100 Action Steps, Part Two
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE NOW - 31 THROUGH 81:
31. CHECK BACK ON THE PICKENSPLAN.COM OFTEN. There’s likely to be something new for you to learn, a question you can answer, a friend you can make, or a task you can assist. And other members may be contacting you.
32. PRINT AND DISTRIBUTE FLYERS at work, school, civic association meetings. You will find some in the Featured Discussion, “Useful Information: START HERE for Boone's Army.”
33. SPEAK BEFORE YOUR CIVIC OR COMMUNITY GROUP ABOUT THE PICKENS PLAN. Hand out flyers (already posted on the "Featured Discussion" under forums).
34. DEVELOP POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS ON THE PICKENS PLAN WHICH OTHERS CAN UTILIZE. Perhaps someone can develop a PowerPoint presentation suitable for a 20-minute presentation, and another longer presentation. Mr. T. Boone Pickens used his white board; perhaps we can embrace a bit newer presentation technology, as Mr. Pickens embraces a new energy technology.
35. DEVELOP FLYERS AND BROCHURES. Post them to the Communications Support group for editing, then post them to all for their utilization, printing, and distribution.
36. CALL OR VIDEO CONFERENCE INSTEAD OF FLYING. Hold meetings over the phone, cut down on travel. Plan better, brain storm. You can do more and consume less energy." Jim provides a link to a low-cost or no-cost service, www.conferencetown.com. Also, use web video conferencing capabilities. (Thanks to Jim Healy for providing www.conferencetown.com to PickensPlan members.)
37. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALTERNATIVE ENERGY. Explore resources regarding alternative energy technologies.
a. Visit one or more of the Groups devoted to these issues.
b. Visit www.PESWiki.com, which is guided by the New Energy Congress, a network of 40+ energy professionals who are dedicated to clean energy technology advancement. This is a movement for “identifying and promoting the best clean energy technologies.” The site lists "wind farms" as #4 among the "Top 100" technologies for clean, alternative energy. Two of the top four listed are in research mode, and the other is a specific solar thermal project in California.
38. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – CAR POOL TO WORK (But ensure, at a minimum - short showers by all - see note below.)
39. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – RIDE A BIKE to work or school or to visit a friend
40. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – take public transportation. Another idea, from "Susan": "One thing I am doing is riding the train to work (as much as possible.) We live in the country, so I do have to drive a bit to the train station. However, it does cut my commute in half (as well as my gas bill)."
41. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – PLAN OUT TRIPS. “Do we need it now or can it wait. If it can wait what other things can we do along the way. If we need it now, what else do we need or will we need in the next week, let’s get it all at once. Stop making all those small trips for 1 or 2 items. Start a carpool to the grocery store.” Thanks, Steven, for sharing this idea.
42. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – REDUCE EXCESS WEIGHT FROM YOUR VEHICLE. Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones. (Yes, Ron, that's another incentive to stay on that diet.)
43. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – DON’T EXCEED THE HIGHWAY SPEED LIMIT. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.30 per gallon for gas. Driving slower is also safer, and obeying the speed limit is also beneficial for your pocketbook – avoiding tickets and higher insurance costs resulting therefrom.
44. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – ADJUST YOUR DRIVING STYLE. Coast before stopping – it saves gas!! Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Avoid excessive idling. Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.
45. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – maintain your vehicle.
a. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Your car's air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will protect your engine.
b. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent, though results vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done.
c. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.
d. You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.
e. You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.
46. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW - BUY A SCOOTER (and helmet) to travel back and forth to work or school, instead of by your own car.
47. CONSERVE ENERGY WHEN YOU SELECT A NEW CAR. Purchase only the size car you need. As Pronto Power stated in a discussion recently: "Scrap all the [huge SUVs] and drive what you need to get the job done ... I think we need to change our perception of what's cool and make it “uncool” to be a gross consumer of energy." Of course, look to CNG (natural gas) and hybrid vehicles, and soon-to-be launched electric-powered vehicles, when they are available in your area.
48. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – IN YOUR HOME OR APARTMENT. Homeowners and renters know saving energy means saving money without sacrificing comfort. There are many things you can do to save energy in your current home, or when designing and building a new energy-efficient house.” Visit the DOE web site at http://www.doe.gov/yourhome.htm for a full list of tips. Here are some excerpts as to easy low-cost and no-cost ways to save energy:
a. Set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer. Install a programmable thermostat that is compatible with your heating and cooling system.
b. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
c. Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle. Only run the dishwasher when it is full.
d. Do laundry only when the washer is full. (Thanks, Susan.)
e. Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
f. Adjust your control panel power settings to turn your monitor off after 15 minutes. This will save more than just a screen saver or screen saver set to blank.
g. Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).
h. Place your printer, scanner and other devices on a separate power strip then turn the power strip on only when you need the devices.
i. Use timers on garage/porch/outside lights
j. Close blinds during the hottest part of the day
k. Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120° F.
l. Take short showers instead of baths. ** Unless - like me - you desire to float and mediate on the Pickens Plan ....
m. Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
n. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR® products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
o. A good post from “bradakat”: “Did you know that as much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling? Homeowners can save about $180 a year by properly setting their programmable thermostats and maintaining those settings. The pre-programmed settings that come with ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostats are intended to deliver savings without sacrificing comfort. Depending on your family’s schedule, you can see significant savings by sticking with those settings or adjust them as appropriate for your family. The key is to establish a program that automatically reduces heating and cooling in your home when you don’t need as much. Installing and using an ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat with pre-programmed settings makes savings simple for you so you can stay comfortable, save energy, save money, and help fight global warming all year long. Visit energystar.gov/pts to learn how to choose a programmable thermostat, set it correctly, and save!”
p. Solar water heaters are pretty cost efficient. Payback of about 6 - 8 years," according to "ART005". We need to check this statistic out - any comments about it?
49. CONSERVE ENERGY – SHOP FOR HDTVs CAREFULLY, AND USE COMMON SENSE WHEN USING THEM. When you are not in the room turn off that HD TV. While big-screen TVs don't draw quite as much power as notorious power guzzlers such as air conditioners or washing machines, they can still make an impact on your electricity bill. It can cost between $29 and $223 a year to watch TV, depending primarily on screen size and technology type. While there are plenty of exceptions, the average score of each technology type is telling: Microdisplay rear projector: 0.14 watt per square inch; LCD: 0.29 watt per square inch; Plasma: 0.35 watt per square inch. Source: "The basics of TV power" on cnet.com. These are only averages, and set usage varies very widely. CNET also states: "In addition to standard power saving modes, which usually just put a cap on a TV's maximum light output, we're seeing a few new power saving measures being used in 2008. One of the most notable is the choice between 'home' and 'store' use that a TV user will select during initial setup. Choosing 'home' engages a default picture mode that saves more power than the standard 'torch mode' used as the default setting on most TVs, which is designed for maximum light output to compete against other TVs in a retail store environment. More radical measures can be found on a few t.v.s which feature a variable backlight, a light sensor and an automatic picture adjustment feature. In combination these extras radically reduce power consumption. As power use figures into more TV buyers' decision making processes, we expect to see TV manufacturers implement further measures to help curb their sets' thirst for juice." (from CNET article.)
50. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – GET A HOME ENERGY AUDIT. A home energy audit is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. An audit will show you problems that may, when corrected, save you significant amounts of money over time. During the audit, you can pinpoint where your house is losing energy. Audits also determine the efficiency of your home's heating and cooling systems. An audit may also show you ways to conserve hot water and electricity. You can perform a simple energy audit yourself, or have a professional energy auditor carry out a more thorough audit. See if your local power company provides home energy audits for free, or at reduced prices.
51. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – ADD INSULATION. You can reduce your home's heating and cooling costs through proper insulation and air sealing techniques. These techniques will also make your home more comfortable. Any air sealing efforts will complement your insulation efforts, and vice versa. Proper moisture control and ventilation strategies will improve the effectiveness of air sealing and insulation, and vice versa.
52. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – ADD TO THE BEAUTY OF YOUR HOME WITH GOOD LANDSCAPING. A well-designed landscape not only can add beauty to your home but it also can reduce your heating and cooling costs. On average, landscaping for energy efficiency provides enough energy savings to return an initial investment in less than 8 years.
53. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – USE NEWER LIGHTING TECHNLOGY. Artificial lighting consumes almost 15% of a household's electricity use. Use of new lighting technologies can reduce lighting energy use in homes by 50%–75%. You can reduce lighting energy use by selecting lighting and sources that use energy more efficiently, and by installing lighting controls.
a. Install fluorescent light fixtures for all ceiling- and wall-mounted fixtures that will be on for more than 2 hours each day. These often include the fixtures in the kitchen and living room, and sometimes those in bathrooms, halls, bedrooms, and other higher-demand locations.
b. Install dedicated compact fluorescent fixtures, rather than compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in incandescent fixtures, so that fluorescent bulbs continue to be used for the life of the house. (Be extremely careful should CFLs break, and dispose of them properly.)
54. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – INSULATE YOUR HOT WATER HEATER. Unless your water heater's storage tank already has a high R-value of insulation (at least R-24), adding insulation to it can reduce standby heat losses by 25%–45%. This will save you around 4%–9% in water heating costs. If you don't know your water heater tank's R-value, touch it. A tank that's warm to the touch needs additional insulation. Insulating your storage water heater tank is fairly simple and inexpensive, and it will pay for itself in about a year. You can find pre-cut jackets or blankets available from around $10–$20. Choose one with an insulating value of at least R-8. Some utilities sell them at low prices, offer rebates, and even install them at a low or no cost.
55. HAND OUT BUSINESS CARDS IN STORES, AT THE MOVIES, AT SCHOOL, AND WHENEVER YOU GO WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE. Print them on your printer, with special business card paper, or just create short notes and cut them into small pieces of paper with scissors. (Ken suggested this idea – thanks, Ken.) The following content might be appropriate for each side of the card:
Side A:
THE PICKENS PLAN NEEDS YOU!
Visit Push.PickensPlan.com.
Join the Pickens Army.
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Side B:
Solve our nation’s over-reliance on foreign oil.
Reduce import costs by $270 BILLION per year ($3,000 per family)
Let’s use America’s wealth for America – not export it overseas.
“Have A Windy Day.” Visit PickensPlan.com
56. MAKE POLITICIANS ADDRESS THE ISSUES. Show up at all campaign rallies and speaking events, and ask each politician (federal, state and local) if they have heard of the Pickens Plan, whether they support it, and what they will do - if they are elected or re-elected - to reduce our reliance on foreign oil.
57. WRITE LETTERS TO UTILITY COMPANIES. An idea from Chris Barrows: "I'm writing letters to utility companies and co-operatives, ensuring they have been informed of the plan and asking them to coordinate with other local utilities to plan for the possibility of implementation."
58. INSTALL WIND TURBINES IN MAJOR CITIES: An intriguing public relations idea from Charles K. Gonzales: “Personally, what I would like to see is an installation of a full-sized wind turbine in Central Park. This would be impactful in at least the following ways: (1) These wind mills are actually quite elegant works of art; can you imagine how stunning it would be to have this fully illuminated at night?? The elegance and grace would touch our souls in that place of optimism and hope and action. (2) Mr. Pickens' plan would become real, close, tactile to major decision makers in one of the largest and most financially vibrant cities on the planet: New York City. (3) A massively broad spectrum of our world's populace would be able to go up and touch this living solution. From there the grassroots will strengthen and the plan's ecosystem will grow. The structure doesn't need to be there permanently; three months, six months... It doesn't even need to be generating power thus minimizing the cost. The structure could be 'on its way' to Texas for a life of providing mothers, fathers, children, friends, colleagues with real, useable, domestic light, heat, air-conditioning, refrigeration, street lighting, computing power. This structure will be 'on its way' to providing construction jobs, maintenance jobs, management jobs for real people who will be feeding their families, paying for shoes, signing up for sports, keeping the house, providing for retirement. This would be an amazingly big action to take: putting a work of beautiful, sustainable art in New York City's Central Park. This is an action that Pickens Plan NYC is going to move forward." Pronto Power adds: "How about if it says Pikensplan.com on the tower.... free advertising!!!"
59. LEARN ABOUT THE SOLUTIONS. From MRW, these useful comments: “Attend as many seminars as possible. I know there's a Net Metering Design Conference coming up in the autumn in the upper Midwest, and a crash course MBA on energy issues in Texas (I think these are often given in the UK or Dubai or somewhere other than the US).”
60. INVESTIGATE GRANTS AND FEDERAL FUNDING DOLLARS.
61. INVENT AND PATENT NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
62. AUTHOR ANY NUMBER OF UNIVERSITY DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING PEER REVIEWED DOCUMENTS.
63. WRITE FOR A LOCAL, REGIONAL OR NATIONAL PUBLICATION ON THIS ISSUE.
64. WRITE AN “OP-ED” PIECE OR A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER.
65. START YOUR OWN PUBLICATION.
66. SPEAK AT SCHOOL BOARDS. This next school year is going to be very, very hard on school districts, busses and buildings. And parents. And students. You get the gist.
67. FORM GROUPS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS, AND WORK WITH STUDENTS ON THE PICKENS PLAN.
68. AUTHOR EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ON THESE ISSUES.
69. CREATE, FIND EMPLOYMENT IN, AND/OR PUBLICIZE INTERNSHIPS AND JOBS IN THESE AREAS OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PRODUCTION.
70. DEDICATE X% OF A WEEKLY/MONTHLY BUDGET TO THESE ISSUES. Purchase or download and print flyers. Put together and distribute educational materials. Get together with others and rent a billboard sign for six months. “HAVE A WINDY DAY. PICKENSPLAN.COM.”
71. PARTICIPATE IN AN EARTHWATCH/SIERRA CLUB-TYPE RESEARCH PROJECT. Better yet, with your kids or students....and giving them CREDIT for it.
72. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR GAS MILEAGE. Actually record how much you spend/save on a tank of gas by driving more slowly. Try to beat your mileage with the next thankful. (Thank you for all of the foregoing 10 or so ideas, MRW.)
73. CONTACT AUTO MANUFACTURERS AND SAY IF THERE WERE AN ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLE AVAILABLE IN YOUR AREA YOU'D CONSIDER IT ON ITS MERITS. A sample letter is available through the PickensPlan site, from the Communications Support group. (Thanks, Mrs. Cheryl Gray.)
74. CONTACT THE EPA AND PUT PRESSURE ON THEM TO LOWER THEIR ONBOARD DIAGNOSTICS REQUIREMENTS FOR ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES. The Communications Support Group can provide Bridgette's sample letter thereon. (Thanks again, Mrs. Cheryl Gray.)
75. CONTACT HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS. Contact HOAs about allowing solar panels and windspires within developments both new and old. Tell them it's the patriotic thing to do and the new aestheticism in building standards.
76. COMMUNITY / HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION MEETINGS. If you live in a condo, organize a residents' meeting to talk about finding an alternative energy source for the building, or even just to turn them onto the Pickens Plan. (Thanks, Mrs. Cheryl Gray.)
77. THROW AN ANTI-ENERGY PARTY BY CANDLELIGHT.
78. CONSERVE ELECTRICITY IN YOUR OWN HOME.
79. CONSERVE GASOLINE THROUGH MORE EFFICIENT DRIVING.
80. GET AN OPEC-BUSTER T-SHIRT AND WEAR IT TO THE GAS STATION WHEN YOU FUEL UP.
81. REACH OUT TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. For example, it was reported that "Wind Energy Works!" will actively and aggressively engage in the public conversation over the merits of wind energy, educate the public about the many benefits of wind energy development, and act as a counterbalance to the misinformation being spread by wind energy opponents in communities across the country. The initial organizations in the coalition include a diverse array of national, regional and local environmental, agricultural, economic development, faith-based and wind and renewable energy advocacy groups. Members include: Earth Policy Institute, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the Izaak Walton League of America, Union of Concerned Scientists, the American Corn Growers Association, the American Corn Growers Foundation, Prowers County Development, Inc., and The Regeneration Project/Interfaith Power and Light. Wind and renewable energy advocacy organization members include: AWEA, Renewable Energy Long Island, Western Resource Advocates, the Renewable Northwest Project, Wind Power New York, Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT), The Wind Coalition, Green Energy Ohio, Wind on the Wires, the Interwest Energy Alliance, Clean Energy Partnership, Renew Wisconsin, West Wind Wires, Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ME3), and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. This initial group will be supplemented over time by an even broader set of national, regional, state and local organizations. [From July 6, 2005 press release, http://www.greenenergyohio.org/page.cfm?pageID=694]
SEE COMMENT BELOW FOR REMAINING ACTION STEPS, AND A PEAK AT THE POSSIBLE FUTURE OF THE PICKENS PLAN.
31. CHECK BACK ON THE PICKENSPLAN.COM OFTEN. There’s likely to be something new for you to learn, a question you can answer, a friend you can make, or a task you can assist. And other members may be contacting you.
32. PRINT AND DISTRIBUTE FLYERS at work, school, civic association meetings. You will find some in the Featured Discussion, “Useful Information: START HERE for Boone's Army.”
33. SPEAK BEFORE YOUR CIVIC OR COMMUNITY GROUP ABOUT THE PICKENS PLAN. Hand out flyers (already posted on the "Featured Discussion" under forums).
34. DEVELOP POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS ON THE PICKENS PLAN WHICH OTHERS CAN UTILIZE. Perhaps someone can develop a PowerPoint presentation suitable for a 20-minute presentation, and another longer presentation. Mr. T. Boone Pickens used his white board; perhaps we can embrace a bit newer presentation technology, as Mr. Pickens embraces a new energy technology.
35. DEVELOP FLYERS AND BROCHURES. Post them to the Communications Support group for editing, then post them to all for their utilization, printing, and distribution.
36. CALL OR VIDEO CONFERENCE INSTEAD OF FLYING. Hold meetings over the phone, cut down on travel. Plan better, brain storm. You can do more and consume less energy." Jim provides a link to a low-cost or no-cost service, www.conferencetown.com. Also, use web video conferencing capabilities. (Thanks to Jim Healy for providing www.conferencetown.com to PickensPlan members.)
37. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALTERNATIVE ENERGY. Explore resources regarding alternative energy technologies.
a. Visit one or more of the Groups devoted to these issues.
b. Visit www.PESWiki.com, which is guided by the New Energy Congress, a network of 40+ energy professionals who are dedicated to clean energy technology advancement. This is a movement for “identifying and promoting the best clean energy technologies.” The site lists "wind farms" as #4 among the "Top 100" technologies for clean, alternative energy. Two of the top four listed are in research mode, and the other is a specific solar thermal project in California.
38. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – CAR POOL TO WORK (But ensure, at a minimum - short showers by all - see note below.)
39. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – RIDE A BIKE to work or school or to visit a friend
40. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – take public transportation. Another idea, from "Susan": "One thing I am doing is riding the train to work (as much as possible.) We live in the country, so I do have to drive a bit to the train station. However, it does cut my commute in half (as well as my gas bill)."
41. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – PLAN OUT TRIPS. “Do we need it now or can it wait. If it can wait what other things can we do along the way. If we need it now, what else do we need or will we need in the next week, let’s get it all at once. Stop making all those small trips for 1 or 2 items. Start a carpool to the grocery store.” Thanks, Steven, for sharing this idea.
42. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – REDUCE EXCESS WEIGHT FROM YOUR VEHICLE. Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones. (Yes, Ron, that's another incentive to stay on that diet.)
43. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – DON’T EXCEED THE HIGHWAY SPEED LIMIT. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.30 per gallon for gas. Driving slower is also safer, and obeying the speed limit is also beneficial for your pocketbook – avoiding tickets and higher insurance costs resulting therefrom.
44. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – ADJUST YOUR DRIVING STYLE. Coast before stopping – it saves gas!! Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Avoid excessive idling. Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.
45. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – maintain your vehicle.
a. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Your car's air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will protect your engine.
b. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent, though results vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done.
c. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.
d. You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.
e. You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.
46. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW - BUY A SCOOTER (and helmet) to travel back and forth to work or school, instead of by your own car.
47. CONSERVE ENERGY WHEN YOU SELECT A NEW CAR. Purchase only the size car you need. As Pronto Power stated in a discussion recently: "Scrap all the [huge SUVs] and drive what you need to get the job done ... I think we need to change our perception of what's cool and make it “uncool” to be a gross consumer of energy." Of course, look to CNG (natural gas) and hybrid vehicles, and soon-to-be launched electric-powered vehicles, when they are available in your area.
48. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – IN YOUR HOME OR APARTMENT. Homeowners and renters know saving energy means saving money without sacrificing comfort. There are many things you can do to save energy in your current home, or when designing and building a new energy-efficient house.” Visit the DOE web site at http://www.doe.gov/yourhome.htm for a full list of tips. Here are some excerpts as to easy low-cost and no-cost ways to save energy:
a. Set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer. Install a programmable thermostat that is compatible with your heating and cooling system.
b. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
c. Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle. Only run the dishwasher when it is full.
d. Do laundry only when the washer is full. (Thanks, Susan.)
e. Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
f. Adjust your control panel power settings to turn your monitor off after 15 minutes. This will save more than just a screen saver or screen saver set to blank.
g. Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).
h. Place your printer, scanner and other devices on a separate power strip then turn the power strip on only when you need the devices.
i. Use timers on garage/porch/outside lights
j. Close blinds during the hottest part of the day
k. Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120° F.
l. Take short showers instead of baths. ** Unless - like me - you desire to float and mediate on the Pickens Plan ....
m. Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
n. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR® products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
o. A good post from “bradakat”: “Did you know that as much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling? Homeowners can save about $180 a year by properly setting their programmable thermostats and maintaining those settings. The pre-programmed settings that come with ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostats are intended to deliver savings without sacrificing comfort. Depending on your family’s schedule, you can see significant savings by sticking with those settings or adjust them as appropriate for your family. The key is to establish a program that automatically reduces heating and cooling in your home when you don’t need as much. Installing and using an ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat with pre-programmed settings makes savings simple for you so you can stay comfortable, save energy, save money, and help fight global warming all year long. Visit energystar.gov/pts to learn how to choose a programmable thermostat, set it correctly, and save!”
p. Solar water heaters are pretty cost efficient. Payback of about 6 - 8 years," according to "ART005". We need to check this statistic out - any comments about it?
49. CONSERVE ENERGY – SHOP FOR HDTVs CAREFULLY, AND USE COMMON SENSE WHEN USING THEM. When you are not in the room turn off that HD TV. While big-screen TVs don't draw quite as much power as notorious power guzzlers such as air conditioners or washing machines, they can still make an impact on your electricity bill. It can cost between $29 and $223 a year to watch TV, depending primarily on screen size and technology type. While there are plenty of exceptions, the average score of each technology type is telling: Microdisplay rear projector: 0.14 watt per square inch; LCD: 0.29 watt per square inch; Plasma: 0.35 watt per square inch. Source: "The basics of TV power" on cnet.com. These are only averages, and set usage varies very widely. CNET also states: "In addition to standard power saving modes, which usually just put a cap on a TV's maximum light output, we're seeing a few new power saving measures being used in 2008. One of the most notable is the choice between 'home' and 'store' use that a TV user will select during initial setup. Choosing 'home' engages a default picture mode that saves more power than the standard 'torch mode' used as the default setting on most TVs, which is designed for maximum light output to compete against other TVs in a retail store environment. More radical measures can be found on a few t.v.s which feature a variable backlight, a light sensor and an automatic picture adjustment feature. In combination these extras radically reduce power consumption. As power use figures into more TV buyers' decision making processes, we expect to see TV manufacturers implement further measures to help curb their sets' thirst for juice." (from CNET article.)
50. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – GET A HOME ENERGY AUDIT. A home energy audit is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. An audit will show you problems that may, when corrected, save you significant amounts of money over time. During the audit, you can pinpoint where your house is losing energy. Audits also determine the efficiency of your home's heating and cooling systems. An audit may also show you ways to conserve hot water and electricity. You can perform a simple energy audit yourself, or have a professional energy auditor carry out a more thorough audit. See if your local power company provides home energy audits for free, or at reduced prices.
51. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – ADD INSULATION. You can reduce your home's heating and cooling costs through proper insulation and air sealing techniques. These techniques will also make your home more comfortable. Any air sealing efforts will complement your insulation efforts, and vice versa. Proper moisture control and ventilation strategies will improve the effectiveness of air sealing and insulation, and vice versa.
52. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – ADD TO THE BEAUTY OF YOUR HOME WITH GOOD LANDSCAPING. A well-designed landscape not only can add beauty to your home but it also can reduce your heating and cooling costs. On average, landscaping for energy efficiency provides enough energy savings to return an initial investment in less than 8 years.
53. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – USE NEWER LIGHTING TECHNLOGY. Artificial lighting consumes almost 15% of a household's electricity use. Use of new lighting technologies can reduce lighting energy use in homes by 50%–75%. You can reduce lighting energy use by selecting lighting and sources that use energy more efficiently, and by installing lighting controls.
a. Install fluorescent light fixtures for all ceiling- and wall-mounted fixtures that will be on for more than 2 hours each day. These often include the fixtures in the kitchen and living room, and sometimes those in bathrooms, halls, bedrooms, and other higher-demand locations.
b. Install dedicated compact fluorescent fixtures, rather than compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in incandescent fixtures, so that fluorescent bulbs continue to be used for the life of the house. (Be extremely careful should CFLs break, and dispose of them properly.)
54. CONSERVE ENERGY NOW – INSULATE YOUR HOT WATER HEATER. Unless your water heater's storage tank already has a high R-value of insulation (at least R-24), adding insulation to it can reduce standby heat losses by 25%–45%. This will save you around 4%–9% in water heating costs. If you don't know your water heater tank's R-value, touch it. A tank that's warm to the touch needs additional insulation. Insulating your storage water heater tank is fairly simple and inexpensive, and it will pay for itself in about a year. You can find pre-cut jackets or blankets available from around $10–$20. Choose one with an insulating value of at least R-8. Some utilities sell them at low prices, offer rebates, and even install them at a low or no cost.
55. HAND OUT BUSINESS CARDS IN STORES, AT THE MOVIES, AT SCHOOL, AND WHENEVER YOU GO WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE. Print them on your printer, with special business card paper, or just create short notes and cut them into small pieces of paper with scissors. (Ken suggested this idea – thanks, Ken.) The following content might be appropriate for each side of the card:
Side A:
THE PICKENS PLAN NEEDS YOU!
Visit Push.PickensPlan.com.
Join the Pickens Army.
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Side B:
Solve our nation’s over-reliance on foreign oil.
Reduce import costs by $270 BILLION per year ($3,000 per family)
Let’s use America’s wealth for America – not export it overseas.
“Have A Windy Day.” Visit PickensPlan.com
56. MAKE POLITICIANS ADDRESS THE ISSUES. Show up at all campaign rallies and speaking events, and ask each politician (federal, state and local) if they have heard of the Pickens Plan, whether they support it, and what they will do - if they are elected or re-elected - to reduce our reliance on foreign oil.
57. WRITE LETTERS TO UTILITY COMPANIES. An idea from Chris Barrows: "I'm writing letters to utility companies and co-operatives, ensuring they have been informed of the plan and asking them to coordinate with other local utilities to plan for the possibility of implementation."
58. INSTALL WIND TURBINES IN MAJOR CITIES: An intriguing public relations idea from Charles K. Gonzales: “Personally, what I would like to see is an installation of a full-sized wind turbine in Central Park. This would be impactful in at least the following ways: (1) These wind mills are actually quite elegant works of art; can you imagine how stunning it would be to have this fully illuminated at night?? The elegance and grace would touch our souls in that place of optimism and hope and action. (2) Mr. Pickens' plan would become real, close, tactile to major decision makers in one of the largest and most financially vibrant cities on the planet: New York City. (3) A massively broad spectrum of our world's populace would be able to go up and touch this living solution. From there the grassroots will strengthen and the plan's ecosystem will grow. The structure doesn't need to be there permanently; three months, six months... It doesn't even need to be generating power thus minimizing the cost. The structure could be 'on its way' to Texas for a life of providing mothers, fathers, children, friends, colleagues with real, useable, domestic light, heat, air-conditioning, refrigeration, street lighting, computing power. This structure will be 'on its way' to providing construction jobs, maintenance jobs, management jobs for real people who will be feeding their families, paying for shoes, signing up for sports, keeping the house, providing for retirement. This would be an amazingly big action to take: putting a work of beautiful, sustainable art in New York City's Central Park. This is an action that Pickens Plan NYC is going to move forward." Pronto Power adds: "How about if it says Pikensplan.com on the tower.... free advertising!!!"
59. LEARN ABOUT THE SOLUTIONS. From MRW, these useful comments: “Attend as many seminars as possible. I know there's a Net Metering Design Conference coming up in the autumn in the upper Midwest, and a crash course MBA on energy issues in Texas (I think these are often given in the UK or Dubai or somewhere other than the US).”
60. INVESTIGATE GRANTS AND FEDERAL FUNDING DOLLARS.
61. INVENT AND PATENT NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
62. AUTHOR ANY NUMBER OF UNIVERSITY DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING PEER REVIEWED DOCUMENTS.
63. WRITE FOR A LOCAL, REGIONAL OR NATIONAL PUBLICATION ON THIS ISSUE.
64. WRITE AN “OP-ED” PIECE OR A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER.
65. START YOUR OWN PUBLICATION.
66. SPEAK AT SCHOOL BOARDS. This next school year is going to be very, very hard on school districts, busses and buildings. And parents. And students. You get the gist.
67. FORM GROUPS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS, AND WORK WITH STUDENTS ON THE PICKENS PLAN.
68. AUTHOR EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ON THESE ISSUES.
69. CREATE, FIND EMPLOYMENT IN, AND/OR PUBLICIZE INTERNSHIPS AND JOBS IN THESE AREAS OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PRODUCTION.
70. DEDICATE X% OF A WEEKLY/MONTHLY BUDGET TO THESE ISSUES. Purchase or download and print flyers. Put together and distribute educational materials. Get together with others and rent a billboard sign for six months. “HAVE A WINDY DAY. PICKENSPLAN.COM.”
71. PARTICIPATE IN AN EARTHWATCH/SIERRA CLUB-TYPE RESEARCH PROJECT. Better yet, with your kids or students....and giving them CREDIT for it.
72. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR GAS MILEAGE. Actually record how much you spend/save on a tank of gas by driving more slowly. Try to beat your mileage with the next thankful. (Thank you for all of the foregoing 10 or so ideas, MRW.)
73. CONTACT AUTO MANUFACTURERS AND SAY IF THERE WERE AN ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLE AVAILABLE IN YOUR AREA YOU'D CONSIDER IT ON ITS MERITS. A sample letter is available through the PickensPlan site, from the Communications Support group. (Thanks, Mrs. Cheryl Gray.)
74. CONTACT THE EPA AND PUT PRESSURE ON THEM TO LOWER THEIR ONBOARD DIAGNOSTICS REQUIREMENTS FOR ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES. The Communications Support Group can provide Bridgette's sample letter thereon. (Thanks again, Mrs. Cheryl Gray.)
75. CONTACT HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS. Contact HOAs about allowing solar panels and windspires within developments both new and old. Tell them it's the patriotic thing to do and the new aestheticism in building standards.
76. COMMUNITY / HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION MEETINGS. If you live in a condo, organize a residents' meeting to talk about finding an alternative energy source for the building, or even just to turn them onto the Pickens Plan. (Thanks, Mrs. Cheryl Gray.)
77. THROW AN ANTI-ENERGY PARTY BY CANDLELIGHT.
78. CONSERVE ELECTRICITY IN YOUR OWN HOME.
79. CONSERVE GASOLINE THROUGH MORE EFFICIENT DRIVING.
80. GET AN OPEC-BUSTER T-SHIRT AND WEAR IT TO THE GAS STATION WHEN YOU FUEL UP.
81. REACH OUT TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. For example, it was reported that "Wind Energy Works!" will actively and aggressively engage in the public conversation over the merits of wind energy, educate the public about the many benefits of wind energy development, and act as a counterbalance to the misinformation being spread by wind energy opponents in communities across the country. The initial organizations in the coalition include a diverse array of national, regional and local environmental, agricultural, economic development, faith-based and wind and renewable energy advocacy groups. Members include: Earth Policy Institute, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the Izaak Walton League of America, Union of Concerned Scientists, the American Corn Growers Association, the American Corn Growers Foundation, Prowers County Development, Inc., and The Regeneration Project/Interfaith Power and Light. Wind and renewable energy advocacy organization members include: AWEA, Renewable Energy Long Island, Western Resource Advocates, the Renewable Northwest Project, Wind Power New York, Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT), The Wind Coalition, Green Energy Ohio, Wind on the Wires, the Interwest Energy Alliance, Clean Energy Partnership, Renew Wisconsin, West Wind Wires, Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ME3), and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. This initial group will be supplemented over time by an even broader set of national, regional, state and local organizations. [From July 6, 2005 press release, http://www.greenenergyohio.org/page.cfm?pageID=694]
SEE COMMENT BELOW FOR REMAINING ACTION STEPS, AND A PEAK AT THE POSSIBLE FUTURE OF THE PICKENS PLAN.
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