Change your furnace filters regularly   
Dirty filters make the system work harder and use more energy than necessary.  Swap out filters every month during the heating season.
 

Choose organic fruits and veggies
Especially the 9 most likely to absorb pesticides:  peaches, apples, peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, and grapes.
 

Slow down when driving
Every five-mile-per hour reduction in highway speed reduces fuel consumption by 7%.  Reducing speed from 70 to 65 miles per hour saves 19 cents a gallon in gasoline and reduces toxic emissions substantially.
 

Check your car’s air filter
Nearly 25% of cars today needs an air filter replacement.
 

Heating and Cooling

If you move your home’s thermostat down 2 degrees in the winter and up 2 degrees in the summer, you will prevent 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the air each year.  In the summer, keep your thermostat as high as tolerable.  In the winter, set the thermostat no higher than 68 degrees.  Save energy and money by using ceiling fans to help cool and heat your home.

 A 2 degree adjustment on the thermostat can save you $98 per year on your electric bill.  For each degree above 78, you’ll save 6-8% on cooling costs.  Programmable thermostats are more expensive up-front, but can save you up to 20% on your electric bill.  (source: Half Price Books)

 Carpooling and Walking

Ride-sharing can reduce exhaust fumes and frequency of trips to the gas station and keep dollars in the bank.  Travel in groups.  Carpool.  Travel for multiple purposes.  Condense your errands into one trip.  Some cities and states offer travel benefits for low emissions or “clean air” vehicles and high-occupancy vehicles during rush hour.  Walking, however, is the greenest from of transportation. 

Carpooling with friends and co-workers conserves fuel, currently saving about 790 pounds of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.  Every mile that you walk is estimated to add 20 minutes to your life.  Health experts recommend that we walk 10,000 steps a day (roughly the equivalent to 5 miles) to maintain good health, so grab a pedometer and step your way to your destination when possible.  (source: Half Price Books)

Unplug your electrical devices when they’re not ‘on’.  Machines such as refrigerators, toasters, coffee pots, televisions and cell phone chargers still use energy when not technically ‘on’ – this can account for up to 10% of your electric bill.

Encourage your family, friends, and co-workers to drink from reusable mugs rather than throw-away cups.  You can launch a ‘mug movement’ in your office or home!  Trade your individual bottled water for reusable water bottles.  Wash, refill, and drink up!   

Use refillables, not disposables!  Did you know…If every coffee-drinking American used a refillable mug instead of a disposable cup, it would save the environment almost 7 million pounds of carbon dioxide emission per day.                               

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) are all the rage.  Free CFLs are available to Village residents while supplies last at three locations: the Village Hall, the Environmental Quality Department located behind Village Hall, and at the Public Works facility located on Slocum Lake Rd.  ENERGY STAR-qualified CFLs use up to 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs and can last up to 10 times longer.  A power plant will emit four times more mercury to produce the electricity to run an incandescent bulb compared to the amount of mercury to run a CFL bulb for the same amount of time.  CFLs contain over 100 times LESS mercury than a fever thermometer.  Even though this amount is so small, used CFLs should still be properly disposed.  Used CFLs can be recycled, but should not be placed with other household recyclables.  Drop off locations for used CFLs have been set up at the Wauconda Village Hall and Public Works facility.  Residents can also take used CFLs to any household chemical waste collection event held by the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County.  See  www.SWALCO.org for dates.  To learn more about CFLs and their benefits, please go to http://www.epa.gov/mercury/

Green Tips for Spring

As we get ready for warm weather, we should also think about how much water we use.  We tend to think of water as a never-ending resource.  But in many areas of the world, clean water is in short supply.  Let’s not be wasteful of this vital part of our lives!

• Try planting drought-tolerant and regionally adapted plants in areas that are hard to water or that receive little use. This may include narrow strips near sidewalks or driveways and steep hills.
• Cover pools and spas to avoid evaporation.
• Sweep your driveways and sidewalks with a broom instead of spraying them off with a hose.
• Check outdoor faucets, pipes, hoses and pools for leaks.  This will save money on your bill!
• Change your lawn mower to a 3-inch clipping height and try not to cut off more than one-third of the grass height when you mow.
• Consider replacing infrequently used lawn areas with low-water use plants or ground covers.
• Apply as little fertilizer to your lawn as possible. Applying excess fertilizer increases water consumption and actually creates more mowing for you!  Use iron-based fertilizers to simply “green-up” your lawn instead.
• Recycle and reuse the water in fountains and other ornamental water fixtures.
• Check the level in your pool using a grease pencil. Your pool shouldn’t lose more than ¼ inch each day. If it is losing more than this, check elsewhere for leaks.
• Use a bucket of soapy water to wash your car, or place a shut-off nozzle on the end of your hose.

PLlant a Tree!  Did you know that 10 trees will offset the carbon dioxide output of one US citizen for four months? Plant just 8 trees and you’ll cancel out four year’s worth of garbage. Even 4 trees will carbon-neutralize your washing machine for six years! A single tree will absorb one ton (yes, a whole ton) of carbon dioxide over its lifetime!

Check Aour Appliances!

• New, front loading washing machines use half the energy and water compared to a 5-year-old top-loading washer. You’ll save loads of money and water by switching to an energy-efficient model.
• Use appliances during off-peak hours to save even more money on your electric bill.
• Replacing a 10-year-old dishwasher can save you $44 a year on your bill.
• House-hold appliances can use 4-7 watts of energy per hour – even when not in use. Unplug those appliances you won’t be using for a while – plug them in when you need them (don’t do this with your refrigerator, though!).

Go Green When you Clean!

We all need to clean our homes and cars, but we now have a choice as to the products that we use. The next time you’re in a store, consider buying the brand that is made from healthy, natural ingredients. It might cost a bit more, but it is better for the environment and better for you! What you breathe in and touch in the cleaning process can be harmful to your health. Fumes and residue can cause lasting ramifications on you and your family. Please consider ‘going green’ in your cleaning products – you’ll be happier and healthier if you do!

For more information on the United Partnership, please go to www.unitedpartnership.org.