Page 8 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 Top 5 Tips to Cut Costs and Winterize Your Home W indows – Check for leaks around the edges where the window is hinged, slides or meets another unit. Clean the tracks of any debris that might be interfering with seals. Lock windows once winter sets in and apply a quality exterior caulk to seal any leaks. Doors – Feel around the perimeter of the door for any cooler air coming in. Check the weatherstripping around the door, including the door sweep attached to the bottom. Apply exterior-grade caulking to seal gaps if necessary. Attics, Basements and Crawlspaces – Leaky ductwork is a primary escape route for warm air, so inspect all visible ductwork openings that can be easily accessed. Check for any holes that go through the main fl oor to the basement or attic, for small openings in the ductwork, electrical or plumbing connection. Caulk or foam around them or use foil tape or mastic to seal any leaks. Pipes – Disconnect, drain ~ OP-ED ~ and store any garden hoses as the weather turns cold. Any exposed water pipes in uninsulated spaces such as in a crawlspace, attic, or exterior wall should be protected with foam insulating sleeves. Burst pipes from freezing can cause some of the most expensive repairs in the home. HVAC – Change air fi lters on a regular basis. Operate the system on the "auto" fan setting on the thermostat. Ensure proper airfl ow by inspecting ducts for dust buildup and obstructions. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, HVAC preventative maintenance can help save homeowners up to 25-percent in energy cost. Dropping Temperatures, Rising Costs • This winter is forecast to be slightly colder across the country than last year. • Natural Gas - Nearly half the homes in the US use natural gas for heat, and they could pay an CUT COSTS | SEE Page 17 Tips on reducing waste during the holidays A s anyone who has spent time cleaning up wrapping paper or the remnants of a holiday meal knows, this is the season of celebration, giving … and waste. In fact, Americans throw away 25 percent more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year's holiday period than any other time of year. The extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about 1 million extra tons per week, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But, with a little creativity and planning, all of us can reduce waste over the holidays. With thanks to the EPA, here are some ideas: • Give treasure -- a favorite book, plant start, or antique. Check estate sales, flea markets, and resale shops for unique fi nds. • Choose recycled or sustainably sourced materials. Shop local to support area shops, makers, and artisans while reducing shipping costs and impacts. • Give “anti-matter” -- event tickets, museum memberships, gift certifi cates, or even your time and talents. • Reuse maps, comics, newsprint, kid art, or posters as gift wrap. Wrap gifts in recycled paper or a reusable bag. Or, skip the gift wrap, hide the gifts, and leave clues or trails for kids to follow. • Give rechargeable batteries with electronics. • Consider a potted tree that can be replanted, or a red cedar slated for removal during habitat/farm maintenance. • All food-soiled paper products are commercially compostable, unless plastic- or foil-coated. • Reuse packing and shipping materials. Save ribbons, bows, boxes, bags, and décor for the next holiday. • Replant, mulch, or compost your live tree. Compost food scraps. We can make a diff erence. If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet, according to Stanford University. If every American family wrapped just three presents in re-used materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fi elds. If we each sent one fewer greeting card, we’d save 50,000 cubic yards of paper. Whether it be during the holidays or any other time of year, as always, we will be on the job, collecting and safely disposing of whatever cannot be recycled and converting it into clean, renewable energy to power local communities. At WIN Waste Innovations, supporting the needs of the communities we serve is one of many ways we bring our Performance for the Planet vision to life. From all of us at WIN Waste Innovations, we wish you a happy and sustainable holiday season. ~ GUEST COMMENTARY ~ Government Is Our Business, Especially When It Comes To Voting By Sal Giarratani W ell, the race for State Senator in the 1st Suff olk & Middlesex district has been decided in the recent state primary. City Councilor Lydia Edwards from East Boston beating Revere School Committeeman Anthony D’Ambrosio gives Edwards vacated senate seat As I read the page one headline in The Revere Advocate (Low turnout gives Edwards vacated senate seat), I think the results of this election and the horrible turnout shows just how powerful each of us is if we just take the time to vote. How many who came before us sacrifi ced their lives so that our democratic republic could continue. Freedom isn’t free. It gets paid for all the time by those we just remembered on Veterans Day and by those we just remembered on December 7, the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The least we can do is vote in our elections. Our system depends on us voting, making choices, etc. When we sit on our hands and let others choose for us, we give up our right to complain about the results. We had our chance and threw it away. Voting is not a Democrat, Republican, liberal or conservative thing, it is an American thing. In all transparency, I have worked in numerous campaigns over the years and have been a candidate for public office too. I know first-hand the importance of elections. Government is always our business. Either we run the government or it runs us. Sit back, do nothing but don’t pretend you are an innocent bystander. I congratulate Lydia Edwards on her victory and I congratulate Anthony D’Ambrosio for running. They stepped into the arena. Too bad there were so few who couldn’t even take the time to show up and vote. Maybe next time, some of these no-shows will actually show up and vote but there’ll probably be just more excuses why they couldn’t fi nd the time. This is America; it only works if its citizens do their duty starting by voting.
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