Air Date: Week of November 4, 2011

Listener David Lachman says we can save energy in the winter by iceboxing – freezing containers outside and putting them into the fridge so the compressor stays off.

Transcript

GELLERMAN: It's Living On Earth, I'm Bruce Gellerman. In a minute - making beautiful music in very unusual places. But first, this Cool Fix for a Hot Planet from a listener who hears our show on W-A-M-C.

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LACHMAN: My name is David Lachman and I listen to LOE in Western Massachusetts. I came across this idea last year and started using it. It’s a great way to save energy in the winter. It’s called ice boxing. Basically, you change your refrigerator, which runs on electricity, into an old-fashioned style icebox, which runs on ice. The great thing about winter is that ice is free, money-wise and energy-wise. So, fill up some plastic containers with water that will fit on the top shelf of your fridge, and put them outside to freeze.

When frozen, put them on the top shelf of the fridge. It’s that simple. With the ice cooling the fridge, the compressor will not have to come on, you can have refrigeration for free. Swap out the plastic containers every morning, or more often if you open your refrigerator a lot, and you will have a continuous supply of free cold where you want it. You can calculate the amount of the electricity you save and the cold part of the country can save if everyone did this.
GELLERMAN: Well, thanks a lot, David. And if you have a Cool Fix for a Hot Planet, send it our way. If we use your idea on the air, we’ll send you a cool blue and true tire gauge. Keeping your tires properly inflated saves you fuel and money, and takes pressure off the planet by reducing the emission of climate changing gases.

Email your ideas to us at: coolfix – all one word – at L-O-E dot org. That’s coolfix at L-O-E dot O-R-G. Or, post your ideas on our Facebook page – PRI’s Living on Earth.

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