Commit to purchasing "green" generated electricity from the DTE "Green Currents" program, or purchase Renewable Energy Certificates.
While not a perfect option, doing this generates the most "bang for the buck" in terms of reducing the greenhouse gases that are generated by electrical use. We all can't make our own clean power, but by purchasing green energy, we force the utility to create and generate clean power. For example, in a city with 16000 residents, a 20 percent "green power" buy could reduce the greenhouse gases (c02e) by 9,997 metric tons a year, while costing the average resident a whopping 18 dollars and change A YEAR!
Renewable Energy Certificates are similar in principle to the purchase of green power from the utility company, but are not restricted by locality.
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Beverly Woodbeck commented
CFL bulbs contain Mercury which is released when the bulb is broken or disposed. Mercury is a toxic metal associated with contamination of water, fish, food supplies, and can lead to adverse health affects. CFL must be recycled properly as Hazardous waste... many residents do NOT know this. This only brings into question the overall cost effectiveness for Southgate.
The goal of our community is to be 'green', save energy, reduce adverse affects to our environment and ourselves. So it is, for the purpose of this mission, to recommend products that do not work against our objective. LED light bulb use less electricity, are
double the efficiency of a CFL and do not contain Mercury.LED Life Span 50,000 hours 6-8 watts electricity used p/yr: 329 KWh
CFL Life Span 8,000 hours 13-15 watts electricity used p/yr: 767 KWh -
Richard Robbins commented
I really should clarify this. If you were to purchase 100 percent of your energy usage under this plan, the costs to you would be 2 cents per kilowatt used. According to the EPA, you would be saving 19,645 lbs a household, or 68,757 tons with a 7000 household city. This would probably be around 60 percent off a home's total CO2 production, See this site to have more info.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html