Turned off, But Still Making You Pay Higher Costs

Nov 27th, 2005

I found a good article on how much electricity is being consumed by electronic appliances that you think are turned off. The NY Times requires you to open an account in order to read any of the articles. Because I didn’t want to make you do that, I copied and pasted the article here. My bad. Cheryl November 17, 2005, New York Times The Unwasteful Home I Vant to Drink Your Vatts By MATTHEW L. WALD WASHINGTON — Households across the land are infested with vampires. That’s what energy experts call those gizmos with two sharp teeth that dig into a wall socket and suck juice all night long. All day long, too, and all year long. Most people assume that when they turn off the television set it stops drawing power. But that’s not how most TV’s (and VCR’s and other electronic devices) work. They remain ever in standby mode, silently sipping energy to the tune of 1,000 kilowatt hours a year per household, awaiting the signal to roar into action. "As a country we pay $1 billion a year to power our TV’s and VCR’s while they’re turned off," said Maria T. Vargas, a spokeswoman for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, which sets voluntary standards for energy use, and grants its ratings to the most efficient products. There are billions of vampires in the United States, drawing more than enough current in the typical house to light a 100-watt light bulb 24/7, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, a research arm of the Energy Department. These silent energy users include the chargers for devices that run on batteries, like cellphones, iPods and personal digital assistants, and all the devices around the house that have adapters because they run on direct current, like answering machines. Some have both batteries and steady power use, like cordless phones. Experts call all those adapters "wall warts." Many deliver in direct current only half as much energy as they suck out of the wall; the rest is wasted. Vampires and wall warts are only part of the problem. DSL or cable modems, among other things, are increasingly likely to be left on around the clock. A computer left on continuously can draw nearly as much power as an efficient refrigerator – 70 to 250 watts, depending on the model and how it is used. It’s not that hard to engineer a more energy-aware computer: Dell introduced one in 2004 that drew 1.4 watts in "sleep" mode and just under one watt when "off." But energy-efficient design is not necessarily rewarded in the marketplace, where people who are shopping for the latest shiny electronic device are unlikely to put its energy consumption rate while "off" topmost on a list of considerations. Energy efficiency experts say the answer lies instead in industry-wide standards, which would require manufacturers to build appliances with low consumption when in standby. Just about everyone supports such a move. President Bush early on announced that electric devices purchased by the federal government would need to meet a standby consumption standard. Congress is pushing forward, too. This summer it passed a bill to set testing protocols for measuring energy use, clearing the way for nationwide consumption standards. The Energy Department held a meeting this week to discuss developing the standards. California has already adopted its own, to take effect in 2006. Among the worst vampires are big-screen televisions, mainly because of satellite and cable boxes, which can draw up to 30 watts when turned off, experts say. Indeed, the words "off" and "on" no longer seem to apply; a better word might be "idling." "They won’t even say ‘off’ now; they’ll say ‘power,’ " noted Alan K. Meier, a senior energy analyst at the International Energy Agency, a consortium based in Paris. "My washing machine draws five watts even when there’s no sign of intelligent life." One culprit is the microchip, whose presence is revealed by a "soft button" instead of a switch. Microchips are generally an improvement over mechanical controls because they are more durable and sophisticated. They also help reduce the size and weight of consumer products. But they require a continuous trickle of electricity. Energy experts say it would be simple to cut that trickle in half – not by running around the house unplugging everything in sight, which would require much resetting of clocks, but by engineering products differently. It doesn’t cost much to make a more efficient device: sometimes just 50 cents a unit, they say. But consumers don’t consider invisible energy use – "there’s no labeling of power use in ’standby,’ " Mr. Meier said, and "no way for people to recognize what a low-standby device is" – making government-imposed energy efficiency the best hope, he said. The Energy Department would be in charge of setting standby mode standards that would apply to all consumer products sold in the United States. "Things may be a small step for each individual consumer," said Douglas Faulkner, the acting assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, "but they can add up across the country." The Energy Star program, whose labels on electronics help consumers comparison shop, has announced that it will not rate a product that fails its standby mode requirements (consumers in the market for VCR’s, among other things, can see how they rate at energystar.gov). "Consumers are buying more electronics, and there are more consumers," Mr. Faulkner said. "So the amount used by these devices is going up." All the more reason to make each item as energy efficient as possible.

7 Germs You Don't Want to Be Spreading

Nov 24th, 2005

Wellness education often directs employees to take better care of themselves. But what about acting in the best interest of one’s co-workers? Here are seven ways employees can put their colleagues’ health at risk and what employers can do to create a positive, healthier workplace. Get it here

Great Quote to Ponder

Nov 23rd, 2005

Here’s a great quote to ponder:

Those who don’t make time for wellness will be forced to take time for illness.

Comments Please

What does this quote mean for you and your life? Answer at the “comment” link below. We want to know what you think.

Six Minute Chocolate Cake

Nov 22nd, 2005

If you’re going to eat cake, it might as well be made from the purest, cleanest ingredients – in other words, nothing fake or over processed. Here is a SUPER EASY recipe (from "Moosewood Cooks at Home" by Mollie Katzen with a couple of minor changes). I’ve had this cake and it’s unbelievably good. Cheryl Six Minute Chocolate Cake Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, stir with a whisk to combine: 1-1/2 c. (scant) unbleached flour 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa 1 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 1 c. sugar (organic….if possible) In a liquid measure, whisk together: 1 c. cold water or brewed coffee (or water and add 2 T. Pero or other non-coffee, non-decaf powder to dry ingredients) 2 t. pure vanilla extract 2 T. vinegar (Bragg’s apple cider vinegar is a good one) Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Stir and pour into 9×9 ungreased pan. Bake for 25 to 30 min. Glaze: 4 oz bittersweet chocolate 1/3 c. + 1T. hot milk or cream 1 t. vanilla Melt chocolate. Whisk in milk & vanilla. Pour evenly over cake (can do right when it comes out of the oven). If you don’t have bittersweet chocolate to make the glaze, you can top it with this frosting: Fluffy Chocolate Frosting 3/4 c. cocoa 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) (organic…if possible) 1/2 c. evaporated milk 4 c. confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar) (I’m not sure how to improve the quality of this ingredient) 1 tsp. vanilla Mix cocoa & sugar. Cream butter and sugar mixture. Beat in remaining ingredients until creamy. Add a few additional drops of milk as needed.

Online Support for Your Health Goals

Nov 21st, 2005

A member of this group forwarded a resource to me called peertrainer.com. I went to the site to check it out and think many of you will be interested in this free support service. If you know what you want to do to improve your health but are not doing it…you may enjoy this program. To find out more visit peertrainer.com. To get answers to your questions check out their FAQs. In a nutshell, you join a group or create your own (maximum 4 people) and complete a log of your progress that is shared automatically with other members in your support group. You can comment on other’s progress and get support for yours. If you’re an on-line kind of person, this may be just the ticket for you. Here’s how they describe the program in their "about us" link. PEERtrainer is the missing ingredient in your three-point weight-loss success plan. Using a patent-pending technique, PEERtrainer augments your diet and exercise regimen to help you get the body you always wanted. Only PEERtrainer provides:

• Free, customizable program that promotes new, healthful habits
• Daily diary to record meals, workouts, goals and milestones
• Fitness and nutrition tips
• Valuable feedback and personalized attention from PEERtrainer pals
• Accountability – the essential component of weight-loss success.
• A community of knowledgeable and motivated peers to help achieve lasting results.

PEERtrainer changes how you eat, exercise and feel about yourself. And all it takes is logging on and checking in with your PEERtrainer buddies a few minutes a day. Comments Please If you try this out and like it (or don’t like it), tell us about it by clicking on the comments link below.

Cell Phone Etiquette – from Miss Manners

Nov 17th, 2005

Is anyone else bugged by the pervasive use of cell phones and people’s lack of ettiquette? This article may interest you. Get it here