to replace small appliances, look for the Energy Star label, a blue and green globe with a gold star. It identifies the most energy-efficient products on the market.
The rating program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, now covers about 25 product categories, including TVs, VCRs, clothes washers, dishwashers and room air-conditioning units. Information is available at (888) STAR-YES or online at https://www.energystar.gov.
One of the newest products on the market is the Ecosmart washing machine, just introduced by Fisher & Paykel, the New Zealand-based innovative home appliance manufacturer. It promises that the Ecosmart can save up to $170 a year in energy costs, thanks to the washer’s computerized technology.
“It’s fully electronic and adjusts to the actual wash,” said company spokesman Ian Cooper. “It automatically selects the right water level and the right wash profile and has an almost infinite number of speeds. The typical washer has only one or two.”
Suggested retail price is $799 and more information may be found at https://www.fisherpaykel.com.
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Connie Koenenn can be reached at connie.koenenn@latimes.com.
