20 free ways to save energy
Consumer Reports' "Complete Guide to Reducing Energy Costs" is crammed with ways to cut your energy bills. Some take a little money and effort, such as weatherstripping your windows. Some take a little restraint, such as picking a sedan instead of an SUV. Others require investment, such as choosing the more-efficient refrigerator, even if the price tag is a bit higher. Of course, the best ways to save energy dollars are the ones that take no money and little or no effort. That's what you'll find in this excerpt--20 simple things you can do to start saving money right this minute, without having to reach for your wallet.
As the cost of heating your home and running your car continues to climb, we hope this book will help ease the burden on you and your family. And it's nice to know that saving energy does more than save you money: It helps save resources. Using less energy pollutes less, creates less acid rain, and results in less global warming. Even if you do nothing more than the 20 free things listed here, you will have made a difference in your budget and a difference in the world. Not bad for free.
- Wash clothes in cold water. You might guess that most of the energy used by a washing machine goes into vigorously swishing the clothes around. In fact, about 90 percent of it is spent elsewhere, heating the water for the load. You can save substantially by washing and rinsing at cooler temperatures. Warm water helps the suds to get at the dirt, but cold-water detergents will work effectively for just about everything in the hamper.
- Hang it up. Clotheslines aren't just a bit of backyard nostalgia. They really work, given a stretch of decent weather. You spare the energy a dryer would use, and your clothes will smell as fresh as all outdoors without the perfumes in fabric softeners and dryer sheets. You'll also get more useful life out of clothes dried on indoor or outdoor clotheslines--after all, dryer lint is nothing but your wardrobe in the process of wearing out.
- Don't overdry your laundry. Clothes will need less ironing and hold up better if you remove them from the dryer while they're still just a bit damp. If you are in the market for a dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor; it will be less likely than thermostat-equipped models to run too long.
- Let the dishwasher do the work. Don't bother prerinsing dishes with the idea that your dishwasher will work less hard. Consumer Reports has found that this added step can waste 20 gallons of heated water a day. All you need to do is scrape off leftover food. Enzyme-based detergents will help make sure the dishes emerge spotless.
- Put your PC to sleep. Keep your computer and its monitor in sleep mode rather than leaving them on around the clock. You stand to use 80 percent less electricity, which over the course of a year could have the effect of cutting CO2 emissions by up to 1,250 pounds, according to EPA estimates.
- Turn down the heat in the winter, and turn down the cool in the summer. Lower the thermostat 5° to 10° F when you're sleeping or are out of the house. "A 10° decrease can cut your heating bill by as much as 20 percent," says Jim Nanni, manager of the appliance and home-improvement testing department of Consumer Reports. And before you put on a cotton sweater to ward off a slight chill from the AC in summer, consider that for every degree you raise the thermostat setting, you can expect to cut your cooling costs by at least 3 percent.
- A cold hearth for a warmer house. A conventional fireplace draws a small gale out of the room and sends it up the chimney. Assuming the indoor air has been warmed by your central heating system, that means your energy dollars are going up the chimney, too. Instead, consider a direct-vent, sealed-combustion gas fireplace. Consumer Reports has found that those units have an energy efficiency of about 70 percent--and the sight of the flames is a lot more warming than staring at a radiator.
- Lower the shades and raise the windows. Not at the same time, of course, but your windows and shades are great tools to help moderate temperatures in the home. Because of central air conditioning, we tend to forget these time-tested, traditional ways of making the house comfortable. Shades are particularly helpful in blocking the sun from west-facing rooms in the afternoon. At night, if the forecast calls for cooler temperatures and low humidity, give the AC a rest. Open windows upstairs and down, and use window fans or a whole-house fan.
- Put a spin on home cooling. You can operate a couple of fans with a fraction of the electricity needed for air conditioning, and their cooling effect may make it possible to cut back on AC use.
- Take care of your air conditioner, and it will take care of you. Your air conditioner will run more efficiently if you clean or replace its filter every other week during heaviest use. Keep leaves and other debris away from the central air's exterior condenser, and keep the condenser coils clean.
- Spend less for hot water. Set the hot water heater at 120° F (or the "low" setting), which is hot enough for most needs. If the tank feels warm to the touch, consider wrapping it with conventional insulation or a blanket made for that purpose. To help conserve the water's heat on its way to the faucets, insulate the plumbing with pipe sleeves; with these, you can raise the end-use temperature by 2° to 4° F.
- Think twice before turning on the oven. Heating food in the microwave uses only 20 percent of the energy required by a full-sized oven. And while the second-hand heat from the oven may be welcome in winter, it can put an added load on your air conditioner in warmer months.
- Use the right pan. When cooking on the stovetop, pick your pan, then put it on an element or burner that's roughly the same size. You'll use much less energy than you would with a mismatched burner and pan. Steam foods instead of boiling. If you do boil, be sure to put a lid on the pot to make the water come to a boil faster.
- Read the label. The EnergyGuide label, that is. When you shop for a new appliance, look for the label that gives an estimate of annual energy consumption. To help you make sense of that statistic, the label also states the highest and lowest figures for similar models.
- Dust off the Crock-Pot. Slow cooking in a Crock-Pot uses a lot less energy than simmering on the stove.
- Clean the coils on your refrigerator using a tapered appliance brush. Your fridge's motor won't have to run as long or as often. In addition to saving energy dollars, you'll prolong the life of the appliance.
- Drive steadily--and a bit slower. Hard acceleration and abrupt braking will use more fuel than if you start and slow more moderately. Keeping down your overall speed matters, too, because aerodynamic drag increases dramatically as you drive faster. If you travel at 65 mph instead of 55, you are penalized by lowering your mileage 12.5 percent. If you get your vehicle up to 75 mph, you're losing 25 percent compared with mileage at 55 mph.
- Roof racks are a drag. Most cars are reasonably streamlined, but you work against their slipperiness if you carry things on the roof. A loaded roof rack can decrease an SUV's fuel efficiency by 5 percent, and that of a more aerodynamic car by 15 percent or more. Even driving with empty ski racks wastes gas.
- Stick with regular. If your car's manufacturer specifies regular gas, don't buy premium with the thought of going faster or operating more efficiently. You'd be spending more with no benefit. Most cars have built-in sensors that adjust the engine timing to the gas in the tank. Even if the owner's manual recommends high-octane gas, ask the dealership about switching to regular.
- No loitering. Don't let the engine run at idle any longer than necessary. After starting the car in the morning, begin driving right away; don't let it sit and "warm up" for several minutes. An engine actually warms up faster while driving. With most gasoline engines, it's more efficient to turn off the engine than to idle longer than 30 seconds.
And if you don't mind spending a few dollars: - A tighter home is a toastier home. Insulation is your home's first line of defense against the weather, right? Wrong. Before you bulk up with fiberglass blankets, seal the leaks. Inexpensive foam strips and caulking can cut your heating and cooling bills by 5 to 30 percent.
- Try do-it-yourself low-E windows. If your windows don't have a low-E coating, consider applying a self-adhesive film on the glass. This treatment is a lot cheaper than replacing the units, and better-quality films are quite durable.
- Use a programmable thermostat. Roughly half of the typical home's energy bill goes for heating and cooling, according to the Department of Energy. The easiest way to save, short of sweating or shivering, is to use programmable thermostats. They can pay for themselves in about a year.
- Switch to those funny-looking fluorescents. You may not be familiar with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), but give them a try. A single bulb can save from $25 to $45 over its life. And it's a long life: Manufacturers claim that CFLs last between 5 and 13 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs.
加菲猫的人生格言 Garfield's Philosophy of Life
Money is not everything. There's MasterCard & Visa.
钞票不是万能的,有时还需要信用卡。
我喜欢星期一，如果它永不来临
我喜欢星期六，因为明天是星期天
只要我不醒来，世界就不存在！！！
One should love animals. They are so tasty.
每个人都应该热爱动物,因为它们很好吃。
Save water. Shower with your girlfriend.
要节约用水,尽量和女友一起洗澡。
Love the neighbor. But don't get caught.
要用心去爱你的邻居,不过不要让她的老公知道。
Behind every successful man, there is a man. And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two.
每个成功男人的背后,都有一个女人。每个不成功男人的背后, 都有两个。
Every man should marry. After all, happiness is not the only thing in life.
再快乐的单身汉迟早也会结婚,幸福不是永久的嘛
The wise never marry, and when they marry they become otherwise.
聪明人都是未婚的,结婚的人很难再聪明起来。
Success is a relative term. It brings so many relatives.
成功是一个相关名词,他会给你带来很多不相关的亲戚(联系)。
Never put off the work till tomorrow what you can put off today.
不要等明天交不上差再找借口, 今天就要找好。
好像还有一个翻译：
不要把今天能拖的事拖到明天去。
个人比较喜欢第二个翻译
Love is photogenic. It needs darkness to develop.
爱情就像照片,需要大量的暗房时间来培养。
Children in backseats cause accidents. Accidents in backseats cause children.
后排座位上的小孩会生出意外, 后排座位上的意外会生出小孩。
“Your future depends on your dreams.” So go to sleep.
“现在的梦想决定着你的将来”，所以还是再睡一会吧。
There should be a better way to start a day than waking up every morning.
应该有更好的方式开始新一天,而不是千篇一律的在每个上午都醒来。
“Hard work never killed anybody.“But why take the risk?
努力工作不会导致死亡!不过我不会用自己去证明。
“Work fascinates me.“I can look at it for hours!
工作好有意思耶!尤其是看着别人工作。
我喜欢所有的意大利面！
你竟然带了一个又老又没用的家伙回来，而且不是我。
加菲猫肯定不是为猪肉卷而生，但猪肉卷一定是为加菲猫而生。
欧迪，我们去吃冰激凌吧，不过你得看着我吃。
我应该对欧迪有礼貌。——（吲迪一脚）——很抱歉，欧迪?现在我做到了。
我不能让那只鸡在我的名字后面写字。
这个汉堡包的味道不错，但不如前八个好。
欧迪，走，我们去买一个或九个汉堡包当晚餐。
肚子大不可怕，可怕的是肚子里没有好东西。
有了意大利面，谁还会吃老鼠呢？
“欧迪在窗外冻得瑟瑟发抖，真可怜。我真有点不忍心看他这样。不，难道我能坐视不管吗？我必须做点什么。”加菲拉上了窗帘。
你可以让小猫离开肉饼，但不能让肉饼离开小猫。
如果你不想给谁东西吃的话，就得让它想着点什么。
巧克力的麻烦是：你把它吃了,它就没了。
最可爱的东西莫过于一张放着猪肉卷的小桌子。
、——（深沉状……）我是在做梦吗？
——（冲到自己“床”前，掀起被子……）被子里没有我，不是在睡觉……
这个世界上还有很多比钱更重要的东西，比如说意大利面。
能从这种不让体重增加的运动中得到乐趣真是太好了。
失败的人特点是会不断地失败。如果你想看看他的失败的话，他是不会让你失望的。
加菲猫要有了三个愿望：“第一个是要猪肉卷，第二个还是猪肉卷，第三个，哦，你错啦，我想要更多的愿望，那样我就能得到更多的猪肉卷啦。”
今后我永远不做对不起欧迪的事，……也许，也许不是永远。
现在，你能把星期一还给我们吗？还有星期三和整个八月，威斯康星州和巧克力糖。……对了，还有一点，你能把我的硬币也还给我吗？
有一位漂亮的女士对乔恩说你真可爱，而你还问我有什么不对！
如果你不能击败你的敌人，那么就加入他们。
纳尔曼，你好。我现在在阿布扎比。这里最糟糕的地方不在于没有意大利面条，也不在于离家几千英里。最可怕的地方在于——这里挤满了被邮寄来的，可爱的猫！
——“加菲猫，你不会是真的要把我用快件寄到阿布扎比去吧？”
——“不，纳尔曼，我不会的。我会用慢件，这样可以便宜一点。”
不，水果蛋糕！这是我不吃的三样东西之一。另外两样是葡萄干，还有蜗牛。
球状也是身材。
今天，你踢你的狗了吗？～～
、——乔恩，你要是猜出这里面有多少巧克力豆,这罐子里的东西就都归你。
——我猜你已经把它们都吃光了。
——你猜对了！
纳尔曼：加菲猫，你是来为我辩护的吗？
加菲猫：不是，我来是为了确认你有罪的。……你说猫委员会会判纳尔曼多少年刑，我看最好判99年。……
返希你能帮我个忙吗？帮我申请做一只狗，最好是西班牙狮子狗！
狗的问题就在于，它们身上没有装一个ON/OFF开关。
我还得对欧迪说一声对不起——（这时欧迪站在桌子边上，走过去一脚踢将下去。）——现在得说两声。
今天是星期一，一切都不对劲，我该做点什么呢？哦，我知道了。——（吲迪一脚，返闲浮在空中）——哎！今天连地球引力都没精神了。
就到这儿吧！我要去睡今天的第三个午觉了。
我向星星许了个愿。我并不是真的相信它，但是反正也是免费的，而且也没有证据证明它不灵。
我在蹦极，你看不出来吗？
睡了美美的一觉，16个小时，我是喜欢睡短觉的。
加菲猫看见小狗欧迪跑进了一个古城堡，就跟了进去。打开一扇门，一个大厅黑咕隆冬的。
加菲猫喊：“欧迪！”
回音（渐弱）：“欧迪——欧迪——欧迪——”
加菲猫又喊：“你在哪里？”
回音（还是渐弱的）：“你在哪里？——你在哪里？——你在哪里？——”
加菲猫想：这声音不错。
加菲猫继续喊：“加菲猫是世界上最美丽最英俊的猫！”
回音（渐强的）：“不可能——胡说——瞎说——骗人的——”
我把星期一从日历上撕掉，就没有星期一了。
欧迪已经愚蠢到地心引力都对它不起作用了。
乔恩:“加菲猫，你猜我给你带什么来了？”
加菲：不管是什么，只要能吃就行。
乔恩在洗澡，Garfield在睡觉。
加菲：那些一边洗澡一边唱歌的人应该拉到街上去枪毙。
加菲在饭桌旁等着开饭，乔恩却忙着要出门。
加菲：嗨，你没有忘记什么重要的事情吗……
加菲：要知道，在有些州不给猫做早饭是重罪。
加菲：（讲述一个故事）很久很久以前，有一个小姑娘……（画面出现odie身穿公主裙的背影）……她……（odie突然转过身来，伸着长长的舌头）……她丑的就像冰箱里什么都没有一样！！
加菲手里拿着一个冰激凌，对odie说：odie，要不要舔一下？odie满心欢喜的诚恳又期待的望着加菲。加菲伸出舌头在odie脸上很用力的舔了一下，继续吃冰激凌……
虽然欧迪是条狗，但它有时候也过着狗一样的生活。——猫哲学家
（凄凉的小提琴音乐之后）
嗨！
高高地抬起你的头，迈开大步朝前走！
你要向人们证明你不是一个任人欺负的土豆。
你手里握着一只鸟， 那是远远不够的。
加菲猫节食秘诀：
1.不要打算吃不够再来第二轮，第一次就要拿够食物。
2.把磅秤的零点调成负5公斤。
3.绝对不吃减肥糖。
4.不要结交家里开餐厅或糕饼店的女朋友。
5.减肥应多吃蔬菜，所以该多吃南瓜派，蔬菜饼干等。
6.冷食不宜多吃（但冰激凌除外）。
7.每餐留一点儿，不要统统吃下肚——比方说，冰激凌圣代上的那颗樱桃）。
8.多跟比你胖的人在一起。
猫冲向食物的速度和食物的多少成正比。
“Your future depends on your dreams.” So go to sleep.
“现在的梦想决定着你的将来”，所以还是再睡一会吧。
今天是元旦..我决定在新的一年里每天睡眠时间不超过8小时.这样的话..8x365/24..121.6天..5月3日叫我起床!
今天我要做俯卧撑……呃呀呀呀呀呀……今天先俯卧……明天再撑…………
我胖我懒————可是我自豪！
I am fat, I am lazy-----but I am proud!
我的体重刚刚好——相当于一艘航空母舰。
乔恩：这是我和加菲去公园的照片，这是加菲和一只三百美元的小鸟坐在一起，这是我在为加菲的午餐付帐——共三百美元……
我并不是每次吃完饭就看电视，有时我边吃饭边看电视，生活中有些改变会增加乐趣。
我要有麻烦了，你们还是把电视机关掉吧。
你能不能用英语来说中国话？否则什么都别说
10 Reasons To Drink More Water
I know you've heard this many times - "Drink more water!". Yet, 99% of the people don't heed this advice. Maybe if water was more expensive, people would pay more attention to consume enough of it on a daily basis. We are living in a dehydrated world of carbonated beverages, caffeine and alcohol.
I bet you don't know how important is water for your health, figure and well-being. But drinking water is not just a trend, it's essential! Everything your body does it does better with a healthy supply of water, every system in your body depends on water.
So here are 10 reasons why drinking water is good for you and why you should make drinking water part of your daily routine:
1. Get Healthy Skin Nothing will improve the appearance of your skin better than consuming enough water. It's a pity women spend so much money on skin products, while neglecting the cheapest and most effective one - water. Water is the single most important element for cellular integrity. Drinking water moisturizes your skin from the inside out. Water is also essential to maintaining elasticity and suppleness and helps prevent dryness. The real fountain of youth can be found in a glass of water.
2. Flush Toxins Water helps remove toxins from the body, in particular from the digestive tract. Our kidney system is unique in its filtering capabilities and totally dependent upon water in order for it to work. Daily fluid intake is essential to its efficient operation, particularly because there is some decrease in function with age. Water helps get rid of excess nitrogen, urea, and ketones, so it is particularly important when following a high protein diet. You need even more water to help your kidneys do their work if you’re eating big to gain weight.
3. Reduce Your Risk Of Heart Attack Researchers at Loma Linda University in California studied more than 20,000 healthy men and women and found that people who drink more than five glasses of water a day were less likely to die from a heart attack or heart disease than those who drank fewer than two glasses a day.
4. Cushion And Lube Your Joints And Muscles Water makes up a large part of the fluid that lubricates and cushions your joints and muscles. And although not the only element associated with muscle cramps, athletes have long recognized that even mild dehydration can produce cramps. So drinking water before, during and after exercise can also help reduce muscle cramping and premature fatigue.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, adequate fluid replacement helps to maintain hydration therefore optimizing and enhancing performance of those participating in regular exercise. They suggest flavored waters to promote hydration and to increase palatability. Products such as Gatorade’s Propel Fitness Water are, therefore, terrific substitutes for plain water to increase fluid intake and meet the optimum consumption of water per day, thus enhancing performance and lessening the possibility of dehydration.
5. Get Energized And Be Alert On average, most adults lose about 10 cups of fluid a day through sweating, exhaling, urinating, and bowel movements. Even minor dehydration can cause impaired concentration, headaches, irritability and fatigue.
Water is also essential for proper circulation in the body. The levels of oxygen in the bloodstream are greater when the body is well hydrated. The more oxygen the body has readily available the more fat it will burn for energy without the presence of oxygen the body cannot utilize stored fat for energy efficiently. Not only will the body burn more fat when well hydrated but because there are increased oxygen levels you will also have more energy.
Drinking more water everyday will help your think more clearly. Research has repeatedly shown that staying hydrated is necessary for the human brain, which is 85 percent water, to function at optimal levels. That is why many school systems throughout the country now encourage students to keep a bottle of water at their desks and to drink it throughout the day.
6. Stay Regular Water helps prevent constipation by adding fluid to the colon and bulk to stools. Something as simple as fluid plays a major role in preventing constipation. Not only does the liquid encourage bowel movement, but it also softens the stools.
Water is essential for proper digestion, nutrient absorption and chemical reactions. The carbohydrates and proteins that our bodies use as food are metabolized and transported by water in the bloodstream. But no less important is the ability of water to transport waste material out of our bodies.
7. Reduce Your Risk Of Disease And Infection Consistent failure to drink enough water can lead to Chronic Cellular Dehydration. This condition where the body's cell are never quite hydrated enough leave them in a weakened state, vulnerable to attack from disease. It weakens the body's overall immune system and leads to chemical, nutritional and pH imbalances that can cause a host of diseases.
When you don’t have enough water in your body, your cells start to draw water from the bloodstream. Your heart has to work harder because your blood gets sludgy, and your body starts to redirect blood away from less vital areas. Dehydration can set in even before you start to feel thirsty. This is a great strain on the body because it impairs the kidneys in their vital function of purifying the blood and helping the body get rid of toxins.
Also Michaud and coworkers found that the incidence of cancer in the urinary bladder was reduced significantly by a high fluid intake in a ten-year study involving nearly 48,000 men. The top 20% of subjects who participated in the study drank 2500 ml per day or more, while the bottom 20% drank 1200 ml or less. The authors concluded that within this range, the risk of bladder cancer decreased by 7% for every 240 ml of fluid added.
8. Regulate Your Body Temperature Water regulates the body's cooling system. Sports drinks are useful when consumed after or during vigorous and prolonged exercise in high heat. But most experts agree that water works better than carbohydrates or sugared beverages for moderate exercise. For instance, if you drink 12 ounces of plain water, your body will absorb 8 ounces of it within 15 minutes. If you drink 12 ounces of a 10% sugar solution, less than 1 ounce will be absorbed in the same period. The typical soft drink is a 10 to 12% sugar solution.
Water is the nutrient your body needs the most. Between 55 and 75 percent of adult body weight is water, and it is critical in regulating all body organs and temperature.
9. Burn More Fat And Build More Muscle It has been shown that dehydration decreases protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is what builds muscle. It is an energy costly process. When you suppress protein synthesis, fewer calories end up building proteins and more calories end up in your fat stores. It's elementary: calories have two possible fates - they either get burned, or they get stored. When more of the calories you eat get burned, less will get stored.
Increased water consumption can help you control weight by preventing you from confusing hunger with thirst. Water will also keep your body systems, including metabolism and digestion, working properly and give you the energy (and hydration) necessary for exercise.
10. Get Well The traditional prescription to ‛drink plenty of fluids‛ when you're sick still holds strong. Water can help control a fever, replace lost fluids, and thin out mucus. Water plays a vital role in nearly every bodily function. Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
Water is the substance of life. Life can not exist without water. We must constantly be adding fresh water to our body in order to keep it properly hydrated. Water can be a miracle cure for many common ailments such as headaches, fatigue, joint pain, and much more.
Be sure to drink even more fluid whenever you increase your physical activity, when eating a high fiber diet, during hot weather, at high altitudes, in low humidity locations, and when you're sick, especially if you have a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. The best way to figure out if you’re drinking enough water is to look at your urine. It should be a very light shade of yellow. Drink up if it’s darker. Let your thirst guide you, also. You might not need eight glasses to feel hydrated on a mild day. You could crave nine or 10 if it’s hot or you’re exercising. Bottom line? Your body is 90 percent water and needs it for digestion, healthy skin, blood circulation, temperature control and lots of other reasons.
It is important to know that the body can only absorb 4 ounces of water every 10 minutes, so like many things in life, it is important to be proactive with drinking water. Aim to drink one glass of pure water every hour you are awake. And make the process enjoyable. Many people complain that they don't like the taste of water, or that it is boring to drink! Try these tips for making drinking water an enjoyable process:
- Add fresh mint leaves, slices of strawberry, apple, lemon, or lime to a pitcher of water. Serve chilled. Keep a pitcher of "fruit water" in the refrigerator so you always have great-tasting water available.
- Try Glaceu Fruit Water, which is distilled water with added fruit essence, without added sugar or artificial sweeteners. It is available at most health food stores. It comes in a variety of fabulous flavors including, watermelon, honeydew melon, raspberry/lime, and strawberry/banana.
- Drink herbal teas. Herbal teas have a variety of healing properties and come in a multitude of flavors. Try green tea, yerba matte, chai, chamomile, mint, raspberry leaf, and cinnamon/apple.
- Add a squeeze of lemon or lime to water. Warm water with the juice of 1 lemon taken in the morning on an empty stomach is a great liver detoxifier, and has been shown to aid in weight loss.
Drink your water! Stay well hydrated! Stay healthy!
