Make a New Year's revolution instead

RELEASE: Dec. 28, 2007 – Volume XXXIX, No. 52

Even if you don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions, it’s time to reconsider what can be done better in 2008. You could lose 10 pounds, cut down on caffeine, and return those overdue library books … or how about revolutionizing your impact on the Earth?

See the light! Resolve to switch your light bulbs to the new compact fluorescents. Their longevity makes them perfect for use in overhead lights and other hard-to-reach fixtures. You’ll conserve a lot of energy - and since you pay by the kilowatt, the more of these bulbs you use, the less money you’ll pay! If every household in America replaced a single 60-watt incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent, the energy saved would be enough to power $1.5 million homes and the pollution savings would be equal to taking 1.3 million cars off the road!

Paper or plastic? How about neither! Many supermarkets and grocery stores offer reusable grocery bags. Spend the buck-per-bag and keep them in your car. You’ll be thrilled with how much easier it is to carry your groceries in stronger bags with handles, and you won’t have to mess with all those paper and plastic bags that multiply faster than you can use them. If your market usually double-bags your groceries, you’ve just reduced twice the garbage! As for those old plastic bags stuffed into your kitchen closet, return them to a supermarket recycling bin.

Replace old energy hog appliances! Mostly we environmentalists try to maximize the life span of products, but this rule doesn’t apply to appliances. Refrigerators, for example, are the biggest energy-gobblers in the typical house. Today’s most efficient models are over 180 percent more efficient than those made 25 years ago. They’re even 40 percent more efficient that those manufactured just six years ago. Whether it’s a fridge, hot water heater or other appliance, updating the old clunkers to Energy Star certified models can save energy and keep money in your pocket.

Don’t heat an empty house! Make this the year you buy and install a programmable thermostat. This can automatically lower the temperature when the house is empty or everyone is asleep. The amount of energy – and money – you save will vary according to the size of your home and how many degrees you drop, but this classic upgrade pays for itself quickly.

Old habits die hard? One of the best things we can do for the environment, though it may be hard for us, is to change our behavior. Turn out lights when leaving a room; don’t leave doors open; repair leaking faucets and running toilets; switch to low-flow shower heads; wipe up spills with a rag, not a paper towel; check the inflation of your car tires each month; switch to rechargeable batteries; donate unwanted items instead of dumping them; and recycle anything you can, including toner and ink cartridges from printers.

These are just a few modest resolutions that can help our environment. One person making one resolution will not save the planet, but one change multiplied by 8 million New Jerseyans - or 350 million Americans, or more - would be downright revolutionary!

So let’s hear it for a New Year’s revolution in 2008! I hope you’ll contact me at info@njconservation.org, or visit NJCF’s website at www.njconservation.org, for more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources.

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