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Winds of Change Newsletter,
December 2005 See sidebar for table of contents
Things you can do for a better planet (while saving
money!) Install energy efficient lighting (to lessen the espense,
replace one standard light bulb a month with a compact fluorescent light
bulb) and appliances. Insulate and weatherize your home; government
assistance may be available. Buy and use less stuff.
Use the sun and wind to dry your clothes on a clothesline.
Slow down when driving a car-cars use gasoline most efficiently at 60
mph. Check that your air filter is clean and your tires properly
inflated.
Drive an energy-efficient car. Where possible, ride a bicycle. Of
course, you can't do this on most roads in southern W.Va. unless you
like playing dare with coal trucks.
Lobby your local and national politicians to implement responsible
energy laws and policies, including net-metering for West Virginia!
Encourage and support electric generation companies to implement
conservation and renewable energy programs.
Install a solar water heater. Check about federal tax credits.
Add more insulation to your attic.
Wear warm clothes inside in the winter.
Encourage business and government to increase energy efficiency in
lighting and appliances and to use renewable energy sources in their
products and services.
Install ceiling fans in your home or office to reduce use of air
conditioning, thus reducing your use of electricity. Better yet, plant
deciduous shade trees.
Go vegetarian! A pound of beef produced in the United States sends about
a half pound of methane into the atmosphere. That's six times more than
what a pound of U.S. rice generates.
Reduce the demand for paper by using your local library. Use recycled
paper at all times-even for giftwrapping.
Use the energy saving programs on your computer.
Go organic! Eliminate the use of pesticides in your garden.
Fight overdevelopment in your community by appealing to your local and
city representatives to only approve projects that are sustainable.
Act Local -- Think Global!
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