Every little bit helps?

[xoxoxoBruce]

We've been through the Global Warming, and Blood for Oil, discussions many times. Usually by the end of the thread, most have wandered away because the extremes are the only choices left on the table

Global Warming comes down to either we ignore it OR move into caves and eschew all energy consuming devices.

Blood for Oil comes down to nuke 'em and take it OR ban all motor vehicles and heat your cave with decaying poop.

Well ok, it's not quite that bad but you know what I'm talking about.
I saw three print ads for cold water laundry detergent.

If everyone in New York City washed their laundry in cold water, for just one day, the energy savings could be 5.7 KWh. Enough to power every light in the Empire State Building for an entire month.

If everyone in Chicago washed their laundry in cold water, just one day, the energy savings could be 1.9 million KWh. Enough to power the lights for an extra inning game, at Wrigley field, that lasted for two months.

If everyone in Los Angeles washed their laundry in cold water, for just one week, the energy savings could be over 11.8 million KWh. Enough to power a cruise ship from Los Angeles all the way to Hawaii.

Now those are some startling numbers, and I've got questions about the wording and the claims, but I'll take them at face value for our purposes.

Anyway, it got me thinking, no matter where you stand on the Global Warming or Blood for Oil issues, there are ways to cut down on energy use. Little ways that don't require changing lifestyle (much), or radical ways of doing things. Tips that will help Mother Nature a wee bit, won't make you social outcast, and maybe put a couple bucks in your pocket at the end of the year.

Got any ideas you'd like to share?

[monster]

No idea where to start but....

Washing in cold water is silly. Try it and see. You waste so much energy/water/chemicals rewashing that it ain't worth it. If it's so "undirty" that it will come clean on a colld wash, IT CAN BE WORN AGAIN! This is not a crime. Really.

What you need to do is turn the damn light off in the laundry room while no-one is in there!

[Clodfobble]

I'm confused--there are more people in NYC than in Chicago, why are the energy savings that much greater in Chicago? Maybe because most people in Chicago use hot water whereas New Yorkers already use cold water a lot of the time?

But aside from that... I spend most of the day (at home) with the lights turned off. With the blinds open there is more than enough light from the windows, even for reading.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by monster

Washing in cold water is silly. Try it and see. You waste so much energy/water/chemicals rewashing that it ain't worth it. If it's so "undirty" that it will come clean on a colld wash, IT CAN BE WORN AGAIN! This is not a crime. Really.

Maybe you have a bad washing machine? I never wash in hot water (because we have a crappy water heater and my laundry loads always seem to conflict with someone wanting to take a shower) and everything always gets clean, including a wide variety of kid-induced stains and husband underarm smells.

[monster]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Maybe you have a bad washing machine? I never wash in hot water (because we have a crappy water heater and my laundry loads always seem to conflict with someone wanting to take a shower) and everything always gets clean, including a wide variety of kid-induced stains and husband underarm smells.

You wash in cold water? I'm amazed but glad that it works for you. Thinking about it, we only wear cotton -I wonder if that makes a difference?

[xoxoxoBruce]

The chemical composition of the water and types of fabrics have a big effect on the outcome. Oh, brand of detergent also.

[DucksNuts]

Detergent composition is the most likely contributing factor to success in cold water.

Cheaper brands (and I dont mean el cheapo, just not the higher quality brands) really dont work, because they pad out the powder/detergent with crap, rather than enzymes that actually work. This is in cold water and hot water btw.

The lessor brands will make your clothes fade and the colours will seem duller because the fabrics arent as clean as they could be.

I dont have a problem with washing in cold water (although I prefer not too), but ONLY use a cold wash specific detergent and make sure it is one of the leading 3 brands that I know work.

One of my very best friends works in this industry.

Being in the middle of a super huge drought over here, we are all very conscious of saving water. I have plumbed the external water so it goes onto the lawns/gardens.

A friend of mine even catches the water in a bucket that goes down the drain (usually) whilst waiting for the shower to heat up, and uses it on her plants. Plus she empties all her daughters unfinished drinks (water) into the plants as well.

I'm currently reading about ocean wave energy, great idea!!

[Beestie]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Got any ideas you'd like to share?

If everyone in New York would shut their freakin pie holes for one day the corresponding drop in CO2 levels would result in an average temperature decline equal to the square root of the probability of the Giants winning the Super Bowl.

If everyone in Chicago would leave their refrigerator door open for one day, the resulting temperature dip would cause that big chunk of ice that broke off from that other big chunk of ice to re-attach itself.

And then there's my idea to put Beano in cow feed...

[Griff]

We only wash in cold water as well. We have a Staber washer which really does a nice job and uses minimal amounts of detergent. Everything gets clean. We are a mostly cotton wearing crowd here. We also use an electric on demand hot water heater, so we are not heating water we don't use.

[footfootfoot]

Yeah, we are cold water washers too. everything gets quite clean with 7th generation liquid detergent.

We've got a frigidaire front loader, and it barely uses any water at all to do a load. You have to be careful not to use too much detergent or it doesn't rinse so well. There is an extra rinse option, but we're just (usually) careful about how much detergent we use.

[Ibby]

Footfootfoot, I just have to say, you have the most perfect sig ever.

[lumberjim]

Originally Posted by bruce

If everyone in Los Angeles washed their laundry in cold water, for just one week, the energy savings could be over 11.8 million KWh. Enough to power a cruise ship from Los Angeles all the way to Hawaii.

if we sent one less cruise ship from LA to Hawaii, everyone in LA could use hot water to wash their clothes for a week?

[yesman065]

I'm a relatively new single dad with a 16 yr old son so some of these ideas are especially great for me. A couple things I do are: 1) We never use the drying setting on the dishwasher and I wash on the normal cycle not pots & pans. 2) We keep everything electric off if I'm not in a room. 3) We wash everything in cold water with Tide except for the nastiest of whites which get a dose of oxiclean too. 4) We also dry most things for 20 mins or so, then hang to fully dry. 5) I installed a programmable thermostat recently and have it set to 62 while we are away and 66 when we are home. If you're chilly - put on a sweatshirt. So far no probs, but it has been really warm here.
Our electric bill the first month after all this was only $135 - thats considerably less than the $250 - $300 it used to be and we're helping the environment too!
Oh, and my son is doing very well adjusting to the new way of life. More money saved means more I can waste on him. He's got that concept down cold. :p

[xoxoxoBruce]

That's an interesting Idea. To get everybody on board, try to calculate and keep track of savings. Then when enough has accumulated, splurge as a group, treating yourselves to some fun together.

If you tell little Johnny to shut off the light in his closet, when it's not needed, because you need the savings to send him to college some day, I doubt if that will excite him. But promise to spend the savings a weekend at the beach, better chance he'll want to help. And the beach weekend is an outing as a family.

It doesn't even have to be all the savings, but some portion should be for rewarding the troops.

Oh, if you chain smoke, light each butt from the last, save on matches and lighters.

[Hippikos]

Use toilet paper on both sides?