Carbonless Copy: Block the Dirty Air Act

Friday, March 12, 2010

Block the Dirty Air Act

President Obama last May proposed improving gas mileage standards for cars and decreasing their greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA rule that would accomplish this is set to go into effect April 1, but Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska has proposed a bill that would block it. The Senate could vote within days on her dirty air act. Please click here to sign a petition urging your Senator to vote no on this act and all legislation that attempts to block or freeze enforcement of Clean Air Act limits on greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. According to Environment New Mexico, the EPA rule would save twice as much oil as we import from the Persian Gulf in a year and reduce global warming pollution by 900 million metric tons, the amount emitted by 194 coal-burning power plants. Next week: a video from vets urging passage of clean energy climate legislation. Let me know your thoughts and
Stay cool,
Bonney

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10 Things We Can Do to Reduce Global Warming

1) Buy energy-efficient appliances. Look for the Energy Star label. Refrigerators consume most electricity of any home applicance. Today's refrigerators consume less than one-fourth the energy of 30 years ago. If your fridge is more than 10 years old, you could save a lot of money and reduce global warming by buying a new one. Some utility companies will buy your old, working fridge.
2) Set your thermostat 2 degrees lower in winter and two degrees higher in summer to save about 2,000 pounds of CO2 per year.
3) Wrap insulation around your water heater to save 1,000 pounds of CO2 a year. Or install a tankless water heater, which instantly heats water when needed, can save 50% on utilities, and can get you a $300 federal tax credit.
4) Get your car's engine tuned up and keep tires inflated -- both help fuel efficiency. We just pumped up our tires and gained 2-3 miles per gallon. A new air filter could get you 10 percent more miles per gallon.
5) Contact elected officials and ask them to pass laws requiring higher gas mileage and cleaner emissions from cars, cleaner power plants, energy efficient buildings and more.
6) Sign up for an alternative power program if one is offered in your area. In New Mexico, PNM's Sky Blue can provide up to 90% of your household electricity from wind power for a small monthly fee.
7) Drive less. Take the bus or ride a bike. Combine errands to take fewer trips.
8) If you buy a car, pick the least-polluting, most fuel-efficient vehicle you can. A car that gets 20 miles per gallon will emit about 50 tons of CO2 over its lifetime. A car that gets 40 mpg will emit half that much and save you roughly $3,000 in fuel costs.
9) Replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. A CF bulb will lower your energy bills by $15 a year and more than $60 over its life and will keep half a ton of CO2 out of the air. Compact fluorescents last 10 times as long as incandescents, too.
10) Offset CO2 emissions generated when you fly with programs like TerraPass or others below.

Carbonless Copy

Friday, March 12, 2010

Block the Dirty Air Act

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10 Things We Can Do to Reduce Global Warming

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