2 Water Heater Buying Guide (Shopping Tips)

Photograph by Jeff Morgan / Alamy

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 12 percent of the average home utility bill—and carbon footprint—comes from heating water. Only heating and cooling the home itself are more energy- Shoppers in the market for an efficient water heater can start by looking for an Energy Star label, bestowed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate energy-efficient products. Other choices depend on your home, pocketbook, and level of eco-commitment.

Some fuels heat water more efficiently than others. Natural gas, burned in the basement, typically has a greener signature than electricity that’s derived from burning coal at a distant power plant.

“But for most people, the fuel that heats and cools their house is going to heat the water,” says Maria Vargas of the EPA. “It’s unlikely in our experience that people are going to switch fuels.”

Fortunately, consumers can make green water heater choices no matter how they get their energy. (See the “Environmental Impact” section for a rundown of green water heater options, from natural gas to the sun.)

Energy Star-Qualified High-Efficiency Gas Storage: These super-efficient storage-tank water heaters cost a bit more than conventional versions but can pay for themselves in less than three years. And from day one they’ll start repaying the planet by using far less energy. The EPA suggests that by replacing all the standard gas storage heaters sold this year with qualified high-efficiency versions, one billion pounds of CO₂ could be kept out of Earth’s atmosphere. That would be like creating 132,000 acres of new forest.

Gas Condensing: To take green gains to an entirely different level, consider a gas condensing water heater. These systems are new to many in the U.S., as they didn’t begin appearing on the market in significant numbers until 2010. Gas condensing water heaters also feature a large storage tank. But rather than venting hot exhaust gases up the chimney after heating your water once, they capture those gases and put them back to work to reheat water again—cutting total energy use by some 30 percent. The EPA estimates that if just 5 percent of the new gas water heaters sold each year were of this type, the greenhouse gas emissions saved would be the equivalent of pulling nearly 7,000 cars off U.S. highways.

Electric Heat Pump: The electric heat pump is a cutting-edge water heater technology that can cut your energy use and emissions in half. While these units can be pricey, they can pay for themselves in energy savings in just 3 or 4 years, depending on your water use. A typical electric water heater, says Lane Burt of the Natural Resources Defense Council, “just runs electricity through a wire, which gets hot and heats up your water. But the heat pump takes heat out of the air and puts it into your water.”

The system works like a refrigerator in reverse, using a liquid refrigerant that helps pull heat from the air and run it through a coil to heat the tank. The EPA estimates that if every family that purchased an electric water heater this year had chosen a heat pump instead, a staggering 19.6 billion pounds of C02 could have been saved. That’s like taking 1.6 million cars off the road.

Look for:

• Size: If you’re buying a storage-tank water heater (see the “Environmental Impact” section for green tankless options) remember—one size doesn’t fit all. You’ll need a tank big enough to meet your family’s hot water needs, but buying one that’s too large means you’ll burn a lot of energy by continually warming water that you won’t use.
  See this DOE chart for help estimating what size system is the right fit for your home.
• Rebates: Uncle Sam wants you to go green. Environmentally friendly systems may be more expensive, but if you buy now, you can take advantage of government incentives. You may qualify for a tax credit worth 30 percent of a water heater’s price up to $1,500. Solar water heaters pack even more savings power.
  Start searching at http://www.energysavers.gov for federal incentives and at http://www.dsireusa.org/ for a list of state incentives.
  The EPA also maintains a list of special incentives that may be available, like rebates or breaks on sales tax.
  
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4 Green Car Buying Guide (Usage Tips)

Buying a green car is one way to help the environment but the process doesn’t end when you drive off the dealer’s lot. The way you use your car makes a big difference—no matter what kind you drive.

• Drive Green. Start by slowing down. Driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph burns 10 percent more fuel. A smooth ride also helps, so use cruise control when it’s practical. Stop-and-go driving and jackrabbit acceleration really take a toll—just one second of “pedal to the metal” acceleration emits almost as much carbon monoxide as half an hour of normal driving. And when you’re not driving your car, turn it off—don’t let it idle.
• Give Your Air Conditioning Some Help. Park in the shade when possible, and cool down your hot car by driving with the windows down before turning on the air-conditioner. Over time these practices can result in a much smaller workload for your AC—and significant energy savings.
• Keep Your Car in Tune. Change your oil, check the fluids, replace spark plugs, and perform other regular maintenance tasks—they save fuel. Rotate your tires and keep them properly inflated. For every three pounds they fall below their recommended pressure your fuel economy will fall by one percent. When it’s time to replace tires consider using low-rolling-resistance (LRR) alternatives, which can boost your mpg.
• Drive Less. It may seem obvious, but leaving your car in the garage a bit more often is the best way to reduce its environmental impact. Carpool when you can, try public transportation, or break out your bike when the sun is shining. Every mile you don’t drive makes a difference.
  
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0 Air Conditioner Buying Guide (Shopping Tips)

Photograph by Maksud/Shutterstock

If your current air conditioner is more than eight years old, it's time for a new one. Over the life of the product, the amount you'll save in energy bills will more than likely exceed the cost of the new unit. The following are basic criteria to use when choosing a new system:

• BTUs: The cooling capacity of an air conditioner is measured in British thermal units per hour (Btu/hr). To find the best BTUs needed to cool your room, multiply the square footage of the space by 10 and then add 4,000.
• Energy Star rating: The Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star ratings indicate that an appliance is at least 10 percent more energy-efficient than the minimum federal standards.
• EER: A room air conditioner's EER, or Energy-Efficiency Ratio, is the ratio of the cooling output divided by the unit's power consumption. The higher the EER, the more efficient the model.
• Anti-Microbial filter? Most room air conditioners come with reusable electrostatic filters, which may be treated with triclosan. If purchasing a unit with an antimicrobial filter, ask the retailer to replace it with an untreated electrostatic filter.

Check if your state energy office or local utility offer rebates and trade-ins of older models to encourage the purchase of energy-efficient units. You could end up saving $75 or more on your purchase. If you live in a very humid climate, look for models that are good at removing moisture; ask about the rate of water removal (in pints per hour). At the store, compare the energy consumption and usage costs of one model to another using the yellow "EnergyGuide" label on the product.

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0 How to Stay Healthy at Work

You’re probably reading this at a desk in an office. The simple act of sitting down and staring at a screen might seem harmless, even enjoyable, and yet reams of research show that sedentary jobs are making us fat, giving us sore backs, and triggering heart attacks. 

Dr John Tickell, a medical doctor and bestselling author of Laughter, Sex, Vegetables & Fish, has spent over 25 years researching what it takes to live and work well. I asked him for his top five tips on staying healthy in the office.

His first tip is to “climb 200 stairs every day. It’s good for your thighs and back and heart and lungs”.

Several years ago, there was a study conducted at the University Hospital of Geneva. Rather than catching an elevator, employees were required to use the stairs for 12 weeks. By the end of the experiment, their results were impressive. Their lung capacity had gone up by 8.6 per cent; their cholesterol had reduced by 3.9 per cent; their body fat had decreased by 1.7 per cent; and their waist circumference had gone down by 1.8 per cent.

Dr John’s second tip is to “go to the water cooler every 30 minutes and have half a glass of water.” 

(On the topic of water, I saw Tapped last week, an eye-opening documentary that investigates the evils of the bottled water industry. And there are definitely evils. For example, according to the Aussie website, Go Tap, set up by the founders of Planet Ark, half a billion dollars is spent every year on bottled water in Australia, and this generates the equivalent number in greenhouse gases of 13,000 cars on the road. Only a third of those bottles are recycled.)

After a glass of water, Dr John suggests doing 10 backwards shoulder rolls. Why? Because 98 per cent of the activities an office worker performs are in front of the body. A consequence of such an imbalance, he says, is “a crooked and bent and painful spine,” unless simple exercises are done to counteract it.

My personal favourite is his third tip: “Hug someone you love before you leave home.” He placed special emphasis on the word before. 

The benefit of a hug can be found within oxytocin, otherwise known as the ‘love hormone’. In research published in the Psychosomatic Medicine journal a few years ago, physical affection was found to increase the presence of oxytocin in the body. The same study showed that a higher rate of this hormone resulted in lower stress levels and reduced blood pressure. That’s why a hug before work gets people pumped for the day ahead.

Tip number four: “Tell someone in the office every day ‘well done’ on something they did last week or this week. It makes people feel better, and better people make better companies.”

A survey last year of 3000 employees by the Australian Institute of Management revealed that two-in-five of the respondents felt unappreciated by their boss. So, if they can’t get praise from their boss, they may as well get it from their co-workers. As experts attested in a blog post last month, being recognised for good work is one of the biggest drivers of motivation and performance.

Dr John’s fifth tip is to take two deep breaths every two hours, and “think about your next 3-day break away with your partner or your spouse or your lover and plan it and book it".

"No wonder 40 per cent of marriages break down; do the things you used to do when you fell in love.”

At the very least, the excitement of looking forward to a short break makes a tough work environment a little more bearable.

Often, workplace wellness conversations focus on the safety aspect. It’s about preventing strains from poor ergonomics or preventing injuries from workplace hazards. Rarely is the conversation about drinking water or giving a hug or saying thanks or planning a break. You know, all the stuff that protects the mind.

*) James Adonis is one of Australia’s best-known people-management thinkers

English - KOMPAS.com 

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0 Lightbulb Buying Guide (Output, Shape, Color Temperature, and Energy Star Rating)

What to Look For

Although there are other options, including LEDs and halogen bulbs, when it comes to cost, availability, and savings, compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) still offer the best value for lighting. You can now find LEDs for around $20, while CFLs average from $2-$10.

• Lumen output: To maximize energy savings, choose the product that provides the most lumens at the lowest wattage. Energy Star lists common lumen equivalencies for CFL and incandescent wattages.
• Shape:
  
  • Triple-tube bulbs provide high light output in small spaces, ideal for desk and reading lamps.
  • Flood lamp CFLs work well for recessed and track lighting.
  • Globe shapes work well in bathrooms and above vanity mirrors where aesthetics are important.
  • Torpedo-shaped candelabra bulbs fit nicely in small light fixtures such as sconces and designer lamps.
  • Dome-shaped CFLs, similar in look to conventional incandescents, are a better fit for lamps whose shades clip onto the bulb.
• Kelvins: A CFL’s color is indicated by the Kelvin (K) temperature (listed on the package). Higher Kelvins, 5000K or 6000K, correspond with cooler, bluer colors, while lower Kelvins, 2700K or 3000K, give off a warm, cozy glow similar to incandescents. If the package doesn’t list the Kelvin temperature, look for descriptive phrases like “warm white” and “soft white.”
• Energy Star rated: Energy Star CFLs use 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs.
  
  
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0 Television Buying Guide (Energy Star)

America is home to nearly as many TVs as people—an estimated 275 million sets. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports that all those televisions eat up more than 50 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy every year. That’s enough juice to power every home in the state of New York for a calendar year. And televisions, along with their peripherals like DVD players and gaming consoles, add nearly $200 to the average annual energy bill.

• Lumen output: To maximize energy savings, choose the product that provides the most lumens at the lowest wattage. Energy Star lists common lumen equivalencies for CFL and incandescent wattages.
• Types of TVs:
  The days when TVs came in two types, color or black and white, are long gone. American televisions now use several different technologies—some greener than others.
  Traditional Cathode Ray Tube TVs, those of the deep cabinets and curved screens, aren’t particularly green performers when comparing apples-to-apples energy use with more modern sets of the same size. But because they don’t come in big-screen versions their energy use may compare well against newer behemoth sets.
  Among the prevailing TV types, DOE rates rear projection TVs as the most energy-efficient. Liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs take second place, followed by plasma models. The biggest plasma screens can rival the refrigerator as the most energy-hungry appliance in your home.
  On average, plasma TVs use almost triple the energy of a rear-projection model of the same size, and about 20 percent more than comparable LCDs.
  Rear-projection TVs may be the greenest energy choice but, unfortunately for eco-savvy consumers, market share has been falling for this rather bulky type of television and it’s likely they won’t be available much longer. That would leave LCD models as the most widely available, energy-efficient models.
• Size Matters: Many people buy a new TV because they want a bigger TV. But, simply put, bigger TVs use a lot more energy. You can compare the power consumption of different TV sizes, types and models with CNET’s ratings chart. Want a typical example of how much more energy big-screen TVs hog? CNET reports that a 52-inch LCD uses twice the power of a 32-inch model.
• Fine Tuning: One major factor in TV power consumption is controlled by your remote. Your unit’s picture settings can make a surprising difference in the set’s energy use, sometimes cutting the total by as much as 50 percent.
  The two main energy-related settings are contrast/picture and backlight/cell light (on LCD models). Changing these settings tunes your picture by altering light output—which directly affects how much energy the set uses. By tweaking factory settings most users can save significant energy and money without compromising picture quality.
• Energy Star: The first thing green shoppers should look for is an Energy Star label, awarded by the DOE and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize energy-efficient products.
  Energy Star-qualified sets consume 30 percent less energy than their conventional counterparts, whether in use or on standby mode. Currently most of the sets on the market have earned the Energy Star rating. This is good news because the overall efficiency of TVs has improved. But it’s bad news for consumers who hope to differentiate between truly green sets and certified models that have really become average or worse.
  In May 2010, however, Energy Star is raising the bar. The Energy Star 4.0 rating will be unveiled and it should be a boon to eco-savvy shoppers. TVs will have to be 40 percent more efficient to earn this designation, which will likely certify only the top 25 percent of sets. For those who can wait, in 2012 the Energy Star 5.0 level will up the ante yet again by requiring sets to be 65 percent more efficient.
  
  
  By Brian Handwerk
  for National Geographic's Green Guide
  
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0 Laptop Computer Buying Guide

The Energy Star program, run by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), evaluates a wide range of consumer products for their energy efficiency, awarding the Energy Star label to those that top the list.

In July 2009, EPA announced a new class of Energy Star ratings for desktop computers and laptops. The standards were set so that only the most efficient 25 percent of today's computers would be able to qualify for Energy Star status. Energy Star-approved computers will, on average, be 30 percent more efficient than those that don't make the cut.

Laptops that qualify for Energy Star 5.0.approval can be in one of three categories, depending on the computational power of the laptop. The categories are based on the average number of kilowatt hours (kWh) a computer consumes over a typical year of use. kWh is the number of watts of electricity that an electronic device uses in an hour. A 50-watt laptop, for instance, used for an hour, has consumed .05 kWh.

Category C, designed for those powerful laptops with two or more cores per processor, designates laptops that use computers use 88.5 to 543 kWh over a year. Category B laptops, those with a separate graphics processors for rendering displays, consume 53 kWh to 41 kWh; and Category A is for all other laptops that use 40 kWh or less.

Energy Star also measures the efficiency of the computer's power supply (which converts alternating current into direct current) as well as how much energy the unit leaks when not being used.

EPEAT Ratings

While Energy Star has helped consumers identify more energy-efficient machines, it doesn't address the issue of recyclability. EPA and the nonprofit Greener Electronics Council have created the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) as way to gauge how environmentally friendly electronic components are, in terms of materials they are built from and the manufacturer's recycling plans.

EPEAT requires that computer manufacturers meet 23 mandatory conditions, such as providing a statement of how much recycled material was used in the product and providing an additional optional three-year warranty to keep the laptop in use longer. EPEAT also has 28 additional criteria, such as requiring the laptop be built from at least 90 percent recyclable materials and that that laptop use batteries that are entirely free of lead, cadmium and mercury. 

Bronze status is awarded to products that meet all mandatory requirements, silver status goes to products that meet the mandatory requirements, plus 14 of the optional criteria, and gold rated means the machine meets all mandatory requirements and at least 21 optional criteria. All EPEAT-certified products must also be EnergyStar approved.

Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)

In Europe, laptops must meet standards for not exceeding the maximum level of toxic substances, such as lead, cadmium and mercury. Meeting RoHS is one of the requirements for basic EPEAT certification.

Greening Efforts of Laptop Manufacturers

Spending dollars on the greenest models sends a message to computer makers. The message seems to be sinking in with laptop makers, who are starting to produce models that are energy efficient and built from recycled material, or at least made from material that could be recycled. Check the manufacturers' Web sites for details of their efforts. Companies such as Apple and Dell have pages dedicated to explaining their efforts at building more eco-friendly computers.

When Shopping for a Laptop:

• Evaluate your needs: What you plan to use your computer for will help you purchase the most efficient one for your needs. If you plan on using the device mostly for simple tasks such as checking e-mail, surfing the Web, or watching a DVD, then take a look at netbooks, or tablet computers, which not only cost less, but have processors that sip less energy. Using a tablet could also help you consolidate, eliminating the need for a separate e-reader. The above tasks don't require a lot of computational muscle, so a lower-power processor would run them without problem. If you use resource-intensive applications, such as photo editing software, then a laptop with a dual-core processor would be more appropriate. And if you plan to use the unit in extreme environments such as use in moving vehicles or outdoors in damp climates or extreme temperatures, then paying for a rugged model may be the greenest choice because they'll last longer.
• Look for low-power components: The computer industry is starting to learn that in order to make more power-efficient computers, they need to be made with more power-efficient components. Solid-state drives, although more expensive, consume less power than standard hard-drives (and are a lot more rugged and can be faster as well). Also, look for computers with the new generation of low-power chips. Chips consume up to half of all the power a CPU draws. Intel has released a line of low-power chips, code-named Atom, that consume less power and provide nearly the same performance, as has Via, with its Nano line of processors that are used in numerous netbooks. Look for the names of these processors in the specification sheets. 

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0 Car Buying Guide (Tips)

The vast majority of any vehicle’s environmental impact will be created by the fuel it burns and the emissions that come out of its tailpipe.

“The best way to go about a vehicle purchase is to figure out the ‘most’ vehicle you really need, whether that is a pickup, a minivan, or a compact car, and then look for the most efficient version of that vehicle,” says Don Anair, a senior analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists’ (UCS) Clean Vehicles Program.

Once you’ve got that figured out, consider the following:

• Fuel Efficiency: Extracting, refining, and transporting fossil fuels is energy-intensive and can strain local ecosystems. When motor vehicles burn those fuels they produce lots of greenhouse gases, about a quarter of the United States’ total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. And they seriously pollute the air we breathe with smog and toxins. Using less fuel for each mile you drive is key to going green—so make high mileage a priority.
• Emissions: The federal government has minimum emissions standards. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gives cars and trucks scores for both greenhouse gas emissions, which drive climate change, and hazardous air pollution.
  Check out EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide. It rates and compares makes and models on the all-important category of fuel efficiency, but you can also see how the different models stack up when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, two critical components in making your car choice as green as it can be.
• Fuel Types: Eco-savvy car shoppers have several fuel choices to ponder—but still no perfectly green choice.
  
  • Gasoline and Diesel: New “clean” diesel engines and their high-efficiency gasoline counterparts are probably a toss-up environmentally, experts say, because each has its pros and cons. Although diesels traditionally have been heavy polluters, some new models are on the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE) list of the top green models.
    Diesels burn less fuel and run up to 40 percent farther on a single gallon. That gallon of diesel does produce more greenhouse gases than its gasoline counterpart, but because it can move the vehicle significantly farther, diesel’s greenhouse emissions per mile are typically lower than gasoline. Despite recent improvements, however, diesels still produce more soot- and smog-forming nitrogen oxide emissions, which may play their own role in warming the planet and also have consequences for human health.
    There has been much talk about the potentialof biodiesel, the renewable fuel made from plant oils (such as soybean or palm), animal fats, or even repurposed cooking oil, that can be used to fuel diesel engines. But questions abound concerning just how green this biological fuel source really is. Producing the product’s base crops can cause major shifts in land use, including deforestation, and could actually have a negative impact in the fight against climate change. Unless you use recycled cooking oils or have a local supplier, knowing the source of your biodiesel can be difficult.
  • Hybrids: Most hybrids pair a gasoline engine with an electric motor and battery capable of powering the car solo during times of low demand. When the engine runs, it recharges the battery—so the vehicle is never “plugged in.” These efficient systems can cut fuel consumption by 30 to 50 percent over the gasoline-fueled versions of the same auto models. They can also reduce smog pollution drastically—as much as 90 percent over even the cleanest gasoline-only vehicles.
    But UCS’s Don Anair cautions that not all hybrids are as green as they seem. “When we looked at the models available [we found] automakers are kind of mixed on how well they are implementing the technology,” he says. “Hybrid technology allows 30 to 50 percent efficiency gains. Some automakers are implementing that technology to achieve the cleanest smog-forming emissions and highest levels of greenhouse gas reductions. But others are not.”
    To help consumers compare hybrid efficiency among models, and see which choices are really green, UCS has created the Hybrid Scorecard.
  • Electric Vehicles: The first mainstream electric vehicles are due to hit U.S. markets later this year, allowing owners to avoid gas stations entirely or use them only to prime small backup engines while driving largely under pure electric power. These cars promise staggering mpg ratings: The Chevy Volt, with its small gasoline backup, promises “infinite” mpg under electric power only to 230 mpg in city driving conditions. That’s because gas use kicks in after 40 miles, and three-fourths of drivers’ trips never reach that distance, according to Tony Posawatz, the vehicle line director for the Volt.
    EPA is developing new fuel economy labels for electric cars.
    A car that runs on an electric battery burns no fuel. But that doesn’t mean that no fuel was burned to produce the energy that powers the battery. “You have zero tailpipe emissions when running on electric only,” UCS’s Anair says. “But there are upstream emissions associated with the electricity you’re using to charge the battery.”
    Currently power plants primarily use fossil fuels such as coal to generate the energy that will power electric cars, so there is really no such thing as a free ride. Still, the cars do represent a significant environmental improvement.
    Anair believes the total environmental impact of running an electric vehicle off the grid is much less than a gasoline engine, and probably about the same or a bit better than a very good hybrid. But he sees a potential for far greater green savings.
    “In the future, to really get the benefits of electric vehicle technology, we have to clean up the electrical grid by going to renewable and zero-emission electricity,” he says.
    
    
    
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