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The latest estimates show 5 percent of electricity used in the United States goes to standby power, a phenomenon energy efficiency experts find all the more terrifying as energy prices rise and the planet warms. That amounts to about $4 billion a year.

The percentage could rise to 20 percent by 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

In California, lawmakers passed a proposal last year -- dubbed the Vampire Slayers Act -- to add vampire electronics labels to consumer products, detailing how much energy a charger, computer, DVD player, PlayStation, microwave or coffee maker uses when on, off or in standby mode.

"It's something people don't know about," said Dave Walton, home ideas director for Direct Energy, a utility and energy services company that has one of its four main offices in Dublin, Ohio.

The issue is particularly pressing in Ohio, the nation's No. 1 emitter of toxic air emissions -- mostly from electricity production at the state's coal-fired power plants. Walton said skyrocketing energy costs mean everyone should worry about the vampires in the house.

The International Energy Agency has estimated standby energy use by vampire electronics at 200 to 400 terawatt-hours a year. The entire country of Italy consumes about 300 terawatt-hours of electricity each year, according to the agency.

Picture any appliance that displays a clock while otherwise idle, such as a microwave oven, coffee maker or DVD player. They constantly consume little bits of energy.

"About 40 percent of the electricity being used to power your home electronics is consumed while they are in that standby mode," Walton said. "If you just focus on that piece, you will be making a big step."

Ditto for things that charge, such as cell phones, PDAs, toothbrushes or portable tools, some of which trickle a charge even after the device that's charging is at capacity.

Some chargers halt the flow of current when it's not needed, which should happen automatically with chargers for lithium-ion batteries. If you're uncertain, Walton advises unplugging chargers when not in use.

He recommends hooking up your home computer system, including accessories like a printer or scanner, to a single power strip that can be easily switched off each night. He advises shutting off the other vampires too, though the inconvenience of resetting the clocks, channels and timers on those devices each morning will discourage most people.

The government-backed Energy Star program, coordinated jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, identifies appliances that consume less energy.

If one in 10 American homes used only appliances endorsed through the program, the Energy Department estimates, it would reduce U.S. carbon emissions by the same amount as planting 1.7 million acres of

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Going On A Diet

May 08, 2008

Going On A Diet

A-lot of people think they are fat and then start a diet. Most of the time there diet insist of just eating salad and water and that’s not what a diet should be. When you go on a diet were you don’t eat anything you actually get fat at first. The reason for that is your body isn’t receiving enough food so it starts using the stored fat. After the body uses the stored fat it starts to eat away at your muscle and tissue. Leading to problems of the body and sometimes death. Most people see them self’s different then what other people see them as.
A real diet is not starving your self. It’s eating right and exercising, yes I said it exercising. Average of American’s are over weight and when it comes to exercising they give up after 3 crunches or 5 minutes of running. They also eat nothing but junk food and sit around all day with their butts on the cough. We have a nickname for them “couch potatoes”. Well if you really want to lose weight and get fit with out hurting your body and eat what you want you can. Your body needs to store fat but some people give their body more fat then what they need then becoming over weight. You need 2000 Calories a day, less than 65g of total fat, less than 300mg of cholesterol, less than 2,400mg of sodium, 3500mg of potassium, 300g of total carbohydrates, and you should have 25g of fiber each day. Also every day you should exercise for at least 30minuntes or an hour a day. You can take a walk, jog, run, dance, or go to a gym, whatever suits you. To get started, get a notebook and every day write down what you ate and how much sodium, calories, fat etc… was in it. Another thing you should do is stop eating after 800pm. The reason for that is your metabolism slows down while your sleeping and so it doesn’t break down the fat and can store it in places you don’t want t to be stored.
So next time your shopping and you go down the candy isle and you look at all that candy instead of buying your self a snickers bar or a milky way, turn around and go to the fruit section and buy some apples and bananas.

So get your self off the couch and eat an apple or a banana and go for a jog. Get fit and health don’t be a victim of weight lose and being in the hospital for days. So next time you’re thinking of starving your self don’t just eat right and exercise.

Written by
Cassandra Roger

Going, On, A, Diet, article

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