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Berkeley Fights Global Warming
It's Easy Being Green
Here are several ways to reduce everyday energy use:
- Use reflective metal rings or aluminum foil rather than black rings under stove burners. Black rings, which absorb the heat from the burners, lengthen cooking time.
- Use rechargeable batteries to reduce battery consumption. Keep a solar-powered charger on hand as a backup in the event of a power failure.
- Wash clothes and linens in cold water, relying on detergent, washing soda and ammonia rather than heat to remove bacteria and dirt.
- Turn down refrigerator and freezer settings to "B' or "2" to maintain adequately cold temperatures while reducing unnecessary electricity use.
- Keep the lint trap in your clothes dryer clean — a clogged filter reduces air circulation and increases the amount of time it takes to dry laundry. Use your dryer's moisture sensor or manually check the load to ensure that the dryer doesn't run longer than necessary.
- Never add wet clothes to a partially dried load. This adds moisture to the entire load and lengthens drying time.
- Set your water heater at or slightly below the "normal" setting (no higher than 120 degrees F).
- Caulk around doors, windows and any pipes under sinks or floors to reduce drafts, save heat and make your home much more comfortable.
- Eliminate "phantom power" losses from appliances and equipment that use energy even when they're turned off. (These devices have LED lights that remain on after the equipment is off.) Plug these devices into a power strip and turn the strip off.
- Keep car tires inflated to the proper pressure. A single tire under-inflated by even 5 pounds can reduce your mileage by as much as 4% per gallon. Keep a tire gauge in the glove compartment so you can check your tires weekly.
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