Do Something About Energy Conservation

Get teenagers involved with Energy Conservation.
Get teenagers involved by having them interact with others interested in conservation.
Get teenagers involved through their sports and social programs.
Get teenagers to greenify their prom.
Get teenagers to have their TV, DVD Player, cell phone charger, and gaming console plugged into a Powerstrip and unplug it.
Get teenagers to use less water.
Get teenagers involved through programs. Get them to DO SOMETHING about ENERGY CONSERVATION

Hey teens, let us know what tips you use to conserve energy and greenify this planet!

Prep your home for winter

Even though we’re still in the summer season, we encourage everyone to begin getting their house ready for the winter. There are many tasks that are easier to do in the summertime when it's warmer outside and working conditions are nicer.

Some things you can go ahead and do now:

• Weather-strip doors and windows
  
  
• Seal duct work
  
  
• Add a water heater jacket
  
  
• Insulate water pipes coming from hot water heater
  
  
• Get your gas fireplace tank refilled (it’s often cheaper in the summer)
  
  
• Sign up for Budget Billing

For more ideas to prep your home, visit “10 Ways to Save on Winter Heating Bills”.

Choose the right CFL

Not all CFLs are alike.

I’m sure you’re familiar with the traditional spiral CFL pictured in most of our advertising, but there are many more types and varieties. CFL varieties include such as Spiral, A-Shaped, Globed, Tubed, Candle, Indoor, Outdoor, 3-Way and Dimmable, to list a few. CFLs even have different ‘colors’ such as the standard soft white as well as bright white light.

Visit Energy Star’s CFL Web site to determine which bulb fits your needs.

Calling all Teachers

When you go back to school in the next few weeks, consider stocking your classroom with Energy Conservation goodies. These stickers, posters, magnets, door hangers, door mats encourage budding minds to turn off the lights, minimize water usage and keep the environment on their minds.

Energy Star Kids offers lesson plans, classroom downloads and other resources for teachers who want to show kids how becoming energy efficient can help save their world.

And it's not too early to start thinking about Arbor Day, which will be Friday, April 24, 2009. Learn more about Dominion's Project Plant It!

Have other environmentally friendly classroom ideas? We'd love to hear all about it!

Solar Film

There’s a product on the market that not only protects your house but helps keep the heat out: solar film. Solar film is a transparent coating which is applied to windows and has many benefits such as:

• Lowering energy costs by rejecting up to 80% of excessive solar heat


• Blocking 99% of harmful UV rays


• Reducing fading of carpets, floors, curtains


• Strengthening the glass
  
  - Source http://www.solarfilmva.com

Check for solar film companies in your area to inquire about their residential and commercial capabilities.

It’s not just us!

Blogs are the way of the future. They put everyone on a level playing field for voices being heard, allowing for brilliant ideas to surface, especially in the eyes of Energy Conservation. Here are some environmentally-conscious blogs we've noticed:

• Watthead.blogspot.com did an article on the Volkswagen Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
  
  
• Local Elementary School students dedicated to reducing their community's ecological footprint
  
  
• Environmental News with a twist of humor
  
  
• A living community that promotes Energy Conservation
  
  
• The Washington Post blogged on computer energy consumption

Check out these blogs and let us know about your favorite green blogs or energy conservation-related articles.

The Beijing Olympics are going green!

A recent article outlined China's efforts to make the Olympics environmentally friendly:

“As part of its efforts to make next month's Games environmentally friendly, more than a quarter of the energy used at Olympic venues will come from renewable sources.”

Some of the measures China will implement are “hot water from solar power for athletes' showers, rain water for plumbing systems, and street lighting from green energy photovoltaic panels on stadium walls and roofs.”

The article also goes onto say that these green tasks are not ideas, but concrete plans.

“[These plans] will set standards for future building projects in Beijing and elsewhere. And that will be one of the major legacies of the Beijing Olympics."

Read full article

Have a greener getaway

With the summer in full swing, many of us are enjoying the outdoors and traveling to see family and friends. Even though you may be taking a vacation from work, let's not take a vacation from conserving energy. There are many ways to have an eco-friendly hotel stay:

• If you are staying in the same hotel for a few days, consider reusing your linens to help save water and energy.
  
  
• Bring your own travel-size bottles of shampoo or soap instead of using those supplied by the hotel.
  
  
• Turn off the lights when you leave your room.
  
  
• If you won't return for most of the day, adjust the thermostat - no need to cool a vacant room.

If you look around the hotel, you'll most likely see some subtle energy efficiency measures already in place. I've noticed many hotel chains switching to compact fluorescent lights, touting paperless check out and using organic cleaning products.

For more ideas, check out EnviromentallyFriendlyHotels.com where you can search hotels and submit your own reviews.