Ripley Center

A Better World Starts at Home

What You Can Do

KEY

Click on a topic below to go directly to that section:

| Air Conditioning |	| At the Office or at School |
| In the Bathroom |	| Packing Boxes |
| Car |	| Roof |
| Closet |	| Sunlight |
| At the Desk |	| Trash Can |
| Fireplace |	| Windows |
| In the Garden |	| At the Store |
| Heating |	| Water Heater |
| In the Kitchen |	| Cooling Without an Air Conditioner |
| Indoor Lights |	| While on Vacation |
| In the Laundry Room |

AIR CONDITIONING

• Use the air conditioner sparingly.
• Use only when necessary, use fans and dehumidifiers whenever possible.
• $ Turn the thermostat up to 79 degrees F.

Cool efficiently:

• $ Clean or change the air filter regularly.
• Make sure that air conditioner ducts are properly sealed and insulated.
• $ Avoid placing lamps, TV sets or other heat-generating appliances near the thermostat.
• If you buy an air conditioner, purchase a model that is the correct size for the area being cooled.
• Buy an efficient model (the higher the energy efficiency rating, the better).
• $ Plant trees or shrubs to shade air conditioning units to increase their efficiency.

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IN THE BATHROOM

• $ Take a quick shower instead of a bath, and don't let hot water run unnecessarily.

Don't waste water:

• $ Fix all leaks promptly.
• Install low-flow shower heads and aerators in sink faucets to reduce water flows.
• $ Put a plastic container filled with water and some sand or gravel in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used to flush.
• Consider installing ultra low-flush toilets.

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CAR

• Use the car only when necessary:
• $ Ride a bicycle and walk whenever possible.
• Use public transportation.
• $ Carpool.
• Don't drive a gas guzzler.
• $ Keep your car tuned and well-maintained.
• Inflate tires properly and save gas mileage with radial tires.
• Keep wheels aligned.
• Keep engine filters clean.
• Change oil every 3,000 miles.
• Only use the air conditioner when necessary.
• Make sure your next car is fuel efficient.

Drive to save energy:

• $ Avoid idling your car for long periods.
• $ Know where you are going ahead of time. Avoid wasting time and fuel while driving around lost.
• $ Consolidate errands and shopping trips.
• Recycle your old oil (check with your service station to find out about local recycling centers).
• Ask your service station to use CFC recovery equipment when working on your auto air conditioner.
• $ Minimize hosing down your driveway or patio and cut down on car washing -- shut off the hose when sudsing your car.
• Support your local natural areas by visiting or volunteering to help with maintenance.
• Vacation in a natural area and tour with a group that donates some of its profits to conservation efforts.

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CLOSET

• Dress lightly when indoor temperatures are warm.
• Dry cleaners use toxic solvents. Reduce the amount that you use them by hand washing or buying clothes that do not require dry cleaning.

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AT THE DESK

• $ Write on both sides of each sheet of paper.
• Get your name taken off of unwanted mailing and junk-mail lists.
• Become informed about biological diversity by reading books, watching films or attending lectures.
• Let your legislators know your view about preserving the natural world by writing or scheduling an appointment.
• Volunteer skills and time or donate money to a environmental group working on these issues.

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FIREPLACE

• $ Keep fireplace damper closed unless you have a fire going.
• Use efficient wood stoves and fireplaces with proper pollution controls.
• Reduce heat loss when using a fireplace and furnace:
• $ Lower thermostat setting to 50-55 F.
• $ Close all doors and warm air ducts entering the room with the fireplace.
• Install glass screens or convective grates on all fireplaces to cut the loss of warm air through the chimney.
• If you never use it, put a plug in the flue of the chimney to reduce heat loss.

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IN THE GARDEN

• Start a home compost pile using leaves, grass clippings, coffee grounds, egg shells and vegetable peelings. Use the compost as fertilizer when it is fully decomposed.
• Use plants to help save heating and cooling bills. Evergreen shrubs can insulate the foundation against the cold. Deciduous shade trees and vines (that lose their leaves in the winter) provide shade in the summer and allow sunshine to shine in during the winter.
• Cut down on toxins used in gardening by using alternative products and methods. Use composted animal manure to condition and fertilize your soil (available at garden supply stores).
• Learn about organic insect and weed controls as alternatives to pesticides. Pull weeds by hand.
• Use mulches to control weeds.
• Store hazardous products and waste safely, and dispose of them on local hazardous waste collection days.

Be a water watcher:

• $ Water plants in the evening or early morning when there is less evaporation.
• $ Attach a trigger nozzle to your garden hose to control water flow.
• Use mulch to slow evaporation and conserve water in your garden.
• $ Water lawns only when grass does not spring back when stepped on, and leave the blades two inches or longer -- grass retains water longer at that length.
• Support wildlife by planting native species of flowers, shrubs and trees.
• Protect genetic diversity by planting rare and heirloom species of fruits and vegetables.

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HEATING

• Keep windows near thermostats tightly closed.

Avoid overheating:

• $ Turn the heat down to 65-68 degrees F in the winter and wear a sweater.
• $ Turn the heat down to 60 degrees F or lower when you leave for vacation.
• $ Lower heat while you are asleep or not at home, and consider using a clock setback thermostat to set the temperature back automatically.
• $ Close off unoccupied rooms.
• $ Keep draperies and shades open in sunny windows and close them at night.

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IN THE KITCHEN

• Prevent or fix possible CFC leaks in refrigerators, and service and dispose of them properly to avoid exposure of CFCs to the environment.
• Avoid frost build-up in the refrigerator.
• $ Only run dishwasher when full, and use "energy saving" options.
• $ Use washable rags instead of paper towels.
• Use vinegar and water or other mild cleaning solutions or clean more frequently so dirt and grease do not get a chance to build up and require chemical cleaners.
• Place your refrigerator in the coolest part of the kitchen, well away from the range and oven.
• $ Try to use hand-powered appliances and tools instead of electric or motor-powered ones. If you need electric appliances, buy energy-efficient models and check the ratings: the higher the rating, the better.
• With a gas stove, make sure that the pilot is burning efficiently. If purchasing a new stove, look for models with an automatic (electronic) pilot light.

Save energy while you cook:

• $ Use a pressure cooker or microwave oven to cut cooking times.
• $ Cover pots and pans when cooking.
• $ Once water has boiled, turn the stove down to a lower setting since the food will not cook any faster.
• $ When cooking with electric stoves turn the burner off several minutes before the allotted cooking time.
• $ Use small electric pans or ovens for small meals.
• $ Use the range-top rather than the oven when you have a choice.
• $ When you use the oven, cook as many dishes as possible together.
• $ Reduce the number of times you open the oven door to check food by watching a clock or using a timer.

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INDOOR LIGHTS

• $ Only turn on the lights when they are needed and remember to turn the lights off when you leave a room.
• In the summer, turn lights down or off, since they generate heat. Also, use high-efficiency, low-wattage or compact fluorescent light bulbs and fixtures that produce less heat than conventional light sources.

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IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM

• $ Wash only when you have a full load.

Save energy while you wash:

• $ Use cold water to wash clothes whenever possible.
• Keep streams clean by using non-phosphate laundry detergent.
• $ Use cloth diapers.
• Presoak or use a soak cycle when washing heavily soiled garments.

Clothes Dryer:

• $ Air dry your clothes when feasible.
• $ Clean lint screen filter each time the dryer is used.
• $ Dry your clothes in consecutive loads. Stop-and-start drying uses more energy because it takes a lot of energy to warm up the dryer each time.

Ironing:

• $ Save energy needed for ironing by hanging clothes in the bathroom while you're bathing or showering. The steam often removes the wrinkles for you.

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AT THE OFFICE OR AT SCHOOL

• $ Have employees use their own mugs and other washable utensils and plates instead of disposable ones.

Save paper:

• $ Copy or print on both sides of the paper.
• $ Reuse scrap paper for note pads.
• $ Reuse manilla envelopes and file folders.
• $ Print first drafts of memos and papers on the unmarked side of used copier paper.

Minimize memos:

• $ Reduce the number of copies made by circulating memos, transmitting them electronically and/or posting non-urgent memos.
• $ Use smaller paper for smaller memos.

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PACKING BOXES

• Use crumpled or shredded newspaper instead of foam as packaging material.

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ROOF

• Have a free or low-cost energy audit done on your house by the utility company, and try to improve the insulation of your house.
• Use cellulose and fiberglass-based insulation instead of foam.
• If you live in a warm climate, remember that light-colored roofing and building materials can help keep houses cooler.

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SUNLIGHT

• Use passive solar heating methods. Take advantage of windows facing south.
• Install a solar hot water heater.

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TRASH CAN

• Participate in local recycling programs, and encourage the formation of new programs to meet your community's needs. All of the following materials can now be recycled: aluminum, steel, bimetal "tin" cans, brass, copper, old pans, stoves, newspapers, copier paper, computer printout paper, cardboard, books, motor oil, plastic bottles, glass and styrofoam. Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours.
• Ask if there is any alterative for use for an item before throwing it out.
• Give old clothes, toys, and other possessions to an organization that can use them or to someone who needs them.
• Protect sea birds and other animals from choking: Cut open all the circles from your plastic six-pack holder before throwing it away.

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WINDOWS

• Test windows, doors, walls, ceilings and fireplace dampers for air leaks by moving a lighted candle around their frames and sashes and watching for the flame to flicker.
• Invest in ample insulation, weatherstripping, and caulking and double-glazed or storm windows with good insulating properties.
• $ Close shades to keep out daytime sun in the summer, and open windows when temperatures are cooler instead of using an electric fan or air conditioner.
• $ Maximize the use of day lighting.

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AT THE STORE

• Purchase only items you need.
• Buy products made with recycled materials whenever possible.

Be a waste watcher when you shop:

• $ Buy items in bulk or in larger quantities.
• $ Buy products and containers that can be reused.
• $ Buy durable products, or ones that can be easily repaired, and maintain and keep them longer.
• Avoid purchasing disposable cups or plates. Avoid excessive packaging (e.g., extra shopping bags or individually wrapped slices of cheese).
• Buy products in containers that you can recycle.
• Take your own basket or sack and reuse cardboard boxes and paper and plastic bags.

Don't purchase poisons:

• Choose non-aerosol products in pump-spray bottles.
• $ Buy rechargeable batteries.
• Buy produce grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
• Be an ethical shopper: Ask retailers about the origin of products and don't buy endangered plants, animals or products made from wild species.
• Save energy by purchasing locally grown produce when possible.

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WATER HEATER

• $ Make sure that your water heater and pipes are properly insulated -- this can be done at low cost or free by your utility company.
• $ Set water heater at 120 degrees F if you do not have a dishwasher; at 140 degrees F if you need to use a dishwasher.
• Turn off the water heater when you leave for a trip.
• Install the water heater as close as possible to areas of major use to minimize heat loss through the pipes.

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COOLING WITHOUT AN AIR CONDITIONER

Use fans to stay cool:

• $ Keep windows and doors closed during the hottest hours of the day, and open them when it cools down.
• Use windows or whole-house ventilating fans to remove hot air from the house.
• Use vent and exhaust fans to pull heat and moisture from the attic, kitchen and laundry directly to the outside.

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WHILE ON VACATION

• $ Unplug television sets, cable TV converters, and all other appliances that aren't too difficult to reprogram.

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If every household in the U.S. lowered its average heating temperature 6 degrees F over a 240 hour period, we would save the equivalent of more than 570,000 barrels of oil per day, or the equivalent of energy used by all the homes in the country watching television for 3 1/2 days.

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