 Stories About: advice AND Ask Umbra AND energy at home AND energy efficiency AND green living
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Author |
Published |
Section |
Naturally: Gas
On home heating |
Umbra Fisk |
18 Dec 2003 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Can you shed some light (or some warmth) on the most environmentally sound ways to heat one's home this winter? Natural gas over coal and oil for its lower carbon (and particulate) content? What about fireplaces: good or bad? Would burning gas logs be a good alternative to burning real wood? Thanks for your help! Janet Washington, D.C. Dearest Janet, What we cold eco-folks are looking for is a heat source that is clean to prod ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, coal, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living, natural gas, oil (all these topics) |
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Hail Magnetron!
On microwaves |
Umbra Fisk |
17 Nov 2003 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, We recently bought a new (to us) house and acquired a microwave oven. Having gotten this far in life without one, we figured we wouldn't use it all that much. Ha. We use it all the time. It's just so much faster than heating things on the stove. I do wonder, though, which is more energy-efficient. Is it more eco-friendly to heat milk for a minute in the microwave, or five minutes on the gas stove? And is there anything to the pe ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, food, food and agriculture, green living (all these topics) |
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Scrub Tub
On dishwashers |
Umbra Fisk |
25 Sep 2003 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I'm in the market for a new dishwasher, one that uses as little water and energy as possible and still gets that flatware sparklin' clean. But I don't have a lot of dough to blow on appliances. Any thoughts? Dean Orem, Utah Dearest Dean, I really can't say enough about Consumer Reports and its online archives of product reviews and ratings. The subscription is worth the $4.95 per month. An Energy Star-bellied dishwasher. Photo: U.S ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics) |
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The Illumin-Naughty
On mercury in compact fluorescent lights |
Umbra Fisk |
16 Jan 2003 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Here in Texas, where it is very hot in the summer (granted, we deserve to be in hell for having produced George Bush), some of us have been enthusiastically switching our light bulbs to cooler compact fluorescents. Is this a bad thing due to the mercury they contain? Lisa Smithville, Texas Dearest Lisa, Thanks for your question, as it will allow me to keep shedding light on the compact fluoresc ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living, mercury, toxics (all these topics) |
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Off With Their PCs!
On computers |
Umbra Fisk |
04 Jun 2002 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I normally turn my computer off when I leave the office. However, I was recently told that the act of turning on a computer requires more energy than is saved by keeping it off from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. The person said that it is better to let your computer go into "sleep" mode and just wake it up when you get in. Is this true? Thanks, Bryna Dearest Bryna, Simply putting the computer in "sleep" mode will not ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics) |
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