Tip of the Week

Carbon Pincher

I plug all of my home entertainment electronics into a power strip so I can cut their power drain in standby mode. But one afternoon I noticed many other appliances that were always plugged in, but that were only in use for minutes a day. The math is clear: Miscellaneous appliances can be just as guilty as electronics of pumping out the greenhouse carbon dioxide when not in use. Plug in the appliances below for no more than an hour a day and you'll get the savings listed below over the course of a year.

• Electric toothbrushes: A fully charged Sonicare electric toothbrush has enough juice for two weeks of twice daily two minute brushings. Unplug it and save 22 pounds of CO2.
• Electric shaver: Norelco's 1050 Arcitec Cordless Electric Shaver is fully charged in one hour and has a three-minute quick charge feature for emergencies. Unplug it and save 11 pounds of CO2.
• Microwave oven: Do you really need another kitchen clock? Unplug it and save 34 pounds of CO2.
• Hand held vacuum: Unplug it and save 34 pounds of CO2.
• Coffee maker: An automatic coffee maker with digital features drain energy all night waiting for the timer to go off. Flip the switch manually and unplug it, saving 34 pounds of CO2.

By simply unplugging the items above you can save 135 pounds of carbon a year! But don't stop here. Go on a hunt for energy-wasting appliances and unplug them. And see Green with Children for smart power strips, that can automatically turn off electronic peripherals http://thegreenguide.com/blog/children.

Extra Credit: At the office, invest in an industrial coffee maker with a thermal carafe that will keep coffee warm without using any energy, like the Classic Café Concepts GBT60 that we use in house. By running the machine only to refill (about an hour and a half a day when we go through ten pots) we save 158 pounds of CO2 per year!

© The Green Guide, 2008

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