A logical path to energy savings.

Unless you have been living in a cave of late, you have probably noticed that the rallying cry of the day is Go Green. And like most other fads, many are clammering for you to jump on board the bandwagon. The biggest problem for most is that it interferes with their day to day schedule. Or they don't know where to start. Or the ones that really throw me for a loop are those in the "over achievers" group. This is the sector that gets so involved in the process that their message to others does more harm than good. Here is tip number one. Slow down! A little at a time will work just as well. Consider this. If every person in America reduced their energy usage by 1 percent annually, we would be well on the way to a better place to live for our children and our grandchildren. No need to do it all at once. If everyone followed the old adage " you need to learn to walk before you run", we would be ahead of the game in no time at all.

7 more logical (and easy) steps to a reduced energy lifestyle

• Walk it off. Try walking somewhere you ordinarily drive to at least once a week. Make it a family thing. If you save two gallons of gas a month, thats great. If 100 million people accomplished the same goals, that would be amazing.
  
  
  
• Take a good hard look at the environment around you. Is the house drafty? Find those areas of contention and you can probably lower that thermostat a couple of degrees.
  
  
  
• Passive heat and lighting are big winners. Keep those window shades open to the sun in the winter and closed in the summer. You would be surprised the difference it could make.
  
  
  
• Re-task, re-use. Everything has more than one use. Prolonging the life of an article means that less energy will be used to produce its replacement. In addition, less energy is used to transport it to the landfill and to transport its replacement to the store.
  
  
  
• Did you know that a microwave uses 50% less power than a conventional oven. Plan one meal a weak that uses your microwave technology and over a year you will be producing a substantial savings.
  
  
  
• Appliances are the major source of energy waste in a household. Upgrade to energy star appliances to really jump start your program. A tankless water heater, for example, can pay for itself in savings in as little as 2 years under the right circumstances. Do the math.
  
  
  
• Stop sitting in your auto with the engine idling. Its a waste of fuel ( up to a fifth of a gallon for every 30 minutes) and also can cause substantial damage to you engine over the long run. If there is one thing that bother me more than seeing a Hummer sitting and idling in the parking lot its see a Prius do the same thing.
  

Reducing your energy consumption should not be a high pressure situation if you do it logically. Sit down, look around and logically decide to make a difference. Don't do it for reasons of guilt. Do it because its the right thing to do. Baby steps. One person at a time.