Nobody likes it when their home is too warm during hot days, so most of us kick on our air conditioners and fans. What we don’t focus on is what that energy does to our planet. All different forms of electricity impact our air, water and land. The total energy consumed in the United States, about 40% is used to generate electricity, making electricity use an important part of everyone's environmental footprint. If we could produce electricity more efficiently we could reduce the amount of fuel needed to generate electricity, and also the amount of greenhouse gases and other air pollution emitted as a result. If electricity comes from renewable resources like solar, geothermal, and wind then it does not contribute to climate change or local air pollution because no fuels are combusted.
Most of the electricity in the United States is generated using fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. Use this EPA household carbon footprint calculator and find ways you can cut emissions.
So how can you be more energy efficient During the Summer? Check and make sure that your appliances have an ENERGY STAR label. According to epa.gov, “Today, ENERGY STAR is the most widely recognized symbol for energy efficiency in the world, helping families and businesses save $300 billion on utility bills, while reducing carbon pollution by two billion metric tons.“
Setting your thermostat as high as you can during the summer is always the best way. Set your air to 78 degrees when you are home and need to cool down. You can also purchase curtains that block out UV rays and sunlight to help keep rooms cooler during the day. Ceiling fans are another great way to cool down a room, but remember to turn them off when you are not in that room anymore. Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms.
You can also avoid using the oven to help keep your home cooler during the day. Make sure that all of your light bulbs are energy efficient. This not only helps your bill, but it saves energy. Minimizing things in your home that cause a lot of heat can help like running a computer, burning open flames, running a dishwasher, using curling irons and hairdryers. Using stereos and televisions will also add most heat to your home. Cutting these things out not only saves energy, but can cool down your home. This Summer Cure Mother Earth!