Welcome to the August Edition of the City of Fort Wayne’s Green City email newsletter.
Upcoming events:
The Citiloop Downtown Lunch Trolley continues through August 31st from 11:15am to 1:15pm. It runs through downtown Fort Wayne, providing free transportation to various stops. To see the route map, visit http://www.fwcitilink.com/citiloop.htm
First, we’d like to share with you some tips for reducing your energy consumption in your home:
*Replace regular light bulbs with CFLs. Compact Fluorescent light bulbs use up to 75% less energy than regular light bulbs, plus they last for five years!
*Unplug electrical devices when not in use. Many electrical devices draw electricity 24/7, whether you are using them or not. By plugging these devices into a power strip and turning that strip off, you’ll stop the electricity leech.
*Reuse dishes and cups. If you drink coffee every morning, rinse the cup out at night and reuse it instead of putting it through the wash.
*Turn off the lights when not in a room. This is such a simple change in habit, but it can make a significant difference in your energy consumption.
Second, we’d like to share with you some of the ways the City is reducing its own energy consumption:
*The City has initially installed computer software in nearly 70 vehicles that is designed to shut the vehicle off if it idles for more than 10 minutes. This will reduce fuel costs and lower emissions of these vehicles. Anti-idle software will be installed on 7 new vehicles by the end of this year. A typical vehicle will burn about a gallon of diesel fuel for each hour that it idles. By shutting the vehicle down, significant amounts of fuel can be saved with additional cost savings from wear of simply having the vehicle running. Reduction in idling also reduces the amount of VOC, CO, NOX, and particulate matter emissions from the vehicle.
*The City is using a bio-diesel fuel for more than 300 of its diesel vehicles and construction equipment. This bio-diesel consists of 20% of fuel derived from sources such as soybeans. This bio-diesel burns cleaner than normal diesel fuel. In 2006, the City used 278,134 gallons of bio-diesel in place of regular diesel. Bio-diesel reduces reliance on foreign oil and also reduces harmful emissions. On average, switching to bio-diesel (B20 bio-diesel) lowers particulate matter emissions 10%, hydrocarbon emissions 20%, carbon monoxide emissions 10%, and greenhouse gas emissions 10%.
Last, we’d like to explain to you what Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs are and how to properly dispose of them:
The City of Fort Wayne recommends purchasing Energy Star qualified CFLs, which are guaranteed to use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. These CFLs s ave about $11 annually in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime and produce about 75 percent less heat, so they're cooler when on and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.
Residents can recycle CFLs at no charge in Fort Wayne at Sears and any of the three Do It Best Hardware Stores. You can also seal the CFLs in two plastic bags and put them into your outside trash. CFLs should not be disposed of in an incinerator.
Energy Star qualified CFLs have a two-year warranty. If the bulb fails within the warranty period, return it to your retailer.
Recently many people have been concerned about the mercury inside CFLs. CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 5 milligrams – which is roughly equivalent to an amount that would cover the tip of a ball-point pen. No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact or in use. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury. It would take 100 CFLs to equal that amount.
Mercury currently is an essential component of CFLs and is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. Many manufacturers have taken significant steps to reduce the amount of mercury used in their fluorescent lighting products. In fact, the average amount of mercury in a CFL is anticipated to drop by 1 to 2 milligrams by the end of 2007, thanks to technology advances and a commitment from the members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.
If you break a CFL, the EPA recommends taking the following precautions:
*Open a window and leave the room (restrict access) for at least 15 minutes
*Remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner
*Use sticky tape (such as duct tape) to pick up the small pieces and powder
*Place all cleanup materials in a plastic bag and seal it
*Wash your hands after disposing of the bag
It is important to realize that more mercury is put into the air (from coal-fired electricity plants) from continuing to use incandescent light bulbs, than is released from a CFL if broken. A graph showing this data is available on the City’s Energy and Environmental Services webpage.
Thank you very much for being a subscriber to our Green City email newsletter. We hope this has been helpful and informative to you.
We will contact you once per month with the email newsletter, as well as on Air Quality Action Days to alert you when air conditions indicate you need to take action.
If you would like to suggest topics or articles to include in monthly email newsletters, please email
Please pass this email newsletter on to your friends and family, so that everyone can share in the knowledge and have an impact on reducing energy consumption.
