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Laundry isn't a Four-Letter Word!

  Air-drying laundry has many advantages besides treating fabric more gently. It can save energy in substantial amounts. Dryers use more than 5% of all the energy used by an average household, and water heaters use more than 9%, according to a study by the U.S. Energy Information Administration in 2001.

Also, you won't get the surprise of forgetting to turn on the dryer ... until you open the door days later (who does that? I sure wouldn't know.). A lot of clothing looks better after air drying than drying in a machine. And lately, some communities are reversing old zoning laws banning clotheslines from use.

   

Most such laws were passed before the price of oil increased and environmental issues were as well understood than they are now. In those times clotheslines were associated with the poorer households that could not afford a shiny, modern drying machine.

Sheets rippling on a clothesline can be a lovely, constant illustration of the air's movement. It feels good to know you're doing something for the environment...and your power bill! Multiply your actions, and the effects will also multiply. There's confirmation by Michigan State University below:

Simple measures can yield big greenhouse gas cuts,
MSU scientist says

Michigan State University, Oct. 26, 2009, MSU.edu

EAST LANSING, Mich. — New technologies and policies that save energy, remove atmospheric carbon and limit greenhouse gas emissions are needed to fight global climate change – but face daunting technological, economic and political hurdles, a Michigan State University scientist said. The good news: Basic actions taken by everyday people can yield fast savings at low cost, according to MSU Professor Thomas Dietz and colleagues. ...