You Can Prevent Global Warming (and Save Money!): 51 Easy Ways

By Jeffrey Langholz and Kelly Turner

No-cost and low-cost tips to save thousands of dollars—and reduce carbon emissions that are wreaking havoc on the climate.

There’s plenty of public concern about global warming’s effects—mounting natural disasters, mass migrations, crop failures, and more. This new edition of the classic guide shows how to channel that public concern into positive action. It’s filled with simple everyday things you can do to minimize future global warming—and as a bonus, save money at the same time.

Whether you’re one of the nearly three-quarters of Americans who consider themselves environmentalists or you’re interested in practical ways to reduce household expenses—or both!—you’ll find hundreds of straightforward tips and suggestions to start putting into practice today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Feb 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449444983

Book preview

To the members of the next generation,

who must live with the decisions we make today

Contents

Introduction

Notes on the Text

Home Electricity and Hot Water

1. Light Up Your Life

2. Rein in the Fridge

3. Don’t Be a Washout

4. You’re Such a Dish

5. Winch the Water Heater

6. Shower Simply

7. Troubling Toilets

8. Got Evian?

9. Shake ’n’ Bake—Efficiently

10. Now You’re Cooking

11. Phantom Loads

12. You’ve Got (E-)Mail

13. Things Not Everyone Has

14. Out with the Old, Save with the New

15. All I Want for Christmas Is a New Laptop

16. Upgrade Your Water Heater

17. Switch to Solar

Home Heating and Cooling

18. Fun with Furnaces

19. Do the Right Temp

20. Assess the A/C

21. Alternative Ways to Cool

22. Dress Up Your Windows

23. Plug Air Leaks

24. Air Out the Attic

25. Insulate Your Home

26. Leaky Ducts

27. Replace Your Windows

28. Invest in a New Furnace or Air Conditioner

29. The Advantages of an Audit

Your Backyard

30. Save with Shade

31. Trees: Nature’s Air Conditioners

32. Green Plants, Less Water

33. Get Smart About Sprinklers

Getting Around

34. Your Car: The Carbon-Dioxide-

Spewing Monster

35. Learn How to Drive Less

36. Let Someone Else Do the Driving

37. Use Person Power

38. Trains, Not Planes

39. New Cars, New Fuels

Shop Right

40. Down Home Cookin’

41. Eat Your Broccoli

42. If You Buy It, It Will Come

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and More

43. Less Is More

44. Use It Again, Sam

45. Be Thrifty

46. Compost Most Everything

47. Recycling Is Here to Stay

Expand Your Impact

48. Buy Green Electricity

49. Invest in Green Stocks

50. Stay Current!

51. Get Involved

The Final Tally

Appendixes

Appendix A: The Science Behind Global Warming

Appendix B: What Governments Are Doing About Global Warming

Appendix C: Our Calculations, Units of Measure, and Internet Sites

Appendix D: Tips Especially for Renters

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Introduction

The Bad News

It’s a fact: The Earth is warming. For the first time since the dawn of human civilization, the Earth’s temperature is rising. Scientists from around the world agree that the burning of fossil fuels contributes significantly to this warming, and they predict that the temperature will continue to rise as long as we keep burning these fuels. That’s because when fossil fuels are burned, they release greenhouse gases, which have a special ability to trap the sun’s heat inside our atmosphere. The more fossil fuels we burn, the more greenhouse gases there are to trap the sun’s heat—which means a warmer planet for us all.

A warmer planet might not sound all that bad to you, especially if you’re from North Dakota. The effects of global warming won’t stop there, however. A rise in the Earth’s temperature will cause increasingly severe weather, including more sudden temperature swings, droughts, floods, heat waves, wildfires, and thunderstorms. As a result, our food and water supplies will be threatened and more people will die from events like heat waves and floods. Global warming will also cause the world’s glaciers to melt, making sea levels rise and flooding low-lying areas such as the Mississippi Delta. A warmer Earth will endanger thousands of plant and animal species that cannot migrate to cooler regions. Tropical regions will expand, allowing insects that carry diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and the West Nile virus to spread to places like Florida, Georgia, or even New York. Scientists cannot predict exactly where or to what magnitude the consequences of global warming will occur, but they do know that hints of these effects are already happening.

As far as we know, humans are the most intelligent species ever to have walked planet Earth. However, our wonderful advances in civilization—transportation, heating, air-conditioning, and electricity—could very well contribute to our demise. The Earth’s temperature has risen and fallen many times over the last four billion years. For example, many scientists believe that the dinosaurs became extinct after a giant asteroid hit the Earth and dramatically altered its climate. It is not an asteroid that threatens our extinction now, however. This time it is we humans—the inhabitants of Earth—who are altering the planet’s climate, and we are doing so without fully understanding the consequences.

The Good News

There are easy ways you can prevent global warming and also save over $2,000 a year. Global warming is a colossal problem that is going to require the entire world’s cooperation, but you don’t have to feel helpless. Instead, you can help the planet and your wallet by following these 51 tips.

The Goal

We wrote this book for three reasons. First, we wanted to empower concerned citizens—to show them easy things they can do locally to help tackle an important global issue. Second, we wanted to put money back in their wallets—an average of $2,000 per household. This is especially important during difficult economic times. Finally, we wanted to show that economic growth and environmental protection can go hand in hand. In March 2001, the United States formally withdrew support for the international global warming treaty called the Kyoto Protocol (see Appendix B for more info). An important concern was that trying to reduce our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions might hurt our economy. This book addresses that concern head on, showing clearly how we can prevent global warming and improve individual households’ economic outlook. The overall goal is this: If enough people (35 percent of the U.S. population to be exact) follow the suggestions in this book, we can reduce our nation’s emissions to the level the Kyoto Protocol targeted while improving individuals’ financial pictures. As governments worldwide continue debating how to deal with global warming, individuals can choose to forge ahead now, helping both the planet and themselves. This book shows the way.

The Finish Line

Reading this book is supposed to be an enlightening experience, not a guilt trip. If you start to feel overwhelmed by all the things we’re asking you to do, take a break and realize that you’ve made a difference simply by picking up this book and reading it. Then, flip to the end of the book, where we’ve put together a suggested order for following the 51 tips. Most of all, enjoy!

Notes on the Text

What We Mean by Energy

We burn the three fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, and natural gas) to provide us with energy: energy to power our cars, heat our homes, and create electricity. All the tips in this book focus on conserving energy, because when you conserve energy (in the form of gasoline, natural gas, or electricity), you reduce the demand for fossil fuels. When we reduce the demand for fossil fuels, less fossil fuel will be burned, and greenhouse gas emissions will decline. So, by telling you how to conserve energy, we’re telling you how to conserve fossil fuels.

What We Mean by Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

There are 11 main greenhouse gases. In this book, we focus almost solely on carbon dioxide (CO2), although we do mention ways to reduce two other greenhouse gases, methane and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s). We focus mainly on CO2 because it accounts for 52.5 percent of the world’s global warming problem—more than all the other 10 greenhouse gases combined. In terms of global warming, CO2 is measured in pounds or tons (one ton = 2,000 pounds). The following comparisons should help you put pounds of CO2 into perspective:

missing image file A barrel of oil that’s burned emits 937 pounds of CO2.

missing image file A typical passenger car emits 12,000 pounds of CO2 a year.

missing image file A typical 500-megawatt coal-burning power plant emits three billion pounds of CO2 a year.

What We Mean by Kilowatt-Hour

Throughout this book we will be talking about various sources of energy, such as natural gas, gasoline, and electricity. Natural gas is measured in therms, and gasoline is measured in gallons. Electricity, however, gets a bit tricky. You’re probably familiar with the term watt. A watt is the measure of how quickly electricity is used at any given moment. For example, a 100-watt lightbulb will use 100 watts of electricity at any given moment. In order to measure how much electricity is used over a period of time, however, you need to add in a measure of time, such as the hour. A watt-hour (Wh) is the measure of how much electricity something (such as a lightbulb) uses in one hour. For example, a 100-watt lightbulb, which uses 100 watts of electricity at any given moment, will use 100 watt-hours of electricity in 1 hour or 200 watt-hours of electricity in 2 hours (or 150 watt-hours in 1.5 hours).

A watt is a very small unit of measure, though. That’s why, in this book, we will be using kilowatts (1 kW = 1,000 watts) and kilowatt-hours (1 kWh = 1,000 watt-hours). Kilowatt-hours are what you see on your electricity bill. To find out how much your utility company charges you per kilowatt-hour, simply divide your monthly bill by the number of kilowatt-hours you used that month. The national average retail price of electricity in 2000 (which is what we used for all this book’s calculations) was 8.16 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Climate Change Versus Global Warming

Global warming was the name first used to define the phenomenon of the Earth warming as a result of excess amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Recently scientists have begun calling it climate change instead, since climate change more accurately describes what’s happening: It’s not just that the Earth is warming; rather the whole climate is being affected (more floods, droughts, heat waves, et cetera). In other words, global warming and climate change refer to the same thing.

The Companies and Organizations We Mention

We independently researched all the tips in this book. As a result, we recommend only brands, products, companies, organizations, and Internet sites that we personally believe are worthy of mention. We did not receive any type of compensation for referencing any product or company in this book.

1

Light Up Your Life

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs last for up to 10 years

and use 75 percent less energy than regular

incandescent bulbs.

Overview. For some reason, Americans are being swindled. They are still using the same lightbulb Thomas Edison invented when they could be using one that lasts 10 times longer, uses one-fourth of the energy, and produces more light per watt. Why is this? No one is exactly sure—perhaps the compact fluorescent companies don’t have big enough advertising budgets. Whatever the reason, now that you know, there’s no excuse not to run to your hardware store today and buy these superefficient bulbs. Although compact fluorescent bulbs are initially more expensive than incandescent ones (around $15 each), they will quickly pay for themselves and start saving you money thanks to their long life.

What You Should Know

missing image file Compact fluorescent bulbs are not the same as the fluorescents you see in schools and hospitals—you know, those stark, glaring tubes that buzz? Compact fluorescents are bulb shaped and give off warm light just like regular incandescent bulbs.

missing image file A lumen measures the amount of light a lightbulb gives off, and a watt measures the amount of electricity a lightbulb uses. Compact fluorescents are so efficient because they give off the same amount of lumens, but use only one-fourth the watts that incandescent bulbs do. For example, a 25-watt compact fluorescent bulb has the same light output as a 100-watt incandescent bulb.

missing image file Incandescent bulbs are inefficient because they give off 90 percent heat and only 10 percent light. Halogen lamps are only slightly more efficient, but they’re also major fire hazards, reaching temperatures of up to 1,000°F. Your best option, in terms of efficiency and safety, is the compact fluorescent.

missing image file Older versions of compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs didn’t always fit into incandescent light sockets. However, the recently invented subcompact fluorescents fit into almost any incandescent socket.

missing image file Climate Results: If every household in the United States replaced its next burned-out lightbulb with a compact fluorescent, we would prevent more than 13 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from being emitted—that’s equivalent to taking 1.2 million cars off the road for an entire year.

missing image file Money Matters: Installing motion sensors on outdoor lights saves the average household $35 a year in electricity costs.

Easy Ways You Can Help

missing image file Turn off your lights when you leave a room. Contrary to popular belief, it does not take more energy to turn a light off and then on again than it does just to leave it on (this goes for both incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs).

missing image file Install motion sensors, daylight sensors, or simple timers on your outdoor lights. You may need professional assistance to do this, but your annual energy savings will more than make up for the cost of installation.

missing image file Install dimmer switches on indoor lights that don’t always need to be at full brightness. A bulb dimmed by 50 percent will use half as much electricity, and dimming also extends the life of the bulb. You can pick up dimmer switches at your local hardware store and install them yourself.

missing image file Unique ways to make things brighter: Dusting lightbulbs allows you to get away with using lower-wattage bulbs while having the room feel equally bright, as does painting your walls a lighter color, such as off-white or light blue. Lighter walls reflect up to 80 percent more light than dark walls do. Last, don’t forget to take advantage of the brightest light in our universe: the sun! Open those curtains during the day, turn off your lights, and bask in the Earth’s only natural source of light.

missing image file Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs! This is the best thing you can do to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and your monthly energy bill. First, call your electric utility company to see if they offer rebates or incentives for buying compact fluorescents. Head to your hardware store, where you can get compact fluorescent bulbs, sconces, table lamps, or torchères (for your halogen floor lamps). Then, start replacing your incandescent bulbs, especially the ones that are on for more than two hours a day, and definitely those halogens! Compact fluorescents are also ideal for outdoor lighting since you’ll only have to replace them once every 7 to 10 years.

Make sure you buy compact fluorescents with electronic, solid-state ballasts, which means that they turn on instantly and won’t flicker or buzz. If you want to be able to dim your compact fluorescents, make sure you buy ones that are marked dimmable. If you live in a colder climate, be sure to ask for outdoor compact fluorescents with cold-weather ballasts, so they’ll function below 32°F. Last, don’t forget to recycle the incandescent lightbulbs you are replacing (see Tip 47). Better yet, donate them to a local shelter or low-income housing development.

missing image file

Assumptions: Four 100-watt incandescents that are used 4 hours per day, 365 days a year, are replaced by four 25-watt compact fluorescents; one CFL costs $14 and lasts 10,000 hours; one incandescent bulb costs $0.50 and lasts 1,000 hours.

Search For More Info

missing image file www.compactoffer.com/product_listing.cfm?pc_id=xcel—Most hardware stores now carry compact fluorescents, but if you’d rather shop from home, you can buy them on-line at this web site.

missing image file www.easy2diy.com/tutorials/diy0156/index.asp—Here is an illustrated do-it-yourself guide on installing a dimmer switch.

missing image file www.ase.org/programs/torchiere.htm—Check out this web site to learn more about compact fluorescent halogen lamps and how they came about.

2

Rein in the Fridge

A refrigerator costs the average American household

$120 a year in electricity.

Overview. You may think you’re the pig when it comes to the refrigerator, but little did you know that your fridge is the biggest hog of your entire house—in terms of energy. This beast of an appliance sucks up 13 percent of your electricity each month! Fortunately, there are lots of little things you can do to rein in this energy animal, thereby saving money and carbon dioxide.

What You Should Know

missing image file Keeping two smaller refrigerators is more expensive and less energy-efficient than keeping one large refrigerator.

missing image file In 1995 the U.S. government was wise enough to realize that the chlorofluorocarbons in our refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosol cans were creating a damaging hole in the Earth’s ozone layer. Unfortunately, they decided to replace these chlorofluorocarbons with hydrochlorofluorocarbons, which are only slightly less damaging to the ozone layer and 1,800 times more damaging in terms of global warming!

missing image file Brand-new, energy-efficient refrigerators use half as much energy as most 10-year-old fridges, which means they can reduce your refrigerator’s electric bill by at least $60 a year—for the next 18 years.

missing image file Climate Results: If every American household turned up their refrigerator temperature by 1°F, we would prevent almost three million tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere—every year.

missing image file Money Matters: That old spare refrigerator you use in the basement or garage could be costing you more than $150 a year.

Easy Ways You Can Help

missing image file Choose a cool spot. Don’t make your fridge work harder than it needs to by locating it in direct sunlight or next to a heat source such as a dishwasher, stove, oven, or heating vent.

missing image file Don’t get too chilly. Many Americans’ refrigerators are set colder than they need to be. Your fridge’s thermostat dial should be set to 37 to 40°F, and your freezer’s to zero to 5°F. Your food will still be plenty cold and safe from bacteria growth, plus you’ll save a lot of electricity.

missing image file Turn on the energy saver switch. If your refrigerator has an energy saver switch (often near the thermostat), turn it up as high as you can without having condensation form on the outside of your fridge. Also, if your fridge has a butter conditioner—a little heater that keeps your butter soft but also uses a lot of electricity—switch it to the hard setting. Better yet, turn it off altogether and just take the butter out a few minutes before you need it.

missing image file Junk that extra fridge! If you’re keeping an inefficient spare refrigerator or freezer in your basement just to cool a few beverages, seriously consider recycling it. A 10-year-old fridge could be costing you hundreds of dollars and emitting nearly one ton of carbon dioxide a year. Furthermore, if that extra fridge is in your garage, the coils will quickly collect dust and summer heat will damage the door seals—both of which cause your fridge to work harder. To save money and energy, either upgrade to a more efficient model or simply retire (and recycle!) the old clunker.

missing image file Upgrade and save. You’ll be shocked by how much money and energy you can save by upgrading to a new, energy- efficient fridge—even if yours isn’t on its last legs. See Tip 14.

missing image file Demand the Greenfreeze. Unhappy with the government’s decision in 1995 to replace the chlorofluorocarbons in our refrigerators with hydrochlorofluorocarbons, the environmental group Greenpeace went on a mission to invent a completely environmentally safe refrigerator. They succeeded, and the Greenfreeze refrigerator is now the most popular fridge in Europe. It’s not being sold in the United States, however, because our manufacturers don’t feel like making it.

That’s right, even though these fridges would be cheaper to manufacture in the long run, the companies can’t be bothered to change their ways simply to help the environment. But you should be bothered—not only for global warming but also for money. The Greenfreeze is up to 38 percent more energy-efficient than an identical fridge that uses HCFC’s, which means huge savings for you. Write or e-mail your congressional representative today (see Tip 51) asking that the government mandate an immediate phase-in of Greenfreeze technology and a phase-out of HCFC’s.

missing image file Make sure the door seals are airtight. If chilled air can escape through your fridge’s door, it will have to work that much harder to replace it. Test the rubber seal (gasket) around the door every six months by closing the door on a piece of paper. You should feel some resistance as you pull the paper out. If you don’t, you may need to have the seals replaced. Replacement can be quite expensive, however, so it may make more sense to upgrade to a new refrigerator (see Tip 14).

missing image file Clean those coils. Your fridge stays cold because it has something called a condenser coil located on the bottom or back that removes heat from the inside. When the coil becomes dusty and dirty, it doesn’t function as well, and therefore your fridge has to use more energy. Unless you have a no-clean condenser model (check your owner’s manual), you should gently vacuum or brush off the coils twice a year. Your fridge’s efficiency will improve by up to 30 percent! Also, make sure that there are at least two inches of space around your entire fridge so that air can flow freely and ventilate the hot coils.

missing image file Keep the doors closed as much as possible to hold the cold air inside. Organize and label your fridge’s contents so you don’t have to spend five minutes looking for the pickles!

missing image file Fill it up. Keep your fridge filled but not overcrowded. When the door is opened, a full fridge will keep in cold air better than a partially filled fridge will. To fill up an empty fridge, put in extra pitchers of water. Don’t go too crazy, though—an overcrowded fridge will prevent the cold air from circulating properly.

All the tips mentioned here apply to freezers too!

missing image file

Assumptions: Based on a typical fridge that uses 1,323 kilowatt-hours per year at 8.16 cents per kilowatt-hour; cleaning condenser coils every six months improves efficiency by up to 30 percent.

Search for More Info

missing image file www.pstvnrg.com/xina/rcc3.html—This web site has photos

Reviews for You Can Prevent Global Warming (and Save Money!)

[violaine-975829 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was a fantastic read. All kinds of simple things that can be done around the house to be a little more green, and to save a little spare cash. Recommended!

[tracyfox_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You Can Prevent Global Warming is a tried-and-true formula, presenting 51 short write-ups on ways individuals can reduce their carbon footprints. Home electricity and hot water, home heating and cooling, lawn and garden, transportation, shopping habits, recycling and investing are covered. Each section includes background (what you should know), suggested actions (easy ways you can help) and references (search for more information). An especially nice feature is the inclusion of a More Savings, Less Carbon Dioxide estimate for each action. For example, switching from buying two bottles of spring water to using a filtered water bottle filled from the tap can save $127 and 580 pounds of carbon dioxide annually (factoring in the cost of buying the filter water bottle). Another thoughtful touch is the appendix listing actions applicable to renters as well as homeowners.This book is recommended for those just getting started in the move to a more sustainable lifestyle as well as those looking for a wealth of numbers on the carbon emitted by various small actions.  

[chelseagirl_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A useful, practical guide to things you can do on a daily basis.Unfortunately, as a renter and apartment dweller, who lives in Manhattan and therefore doesn't keep a car, a lot of these tips didn't really apply for me. And they're mostly common sense. But still, a great reference to have!

[jessicawest_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book outlines 51 ways that you can help the planet, in as many chapters. Each chapter gives an overview of the issue or solution; offers tips; has a list of ways you can help on the issue, ranging from simple to drastic; a chart of the numbers involved; and ways to search for more info. The book is divided into sections, and within these sections each chapter offers one of the solutions. It is easy to search, and easy to read.The changes it offers are well known to those who are interested in the environmental movement, but it does offer more in depth changes for those wanting a challenge. Overall, a very good book to have, and a good gift for someone who is interested in knowing and doing more.

[kaelirenee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Choose your level of commitment Rather than trying to explain all the science behind global warming or politics behind the Kyoto Protocol, the authors present simple, clear, and easy-to-implement suggestions on how the average consumer can make significant reductions in his impact on the environment. Even for those who think global warming is “junk science,” this book provides tips on how to lower gas and electric bills-and how can that be a bad thing? I just got my first full electric, water, and gas bills since I started implementing some of the tips in this book-gas and water went down $20 and $15 each and electric went down $35! So, in one month, not doing any of the suggestions that cost money, I saved $70. Not a bad return on my investment.You can Prevent Global Warming provides 51 tips for lowering carbon emissions and conserving energy. Almost every tip presented is completely free and every tip saves money. Many of the suggestions are not new-putting a milk jug full of water into the toilet tank to reduce the flow of water, lowering the thermostat just a bit-however, the authors also include exactly how much money and energy it saves by doing something simple. They also provide tips for people with varying levels of commitment. Already doing the toilet tank thing? They give you links to reviews of low-flow toilets. Is that still not enough for you? They explain composting toilets! There were a few features I particularly enjoyed and appreciated with this book. First, I liked the list at the end of the book that placed each suggestion in an easy-to-follow format of which tips to do first and how often. I also really liked the useful links included. Rather than actually getting bogged down in science and mechanics, they provide web links to howstuffworks.com and other useful sites. A major barrier in me doing some of the suggestions before (like vacuuming heater and fridge coils) is that I had no idea how to do these things and was (frankly) too lazy to look it up. The authors provide a link with pictures on how to do these things. Some of the links also take you to sites on how to contact Congress if an issue is important to you if the way you want to lower man’s impact on nature is to become politically involved. I was walking around my house implementing many of these suggestions as I was reading because of how simple they are. The authors never take a strong-armed tone, never guilt you into trying something they suggest. Every suggestion felt like they were saying "Good for you for doing so much! Want to try more? Keep reading!" I strongly recommend this book to any home-owner (though it also has awesome suggestions for renters!). I have a number of family members who are always trying to be as green as possible without seriously changing their lifestyles, a few who cringe (or cuss) at the very mention of Al Gore but who are still committed to the Biblical mandate to be stewards of the Earth, and a few who are trying to do more and more-and they are all on the receiving list for this book.

[tara35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I recieved this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program. There are actually a lot more than 51 ways, as the title says - each of the 51 chapters contains lots of great ideas. I found the Home Heating and Cooling section especially interesting. It's great to read about things we're already doing (whew!) but I also got loads of great ideas. I've told my husband he's getting a list. As a homeowner, this will be a great resource for us when purchasing appliances or learning how to make the ones we own work more efficiently.

[francescadefreitas · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I am interested in this subject, and in one way that is a bad start for reviewing this book - the majority of information in here can be easily found by doing a few searches online - and the online tips are more current, and often more localised, e.g. tips from your electricity provider.For a person new to the subject, and not comfortable looking for information online, perhaps the book would be useful, but I did have some other issues.My main problem was that the tips were not easy at all, many of them require significant time or financial investment, for example, replacing your windows/car/attic insulation.Also I lost confidence quickly when I noticed out of date tips, for example, telling people that they could reuse floppy disks. The figures used to calculate energy cost are based on data from 2000, surely that could have been updated.I knew there was a section at the end with advice for renters, and I hopes that that would give me some tips in the 'easy' category, but it was not much more than a note saying 'most of the tips apply to renters, but here are a few tips that involve buying things you can move from one apartment to another,' and for the rest, ask your landlord to do it.Overall, I learned nothing new, and I was disappointed.

[clamairy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think I will be picking up a few extra copies of this to give to family members and friends. There are some great tips, and the format makes it not only a pleasure to read, but easy to go back and find exactly what you're looking for. I already knew a lot of what is in here, but there were quite a few things I didn't know. I'm going to try to implement a few green changes inside my house, out in my yard, and to both my eating and my driving habits.

[bwightman_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book has lots of great little tips on how to decrease energy usage in your home, from things like adding a water heater insulator to your water heater, or baking in the toaster oven instead of a regular oven. Each chapter is devoted to one of the 51 ways you can prevent global warming. The book is clearly and cleverly written, and done so in such a way so if you want to skip from chapter to chapter, you can do so. I found it very enjoyable, and was pleased that many of the things I already do to decrease energy usage in my house were in the book, but I discovered many great additional tips. Wonderful and useful book!

[brainlair · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is so useful that I'm buying three to give away. I'm in the market for a new water heater so I checked out the Home Heating and Cooling section. I learned so much, not just about buying the right-sized heater but also how to make my house more efficient! I love how the book gives you a variety of tips so that you can decide what to do. All of the tips are helpful. They even give you places to go for additional information. Right now I'm in the Home Electricity section and I am slowly changing each light bulb from incandescent to flourescent. Replacing the old ones as they go out. It saves me money in two ways: I'm not buying a lot of bulbs at once and I'll be saving on my electric bill. This is the type of book that you look through, find what you need, put that tip into place, and then come back and look again. Thank you for sending me this book!

[gretchenlg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You Can Prevent Global Warming (and save money!) is a good first book to read if you’re just waking up to the subject, or as an authoritative, easily read, chock-full-of-info book to add to your growing collection. This book will show you how to help out during this growing global crisis, to save some money, and to further your impact by working for change in your community.

[kbondelli_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You Can Prevent Global Warming (and save money!) reveals 51 ways that you can reduce your impact on the environment while reducing your energy bills.Some of the tips in the book have become fairly common knowledge, such as the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs, but there are a number of new tips and even the old ones are addressed with new helpful information.What sets this book apart is how it helps you determine your financial savings over the long run and the authors' knowledge of the products mentioned in the book. Every product mentioned has been recommended based on personal experience and not through marketing partnerships, which make the recommendations much more reliable and trustworthy.My favorite aspect of the book is the Search For More Info sections at the end of each tip. A number of websites are listed with places to learn more about products and technology, online stores with mentioned products, and other helpful sites. The authors do not just ask you to trust them, they give you the resources to learn more about the technology and concepts on your own, such as the advent of compact fluorescent lights, Greenpeace's Greenfreeze refrigerator, and learning how hot water heaters work.This book will be the most helpful to those that are moving into a new home or have decided to upgrade their home and appliances to be more energy efficient. I learned about many appliances and other technologies that I was not aware of that would definitely be on my list of home improvements.The inclusion of tons of interesting facts and statistics makes the book an interesting read and not a dry how-to manual. There is also an appendix that explains the science of global warming that will be interesting to a lot of readers.

[khuggard_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an excellent reference book for anyone who desires to live a more environmentally friendly life style. Each chapter contains brief and easy to understand explanations about environmental issues and the things we can do to reduce our impact. For each tip there is a chart explaining not only how many carbon emissions we can prevent, but also how much money we can save by implementing the tip. At the end of each chapter there is an annotated list of websites with more information. When I move into my new home next month I will definitely be consulting this book to help me make more environmentally conscious choices.

[cathyskye · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received this updated (from the 2003) edition through the Early Reviewers program at Library Thing. I'm glad I did. The authors had the very clever idea of showing people how they can be environmentally responsible through their wallets. (Clever because--even though many people say they are environmentalists--more people are going to pay attention to ways that they can save money.) Langholz and Turner say that there are "51 Easy Ways" to save a combined total of over $2000 a year in this book, but there are literally hundreds of tips, and many of them are very easy to do. The tips range from no-brainers like turning the water off while brushing your teeth, to all the major appliances in your home, to the right sort of landscaping outside, to the best sort of vehicles to buy.As someone who's finally "woken up and smelled the coffee", one part of my mind tallied what my husband and I have already done to be both environmentally friendly and save money. We've done rather well, I'm happy to say, but I was very gratified to see how many other things we could still do with help from the authors' tips and links to websites. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to save money...and feel even better about themselves when they do. I thought the book's dedication was a perfect raison d'être: "To the members of the next generation, who must live with the decisions we make today."

[eo206 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There is a growing genre of 'green' friendly books with tips on how to tread more lightly on the Earth. This book meets that criteria, but goes a step father by telling readers how it impacts their wallets as well. The 51 tips are broken down into easy to read and understand steps. First the writers explain the problem and why it is important to make the change, then they explain the steps to implement, and finally they detail how much money it will save and the environmentala impact. Many of the tips are things steps that we can all implement and need to implement in order to stem the tide of global warming.

[fionacat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At first I was expecting more of the same information I've read/heard in other books, magazines, websites, etc. and yes, quite a bit of the book was repetitive to someone who is already well versed in the rules of green living. But I did learn things, including the answer to a question that has nagged at me for some time: is it more energy efficient to order something by mail or to drive to the store and pick it up yourself? The answer is on page 215.Not only is this book packed with easy-to-implement tips for saving money and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but every tip is thoroughly explained and the prospective savings are backed up by calculations using real facts and figures. Even people who aren't eager to green up their lives will find plenty of ways to save money without making sacrifices. In the current economy, the money saving aspect of the book should be as, if not more, important in promoting the book to the general public.

[eowyna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an update to a book issued in 2003. It has 51 chapters, one for each tip, plus summaries at the end of the tips, the science, and the politics. Each chapter is clearly written, organized with an Overview, What You Should Know, Easy Ways You Can Help, a summary box, and Search for More Info. The summary box tells you clearly what your personal savings are likely to be if you implement these, the annual amount of CO2 that will not be put into the atmosphere, and sometimes the dollar savings over the life of the product. Each of the bulleted paragraphs in the What You Should Know and the Easy Ways You Can Help lead with a bold-faced short sentence encapsulating the enformation. The rest of the paragraph expands on it.The whole is presented clearly, enthusiastically but not intimidatingly, and with sound advice that saves you money, and the environment from more harm. This book provides you, the reader, with the tools to look deeper into each topic, but it doesn't guilt you into it . It tells you exactly how thrifty you are being, and how much difference one person or household can make.Recommended.

[sharonandjohn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A pretty comprehensive book of tips to help prevent global warming. There are also definitions of terms one hears in the news and in other venues about global warming. Many of the tips were ones I had already heard about or were steps I had already taken so there was not a lot of new information for me. But, it is very nicely organized and easy to read. This is an update from the 2003 version, however, there were a couple of tips that were not updated such as the section on reusing old floppy disks. You most definitely can reuse floppy disks, but I don't know anyone who uses those anymore. Overall, a pretty good read for the person in the beginning stages of fighting global warming.