Green Your New Year’s Resolution: Get Unplugged

Happy new year! You may have already committed to the bulk of your resolutions, but deepening your shade of green will do us all good. This week, we’ll be giving you easy-to-stick-to ways to make 2009 greener.

Tip #1: Get Unplugged

Unplug any electrical appliance you’re not using to save more than 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide – and a good chunk of cash. "Energy vampires" that should be disconnected when not in use include phone chargers, computers, TVs, DVRs, hair dryers, and microwaves.

What are your ecofriendly resolutions for the new year? Please tell us in the space for comments below.

Comments

[Beau in NC]

Another way to accomplish the same goal is to use a surge protector with an off switch. That way your appliance is also protected from power spikes. You don't have to buy the strongest ones made, but can stick with a cheaper version, but be sure it carries insurance that covers the appliance in case something gets past it.

[David J Dutschke]

why not begin a lobby effort to require ampliances to have a kill switch aka on/off.

[Sara B., Norfolk]

So, if I have a lamp plugged in, but it is "off", am I drawing any energy?

One way that I save on energy, but it looks a bit tacky, is to have fewer bulbs in multi-bulb fixtures (like vanities, track lighting, chandeliers). I have 2 bulbs in my 4-bulb vanity fixture and put a bulb in every-other socket on my chandelier.

[Marliss]

The converter box that I bought for my TV has a "stand-by" mode that reduces energy consumption. Maybe more appliances need to be built with this option.

It is my understanding that most surge protectors need to be "on" in order to do their job, so turning them off is not an option. When I go out of town, or when there is a thunderstom, I always unplug the surge protector. (Insurance may pay for the damaged computer, but data loss is forever.) I may start unplugging the surge protector overnight, as well as on days when I am not home.

[Martha Hansen]

This sounds like a good idea, but I am a senior citizen and don't do very well getting down to the floor where my plugs are for many of these things. I use compact fluorescents and save in other ways I am able to.

[Mahdi]

How is our atmosphere warmed? It is NOT primarily from greenhouse gases as many of you think.

Black body radiation is what warms the nitrogen and oxygen in our atmosphere. So when you talk about reducing carbon dioxide, that won't really do much of anything. Consider that 0.0385% atmospheric CO2 only absorbs and radiates 3 narrow bands of IR.

Up shot. CO2 is just a drop in the bucket. The earth has been warming for the last 10,000 years. Glaciers have been retreating long before the SUV. 15,000 years ago, Chicago was buried under a mile of ice.

But this does not mean that we should have a complete disregard for the cleanliness of the environment. Hope this helps.

[Debbie]

Each year I add at least one change for the environment to my routine.This year I will concentrate on turning the water off when I'm brushing teeth, washing dishes, etc. and only turn it on for the rinse. Previous years I've started recycling,gotten a cart for my bike so I could use it for grocery errands, started using my own reuseable bags for shopping, composted my yard and garden waste, added fluorescent bulbs, turned off all lights when leaving home, joined a CSA. Adding one thing each year makes it easier to change old habits.

[Debbie]

Each year I add at least one change for the environment to my routine.This year I will concentrate on turning the water off when I'm brushing teeth, washing dishes, etc. and only turn it on for the rinse. Previous years I've started recycling,gotten a cart for my bike so I could use it for grocery errands, started using my own reuseable bags for shopping, composted my yard and garden waste, added fluorescent bulbs, turned off all lights when leaving home, joined a CSA. Adding one thing each year makes it easier to change old habits.

[Lehua]

I have timers on all the lights in my house, got 2 big rain barrels, carry groceries in my old beach tote bags, changed to a raw foods diet, made a quilt out of my old clothes, use printed handkerchiefs and bandannas for napkins, stopped using the 2nd rinse setting on the washing machine, sold the dryer and switched to using the clothes line, hand wash zip-lock bags and re-use them.

[shakeel]

I am agreed and i will be practical on this issue,Another way to save energy is using saver bulb's.

[Joyce Jordan-Peek]

My microwave doesn't have a clock or any other light when it's not in use. Same thing with my TV--are these electronic devices still sapping electricity?

[HS]

I'm confused about how to turn off computer given that I have an APC surge protector. If the power goes off, or the the sp is unplugged, its beep alarm goes off.

Any advice on how to get around this?

[Morris Wills]

I really like the power-strip/surge protector idea. You really only need the surge protection for any devices that have memory, like your computer. I have my microwave, my TV, my stereo... etc all plugged into power strips. These strips are fastened to the wall, or to my desk or any other convenient place which makes them very accessible and easy to turn off. Whenever I leave my house, I simply turn off the switchs on the power strips and everything powers down. It's very convenient.

[Heather Miller]

When we are done watching TV, we flip a "ghost" switch next to the light switches that turns off the TV, VCR, DVD with one flick. It has been great. We asked the electrician to install the switch when we remodeled.

[Anne Thornhill]

The problem with unplugging the microwave,TV, DVR, VCR, DVD, and cable box is that you have to then reset all those clocks, and other settings after plugging them back in or turning the power/surge protector on. I do turn off the power switch to my computer, printer and CPAP machine.

[Elsa Voelcker]

If appliances are on strips and you turn off the strip will this work?