An Email From Stopglobalwarming.org

HISTORIC MILESTONE FOR STOP GLOBAL WARMING VIRTUAL MARCH

This week the Virtual March grew to over 500,000 marchers! The movement to stop global warming is here, now and growing louder each day. The diversity of our new partners goes to show that we are all part of this problem, and we all need to be part of the solution. New partners include Pastor Tri Robinson, pop culture designer Paul Frank, Olympic snowboarder Shaun White, The Los Angeles Zoo, Me&Ro Jewelry, and rock band Guster.

Thanks to the Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo music festivals, and to marcher Bon Jovi, for encouraging music fans this summer to join the Virtual March.

GLOBAL WARMING THREATENS RICH FALL COLORS

While the Virtual March continues to grow during the fall, the icon of the season – changing leaves – is being threatened by global warming. Click here to read more about global warming's threat to New England's rich autumn colors.

Another surprising impact from global warming is the recent declining pumpkin crop. The severe rains of the spring and extreme heat of the summer has directly reduced the number of pumpkins grown in the United States. One farmer reports that his normal crop of 70 tons of pumpkins shrunk to only 12 tons this season. Now we are talking about our Halloween jack-o-lanterns and Thanksgiving dessert.

FALL ACTION TIPS

By marching, you have taken the first step to be part of the movement to stop global warming, but perhaps you are asking, "What else can I do?" Here are a few action tips for the fall:

* Get five more people to join you on the Virtual March.

* Check out "Ten Tips for an Earth Friendly Halloween"

* Buy "Stop Global Warming: The Solution is You!" which has lots of ideas for becoming part of the solution. Stop Global Warming Marchers get 25% off. Click here to buy (enter code SGW06 at purchase for discount).

* Watch Virtual March partner The Weather Channel's new weekly show about global warming, The Climate Code with Dr. Heidi Cullen.

* Pick one StopGlobalWarming.org Take Action tip and start doing it in your everyday life.

It's not about doing everything; it’s about doing something – even just one thing. The solution is you!

Keep Marching!

Laurie David

Founder
StopGlobalWarming.org


To sign up for the Stop Global Warming Virtual March, please visit http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/

If you do not want futher messages from Stop Global Warming, simply go here and we will remove you from our list.
Buzztone, 15260 Ventura Blvd. Suite 2100 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Some of the things we have done around the RiverYak compound, all thanks to the Brother in Law that lives here:

We have replaced most of the light bulbs in our house with efficient fluorescent bulbs. A 60 watt bulb actually uses 15 watts, producing 800 lumens of light, and averages 6000 hours of use!

During the winter we winterize our windows with a thin, clear plastic film that sticks to the sills with two sided tape. Heat is applied to stretch the film tight over the window. When installed correctly, the film cannot be seen. Once or twice, a hand has been stuck through the film in our house because it is so hard to see! This prevents drafts, making the house stay warm without running the heater 24/7.

In the summer, we utilize fans and open windows as long as possible. In this area, that is possible, but probably not for Texas. To minimize air conditioner and heat use, seal off rooms that are not used, insulate the duct work in your house, and dress for the conditions. Although we have already had several frosts and freezes this fall, we still have not turned on the heater. Instead, we have added more blankets to the bed, sleep in pajamas, and wear comfortable fleece sweaters when we feel chilly.

To minimize our water usage, the bro in law purchased a rain barrel that connects to a gutter. The water trapped by the barrel has been used to water our garden for most of the year. This has greatly reduced our water bill.

With these efficiency standards in place at our house, our electric bill averages about $50 a month. The utility bill (water, sewage, gas) however, runs closer to $100 a month. This is because our house is not insulated very well, we don't have a dishwasher, so we end up using more water to wash dishes, I take long showers (I know I'm a terrible person), and a few other problems with the structure that are out of our control because we rent. Still, we are far below the average household energy usage of a two person dwelling, even though there are four people living here. This just goes to show that small changes can make a huge difference in your utility bill, as well as living a low impact lifestyle that is good for the environment.

Another area we save a little money on is garbage. Charlottesville charges by the bag or can, depending on how you want to pay for it. We recycle all our paper, cans, plastic, and cardboard. Our food is composted in the backyard, and will be used in the garden next year. This leaves a few non-recyclable items to go in the garbage. We have gone as much as one month without putting out the trash, but we usually do it every other week. Remember, we are doing this with four adults. It isn't very hard.

Engergystar.gov says if every American household would change just one light bulb to an Energy Efficient Compact Fluorescent bulb (the type we use), the country would save 5.6 billion killowatt-hours of electricity per year, or $526 million dollars a year in electric expenses.

When those old bulbs burn out, try to replace them with the Energy Efficient fluorescent bulbs and watch your electric bill. I promise it will decrease, plus you're using less energy. Using less electricity is a good thing for the consumer, the environment, and our health!

Fair winds and following seas...