SAVE ENERGY, SAVE FUTURE Welcome To The Future The Future Demands Conservation From The Past And The Past Is Right Now By Smitha Prasad DHL Express (I) Pvt Ltd.

Green trees & cool blue waters around us give pleasure to our senses & supply us with fruit & fish to eat, while high in the sky the sun pours its warmth down upon us. Below us the fertile soil promises us rich vegetables to nourish our organs.

Walk The Path The legendary James Hansen, one of the first scientists to sound the alarm about global warming way back in the 80's, recently said that the real key to preventing climate change is reducing home energy use.

The operative practice of saving energy will help you form an habit to use appliances efficiently and save money over the long term, as well as reduce your energy consumption, your contribution to pollution, and the depletion of nonrenewable resources.

The following tips will help you get started; once you give it a little thought, am sure you'll find even more ways to $ave. Get started on a green path with these simple steps.

Turn Off Unneeded Lights Lighting is responsible for about 11 percent of a home's energy bills. By turning off lights you don't need, you'll begin saving right away, and will extend the lifetime of all those bulbs.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) Replacing incandescent bulbs with CFLs will save up to 75% less energy than regular light bulbs. Last about 10 times as long as regular light bulbs. Do remember to dispose of them carefully.

Ovens Use the oven window to check foods as they cook. Opening the door releases at least 20% of the heat. Instead of using oven to reheat food, use a toaster or microwave oven to save energy. It's not necessary to preheat your oven unless you're baking bread or pastry. Use the self-cleaning option when you finish cooking and while the oven is still hot. Consider a better insulated, self-cleaning oven, which can be up to 25% more efficient.

Refrigerators To keep refrigerators working well, defrost regularly. Keep a space of at least five centimeters all around your refrigerator. If you can pull the door easily, you may need to replace the door gasket. Tight sealing gaskets keep cold air in and lower energy costs. Allow hot foods to cool before putting them in the refrigerator. Get rid of that old, inefficient fridge you are using, but don't pass it along to a friend. By this you can save money and energy.

Washing Machines Do laundry only when you have a full load. Consider a compact model if your usual laundry loads are small. Whenever possible to help reduce the strain on the electricity system, use your washing machine after 8 p.m., when electricity usage is not at its peak. .

Air Conditioners Remove and clean room air conditioner filters monthly. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of the air conditioner. Maintain it periodically. Set the thermostat at 25°C or higher. For every degree your air conditioner is set below 24°C, you will use 3 to 5% more energy. During the day, draw your blinds to block the warming effect of direct sunlight. Set the fan switch on "automatic" instead of "on" or "continuous" to save electricity.

Sign Up for Green Energy The energy in the winds that blow across India each year could produce more than one and one-half times the electricity consumed in India in an average year. Switch on to Solar Power Mode, which can help your home and society minimize the dependency on Nonrenewable Energy Source.

Use a Laptop Instead of a Desktop If you have the choice between powering up your desktop or a laptop, choose the latter. Laptop computers / LCD screen as it draw only 15 to 25 watts during regular use, as compared to the 150 watts used by a conventional desktop computer and monitor. Plus, laptops also draw just a fraction of a watt when in sleep mode.

Home Office Lighting If a room or area is not being used, shut off the lights. Use natural sunlight in place of electric lighting as much as possible. Replace incandescent light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFL). Make sure that bulbs, fixtures, lenses, lamps, and reflective surfaces are cleaned regularly. By removing grease, dust, and other dirt, you can increase the output of your lights. Control your lighting with dimmers or timers. By this control, you can reduce the amount of energy needed.

Saving Energy at Office If you have finished your work for the day, always turn off your computer and other equipment and unplug it from the power strip. Choose a flat-panel LCD computer monitor rather than a regular cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor. Turn your monitor off if you are going to be away from your computer for a few minutes. This may save 70% of the energy. Screen-saver does not save energy. Print only what is necessary. Ink-jet printers use 90% less energy Its time to act now.

Energy Facts The amount of solar energy intercepted by the Earth every minute is greater than the amount of energy the world uses in fossil fuels each year. Most electricity is generated by burning coal and running nuclear power plants. Every time you turn on the lights, you create a little pollution. So saving electricity helps keep the air and water clean too and also eradicate the fear of nuclear fallout. If every U.S. family replaced 4 incandescent bulbs with 4 compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) of equal brightness, the six largest nuclear power plants could be shut down.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL HELP YOURSELF AND ALSO Food For Thought CFL's are such a big deal that Australia is making them mandatory. They're doing this to save energy, because saving energy reduces pollution. If a little conscious effort in this regard saves 5% of an Individuals daily energy use, just imagine how many energy we can save collectively ??????? So what r u waiting for? Are you waiting for the government to issue mandatory power guidelines or is it your moral responsibility to save energy for the future. Think about it.... and act right now for a powerful future. YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL HELP YOURSELF AND ALSO BENEFIT MOTHER EARTH