10 Simple Things You can Do Today to Go Green and Save Green

There are 10 simple things you can do today to help reduce your environmental impact, save money, and live a happier, healthier life.

How can we live lightly on the Earth and save money at the same time?

Climate change is in the news. It seems like everyone's "going green." We're glad you want to take action, too. Luckily, many of the steps we can take to stop climate change can make our lives better. Our grandchildren-and their children-will thank us for living more sustainably. Let's start now.

1. Save energy to save money.
   
   
   
   
   • Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
   • Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.
   • Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use.
   • Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
   • Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying.
2. Save water to save money.
   
   • Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too.
   • Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.
   • Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.
   • Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.
3. Less gas = more money (and better health!).
   
   
    
   
   • Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.
   • Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term.
   • Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in bettering your health and reducing traffic.

Mencegah Demam Berdarah Dengan Merusak Lingkungan?

Masih ingatkah dengan iklan layanan masyarakat 3 M, yaitu kepanjangan dari Menguras bak air, Menutup tempat penampungan air dan mengubur barang-barang bekas. ternyata hal tersebut tidaklah sepenuhnya benar. Memang benar gerakan 3 M tersebut bertujuan untuk mencegah penularan nyamuk demam berdarah yang dapat beresiko kematian bagi penggunanya, namun langkah untuk M yang terakhir sepertinya kurang tepat untuk dilakukan.

M yang terakhir berarti mengubur barang-barang bekas, seperti kita ketahui barang-barang bekas yang biasa di kubur seperti ember bekas yang sudah rusak, panci yang sudah tidak dapat digunakan, botol-botol, kaleng-kaleng bekas. Barang-barang bekas tersebut apabila dikubur dalam jangka panjang akan

The Nuclear Option: Waste Plan or a Wasteland?

The tsunami-induced nuclear disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex has sparked renewed debate about nuclear power’s future. Countries such as Germany and Switzerland have decided the risk ain’t worth the juice and have announced plans to end their nuclear power programs. No such decision appears imminent in the United States although it is unclear if any new plants will get built.

History as Prelude?

Should nukes be part of our energy future? That question will surely be debated for some time. But what about the spent fuel from reactors? Where is that in the debate?

The leaked radiation at the Fukushima plant didn’t come from the reactors alone. A failure to keep water circulating in pools storing spent fuel rods led to meltdowns, fires, and ultimately sizable releases of radioactivity. And today, some 87 days after the disaster began, plant operators at the Tokyo Electric Power Company are still struggling to stabilize the spent fuel pools.

The storage pool failures at Fukushima are highly relevant to America. The United States currently has about 65,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel. More than two-thirds of that waste is stored in storage pools [pdf] much like those at Fukushima. The rest is locked up in dry cement casks that are generally deemed safer because they are air-cooled (not water-cooled) and less susceptible to sabotage.