Delco Concerned
Citizens for Environmental Change's
NOVEMBER 2005 NEWSLETTER
Current
Happenings -
This month has
been a busy month for the Delco Concerned Citizens for Environmental Change (DCCEC).
We were able to secure the Cusano Environmental Education Center at John Heinz National Wildlife
Refuge at Tinicum (a green building – shown above) for our use for the Environmental Summit which will be held on Saturday,
February 18th (8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.), just a few short months from now. We have
been hard at work planning for the Summit. We are reaching out to local organizations to request their participation, and have received promises of
participation from several of them. We have begun planning our agenda for the
Summit, and it promises to be a fun and educational experience
for all.
The day will
start with an overview of the John Heinz Refuge and Cusano Center, followed by presentations on Air Quality, Water Quality, Land Use and creating
Environmental Advisory Councils (EAC’s). These presentations are by local
groups and will be focusing on Delaware County
issues. There will be booths with free information available and refreshments.
We hope to get
involvement from residents of all communities in Delaware County. We have created a “Save-the-Date”
flyer and posted a “Save-the-Date” notice on the Delco Cafe website. We
are in the process of drafting a press release and we plan to notify our local politicians of the upcoming Summit.
You can help
by spreading the word and encouraging your friends, family and co-workers to consider joining us for a day of fun and learning.
Admission is free,
but registration is requested. If you would like to register for the Environmental
Summit, please visit our website http://delcoenvironmental.tripod.com or email us at delcoenvironmental@yahoo.com.
Feature Topic
of the Month –
Save Energy, Stay Warm
While the icy winds of winter may seem a long way off, now is the best time to
get your home ready for the cold season. Did you know that the largest portion of any utility bill for a typical house is
heating and cooling? Try these tips for saving energy: |
|
Install a programmable thermostat. Being able to turn down the heat for large chunks of time, such as at night or while at work, can make
a difference in your overall energy consumption. Consider turning off the heat to rooms that are not heavily used |
|
Perform regular maintenance. If you have a forced air furnace, make sure to clean or change the furnace filter about once a month. Most furnaces
will need to be professionally cleaned and tuned once a year. |
|
Insulate your home.
The best way to quickly save energy is by installing good insulation. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends an R-49 rating
for attics; "R'' stands for resistance to heat flow -- the higher the R-value the greater the insulating power. |
|
Plug leaks and holes. In addition to insulating your attic and walls, another easy energy saving step is to add caulking and weather stripping.
Feel for cool air around windows, electrical receptacles and pipe and wire entry points. |
|
Make your windows work for you. While having double paned windows makes a difference, little things like closing curtains at night and keeping south
facing windows clean and open during the day can help keep your home warmer. |
|
Don't overuse kitchen and bathroom ventilation fans. Left on for too long, these fans can pull out much of your heated air. |
"Earth
Share, a federation of America's leading non-profit environmental and conservation charities, promotes environmental education
and charitable giving in workplace employee campaigns. For more tips or to find out how your workplace can help the earth,
visit www.earthshare.org or call 1.800.875.3863"
If
you have an idea for a future “feature topic of the month” or have written an article you would like to see included,
please submit them to delcoenvironmental@yahoo.com.
If you would
like to become a member of the Delco Concerned Citizens for Environmental Change, please reply this email with your name,
email address and township, or visit the website and fill out the form located at https://delcoenvironmental.tripod.com/id2.html. Membership is
free.
Please
visit our website to learn more: https://delcoenvironmental.tripod.com/index.html.
To
view past newsletters please visit: https://delcoenvironmental.tripod.com/id6.html
