C6 Terrace Review — Wednesday, June 6, 1990

HELP THE ENVIRONMENT — USE |

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“EFFICIENT HOME APPLIANCES = >

Few people make a connection
between their major household appli-
ances and the environment. But the
type of appliance you buy — and the
way you use it —.could have an im-
portant impact on the earth's atmos-
phere.

In Canada, significant amounts of
electricity are generated thermally, that
is, by burning fossil fuels such as coal,
natural gas and oil. Combustion of
these fuels produces emissions of
carbon dioxide and other gases that
irap heat in the atmosphere, creating a
greenhouse effect that contributes to
global warming.

That’s where appliance efficiency
comes in. Electrical appliances typi-
cally account for 25 per cent of the
energy used in a modern home.
However, the energy requirements of
major appliances may vary dramati-
cally from model to model, By pur-
chasing efficient appliances, consum-
ers can reduce electricity consump-
tion and help limit harmful environ-
mental emissions. In the long term,
they will be contributing to efforts to
lessen the demand for new power
plants (which would intensify the
emissions problem).

Energy use should therefore be a
prime consideration of people who
are shopping for a new appliance.

Physical checkup

The thermostat of your heating
system is set at 20°C during the day
and at 17°C or lower during the
night or when you’re away for
extended periods of time..... 10 points

How is your house?

Now add up your points. If you
scored below 55, you would be wise
to do something about improving the
energy efficiency of your house.

Ratings

_ 75 points or more Your home is in
very good physical condition and

you're probably enjoying substantial —

savings.

Gr thisappliance “Ey
model # 1275467890 uses “Y

123k

of electricity per month when °
tested in accordance with CSA standards.

Cet appareil, de modéle n° 17456780)
verifié conformement aux
normes de 'ACNOR, consomme

123K

délectrcilé par mois. a

Major appliances carry Energuide stickers to
help consumers find the most energy-efficient
product. Each unit's energy consumption in |

kilowatt hours is listed.
the more energy efficient the appliance.

The lower the figure,

Fortunately, a national rating system
— known as Energuide — is in place
to assist consumers in this regard.

All major household appliances
sold in Canada (i.e., refrigerators,
freezers, dishwashers, ranges and
clothes washers and dryers) are
tested, using standardized methods,
to determine their monthly energy
use. The result of these tests — the
Energuide rating — is indicated on a
label attached to every new appliance.

This information is also publish
by Energy, Mines and Resources
Canada in the Energuide Directory.

The Enérguide rating shows the
amount of electricity (in kilowatt
hours) a specific model of an appli-
ance will typically consume in one
month. The lower the Energuide ra-
ting, the more efficient the appliance.
Forexample, anefficientfreezer might
be listed as using about 45 kWh of
electricity per month, while a less

— continued from page C5 __.

55 - 75 points Your house is
reasonably energy efficient, but it’s
not in tip-top shape.

35 - 55 points Your home is not
getting the kind of attention it needs,
and the time has come to think about
improving its energy efficiency.

0 - 35 points Your home is in very
poor health, but the situation is not
hopeless-and your house can still
make a full recovery. Start thinking
immediately of the steps you can
take to improve its energy
efficiency. al

55 you care what youre”
- putting on

your lawn?

“ORGANIC
GREEN

1 Look for the 100% ORGANIC FERTILIZER that is ;
clean and environmentally safe. |

1 Natural Lawn 6-3-1 is a natural, non-burning
fertilizer that gives your lawn the complete slow
release line of nutrients needed while building
healthy fertile soil. Your 100% natural choice.

Natural Lawn 6-3-1

TERRACE

BUILDERS |
CENTRE |

| 3207 Munroe
oe phone 635-6273

Sights like this fire at the Thornhill landfill will become less
frequent as local governments act to regulate dump sites more
closely and recycling helps relieve stress on the solid waste -

disposal system.

efficient unit in the same size range
might use 80 kWh per month.

The Energuide rating serves as a-
useful tool forenvironment-conscious
consumers who want not only to re-
duce energy consumption butalso are
looking to save money. For example,

over the lifetime of a refrigerator, you .

could save more than $800 in energy
costs by purchasing the most efficient

- instead of the least efficient model. A

similardecisionin purchasingaclothes
washercould save youmore than$700
in energy costs over the long term.

Youcanalsoreduceelectricity con-"

sumption and save money by using —

your household appliances more effi-
ciently (e.g., wash only full loads in
the clothes washer or dishwasher and
hang clothes outdoors to dry in sum-
mer). As well, if you purchase a new
refrigerator, avoid placing the old unit
in the basement as a “beer fridge”,
especially if it is an energy guzzler. It

usually takes alotlessenergy tooper-

ate one large refrigerator than two
smaller ones. .

To obtain a copy of the Energuide
Directory and the handy Consumer’s
Guide to Buying Energy Efficient
Appliances and Lighting, write to
Energy Publications, 580 Booth Street,
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 054. ,

Action on the
environment

“World environment day is

__ Officially observed on June 5. But
"Canadians are "thinking environ-
ment" every day.

Did you know that:

*Tropical forests account for 8

percent of the planet’s surface, half

of all growing wood and half of
the earth’s plant species.

*Each year, 12 million hectares
of-forest, an atea equal to the size
of Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick, are cut down.

*In Africa, more than 90 percent
of the wood is burned, 60 percent
for cooking. For 1.5 billion people, —
finding enough wood for their
daily needs is a serious problem.

*By the year 2000 it is expected
that developing countries will have
lost 40 percent of their remaining
forest, mainly to land-clearing and
a growing demand for wood
supplies and fuelwood. The rate of
tropical extinction threatens [0 —

_ eliminate up to 20 percent of alt

plant and animal species by the
end of this century.

The Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) has
designated the environment a
major priority because of the link -
between international development
and the world environment.

Forests ate often depleted to
meet basic needs, prompting CIDA
to expand it’s forestry program to
include fuelwood and small-scale
acivities..

CoO

Watch where you drop
your newspapers

A register blocked accidently-—
even by something as light as

a newspaper—can cause your
furnace or air conditioning
extra work.

;

wt

1 wit

Environment Day: June 5—and everyday

(NC)—World environment day is
observed each year to highlight
ongoing efforts at the international,
national, and community level.

Soil degradation affects farmers
around the world. In the developing
world this problem is particularly
acute.

Try to answer these questions
about global agriculture and the
environment:

1) What percentage of the world’s
land area is suitable for agriculture?
a) It b) 22 c) 38 d) 42

-. 2) How much soil is lost annu-
‘ally from croplands as a result of sail

| degradation?

a) 1 billion tons.b) 10 billion tons

“| ¢) 25 billion tons d) 50 billion tons

3) What is the main cause of soil

. | degradation?

c) physical changes d) a, b, and

4) A hectare (2.47 acres) of good
soil in temperate Europe or North
America yields the. same amount
as how many hectares of tropical
soil in Latin America or Africa?

a) 0.5 hectares b) 2 hectares
c) Shectares d) 10 hectares

5) About how much revenue do
Canadian farmers lose annually due
to imperfect land practices?

a) $500,000 b) $1 million
c) $5 million-d) $1 billion

6} How many years does nature
take to generate, under the best con-
ditions, 10 millimetres of topsoil?

a) 1-10 years 6) 10-100 years
c) 100-400 years d) more than 400

_ years

Answers:

1. a) Ll per cent is arable. The
rest is either too cold, wet or dry.
Of that 11 per cent, less than five
per cent is suitable for producing
crops and less than 0.5 per cent:
has no physical limitations on crop
production.

2, ¢),

3. d),

4, d) Temperate lands have better
soils than the tropics, where centuries

_ of torrential rain have washed out
many of the soil's nutrients

5. d),. ;

6c). -

The Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) helps
countries identify agricultural
problems and implement solutions
and has designated the environment
a major. priority because of the link |
between international development
.and.the world environment,

-a) erosion b) chemical changes