teaching kids

[Cindy Fallsen]

One of the key ways to save energy is changing the Furnace Filter and turning off the Bathroom Fan when you leave the bathroom. Finally, turning down the Thermostat is a quick way to save.
Are you guys teaching these things to your kids. It is amazing how quick they will be reminding you of these simple, yet powerful ways to save energy.
What other ways are you all teaching your kids to conserve to save emissions? Any tips or advice welcome.

[Emett]

Yes Yes Yes.

Kids are expensive, electrically speaking, but they can still learn! It's not too late for them! Kids across the country are leaving on lights, fans, TVs, game consols, when they forget to turn them off when done. And kids are rarely taught about Thermostats except "don't touch," so that is a great point!

These are great things for parents to focus on with their kids every know and then. I bet a lot of parents will be surprized at how savvy the pre-teens and teens are with green issues and pollution. There're pretty smart and educated about that stuff by 7th grade here in Portland, 6th grade is Outdoor School, but that's another story...

We all need to be more excited about turning things off. Like the whole point of turning something on is to do some work or play or transport and then to see how fast you get it that sucker turned back off! Kids love games. Make it a game. Play a game of "make the power meter competely stop," too! Then go plug the fridge back in, wasting food is worse... :)

And now it is also wise to teach them about "Vampiric" electrical power drain, from all the stuff in "Remote ready" standbys and charger/power cords with voltage transformers and AC/DC converters that are wasting about 10% of household electricity. Ask them to think about what to do about it. (Unplug it all or use a power strip. Note there's smart power strips, too, that can automatically cut off power to Vampiric equipment.)

Thanks for your post!