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So, What do you all think? Conservation of energy is the lifestyle of the rich and tyranny to the poor? Does the invention of these new bulbs becomes cheaper for the poor to use it. We must not forget that technology the world has to offer does has a price to pay. Will the world listen to the voices of the poor and unfortunate? That is universal value. Loving the poor and taking care of their well being. Things should become more affordable, or is it not?

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Noah Chan Borg
Extract: Worldwide, 1.4 billion people lack access to electricity, and 2.7 billion people rely on traditional biomass for cooking. Most people living in energy poverty—without electricity access and/or using traditional biomass for cooking—are from rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, India, and other developing Asian countries (excluding China). At the same time, the poorest people are the most likely to suffer from the impacts of climate change.Fortunately, innovative, sustainable energy technologies can allow developing countries to leapfrog to low-carbon renewable energy, while at the same time alleviating extreme poverty. Increasing energy access, alleviating rural poverty, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions can thus be complementary, their overlap defining an energy–poverty–climate nexus. Transitioning to more efficient low-carbon energy systems in rural areas can generate greater returns than similar efforts in industrialized areas.Accordingly, this chapter provides an overview of: a) The linked problems facing developing countries of energy access, poverty, and climate change, and how these problems interact and compound each other. b) Potential renewable energy solutions, including off-grid solar, wind, clean biomass, micro-hydro, and hybrid systems. For each energy option, benefits and challenges will be discussed, along with examples of successful small-scale use in rural areas of developing countries.

Below are a few relating links

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This month we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to force our governments to face up to an uncomfortable reality - that promises of sustainable development are hollow without bold action on economic inequality.

The UN's mammoth consultation on the objectives that will succeed the millennium development goals (MDGs) after they expire next year is wrapping up. After one more round of edits, the final shortlist (pdf) will be ready for debate. A goal to address inequality has swung in and out of the line-up and is unlikely to make the final draft.

This would be a grave oversight. There is little doubt that the steady stockpiling of wealth, income and power by the richest in our societies is a disaster for the sustainable development agenda. Pope Francis just about summed it up with his "root of all evil" tweet: inequality undercuts virtually everything the international community is working to achieve. To leave it out of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is to ignore a key driver of poverty, environmental decline and ill health.

The New Economic Foundation is adding our voice to calls from leading economist Joseph Stiglitz, Oxfam and others for a standalone SDG on eliminating extreme economic inequality.

Everyone agrees on the need to eradicate extreme poverty. Yet the evidence shows that this cannot be done without addressing economic inequality (pdf). This is especially true now that most of the world's poor live in middle-income countries, where there may be enough money and resources to go around but they are piling up in the hands of a few.

Where inequality is out of control, such as in South Africa, the fight to end poverty is stalling as the proportion of resources going to the poorest shrinks. This is not just in terms of direct income: studies show more unequal societies spend less on public goods like health, education and transport (pdf). So while countries like China have seen fast-paced GDP growth lift millions from poverty, countries like Nigeria where divisions are more endemic have seen scant improvements in living conditions for the majority (pdf).

If you throw sustainability into the mix, the need to address economic inequality becomes even clearer. Economic growth is seen as the main tool to reduce poverty, but studies show the planet cannot sustain current levels of economic growth, let alone greater levels. Fortunately, reducing inequality can go a long way to eradicating poverty even in a low-growth scenario. Forecasts show that, even if the world economy slows down, a more equal world in 2030 would halve the number of people living in extreme poverty.

Finally, economic inequality is a catastrophic waste of talent. By denying the poor the opportunity to fulfil their potential, inequality not only reduces wellbeing but strangles the supply of human capital needed to drive a resilient and innovative economy. It is estimated that the UK loses about £140bn a year this way (pdf)- think how high the number would be in countries where the literacy rate is only about 50%, such as Pakistan.

Crucially, just providing universal access to public services will only partly address this problem of wasted potential. One of the greatest misconceptions about inequality, and one of the main reasons it is being side-lined in the SDGs, is that it can be solved as a byproduct of other measures. As long as we raise baseline conditions - through universal education, healthcare, and access to water, shelter and food - we will solve economic inequality by default, because the poor will have what they need to climb the ladder.

But this is not the nature of inequality. Rags-to-riches stories such the rise of India's Narendra Modi from railway tea boy to prime minister help to disguise what studies have consistently shown: that high income and wealth inequality are strongly related to lower social mobility. The UK - a developed country with universal healthcare and education but swaths of its population trapped in endless cycles of deprivation - is a case in point.

The inescapable problem is that once a small echelon of society starts gaining access to the top schools, doctors, lawyers and bank managers - there really is no going back. Soon, control of law, politics, media and business will also be theirs, or their children's, and nearly impossible to prise away.

And once political inequality kicks in, our markets start behaving badly too - siphoning profits and resources away from the places that need them most and harming the environment in the process. How can any of this be reconcilable with the aims of the SDGs?

The further the world falls into the inequality trap, the harder it will be to escape. Without a politically significant target, governments cannot be trusted to lead the way. A dedicated SDG would provide the push needed to start monitoring economic inequality within and between countries, and devising policies to close the gap. The UN must reject the politics of the lucky few by keeping the goal of eliminating extreme economic inequality firmly on the map.
Faiza Shaheen is senior researcher on economic inequality for the New Economics Foundation

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Mind the gap: why UN development goals must tackle economic inequality | Faiza Shaheen

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This month we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to force our governments to face up to an uncomfortable reality - that promises of sustainable development are hollow without bold action on economic inequality. The UN's mammoth consultation on the objectives that will succeed the millennium development goals (MDGs) after they expire next year is wrapping up.

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Chair of the New Climate Economy Project and Managing Partner - SystemIQ

IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government - London School of Economics

President of the British Academy

Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change

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Amar Bhattacharya, Jeremy Oppenheim, and Nicholas Stern

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Driving sustainable development through better infrastructure: Key elements of a transformation program

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2015 will be a vital year for the international community in terms of both sustainable development and climate change. In a new paper, Amar Bhattacharya, Jeremy Oppenheim and Lord Nicholas Stern discuss six critical areas of action needed to tackle the world's most crucial development issues.

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NGOs initiatives : Institute for  Governments ( policy model ) could do the trick

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NGOs initiatives : Institute for  Governments ( policy model ) could do the trick

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From Norman sim
The policy model The 2001 Fuel Poverty Strategy defined being fuel poor as needing to spend in excess of 10% of household income on fuel use to achieve satisfactory heating. It set out action on the three drivers of fuel poverty:
 poor energy efficiency in homes  low incomes  energy prices.
For the first it aimed to build up existing programmes. A government grant programme called Warm Front was the flagship fuel poverty policy throughout the period, while Defra also established the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) – a scheme to oblige energy suppliers to offer efficiency measures to their customers,. Contributions to the target from the Decent Homes Standard, an existing programme to improve social housing, were also factored in.
There were no new measures under the other two headings. On incomes, the strategy pointed to measures already being taken by the government to tackle poverty among key groups, such as the elderly and people with disabilities. On energy prices, they assumed that the fall in prices that had followed liberalisation of the energy market would continue, accompanied by new social guidance issued to the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) in 2000 to take into account low income households. The strategy contained no clear trajectories or costing of what action would be required to meet the targets.
Defra officials took the lead on development and management of the main policy measures, particularly Warm Front and EEC, while DTI focused on analysis and modelling energy prices and fuel poverty figures. Wider co-ordination – with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) around income measures, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) on local government housing, and other departments and bodies – took place through an inter-ministerial group and a group of officials at deputy director level.
The government also created the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group, constituted as an advisory non-departmental public body sponsored by DTI and Defra. This group would report annually on the progress of the strategy, to which the departments were obliged to reply, by setting out their responses to issues raised

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From Raul Ram Devan
Those who are living in poverty in 3rd world countries barely have any access to electricity. However, it is still important to educate the people on proper etiquettes. The government must provide electricity for those who are living in proverty

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Conservation of energy to benefit mankind.

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Conservation of energy to benefit mankind.

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From Enoch:
As we all know conservation of energy protects essential habitats and preserve threatened species. This is beneficial to human beings as Conservation International reports that "more than 50 percent of modern medicines and more than 90 percent of traditional medicines come from wild plants and animals." While these naturally sourced medicines are not without their own issues, they nevertheless represent an essential pharmacopoeia and body of medical knowledge that cannot be easily replaced by synthetic alternatives.

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Conservation projects protect essential habitats and preserve threatened species but their impact is felt far beyond the boundaries of the animal kingdom. From erosion stabilization to economic diversification and beyond, saving endangered animals improves the lives of their human neighbors, too.Indeed, famed biologist Edward O. Wilson has explained that the protection of species and biodiversity is not only beneficial to human populations, but is essential to their survival. "Wilson's Law," as he calls it, states that "If you save the living environment, the biodiversity that we have left, you will also automatically save the physical environment, too," but the relationship is not bidirectional because, "if you only save the physical environment, you will ultimately lose both."

Habitat preservation, of course, is a key tool for conservationists struggling to protect the living environment. When these efforts are successful-and regional biodiversity is maintained or restored-it can have a ripple effect that supports human communities and helps to create new opportunities.

Protecting Health

Perhaps the most compelling reason for communities to support local conservation initiatives is that they actually protect human health. Conservation International reports that "more than 50 percent of modern medicines and more than 90 percent of traditional medicines come from wild plants and animals." While these naturally sourced medicines are not without their own issues, they nevertheless represent an essential pharmacopoeia and body of medical knowledge that cannot be easily replaced by synthetic alternatives.

Moreover, healthy ecosystems, provide important buffers between humans and disease. Numerous studies have linked decreases in biodiversity-and a reduced diversity among mammal species, in particular-to an increase in the transmission of animal-born diseases to humans.

In addition to this, healthy ecosystems are essential for regulating climate, and mitigating air and water pollution.

Assuring Food Security

CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture/Creative Commons

Regulating these environmental factors are critically important to securing food sources and agricultural production in much of the world. Already, research has shown that habitat destruction has altered seasonal rainfall patterns in parts of the world.

Agricultural biodiversity, too, is an important part of a robust, secure, food system. Unfortunately, the trend has been to abandon the diverse range of locally adapted crops and animals in favor of high-yielding, internationally-distributed, varieties. One example, cattle, shows that 90 percent of all stocks in the developed world come from a handful of breeds. As these breeds spread, there exposure to new disease vectors threatens the global population.

Finally, protecting and rebuilding forest habitats to preserve biodiversity generates effective syncs of carbon, guards against erosion, and offers new economic opportunities.

Creating Opportunity

It is in the creation of new economic opportunities, above all else, that conservation programs offer communities the most tangible benefit.

Short-sighted resource extraction-like clear-cut logging and the bushmeat and charcoal trades-extend the gap between rich and poor and have been shown to fuel political strife and civil war.

Carbon capture schemes-which make living trees more valuable than logged ones-are perhaps the most recognized conservation programs with strong economic incentives. Community-based conservation, however, has the power to drive development in many other ways as well.

Increasing biodiversity has been shown to improve agricultural productivity, making existing farms more profitable. Healthy ecosystems that house banner species are powerful tourist attractions that draw visitors and invite a new infusion of investment. Perhaps most importantly, however, is the need for local participants in conservation. From administrators to rangers, conservation projects hold the opportunity for a new preservation-based economy.

Protecting the world's biodiversity, Wilson argues, is essential for the survival of the physical environment and, ultimately, humanity. Successful conservation, however, does much more than simply ensure survival: It offers an opportunity for growth, development, and improved health.
Read more about conservation:
The Problem With 'Shoot to Kill' Conservation
Why Conservation Matters in Conflict Zones
How Better Conservation Measures Can Help Reduce Poverty
Related on TreeHugger.com:

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Conservation projects protect essential habitats and preserve threatened species but their impact is felt far beyond the boundaries of the animal kingdom. From erosion stabilization to economic diversification and beyond, saving endangered animals improves the lives of their human neighbors, too.Indeed, famed biologist Edward O.

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Steps taken by authority to help the poor to conserve energy

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Steps taken by authority to help the poor to conserve energy

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The authority has taken many steps to help poor to conserve energy. For example, the government can sponsor energy saving bulbs for the poor to help conserve energy and also organise an awareness campaign for the poor to educate them on importance of conserving energy. These steps can help the poor to conserve energy.

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The Experts: How Should Governments Encourage Energy Conservation?

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What steps can-and should-local, state and federal governments take to encourage energy conservation? The Wall Street Journal put this question to The Experts, an exclusive group of industry and thought leaders who engage in in-depth online discussions of topics from the print Report.

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Thank you very much Darren your suggestions and thoughts. Thanks for the wonderful links

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Ways to prevent the increasing number of poverty.

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Ways to prevent the increasing number of poverty.

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From Darren,

As we all know day by day the number of  people who are suffering from poverty are increasing gradually. Instead of trying to reduce poverty, sometimes it's better to prevent the increasing number of such before trying to help the ones with it as it won't change a thing if one person is being help from it while someone else starts suffering from poverty. So to help those who are just one pay check away from being there, one should be aware of ways to save electricity. Saving electricity can reduce the amount you need to pay every month. Although some of the changes could be very small, but small things could make a big changes in the long run. The link below shows 151 ways to save energy.

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The consumption of fossil fuels has been going at a steady pace since last century and has contributed much to the degradation of our environment. Climate change, global warming, extinction of several endangered species, depletion of ozone layer, increase in air pollution are few of the effects from which our environment is suffering. Although many countries have taken steps to move toward clean and green energy sources like solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy to save energy, still there is long way to go before we can leave fossil fuels behind and depend on these natural sources of energy for our daily needs.
Below are 151 ways that you can use to save and conserve energy and make this planet a better and clean place for our future generations to come.
Heating Systems

1. Inspect windows and ductwork for any air leakage. If you do feel air leaking at duct joints, use duct tape to seal them. Winterize windows with weather stripping (for all movable parts) and caulk (for non-moving parts). Eliminating these leaks can reduce heating costs up to 10%.

2. Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans sparingly. Leaving them on too long will suck away a tremendous amount of household heat. Turn them off when their job is complete.

3. Turn down your thermostat at night or when you're away for more than four hours during the day. Do not turn off your heating system entirely as this may cause pipes to freeze.

4. Keep heating supply registers and cold-air return registers clear of draperies and furniture to maintain proper air circulation.

5. Keep drapes and shades open during the day to let the sunshine in; close them at night.

6. Dust or vacuum radiator surfaces frequently. Dust and grime impede the flow of heat.

7. Keep lamps, TVs and other electrical appliances away from the thermostat. Heat from these appliances is sensed by the thermostat and could cause your furnace to shut off too soon and restart frequently.

8. Dress warmly to help retain body heat. Wear closely woven fabrics. Dressing in layers retains more heat than a single thick piece of clothing.

9. Keep garage doors closed in winter. An open garage door is just a giant hole that sucks warm air out of your home and lets cold drafts in.

10. When having company, turn down the thermostat before your guests arrive. Their collective body heat will add to the room temperature.

11. Warm with a space heater. A portable space heater can heat a single room without using your furnace to heat the whole house. Using a space heater to heat all or most of your home costs more. Always follow the manufacturer's safety instructions when operating space heaters.

12. Use natural gas for heating. Consider switching to a natural gas heating system. Natural gas is less expensive than other heating fuels.

KITCHEN

13. Boil water in a kettle or covered pan; the water will boil faster and use less energy.

14. Keep range-top burners and reflectors clean. They will reflect heat better and you will save energy.

15. Match the size of the pan to the heating element. More heat will get to the pan, and less will be dissipated.

16. Turn off the stove or oven five to 10 minutes before cooking time is up and let trapped heat finish the cooking.

17. Avoid opening the oven door repeatedly to check food while it cooks. This allows heat to escape and requires more energy to complete the job. Use a timer to let you know when food is ready.

18. Use small electric cooking appliances (such as portable grills and skillets) for small meals rather than the stove or oven.

19. Don't preheat the oven unless absolutely necessary and then for no more than 10 minutes.

20. Avoid using the broiler as much as possible; it uses a great deal of energy.

21. Thaw frozen foods thoroughly before cooking.

22. Barbecue outside as much as possible during warm weather months. Cooking inside raises the temperature forcing your refrigerator and central air to work harder to cool your rooms.

23. Cook during cooler hours (early morning and late evening) whenever possible.

24. Use a microwave to cook meals whenever possible; it uses about half the energy of a conventional oven.

25. Use crock pots and slow cookers; they can be as much at 75% more energy efficient than stoves and ovens.

26. After using your oven, leave it open a crack to let warm air escape into your kitchen. (Don't do this if you have children or pets around).

27. Use smaller kitchen appliances whenever possible. Microwaves, toaster ovens and slow-cookers can use 75 percent less energy than a large electric oven.

28. Water heaters should be close to kitchen so that it does not have to travel through a long distance of pipe and lose its heat.

WATER HEATER

29. Purchase an energy-efficient model. The initial cost may be more but operating costs are less in the long run. Consider a tank less or instantaneous water heater, which uses energy only when hot water is needed, rather than maintaining 40 gallons or more of hot water all the time.

30. Purchase the correct size. Consider your family's hot water needs. If your water heater is too large, it uses more energy than needed. If it is too small, you may run out of hot water.

31. Purchase a natural gas water heater. If you currently have an electric water heater, consider replacing it with a natural gas water heater. When it comes to heating water, natural gas is less expensive than electricity, and it heats more water faster during heavy use. Consider a sealed combustion or an on-demand water heater. Both types use less energy.

32. Install your water heater near the kitchen. The kitchen is where you use the hottest water. When the water heater is located near the kitchen, hot water doesn't have to travel as far and less heat is lost.

33. Insulate water pipes. Use half-inch foam or pipe tape for insulation wherever pipes are exposed. On cold water pipes, insulate four to five feet nearest to the water heater. Pipe insulation can save you up to $25 annually.

34. Set the water temperature to 120° F. It takes less energy to heat water to a lower temperature. If you have an electric water heater, you'll have to remove the cover plate of the thermostat to adjust the temperature. For safety reasons, remember to turn off the water heater at the circuit breaker/fuse before changing the temperature.

35. Repair dripping faucets promptly. If the faucet leaks hot water, the energy used to heat it is costing you money. (One drop a second can waste up to 48 gallons a week!)

36. Install a heat loop or in-line trap. If you add a new water heater to your home, consider having a heat loop or in-line trap installed. These mechanisms can be inexpensive to install and keep hot water from moving into the piping system when you are not using hot water. Ask your plumbing contractor for details.

37. Insulate the outside of your electric water heater with an insulation blanket to reduce heat loss; this can easily save you $10 to $20 per year.

38. Turn down your hot water heater to its lowest setting when you go on vacation or are away from the house for an extended time period.

39. Drain a bucket of water out of the hot water heater once a year to remove sediment and dirty water and improve heating efficiency.

FANS & LIGHTING

40. Use Energy Star LED or compact fluorescent light bulbs. Energy Star light bulbs last longer and use up to 80 percent less energy than standard light bulbs.

41. Use LED lighting fixtures for outdoor lighting ( spot lights, flood lights, security lights). They use up to 75% less energy than traditional incandescent luminaires.

42. Turn off lights in any room not being used. Turn on outdoor lights only when needed.

43. When using incandescent bulbs, use the lowest wattage possible or convenient. In many cases a lower wattage bulb can be substituted for the one currently being used.

44. Light-zone your home to save electricity. Concentrate lighting to areas where needed for reading, work and safety. Reduce lighting in little used areas.

45. Install lighting dimmer switches; they save energy by reducing the lighting intensity in a room, and work great with LED bulbs.

46. Keep light bulbs dust-free. Dust on bulbs could be reducing your light output by 50%.

47. Use timers, motion detectors, heat sensors or photocell controls for light fixtures when possible.

48. Use satin or semi-gloss paint on your walls will reflect more light and allow you to use lower watt bulbs.

49. Put your computer to sleep instead of using a screen saver.

50. Laser printers use an incredible amount of energy. Switch to ink-jet printers.

51. Get rid of your CRT monitor. CRT monitors are energy hogs. Get an LCD or LED monitor for your computer instead.

52. Dump your desktop computer. Laptops use a fraction of the electricity that desktop use.

ROOM AIR CONDITIONER

53. Don't over-cool. The ideal thermostat setting is between 75°F and 78°F. Every degree you raise your thermostat can result in a 5% savings on the cost of cooling your home.

54. Keep lamps, televisions and other heat sources away from the air conditioner thermostat. Heat from these sources may cause the air conditioner unit to run longer than it should.

55. Make sure that no furniture or other obstacles are blocking ducts or fans. This will enable cooled air to circulate more freely.

56. When selecting a central air conditioning unit, be sure to choose one that is sized appropriately for your home and uses the minimal amount of electricity to complete its task. Air conditioners with high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratios (SEERs) - such as 13.0 SEER and above - provide the greatest energy efficiency.

57. Install a ventilating fan in your attic or in an upstairs window to help dissipate hot air and cool down your home.

58. Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn your air conditioner on. It will not cool the room any faster, but it will use more energy.

59. Use a ceiling fan in conjunction with your air conditioner to spread cooled air to other rooms.

60. Clean the outside air conditioner condenser coil once a year. Turn off the unit and spray the coils with water at a low pressure to remove dirt, dust, leaves and grime.

61. Use duct tape to seal the cracks between each section of an air duct on your central air conditioning or forced heating system.

62. Close your blinds, curtains and shades during the hottest part of the day. Keep out the daytime sun with vertical louvers or awnings on the outside of your windows.

63. Keep lights low or off when not needed. Electric lights generate unnecessary room heat.

REFRIGERATORS & FREEZERS

64. Vacuum the coils on your refrigerator at least every three months. Dust and dirt build-up makes the refrigerator work harder and uses more energy.

65. Set the refrigerator thermostat at 38 degrees F for fresh food compartments and 5 degrees F for the freezer compartment.

66. Regularly defrost your freezer. Frost buildup increases the amount of energy needed to keep the refrigerator at its proper temperature. Never allow frost to build up more than one quarter of an inch.

67. Don't place your refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight or near the stove.

68. Make sure your refrigerator door seals airtight. Test them by closing the door on a piece of paper or dollar bill so it is half in and half out of the refrigerator. If you can pull the paper or dollar out easily, the hinge may need adjusting or the seal may need replacing.

69. Keep the refrigerator door closed. Each time you open the refrigerator, up to 1/4 of the cold air inside can leak out. Stop making unnecessary trips to the fridge.

70. Purchase an Energy Star, European EcoLabel, or Energy Saving Trust Recommended model. When buying a new refrigerator or freezer, look for the Energy Star, European EcoLabel, or Energy Saving Trust Recommended label. These refrigerators and freezers can save you hundreds of dollars on your electric bill over the life of the appliance. Remember, older refrigerators and freezers use two to three times more electricity than ones that are 10 years old or less.

71. Select the right size. Determine your household's needs before purchasing a refrigerator or freezer. One that is too large wastes energy.

72. Only use one refrigerator or freezer. You can spend up to $120 in electricity per year using a second refrigerator or freezer. If you want to use a second refrigerator or freezer during holidays or for special occasions, turn it on one to two days before you need it.

73. Defrost a manual-defrost unit regularly. Frost makes your unit work harder and wastes energy. Don't allow more than one-quarter inch of frost to build up.

74. Stay away from direct heat. Place the refrigerator or freezer away from direct sunlight and other heat sources such as ovens or ranges. Heat will cause the unit to use more energy to stay cold.

DISHWASHER

75. When buying a dishwasher, look for an energy-efficient model with air power or overnight dry setting. These features automatically turn off the dishwasher after the rinse cycle. This can save you up to 10% of your dishwashing energy costs.

76. Scrape dishes and rinse with cold water before loading them into the dishwasher. Avoid using the dishwasher's pre-rinse cycle.

77. Don't use the "rinse-hold" on your machine for just a few soiled dishes. It uses several gallons of hot water each time you use it.

78. Run full loads. Always wait until you have a full load before running your dishwasher. Full loads use the same amount of hot water and energy as smaller loads. You run fewer loads and save energy.

79. Use short cycles. Select the shortest cycle that properly cleans your dishes. Shorter cycles use less hot water and less energy.

80. Skip rinsing the dishes. If you do rinse, use cold water.

81. Clean the filter. If your dishwasher has a filter screen, clean it regularly. A clean appliance runs more efficiently.

82. Don't bother pre-rinsing dishes with the idea that your dishwasher will work less hard.

BUYING NEW APPLIANCES

83. Remember that it pays to invest in energy efficiency. In some cases, the money you save in energy costs can pay back the purchase price in just a few years.

84. Always read the Energy Guide label carefully, and make sure you're comparing "apples to apples." Energy use can range significantly even within a single brand.

85. Choose the capacity that's right for your family. Whether it's a furnace or a refrigerator, it doesn't pay to purchase a unit that's too large or too small. Make sure you use the right filter even if you're tempted to buy one that's not quite right. If your unit requires 20x20x1 air filters then don't buy anything smaller.

86. In almost every case, a natural gas appliance is more economical to use than an electric model. The $50-75 price difference can be paid back in energy savings in less than a year.

87. Replace inefficient appliances - even if they're still working. An aging water heater or refrigerator could be costing you much more than you think. If your central air conditioner is more than 10 years old, replacing it with a high-efficiency new unit will cut your summer electric bills by about one-third. And make sure to RECYCLE the old appliance!

88. Shop during the off-season. Many heating and cooling manufacturers offer significant rebates during seasonal sales promotions, and dealers may charge less for installation.

89. Investigate new technology carefully. Some innovations, like convection ovens or argon-filled windows, may save energy and make life more convenient; others, such as commercial-grade kitchen appliances, might be merely expensive cosmetic enhancements.

90. Look for the "Energy Star," European EcoLabel," or "Energy Saving Trust Recommended" logo. This designation from the Environmental Protection Agency or the European Union means that the appliance exceeds minimum federal energy- use standards, usually by a significant amount.

91. Don't forget to ask about warranties, service contracts, and delivery and installation costs.

WASHER, DRYER & LAUNDRY

92. Wash clothes in warm or cold water instead of hot water. Rinse in cold water; this can save you about $50 per year.

93. Put a dry towel in the dryer with each load of wet clothes. The towel will absorb dampness and reduce drying time, thus saving energy and money.

94. Fill washers and clothes dryers but do not overload them.

95. Clean the lint screen after each load of laundry and check the exhaust regularly. Clogged, dirty lint screens and exhausts can increase drying time and energy usage.

96. Use a front-loading washing machine; they require less water and energy than other washing machines.

97. Use less detergent and skip the extra rinse cycle on your washing machine to save water and time. If your clothes need to be rinsed twice, you're using too much soap.

98. Adjust the water level. If you have a washer that allows you to control the load's water level, adjust the level according to laundry load size. You can save energy by using less hot water for small loads.

99. Run full loads. Always run a full load in your washer or dryer. Running a partial load uses the same amount of energy as a full load - but you get less done. Running full loads allows you to run your washer or dryer less often.

100. Dry your clothes on an outside clothesline whenever possible

101. Rinse in cold water. Rinse water temperature has no effect on cleaning. Rinsing with cold water saves money by heating less water.

102. Place the washer close to the water heater. Water loses heat as it flows through pipes. When the washer is located near the water heater, hot water doesn't have to travel as far to reach the washer, and less heat is lost. Insulating the pipes between the water heater and washer helps retain heat, too

FOR TRAVELERS

103. Put indoor and outdoor lights on timers.

104. Don't leave your lights on 24/7 while you're away.

105. Put water heater on the vacation setting, if it has one.

106. Choose green-rated hotels when travelling for business or pleasure.

107. Pull the plug on battery chargers. Laptops, cell phones and digital cameras always draw power if they're plugged in.

108. If you travel at 105 km/h instead of 90 km/h, you are penalized by lowering your L/100km 12.5 percent. If you get your vehicle up to 120 km/h, you're losing 25 percent compared with L/100km at 90 km/h.

109. 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.

110. 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. Consider diesel over petrol when buying a new car. If petrol only option, consider a hybrid.

111. After starting the car in the morning, begin driving right away; don't let it sit and "warm up" for several minutes.

112. If your windows don't have a low-E coating, consider applying a self-adhesive film on the glass.

113. Use reusable containers for food storage instead of wrapping food in foil or plastic wrap.

114. Bring a reusable water bottle! Packaged bottled water is a waste and highly inefficient in most of the developed world.

AT OFFICE

115. Train myself or an employee to become an Energy Conservation Officer.

116. Making conservation someone's responsibility will set your business on the path of saving energy.

117. Participate in an OPA commercial demand response program.

118. Install effective automatic door closer. Doors can't save energy if they're not closed

119. Educate and encourage employees who identify and implement energy savings.

120. Reward the people who work with me for their innovative, money-saving ideas.

121. Celebrate the implementation of successful energy efficiency measures.

122. Ensure meeting rooms are equipped with motion sensing light switches.

AT WORK- EMPLOYEES

123. Turn off meeting room lights when not in use.

124. In the summer, unnecessary lighting can increase air conditioning load.

125. Dim, turn off or remove lights near windows in the daytime.

126. Use efficient task lighting where needed.

127. Unplug coffeemakers, toasters and microwaves. Make sure they're unplugged on weekends and before shutting the office down for the holidays.

128. Use the stairs instead of taking the elevator. It not only saves energy, it's good exercise too.

129. Consider double-sided printing, re-using paper, and using e-mail instead of mailing or faxing documents.

WHILE DRIVING

130. When driving, avoid quick breaking and starting as it decreases mileage.

131. Don't run your car unnecessarily. Idling produces many pollutants and burns unnecessary fuel.

132. If you can travel at off peak hours or use public transport, do so. Traffic jams only create more pollution, waste fuel, and cause stress!

133. Keep your tires properly inflated-under-inflated tires will reduce mileage.

134. Use premium unleaded gasoline as it is more efficient. If possible, use clean burning diesel.

135. Use air conditioning only when it is necessary.

136. Open window or close them to adjust the heat instead of using the air conditioner.

137. Park in a shade to prevent your car from overheating and reliance on air-conditioning.

138. Service your air conditioner to ensure it works efficiently and it does not leak CFC's.

139. Turn off your engine if you are stopping for any more than 30 seconds.

140. Drive slowly, my L/100km indicator runs at highest efficiency at 90 km/h on motorways.

OTHER ENERGY SAVERS

141. Get rid of spare refrigerators or freezers. An extra appliance can add more than $100 to your energy bills every year, and it's a safety hazard for small children.

142. Keep outdoor hot tubs covered when not in use. If you have a pool, use a solar cover to use the natural warmth of the sun to heat the water.

143. Keep waterbeds covered with quilts or blankets to help retain their heat. You might also want to insulate the bottom with a sheet of rigid foam insulation.

144. Keep the garage door closed, especially during the winter.

145. If you need a new lawn mower, consider an electric model. They're less expensive to operate (about three cents of electricity per use), 75 percent quieter, and they significantly reduce toxic emissions.

146. Instead of air-polluting and expensive charcoal or propane, try an electric or natural gas grill. They're more economical and more convenient - you'll never run out of fuel.

147. Unplug any electrical device that's not being used. Many appliances, especially computers and televisions draw power even when turned off.

148. Place humidifiers and dehumidifiers away from walls and bulky furniture. These appliances work best when air circulates freely around them. Be sure to clean the unit often to prevent unhealthy mold and bacteria from developing.

149. If your home has no sidewall insulation, place heavy furniture like bookshelves, armoires and sofas along exterior walls, and use decorative quilts as wall hangings. This will help block cold air.

150. When you take a vacation, don't forget to give your appliances a rest too. Turn off and unplug everything you can, set your water heater to the lowest setting and shut off the water supply to the dishwasher and washing machine.

151. Use public transit whenever possible.

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151 Ways to Save and Conserve Energy - Conserve Energy Future

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The consumption of fossil fuels has been going at a steady pace since last century and has contributed much to the degradation of our environment. Climate change, global warming, extinction of several endangered species, depletion of ozone layer, increase in air pollution are few of the effects from which our environment is suffering.

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Very good point of views from Norman Sim and Tai. If everybody really wants to solve the energy problems. We must first be at peace with oneself. Solve the problems of poverty that is spreading like fire due to war, social problems, social injustice, and bribery. It may not be an easy task to solve, but if everyone puts their heads together and inculcate the habits of good stewardship and high universal values. It may be a good start.

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Fighting Poverty Can Save Energy, Nicaragua Project Shows

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Fighting Poverty Can Save Energy, Nicaragua Project Shows

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From: Tai
According to this website, by fighting poverty, we can save energy which I do agree it’s true, but I think it applies more for 3rd World Countries.

In this project, a few steps are taken to help the poor in Nicaragua. One of them being, the installation of conventional electricity meters in homes of rural areas. This helped in reducing the cost of the electric bill by giving a proper reading of the electricity used instead of charging the electric bill based on the assessments of how many appliances seems to be in each home. Another step is the government provided 330 high-efficiency CFL light bulbs to the communities with each household given the opportunity to exchange up to two of their incandescent bulbs for CFLs. Also, representatives of the government energy agency and blueEnergy (a non-profit organisation) visited each household to explain that CFLs consume 25 % of the electricity of incandescent while providing the same level of lighting and lasting much longer as well as proper disposed of by returning them to the government agency, due to the small amount of mercury in each CFL.

I think the moral value of consideration plays a part in this, as the government needs to be aware and considerate about the poor in an area, and by implementing energy saving technologies voluntarily and give awareness in these areas, the poor can also take a part in the conservation of energy.

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This story is part of a special series that explores energy issues. For more, visit The Great Energy Challenge.

In two small villages on Nicaragua's Mosquito Coast, a project to improve electricity service had a remarkable side benefit-household energy use actually dropped nearly 30 percent. When efficient compact-fluorescent (CFL) lightbulbs were added to the mix, energy savings surpassed 40 percent.

The effort cut costs and brought longer hours of daily electricity service to the people of Orinoco and Punta Marshall, while demonstrating how improving energy access to poor people around the world can go hand-in-hand with reducing fossil fuel emissions, say the authors of a new study.

"It shows that you can meet development objectives for the poor and climate objectives for all of us at the same time," said Daniel Kammen, chief technical specialist for renewable energy and energy efficiency at the World Bank, and co-author of an analysis published Thursday in the weekly journal .

The Energy Poverty Challenge

The study set out to demonstrate a method for measuring both the climate and financial benefits of making investments that improve delivery of reliable, affordable energy for poor communities. Mobilizing such investment is crucial, with 1.5 billion people around the world living without electricity. Another 1 billion people have unreliable electricity, and nearly half the global population relies on unhealthy and polluting wood, charcoal, and dung stoves for cooking.

The United Nations said in a report (pdf) co-written with the International Energy Agency earlier this fall that its goals for fighting extreme poverty will fall short unless nations also work to bring electricity and modern, safe cooking technology to the "energy-poor" people around the world.

But short-term costs often trump potential long-term benefits when governments and institutions consider energy improvement investments. For example, because of the low up-front capital costs and the ease of obtaining fuel supply, diesel generation is often the technology of choice in poor rural areas in the developing world. The study authors say that makers of energy policy who choose diesel don't give sufficient consideration to the volatility of oil prices, and the resulting expensive generation costs.

That was certainly the case in the villages of Orinoco and Punta Marshall near the Caribbean Sea, where 172 homes, six churches, two health clinics, two schools, and a carpentry shop relied on a government-run diesel "microgrid." The researchers don't know how much the Nicaraguan government was paying for diesel, but they estimated the "marginal" cost of electricity on the system, the cost to provide each additional kilowatt-hour, based on average diesel prices at that time in Managua, was 54 cents per kilowatt-hour, more than five times the estimated cost for electricity on Nicaragua's national grid.

Households did not have meters to measure how much power they used, but paid flat tariffs that differed house-to-house-the price reckoned by the government electric company based on assessments of how many appliances seemed to be in each home. This approach is "quite common" in the developing world, said Christian Casillas, of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, co-author of the analysis in Science. "Rural electricity providers are often more concerned about the additional capital cost of installing meters, and are not aware of, or are indifferent to, the long-term savings that can result from consumer response to more accurate price signals, which we quantify in the study," he said.

The energy improvements in Orinoco and Punta Marshall were made beginning in the summer of 2009, in a partnership between the Nicaraguan government and the nonprofit group, blueEnergy. Soon after the simple installation of conventional electricity meters in the homes, at a cost the study authors estimated at about $4,350, household energy use dropped about 28 percent. The pattern that the researchers observed-the greatest savings occurred in daylight hours-suggested that residents had taken steps such as turning off lights during the day. The resulting savings of an estimated 5,625 gallons (21,291 liters) of diesel fuel annually translated to a more than $22,000 reduction in fuel costs over the course of a year (based on $1.06 per liter diesel fuel). And, the study authors calculated, carbon emissions were reduced by 57 tons, with cost savings of $386 per ton.

A second step was to distribute 330 high-efficiency compact-fluorescent (CFL) lightbulbs to the communities, with each household given the opportunity to exchange up to two of their incandescent bulbs for CFLs. Representatives of the government energy agency and blueEnergy visited each household to explain that CFLs consume 25 percent of the electricity of incandescents while providing the same level of lighting and lasting much longer. They also explained that the bulbs need to be disposed of by returning them to the government agency, due to the small amount of mercury in each CFL. The cost of the program, including labor, was estimated by the researchers to be about $1,030. The energy load on the system fell by 50 kilowatt-hours per day, or a 17 percent drop on top of the savings due to the meter installations. That reduced diesel fuel needs by about 2,460 gallons (9,310 liters) per year, translating to a 25-ton reduction in carbon emissions, at a cost savings of $374 per ton.

Nicaraguan energy authorities used the fuel savings to extend the hours of electricity service to the communities by two hours each day, for a total of 12 hours. And 37 percent of the households saw lower electricity bills; for the poorest households, costs did not fall with their drop in energy use because the regressive tariff structure required that the smallest consumers pay a fixed rate, the researchers noted.

Renewable Energy Opportunity

The researchers underscored the even greater potential to reduce carbon emissions in the community, now that the electricity load has been slashed. They calculated that downsizing the diesel fuel electricity generator could save a further $5,760 per year (or $147 per ton of carbon reduced). And adding renewable energy to the system would also be a net benefit: Replacing a portion of diesel fuel generation with biogas, produced locally through anaerobic digestion of animal dung and agricultural residues, could save $4,012 per year ($271 per ton of carbon reduced), and installation of a 10-kilowatt wind turbine could save about $7,767 per year ($34 per ton of carbon reduction.)

The only emissions-reducing improvement the researchers considered that would actually cost money was adding a 10-kilowatt solar photovoltaic installation to the system; the cost would be $9,501 annualized, or $322 per ton of carbon reduced. But with savings of more than $1,600 per ton possible for all of the other energy improvement measures the researchers catalogued, as well as likelihood that diesel fuel will cost more in the future, a solar system for further cutting carbon emissions could begin to look affordable to authorities managing the system.

It's an important finding for countries such as Nicaragua, Central America's largest nation, and and among its poorest. A 2007 World Bank report said that although Nicaragua has great potential for renewable energy at a competitive price, the majority of its electricity generation is from petroleum.

"This is really a prescription to think about energy systems holistically," said Kammen. "It was hard to do that in the past. It does require data, which can lead you to some really important observations."

The analytical method outlined in the paper is "very helpful for certain contexts, particularly for looking at how increasing energy efficiency can help support energy access," says Richenda Van Leeuwen, senior director on energy and climate for the the United Nations Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the work of the UN. She said she especially sees potential for the approach to be adapted for addressing the global problem of primitive cookstoves. Inefficient wood and waste stoves, used by 3 billion people around the world, create black carbon particulate emissions, a large contributor to climate change, and have a devastating impact on health-especially for women and children.

"There is really room for more research in this area for both traditional cooking and kerosene-based lighting, which both emit smoke," Van Leeuwen said. "You could begin to monetize the savings of fewer trips to clinics, and fewer treatments for acute pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses that are common among people breathing in cookstove smoke day in and day out."

Van Leeuwen said the approach is among those being weighed by the new public-private partnership, the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, launched earlier this fall by the UN Foundation in conjunction with the governments of the United States, Germany, Norway and Peru; the United Nations; global energy company Shell* and its Shell Foundation; investment bank Morgan Stanley; and the nonprofit SNV-Netherlands Development Organization.

The type of analysis that Casillas and Kammen did, called a "marginal cost abatement curve," has been done before to show the benefits of energy efficiency for the developed world-with the most notable example in climate change literature a 2007 study by the consulting firm McKinsey and Company. But Kammen said his new study underscores the importance of doing a similar analysis for the world's poor, who can spend more than 30 percent of their income on energy services. In wealthy countries, only 2 to 3 percent of Gross Domestic Product is spent on energy. "Because energy services are often expensive," said Kammen, "finding ways to provide them more efficiently benefits the poor more than the rich."

* This report is produced as part of National Geographic's Great Energy Challenge initiative, sponsored by Shell. National Geographic maintains autonomy over content.

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Fighting Poverty Can Save Energy, Nicaragua Project Shows

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This story is part of a special series that explores energy issues. For more, visit The Great Energy Challenge . In two small villages on Nicaragua's Mosquito Coast, a project to improve electricity service had a remarkable side benefit-household energy use actually dropped nearly 30 percent.

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