Blog

Fact versus Fiction — Five Eco Myths…

Don’t be fooled by these eco myths…

Eco Myth:  Shutting down your computer at night and rebooting in the morning uses more energy than leaving it when you hit the sack. 

Fact: Get eco savvy and shut down your computer — you’ll conserve energy, reduce mechanical stress, and prolong the useful life of a machine.

 
Eco Myth:  Big oil loves alternative energy and they’ve created some nice tv commercials to prove it. 

Fact:  In reality, they’re lobbying Congress for more offshore drilling rights and gouging us at the pump.

Eco Myth:  The word natural on packaging labels means no preservatives and harmful chemicals. 

Fact:  The word natural doesn’t mean much.  Many marketers toss around “natural” irresponsibly; the FDA does not hold companies accountable to specific standards or a particular definition.  Dig deeper to see if the ingredients listed on food, drug, cosmetic, household and personal care product labels are non-toxic.  Check out Environmental Working Group and Consumer Reports Greener Choices for info about product ingredients.

Eco Myth:  Washing dishes by hand is more eco efficient than using a dishwasher. 

Fact:  Just be sure the dishwasher is fully loaded and set on eco/energy saver/light wash mode.  Before stacking plates in the dishwasher — scrape, don’t rinse. Switch off your dishwasher when the cycle is completely done, it consumes electricity on standby.  Switch off the machine and open the door while it’s in the dry phase — air dry, and you’ll save even more energy.  (The average energy efficient dishwasher uses just four gallons of water per cycle, saving up to 5,000 gallons of water per year compared to hand washing, as well as $40 in energy costs and 2300 hours of your time, according to the EPA.)

Eco Myth:  We can’t live without bottled water. 

Fact:  Your tap water may be perfectly safe and absolutely tasty. According to Sierra Club tap water quality is more regulated than bottled water.  If your home’s H2O needs treatment use a filter like pitcher filters from ZeroWater, Brita or Pur to filter your tap water; or install a tap-mounted or under the sink filtration system. Before going all the way by investing in a whole-house filtration system consider how much such an investment could bump-up your home’s energy load.  While we’re at it, stop contributing to landfills and the energy required to recycle plastic bottles — fill up at home with a reusable steel bottle (that’s BPA-free) to stay hydrated on the go.  BPA (Bisphenol-A), a chemical in some plastics, can leach into water.  Check out otterbottle, KOR ONE or klean kanteen.  Save money, the planet and your health by avoiding disposable plastic bottles.

Tags: Maureen O'Conner, The Alternative Consumer, Water - Use It Wisely