Myth 1: You shouldn't keep turning your computer on and off because you'll wear it out.
Computers purchased in the last 10 years will not be damaged by lots of powering on and off. Today's PCs are designed to handle 40,000 on/off cycles before a failure, and that's a number you likely won't reach during the computer's typical five-to-seven-year life span.
Myth 2: Online banking might save paper, but it increases the chance of identity theft.
Internet banking actually reduces the threat of identity theft and banking fraud. In fact, a study by Javelin Strategy & Research found the average time to detect fraud for online banking users was 18 days; for non-online users it was 114 days. Online banking also uses 128-bit encryption, one of the most advanced technologies available for safeguarding sensitive information.
Myth 3: Compact fluorescent light bulbs might lower your energy bills, but they contain too much mercury to make them good for the environment.
CFLs have a very small amount of mercury, but nothing compared to the mercury created by mining coal for electricity, which incandescent bulbs use 10 times more of. Thus, using compact fluorescent bulbs actually reduces mercury pollution, because CFLs use far less electricity than incandescent bulbs.
Myth 4: Alkaline batteries are recyclable.
Most alkaline batteries collected through household battery collection programs are disposed of in hazardous waste landfills; even stores that have take-back programs admit they often end up in the trash. Ideal Bite recommends buying re-chargeable batteries, which not only can be used up to 30 times, but also can be recycled.
Myth 5: Plastic bottle lids can be recycled just like plastic bottles.
If the lid is of type 1, 2, or 3 plastic (visible in the triangle on the inside of the lid) the lid may be placed in the recycling bin separate from the bottle. All other lids are not recyclable and should be placed in the trash. If these lids do end up in recycling, workers have to sort through and remove them. For efficiency's sake, remove your lids and properly dispose of them — it will make the recycling program more cost efficient by requiring fewer employees to sort.
Myth 6: Beauty products labeled "natural" and "organic" follow strict guidelines ensuring they really are natural and organic.
There are no federal certifications for the labels "natural" and "organic" when it comes to beauty products. Anyone can claim their product is natural or organic. The best thing to do is carefully read the list of ingredients, or consult the cosmetics data base Skin Deep (http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/splash.php?URI=%2Findex.php ) which analyzes many beauty products for safety.
Myth 7: You can really save gas by rolling down your car windows instead of using the A/C.
This is only true if you are going 45 mph and under. Kick on the A/C if you are going more than 45 mph, then the air drag from the windows ruins the fuel savings from not using the A/C.
~Tiffany
3 comments:
Hey Tiffany - I kept hearing that plastic lids aren't recyclable, but the confirmation is great. Unfortunately, I don't know if I'm going to be non-lazy enough to dispose separately of caps and bottles..And, now I will feel free to ride around with the AC on full force. Who drives 45 anyway? (There was actually a good study on driving the speed limit on SF Gate last week - the tester found taht NO ONE went the speed limit, even though anything under I think 55 mph will start saving you gas.)
Great blog. I'm getting more and more useful information daily. Being older and from the old school, this is a real eye opener.
Most CFLs today on the market contain less than 5mgs of mercury and there are CFL options out there that contain as little as 1.5mgs of mercury- which can hardly be called a “significant amounts of mercury” considering that many item in your home contain 100s of times more of mercury including your computer. Mercury levels in CFLs can never be “nonexistent” since mercury is a necessary component of a CFL and there is no other known element that is capable of replacing it. But CFLs actually prevent more mercury from entering the environment. According to the Union of Concerned Scientist, “a coal-fired power plant will emit about four times more mercury to keep an incandescent bulb glowing, compared with a CFL of the same light output”.
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