10 FACTS ABOUT GREEN PRODUCTS, FOODS AND ENERGY
The Myth: Cars are the biggest emitters of greenhouse gas.
The Reality: A report by the United Nations cited livestock, and especially beef, as a major source of greenhouse gas, generating more than transportation. Vehicles account for 13% of gases and “meat” animals account for 18%.
The Myth: Bottled water is safer than tap water.
The Reality: Tap water is subject to stricter government standards than bottled water. 70% of bottled water is exempt from federal regulation because it is bottled and sold in the same state it originates in.
The Myth: Organic foods are produced without pesticides.
The Reality: Many pesticides are permitted in organic farming and some are considered lethal to humans in very small quantities. Organic farming guidelines need to be tightened up according to government experts.
The Myth: My Jeans are made of organic cotton so its okay to own lots of them.
The Reality: Organic Jeans waste as much water as regular jeans. Estimates are that it takes 2100 gallons of water to grow enough organic cotton to produce just one pair of jeans.
The Myth: It is better to buy an artificial Christmas tree than to cut one down every year.
The Reality: Sure fake trees are reusable each year, but it boils down to renewable versus non-renewable. When you cut a tree, another is planted in its place — and when the holiday is over it is turned into mulch, so the circle of life goes on. As soon as a new tree is planted it will begin to store carbon and clean the air. Most artificial trees are made of non-renewable plastics. And on top of that, 92% of them have to make the trip from China.
The Myth: Paper grocery bags are better than plastic ones.
The Reality: It takes four times more energy to produce a paper bag. Trees have to be chopped and milled and processed. Plastic bags aren't great, but you can recycle them. Most stores have bins right inside the front door to drop off bags, so don’t throw them into garbage! The best option is to bring your own cloth bag and have groceries put in them over and over again. May stores, like Trader Joes, sell the cloth bags — simply unload them at home and toss back into the car for the next trip.
The Myth: Hybrids are much better for the environment than regular cars.
The Reality: Not all hybrids are created equal. A group of Scientists have classified some hybrids as muscle “hybrids” — like the Lexus LS 600h L, which has a combined fuel economy rating of ony 21mpg.
The Myth: You need to warm up your car before driving it.
The Reality: Idling your car to warm it up in winter just wastes gas. In the past, when cars had carburetors and engines used thick oils, they required warming up. Today’s thinner oils allow engines to be driven sooner, making idling unnecessary. If you are operating your car above 0 degrees, you can drive away in 10 seconds (per Ford Motor Company engineers).
The Myth: Climate change critics like to point out that the weather is cooler each year — so how can there be “Global Warming?”
The Reality: According to a new study by NASA, the past decade was the warmest on record since the 1880s.
The Myth: It doesn’t pay to turn down the thermostat when you're not home.
The Reality: Why pay to keep empty space warm? Most people think that it's not worth it to turn down the thermostat because the furnace will have to work harder to reheat a cool house. The energy needed to reheat a home is pretty much equal to the energy saved when it cools down. So turning it down is a good thing (Department of Energy).
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CONTACT US TODAY for a free Solar electric, Solar hot water or LED lighting evaluation — we are here to help you.
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Call us at: 775-884-3140 or 530-318-1300 — or email us at: info@solarsolutionsunltd.com |
