Zerofootprint

These simple steps were sent to us by an friend, who found this information on a the EPIC Vancouver website. Check out Zerofootprint, a great link, for more information.

Did you know??

1. Leaving your computer on when it's not being used is like leaving a 100W light bulb on all day.In fact, idle computers contribute about 45 million tonnes of greenhouse emissions to the atmosphere. That's enough emissions to fill 810 billion birthday balloons.

2. Electronic equipment may look like it's off, but in reality TVs, VCRs and other household appliances are in "standby" mode, which keeps your electricity meter running and contributes to global warming. You could easily reduce your footprint by plugging your electronics into a power bar, and turning the power bar off when you leave your home.

3. Improper insulation causes your furnace to work harder than necessary. If you combined the heat leaks in an average Canadian home, you would leave a hole the size of a basketball! By plugging these leaks, you would save up to 25% on heating bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10,325,000 tonnes.

4. Just one tires under-flatted by two pounds per square inch results in a one percent in fuel consumption. Check your tire pressure. If every vehicle in Canada decreased it's fuel consumption by one percent, greenhouse emissions would drop by 1.45 million tonnes (that's 620 millions dollars each year).

5. The fruits and vegetables in your supermarket may have travelled up to 5,000kn to reach you. Buying locally lessens the fuel required to transport this food and reduces the carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 272 grams of carbon dioxide per fruit or vegetable.

You could easily limit your environmental impact without diminishing your quality of life!