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RESULTS		Results 101 – 111 of 111
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Headline	Author	Published	Section
Aqua Delve-a (Sorry) On water heaters	Umbra Fisk	18 Dec 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I have a question that's been nagging at me for some time. Since I have a water heater inside my house, any waste heat from the water heater contributes to heating the house. Does it still make sense in terms of energy savings to put an insulating blanket on the water heater? Kurt Littleton, Colo. Dearest Kurt, Getting tanked. Photo: PNNL. After space heat -- that is, heating your entire home -- water heaters are the l ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics)

Thermostatic On turning down the thermostat	Umbra Fisk	18 Dec 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, My housemates and I are engaged in an ongoing argument about the heat (gas) in our somewhat old house. I argue that for the minimum eight hours that we are out of the house during the day, we should turn our heat down to at least 62 degrees. They argue that we should leave it at 68 at all times, because it takes more energy to heat up the house later when we all arrive home. Not surprisingly, we can't agree about a ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics)

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 ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, coal, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living, natural gas, oil (all these topics)

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 ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, food, food and agriculture, green living (all these topics)

The Executive Ranch The scoop on Bush's Texas getaway	Umbra Fisk	15 Oct 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I heard a rumor that President Bush's Texas ranch is off the grid. I find it very hard to believe (unless "off the grid" means he has his own oil well and refinery set up) and I can't find any documentation about it. Ever heard this? Know if it's true or false? Skeptical, Julie Chicago, Ill. Dearest Julie, "Off the grid," for our curious readers, is not a reference to pancake cookery ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, electricity grid, energy at home, George Bush, geothermal power, green living, solid waste treatment and disposal (all these topics)

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 ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics)

Come on Baby, Fire My Light		04 Jun 2003	Daily Grist
Come on Baby, Fire My Light Compact fluorescent light bulbs, those money- and energy-saving improvements on the old-fashioned incandescent variety, are extraordinarily popular in Wisconsin. About 12 percent of all light bulbs sold in the state are CFLs, a figure that trounces the national average of roughly 1 percent. That's thanks largely to Wisconsin's Focus on Energy program, which educates h ...
Topics: energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, news, Wisconsin (all these topics)

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 ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living, mercury, toxics (all these topics)

Foresight Is 20/20		07 Jun 2002	Daily Grist
Foresight Is 20/20 California state regulators unanimously approved a measure yesterday that will allow Golden State residents to save up to 20 percent on their electric bills by conserving power. Beginning in July, households that use 15 to 20 percent less electricity than they used in 2000 (before the energy crisis) will receive an additional, proportional ...
Topics: business, California, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, legislation, news, politics (all these topics)

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 ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics)

The Green House Effect How to make your home an eco-friendly haven	Jenny Sorensen	07 Apr 2000	Arts and Minds
Last spring, I met with a real-estate agent and listened while she told me about the kind of house I should buy. A new house, she advised, with all new appliances and the latest innovations in wiring, plumbing, and heating -- maybe even a condo. My horrified expression stopped her mid-sentence. Actually, I explained dreamily, I'm looking for an older home with charm and quirky character. I want big w ...
Topics: books, consumerism, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living, placemaking, toxics (all these topics)

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