Alternative energy and energy conservation are two topics that are seen more frequently in news headlines today. Energy conservation techniques are not rocket science, most management practices are just common sense.

In your home, over half of the energy expenses come from heating and cooling. If you have an older, less efficient furnace or air conditioner, replacing them with high efficiency units will certainly save energy and money.

However, you can also reduce home energy use many other ways. A programmable thermostat on a new or older system will use less energy while the family is away at school and work. You can save up to 10% of your heating and cooling costs by turning back your thermostat 10 to 15 % for 8 hours during the day, all done automatically by a programmable thermostat.

A clean air filter in your heating and cooling system will keep it operating efficiently and save energy. You should check and clean your filter once a month. Another inexpensive home energy saving technique is to seal air spaces around windows and doors. Caulking and weather stripping materials are paid for quickly by the energy savings in heating and cooling your home.

Adding insulation to your home and replacing single pane windows may be more expensive initially, but over time these improvements will also be paid by the realized energy conservation they provide. If window replacement is not in the budget, use window blinds to your advantage. Close the window blinds at night in the winter to reduce the cooling effect of a single pain window. In addition, take advantage of the sun's radiant energy on south facing windows by keeping blinds open during the day.

The addition of storm windows on the outside of the house will reduce energy transfer through the glass. A temporary alternative is plastic film on the inside of the window during the winter months.

In your home you can also reduce electricity use by turning off lights when leaving a room or by putting timers on lamps and other lights. Televisions and computers are big consumers of electricity, so turn them off when not being used.

Compact fluorescent bulbs, CFLs, offer another opportunity for you to save energy and money in the long run. These CFLs use only ¼ of the electricity of standard incandescent bulbs. Although the CFL bulb cost more initially, the 4.5 year lifetime savings of the bulb compared to a standard incandescent is approximately $60.00.

One way to learn how to make your home more energy efficient is to visit the Home Energy Saver website http://hes.lbl.gov/hes/vh.shtml. This website helps you conduct your own energy audit to find ways to save energy and money.

Energy conservation makes dollar and cents for you and it makes sense for the environment by conserving fossil fuels. If you have questions about energy conservation contact the University of Illinois Champaign Extension Unit at 333-7672.

Whooping Crane Migration Update

Several weeks ago, I described the whooping crane reintroduction program in the eastern United States, which involves leading young cranes from Wisconsin to Florida using ultra-light aircrafts. The scientists and cranes began their journey on October 17^th, but have been grounded by high winds for several days. They are still in Wisconsin, but will be stopping in Piatt County on their journey to Florida. If you want to follow this migration, a daily update can be found at www.operationmigration.org by clicking on the "In The Field" tab.