You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2469 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 A Green Home Improvement (NAPSA)—Homeowners are putting their best foot forward to improve the curb appeal of their home while helping to protect the environment. They are redoing their driveways and walkways with permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP), which not only looks good, but allows water to filter through the pavement to migrate back into the ground. Further good news is that some counties offer a rebate program to homeowners who install a PICP driveway. Because PICPs return rainwater to the ground, they help drought-stricken areas or places where storm sewers overflow from too much runoff. How It Works PICP works like this: A surface of solid concrete pavers is separated by joints filled with small stones that make the joints highly permeable. Water enters the joints between solid concrete pavers and flows through an “open-graded” base; i.e., crushed stone layers with no small or fine particles. The spaces among the crushed stones store water and infiltrate it back into the soil. The joints provide 100 percent surface permeability and the base filters storm water and reduces pollutants. Permeable interlocking concrete pavements are the way to green walkways, driveways and patios. For Patios and Walkways Pavers can be used for walks, patios and driveways, as well as for parking lots and residential streets. Homeowners particularly like the vast array of colors, shapes, sizes and textures available. You can get rustic stonelike pavers or others that look like clay brick. Light-colored pavers can provide a cooler surface around patios and pool decks. The pavers are easy to maintain and snowplow. In addition, because the snow melts faster on PICP, it reduces ice hazards. You can learn more about PICP and find an experienced, professional installer by visiting the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute’s Web site at www.icpi.org. Maintaining Proper Cholesterol Levels (NAPSA)—The leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease—and maintaining proper cholesterol levels is considered the most effective first step in reducing the risk for cardiovascular problems. Surprisingly, lowering cholesterol can have additional health benefits—particularly for men. There is a strong link between high cholesterol and an increased risk for prostate disease. Consumers may now be able to maintain proper cholesterol levels with less risk of side effects. For consumers seeking a drugfree way to support cardiovascular health, there’s a new, all-natural product—formulated by physicians and medical researchers— that has been shown to help maintain proper cholesterol levels and promote heart health. Developed by Farr Labs and made with such proven ingredients as red yeast rice, niacin and co-enzyme Q10, All-Liper-OL has been carefully formulated to effectively promote heart health with less potential side effects than “statin” drugs. To learn more, call (877) 2843976 or visit www.farrlabs.com. Cutting The Cost Of Electricity (NAPSA)—While home energy costs are up nearly 15 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, you don’t have to get hot under the collar over energy bills. What You Can Do Here are hints that can help: •Conduct a household energy audit to find where you use the most energy. Check insulation levels, look for holes and cracks around doors and windows, check for openings in fireplace dampers and examine the lighting and plumbing. •Get Energy Star appliances and home electronics, including water heaters, dishwashers and furnaces. These products meet stringent efficiency criteria established by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. •Always turn lights off in any room not in use or install timers or sensors to reduce the amount of time a light is on. Replace old lightbulbs with fluorescent tubes and energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). Fluorescent lighting is much more efficient and lasts four to 10 times longer. What Others Can Do While efficiency is an important first step in addressing the energy challenge, the nation’s long-term needs will require a substantive national investment. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that it will take a research investment of $1.4 billion a year from now until 2030 to develop new technology such as carbon capture and storage for our power plants. In most homes, appliances make up about 20 percent of the energy bill. You can cut your current energy bill by a third and help lower greenhouse gas emissions by switching to more energy-efficient technologies. “To develop the technology needed to keep the lights on and rates affordable, the federal government must exercise committed leadership and provide funding,” said Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). This national effort could include establishing and expanding academic centers on energy efficiency at colleges and universities nationwide, helping accelerate technology innovation and training efficiency experts. In addition, the federal government can help spur the technological ingenuity that America has relied on for centuries. Learn More Energy efficiency is one important way to lower monthly energy costs while keeping America’s energy cleaner. To find out more about what you can do and how to make your energy concerns heard, visit https://www.ourenergy.coop.
