Conserve Today - Secure Tomorrow

By Tech. Sgt. Colette M. Graham, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published April 15, 2014

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- In celebration of Earth Day, Team Seymour is joining the Air Force in its commitment to protect, conserve and restore the natural environment. This year, Airmen are being encouraged to explore and implement new ways to promote sustainability both at home and at work, and to find new ways to "Conserve Today - Secure Tomorrow:" this year's theme.

"Seymour Johnson has an obligation to conserve, reduce waste, prevent pollution and make our base cleaner and more sustainable every day," said Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Craver, 4th Fighter Wing command chief. "Earth Day provides a chance for each Airman to show commitment to the environment by using limited natural resources responsibly."

According to the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron environmental element, Seymour Johnson is doing its' part to protect the natural environment and sustain the mission, for the future. Over the years the environmental element's hazardous waste management program reduced waste disposal by 80 percent, saving more than $35,000 annually.

The 4th CES environmental element provides additional ways to help reduce your carbon footprint:

Conserving water saves energy and reduces carbon pollution.
- Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth in the morning and before bedtime can save up to 8 gallons of water daily.
- Fix those water leaks. The average household's leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year, or the amount of water needed to wash 270 loads of laundry.
- Running your dishwasher only when it's full prevents 100 pounds of carbon pollution annually and can save you up to $40 per year on your water bill.
- Use WaterSense products. They're 20 percent more water-efficient than their counterparts. If every home in the U.S. replaced existing shower heads with WaterSense-labeled models, it could save more than $2.2 billion in water utility bills, help prevent carbon pollution and save more than 260 billion gallons of water annually.

Keep your car well-maintained.
- Check your tire pressure regularly. Under-inflation increases tire wear, reduces your fuel economy, and leads to higher carbon emissions.
- Use public transportation, carpool, walk or bike whenever possible to avoid using your car.
- Leaving your car at home just two days a week can reduce carbon pollution by an average of two tons per year.

Make sure your house is energy efficient.
- Caulking doors and windows and adding insulation can save up to $200 a year in heating and cooling costs.
- A programmable thermostat can save you about $180 every year and clean air filters will help your system run more efficiently.
- Clean the area around the outdoor components of your Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning system. Airflow problems can reduce your system's efficiency by up to 15 percent.
- If you have an older water heater, you can save energy by wrapping your electric water heater with an insulating jacket. This practice can save more than $30 per year on utility bills.
Power down to reduce carbon pollution and save money.
- U.S. households spend $100 per year to power devices not in use. Powering devices while they are in a low power accounts for more than $11 billion in annual U.S. energy costs!
- Using a power strip for your computer and all peripheral equipment allows you to completely disconnect the power supply from the power source, eliminating standby power consumption.
- Replace your five most frequently used light bulbs with Energy Star qualified products, and you will reduce carbon pollution while saving $75 a year on energy bills.

"Here at Seymour Johnson we are also committed to reducing air pollution," said William Chastain, 4th CES environmental element chief. "Since 2009, we have reduced several of our criteria pollutant emissions including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide. As we move forward and adapt greener and cleaner processes these emissions will continue to decrease and result in cleaner air for all of us to breathe."

This year, the Air Force is asking Airmen and their families to login to the "Blue Acts of Green" Facebook page at www.facebook.com/blueactsofgreen to share environmentally friendly practices they participate in every day. It is also a website to learn what other families are doing across the country to protect one of Earth's natural resources. For more information, visit the Air Force Earth Day website at http://www.afcec.af.mil/earthday2014.asp.

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