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Make Earth Day Your First Day on the Road to ‘Green’
Make Earth Day Your First Day on the Road to ‘Green’
Green Mountain Energy Company offers 10 tips for Earth Day 2008
AUSTIN, Texas — April 4, 2008 — Austin, Texas — Tuesday, April 22 is Earth Day, an event many people will celebrate by focusing on ways to reduce, reuse and recycle to help conserve energy and reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Earth Day began in 1970 as an annual day to recognize the wonders and beauty of our planet and has grown into a week-long — and in some cases, month-long — celebration.
“As individuals celebrate Earth Day this year, we hope they will consider the impact their decisions can have on the environment," said Gillan Taddune, Chief Environmental Officer for Green Mountain Energy Company. "Going green is easy to implement, and can even save you money while helping to protect the environment."
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average U.S. household is responsible for the emission of almost 20 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Households can significantly reduce their emissions by making positive choices to implement some of the ideas on our list of top 10 tips.
Green Mountain’s Top 10 Earth Day Tips for 2008
Earth Day reminds us why it’s important to consider how our everyday actions affect the environment for years to come. These days everyone is looking for a way to make a difference for the environment. Green Mountain Energy Company offers 10 simple ways that Texans can make a difference on Earth Day — and every day.
About Green Mountain Energy Company
Green Mountain, the nation’s leading provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, began in 1997 with a simple idea: “to change the way power is made.” The company offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity products using renewable sources such as wind, water and solar that help reduce the amount of CO2 emitted into the air. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 3.3 million tons of CO2 emissions.
AUSTIN, Texas — April 4, 2008 — Austin, Texas — Tuesday, April 22 is Earth Day, an event many people will celebrate by focusing on ways to reduce, reuse and recycle to help conserve energy and reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Earth Day began in 1970 as an annual day to recognize the wonders and beauty of our planet and has grown into a week-long — and in some cases, month-long — celebration.
“As individuals celebrate Earth Day this year, we hope they will consider the impact their decisions can have on the environment," said Gillan Taddune, Chief Environmental Officer for Green Mountain Energy Company. "Going green is easy to implement, and can even save you money while helping to protect the environment."
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average U.S. household is responsible for the emission of almost 20 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Households can significantly reduce their emissions by making positive choices to implement some of the ideas on our list of top 10 tips.
Green Mountain’s Top 10 Earth Day Tips for 2008
Earth Day reminds us why it’s important to consider how our everyday actions affect the environment for years to come. These days everyone is looking for a way to make a difference for the environment. Green Mountain Energy Company offers 10 simple ways that Texans can make a difference on Earth Day — and every day.
- Flip the Switch to Cleaner Electricity. Most people don't realize that making electricity is the leading cause of industrial air pollution in the U.S. By purchasing a 100 percent new renewable energy product for a year, an American household using an average of 920 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month could help avoid contributing over 15,000 pounds of CO2 annually. This is like not driving your car over 16,000 miles or as much CO2 as 900 trees would absorb in one year.
- Reduce where you can, neutralize the rest. 1) Reduce — When you incorporate some of our easy-to-follow reduction tips into your lifestyle, you’ll quickly begin lowering the size of your carbon footprint; 2) Offset — While it’s nearly impossible to reduce your carbon footprint to zero, you can offset the emissions that remain from your household’s driving, flying, natural gas and electricity with BeGreen Carbon Offsets. By purchasing BeGreen carbon offsets you’re investing in cleaner technologies that help neutralize your impact on global warming. To purchase a BeGreen carbon offset product or to find out what your carbon footprint is, visit: www.begreennow.com.
- Drive Smart. Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere! Keep your car tuned up, combine trips, limit idling to 30 seconds, never “top off” the tank, drive less aggressively and maintain proper tire pressure. Keeping you tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3 percent.
- Upgrade to EPA’s ENERGY STAR-Certified Products. With the help of ENERGY STAR, Americans saved enough energy in 2005 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 23 million cars.
- Switch to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs). CFLs last 10 times longer and use about 72 percent less energy than a standard bulb.
- Recycle More. You can save as much as 2,400 pounds of CO2 emissions per year by recycling just half of your household waste.
- Reduce at Home. Turn off computers, televisions, CD players, and other electronic devices when they won't be used for at least half an hour.
- Say No to Plastic Bags. When shopping, bring a reusable bag to carry your purchases. A plastic bag can take an astonishing 500 years to decompose.
- "Tune up" your home. Caulk around windows and doors; clean your heating and air conditioning system to improve operating efficiency; and insulate attics and crawl spaces.
- Make Every Day Earth Day! Make a pledge starting with Earth Day 2008 to live greener at home, at the office and in your community by Making Every Day Earth Day.
About Green Mountain Energy Company
Green Mountain, the nation’s leading provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, began in 1997 with a simple idea: “to change the way power is made.” The company offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity products using renewable sources such as wind, water and solar that help reduce the amount of CO2 emitted into the air. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 3.3 million tons of CO2 emissions.
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