Green Mythbusters
Thanks to Sustainlane for busting these myths for us!
Myth #1: It takes more energy to turn a light off and back on than it does to keep it running.
Should you keep the light on in a room if you're leaving it and know you’ll be back again in a few minutes?
Don't worry -- many people have been left in the dark on this one. Let us enlighten you...
Truth: The answer is an unequivocal no. According to the California Energy Commission, the energy used in the fraction of a second it takes to turn a light bulb on is negligible compared to the amount of energy it takes to keep a steady glow. That goes for fluorescent and incandescent bulbs.
Myth #2: It takes more energy to restart a car than it does to leave it idling.
Truth: For every two minutes a car idles, it uses the same amount of gasoline it takes to travel one mile, says the California Energy Commission. More than ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine.
Bottom line? Turn your car off.
Some people also mistakenly believe that continually restarting their cars will lead to excessive wear on the battery and starter motor. The CEC says that component wear adds about $10 a year to the cost of driving, which is less than the extra cost of gas your car likely uses when idling.
Myth #3: Turning down your thermostat when you leave the house ultimately uses more energy because the furnace (or air conditioner) has to work extra hard to make the house warm (or cool) again once you turn it back up.
Truth: Don’t be left out in the cold on this myth, because it isn’t true. According to Conservation Consultants Inc., the energy used to reheat a space is always less than or equal to the amount of energy used to keep it at a consistent higher temperature.Your home is much more resistant to heat loss than you may think; furniture and carpeting retain enough heat so that your furnace will not have to work that hard to heat a room back up to a comfortable temperature.
Waste Myth #1: Toss it in the trash-- it's biodegradable.
Myth: It's OK to throw something away as long as it's biodegradable.
Truth: Modern landfills are packed so tightly, that food doesn’t get the oxygen, light, or microorganisms it needs to decompose properly. This results in the increased production of toxic methane gas -- much more than is produced in a compost pile. Some landfills are actually big, sealed storage bins, which make the decomposition of any biodegradable substance impossible once the landfill has been sealed up.
Proper decomposition of biodegradable waste takes place in a compost pile, which is regularly turned, keeping a steady flow of oxygen to the decomposing matter
Waste Myth #2: Recycling causes more pollution than it prevents.
Truth: Recycling does not cause more pollution than it prevents. Manufacturing products from virgin materials takes more energy than making products from recycled materials. Check out these facts:
- It takes 95 percent less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to make it from raw materials, 60 percent less energy to make recycled steel, 70 percent less energy to create recycled plastic, and 40 percent less energy to make recycled paper and glass.
- A national recycling rate of 30% reduces greenhouse gas emissions as much as removing nearly 25 million cars from the road.
- Recycling and composting diverted nearly 70 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2000, up from 34 million tons in 1990—doubling in just 10 years.
http://www.sustainlane.com/reviews/greenbusters/1H4C1OV3TO2C9O3JZW3RZJLB28
