As some of you may already know, Students for Global Wellness has started a fundraiser for Malaria No More called ‘Change for Change.’ CFC is a great opportunity for students and teachers alike to empty out their pockets for a great cause (as of this publication, student contributions total over $130!) All donations go directly to Malaria No More, a group non-profit organizations and private sector corporations working together in an effort to eradicate malaria in Africa. If you haven’t visited their website, I would check it out. It has tons of insightful information on malaria and ways to get involved in the fight!
The Facts
Malaria kills more than 3,000 children every day
Malaria kills over 1 million people every year
90% of deaths from malaria occur in Africa
40% of the world’s population is at risk of malaria
Even amongst all of the dark clouds, there is a silver lining: malaria was eradicated in the US more than 50 years ago. That is amazing, but sad. If we know how to stop this horrible disease, why is still around? Anywhere?
I can’t answer this question because there isn’t a logical answer. There is NO reason why malaria should still be around, no matter how poor the country.
These are just a few facts to get you started. I encourage you to visit Malaria No More for a lot more information. Take some time going through the site; I’ve spend hours on it. Check out the Malaria No More Press Room for some great articles from Time and the Washington Post.
Also, I would encourage you to write to your Congressman. I wrote to Representative Dave Reichert and it couldn’t have been easier. I am thinking about starting a petition at school for the continued support of the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). It is a five-year plan to spend $1.2 billion to fight malaria in Africa. If you support it, send your rep an email!
Start Caring.
Jaryd Madlena
Vice President
Students for Global Wellness
Links
www.malarianomore.org
www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/malaria/
www.house.gov/writerep/
Friday, March 30, 2007
Monday, March 12, 2007
Cutting the Cost
Hey everybody! My topic today is cutting down household electricity usage. According to the Department of Energy, in 2005, about 50% of the US' electricty generated comes from burning coal. Burning coal produces pollution that is pretty horrible for the environment, and is a leading cause of climate change. Some pollutants are Sulfur Dioxide, Carbon Dioxide, and other Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Armed with this new knowledge, I have been looking for ways to cut down on my electric consumption. I found a plethora of strategies in which you can make a positive impact on the environment, and your pocketbook. They’re easy to do, and they save you money on your bills. For those of you who don’t pay the power bill, you can still show those who do the ways they can reduce electricity usage and greenhouse gases at the same time.
One of the simplest ways to reduce your energy consumption is by switching all of the standard incandescent light bulbs (learn more) in your house to Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs, or CFLs (learn more). Most consumer model CFLs last about 10,000 hours. This is around 10 times the average lifetime of a normal incandescent bulb, which usually in between 750 and 1,000 hours. CFLs may cost a little more (I picked up a 19 watt one for $5 at Lowes, but that was only one mind you, buying a pack would also negate some of the cost), compared with $2.38 for two incandescent, but their higher efficiency (about 20% for CFLs, compared to an incandescent’s 5%) and the longer lifetime make it well worth the extra upfront cost.
Incandescent bulb: 60 Watts x 2190 hours (6 hours/day for 1 year) x $0.07/1000 Watt hours = $9.20
CFL: 14 Watts x 2190 hours x $0.07/1000 Watt hours =$2.90
So, what does all of this mean? It means that a single incandescent bulb costs about $9.20 per year (6 hours usage per day), while a CFL cost $2.90 a year. Now imagine that you switched 20 incadendescents for CFLs...
Incandescent: $9.20 x 20 = $184
CFL: $2.90 x 20 = $58
$184 - $58 = $126
From a strictly power cost standpoint, CFLs are the winner by far. That isn't even counting the fact that CFLs last over 10 times as long as an incandescent! Minus the higher price of CFLs, you should still break into the black in about a year, and the bulb will still last for another year!
Check out the Energy Star Light Bulb Calculator to find out how much you could save!
Stay tuned for a complete list of energy saving tips and let me know what you think!
One of the simplest ways to reduce your energy consumption is by switching all of the standard incandescent light bulbs (learn more) in your house to Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs, or CFLs (learn more). Most consumer model CFLs last about 10,000 hours. This is around 10 times the average lifetime of a normal incandescent bulb, which usually in between 750 and 1,000 hours. CFLs may cost a little more (I picked up a 19 watt one for $5 at Lowes, but that was only one mind you, buying a pack would also negate some of the cost), compared with $2.38 for two incandescent, but their higher efficiency (about 20% for CFLs, compared to an incandescent’s 5%) and the longer lifetime make it well worth the extra upfront cost.
Incandescent bulb: 60 Watts x 2190 hours (6 hours/day for 1 year) x $0.07/1000 Watt hours = $9.20
CFL: 14 Watts x 2190 hours x $0.07/1000 Watt hours =$2.90
So, what does all of this mean? It means that a single incandescent bulb costs about $9.20 per year (6 hours usage per day), while a CFL cost $2.90 a year. Now imagine that you switched 20 incadendescents for CFLs...
Incandescent: $9.20 x 20 = $184
CFL: $2.90 x 20 = $58
$184 - $58 = $126
From a strictly power cost standpoint, CFLs are the winner by far. That isn't even counting the fact that CFLs last over 10 times as long as an incandescent! Minus the higher price of CFLs, you should still break into the black in about a year, and the bulb will still last for another year!
Check out the Energy Star Light Bulb Calculator to find out how much you could save!
Stay tuned for a complete list of energy saving tips and let me know what you think!
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