Are You Going Green?

Can Maplewood Be a Community Leader in the Campaign to Save Energy?

Nancy and I have gone green! This has not been an overnight conversion, but rather a more gradual awakening. We are birders and insect enthusiasts; during years of casual field observations, we have noticed a decline in the variety and numbers of both of these kinds of animals and have always attributed it to pollution. We look on them as the canaries in the mine, so to speak. But it was not until we saw Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” that we became more hardcore believers in the urgent necessity to cut carbon emissions and conserve and protect our water sources.

In February, we traded in our car for a Toyota Prius hybrid electric and have been getting about 50 miles per gallon of gasoline. We love it! We have replaced our older appliances with Energy-Star appliances. We are having solar panels installed on our roof and hope to generate about 70% of our electricity use.

If you’re looking for ways to save energy and reduce emission of heat-trapping and climate-changing carbon into the atmosphere, here are some ideas:

  • Turn off lights when you leave a room.
  • You probably have been told that it is better for your computer to keep it on at all times; this is not true. Turning it off will not harm it but will tremendously reduce its energy expenditure.
  • Even when only plugged in but not turned on, computers and TVs use electricity. To prevent this unnecessary expenditure of energy, unplug or use a switch to prevent the trickle of current to both your computers and TVs when not in use.
  • Replace incandescent bulbs with energy-saver (compact fluorescent) bulbs; they use about 75% less electricity as regular bulbs of the same effective wattage. New compact fluorescent bulbs come in a variety of sizes and types that can be used inside enclosed glass globes, as floodlights for use in recessed lighting. There are even bulbs that can be controlled by dimmers and by timers.
  • Replace older top-loading clothes washers and older dishwashers with new Energy-Star appliances. In the case of washing machines, front loaders use much less water and are much gentler on your clothes, making them last longer. We noticed a dramatic drop (to almost none) in lint produced during the washing and drying of the clothes when we switched from a top-loading to a front-loading washer.
  • Finally, WGES (Washington Gas Energy Services) offers the option of buying up to 100% of your electricity from non-polluting renewable wind power generated by wind turbines in Pennsylvania. The cost of green electricity is slightly higher than coalgenerated electricity, but Montgomery County reimburses almost all of the cost. You will still get only one electric b i l l (from Pepco) that w i l l include the charge f o r the green electric- ity AND the rebate from Montgomery County. By choosing this option you are making green energy options more viable by providing a market and attracting future investments. You can learn more about this wind energy and also choose this option at the Washington Gas website.


If you are interested in learning more about energy saver bulbs or have suggestions for other green activities you think the community should consider, please write me. We would love to hear your ideas!