10 Ways to Save Energy
And Prevent Future Oil Wars

The US war on Iraq is largely driven by America’s thirst for cheap oil. Iraq has 112 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, second only to Saudi Arabia. Prior to the war, Iraq’s daily output capacity was about 2 million barrels, but oil industry analysists believe production could surge to 12 million barrels per day if western oil and engineering companies took over Iraqi oil production. This is appealing to the United States, where 5% of the world’s population consumes 25% of its oil.

Dependence on oil not only leads to war, it also causes global warming, acid rain, oil spills and smog. It is time to wean ourselves from oil and embrace energy efficiency and renewable power (solar, wind and geothermal).

Following are ten things you can do to help promote a shift to a more peaceful, just, sustainable planet.

1. Replace your standard incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescent lights (available in many hardware stores). Compact fluorescents use only a quarter as much energy, last ten times as long, and can save up to $40 in energy over the course of their lives. Visit http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls.

2. When shopping for appliances, make energy efficiency a priority in your decisions. Visit http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_index.

3. Use public transportation, carpool, bike or walk whenever possible.

4. When purchasing a new car, consider a fuel-efficient model. Visit http://www.greenercars.com. Keep your car tuned up and the tires properly inflated. Consolidate errands whenever possible.

5. Make your home energy-efficient with proper insulation, double-paned windows, water heater blankets, etc. Visit http://www.earthday.net/howto/home.stm.

6. Consider utilizing non-polluting solar or wind energy. Visit http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid189.php.

7. Sign up for green energy if it’s available in your state. Visit http://www.green-e.org/your_e_choices/pyp.html.

8. Eat lower on the food chain. It takes a tremendous amount of water and energy to produce meat. Visit http://www.earthsave.org.

9. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It takes energy to produce every product we use. By reusing products or purchasing used goods, we can reduce our dependence on oil. Recycling one aluminum can saves the equivalent of half a can of gasoline.

10. Vote for politicians who support a national energy policy based on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Check out the League of Conservation Voters website at http://www.lcv.org.