Earth Day Contest Answers and Winners

Scroll down for the right answers for the Commerce Earth Day Quiz 2012. Thanks for playing with us. The lucky winners in our drawing were Kathy Archuleta (Real Estate), Van Kagie (Real Estate), and Adele Bancroft (DOPL). Congratulations! All three won Greenlite compact fluorescent bulbs.

Quiz Answers

1. Since a car uses more gasoline to start the engine than keep it idling, it is better to idle your car and use drive-thru windows to save energy.

FALSE-

Idling your car more than 10 seconds wastes more gas than is needed to start up and it is rougher wear and tear on your vehicle.

2. It is better to turn off your computer and monitor to save most amount of energy.

TRUE-

Even power-down or sleep mode computers still use approximately 15 Watts per hour of electricity. Monitors also consume between eight to 15 Watts per hour, depending on the mode they are in. If you are going to be away from your desk for 20 minutes or longer, turn off the monitor. For two hours or more, turn off both.

3. Window replacement is the best investment to save energy at home.

FALSE-

Window replacement may be a good way to reduce chill and drafts in a home, but at today’s energy prices, there is a very long payback. Windows also comprise a small amount of the building envelope, or exterior. It would be better to add ceiling and wall insulation to cut down on high heating and cooling bills.

4. Keep the temperature set the same at home to save energy, since it takes more energy to bring the house up—or down—to the preferred temperature.

FALSE-

There is no research to support this. The use of a programmable thermostat, which sets varied temperatures throughout the day, will save between one and three percent in monthly energy costs.

5. Washing clothes in cold water is one of the best ways to save energy in the laundry area.

TRUE-

The highest energy cost (at least 90%) is the energy to heat the water.

6. A compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) uses about one-third the energy of a comparable incandescent bulb and lasts up to 10 times longer.

TRUE-

If every American home replaced just one light with a CFL bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, which is equivalent to the emissions of about 800,000 cars. Check out also a new LED light bulb that should have hit the stores on Earth Day: http://moneyland.time.com/2012/04/18/introducing-the-60-light-bulb/

7. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to watch a TV for three hours.

TRUE-

Did you know that a used aluminum can can be recycled and back on the grocery self as a new can in 60 days! Tossing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as pouring out half of that can’s volume of gasoline. The average employee is said to consume 2.5 beverages a day while at work. Please don’t forget to recycle!

8. Earth Day is the largest secular modern day holiday celebrated around the world.

TRUE-

Earth Day has been observed since 1970. Today it is observed in at least 175 countries with people from different backgrounds, faith, and nationalities.

9. What will you do on Earth Day, April 22, to save energy?

Here is what some Commerce employee’s were planning to do on Earth Day:

Walk instead of drive, open blinds instead of turning on lights, stay home, sleep, enjoy the outdoors, plant garden or flowers, limit the use of electronics, work on recycling center, wash laundry in cold water etc.