July 26th, 2010 at 10:25 am

Four easy expert tips that take the bite out of your summer energy bills and minimize your home’s environmental impact.

 

As the temperature climbs, so does the use of energy-sucking air conditioners, producing higher bills for your family.

“The average home puts out twice the greenhouse gases of the average car,” says Maria Vargas, spokeswoman for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Program. “Because heating and cooling are such a big part of that output, improving your home’s energy efficiency is a tremendous way to reduce greenhouse gases.”

To reduce pollution while lowering your utility bills, follow these easy tips:

Seal up cracks and insulate.
Cost: $5-$25. Average annual energy savings: $200.

Vargas points to one of the easiest and most effective tactics for energy efficiency: Find and seal cracks around doors, windows, outlets, and other susceptible areas. Failing to caulk and weather-strip gaps “can cause the energy-loss equivalent of leaving a window open for a full year,” says Vargas. The EPA also suggests adding insulation to attic and exterior walls to keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. According to the EPA, sealing and insulating your home can save you up to 10% on your annual energy bill.

Get an AC checkup.
Cost: $50-$60 for inspection, $20-$150 for service. Average annual energy savings: $300.

A pre-season checkup for your air-conditioning system is a low-cost, easy way to save energy. “It’s like an oil change for your car—it helps keep your AC at its peak performance level,” says Vargas. Changing your air filter as often as indicated (monthly during heavy-use periods, and a minimum of four times per year) can make a big difference, too. “Having your air-conditioning unit serviced can cut 15% of cooling costs,” says Megan Toth, of Flex Your Power, a California energy-efficiency awareness organization.

Get a programmable thermostat.
Cost: $50-$125. Average annual energy savings: $160.

Once you purchase a programmable thermostat, you need to make sure you’re using it correctly, says Vargas. “You must program it to fit the needs of your home,” she says. “Programmable thermostats put you in control of your energy use and your own environmental impact.” For summer cooling, keep your thermostat at 78 degrees or above for maximum efficiency. Set the program up to 85 degrees for periods when no one will be home for hours or days. You can also use this setting after bedtime for additional savings. Avoid using the override or hold options, since changing the temperature makes your system work harder. For more helpful tips to correct thermostat use, check out energystar.gov/pts.

Use ceiling fans.
Cost: $40-$150. Average annual energy savings: $15 per fan.

“Fans make indoor temperatures feel cooler,” Toth says. “And most ceiling fans use less energy than a lightbulb.” To be sure you’re making good use of the energy needed to run the fans, turn them off whenever you leave the room, suggests Vargas. “Keep in mind that ceiling and portable fans cool you, not the room.”

 

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July 21st, 2010 at 11:58 am

In this time in our economy it is hard to get all those wonderful green products. Going green can seem expensive and therefore the idea of going green is abolished before even looking into it.  

It is time to learn or remember a few more tips from the old ages. Some stuff that our great grandmother, grandmother and mother's have used in the past before we had all these fancy cleaning products that are harmful to our environment.

This is how you make your own eco-friendly household cleaner

Things you will need:

• Vinegar
• Cotton Rag (it can be an old t-shirt that had a whole and you can cut it up)
• Baking Soda
• Recycled Spray Bottle
  

Instructions

Step 1

 

Take an empty spray bottle. Wash it out well with some warm water and vinegar. Vinegar cleans pretty well. Then run the bottle with cold water to get rid of the smell.

 

Step 2

 

Fill the recycled spray bottle with 1/2 cup of vinegar, 3 tablespoons of baking soda and the rest with water. Stir well until the baking soda has dissolved well.

 

Step 3

Now you are ready to clean anything in your house. This works well also on greasy stove tops. It even cleans bathrooms well and kills bacteria.

Tips

If you have baked on grease sprinkle a few teaspoons of baking soda onto the pan or whatever bake pan and add a few teaspoons of water and let it sit there for a few minutes and it cleans wonderfully

If your dishwasher smells a little, add a few caps full of vinegar to your dishwasher before you set it to run and any build up and smell will be gone.

Also adding vinegar to a load of white laundry makes it come out cleaner.

Instead of Windex for glass cleaners use vinegar.

 

113

March 29th, 2010 at 9:22 am

 

Now Oprah has discovered the "Joy of Sacks" and featured the cheerful, dishwasher-safe LunchSkins in her April issue.   

 

Everyone can use a stylish, reusable baggie.  Find your favorite patterns and colors at www.mygreenday.com and join us in reducing plastic waste. 

 

 

 

 

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March 2nd, 2010 at 9:52 pm

Picking up our girls' today from school brought a huge smile to my face. It was a crazy day driving each girl to their separate activities, but amidst the madness I heard my seven year old daughter, Hannah sing from the back seat  'We've been working on the RECYCLING All the trash we can, We've been working on recycling. It's a very simple plan........ What a perfect song for Earth Day and a fun way to get the message through the our next generation about the importance of recycling, reducing and reusing. 

The song is from the Boy Scout Trail Website. I wanted to share it with you, so you can start singing too. 

Working on the Trash
(to the tune of 'I've Been Working on the Railroad)

We've been working on RECYCLING. All the trash we can,
We've been working on recycling, It's a very simple plan,
Separate your glass and paper, 
Separate your plastic and tin.
Take the trash that you’ve recycled  To your recycling bin!

We've been working on REDUCING  All the trash we can.
We've been working on reducing  It's a very simple plan
Don't go wasting any products,  Use just exactly what you need.
Don't buy things in extra wrapping,  Reduce and you'll succeed!

We've been working on REUSING All the trash we can.
We've been working on reusing, It's a very simple plan.
If it's a paper bag you're using, Don't use it once, use it twice!
Give old clothes and toys to someone, To reuse them would be nice! 

I am sure Willard Elementary is not the only green school in the US, but I truly admire 'our' teachers' ability to teach the children the importance of preserving our planet's resources. Jessica and Hannah (Lucy is in training ;)) are the green ambassadors in our house. 

 

136

February 8th, 2010 at 5:33 pm

As much as I love Valentine's, I am also dreading the time and waste involved making Valentine's cards as part of my three daughters' gifts to their friends. Work that I know will often end up in the trash. Our girls have never wanted to buy ready made cards and find it a lot more fun coming up with a creative ideas to show their friends and teachers that they care. This year I wanted them to think beyond the regular card and also give out the message that they care for the planet.

I was spending a lot of time searching for eco friendly Valentine's cards, but found the off-the-shelf options very expensive. Knowing well that we would have to produce in excess of 60 cards, this was simply not an option.

 

I finally found a project where we would make cards from plantable home-made paper. I had great pleasure going through old arts and crafts projects made from pink and red paper and I also used all the paper from our shredder and blended into pink paper mush and started mixing with seeds and started the whole paper making process.

 

The girls loved it and they could all be involved at some level. It was a little messy, but their cards turned out really cute and all three were very proud of making something from scratch! Also they can't wait for the weather to warm up so they can plant their cards.

Unfortunately I underestimated the amount of paper I would need for 60 cards, so I decided to cut out hearts from the handmade paper and stick it on a piece of recycled cardstock and on the back I included instructions on how to plant the paper (needless to say I used eco font printing the instructions - using 25% less ink or toner - not only saving your wallet but also the environment)

Here are the instructions on how to make your own hand made paper. Have fun!!!

Making handmade plantable paper is a beautiful way to share the beauty and bounty of your flower and vegetable garden with fellow gardeners, while recycling paper into garden compost. You can modify the following directions to create inexpensive ornaments, invitations and note cards-or whatever your creative imagination can dream up!
This recipe assumes your paper will end up planted, and avoids the use of chemicals, inks and dyes that can be harmful to growing plants and the environment. Different papers will produce different effects so have fun experimenting with colors, textures and weight.

 

Good Paper Choices:

Unprinted computer paper
Newspaper (usually printed with soy inks-will cause grayish color)
Magazines (avoid high-gloss)
Egg Cartons
Toilet Paper
Paper Bags (grocery store bags)
Non Waxed Boxes (require pre-soaking in water)
Office Paper/Junk Mail
Tissue Paper
Napkins
Construction Paper
Old Greeting Cards
Phone Book Pages

 

Other Supplies:

Blender or food processor
Sponge (I used SKOY cloths)
Wooden or Plastic Frame (old picture frames work well)
Screen or cheesecloth (window and door screen works best)
Staples or tacks (for tacking screen to frame)
Small Plastic Washtub or basin (large enough to immerse frame in)
Turkey-baster
Several squares of felt (white, not colored), flannel or old dishtowels (larger than frame)
Cookie sheets or newspapers (for stacking paper on to dry)

Directions:

1. Tear Paper into nickel-sized pieces, or use a paper shredder and place in blender (to half full). Make sure to remove any staples! You can also add bits of hemp or other natural fibers that may be safely composted once planted. Fill the blender with warm water. Blend for about 60 seconds on low to medium speed. Continue to increase the speed until no paper flakes remain and pulp appears smooth.
   
2. Now make a mold by tightly tacking screen or mesh onto a frame of the desired size.
   
3. Fill the washtub about half full of water and pour in pulp from blender. Add in at least 3 blender loads of paper-more if desired (the more pulp, the thicker the paper). Add in flower or vegetable seeds. Small, flat seeds like, forget-me-not, hollyhock, chili pepper and tomato seeds work wonderfully. Stir the mixture.
   
4. Slip the frame into the washtub, gently moving it from side to side to get the pulp around to the top of the frame level and to the desired thickness. Let the layer of pulp settle and slowly lift the frame up so it is above water level. Let it drain for a moment and check to see if it is level. Fill the turkey-baster with pulp from the washtub and use it to fill in any uneven spots or gaps in the pulp.
   
5. After removing the frame from the water, let it drain. When it stops dripping, carefully lay the frame (pulp side down) onto a fabric square or an old dishcloth. Use the sponge to press out as much water as possible (wring excess water back into tub).
   
6. This step may take some practice to master so be patient. Holding the fabric square flat, slowly lift up and remove the frame. The wet paper should remain on the fabric. If the paper sticks to the screen, you may have pulled too fast or not pressed enough water out of the paper. Once you successfully remove the frame, gently smooth out any noticeable air bubbles or rough edges.
   
7. Keep repeating steps 4-6 and stack the fabric squares (or dish towels) on a cookie sheet. When finished, place a piece of cardboard on top of the last piece and use bricks or another cookie sheet to press out the remaining water in the stack.
   
8. Gently separate sheets and dry them on a clothesline or out in the sun for 12-24 hours. When they are dry, gently separate the paper from the fabric squares (or dish towels).

 

For great gifts, use cookie cutters or stencils to trace holiday shapes. Cut them out and attach a ribbon for thoughtful gifts that last beyond the holiday season. Other uses for home made paper include scrapbooks, stationary and note cards, journal or photo album covers, lampshades, etc.

 

Don't Forget the Instructions for Planting

Tear off bits of paper containing seed and plant directly in the ground-the paper will compost naturally. To pre-sprout the seeds, place dampened paper into a plastic bag and check periodically that paper remains moist. Keep the plastic bag at the appropriate temperature until seeds sprout and transplant them into pots or directly into the garden.
 

207

February 8th, 2010 at 1:55 pm

We have just recovered from the Holiday season and Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Although Valentine's Day is about love, our conventional ways of celebrating Valentine's Day can use a huge amount of the earth's resources. From trees cut down for cards, carbon emissions for transportation to pesticide-laden roses; the true cost of Valentine's Day can be enormous.

However, there are plenty of ways to show your love for one as well as notching up some green credentials.

 

CARDS
1 billion Valentine's cards are sent every year worldwide. That's a lot of trees being needlessly cut down.

Why not make your own card or support a local artist who makes cards from recycled materials

 

FLOWERS
Red roses are indeed beautiful to look at, but the story behind them is not so pretty. Perfect red roses flown in for Valentine's Day travel thousands of air miles, rely on several tonnes of pesticides and involve dangerous working conditions for farmers across the globe.

Why not plant something that will last for a lifetime.

 

CHOCOLATE
The story behind many brands of chocolate is not so sweet. Make sure you choose fair trade or organic, or support a company that gives something back. Most important of all, ensure the chocolate you buy is traffic free.

 

BUBBLY
To reduce air miles used transporting bubbly, choose domestic organic or biodynamic champagne.

 

FOOD
Source local, organic and seasonal produce to create your favorite meal. Visit your local farmers market or advise and save energy by dining by romantic candlelight!

I wish you all a happy Valentine's day.

Rikke 

 

137

January 4th, 2010 at 4:51 pm

1.       Use Reusable bags

 

According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags. While shopping, if you only buy a few products skip the shopping bag. For larger purchases, bring your own.

 

Just bag it! Help protect the environment when you shop. Keep reusable bags on your car seat or near your door so they are easy to grab when you go. And you can even combine shopping bags - just tell the cashier that you don't need a bag, then put all your purchases together in one bag… just be sure to hang on to your receipt.

 

2.       Eradicate annoying junk mail!

 

The amount of paper junk mail sent each year in the USA is staggering -- some 4 million tons, nearly half of which is never opened. Even if you recycle there are still enormous environmental costs in terms of ink, energy to produce, deliver and recycle the paper as well as recycling inefficiencies and loss of productive forest to create the high quality glossy paper much junk mail uses.

 

There are several ways to reduce junk mail. Here are our top three:

 

·     Contact the Direct Marketing Association to be removed from many companies' mass marketing mailing lists for up to five years. Learn how at www.dmachoice.org/MPS/proto1.php.

 

·     Call the following companies directly to ask to be removed from their mailing lists: Val-Pak Coupons (1-800-676-6878), America Online Discs (1-800-827-6364), and Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes (1-800-645-9242).

 

·     Every loose-leaf bundle of business or supermarket fliers must be delivered along with an address postcard. Locate this address card - the cards usually have an advertisement and a photograph of a missing child (ADVO is the most common). Mail the address card to the address printed on the card and ask to be removed from their mailing list. Your letter carrier's routine is to give each house a bundle of fliers so, once you stop receiving the address card(s), tape a "No Bulk Mail" sign inside your mailbox. You can also opt-out online atwww.advo.com/consumersupport.html.

 

3.          Dish Washing:

 

It may well surprise you however using your dishwasher can save the environment. Don't rinse dishes beforehand (for an average 20 gallon savings).

 

4.          Laundry

 

Always run full loads of laundry and dishes. Choose the short cycle at low water levels whenever possible. Set the clothing washer at the lowest possible temperature needed and for single rinse only.

 

If you buy a new appliance, switch to a water-conserving model (e.g., front loading washer)

 

Use soaps and detergents that contain no phosphates

 

On sunny days, use a clothesline instead of a clothes dryer. Your clothes will smell fresher and the sun's rays ensure that germs are successfully sizzled!

 

5.          Low Flow Toilets

 

One of the best ways to avoid wasting water is to switch to low flow or dual flush toilets.

6.          Compost it

 

Compost helps improve soil so it holds more water and plants grow better. Allow grass clippings to stay on the lawn, instead of bagging them. The cut grass will decompose and return to the soil naturally. Food scraps and kitchen waste also make good compost, and you save money on fertilizers or other additives.

 

7.          Pack a Waste-Free Lunch

 

A waste-free lunch means that you have no packaging to throw away when you're done - nothing other than apple cores, banana and orange peels, peach or cherry pits. The best way to reduce garbage is to not create it. (Source: Environmental Forum of Marin)

 

 

Help reducing the 67 lbs of waste that each student produces each year.

 

With on average 25 million children carrying lunch to school daily that means 3.5 billion pounds of lunchbox garbage is created in America each

school year. (Source: wastefreelunches.org)

 

Five Simple Ways to Pack a Waste-Free Lunch

 

·     REUSABLE carrier (cloth bag, lunchbox)

·     REUSABLE containers

·     THERMOS for drinks

·     CLOTH NAPKIN to wash and re-use

·     SILVERWARE or BIODEGRADABLE to wash and re-use

 

8.          Update your refrigerator

 

Fridges are the most energy intensive appliance in a house. This means that a poorly maintained and energy inefficient fridge is costing you money, let alone adding its burden to the atmosphere. Recent fridges use 40% less energy than fridges of 10 years ago. If you do decide to upgrade the refrigerator, make sure that you buy for its excellent energy rating, longevity and durability and that you have the old fridge recycled.

 

9.          Showers

 

Replace existing showerheads with the lowest flow product you can find. Showerheads with a mist setting let you reduce water flow even further. Shower instead of taking a bath. Time your showers - try to keep them to 5 minutes. If taking a bath, limit how high you fill the tub.

 

10.    Eat less meat

 

The production of meat is one of the most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, including global climate change. Meat production is highly resource intensive and inefficient. Meatless Monday is a national non-profit public health campaign that encourages people to give up meat one day a week.

 

 

 

 

 

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November 27th, 2009 at 1:55 pm

 

 

 

148

November 27th, 2009 at 1:18 pm

 

 

 

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