Energy

If you have not been following what has been happening across the Barnett Shale area of our metroplex, you may not know that drilling companies have been suing town and cities across this area--trying to intimidate them to approve drilling permits.

To counter this, Representative Lon Burnham introduced a bill (HB 3792) that would give cities the right to deny drilling and pipeline permits. His bill was only one person short of getting passed through the committee.

Ninety percent of the energy used to wash clothes comes from heating the water. However, you can reduce demand on the hot water heater by washing most clothing in cold water. You will also see less color fading with the clothes. Use hot water for whites, towels, and sheets. Washing sheets in hot water is especially important for killing dust mites. But even with the warmer loads, consider using the hot cycle initially and then using cold water in the rinse cycle. Hot water more effective at killing germs.

Joshua Tickell's film, Fuel, looks at a topic that affects our entire world. Fuel heats us, cools us, and feeds us. Yet, the extraction of fossil fuels is a dirty business, affecting health and environment. It is a limited resource and it leads to political and international conflict.

On Tuesday, each member of the Dallas City Council, along with Mayor Tom  Leppert and City Manager Mary K. Suhm received a gift: their very own copy of the Academy Award nominated film, Gasland. 

Over 80 people turned out at the Trinity River Audubon Center this month on a sunny Saturday afternoon to learn about net metering. The event was sponsored by the Texas Solar Energy Society and the North Texas Renewable Energy Group.

Do you know that just by changing a few old habits, you can reduce how often you use your stove? Here are some great tips!