eco-savvy?

i took an online quiz at msnbc.com about my "green" knowledge. i missed 2 questions:

Take the quiz here.

Things I found especially interesting:

• You should use the A/C when going faster then 45mph. Having the windows down creates a drag that makes your car fuel inefficient. 
• By only using cold water to do laundry, you save about $61 a month. Heating the water takes 80-90% of the energy to do the laundry. 

How eco-savvy are you?
Thanks for taking our quiz. You answered 80% of the questions correctly.

Here's how all readers fared:
Score 0-19 % 20-39 % 40-59 % 60-79 % 80-100 %
Readers 0 % 1 % 6 % 42 % 51 %
* 77300 total responses

1. You shouldn't turn your PC on and off because that will wear it out.
Correct
Computers will not be damaged by lots of powering on and off if purchased in the last 10 years. Today's PCs are designed to handle 40,000 on/off cycles before a failure, and that's a number you likely won't reach during the computer's five-to-seven-year life span.

2. Alkaline batteries aren't recyclable.
Correct
For the most part. Most alkaline batteries collected through household battery collection programs are disposed of in hazardous waste landfills; even stores that have takeback programs admit they often end up in the trash. We recommend buying rechargeable batteries, which not only can be used up to 30 times, but also can be recycled.

3. Online banking reduces your risk of identity fraud.
False is not correct.
Internet banking does reduce the threat of identity theft and banking fraud. In fact, a study by Javelin Strategy & Research found the average time to detect fraud for online banking users was 18 days; for non-online users it was 114 days. Online banking also uses 128-bit encryption, one of the most advanced technologies available for safeguarding sensitive information. Plus, it saves a ton of paper! If all U.S. households viewed and paid bills electronically, we'd save 18.5 million trees and 15.8 billion gallons of water per year.

4. Hybrid cars are really bad for the environment because there isn't a way to recycle their batteries.
Correct
Hybrid car batteries are made of nickel metal hydride, which is fully recyclable. Toyota and Honda say they will recycle dead batteries and dispose of them properly – Toyota even puts a phone number on each battery and pays $200 for the return of a dead battery to ensure it's properly recycled. Additionally, hybrid battery packs are designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle, between 150,000 and 200,000 miles.

5. When beauty products are labeled "organic" or "all natural" they are always better for your skin.
True is not correct.
There are no federal certifications for the labels 'natural' or 'organic' when it comes to beauty products. Anyone can claim their product is natural or organic. The best thing to do is carefully read the list of ingredients, or consult the cosmetics data base Skin Deep (www.cosmeticdatabase.com), which analyzes many beauty products for safety.

6. You should never throw your unused medication down the toilet.
Correct
Wastewater plants are not designed to handle household hazardous wastes like expired medication. Medications can end up in our water supplies in trace amounts and also get into the soil and become environmental hazards, as well as creating a health hazard for wastewater personnel. Unused meds should be returned to your pharmacy – they can properly dispose of them for you.

7. Roll your car window down (instead of cranking up the A/C). It will save you gas and it's better for the environment.
Correct
But only if you are going 45 mph and under. Kick on the A/C if you are going more than 45 mph - the drag from the windows ruins the fuel savings by not using the A/C.

8. Bottled water is always safer to drink than tap water.
Correct
A lot of the bottled water on the market today is really just repackaged tap water. The bottled water industry is not required to test for pharmaceuticals (just like with tap water) and the FDA does not ensure the safety of bottled water, so it isn't like there's a clear cut advantage to buying bottled water for safety purposes. By kicking the bottled water habit you are saving tons of waste and cash - 1.5 million tons of plastic are used globally each year in water bottles alone AND the bottled water costs more than gasoline! If you cut down on one bottle per week you could save close to $100/year.

9. Clothes get just as clean in cold water as they do in hot.
Correct
Cold water works just as well for washing up your day-to-day clothes. You'll save cold, hard cash - like $61 per year per household on average by forgoing the hot for the cold. 80%-90% of the energy used to do your laundry goes to just heating the water. It's better for your clothes (cold water keeps your clothes looking newer longer) AND it's better for the planet. In a year, each household that switches keeps 1,281 lbs of CO2 from entering the air.

10. Your appliances don't use energy when they aren't in use.
Correct
A "phantom load" refers to the energy your appliances use when they are plugged in but not turned on. In the average home, 40% of all electricity is used to power home appliances while they're not in use! You can save around 30% on your electric bill by simply plugging your electronics (e.g., cell phone charger, computer, TV, DVD players) into a power strip and flipping the switch when you leave home. They even have selftiming power strips that automatically shut down.