Q. Recently our utility bills have increased dramatically. We have tried to turn off appliances we don’t use all the time and keep some rooms we don’t use closed off to save on cooling. The next bill was almost as high as the last one. What else can we do? A. The first thing to
LOS ANGELES – In the course of a 17-year experiment on more than 1 million plants, scientists put future global warming to a real world test – growing California flowers and grasslands with extra heat, carbon dioxide and nitrogen to mimic a not-so-distant, hotter future. The results, simulating a post-2050 world, aren’t pretty. And they
SOLAR TAX BREAK EXTENDED In late 2015, Congress extended the federal investment tax credit, allowing solar panel buyers to get a 30 percent tax credit for residential and commercial solar systems. The residential credit is slated to be phased out by 2023. For more information, go to energy.gov/savings/business-energy-investment-tax-credit-itc. Graphics To generate a lot of energy from
Southern California is experiencing its worst smog in years this summer as heat and stagnant weather increase the number of bad air days and drive up ozone pollution to levels not seen since 2009. Where pollution is worst, in the Inland Empire, hospitals and asthma clinics are reporting increases in patients seeking treatment for respiratory illness, their
For decades, electricity has been nothing more than a bill we pay for to keep the lights on. Some users are more conservative with their consumption to avoid a high bill, while others would rather pay more and not have to sacrifice their quality of life. Regardless of which user you are, the way you use and pay