DEP Encourages Green Resolutions for 2008

The Department is encouraging residents to make “green” resolutions for the New Year. Each week, a new “green” tip is posted on DEP’s Web site to help Floridians make their homes and offices more environmentally friendly.

“As the fourth most populous state in the nation, the people of Florida play a critical role in preserving our environment,” said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “There are simple steps that we can all take in our daily lives to help protect and conserve Florida’s natural resources for future generations.

Even small things like changing one incandescent lightbulb to an ENERGY STAR® qualified bulb can have a big impact,” said DEP Secretary Sole. “For example, if all the households in Florida changed just one lightbulb to a compact fluorescent bulb, the combined effort would save enough energy to light all the households in Tallahassee for more than two and a half years.”

To help you get started, here are 8 simple resolutions that will make your 2008 cleaner and “greener”:

1. Turn off your screen saver – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that using a computer's “sleep mode” reduces its energy consumption by 60 to 70 percent. A screen saver that displays moving images causes your monitor to consume as much electricity as it does in active use. The best screen saver is also the best energy saver: turn off your monitor when you’re not using it. Turning off your computer will decrease the amount of energy it uses, reduces its mechanical stress and prolong its life.



2. Eliminate paper waste - Did you know that every year enough paper is thrown away to make a 12 foot wall from New York to California? Each ton of paper recycled saves 17 trees and 7,000 gallons of water. Recycled paper also saves 60 percent energy in comparison to new paper and generates 95 percent less air pollution. Since one-fifth of all wood harvested in the world ends up in paper it just makes sense to recycle and conserve this valuable resource.
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