Keep doing the math! Approximately two-thirds of American homes – regardless of income – have coffee makers. Coffee makers, small as they are use more energy than your computer, a radio, a humidified or a mid-sized TV set…typically 900 – 1200 watts. Older ones use more. We have one in our home. I love that first cup of coffee in the morning. But once the coffee is brewed I shut the coffee maker off. It takes a lot of energy to have it on just to keep the coffee warm. When you pour a cup of coffee later in the morning, put it in your microwave for 30 seconds instead. Your microwave typically uses about 1500 watts, but that is only for 30 seconds to heat your coffee. Leaving your coffee maker on hour after hour wastes lots of energy – and often, because the coffee isn’t hot enough, you will end up zapping it in your microwave anyway.
http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/TrashGoesToSchool/Energy.html
Our relatively new “Mr. Coffee” unit uses only 700 watts. However, if you do a quick search on goggle, you will find that some use up to 1500 watts. Also, you will note that many coffee maker comparison websites do not include a comparison of the energy used.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=coffee+maker%2Bwatts+used&btnG=Search
Doing the math in our home, and switching to cfl lighting has resulted in an approximately one-third reduction in our energy bill.
http://greenhawk.blogspot.com/2007/09/do-math.html
Corporate America continues to grow in the understanding that energy efficiency makes good business sense…going green saves green! Many states have provided leadership in energy conservation, and in those states especially, cooperation with private industry to conserve energy is taking off.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118938179474522033.html
We do not have leadership at the federal level which recognizes that national security, energy independence and global warming are closely linked issues. These are issues which must be urgently and simultaneously addressed. Today’s Wall street Journal has a front page article by Peter Fritsch and Kelly Evans discussing the probability of crude oil prices reaching over $100 per barrel They point out that tight oil supplies and a weak U.S. dollar are both factors which suggest that oil prices have further to rise. The result would be higher energy prices for every US consumer.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119102487310743331.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Meanwhile, I suggest we all “do the math” of our personal use of energy. Using the same amount of energy will continue to cost you more. Switching to more efficient use of energy will lower your personal cost for energy, because you will be using less energy to get the same tasks done. You win. America wins.
1 comment:
Although the cause to go green will benefit from corporate followings, it is no surprise that it comes with the corporations saving the bottom line as well. One would hope that the business leaders would serve as an example to save resources that will in turn negatively impact all of us.
I too have started switching to cfls in my home and am starting to notice a decrease in utility charges. While these bulbs are more expensive initially, like any good, sound investment, the returns continue to deliver.
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