Are You Familiar With These Energy Reducing Tips? Test Your Knowledge

"According to the Department of Energy, the electricity consumed by televisions that are turned off but still plugged in costs U.S. households more than $750 million a year".

- National Geographic, Going Green

"You save about 15% on fuel by driving 88km/hour than 105km/hour. Properly inflated tires and a well-tuned engine also improve fuel economy."

-National Geographic, Going Green

"Contrary to popular belief, excessive idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather. The best way to warm it up is to drive it. In fact, with today's computer-controlled engines, even on cold winter days, no more than two to three minutes of idling is usually enough warm-up time before starting to drive. This also reduces fuel consumption and GHG emissions."

- Ready to Use Facts, "Natural Resources Canada",

"Hand washing dishes can use up to 50% more water than a water-saving, energy-efficient dishwasher."

- National Geographic Going Green Quiz

"All of these materials can produce paper. Hemp, the more humane and clean option, requires less land acreage to grow than timber, has fewer chemical byproducts, and can be recycled more frequently than tree fiber."

-National Geographic, Going Green

Each degree you drop the thermostat during winter saves about 20% on your heating bill.

-National Geographic, Going Green

"It is always better to turn lights off when not in use. And there is no additional energy requirement for starting a CFL bulb."

-National Geographic, Going Green

"Only about 8 percent of global energy comes from renewables. The remaining 92 percent comes from non-renewable sources like oil, coal, and natural gas."

-National Geographic, Going Green

Both plastic and paper bags cause significant environmental damage. Paper bags require the destruction of forests and generate 70% more air and 50 times more water pollutants than plastic bags. Though it takes less energy to recycle plastic, less than 3% of plastic bags are actually recycled and end up killings thousands of dolphins and fish every year. Bring your own reusable bags when shopping.

- "Paper Bags Are Better Than Plastic Right?", Reusable Bags(dot) com.

"Any more than ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than is required to restart the engine. However, the break-even time to offset any potential incremental maintenance costs to the starter or battery is under 60 seconds. So, as a guideline, if you're stopped for more than 60 seconds – except in traffic – turn off the engine."

- "Ready to Use Facts", Natural Resources Canada,

"CFLs use 2/3 less energy than standard incadescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 60-watt incadescent with a 13-watt CFL will save about $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb."

-National Geographic, Going Green