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December 19, 2007
Ask EPA is an online interactive forum where you can discuss a wide range of environmental and human health issues with EPA's senior officials.
Today's Session
Maria Vargas of EPA's Energy Star
program will discuss how you can green your holiday season and save
some green too.
Maria Vargas: Welcome, and thank you for joining me for the holiday session of "Ask EPA." It's a great time of year to be talking about energy efficiency and what you can do at work and at home to save energy, save money, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
I'm especially glad to be here because one of my favorite parts of my job is to talk to people about what they can do. A lot of people are surprised to learn that their decisions can have a real impact on our environment. For example, most people don't know that the average home is responsible for twice the greenhouse gas emissions as the average car. Or that most homes can save about 30% on their energy bills by using more energy-efficient products and practices.
Here at EPA, we're proud of the fact that last year alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved $14 billion on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that of 25 million cars. And that's just the tip of the iceberg!
From: Christine
In: Washington Grove, MD
Question: Hi Maria, if I spend, say, $20 to buy a string
of energy efficient LED lights for my Christmas tree, do you have any sense
how long it will take to recoup my $20 in savings? I have relatively new
lights on my tree now, but they're not energy-efficient, and I'm considering
making the switch to LEDs.
Maria Vargas: There's no question you'll save money, but I can't tell you exactly when you'll break even because it depends on how often you use them and how much you pay for electricity. But LEDs are the most efficient light source - they're about 80-90% more efficient than incandescents, and they last a lot longer – so you'll probably still have them in 20 years.
From: Marcia
In: Des Moines, IA
Question: Green holidays are great, but I'm tired.
Now that I'm done with my shopping, what's next? What can I start to
do now, for later, like spring time?
Maria Vargas: Spring is a great time to think about making your home more energy-efficient. With summer around the corner, you should be looking at you air condition your home. EPA has a lot of advice at http://www.energystar.gov including a guide to energy-efficient heating and cooling at http://energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac . It's not just about buying new equipment; there are things you can do like changing your air filters and having your system checked that can save you a lot of energy.
By the way, after you've rested over the holidays, remember to compost your Christmas tree, reuse your wrapping paper, and recycle old electronics. See our Web site for more info: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-winter.htm
From: Aracelli
In: Carey, NC
Question: My home was built in 1987 and I would like
to change the HVAC system to be run by green energy. Is solar better
and more affordable? Are there programs to help with the costs of changing
over?
Maria Vargas: Without knowing the specifics, I can't tell you whether solar would make sense for your home. Check with your local utility to find out if they're offering you the opportunity to buy "green power" (solar or other renewable energy sources). They would probably be the ones who could help offset conversion costs.
EPA encourages the use of renewable energy. Through our Green Power Partnership, we're working with large organizations across the country to increase the percentage of their power coming from renewable energy sources.
From: Roland
In: Washington, DC
Question: How can we make it easy to dispose of burned
out Fluorescent Light Bulbs containing Mercury? Currently, we must
travel 10 miles (round trip) to a dump to dispose of burned out fluorescent bulbs. Why
can't EPA require businesses who sell such bulbs to accept the return
of burned out bulbs for disposal, similar to how we can return used motor
oil to a nearby service station.
Truth or Urban Legend? -- As I was buying fluorescent bulbs from a local hardware store, a person told me a story about a person he knew that a person dropped a fluorescent bulb in her home and was broken. I was told that she called the 1-800 # to learn how to clean up the mercury contamination. When all was said and done, she contacted a remediation company to test for the level of contamination. The company found that the one broken bulb resulted in "dangerously high levels of mercury which required $2,000 remediation expense to clean up the contamination. How can this be possible? How many broken fluorescent bulbs would need to be broken to cause "dangerously high levels of mercury contamination" in the home?
Maria Vargas: CFLs do contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 5 milligrams, which is roughly equivalent to an amount that would cover the tip of a ball-point pen. And the average amount of mercury in a CFL is anticipated to drop soon thanks to a commitment from the members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact or in use. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury. It would take 100 CFLs to equal that amount.
Because CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local recycling options for CFLs. EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. Consumers can contact their local municipal solid waste agency directly, or go to epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.org to identify local recycling options. IKEA stores take back used CFLs, in addition to batteries and other toxic household items.
If your state permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put it into the outside trash, or other protected outside location, for the next normal trash collection. CFLs should not be disposed of in an incinerator.
This is an issue EPA continues to work on. We'll post updates on our mercury site: http://www.epa.gov/mercury
From: Tom
In: Dahlonega, GA
Question: When will the epa except the evidence that
co2 emmissions are not raising the earth's temperature and admit that "global
warming" is a "convenient 'lie'". There is more
proof in the scientific community to dismiss the global warming scare
than there is supporting it.
Maria Vargas: Let me just share what we have on EPA's climate change Web site (http://www.epa.gov/climatechange). Scientists know with virtual certainty that human activities are changing the composition of Earth's atmosphere. Increasing levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO 2) in the atmosphere since pre-industrial times are well-documented and understood. Also, the atmospheric buildup of CO2 and other greenhouse gases is largely the result of human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels.
The nice thing about EPA's Energy Star program is that it helps you save money and energy by being more energy-efficient. Go to http://www.energystar.gov to figure out what you can do in your home.
From: Laura
In: Nashville, TN
Question: Are all rechargeable batteries created equal,
or are there certain things to think about when shopping for rechargeable
batteries and chargers?
Maria Vargas: I'm sorry, but I can't help you choose among rechargeable batteries. But battery charging systems like those in mini vacuums, cordless phones, and power tools can earn the Energy Star if they're very energy-efficient. Conventional battery chargers, even when not actively charging a product, can draw as much as 5-20 times more energy than is actually stored in the battery. Advanced energy saving designs are now available with the Energy Star that on average use 35% less energy. Since there are about 230 million tools with battery charging systems in use in the US today, by being more efficient, we can save more than 1 billion kilowatt-hours of energy per year, saving Americans more than $100 million annually.
Maria Vargas: Thanks again to all of you who sent in questions and joined us live today. I wish we would have had more time to get to each question. There's so much we can do in our homes and where we work, shop and go to school to be more energy-efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I encourage you to visit http://www.energystar.gov to learn what you can do.
Please join us January 31 at 2:00 pm, when Assistant Administrator for Water Ben Grumbles will discuss how using water efficiently can help you save money and protect the environment.