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environment

Greenhouse Gases – Did You Know?

Here are some tips from the Canadian government on saving energy, reducing green house gases, and all the while saving you money too. My friend Linnsie Clark sent this to me in an email a long, long time ago. I’m not sure I ever actually followed any of these links, but by golly I posted them to my website.

Global Warming Potential (GWP)

“The GWP is an index that compares the relative potential of the 6 greenhouse gases to contribute to global warming ie. the additional heat/energy which is retained in the Earth’s ecosystem through the release of this gas into the atmosphere. The additional heat/energy impact of all other greenhouse gases are compared with the impacts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and referred to in terms of a CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) i.e. Carbon dioxide has been designated a GWP of 1, Methane has a GWP of 23.” “Nitrous Oxide has a GWP of 296.”

Tips for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  1. “A 15–watt compact fluorescent bulb produces the same amount of light as a 60–watt incandescent bulb. If every Canadian home replaced just one 60–watt light bulb with a 15–watt compact fluorescent bulb in a heavy use area, we would collectively save $63 million annually in energy costs and reduce our GHG emissions – equivalent to taking 66,000 cars off the road!”
    • “Improper tire maintenance unnecessarily costs Canadians about $500 million for 643 million litres of wasted fuel [each year],” says Neil MacLeod, director general of the Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural Resources Canada. “The extra fuel burned also releases an additional 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the environment.”
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    • “You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure.”
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    • “Proper tire care is simple and easy. Measure tire pressure monthly, including the spare, with a good-quality pressure gauge.”
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    • “Every litre of gasoline that your car burns produces 2.4 kilograms of CO2.”
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    • “Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car’s gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.”
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    • “Restarting the engine uses less fuel than 10 seconds of idling and produces less air pollution.”
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  4. “Fix leaky faucets—that little drip can add up to 95 litres of water per faucet per month, and cost you 7 kWh per month.”
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(Thanks Linnsie)