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Planet
Earth
by
Brian Dobbs |
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 What
would happen if we ran out of gas? Many experts theorize
that oil production will peak sometime within the
next ten years. What does that mean? It means that
we'll be using more oil than we have the ability to
produce. From what I've been reading, it seems as
though it's possible that we'll completely run out
of oil within my lifetime. Are we prepared for that?
What would we do? I believe that we have to transition
away from oil, sooner rather than later, and into
alternative energy sources such as wind and solar
power.
The key word is transition.
This change can't happen overnight. It requires each
of us to make our own individual decisions on how
we can contribute. One of my goals in life is to inform,
educate and take proactive steps for a successful
transition into alternative sources of energy that
don't pollute our atmosphere and are infinitely renewable.
I'm also an advocate
of living a greener lifestyle. You know, stuff like
the Three R's. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Landfills
are filling up, the polar ice caps are melting, the
hole in our Earth's ozone layer grows larger, natural
resources are dwindling, entire species of animals
are dying off and yet it's so easy to forget about
these issues because most people don't consider them
to be an immediate threat to our way of life.
I have a vested interest
in these issues, especially energy conservation. What
if in forty years our favorite musical groups have
to abandon touring as a way of generating income because
we're faced with an energy crisis? Imagine if the
Federal Government prohibited the use of electricity
except for emergency services, offices and residential
neighborhoods?
Fossil fuels already
cause pollution to our atmosphere, so why not support
cleaner methods of generating power? They are going
to run out sometime and it is in our best interest
to prepare ourselves for a drastic change while maintaining
the perspective of a cleaner and greener future. The
first step is energy conservation. As a society we
must invest into wind and solar power while simultaneously
work hard on an individual basis to follow the Three
R's. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. It would also be beneficial
to decrease pollution to improve water and air quality
standards and to preserve delicate ecosystems throughout
the world.
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| Energy
Conservation |
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consider replacing your incandescent light bulbs with
energy saving compact fluorescents and LEDs |
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whenever possible, open your window shades to use natural
light |
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when you leave the room for more than thirty minutes
be sure to turn off the lights |
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even when they’re off, try unplugging appliances,
electronics and cell phone chargers to avoid “Vampire
Power” |
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consider washing your clothes in cold water and drying
whites and colors together |
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look for energy efficient appliances marked with the
Energy Star logo |
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look for products made of recycled materials |
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consider installing foam pads behind wall plates of
electric outlets and light switches for insulation |
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during the winter, open your window shades to allow
sunlight to warm the house, and close them at night |
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during the summer, close your window shades to keep
your house cooler |
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try using ceiling fans to cool yourself instead of turning
your thermostat down |
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save water, and energy, by turning off the faucet while
you brush your teeth |
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Reuse
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- bring cloth or mesh bags for grocery shopping |
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try printing on the opposite side of office paper |
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search online for printer cartridge refill kits |
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think about buying rewritable blank media
(CD-RW, DVD-RW) |
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plastic tupperware containers are great for packing
your lunch |
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a small plastic cooler to bring your lunch to work will
last a lifetime |
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remember to donate unwanted but functional items to
charity |
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you can also donate old cell phones; look for drop-off
boxes |
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think about using rechargeable batteries |
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places like the UPS store will reuse styrofoam blocks
and peanuts |
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bring your own beverage container to work |
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| Reduce |
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try to carry merchandise by hand if you don't need a
plastic bag |
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learn more about fuel efficiency and think about how
to reduce carbon dioxide emissions |
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when purchasing a new car, consider spending a little
more for a hybrid car
(yes, that's my Toyota
Prius, and I save 50% on every fill-up) |
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write driving directions on scrap paper instead of printing
them |
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use cloth towels instead of paper towels to dry hands |
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use a cup from your kitchen as your bathroom cup |
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only use plasticware, paper plates and Styrofoam products
when necessary |
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print using the "draft" quality setting found
in your printer preferences |
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| Recycle |
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aluminum and tin cans |
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plastic bottles, cups and food containers |
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glass bottles and jars |
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newspaper, magazines, catalogs, books, phone books |
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shredded paper
(separate from non-shredded) |
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white and colored paper |
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pizza boxes, shoeboxes, cereal boxes, food boxes
(liners removed) |
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envelopes, junk mail
(including windowed envelopes) |
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bring your plastic grocery bags back to the store for
recycling |
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| eCycling |
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computer monitors |
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computers
(desktop and laptops) |
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mice and keyboards |
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printers and scanners |
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cables and assorted computer related accessories |
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televisions |
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home entertainment electronics |
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cell phones, PDAs and digital cameras |
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rechargeable batteries
(Rechargeable
Battery Recycling Corporation) |
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video game systems |
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| Decrease
Pollution |
| The
following items must be properly disposed of. They should
not be thrown out with the regular household trash.
Check with your local waste management and recycling
convenience centers to see what they can accept, IKEA
currently accepts batteries and lightbulbs near their
customer service areas. |
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batteries |
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car batteries |
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light bulbs |
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paint |
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motor oil |
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tires |
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antifreeze |
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poisons |
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propane tanks |
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acids |
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ammunition |
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fire extinguishers |
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