This post was originally posted here: Green Habits that Cost Nothing

It’s incredibly important to green your lifestyle and lower your personal impact on the environment. Unfortunately, many of the best ways to do this can be expensive, such as purchasing more energy-efficient appliances or purchasing sustainable materials and organic products. If you want to be more eco-friendly, it is possible to do so without even touching your bank account. Here are some simple green habits that cost you nothing.

Launder Differently
Your clothes washer and dryer use a great deal of electricity to run. Washing also uses a lot of water. If you launder your clothes differently, you can save a lot of energy and water. When washing clothes, use the cold washing temperature rather than hot. Rather than doing lots of small loads of laundry, try to wash more clothes at one time. Finally, air dry whenever possible. In the warm weather, hang clothes outside on a line. If you do use your dryer, don’t over-dry your clothe; put it only for the minimum amount of time needed to dry them.

Recycle Everything
Taking your recycling to the local recycling center is free, so make sure you recycle absolutely everything you can. Don’t throw away anything that can be recycled. Take a closer look at all the items you throw away on a daily basis. Keep a bin for scrap paper and junk mail that can be recycled. Recycle the tubes of your toilet paper and every piece of plastic or aluminum in your home. So many materials can be recycled. Don’t let any of them go into the trash.

Reuse Whenever Possible
Don’t throw away or recycle anything until you’ve maximized its use. If you can potentially reuse or repurpose an item, do so. This is especially important for things like plastic shopping bags. Don’t throw them away – keep them and use them on your next shopping trip. Consider if an item that has no more use for you could benefit someone else. For example, pass your daily newspaper on to a friend instead of immediately recycling it. Donate your old magazines to your local library. When you finish a bottle of spray cleaner, rinse it out and use it for a homemade cleaning solution made of vinegar and water.

Drive Smart
Your car contributes to a great deal of the toxins you release into the environment. If you can practice greener driving habits, you’ll make less of an impact on the world. One easy thing you can do to use less gas is to go easier on the brake and accelerator. Also, plan to do errands when you’re already driving near the store like when you come home from work or drop the kids off at school. If possible, team up with a friend by carpooling and doing your errands together.

Turn Things Off
Your lights and electrical gadgets are a big energy drain. Make sure you turn off the lights whenever you leave a room. Also, shut down your electronics when you’re not using them. Don’t leave the computer or TV running if it’s not in use. At the very least, make use of standby mode. Leaving lights and electronics on more than needed can waste a great deal of energy, so be more conscious of using the power button.

Terry Ford always uses a grammar checker to make sure her articles about a wide range of topics are as user-friendly as her eco friendly cosmetic bag.

This post was originally posted here: Why You Should Dispose of Computer Equipment in an Environmentally Friendly Way

This piece on environmental safety is written by James, a blogger for one of the better accounting firms in Perth.

Recently, there has been increasing awareness of the potential pollution problems that come from used computer equipment.

In most cities the Local Government, or the group that is responsible for your rubbish collection, will have information on how to dispose of your electronic goods.

Here are the reasons why you should dispose of computer equipment correctly and ensure that it is recycled whenever possible.

Precious Metals

Computer and mobile phone circuitry contains expensive metals such as gold. This is useful for the economy and will help make future computer parts cheaper for you. It is far cheaper to extract gold and precious metals from a phone than it is to mine them from the ground.

Dangerous Metals

Phones and computer motherboards contain batteries, which are often a source of dangerous chemicals and heavy metals such as Lithium or Lead. The electrolytic pastes need to be disposed of or recycled properly to avoid them working their way into the topsoils and ground water supply.

Another big concern is mercury. This is present in fluorescent tubes (which should also be recycled) and LCD monitors. The mercury needs to be disposed of safely or it will become a pollutant in the local water supplies eventually. Typically this is solved at disposal facilities by reacting the Mercury with Sulfur dust. Sulfur dust is sprinkled across the crushed tubes to react with the Mercury and make it a little safer and not water soluble.

Old CRT monitors contain significant amounts of lead, so it is recommended that these are now disposed of at recycling facilities and not in general waste.

Glass and Plastics

Computer parts have a large amount of glass and plastic, which is very possible to recycle. Computer recyclers will do this as well. Flourescent tube glass is also recyclable and there are companies that do this.

Legal Requirements

In many countries, it is becoming law that large manufacturers of electronic goods be responsible for making sure that good recycling programs are in order. Most developed countries have the ability to recycle nearly any type of electronic goods. It is just a matter of contacting your local waste disposal firm and they can help you or point you in the right direction.

A Better Future

If you recycle your electronic goods, you are doing your part to prevent the leakage of dangerous metals and chemicals in to the local environment. Remember that your nearest landfill is actually not that far away from you, and the dangers of incorrect disposal of e-waste will only increase over the coming years.

This post was originally posted here: Top Ways to Go Green in 2012

In need of some new ideas when it comes to going green? Make 2012 the year you finally finish your mission of turning your polluting homestead into an energy-efficient eco-friendly unit by hopping on the latest technology and techniques that help you lead a greener life. While you may not be able to afford everything on the list, these are no doubt the latest ways to save big on home energy:

Home energy automation: Think of home energy automation as nothing more than the ability for lights, appliances, and heating and cooling to all be placed under sophisticated computerized control. When nobody is detected in a room for thirty seconds, the lights turn off, when more people enter the home, the cooling is increased to make up for the added humidity. It sounds expensive, but thanks to wireless technology and the lowered cost of motion sensors and other detection equipment, home energy automation is cheaper than you think.

Water conservation: The most looming ecological issue of the 21st century is where humans are going to be getting their water. Indeed, the days of seemingly unlimited supplies of water are over. Say hello to a world where water saving devices are certain to become a normal installation in the majority of American homes. If you have the money to afford it, invest in such technology today.

Complete CFL conversion: This one is easy and cheap enough that just about anybody can do it. And, thanks to federal law, it’s kind of a requirement. By replacing all your traditional bulbs with CFLs, you’ll save roughly $40 for each socket over the course of your new bulbs’ lives. Convert those savings to energy savings and it’s clear that this is an eco-friendly measure every family ought to be putting into practice.

Cool roof conversion: In addition to updating your lighting fixtures, another relatively easy and inexpensive home energy saving strategy is to paint your roof white. Apart from figuring out a way to get the supplies on and off the roof, it’s no harder than painting a room. Afterward, you can look forward to anything from 10-20 degrees of heat being removed from your upper floors thanks to the sun’s rays being reflected instead of absorbed by your roof.

Geothermal heating and cooling: While this sounds incredibly complex and expensive, it couldn’t be farther from either. Truth be told, geothermal heating and cooling is perhaps the most simple and efficient form of home climate control. It works like this: no matter the weather, the temperature in the ground never moves much around the mid-60s. In the summer, warm air is sent through the cooler ground via pipes and vented back into the home, and in the winter the cold air goes through an identical process and returns warmer than it was. This sure beats the energy used in traditional forms of heating and cooling.

If you’re out of green ideas already this year, here are five ones to seriously consider. Some aren’t exactly for the cash-strapped among us, but all are certain to make a difference in the energy effeciency and eco-friendliness of our homes.

This post was originally posted here: Creative Ways to Save Ink and Paper

If you do a lot of printing at home, it can get fairly expensive. You’re continually using up your ink and paper supplies, and those items aren’t cheap. Ink especially can be very costly. If you want to save on ink and paper, you have to be very conscious of your printer usage. If it’s difficult or impossible for you to cut back on the number of documents you print, here are some creative ways you can conserve ink and paper and save money.

Font
When you’re printing the documents you create, are you using an ink-friendly font? Avoid printing bold or underlined type whenever possible, for example, and use as small a font size as you can manage. Also, consider purchasing a font that is designed to use 20 percent less ink. It’s called Ecofont, and you can download it at Ecofont.com for as little as $24.95. It can save you approximately $50 per year on ink, and as you continue to use it for years to come, the savings will add up and be more than worth it.

Selective Printing
You could be wasting tons of ink and paper by directly printing websites and emails from the original site. You’ll print the article or picture you want, but you’ll also get everything else on the page including unnecessary ads. Try a website like PrintWhatYouLike.com to help you print more selectively. Just enter a URL, and you’ll be able to easily and quickly delete anything you don’t need before printing. If you need to print an email, consider copying and pasting only the relevant content into a Word document. Then you can even adjust the font style or size, or choose your Ecofont, to save more.

Scrap Paper
A great way to save paper is to keep a collection of scrap paper to use for printing. Consider every paper you no longer need and would otherwise recycle to be potential scrap paper. You may receive a promotional flyer for a community activity, for example, or a non-essential letter from your health insurance company. Any of these papers that do not have double-sided print can be saved as scrap paper. The next time you need to print something where the back of the paper won’t matter, such as a coupon or to-do list, just use paper from your scrap pile.

Old Ink Cartridges
When you’re nearing the end of your ink supply, don’t take your printer’s word for the lack of ink. When your computer notifies you that your supply is running low, remove your ink cartridge, wipe it lightly with a damp paper towel, and replace. This may help the last of the ink flow out. Then, use your cartridges until the very last drop when the text on your documents is no longer visible rather than inserting a new cartridge as soon as you get the warning.  

Double-Sided Printing
You’ll also save twice as much paper if you print double-sided documents rather than let everything have a blank back. If you don’t have a printer that automatically creates double-sided documents, do it manually. It may take a few minutes extra time and be slightly annoying, but by printing documents page-by-page and manually reinserting the paper, you’ll save a great deal.

Terry Ford has lived overseas and found that having a good international wireless phone service is key to stay in touch with your family.  A grammar checker helps her writing be clear and concise.

This post was originally posted here: Should We Ban Plastic Bags?

If you’ve ever been caught out in a supermarket without your re-usable Bag for Life, you’ve probably endured the checkout assistant’s withering stare, and been made to feel like you’re singlehandedly responsible for global warming, deforestation, and the extinction of half a dozen exotic species.

Plastic bags have a very bad reputation. They’ve become adopted as the sign of how wasteful our culture is. But are they really that bad? Should we ban plastic bags, and if we do, what should take their place?

Encouraging Re-Use

Plastic bags do pose some problems for the environment. Some bags (but not all), take a long time to degrade. If they’re not disposed of properly they can cause all sorts of problems for animals that get tangled up in them or attempt to eat them. If they get washed away to sea, they can release all kinds of toxins into the water, harming our already fragile marine eco-balance.

However, some alternatives aren’t much better. Paper bags, used by many high-end stores, require more energy to produce; are more likely to rip, tear, or decay if it’s raining; and are usually single use items. A plastic bag can be scrunched up in your pocket when you get home, and re-used on your next shopping trip.

More widespread recycling of plastic bags, and other plastic-containing items such as jiffy bags and plastic containers, would go a long way towards offsetting some of these environmental problems.

The environment agency has calculated that cloth bags – much loved by the eco-conscious – must be used 131 times before they have “paid off” their environmental impact compared to a single plastic bag. So, if you’re the kind that buys and loses bags, or forgets to re-use them, then you’re probably doing more harm than good!

The hardwearing plastic Bags for Life are a nice compromise – they’re thicker, stronger, and longer lasting than standard plastic bags, so they can be used for longer before they need disposed of. However, unless customers know that they should recycle the bags (rather than sending them to landfill), there’s still the risk of the bags damaging the environment at the end of their life cycle.

The Best Option – No Bag!

The best option, it seems, is to not use a bag at all. Of course, that option is only viable if you live close to a shop and choose to walk there to pick up items as and when you need them. If you drive to the shop, you may as well stock up on a lot of items in one go to save on fuel.

There are other occasions when packaging is a requirement, too. The ubiquitous jiffy bags, used by ebay sellers, catalogues, and mail order companies, are not widely recycled, thanks to their annoying mix of plastic and paper. Some independent sellers do try to re-use jiffy bags by peeling off postage labels and sticking new ones on, but in a world where appearances count, recycled jiffy bags create the image of a cheap seller, not an environmentally friendly one.

Written by Amy Fowler on behalf of UK Packaging; suppliers of jiffy bags and other forms of packaging that they strongly urge customers to reuse!

This post was originally posted here: 5 Steps to Tree Transplanting Success

Moving trees and shrubs from one location to another comes with a significant margin of sensitivity. However, understanding when and how to transplant trees and other plants aids in the success of the endeavor. Knowing the right conditions for planting a tree or shrub is crucial to the rooting process, and the eventual maturity of the plant. Here are five great tips for successfully transplanting a tree to a suitable location.

Right Season
Though some trees aren’t affected by extreme weather conditions, most require moderate temperatures to thrive. It’s best to transplant a tree in early spring before the first buds appear and the ground is thawed from the winter.
Trees can also be planted in late fall after the leaves have dropped. Geographic locations with moderate winter temperatures are more suited for late fall planting than Northern areas where the ground freezes earlier in the season.

Ideal Location
The type of tree or shrub you are transplanting ultimately determines the right location for it to flourish. The environmental factors that contribute to optimal growth include adequate exposure to light, water sources, fertile soil, and wind exposure.
Testing the soil pH and moisture level will help determine if the soil will support your tree. Many times adding organic compost to the dig site can encourage your tree to root more effectively.

Suitable Tools
When digging up a tree it’s important to use a sharp spade to cut roots with a clean edge. As soon as the tree roots are exposed they must be completely severed before the tree can be uprooted.
Small deciduous trees and shrubs can be removed without the soil ball, since soil can get very heavy. Yet typically any tree or shrub should be removed with a soil ball sat least two-thirds of the branch spread. Large trees require digging a trench below the major roots, typically about 15-24 inches. However, small shrubs do not require this method.

Proper Planting
Digging the right size hole, both in depth and diameter, is very important for successful root growth. The hole should be two or three times the circumference of the root ball and deep enough to submerge the entire root ball while keeping the top level with the surface. If the soil is hard-packed or contains clay rough the walls of the hole with the tip of the shovel to allow the roots to spread. Adding water to the soil can prevent initial postplanting water to permeate the surrounding soil.

Tree Maintenance
Watering a newly planted tree too much or too little can be devastating to new roots. Water the tree immediately and then every 10-14 days afterward if there isn’t regular rainfall. Placing mulch around the base of the tree helps insulate the root ball and retain moisture levels. Adding fertilizer jumpstarts the rooting process, but excess nutrients are typically unnecessary if the soil pH is ideal. However, if a tree fails to thrive or grows slower than expected it may require support. Cabling, bracing, or staking strengthens the trunk and feeble branches of the tree, while pruning can reduce the weight of the canopy to encourage a better growth rate.

Any uprooted plant is fragile and extremely perishable, so it’s important to get it into the ground as soon as possible. It’s best to determine a location and dig a hole in advance so the tree can go directly into its new home. If there is a reason for delay, make sure to store your tree properly. Wrap the root ball with a damp material that doesn’t restrict airflow. Protect the canopy from wind, sun, and extreme weather exposure until it’s ready for planting.

Syd Martin is a writer for Premiere Tree Services and enjoys writing articles about trees and nature, green living and environmental issues.

This post was originally posted here: 5 Celebrity Eco Homes

Many celebrities spend their fortunes on large lavish homes with stunning appliances, large open spaces and state-of-the-art technologies. However, a new trend is emerging amongst celebrities for eco-friendly green houses that help the environment. Some of these homes actually create enough energy that they contribute to the national grid, whilst others will never have to pay a penny in energy bills. But even though these homes are green, they are most definitely not boring – read below for 5 celebrity eco homes that are large, expensive and over-the-top.

1) Darryl Hannah

Darryl Hannah is well-known on the celebrity circuit for her environmental work as much as she’s known for her acting work and appearances in some of the biggest-grossing movies of our time. Her converted coaching inn is situated up in the Rocky Mountains and is pretty much entirely solar-powered, with a bio-diesel generator to provide electricity just in case there isn’t enough sun! Next door to the coaching house, Darryl also has a huge winterised barn made from reclaimed wood – and inside, Darryl has a huge stone covered with moss that also doubles as a (rather uncomfortable) sofa.

2) Orlando Bloom

International film star and all round lovely celebrity Orlando Bloom is a green machine – green paper, the Orlando Sentinel (namesake Mr. Bloom) described how Orlando was building his very own eco-friendly home in London, using the very best state-of-the-art green technology, such as special insulating glass, solar panels and energy-efficient light bulbs. Orlando said that the finished home cost nearly twice as much as he’d budgeted, probably because of the new technologies included, but he’s also keen to stress that being green isn’t about spending money – unplugging your phone charger or using different light bulbs is a step in the right direction.

3) Leonardo DiCaprio

Although Mr. DiCaprio used to be well-known for being a heartthrob as well as a brilliant actor, these days he’s less about the image and more about being eco-friendly. Leonardo has discussed living green with Oprah and even interviewed Bill Clinton on climate change a few years back. His home is filled with green technology, including solar panels, organic bed sheets as well as a $3,000 energy-efficient toilet. (No, we don’t know how a toiler can be energy-efficient either).

4) Johnny Depp

Reclusive film star Johnny Depp has his own Caribbean island that he’s currently in the process of turning into a fully self-sustaining off grid property that runs only on solar power and hydro power. The island is a 35 acre plot and we’ve no doubt it will be one of the most stunning celebrity homes we’ve ever seen when it’s finished – it’s just a shame about his commute to work!

5) Jessica Alba

Leading lady Jessica Alba is 5th on our list with her sustainable green home. It seems that since Alba became a parent, she’s turned into a bit of an eco-warrior – her home is decorated in entirely non-toxic paint and is furnished with bits and bobs made from recycled material. There’s also plenty of art made from recycled materials and she also has ‘grass’ made from recycled tyres in her back garden. And her eco status doesn’t just end in the home – she also makes every effort to dress her little one in organic clothing.

This article was produced by Liberty Games, who can sell you an air hockey table for your home as well as loads of other great games room gear.

This post was originally posted here: How to Create Sustainable Living at Home

Sustainability is the big buzz word in the environmental movement today. But it’s not just something for huge companies. We can all create a sustainable lifestyle in our own homes. Here are some tips on getting started.

Use Wind Power

If you’ve got the space and the money consider getting a home wind turbine. You can’t get much cleaner energy then wind energy so it’s a good place to start. Many councils offer grants for this environmentally friendly initiative and you can often generate enough electricity to power your whole house and even sell some back to the National Grid. Not only will you reduce your own electricity consumption but you will also be putting something back – and you will make some money too.

Solar Energy

If you happen to be living in a place that gets a lot of sunshine then consider installing solar panels so that you can use solar energy to heat your water. Again, this is another way to reduce your consumption of fossil fuels.

Reduce Consumption

As well as generating your own electricity you also need to cut down on your electricity consumption. There are several ways that you can do this. Amazingly, just turning off electronic devices instead of leaving them on standby can reduce your electricity bill considerably. If on top of that you also install energy-saving light bulbs and turn off lights when you’re not in a room you could cut your electricity bill even more.

Save Water

Sustainable living is also about saving water. Again, there are lots of ways to use water more wisely. For example, you can collect run-off water from your shower in plastic bottles and use this water to water your house plants or for tasks such as washing your garden tools. It’s always a good idea to check your plumbing and make sure that you have no leaks as this can waste a lot of water over the course of a year.

The 3 Rs – Or Should It Be 4?

Let’s not forget about the 3Rs. Reduce, reuse and recycle has now been joined by a fourth: refuse. That means refusing unnecessary packaging as well as recycling wherever you can, reusing bags and containers and generally reducing your consumption and the amount of waste going into landfill. At home, not only can you recycle but you can use a composter to reduce vegetable waste.

Finally, think about transport. Perhaps you can walk to your local shop instead of driving to the supermarket. Not only does that reduce food miles but it helps to support local business. Maybe you can share a car with someone in order to go to work or even take public transport. There are lots of ways that you can cut down on your consumption of fossil fuels to help preserve the environment.

Freelance writer Sharon Hurley Hall tries to make green choices. Today she writes for the leading London water cooler company, Eden Springs, who are certified carbon neutral.

This post was originally posted here: 5 Top Ways How You Can Create A Green Home Office For Free

A lot of people think that green computing is complicated, expensive or simply something that doesn’t concern them. There are also many people that think they are being green and doing their bit, yet they are not. For example, many people will throw away their computer and upgrade it to a more energy efficient computer. Sounds like the right thing to do doesn’t it? Well it’s not. The extra power and materials required to build your new computer and the fact that your old computer may end up in a landfill somewhere means that replacing your computer is often one of the least green things you can do!

There are actually plenty of ways that you can start transforming your home office into a green office, without spending loads of money on a new low power pc. These next 5 simple steps will help you to reduce the amount of money that you are spending and the amount of waste you are producing.

Clean your computer!

There is plenty of software available, much of which is free of included with your computer when you buy it which can help to clean your computer up by removing temporary files, arranging the files on your computer in a certain order and tweaking settings so that your computer runs more efficiently.

Switch It Off!

It may sound obvious, but if you are not using your computer, turn it off. Even if you have a low power computer, turning it off will save a considerable amount of energy. If you are leaving it for a short period of time, ensure that you have turned the monitors off but leave the computer on.

Pause Before Printing!

Do you really need to print that email off? What about that funny picture? Before you send something to print, just pause for a second and think about if you really need to print it. Could it be saved on the computer instead? If you are sending it to someone, how about sending it via email instead?

Recharge Rather Than Replace!

If you are using batteries in anything, for example a wireless keyboards and mouse or digital camera, try to use rechargeable batteries rather than standard batteries. This will not only save you money and save the environment, but it’s also a lot more convenient than having to go to the shop for batteries all the time.

Research Before Buying!

When your computer packs up, your printer decides to stop printing or your monitor fades out, don’t just run out and buy the cheapest computer you can find. Shop around for green, low power alternatives. They may cost you a little bit more at the start, but you will save money and the planet in the long run.

The author writes about a range of technology products and services, covering everything from Green IT and computer recycling, through to the latest video games consoles and mobile phones.

This post was originally posted here: Four Things to Look for in Commercial Water Filtration

It’s just as important to have tasty, clean water in your place of business as it is to have it in your home. This is why it is a good idea to look into a commercial water filtration system.

Keep in mind that a commercial water softener isn’t the same thing as a filtration system. Softeners can often do undesirable things to the water, and they aren’t the best bet when it comes to the environment, either.

Whole-house (or whole-building, in the case of your business) filtration systems are your best bet in terms of quality and environmental safety. Here are four reasons why whole-building filtration systems are superior to others.

1) Gets Rid of Contaminants Without Adding Contaminants

One thing that most water filter systems and softeners do (if they are any good at all) is remove contaminants like lead and other potentially harmful impurities from the water.

Another thing that these kinds of filters do — which you may not be aware of — is to add other contaminants to the very same water! Softeners often use salt to purify the water, which isn’t toxic to you, but is toxic to the soil and permeates the water table. Salt is also something you don’t want to inadvertently add to your diet — it can raise blood pressure.

Natural water filtration systems like LifeSource, on the other hand, use plant matter to purify the water without adding anything harmful to it. These filtration systems use coconut shell granules, gleaned from coconuts used in food production. This doesn’t add anything to your water, is safe for the soil and water table, and actually maintains beneficial minerals for your health.

2) Safe for a Variety of Tasks

Drinking isn’t the only thing you can do with water filtered naturally. These whole-building filtration systems filter every bit of water as it enters your building, so you can use pure, clean H2O for everything, from washing dishes to watering landscaping plants outside. You can even give it to in-office pets, if you have any.

3) Environmentally Friendly Option

In addition to being safe for the soil and the water table, water filtered through a whole-house filtration system doesn’t create any waste. Although you might have to replace components of your system after many years, you will never have to invest in bottled water again.

4) Low Cost & Long Life

One of the best things about whole-house filtration is that it is one of the lowest cost options for drinking water and it lasts for decades. On average, whole-house filtration costs fractions of a penny per gallon. And unlike other filtration systems, you don’t have to bother with replacing filters or adding attachments to every sink in the building.

If you are interested in learning more or purchasing a water filtration system for your commercial property, go to: www.lifesourcewater.com.

To Jim, writing is everything. The topic he most enjoys writing about is water. If you’d like more information regarding Commercial Water Softener, please visit http://www.lifesourcewater.com/

This post was originally posted here: 5 Ways to Make Your Wedding More Eco Friendly

Your special day is finally on its way!  With all the bells and whistles (and stress and headaches) that come with wedding planning, you might not have considered that your wedding could ever be made easily green.  But you can make it even more special as you plan ways to help out the earth by helping yourself as well when you consider these five tips to make your wedding more eco-friendly.

The rings.  As controversy grows over mining practices that involve precious gems traditionally used in wedding ceremonies, you can simply eschew diamonds altogether.  However, if diamonds are a must, research jewelry stores that stock precious gems and will certify that their products have been ethically and environmentally mined.  As an alternative, titanium rings are increasingly popular.  You can also consider antique jewelry, which are romantic as well as classic.  Think about using heirloom jewelry.  Imagine the romance inherent in using your grandparents’ or even your great-grandparents’ wedding rings.  You can have them reset or recut to suit you and future spouse.

Cut the rice.  You may have noticed that tossing rice is out … bubbles and bird seed are in!  Bubbles are aesthetically more pleasing, but if you’re worried about any potential soap pollution, you can substitute bird seed instead.  Place cards and party favors aren’t strictly necessary, so you can cut them altogether if you wish.  If you don’t wish, you can also offer guests garden seeds as party favors that are inexpensive and green to boot.

The great outdoors! Reduce your carbon footprint by skipping the church and reception hall and holding both events at an outdoor location.  You will save on electricity and enjoy the flattering benefits of natural light.  You can also save on flowers by choosing a location with a bounty of beautiful flora that will not be thrown away after the ceremony concludes.  And since destination weddings require lots of travel that create lots of emissions, help out the environment by choosing a location closer to home.

The invitations.  Cyber-invitations or using social networking websites are growing increasingly popular.  They also save paper and postage as well as the energy required to deliver them.  If you feel that some of your guests will be insulted when receiving an online invite, you can purchase (or better yet, make your own) invitations using recycled paper and vegetable-based inks.  No one will be able to tell the difference.

Attire.  You can scan the internet for the used dress of your dreams, and even if you don’t, you can always alter it yourself or hire a tailor to help you build your own unique wedding gown.  In that vein, you can embrace the traditional side of your family by wearing your mother or grandmother’s wedding dress.  If you are planning to buy a tux, considering renting instead.  Select cocktail dresses for your bridesmaids that they can wear again at non-wedding functions, and see if your groomsmen can provide their own similar pants and shirts.

You can have your special day and help to save the earth at the same time without sacrificing the aesthetics that will make your wedding perfect.

Sarah Danielson writes for Los Willows, the premier San Diego wedding venue.

This post was originally posted here: Eco-Friendly Holiday Party Tips

Planning a party around the holidays can certainly be a hassle, what with having a full calendar of events to contend with, not to mention shopping, wrapping, and shipping presents, baking and cooking galore, and hosting family and friends that you only see once a year.  And yet, when all of your loved ones are gathered in your home, dressed to the nines and having a great time, you’re going to feel great about all your hard work on the front end – at least until you see the mountain of trash and realize that your moment of joy could have a long-term negative impact on the Earth.  So if you love to throw a lavish holiday party but you’re tired of all the pollution and waste that go into it, here are just a few tips to help you green up your white Christmas (or other holiday).

1. Food.  Doubtless the most important part of any party (holiday or otherwise) is the food.  When people come to your house you want them to leave happy and satisfied, and that starts with a good spread on the buffet table.  But if you only knew how much damage can be done with even a simple slate of catering you might not be so quick to cook up the holiday faves.  Luckily, there is a way to combat the chemical pollution and hydrocarbon emissions that are part and parcel of the food industry.  Simply buy local and organic foods for your feast.  You may even find that there are artisan vineyards or craft breweries in your area that create organic alcohol, as well.
2. Serving.  Plastic plates are handy, to be sure, but they’re also terrible for the planet.  The problem with most disposable products is that they are non-biodegradable.  So instead of increasing the size of the landfill, opt for green alternatives that are just as easy for you.  Bare paper plates, for example, are sustainably created (with renewable sugar cane) and they are also compostable.  Of course, if you’re looking for one-stop shopping, you may want to check out worldcentric.org.  They can meet all of your serving needs with green options for plates, cups, flatware, and even containers with lids to send home leftovers.
3. Decorations.  This is where the eco-friendly side of party planning starts to get fun, because there are so many ways to green up the décor.  For starters, get fancy with the linens.  Skip the paper products and go with tablecloths, napkins, runners, and more made from organic fabrics with holiday print.  And for centerpieces, use nature for inspiration.  Go for a walk in the woods to collect fallen pinecones, branches, and even interesting rocks to place in a bowl with a bit of ribbon.
4. Flowers.  Cut flowers are pretty (and pretty easy), but on the whole, not so eco-friendly (unless you’re growing them yourself).  Instead, think about adding some color to your space with potted plants (even a small, potted pine tree could be neat since you can decorate it) or get trendy by cutting out paper floral arrangements.  You’ll be surprised how fancy they look and you have a million options when it comes to recycled paper products.
5. Entertainment.  Even if you’re doing corporate entertainment New York style or you’re planning a party in Vegas this holiday season, there’s no reason you can’t find ways to do it that are a little kinder to the Earth.  Hiring local performers is a must since you don’t want to ship people in (adding to greenhouse gas emissions).  But perhaps you can simply pull out the piano bench and get everyone in the holiday spirit with a few carols.

This post was originally posted here: Preparing for Christmas in an Eco-friendly and Cost Effective Manner

Christmas is a time for celebration, but also a time of excessive waste. With the copious amounts of food and drink being bought and not consumed, a great deal of money and valuable food resources get wasted. Not only is this bad for the environment, it’s also bad for your finances as you indulge in an almighty and unnecessary Christmas splurge. Instead of heading off to the supermarket and filling your trolley with an abundance of tasty treats which are destined for the garbage heap rather than your stomach, think about the environment and your finances this Christmas.

Food and Drink

Doing the Christmas shop is a dangerous task for all involved, with the advertisements of slashed prices surrounding you as you take a trip down the aisles it can be hard to only buy what you initially intended to. The best way around this is to make a list and have no exceptions (no matter how good the deal on chocolate biscuits are, do you really need 10 packs for your family of four?)

Beware of “bogus” deals in supermarkets too, as part of their marketing strategy they make a big deal about a price reduction when really it isn’t a valuable saving at all. Supermarkets have been known to advertise deals such as “buy 2 for X amount” and when you calculate the saving it’s actually more expensive to buy two! Beware of these bogus deals, if you see a bid reduction sign, calculate just how much of a saving you’re making before jumping in a purchasing.

Make sure you have adequate freezer space for your Christmas day vegetables. You’re guaranteed to buy too much veg, in which case you can either freeze it or make a winter vegetable soup to serve as a starter before your Christmas day meal.

Presents

Christmas wouldn’t be the same without presents wrapped in festive paper! This paper however, can produce an excessive amount of waste and be contributing to deforestation. Try to recycle any wrapping paper, always check with your local authority to see if they accept wrapping paper for recycling. Try to use minimal sticky tape too as this makes recycling the paper increasingly difficult. Alternatively, purchase some recycled wrapping paper which hasn’t contributed to deforestation.

Heating the Home

If you’re entertaining on Christmas day, you’ll want to ensure your guests are warm and comfortable as it can be rather chilly over the festive period. Ensure all guest rooms are equipped with additional blankets and hot water bottles so you don’t have to leave your heating on overnight. Try to keep all your guests in one room too, and turn individual radiators on as required rather than having them all on throughout the house.

When entertaining this Christmas try to minimise your amount of food, energy and paper waste. Christmas is a time of giving and thinking of others, so think of the environment! Before picking up those last loaves of bread off the shelves, just ask yourself “are they really going to get eaten?” most of the time, they probably won’t!

This guest post is written by Stephanie Staszko who writes for Solar Choice solar pv panels you can catch her on Twitter @StephStaz where she talks about eco-friendliness, money saving tips and home improvement.

This post was originally posted here: How HR Can Help Make Your Office Green

How HR Can Help Make Your Office Green

Maybe it’s because when you think of HR, you think of paperwork, or because HR takes the responsibility for employee satisfaction and more companies are realising that environmental awareness is important to their employees. For whatever reason, human resources departments are the ones who tend to institute “green” practices at the office. “Many employers now recognise that green programs in the workplace can promote social responsibility among workers and help retain top talent,” said Don Sanford, managing director of Buck Consultants, a human resources and benefits consulting firm. Luckily, going green at the office isn’t difficult. Here are several areas where you can easily incorporate a more environmentally conscious mentality:

• Use the internet or teleconferencing to cut down on business travel
• Put employee manuals, policies or other company information online to reduce printing
• Promote the reduction of paper usage
• Store paperwork electronically
• Provide recycling trash bins for paper around the office and for bottles and cans in the break area
• Start telecommuting/work from home programs
• Institute Ride/Share programs

Research has shown that employee involvement in green programs dramatically increases when organisations appoint one employee to lead the efforts. Encourage this individual to start a companywide movement toward:

Purchasing Green Office Products There is a large range of ‘green’ office products available that help lower waste, lower energy usage, and use a lesser amount of chemicals than traditional products. A good example is Flyerzone, an online printing company. The company sells a number of office products, such as business cards which are designed using a network of designers. Also on offer are leaflets, flyers and office stationary – all of which are produced in an environmentally friendly way.

Ink & Toner Cartridges Several retail stores offer consumers the ability to purchase remanufactured ink and toner cartridges, which cost up to 15 per cent less than traditional cartridges. Also remember that you can recycle your used cartridges.

PCR Paper PCR paper is made of Post-Consumer Recycled content and is the same quality as non-recycled paper.

Energy Star Electronics When buying office electronics, such as computers or printers, look for those with Energy Star labels. These products automatically shut down if they are not in use, so they use up to 75 per cent less energy.

Saving Energy The entire company can easily help conserve energy and energy costs with a few simple changes.

Be Bright About Light Use natural light when you can, and make it a habit to turn off the lights when you’re leaving any room for 15 minutes or more.

Go Fluorescent You can save up to 75 per cent of lighting energy by using Energy Star fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs last up to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs and also help reduce maintenance costs.

Use Power Strips An additional 75 per cent of energy can be conserved when you use power strips to power your electronics. It’s easy to turn the power strip off at the end of the day, and on every morning, rather than letting electronics run 24/7.

Eating In If the company provides a comfortable, relaxing area for employees to spend lunch and snack times, many will pack a lunch instead of consuming fuel to go out to eat. Decorating with real plants, when possible, will also help clean the air.

This post was originally posted here: Gift Ideas For Your Green Friends

Over the last few decades our society’s awareness of the environment has grown significantly. With the evidence of the impact of our consumption on the earth and growing energy costs, we are all trying to reduce waste and our energy consumption. We all have more eco-conscious friends that are making large efforts to change their lifestyles while the rest of us are making much smaller changes. Environmentally conscience friends may seem a little difficult to shop for but the tips below will help you shop for all of your friends.

Support Their Favorite Organizations

When it comes to exchanging gifts, many friends would prefer to see that their favorite organizations get the support needed to continue work for the environment. Consider making a donation in your friends’ names to an environmental organization. If you do prefer to give them a personalized gift, several non-profit organizations partner with retailers to offer items with proceeds to benefit the organization. These items are often designed so that the wearer or buyer can raise awareness and show others their support for the organization. A gift in support of worthy organization would also be a welcomed gift.

Make Your Friends Handmade Gifts

A personalized homemade gift expresses the spirit of the season and shows generosity without the trappings of consumerism. If you have creative talents you can express them in your gifts.

Your friends may appreciate a basket of homemade muffins, cookies, or fudge. If they have any dietary restrictions or their favorite ingredients you may want to keep that in mind when considering what to make for them. If you can make jewelry, a beautiful bracelet or necklace crafted especially for them using sustainable materials may be a complement their taste.

If you are a photographer a framed print of a landscape or portrait with special meaning for the receiver would be treasured.

Give Gifts of Experiences

Some of our fondest memories are of experiences with friends and family. Why not give your green friends a gift that you can share with them. Give your friend tickets to a game or concert you know they will enjoy. A gift certificate for a massage may be a welcome luxury that they may not purchase or experience for themselves often. A dance or music class, and joining them so they have a partner with which to practice, may be an especially thoughtful gift. Gift certificates for a dinner out to a sustainable restaurant with a philosophy in line with their own would be a special treat.

With any friend, it’s the thought that matters. With your more enviromentally friendly purchases, though, more often than not, you find yourself buying more appropriate and personal gifts anyway. Why not buy green for all your friends this year – not just those you know would prefer you limit your consumable spending?

Jackie Ryan works frequently with a company that encorages everyone to think a bit greener with everything from rubbermaid recycle bins to proper waste receptacles. She wishes everyone a safe and healthy holiday season, and hopes that everyone gets to spend time with family and friends.

This post was originally posted here: Being Green, Good for You, Good for the Planet

There seems to be a lot of debate over whether being “green” is a good strategy for people to adopt. Those that argue for it claim that being “green” helps to save the planet, while those that argue against it claim that the effort is not worth the outcomes. The truth is that being green is not only good for the planet, but it also is good for your quality of life as well.

Being “green” has been portrayed as a cumbersome process that requires lowering your standards of living and engaging in time consuming processes. In actuality, being green is very simple and it can be done by making small changes to your routine. For example, using energy efficient lightbulbs and appliances is a good way to be green, as is recycling, planting a garden and buying produce grown locally. These small changes allow you to enjoy your lifestyle, while still reducing your carbon footprint.

Change is something that most people resist, even if it is for their own good. One reason people resist making “green” changes to their life is that they just do not understand what the change involves or how it will benefit them. These are the issues that need to be clarified.

Becoming Green Painlessly

As mentioned above, there are many simple steps you can take to become “green.” In addition to the steps already mentioned here are a few more ways to quickly reduce your carbon footprint: (1) walk or ride your bike, (2) reuse your plastic grocery bags, (3) turn off lights in rooms you are not using, (4) reduce your weekly mileage (driving), (5) take the bus instead of driving your own car, (6) plant trees and other plants, (7) compost your organic waste, (8) select products that are nontoxic and biodegradable and (9) find ways to reuse materials.

Understand the Value of Being Green

It is easy to just say that being green is important, but many people who are resisting green practices are doing so because they do not understand its value. For example, they do not know that by restoring ecological health to riparian (riverside) ecosystems that they are protecting their homes and communities from floods, erosion and landslides, or that by disposing of their toxic materials in the right way can help protect the quality of their drinking water. As you examine each green strategy you begin to realize that being green is not just about saving the planet, it is about protecting your own quality of life.

The more effort you put into being green the off your quality of life will become. Think about the changes you can make to enhance the quality of the air you breathe, the water your drink and the environment you live in. As these factors improve, your risk rates for cancer, illness and premature death will go down. Now that is not a bad trade off for putting a little more effort into the decisions that you make on a daily basis.

Madeline Binder is an education specialist who is interested in enhancing the quality of life of her readers. She does so by helping students to become of aware of their environment by doing solar energy science fair projects.

This post was originally posted here: How Green is Your Love Life?

Think back to your most recent date night.  If it was your average, run-of-the-mill sort of date, you probably did a lot of damage to the environment in the process.  First you probably picked up your date and drove to a restaurant, polluting the air with hydrocarbons the whole way.  Then you ate a meal that consisted of meats, vegetable, grains and so on that were full of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and potentially a whole host of chemical dyes and preservatives.  You may have thought it tasted pretty good, despite the fact that the growing, raising, and manufacturing processes spread massive amounts of pollutants into the soil, water, and air (and that’s not even considering the shipping).  Maybe you went to a movie after and spent two hours in an air-conditioned theater being entertained by energy-guzzling electronics.  Finally it was time to return to your place for a little romancing, complete with electric lights and music, not to mention disposable prophylactics.

So, yeah, in case you didn’t know, your average date is not very eco-friendly.  And when you consider the entire history of a single love life, the pollution and waste are astronomical.  So what can you do if you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint while you’re looking for love?  There are actually plenty of options to create a romantic relationship that meets your physical, mental, and emotional needs even while doing less harm to the environment.  And since you’ll eventually find that special someone that you want to build a future with, it behooves you to ensure that the planet will still be habitable in 20, 50, or 100 years (hey, people are living a lot longer these days!).

When it comes to dining, which is often an integral part of our dating lives, you should consider making your own food (where you can easily control the supply chain and cut back on waste and pollution) or else seek out eco-minded restaurateurs.  Look for establishments that use organic produce and meats, contract to local farms for fresh foodstuffs, and take steps to conserve water and energy within their walls.  And if you live in a temperate climate, consider going local so that you can ride your bike or walk to the restaurant instead of driving.

As for entertainment, you can go for a hike, star-gaze, or play a game (strip poker?).  There are all kinds of interesting ways to entertain your date that don’t involve ruining the atmosphere in the process and most prospective love interests will find your creativity in this matter both refreshing and appealing.  Of course, there is always bedroom sport to keep you entertained (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).  But unless you want to start looking for STD testing locations the following day you should probably still use protection.  And here you can go green, as well.  You’ll want to skip polyurethane condoms; this plastic is not only non-biodegradable, but some people have an allergic reaction to it. Natural lambskin is totally biodegradable, but it will only protect against pregnancy, not STDs.  So your best bet is latex, which takes many years to biodegrade, but does so eventually (provided it is not submerged in water, so don’t flush it!).

This post was originally posted here: Eco-Friendly Ways to Exterminate Bed Bugs

A few short years ago, you probably only heard about bed bugs when it was time for the kids to go to bed and you told them to sleep tight before cryptically warning them not to let the little buggers bite.  These days the fast-spreading parasites have become so prevalent in large cities that there are task forces (complete with bed-bug sniffing dogs) to ferret them out and bug-bomb them into oblivion.  Of course, the chemical pesticides used to exterminate bed bugs are probably more harmful than the biting blighters themselves.  So if you’re concerned about bed bugs in your home and you’re looking for a few less-toxic methods of removal, here are some green treatments that will help to get your home bed-bug free.

1. Rubbing alcohol.  It is extremely rare to find bed bugs on people or pets simply because they come out to feed nocturnally and then return to a hiding place during the day (and they don’t like to be disturbed).  However, should you wake up to find them using you as a buffet, you can effectively kill the little freeloaders with rubbing alcohol (also known as isopropyl alcohol).  It is safe to use on both humans and animals (although you should rinse after as it can dry out your skin).
2. Heat.  This is one of the most effective ways to kill bed bugs, especially if you’re not interested in throwing away your mattress, carpeting, and other plush furnishings.  Clothing can easily be treated by throwing it in a washing machine with hot water, and a handheld steam cleaner can be used to go over your mattress, furniture, and carpeting (pay special attention to edges).  However, you may have no real choice but to toss some items (like a headboard, which will warp if treated with steam).
3. Cold.  There may be small items that you don’t necessarily want to expose to steam heat, and luckily, cold works just as well.  You can place small items in a freezer to kill any bedbugs that may be hiding on them.  But remember to vacuum thoroughly after treating with heat or cold to remove bug remains and larvae left behind.
4. Green pesticides.  Unfortunately, there’s really no way to guarantee bed bugs are all gone without the use of pesticides.  However, there are green options; diatomaceous earth is a good place to start as it is both natural and a known insecticide.
5. Forethought.  Okay, so this isn’t very useful after the fact, but if you’ve had bed bugs, you definitely won’t want to deal with them again.  And if you know the history of bed bugs, then you’re probably aware that once they move in, they’re darn difficult to get rid of for good.  In fact, it took a targeted regimen of continual chemical bombardment to remove them in the first place (at least on a large scale).  Although we got a good 30+ years without any major infestations, who knows what the price to the environment and our health was.  So if you suspect that you’ve stayed in a place with bed bugs, your kids are exposed at school, or you simply hear that they’re in your area, take all precautions to ensure that they never make it into your home in the first place.

Sarah Danielson is a contributing writer for bedbugs.org where you can find information on what causes bed bugs and learn how to eliminate them from your home.

This post was originally posted here: Want a Greener City? Let Loose the Cabs

Green Cities are not only the dream of ardent environmentalists but also the hope of residents of densely populated areas on both coasts. Many believe the logical solution, taking cars off the street, will help. So they restrict the number of cabs allowed on the streets.

As an alternative, advocates believe that pollution and traffic can be improved if people had access to more taxicabs within the city limits. This would eliminate the need for so many private cars in use about town. Seattle cab companies, citizens and City Hall are caught in a tug of war over the issue.

Taxi Licensing Limits

Most attribute the problem to restraints local taxi boards place on the number of taxis allowed.  Boards may limit the number by imposing high licensing costs, often running into six figures. In areas like New York City, cab permits have sold for over $1,000,000. In many cities, applicants must prove the cab market has room for more taxis to be approved. In some cities, competitors can petition against a potential newcomer, making it even harder to add cabs in a city.

The problem is particularly pressing in the northwest where the ratio of cabs to people is low and fares relatively high. In cities like Washington DC, fares are lower than most other regions because of the higher proportion of cabs per passenger.

Benefits of Additional Taxi Availability

As things stand, the limited availability of cabs in any city encourages more people to drive their own cars rather than pay high fares and wait in line for a ride. While mandating a greener fleet would offer some help, it would do nothing for traffic congestion and the wasted productivity of those at the cabstand.

Over-restricting cabs severely limits the ability of residents to move about their city and has a negative impact on local economies. People tend not to stop and look around in their cars. If more used a combination of walking, public transportation and cabs, local businesses would benefit from the added foot traffic. City dwellers could sell off their second cars, secure knowing a cab will be available when needed.

A Better Way

The best solution is a combination of additional cabs but not just any cabs. Let more taxis on the street, so long as the cars meet certain fuel efficiency standards. You’ll see fewer cars, more pedestrians and less traffic congestion.

The future of green cities draws closer. New York City has begun its foray into greener cars with the introduction of a number of hybrid electric vehicles into their taxi fleets.  Some Seattle cab companies run green fleets as well. But that’s just start. Cities choked with passenger cars need more cabs. As Moses might have said, “Let my taxis go.”

Citations:

• Source

Stita Taxi runs a fleet of green Prius hybrids in Seattle, Washington.

This post was originally posted here: Want An Eco Friendly Yard? Try Front Yard Farming

Did you know that many people are replacing their front lawns with gardens that offer fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other edible goodies?

It’s called “front yard farming” and it can help you live a greener lifestyle. This article will cover front yard farming and what to keep in mind if you’d like to try it. Some of this information comes from HubPages author Farmer Brown, who is a front yard farmer herself.

Benefits

You’ll save money by growing all-natural produce from home, rather than running up your credit card balance buying organic versions at the store. You can even make money by selling any surplus at a farmer’s market. Plus, you’ll be living an eco-friendly lifestyle by making the most of your yard.

Regulations

Some county, city, or neighborhood regulations limit what you can do with your property. Look up code violations online or at your local office before starting your front yard farm.

Sunlight

Spend a few days watching how the sunlight hits your yard to find out what you can grow in each area. Draw a quick sketch of your yard, marking down the shady, semi-shady, and sunny areas.

Costs

Take landscaping, soil, building, fertilizer, equipment, water, and mulch costs into account. Before you start digging, get in touch with your local utility company to make sure you’re not too close to electrical or gas lines. In order from most costly to least costly, you can hire a company to dig out your yard, rent a rototiller, or do it yourself with a shovel.

You can also use terraces or raised beds. You can build them from a kit or make them from your own materials. This is a great way to re-purpose wood.

Proper tools are needed for farming. You’ll probably need at least a trowel, hoe, rake, shovel, and pruners. More expensive tools may be lighter or easier to use.

Next, consider soil, fertilizer, and mulch costs. You can buy these items from the store, or use what you already have. If you try lasagna gardening, you can use spare paper, leaves, kitchen scraps, and other household extras.

Finally, decide which plants to grow. Your garden sketch should help. Buying plants from the store costs more than buying seeds.

Remember, benefits, regulations, sunlight and costs.  With these 4 key points, you’ll have the tools you need to start your eco-friendly yard.  People often overlook regulations, but as recently reported on the news, a resident got into serious trouble with her city when she planted a garden in her front yard without getting the necessary permits.

Sierra Dawson contributes at CreditDonkey, a consumer credit website. Visit her blog to learn more ways to save money for the family including deals on grocery credit cards.

This post was originally posted here: Live Green and Buy Eco-Friendly Gifts

Buying eco-friendly products not only save the earth, but it helps you find unique gifts that you’ve been looking for. If you’re in need of a new handbag, clothing, or other accessories, there are many earth friendly sites that support recycling materials and coming up with fashionable items. Find an amazing gift for a birthday gift or for the upcoming holidays.

Going to sites that offer a variety of products, you will find countless of items that are eco-friendly. If you’ve recently gotten into yoga, find extra-thick ¼” Phthalate-Free Eco-Friendly Yogee mats at a site such as Amazon.com. These colorful mats also come in five artistic colors. Or, if you know a friend who is planning a wedding and wants it to be eco-friendly, buy her a book titled Green Wedding: Planning Your Eco-Friendly Celebration.

At SeaBags.com you’ll find a number of eco-friendly accessories that are practical and useful. The Sea Bag anchor tote is made out of a recycled sail from a sail boat and comes with white hand spliced rope handles. Go sailing and bring a tote and store your sailing jacket and other gear inside. Take out your gear from the tote when you are on the water and enjoy the sites!

If you’re looking for more of a practical gift, discover a creative hummingbird feeder water bottle. Don’t get dehydrated with a decorative water bottle with cute hummingbirds and lovely flowers on it. Or, find a decorative water bottle that has a water hose on it. The bottle can be reused many times and you can wash it in the dishwasher. This makes it easy to use and wash for next day use. It’s also perfect to make sure that you’re drinking enough water through the day! Find eco-friendly accessories and clothing at Ruche, shopruche.com.

A gorgeous ivory dress that’s made out of organic cotton is a perfect gift to save for the spring time or wear yourself while you’re on vacation. Discover wonderful elements on the shoulders of the dress and also on the front of the frock. The waist has an elastic band for easy wearing and the skirt is made lined. This dress is one of many fashion accessories that are made from materials that help preserve the earth.

With so many businesses that offer eco-friendly products, there are many gifts to buy and money to be saved in the process. Plus, you are saving the earth and re-using valuable resources that need to be preserved before it’s too late. Living green and safeguarding the earth by investing in fashionable items will help glam up your style and give you excellent gift ideas.

A freelancer and fashion lover, Sierra has fun writing for JoeShopping.com, a social shopping site where you can find the latest Amazon coupons. Sierra also runs her own personal blog at Ocean Dreams.

This post was originally posted here: Natural versus Organic Vitamins: What’s the Difference?

You may think that the differences between natural and organic products are small.  After all, they both come from nature and they haven’t been enhanced, right?  Actually, this isn’t necessarily true, and besides the differences in how the foodstuffs that bear these labels are produced, there are actually some legal differences to consider since most products are regulated by governmental agencies and there are laws revolving around how products may be labeled and marketed to the consumer public.  So sit back, relax, and get ready to take a journey into the world of vitamin supplements and how some may be better than others.

It begins with the meaning of a word.  What is natural?  Well, you might assume that a natural product is one that comes from nature.  It is certainly different from synthetic products, which are man-made.  In terms of vitamin supplements, you can generally say that synthetic ones contain chemicals that are synthesized to behave like products found in nature while those that are natural contain only plant- or animal-based ingredients.  But when it comes to labeling a product as natural, the lines get a little fuzzy.  This is because the term “natural” has no legal definition.  So a company could put a single natural ingredient in their vitamin supplement and legally slap a natural label on their product.  This hardly seems fair.

Then there are organic vitamins.  And here there is a lot less leeway with definitions.  Organic produce must be grown without the use of any chemicals, including pesticides, fertilizers, and so on.  Further, the soil used to grow these crops must be free of such toxins for a certain number of years prior to growing the organics.  And animals raised in an organic fashion must be free of antibiotics and hormone injections.  They must eat only organic feed and often, they are free range and humanely treated.

But even beyond that, the term “organic” has a legal definition and organic products are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that anyone using the organic label is not lying to the consumer public about the chemical-free nature of their products.  In fact, if you see a USDA Certified Organic label on your vitamins, you can guarantee that they are 100% organic.  Products that bear the term “all natural”, on the other hand, may be only partially natural.  And even if the ingredients are somehow miraculously all natural, they have likely been treated to the types of chemicals that organics eschew.

The long and short of the matter is that you simply don’t know what you’re getting when you purchase natural vitamins.  The “all natural” label on your bottles of multivitamins, CoQ-10, and B-12 spray could be referring to the label itself for all you know.  You may as well save your money and get the synthetic vitamins.  But if you’re truly trying to do something better for your body (and even for the Earth) when you opt for healthier ingestibles across the board, your best bet is to choose organic options.

This post was originally posted here: How to Leave A Smaller Carbon Footprint Using Green Technology

Reducing the carbon footprint requires quantifying the size and type of the carbon footprint. The size will be determined by the use of carbon generating materials such as electricity, gas and diesel fuel usage, and certain cleaning products. The term “carbon footprint” refers to the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere in any twelve month period.

Perhaps the size cannot be measured in terms of CO2 produced by the family every day, but a realization of the total potential CO2 production is achievable. Enough information is available to implement a carbon management program if a conscious analysis of carbon generating activities is made. Understanding how CO2 is created provides an understanding of how it can be managed.

There are so many ways that CO2 is produced, and so many opportunities for a CO2 management program to be implemented. Many can begin with the family and in the family home. More education would be helpful, and more examples could result in achieving successful results.

CO2 is responsible for the drastic changes in our climate. This should be the motivation for every citizen to take every possible action to reduce the carbon footprint. We would probably never guess that using a diesel Type A motor home would emit less CO2 than any other method of vacation travel. In fact, the CO2 emitted is a ton less than what some people would believe to be the easy way of traveling.

Our daily household operation can be changed to buying organic food because it is likely to be grown in an environmentally friendly way. We never think of the more exotic coffees as creating a big carbon footprint, but they do considering the distance the beans travel to get to our favorite coffee shop. Think about the way food is packaged. Choose to buy loose tomatoes and pass up the plastic-wrapped tomatoes. Take reusable bags to the grocery. Although plastic bags are better than paper bags, a reusable cloth bag is the best. Water in plastic bottles leaves one of the largest carbon footprints. Shipping small plastic bottles across the country is not eco-friendly, and they leave a large carbon footprint when they are not recycled.

The use of green products is essential to reducing the carbon footprint. Perhaps the most important resource is the array of green products, which are eco-friendly, safer to use, and readily available.

The florescent light bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than the older light bulbs, and they also have a longer life. Considering electricity consumption, all of the electronics in the home continue to use electricity even though they are not in use. Unplug them or use a power strip with an on/off switch.

Talk with others aboutr using green products study their usage online. We are constantly learning about new and easy ways of reducing the carbon footprint with eco-friendly products, and sharing these with our families and our neighbors is often the way to achieve an even greater reduction.

Christine Artesia graduated with a degree in journalism and is now working as a freelance writer covering niche topics about technology.

This post was originally posted here: Eco-Friendly Decorating Ideas for Christmas

Does the thought of cutting down a tree to decorate your living room during the holiday season go against all of your environmental sensibilities?  Do you despair of contributing to the rampant waste that follows the excessive gifting, shipping, cooking, and decorating that are hallmarks of Christmas?  Are you more worried about the effect strings of lights will have on the Earth than you are about your electric bill for the month?  If you’re concerned about the impact you’re going to have on the environment this holiday season, then perhaps you’re seeking ways to do away with wasteful habits.  But you still want your family to enjoy this special time of year.  So here are just a few alternatives to your normal way of doing things that are bound to please your family and appease your sense of duty to the planet.

1. Fake tree.  Forget about chopping down the real deal and then throwing it away every year; this practice is harmful in more than one way.  First, tree lots spread chemical pollutants like fertilizers and pesticides to surrounding ecosystems.  Then, when you throw away your tree it goes to a landfill instead of getting used for firewood, mulch, or something useful.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, dry or dead Christmas trees are often responsible for house fires, which can negatively impact both your family and the environment.
2. Make ornaments.  Instead of buying mass-manufactured ornaments that are notorious for spreading pollution and waste (especially if they’re made of plastic), why not go old-school and make some special ornaments with your family?  You can string popcorn or colorfully wrapped candies (it’s even better if you go for organic or fair trade options) and find a whole host of crafty ornament ideas online (God’s eyes are easy to make with some popsicle sticks and yarn, and just about every kid has done one in school).  Your tree will end up being totally unique and far more personal than one decorated with manufactured ornaments.
3. Solar-powered lights or LEDs.  There are a variety of options when it comes to decorative lights for the holiday season, but a couple of options are better than the rest.  LED Christmas lights come in different shapes, sizes, and colors for your convenience and they use only a fraction of the energy required by your average string of lights.  But you can do even better by trying solar powered lights specifically made for the season.  Check out Solar Santa, Amazon, and even Home Depot; you’ll be surprised by what you find.
4. Personalize stockings.  While you could go to the store for your standard stockings to hang on the mantle, you can do more for the environment by making your own.  If you want to get really personal, use old sweaters or sweatshirts to fashion the stockings.  Otherwise, pick up some organic fabric in a holiday pattern.  Then hand-sew each family member’s name on their own special and unique stocking.
5. Utilize nature.  When it comes to decorating for the season, you can’t do better than to seek help from nature.  Go to a wooded area and pick up fallen leaves, twigs, pine cones, acorns, and whatever you can get your hands on (that the trees no longer need).  Use these items to create wreaths, ornaments, and other decorations (for tables or walls).  You can leave them natural or spruce them up with some eco-friendly paints.

Sarah Danielson writes for Suspended Ceiling Shop, where you can find Armstrong ceiling tiles and other ceiling accessories for your home improvement needs.

This post was originally posted here: Ditch that Car and Cycle Instead!

It’s fall, which means that everyone is gearing up for the holiday season in a number of ways, one of those ways being hitting the gym a bit more frequently. But there are ways to stay healthy and save money as well.

Why not tool around town on your bike rather than your car? Mind you, this is really only feasible if you live in a town that has most conveniences within a mile radius or so, but it could be well worth it. Not only would you be saving money on gas, you would be helping your heart and your health along the way.

As someone in this situation myself, I can tell you it is quite nice to be able to bike rather than drive places. You pay attention to the world around you a bit more, and you slow things down in your life a little. Everything isn’t so go-go-go. And if you choose to cycle to work or to run errands, you can get a bike rack attached to your bike and attach a basket to that, so that you don’t have to be so unbalanced and so coordinated to carry all your groceries home – though you will have to take into account the weight limits of the basket!

But to get to the health benefits of cycling, which is why we are all here -

• Cycling burns calories – If you ride at a steady rate for an hour, studies show that you burn approximately 300 calories an hour – thus, if you cycle 30 minutes a day (think to the grocery store and back) you would burn 11 pounds of fat a year. As cycling helps build and tone muscle, the exercise will also help to increase your metabolic rate, which will in turn help increase your fat and calorie-burning capacity…this is one of those good cycles that people talk about.
• Cycling builds stamina – cycling may not be quite as good as stair climbing to increase your stamina, but it is a sport that builds on itself – you are out of breath later in your ride, and you are enjoying yourself so much that you don’t notice! It will do well to increase your lung capacity as well, making you more inclined to do more intense exercise like running or weight lifting as it wouldn’t be killing your lungs quite so much.
• Cycling builds muscle tone – Cycling is actually quite a holistic exercise – it doesn’t just engage your legs. It will, over time, improve your general muscle function and help your joint mobility. The muscle toning that you see will generally be in your legs, thighs, glutes and hips.

These are just a few healthy reasons why you should start cycling rather than using your car – but there are a great number of motivating factors as well, not the least being the money that you would save on gas. While it might be unrealistic to completely get rid of your car in favor of a bike (unless you live in a major urban hub) you can replace many of your daily activities with a $300 investment on a good bike with a carry basket and leave the car at home for the most part.

Jackie Ryan is a cycling enthusiast who prefers not to go to the mechanic and see all the 4 post lifts (and her car up on one). She has been a writer for a long time, but has only recently started doing it professionally.

This post was originally posted here: How Medical Facilities Could Save Money By Going Green

The going green trend has hit almost every aspect of our culture hard over the last few years, except that of the medical field. Granted operating rooms, doctor’s offices and hospitals run into some serious logistical and health-related challenges when it comes to going green, but there has been much evidence to prove that any financial barriers to the adoption of more environmentally friendly means of medical operation are actually relatively economically friendly as well.

While you may see efforts to go green in one-off situations at private practice medical offices or in the press release statements from large corporations regarding changes to one building or just to aspect of their practice, the widespread adoption of practicing “green medicine” still seems far off.

How to Make to it Work

When it comes to recycling medical equipment, using sustainable medical products, and running more energy efficient medical facilities, the changes don’t have to be drastic to be lasting. A research study by Johns Hopkins researchers published in the Academic Medicine points out that reusing medical equipment can be a safe and sustainable practice with proper sterilization and recalibration. And it could even save hospitals millions of dollars and cut down on waste in an industry that’s the second-largest waste producer in the country — second only to the food industry.

From laparoscopic ports, surgical gowns, and other single-use devices, hospitals and medical facilities could be procuring reusable alternatives. Currently only about a quarter of U.S. hospitals use at least one type of reprocessed medical device as of 2002. But examples exist proving the cost- and environment-saving benefits. One hospital in Phoenix, AZ reportedly saved up to $1.5 million over one year by reprocessing operating room supplies, including compression sleeves, open but unused devices and pulse oximeters.

The biggest objections from a patient perspective is regarding the safety and sanitation of reused products, but the U.S. Government Accountability Office has already concluded that reprocessed medical devices post no increased health threat over new ones. It really comes down to a public relations issue more than anything else.

Little Steps Make a Big Difference

Other than just using reprocessed instruments and medical products, both hospitals and private practice medical facilities have the opportunity to minimize their carbon footprint just by following sustainability practices, including:

• using recycled paper products (exam table paper, toilet paper, paper towels, etc.)
• changing out all light fixtures to CFL bulbs
• upgrading to Energy Star appliances and electronics
• making double-sided copies
• recycling beverage containers
• e-prescribing
• using cloth gowns and a cleaning service

Little changes can make a monumental difference on a larger scale. For example, Kaiser Permanente says it saved $20 million just by switching to greener products in 2009.

But it doesn’t have to just be about the products used by the doctors, medical assisting and nursing staff. Going green throughout an entire medical facility is a larger, but equally beneficial step. And now with a government-backed program, medical facilities like the new UCSF Medical Center in California can make changes that can actually get certified.

The UCSF’s vision is based on the idea of making a medically and environmentally healthy environment for their patients, visitors and staff that can spread out into their larger local and global community. And the project is planned in such a way to that it could reach The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification.

With gold being the second-highest LEED distinction, only five other hospitals have reached the coveted status and only one hospital has the platinum distinction. The UCSF center would be one of the largest LEED-certified hospital facilities in the world.

Beth Jensen is a “green” blogger who loves contributing to the green initiative by writing about easy ways to go green, especially on a budget.

This post was originally posted here: Healthy, Green Activities for Pregnant Women

There may be a few eco-friendly activities you’re forced to give up as your pregnancy advances; you might have to quit riding your bike (for obvious reasons), give up on strenuous or potentially hazardous pursuits like tree-planting (heavy lifting) or highway trash pick-up (with attendant exhaust fumes).  But a pregnancy doesn’t mean you have to confine yourself to your home and give up on reducing your carbon footprint altogether.  In fact, there are plenty of green activities that are ideally suited to women who find themselves in the family way.  Here are a few you can use to occupy your time while you wait for your bundle of joy to arrive.

1. Walking.  Leave the bike in the garage and opt instead to hoof it to nearby destinations like the grocery store or that organic café on the corner.  It’s never a bad idea to stay in shape during a pregnancy and walking short distances can help to improve circulation and stretch out your limbs.  Plus, you’ll do your part to reduce your carbon footprint by leaving your vehicle at home when you travel.
2. Yoga.  Pregnant women will be happy to discover that there are yoga classes specifically designed to deal with their delicate condition.  In truth, these classes are aimed at increasing flexibility (especially in areas that will require it for childbirth) and decreasing the many aches and pains that come with carrying 20-30 extra pounds.  Plus, the breathing exercises are similar to Lamaze and will help practitioners to sync up their breath when the big event begins (that would be labor).  And finally, most yoga studios are all about going green, which means they’ve generally taken more steps that the average gym facility to ensure that they’re conserving and operating in an environmentally responsible manner.
3. Creating a green nursery.Setting up a nursery for your new babe may be a daunting prospect, what with all the stuff you’ll have to buy, but you can go 100% green with very little effort.  First, you’ll want to change the color palette using no-VOC paints, which won’t leave toxic chemicals hanging around in the air for the next several years.  From there you can outfit the room with eco-friendly furnishings (made with recycled materials and non-toxic paints, varnishes, and glues).  Or you could save some money by opting for reclaimed (and often refurbished) pieces of furniture.  Finish the room with organic textiles (mattress, linens, drapes, rugs, etc.) and books and toys that are responsibly and sustainably made.  You can have fun with the process, knowing that you’re doing less to harm the planet.
4. Housecleaning.  This may not sound particularly healthy or eco-friendly, especially if your cabinet is full of chemical-based cleaners.  But by tossing toxic solvents and replacing them with green cleaning options, you can do something good for your health, the health of your child, and of course, the environment.  Simply look online for homemade recipes that include natural ingredients (like lemon juice or coconut oil, for example).
5. Eating organic.  Just when you’re starting to ask yourself, “How long does morning sickness last?!” you’ll be over the worst of it and absolutely starving!  By opting for organic foods you’ll enjoy a variety of great-tasting produce, meats, and grains; but you’ll also ensure that your baby isn’t bombarded by toxins even before he takes his first breath.

This post was originally posted here: Switching to Alternative Energy

In a day and age where energy needs to be used sparingly, more and more people are looking for alternatives to using electricity. We are also fortunate enough to have the technology to make this possible. What are the benefits of switching away from electricity, you may ask. It’s simple really – you will be doing your part to help combat climate change. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that you will also save bundles of cash in bills. Of course, it does cost you a bit to get everything set up, but once that is done; your monthly savings will be astounding. Here are some areas of your home where you should consider starting with an alternative:

• Gas stove:

Nowadays, gas appliances are a lot safer than they used to be. When it comes to gas stoves, for example, there is no longer a need for the dangerous pilot light. They use an electronic igniter, similar to the ones found on gas barbeque systems. The benefit of changing to a gas stove is that you will have the same functionality of an electrical one, and can still cook even if the power is out.

• Solar geyser:

Your geyser contributes to a large portion of your energy usage each month. If you live in a climate that suits solar energy, then this is definitely a must. Solar energy in the right climate will be just as convenient as an electrical one – but if solar energy is not as viable to you, you could also consider a gas alternative. Also, if you cannot afford to make the switch just yet, you should consider turning off your geyser when it is not needed. This simple habit will save energy and money.

• Gas fire place:

Instead of turning to electrical heaters when the temperature plummets, you should consider a gas fire place. Not only are these highly pleasing on the eye, but they do a really good job of warming up the home. Also, an addition like this can add to the value of your home.

• Solar air-conditioner:

This luxury item is a saviour on warm summer days. Unfortunately, when cooling down a large home it will use an excessive amount of energy. Instead, use the energy that is freely provided by the sun on these baking days. This will cost a bit to install, but you will be smiling all the way once it is done.

Jason Acar is an online content writer who enjoys his work as a travelling content writer which gives him the freedom to travel as he pleases. He also enjoys technology and writes articles on topics such as web designing,SEO and content writing.

This post was originally posted here: Eco Luxury Mansions fit for Celebrities

Eco luxury mansions are growing all over the world and celebrities are flocking to get their hands on some of these amazing properties. While many celebrities are still looking for property to rent in Chelsea, other have their eyes abroad, on houses such as the one designed by Luis de Garrido on Sedir, an island off the coast of Turkey, shaped like the eye of Horus. The island is said in legend to have been created by Mark Anthony for Cleopatra, and this designer Eco Luxury home is focused on being sustainable and celebrities, such as Naomi Campbell, are showing interest in this home. With the use of volcanic heat to create hot water for the entire mansion and one of the largest solar panel arrays for residential use, De Garrido’s influence can be seen in every aspect of the creation of this luxury eco mansion.

Created in the image of the Egyptian god, the eye of Horus for years has become a symbol for protection and health, which mirrors the intention of the architect for this luxury eco home. The dome, which forms the pupil for the eye, will provide ample natural light into the house all year around and special architectural endeavours are in place to ensure the maximum amount of heat retention. Water piping flows through the volcanic layers of the island, warming the water to ensure the smallest amount of power is necessary to warm the bathing for any celebrity. There are sufficient photovoltaic panels forming the shape of the eye to power the needs of any resident. The property will boast 3 storeys, with the topmost being a magnificent landscaped garden which produces natural gas conversion. The complete eco system is built into the design of the mansion and is said to be one of De Garrido’s most prized accomplishments.

While cost may not be a major factor for celebrities when choosing a home, the sustainable and social responsibility of owning an eco mansion is draw for them. Architects are designing green homes with style and previous incarnations of green mansions were focused more on the practical and as technology develops, so does a sense of style. No longer are eco mansions the domain of the hippy living in the wilderness, but the design industry with the brightest future for architects. While many of the highly efficient homes come with a high price tag, they will definitely be green mansions advertised as property for sale in Kensington, Madrid and the Cayman Islands. Eco luxury properties are the way forward and with the budgets to enjoy them, celebrities are leading the property buying trend.

Dave Tucker is a freelance writer with focuses on property, architecture and the environment. With his focus on ecological responsibility he aims to educate his audience on sustainable practices.

This post was originally posted here: An Inside Look at Wastewater Treatment

The United Nations briefly defines wastewater treatment as the proportion of water treated to minimize pollutants prior to getting discharged to the environment. Such treatment is necessary because wastewater from both industries and households creates a notable pressure on the environment. The 3 main levels of treatment are primary, secondary and tertiary . They involve biological, chemical and physical process to remove different types of contaminants.

Primary Method
This method involves keeping wastewater into a temporary storage system to allow heavy solids to settle at the bottom while lighter solids and oils float to the surface. Once both floating and settled materials have been removed, the water can either be disposed of or taken through secondary treatment.

Secondary Treatment
This step is taken to remove suspended and dissolved biological matter from the wastewater. Water-borne micro-organisms placed in a managed habitat are normally used to perform the treatment. A separation process is then used to get the micro-organisms out of the treated water. Alternatively, the water is taken through a third step of treatment.

Tertiary Method
Any process beyond the first 2 is classified as tertiary. Such methods are applied in delicate and sensitive ecosystems like coral reefs and estuaries. The wastewater may be disinfected either physically or chemically. The treated water may then be discharged or used for various purposes, such as irrigation.

Before the wastewater is taken through any of these steps, it is pre-treated to remove materials that can damage the devices used in the treatment process. For instance, materials that can clog pumps are removed before starting the actual treatment process.

The available means of disposal will determine the necessary level of treatment.

Sludge
The materials removed from the treated wastewater, known as sludge, may be used in different ways. Sludge is a biologically active composition of organic matter, inorganic solids, trace contaminants, water as well as alive and dead micro-organisms.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, sludge may be used for either fuel or non-fuel purposes. Different types of sludge treatment include aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion, composting and even incineration.

The main goal of wastewater treatment is the production of solid and fluid waste that is environmentally-safe, which may either be disposed of safely or reused. Wastewater has various negative impacts on the environment, including destruction of aquatic life, dissolved oxygen, algal blooms and chemical bioaccumulation in the food chain.

Wastewater treatment is even more important in today’s world, considering the ever increasing demands on limited water resources and environmental degradation.

Looking for a company that provide wastewater treatment systems? Tristar Water offers a complete range of water, wastewater treatment and water purification equipment and services including membrane filtration systems. Contact Tristar Water for your water treatment needs.

This post was originally posted here: Creating a New Life as a “Born-Again Minimalist”

Maybe I’m getting older and wiser, or maybe I’m getting old and cranky, but I have gotten less patient with a lot of things.  Money is tight, like it is for so many of us, but that’s not all.  I just don’t feel like dealing with the stresses, chores, and hassles that I used to find rewarding.  I recently decided that simplification really was the way to make myself happier.  I had a good sized house, filled with a ton of books, music, tools, clothes I never wore, dust collecting nick-nacks, etc.  I can’t say that it all hit me out of nowhere one day, or that I had some kind of revelation or something, but I found that each day I felt more and more annoyed by all the stuff I had accumulated.  Have you ever looked around your place and wondered where all the crap came from?  I had paperwork piled up on the desk and the kitchen table, clothes strewn about, and I can’t even describe the garage or the basement without using some really impolite language.  It took years to collect all that stuff, and it also took years for it to start to bug me.  Once the thought entered my head that my life had gotten too cluttered and complicated, I couldn’t get the thought back out of my head.  It took some doing, but I managed to create a new and simpler life for myself, and I can say I’m much happier and more relaxed now.

The first thing I did was to pitch everything that was obviously useless.  This was a good and simple start – the stuff that I should have thrown out long ago.  I tried to recycle as much as possible, donate as much as possible, and give stuff away to friends and family.  I tried to be realistic about what I would actually use.  The basic approach I came up with was the philosophy that anything I hadn’t used in a month was probably not going to be used at all.  Of course, I kept things that had true sentimental value, but the more I got into the spirit of pitching things, the fewer things seemed to really have that much sentimental value.  Instead of keeping all of my photos, I actually went through and just picked out the best ones to keep.  I kept only the books that were special gifts or that I consulted regularly.  There are plenty of great libraries close by that were happy to have my books.  I figured I can always go and borrow them again.

Then there was the condensing phase, which is connected to the pitching phase.  I kept only the CD’s that I would die without.  I loaded the rest electronically and sold the CD’s.  This was the process with everything – sold, donated, pitched, condensed.  It was kind of scary at first.  We’re raised in many cases to have such an attachment to our stuff, but maybe the Buddhist and Christian monks have it right – it’s easy to let your possessions own you.

Modern technology was a big help in the downsizing phase.  I switched my two old desktop computers for one really good, small, portable laptop.  I cancelled the home phone and got a better cell phone.  I finally got on board with online banking so I didn’t have to keep track of paper bills.  The tools were one of the biggest challenges to condense because I love making things.  However, I don’t get to work on projects that often.  I moved all the big stuff to the house of a friend who is starting his own custom furniture business.  He was thrilled to have the band, saw, drill press, miter saw, etc. and I was thrilled to have it out of the house.  Of course, we have a deal that I can have access to his shop and all of our tools when I want to tinker.   I traded my garage full of tools for a bunch of oscillating tool blades, a great oscillating multi tool, and a few high quality tools to handle the few jobs that the multi tool blades are not cut out for.  I didn’t even know those tools existed until I did some research, but they let you carry the equivalent of a whole truck load of tools with just one unit and a pocket full of blades.  I was amazed at how much more calm and in control I felt once I had a living environment with no clutter and minimal possessions.

The biggest moves I made were selling my house and car.  The other moves I made, I honestly believe, could help anyone.  Selling the house and car were a bit extreme by some people’s standards.  In my case, they made sense.  If you are single, living in a city with great public transportation, with easy access to cheap rental cars, working from home, you may not need to own your own car.  I found the savings in car payments, insurance, and repairs were well worth any minor bit of inconvenience.

Once I got rid of all of the unnecessary junk, I found that I didn’t need much room.  Houses are great in some ways, a great investment and such.  But they are also a huge amount of responsibility.  Renting doesn’t build equity, but it’s nice to know that the landlord is responsible for repairs, yard work, snow removal, etc.

As a workaholic and generally stressed out person, I have spent most of my life feeling overwhelmed for one reason or another.  I can honestly say that the moves I have made have given me a new life.  I have more free time than I ever knew was possible because I don’t have many responsibilities in terms of maintenance of my home.  They money I’m saving means that I no longer have to work two jobs.  This major shift of lifestyle may not be right for everyone, but I think that many people would benefit from at least considering doing something similar.

About the Author: The author is a university professor who has written a number of books and articles ranging from literary interpretation to choosing the right multi tool blades.

This post was originally posted here: Advances in Materials Research Could Push Electric Vehicle Battery Technologies

Observers have waited for decades, watching electric vehicle concepts come and go, waiting for technologies to match pace with imagined designs. One of the biggest problems facing electric car designers has been and continues to be battery technologies.

Conventional battery technologies, such as lithium-ion, have a multi-fold litany of problems including cost, manufacturing challenges, flammability, and toxicity. On the upside, the technology improved as consumers clamored for better power sources for consumer electronics — but most of these are variants of existing lithium-ion technologies.

Another problem with existing battery technologies such as nickel metal hydride (NiMH) is that they use rare Earth metals, which are in short supply globally. Consequently, the cost increases while supplies dwindle.

As John Peterson, former director of Axion Power International, notes, this has made any expansion or increase in NiMH battery production “effectively impossible, which is the main reason that Li-ion is gaining traction for use in electric vehicles. While not free from doubt, many industry observers believe NiMH and Li-ion will be the preferred batteries for full hybrids while mild hybrids will use NiMH, Li-ion and advanced lead-acid batteries.”

Researchers continue seeking new materials for use in conventional batteries as well as novel compounds able to power a range of devices – including electric vehicles. Georgia Institute of Technology and Clemson University researchers, according to IEEE’s Computing Now, discovered a compound extracted from brown algae that could make it more practical to use silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries. The material enabled the researchers to make a stable silicon anode that has eight times the capacity of conventional graphite-based anodes and that yields longer-lasting batteries.

This would solve one key problem: rapid degradation that occurs with recharging. Using silicon in lithium-iron batteries could enable the creation of less costly batteries that are also more efficient and cleaner to manufacture, according to MIT’s Technology Review.

University of Leeds researchers announced they have made a polymer gel that promises to continue advancing lithium battery use. The jelly-like material replaces the volatile, hazardous liquid electrolyte in lithium batteries. The new material is a blend of rubber-like polymer and a conductive, liquid electrolyte that produces a thin, flexible gel film.

The film looks solid, according to researchers, but consists of 70% liquid electrolyte. They say this will help make rechargeable batteries that are as safe as conventional polymer batteries, but that perform like liquid-based batteries. The new material also reportedly reduces the overall product cost by 10 to 20%.

“You might say that the future of the world depends on better batteries,” notes a Slate review of a new book on the subject by Seth Fletcher. Improved batteries could have a major impact on geopolitics, global warming, and the economy.

“As Fletcher explains, physics, politics, and the price of gasoline have always conspired against the improvement of battery technology,” writes Farhad Manjoo. “Fletcher’s book is hopeful — he investigates a number of promising technologies that might theoretically challenge the dominance of fossil fuels. But many of them are a long way from fruition, and the history of failure in the battery industry doesn’t inspire confidence.”

While the search for new materials is still on, so is electric-car battery production. A Bloomberg New Energy Finance report shows new plants are being constructed at a break-neck pace. While most EV manufacturers are demanding batteries with 18 gigawatt-hours’ storage, battery manufacturers are preparing to churn out 35 gigawatt-hour capacity batteries by 2013.

The report notes that “Battery making has surged in the U.S., where spending under the government’s Recovery Act has channeled about $2.4 billion into the products, their components and charging infrastructure for vehicles,” which Bloomberg gleaned from the U.S. Department of Energy information.

“Advanced batteries could well solve many of the problems that dog us today,” writes Slate’s Manjoo. “But they’ll only come about many, many years from now — and by then, it could be too late.”

Linda Dailey Paulson is a professional journalist who writes for Carrentals.co.uk, an award-winning car hire search engine comparing prices from over 15,000 worldwide locations from London to Melbourne. Paulson has been covering auto and technology stories for over 20 years.

This post was originally posted here: The Move Towards Eco-Friendly Education

The last several years have seen an upswing in the push for eco-friendly alternatives in every aspect of consumer culture, including food, clothing, cars, and more.  Aside from an increased interest in recycling and reducing waste and pollution, many consumers are now clamoring for products that do less harm to the environment through the use of recycled materials and cleaner manufacturing processes.  But many parents also want their kids to go to schools that support eco-friendly initiatives and teach courses with environmentally sound underpinnings.  And in these regards, many schools are starting to deliver.

For starters, most schools now have recycling programs in place and they encourage students to toss aluminum, plastic, and glass cans and bottles in designated bins (along with recycling paper products in the classroom).  They may also endorse an eco-friendly attitude amongst the teaching staff, supporting a curriculum that includes lessons in sustainability and green alternatives to everyday products and practices.  Some even purchase local, organic produce and meats for the cafeteria.  But when it comes to creating an environmentally sound setting in which to conduct classes, some schools are going the extra mile.

Although few schools have gone so far as to meet the standards required to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, many have taken steps small and large to ensure facilities that do less harm to the environment.  Schools that are still in the planning stages have a lot of options when it comes to going green, from using recycled or local materials to installing green energy (solar, wind, or water), geothermal heating, and insulation that will help to regulate the building temperature.  Many also find ways to utilize natural light as much as possible, often by using open floor plans and building designs that bounce light around the space for maximum illumination.  But even schools that are older can do a lot to reduce their carbon footprint.

Conservation is a good first step, and plenty of schools that are ready for upgrades opt for energy-saving equipment and lights (along with adopting a policy that utilizes more natural lighting).  They may also install low-flow toilets and flushless urinals, motion-sensor faucets, and a water recycling system for upkeep of the grounds.  And landscaping with drought-resistant native plants is another way to go in terms of conserving water.  Some schools, especially those in downtown locations, may also opt to create rooftop gardens as a means of reducing the urban heat island effect and providing a way for kids to learn about basic gardening or even sustainable farming techniques, making the project instructional as well as eco-friendly.

Teaching kids early on about sustainable living practices and the importance of adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle is almost as important as teaching reading and writing, grammar rules, mathematics, and other core subjects (unfortunately there is no spelling and grammar check equivalent when it comes to protecting the future of our planet).  But by putting their money where their mouth is, many schools are taking the extra steps to green up their own facilities in order to provide a learning space that is just as eco-friendly as the ideals espoused through their educational process.

This post was originally posted here: Is it Possible to be Truly Self-Sufficient?

Doom and gloom is predicted by fir-and-brimstone preachers, conspiratorial talk show hosts and even a few sources we may deem credible. The thought of civil unrest, a destabilized economy and pressing environmental issues is leading many to consider making the move to become more self-sufficient. Many wonder if it is even possible to be truly self-sufficient today.

What Is True Self-Sufficiency?

Self-sufficiency is the practice of living off the land without relying on outside sources. This means water, shelter, food, electricity, heat and any other material goods are produced on the property and not brought in from an outside source. Some people feel that to live a truly self-sufficient life includes relying on oneself for intangible things such as healthcare, education and entertainment. Bartering with others who are self-sufficient for goods not easily produced on-site is greatly encouraged.

Is It Possible?

It is most certainly possible to live a self-sufficient life. It may however require a large financial commitment to get started. It is easiest to become truly self-sufficient in rural areas where there is plenty of light and wind to generate electricity, a more abundant water supply and where there is greater access to additional land for farming, gardening, raising livestock or keeping an orchard. A few pilot programs have been undertaken in large cities, but by in large, these programs cannot be sustained. Sustainability is absolutely necessary for self-sufficient living.

Environmental Considerations

There are many advantages to becoming self-sufficient. Heightened feelings of security, greater independence and freedom are just a few. There is also a great benefit received by the immediate environment by people choosing to become self-sufficient. Land is used in a more natural way, water supplies are not polluted by excessive chemical usage, and air is cleaner because of more plants and fewer toxins being released. The sustainability aspect is also an important environmental factor with in self-sufficient living. Creating a sustainable self-sufficient lifestyle will reduce consumer waste and pollution.

Get Started Today

Even when surrounded by concrete, bricks and glass an effort to be more self-sufficient can be effective. Start by growing a few vegetables and herbs indoors. Though there may not be enough to preserve for the entire year, a good crop can reduce the need for grocery store produce for several months. Make as many household goods at home as possible. Candles, soaps and many cleaning supplies can be made from natural ingredients found in many retail outlets that are commonplace on a self-sufficient farm.

David Spader looks at savings accounts over at SavingsAccount.Org. He recently wrote about CD Rates available right now.

This post was originally posted here: How to Develop a Comprehensive Energy Plan for Your House

A comprehensive energy plan. Isn’t that what the U.S. Congress is supposed to be working on? While our representatives in Washington are struggling to come up with legislation that defines our nation’s energy policy, you don’t have to deal with the same obstacles at home. Yes, it’s true that your house uses and loses energy in numerous ways, but developing a plan to make your home more energy efficient can be fairly straightforward, especially if you use the following four steps.

1. Start saving energy right away with quick fixes. Home energy experts call this the low-hanging fruit in home energy savings. We’re talking about replacing incandescent light bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or light-emitting diode (LED) lights. CFLs aren’t as efficient as LEDs, but they are more affordable and more widely available. Another quick way to save energy (as well as water) is to replace old showerheads and faucet aerators with eco-friendly versions that consume much less water. Want more low-hanging fruit? Replace your old-fashioned thermostat with a programmable model that will automatically reduce demand for heating or air conditioning when you’re sleeping or out of the house. Another quick way to score energy savings is to stop using hot water to wash clothes. Heating water can account for 15% of your total energy budget, so it makes sense (and cents) to use a cold water detergent and the cold setting on your washing machine.

2. Upgrade airtightness and insulation levels. Air-sealing a house can reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as 20%. These savings can be increased even further by following air-sealing work with additional insulation. If you have your home energy audit performed by a full-service home energy contractor like Dr. Energy Saver, you can get air-sealing and insulating work that responds precisely to the neediest areas of the house as identified in the audit.

3. Upgrade inefficient appliances and HVAC equipment. The ENERGYSTAR program has pushed manufacturers to develop more efficient appliances and HVAC equipment. As a result, a new ENERGYSTAR dishwasher, refrigerator or water heater may be twice as efficient as older versions of these appliances that you’re keeping in service just because they are still working. One by one, it makes sense to retire inefficient appliances and replace them with new models that use much less energy. The same advice applies to furnaces, boilers, air conditioners and other HVAC equipment.

4. Step up to renewable energy. Completing the first 4 steps described above will turn your house from an energy hog into an energy miser. You’ll be saving hundreds of dollars every year, and setting a green example for others in your community to follow. If you want to go farther, consider graduating from saving energy to actually harnessing the energy available from renewable resources. Find out about installing photovoltaic panels to generate electricity from the sun, or a solar thermal system that can cut your water-heating expenses by up to 80%.

5. Schedule a home energy audit to get a comprehensive energy assessment. There’s no way around it. To develop a comprehensive energy-saving plan for your house, you need to get a detailed profile of how your house uses and loses energy. This means contacting a company that specializes in home energy audits. During a home energy audit, an energy technician will perform a blower door test to determine how air leakage is contributing to poor energy performance, as well as other tests and assessments. The audit itself doesn’t save energy, but it should provide you with a detailed look at how different systems (heating, air conditioning, insulation, water heating, appliances, etc.) rate in terms of energy efficiency. After an energy audit, you’ll be able to set priorities for the different upgrades that will make your home more energy efficient and lower your monthly energy bills.

To ensure that your home is energy efficient, be sure to use high-quality ceiling insulation and insulation boards.

This post was originally posted here: Easiest Ways to Help the Environment

It seems like not a day can go by without another news story or magazine article reminding us of how our actions are affecting the environment. At times, it seems that there is nothing you can do as an individual to make a difference – but of course that is not true.

Just as we can all act to harm the environment, we can also act to help it. Put some of these ideas into practice and you’ll soon be helping to make a better world.

Contact Your Representative

If you see a news report about a potential piece of legislation that could help or harm the environment take a few minutes to call, email or write to your elected representative. By letting them know that you support helping the environment or are against things that could harm it, you can help them better represent your views in government. If you see that a law has been passed that is environmentally friendly, let them know that you appreciate the work they did on your behalf.

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

We all know to separate out our garbage and recycle glass, paper and cans, but that is not all that you can do to keep rubbish out of landfills. Your appliances and other household goods are full of potential recyclables.

Instead of throwing away your digital scales and letting the loadcell within it go unused, take it to a recycling center where people who can make use of its component parts, such as load cells. They can take it apart and use the pieces in new products. Keep your vegetable peelings and scraps separate from your other trash and compost them – it will help the earth and your garden!

Make Environmentally Responsible Choices at the Supermarket

When the bagger at the checkout asks if you want paper or plastic, you may always choose paper, but that’s not all you can do to cut down on waste. Bringing your own reusable bags is even better – especially if you can use them when buying produce and so cut down on extra packaging. Let your local stores know that you are trying to only purchase products that minimize their packaging and they may begin to have them in stock.

Think About Transport

Not everyone can take advantage of public transport, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing you can do to cut down on your carbon emissions. Try carpooling to work or arranging to carpool with other parents on the school run. Try and walk to the shop instead of driving – or invest in a bicycle.

Even the smallest change is much better than doing nothing. By making a small change every day you can build up a huge amount of effort in helping the environment, and since it is just one change a day, you’ll be surprised by how easy it is!

This guest post contributed by Shane Jones, a technology enthusiast, with special interest in load cells and load cell calibration.

This post was originally posted here: Could You Live In A Car Free Zone?

Recently, the town of Cologne, Germany transformed itself by becoming car-free, changing the lives of its citizens and grabbing the world’s attention. Children are free to play in the street, bikes and scooters are the favored mode of transportation and those that need a bit of extra cargo room rent a trailer for their bicycles from the Mobility Center. This dramatic change away from an automobile-focused lifestyle has spurned a debate on whether other cities can follow this lead.

In the United States, proponents say that it can be done and an equal number of people say that there is no way an idea such as this could happen. What do you think?

Pros

• Children can play in the streets without having to watch for cars. Parents have a greater sense of security knowing their children are safer outside than they would be with cars and trucks speeding past.
• Noise pollution is greatly reduced. Think of those 2 am ‘wake-up calls’ from the car driving by your bedroom window with its radio at full blast. People in a car-free zone never experience loud exhaust systems either.
• Air pollution is reduced as well. With no gas guzzling vehicles in the neighborhood, exhaust fumes and toxic emissions are virtually eliminated.
• Less demand on foreign oil. Less driving means less filling the tank. Thus the price of gas would drop due to lower demand. Also families would have more money to spend on other life’s necessities.
• People ultimately become fitter walking to their destinations. Those that work or attend school are getting daily exercise by necessity.
• We would become more connected to nature. Quite often we can avoid going outside for several days. We may live in a building with parking within the building then drive to an office with parking underneath. Without a car, we would spend more time outside and enjoying fresh air.

Cons

• Very few cities in the United States have a city center any longer. The days of having a butcher, fish monger, green grocer and shoe repairman in the center of town are long past. Cities are often based around a major shopping area that may take 20 minutes or more to get to by car. Riding a bike to these areas can take an hour or more and can be extremely dangerous.
• People have moved away from cities to the suburbs and often commute over an hour one way. Riding a bicycle to work would be nearly impossible.
• Public transportation in the United States is not as abundant as in Europe. Where someone in Europe may be able to walk 5 or 10 minutes to get to the nearest train, persons living in an average city in America don’t have access to such easy transportation.

What do you think – could you live in a car-free zone and make it work?

Author Jason Lancaster ponders not having a car when paying $3+ per/gallon of gas and writes for ExhaustVideos.com, a website that helps car owners find exhaust systems for their Ford Mustang (for example).

This post was originally posted here: How to Go Green and Save Money

Going ‘green’ is such an overused cliché nowadays. Since the turn of the century, we’ve all become obsessed with saving the planet and ensuring that certain breeds like the Tasmanian dongle bongle bat doesn’t die. It’s all very sensible and thoughtful, but the problem is, going green can be expensive and impractical.

We’re all busy, and whether we like to admit it or not, we want to help out in the easiest ways possible. So with that being said, what are the best automotive ways of going green, saving money and helping the earth but without ruining your life?

Lift off!

One of the single most important aspects of going green in your car is your driving style. Most people stick to the same routine for years, but by just amending one or two habits, you can not only save yourself some money but also save the aforementioned Tasmanian dongle bongle bat.

Lifting off when approaching junctions and when you’re not really going anywhere fast is a superb way of saving petrol. Braking effectively costs you money because you lose all that momentum, but by lifting off, modern engines typically use no petrol whatsoever.

Walk

Ok, so this one will probably ruin your life, but it’s still an option. If you’re serious about wanting to go green, why don’t you take up walking? Let’s be honest, most of us use the car for what are effectively 30 second trips to the local shop; we don’t need to, but we want to, because we are tired and it’s easier. Nobody blames you; it’s ok. But if you want to be green, try leaving the car where it is for short trips and save on that petrol.

Go diesel

That’s right; the devil’s fuel source is still a viable option for the economical driver. If saving the world is your bag, going diesel can massively improve your footprint as they typically use considerably less fuel to do the same mileage as petrol cars.

They won’t be as fun, but a diesel is a great way of feeling slightly less guilty about being a world-destroying human.

Hybrid

Like them or lump them, hybrids are here to stay. Since the middle of the 2000s, hybrids have become a popular sight on our roads; with the Toyota Prius setting the trend. Don’t get it twisted; however, the Prius is not a good car. It’s pretty shocking, to be frank, but thankfully, the car manufacturers of the world have all come together and started to produce hybrid cars you’d actually want to drive.

The low CO2 emissions and higher MPG figures of hybrids like the Honda Insight and Prius mean they are an easy way to help save that damn dongle bongle bat!

Electric

The thought, 30-years ago, that we’d all be driving electric cars in the 21st century would have probably been laughed at, but now we’re in 2011 and it’s clear to see nobody is laughing. The dongle bongle bat is dying, the world is heating up and we’ve all been given a damn good telling off. Things have to change!

So with that being said, is an electric car the way forward to you? There’s no denying it’s a green form of transport. An electric car produces nothing out of its exhaust, as it runs purely off electric power from the batteries.

They are, however, quite controversial, thanks to where the electric comes from, power stations!

Tread carefully.

Change your tyres

Tyres are one of the most important factors on any car. We abuse them too much really, but when you think about it, they are the only things connecting you to the road. If a tyre is down on pressure or coming towards the end of its life, it will start to cost you money.

If the pressures are down, you’re going to be using more petrol to cart the car down the road thanks to the extra strain from the tyres. And likewise, if the tyres are close to bald, you’re just going to be causing more damage to your pocket and the world.

Use eco-mode

Quite a few standard petrol and diesel cars are now coming with an ‘eco-mode’. This is effectively a button that changes the mapping in the engine to reduce revs and therefore be more ‘economical’. Sure, this button basically ruins any chance of you having fun behind the wheel, but need we remind you of the dongle bongle bat again?

LPG

If the last thing you want to do is switch to a diesel or a hybrid, you could also upgrade your car to LPG. This conversion usually costs around £1,000 dependent upon the vehicle, and can massively reduce your footprint and fuel bills.

LPG, give or take a few pence, costs around 40% less than petrol and diesel at the pumps – which is probably enough reason to consider it.

Calm down, dear!

Like Michael Winner once said: “Calm down, dear!” And as patronising as that statement may be, there is some good, solid advice behind it. Calming down behind the wheel can have massive effects on your fuel costs. The more you fill up, the more you hurt out lovely green Earth, so by driving sensibly and lightening that heavy right foot, you can ensure your bills are reduced every month.

It sounds boring, but by amending small parts of your driving you can do your ‘bit’ for the ‘green’ movement.

Go green faster with the help of car loans from Carfinance247.co.uk.

This post was originally posted here: Eco-Friendly Activities that Improve Your Marriage

Nothing in life is ever easy, and marriage is certainly no exception.  Neither is adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle, for that matter.  But you’ll find that problems in one area of your life tend to trickle over into others.  By the same token, successes in one area of life will often be mirrored in other aspects of your existence.  So if you’re looking for ways to “marry” your enthusiasm for environmental pursuits to a happy and healthy relationship with your spouse, then you should know that there are all kinds of ways that going green can do double duty by helping to solidify your personal relationships.  Here are just a few eco-friendly activities that will bring you and your spouse closer than ever.

1. Hiking and biking.  Instead of spending all of your free time trapped in a car in traffic, spewing greenhouse gas emissions and huffing toxic exhaust, why not find ways to spend your weekend amidst the beauty of nature?  By making the time for hiking and biking with your one and only, you’ll connect on a personal level, get some exercise that will make you feel great (thanks to endorphins) and learn to associate feeling good with spending time with your partner.  Of course, you’ll also enjoy the wonderful, natural world that is all around you (while simultaneously protecting it).
2. Visit organic restaurants.  If you live in or near an urban area, you likely have access to local restaurants that offer organic options (meaning no chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and often free-range meats that eschew hormones and antibiotics).  Of course, it’s even better if those foods are sourced from area farms (cutting down on the pollution inherent in shipping these goods across the country or even the globe).  But if you can’t find an establishment like this nearby, consider signing up with an organic farm or co-op in order to purchase your produce directly and support local business in the same stroke.  Then you can whip up some tasty organic tidbits with your spouse in your own candlelit kitchen.
3. Turn off electronics.  Think about planning an evening that is entirely free of electricity.  When the lights are out, the TV, computer, and stereo are off, and you and your spouse have to find ways to entertain yourselves, it’s not too hard to turn on the romance.  Set up a carpet picnic with a bottle of organic wine and see where the evening takes you!
4. Star-gazing.  A date night doesn’t have to end up in an energy-guzzling Cineplex.  Instead, consider how romantic it would be to lay out a blanket in the back yard and cuddle up as you call out constellations and watch for shooting stars.  Some of the best activities are both eco-friendly and good for your marriage.
5. Volunteering. There are many ways to volunteer for environmentally friendly efforts, from organizing a community garden to getting neighbors involved in recycling to throwing fundraisers for green causes.  And this type of activity could help to bring you and your spouse together even better than traditional fixes like marriage counseling (for example).  You’ll be working as a team towards a common goal and doing something good for the environment and for yourselves, which is all good news for your marriage.

This post was originally posted here: Eco-Friendly Home Remodeling

Turning your crab-shack into a castle is no easy feat, but it can be even more difficult when you opt to embrace eco-friendly practices along the way.  You might think that an adherence to green remodeling will mean higher prices and more effort, but in truth, you’re going to pay about the same (or even less, in some cases) to create a space that is beautiful, functional, and best of all, less harmful to the environment.  So if you’re looking to turn your hovel into eco-friendly haute maison, here are just a few tips and tricks that will help you on your way.

1. Open floor plan.  One of the best ways to go eco-friendly with your remodel will also help to make your home more desirable.  The modern home-buyer is looking for an open floor plan that makes even a small space look large.  And the bonus is that this type of interior will allow natural light from multiple sources to fill the space, as well as improving air circulation, so that you can cut back on energy usage and breathe easier.
2. Faux finishes.  Although granite and marble are uber-trendy for high-end homes right now, the way in which they’re harvested from the earth is less than eco-friendly, to say the least.  Not only do mining operations clear-cut forests and strip away topsoil in an effort to get at veins of these valuable rocks, but they also use a heinous amount of chemicals in the process, which run off the site to further contaminate and disrupt the surrounding ecosystem.  And then there are the greenhouse gas emissions that result from shipping these materials to your doorstep.  Luckily, there are faux stone options that you’ll find surprisingly realistic and far less harmful to the environment (they’re also much less expensive).
3. Reclaimed wood.  Rather than support the massive deforestation of the world’s rainforests in your bid for rare hardwoods, look into some of the many great options in reclaimed wood products.  You can find flooring, cabinets, and of course, furniture.  And most of it will be refurbished and cost you a lot less than brand new.
4. Water usage.  Ever since the advent of the aqueduct, man has found ways to use more water.  But since less than 1% of the water on our planet is drinkable, conservation is a pretty good idea.  In order to conserve within your household, think about installing low-flow toilets and aerated faucets.  You can also select a system to water your lawn that uses recycled water, or simply landscape with drought resistant native plants.
5. Appliances and electronics.  If you’re still living in the Stone Age when it comes to the kitchen, with appliance that your mother handed down to you, it’s time to opt for some energy efficient appliances to spruce up your space, save energy, and reduce your utility bills.  Ditto on the electronics that fill your home.  Energy-saving models will help you to conserve energy, which is great for the planet, and save money, which is great for your wallet.  Two wasteful birds, one green stone.

Sarah Danielson is a conservation writer who works with NRDC and other organizations to protect our health and environment.

This post was originally posted here: Health and Fitness Tips for Eco-Friendlies

Embracing a green lifestyle can certainly come with drawbacks when you live in a consumer society that is firmly entrenched in a disposable mentality.  Living green often means giving up things that you’re used to simply because there is no green alternative.  Although there are a lot more options for those looking to cut waste, pollution, and chemical manufacturing, it can still be hard to find everything you need to live with the same ease that other people do.  And when it comes to addressing your health and fitness needs, the obstacles may seem insurmountable.  However, there may be more options than you think.  Here are just a few to consider.

1. Organic clothing.  This is probably the easiest way to go green since there are plenty of companies targeting fitness nuts looking to do everything they can for their own health.  The benefits of organic workout clothes are multiple.  You’ll not only end up with clothing that is less likely to irritate your skin and set off allergies; you’ll also be using your consumer dollars to support textiles that eschew the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides as well as the many chemicals normally used in the manufacturing process.  As a bonus, organic garments are said to last up to 10 times as long as their competition.
2. Eco-friendly equipment.  Some companies are starting to offer green options when it comes to the gear needed to get in shape.  It’s easy enough to find yoga mats and related paraphernalia made from recycled materials or through eco-friendly processes, but that’s just a small segment of the market.  While you might have trouble finding greener options for some equipment (special shoes, boxing equipment, and weights, for example), don’t give up.  If you can’t find a company that has eco-friendly products, perhaps you can find one that is working to cut waste and pollution, or that donates to environmental causes.
3. Green machines.  If you’re having trouble finding workout equipment that suits your sensibilities, then there’s no chance you’ll find machines that conserve, right?  In fact, there are now workout machines that run entirely on the kinetic energy you create when you use them.  Some are even set up to return energy to the grid in order to power lights, air conditioning, and so on.  You’ll have some trouble finding these machines for your home, since they aren’t readily available for commercial sale, but you should look in your area for an eco-friendly gym facility.
4. Organic food.  A big part of your health and fitness centers on what you eat.  So you may want to think about cutting out the chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics that are prevalent in pre-packaged foods.  Opt instead for organic produce, meats, and even packaged items like pasta and cereal.  If the cost seems too high, grow your own veggie garden to save a little green when you go green for your health.
5. Supplements.  Whether you’re looking for alternatives to medication, vitamins, weight loss supplements, or other types of health enhancers, you may be able to find an option that is herbal rather than chemical.  Although you’ll almost certainly want to consult with your doctor before you decided to incorporate these items (and you may even want to see a qualified naturopath), there’s no reason you can’t consider the option as a reasonable substitute for pharmaceuticals.

Sarah Danielson writes for www.getprograde.com where you can find great products and advice to help you lose weight.

This post was originally posted here: The Green Way to Organize

If you’re looking to clean and organize your home but you want to do it in a way that is in keeping with your environmental sensibilities, you might be surprised to learn that there are actually a lot of options to meet both of your seemingly disparate goals.  You might think, for example, that organizing means throwing a lot of clutter into the trash bin.  But unless you’re entrenched in some kind of serious hoarding situation where you simply can’t seem to throw anything away (supposedly due to your dedication to recycling), this probably isn’t the case.  In truth, there are many green ways to clean and organize your home.  Here are a few you may want to try.

1. Reduce and reuse.  These two of the three Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle) go hand in hand because reducing your waste when you declutter your home means that you will likely have to find some new uses for old items.  Since you’re going to need storage solutions in order to organize your space, this should be no problem, although you may have to get creative.  Suppose, for example, that you have an old chest of drawers that has been gathering dust in your garage.  Instead of tossing it out, why not spruce it up with a good polishing or a coat of paint and then put it in your home office to house files, supplies, or other items that are currently cluttering up your desk?
2. Recycle.  You might be surprised at just how much of your trash can actually be someone else’s treasure through recycling.  You probably already recycle glass, plastic, aluminum, and paper products, but did you know that you can also recycle items like furniture, clothing, linens, and working electronics (for example) by giving them a second life through donation?  As long as these items are still usable, they can make someone else happy even as you free up space in your home.  As a bonus, you could even consider selling them or giving them away (with a “you haul” addendum) on Craigslist.
3. Reclaim. You may find, in the course of your cleaning and decluttering process, that you are in need of items to help you organize your newly cleared spaces, from the home office to the living room to bedrooms and even bathrooms.  In this case, you should think about searching for reclaimed items like cabinets and shelving.  By opting for reclaimed storage solutions you can get the organizational tools you need while keeping these items out of the landfill.
4. Green storage.  Aside from reclaiming old cabinets and such, you can go green with your storage in a variety of ways.  Furnishings that are both modular and manufactured in an eco-friendly manner are going to offer you the opportunity to find the storage solutions that fit your space and provide for expansion while supporting green businesses.  And you can also find a lot of green products (bins and organizers) to help you compartmentalize.
5. Green cleaning.  Once you have completed the home organizing process, you’ll want to keep everything clean and neat.  You can do this by choosing green cleaning solvents that are chemical-free to keep away dirt and dust with natural ingredients.

This post was originally posted here: Ways to Make Your Home Energy-Efficient

Concerning over environmental impact and rising energy bills are making people to reconsider energy efficient homes. Making your home energy efficient seems costly at a first glance, but will help you save money over the long run. However, conserving energy is one of the ways to help our environment.

Let’s see some energy saving tips:

1. Attic, Basement & Attic Door Access:

The attic door is the weak link in energy loss. What can you do?

The best solution is to prevent any air leaks through the door using weather strips.

The first step in making your home energy-efficient is to insulate the attic. Obvious, the amount of insulation needed will depend on how much insulation you have already in attic. Attic insulation plays a major role in your home energy savings. It keeps heat out during the summer and keeps heat in during the winter. However, you should seal your attic (weather stripping, sealing, and caulking) against any leak prior adding insulation.

Air conditioning is a major consumer of energy. An inexpensive attic fan can reduce the air conditioning needed, cooling the whole house.

You should insulate the basement walls which are also a big energy loss.

2. No More Incandescent Bulbs:

One of the best ways to conserve energy is to replace the old incandescent bulbs with modern compact fluorescent lights, CFLs, or light emitting diodes, LEDs.

It’s true, they are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but they are using far, far less electricity, more than 75% less, and their life expectancy is much bigger (years). So, they are a great investment in time.

*** However, starting in 2012, American manufacturers will no longer be allowed to make 100-watt bulbs. ***

3. Bedrooms:

How I have mentioned above, air conditioning is a major consumer of energy. During the hot season, many people use excessively the air conditioning only to get some sleep. This is huge energy consumption and we can see that in our energy bills. Again, an installation of an inexpensive ceiling fan will make the difference, easing off the air conditioning consumption. And better, the ceiling fan is good even for winter when it circulates the warm air down to the floor. You need only to reverse its spinning direction.

However, if you are still using air conditioning, than change its filter regularly.

4. Windows:

Windows are another weak links in energy loss. The first thing what you have to do is to check them for any leak and caulk them. In the same time you should check if there are any gaps between the window frame and the exterior wall.

For summer it is a good idea to use honeycomb type shades which can trap the heat before getting into the room.

The best is to invest in the new modern double- or triple glazed windows. They have a layer of inert gas, usually argon, between the panes of glass. This gas acts as an insulator.

5. Air Vents:

It is very important to keep all air ducts clear from dust and any debris. When they are clean air can free circulate and it is no need to run your heater or air conditioner too long.

6. Fire Place:

You can prevent the hot air from inside the room going up through the chimney, installing a glass door on your fire place.

7. Furnace Filter:

First of all you need to replace or clean furnace filter monthly. Seal any leaks in the duct work above the furnace with duct tape or foam.

8. Kitchen:

Kitchen appliances are other major energy consumers. In fact kitchen is the heart of your home and you can make your kitchen energy efficient.

Upgrading your appliances with Energy star labeled model, you will use 40% less energy than using regular models.

What can you do more? Of course, like everywhere in your home, replace the incandescent bulbs with LEDs or CFLs bulbs.

One more thing: Run the dishwasher only when is fully loaded.

9. Living Room:

Think about upgrading your electronics, as your TV set, sound system with electronic labeled “Energy Star”. This will reduce the energy consumption without any quality loss.

Any your family member can bring his contribution. This involves turning off the electronics, setting your computer to hibernate, turning off the lights and unplugging chargers when they aren’t in use.

10. Garage:

You should know that, the garage, if it is attached to the home can be one of the most energy loss in your home.

First of all check the door between your home and garage for any leak. Using weather strips you can make the door air tight.

If it is necessary take in consideration to insulate the wall between your home and garage.

11.   Landscaping:

Planting trees or bushes outside your windows can protect your house from strong sun rays in the summer or the freezing winds in the cold season.

Please follow me at: http://howtobuildahouseblog.com

If you’d like to know more about “Energy-Efficient Houses” and “How to Build a House” please visit my site http://howtobuildahouseblog.com

This post was originally posted here: Eco-Friendly Ways to Whiten Your Teeth

Have you noticed that your teeth just aren’t as white as they used to be?  Are they discolored, stained, or splotchy?  Do you wish that you could have the bright, white teeth you see on celebrities instead of the dull, dingy shade you currently display in the mirror?  Well, there are plenty of products on the market aimed at giving you a brighter smile, but for people who have adopted an eco-friendly attitude towards consumerism, you may be hesitant to reach for strips or trays, which come with pieces that have to be disposed of daily.  And then there is the little matter of the bleach in whitening toothpaste and gel that gets washed down the drain.  So how can a greenie get whiter teeth while doing less harm to the environment?  Here are just a couple of eco-friendly ways to get the whiter teeth you’re looking for.

The easiest way is to take a look at your diet and make a few changes.  You may already be eschewing processed foods that contain chemical preservatives and dyes, but there are plenty of natural foods and beverages that can stain your teeth.  Items that are high in acid (citrus fruits, for example) can weaken enamel, exposing the absorbent dentin underneath and causing it to be more susceptible to staining.  And coffee, tea, and wine drinkers are probably well aware of the potential for staining that these liquids bring to the table.  So cutting these items out of your diet (or at least cutting back) could make a big difference in the brightness of your smile.

But there are also foods that can help to protect your teeth from staining, and these should be added to your daily regimen.  The obvious first choice is dairy (if you can stomach it) because it provides the calcium needed to strengthen your teeth.  Cheese is a particularly good choice because it not only comes with a healthy dose of calcium; it also helps to combat acidity and it can attack bacteria in the mouth to reduce the possibility of harmful plaque buildup (which can make teeth look yellow).  And of course, drinking plenty of water helps to rinse away food particles that could cause decay.  You might also want to consider chewing sugar-free gum as a way to encourage saliva (your natural mouthwash).

But if you’re looking for a product to take your efforts to the next level (as in, actually make your teeth whiter), you may want to consider non-bleaching whitening toothpaste.  This solution will not attack deep stains in teeth, but for those who suffer from surface staining it can be an excellent option.  The abrasive particles in the paste will scour away any debris on teeth as well as targeting surface stains on the enamel.  And the best part is that they contain no peroxides.  Of course, you can get the same effect by using baking-soda toothpaste (or just brushing with baking soda mixed with water).  It won’t noticeably whiten teeth that have severe stains, but if you’re just looking for a touch-up that offers an eco-friendly solution, this may be the way to go.

Sarah Danielson writes for 1Dental where you can compare various plans like an Aetna dental plan and find a great dentist near you.

This post was originally posted here: A New Pot To Piss In

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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a philanthropic organization that dedicates their time and resources to giving back to the community. The newest idea they have introduced is reinventing the toilet. This project is important because of the drastic need that billions of people have for reliable, sanitary means of using the restroom. In 1775 Alexander Cummings engineered the first ‘flush toilet,’ which is the toilet we are presently using. Although, innovation has touched nearly every part of our lives in the past century means of continually improving this condition has been neglected.

Forty percent of our population, which translates into 2.6 Billion people, live without dependable, sanitary toilets. This unfortunate fact forces these people to ‘do their business’ anywhere they can. Millions of children die every year due to sanitation-related diseases. Proper sanitary toilets require a massive amount of sewer infrastructure and immense amounts of water, which is why they only reach one-third of the world today.

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The need for improvement on the existing sanitary solutions, the toilet, is stronger than ever. The use of flushing water, in order to transport human waste, is not only wasting one of the worlds precious resources (water) but is also too expensive for multiple parts of the world. Human waste is something we fail to think about after we’ve disposed of it but this habit has to change. Schools around the United States, the University of Toronto, Stanford University, Berkeley, MIT, and Delft University of Technology, have all proposed new ideas about reinventing the toilet.

Each school has introduced an idea that correlates with the improvement of sanitary solutions in a different way. The University of Toronto has mentioned the possibility of turning human waste into ash. Delft University of Technology proposes the idea to zap human waste into microwaves.

In order to help the variety of places throughout the world that need it, we not only need to reinvent the toilet but we also must find a way for this reinvention to safely and affordably dispose of human waste. An important factor we have to consider is the differences within each environment that need this reinvention the most.

There are valuable resources within human waste like water, minerals, and energy that people over look. If we can find a way to use these recyclable resources our new and improved toilet will help numerous people as well as the environment in tremendous ways. This reinvention of the toilet will not only affect Louisville plumbers but plumbers around the world.

Caroline McCauley is a writer for Greenwell Plumbers, which specializes in plumbing.

This post was originally posted here: Eco Friendly Games for the Whole Family

The national movement to go green, typified by environmental sustainability and eco friendly living, become increasingly popular in the last decade, evolving to the point that today, going green is an essential component of everyday life for the majority of Americans. In this day and age, the youngest citizens among us can go green simply by enjoying the growing assortment of eco friendly games designed for the whole family. While the ordinary manufacturing techniques employed by most family game companies still utilize environmentally destructive ingredients such as rubber and plastic, today’s eco friendly games are constituted of 100% biodegradable and recycled components, and producing them results in no damage to the fragile environment. By thoroughly researching a variety of environmentally sustainable games for your family, you will provide enjoyment and leisure in a way that is also favorable to the environment.

Searching online and making use of the power afforded by the internet can provide inquiring parents with a bounty of eco friendly games that are perfect to be played by the whole family. The PlanToys Plan Preschool Eco Recycling Game, Game and Puzzle set, for example, is a fun and exciting game which serves to teach children the value of recycling in a simple to understand way. The game set includes four playing figures, a pair of dice, and 16 recyclable “waste” tokens and promotes the appeal of the “Three R’s,” reducing, reusing and recycling to children by rewarding the player who recycles tokens the fastest. The foremost manufacturer of eco friendly games, PlanToys relies on only biodegradable, recycled and chemical free supplies in each of their games. Another recognized leader in the eco friendly game world is a company called Late for the Sky, which released the popular Earth-opoly and Garden-opoly games. By offering a sustainable play on the traditional Monopoly game, Garden-opoly allows youngsters to buy and supply their own greenhouses, shielding them from weed outbreaks and pest infestations. The Late for the Sky assortment of Monopoly-themed nature products is perfect for teaching children environmentally sustainable lessons in an easy to understand manner.

While the idea of eco friendly games can be considered relatively novel, the most popular eco friendly games for children are usually classic activities that have been played by schoolchildren for generations. The old fashioned game of hide and go seek is at once physically challenging and exciting for a group of kids, and yet the game necessitates no parts and set-up. Duck-duck-goose, red rover – red rover and tag are further examples of simple games that require just an active imagination and the ostensibly boundless vigor provided by youth. Parents seeking eco friendly games for their children should visit the park and use their creativity to create a fun day that is safe for the environment. When you try new things and maintain an adventurous lifestyle, you will soon discover that eco friendly games will provide your children with a healthy diversion while still upholding your family’s duty to protect the natural world.

Sarah Danielson writes for Download-Free-Games.com where you can find Delta Force Game and many others.

This post was originally posted here: How Seniors Can Go Green

While the growing movement to preserve and protect the Earth’s natural environment is a relatively new one inspired by younger generations, going green is a lifestyle change which seniors can also embrace. In fact, many of the most productive and easy to utilize green methods being adopted today are simply extensions of the common sense practicality and frugality exercised naturally by most seniors. Concepts such as mending clothing rather than throwing it out, growing your own vegetables to save money on grocery bills, and monitoring your utility usage to reduce costs are all tenets of the green revolution that are actually matters of course for most seniors. By showing a bit of flexibility and seeing see the world around them in a different light, many seniors can go green without drastically changing their everyday lives.

A modern advancement in the green movement which seniors may not be fully familiar with is the advent of recycling. While senior citizens obviously recognize the necessity of reusing items and reclaiming new uses from would be trash, some people simply don’t realize how much of their garbage can easily be recycled. Aluminum cans are a recycling staple, but other more specialized materials like rubber and plastics can now be recycled with advanced technology. By making sure to think carefully before throwing anything away, asking if the trash can possibly be recycled, you will soon find that most of your weekly refuse is actually recyclable material.

Many senior citizens may own large, gas guzzling sport utility vehicles (SUVs) as remnants from the days when they lived in larger households. These vehicles are both economically and environmentally unsustainable and driving an SUV routinely can cost seniors thousands of dollars per year with today’s constantly rising gas prices. Making the shift to an eco-friendly alternative fuels vehicle, a hybrid or even a fully electric car, seniors can make a huge step towards going green in their daily lives. Driving a hybrid or alternative fuel vehicle reduces your personal emission of the harmful greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming. Hybrid vehicles are recognized for their safety and practicality, coming in affordable models which are perfect for seniors on a limited budget. Many retirement homes in Canada are even utilizing fleets of hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles to transport their residents around town. Furthermore, air pollution in your neighborhood can be significantly be reduced if seniors choose make the conversion from fossil fuels to hybrid technology.

Going green is a full fledged lifestyle change that many seniors can find difficult to make in their retirement years, but the choice to be environmentally conscious will prove to be extremely rewarding. The peace of mind gained from knowing that your everyday choices are helping to preserve the environment is invaluable as you pass the world along to your grandchildren. Knowing that you have done your best to reverse the damage cause by mankind is a satisfying feeling and going green is the most effective way to contribute to environmental protection.

This post was originally posted here: Recent Recycling News and Developments

Landfill sites are now being used to grow Biofuel Crops

There is an ever increasing demand for biofuel in the UK. Many companies are thinking of inventive ways to meet consumer and industrial demand, including the Waste Recycling Group (WRG). In order to create their own biofuel crops, they are recycling land that was formerly used for landfill purposes. Unfit for many uses, this is an excellent solution to for reusing decommissioned landfill zones. WRG tackles two environmental issues with one succinct solution.

Biofuel is touted as one of the most viable solutions to tackle global warming. It is carbon neutral, meaning no carbon is used in its production. This makes it one of the cleanest fuel sources in the world, along with renewable resources such as solar and wind energy.

At fourteen landfill sites across the UK, Waste Recycling Group has planted their first set of biofuel crops. They did a sample test of three hectares, and after a successful yield, they are going to roll out the scheme with one hundred hectare biofuel crop sites. They are due to be harvested once a year, and are to be turned in to biomass fuel by a Power Station located in Selby.

London is due to have a new £80,000,000 recycling facility

In the 2nd quarter of 2011, work started on London’s new, all singing all dancing recycling plant. Unlike traditional recycling plants which process plastics and glass to make them able to be reused in other products, this plant will focus on gasification. This means that waste that was otherwise unable to be recycled can instead be used as a source of energy.

Bioessence East London Ltd are building the facility, which is the first of many to be built in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The plant is believed to be able to process up to one hundred thousand tonnes of waste a year; this is waste that would’ve otherwise ended up in a landfill site.

The process involves waste from houses being delivered directly to the recycling facility. Heat and chemical procedures are then used to break the waste down in to gas, which is then used to create energy.

A beneficial by-product of the new facility is the creation of numerous jobs, including twenty five jobs at the plant itself, and one hundred contractual jobs in the plant’s manufacture.

The plant is a step in the right direction for UK recycling; if it proves successful, the model can be replicated in all major cities!

Polythene UK is an environmentally concious Polythene supplier based in the UK. From packaging materials to pallet wrappers, they can supply all of your plastic related industrial needs.

This post was originally posted here: 6 Ways to Be More Eco at Home 2011

In today’s home builds and renovations, one of the most popular requests is to use materials and install appliances that are as green as possible. Ensuring the home maintains its beauty while taking care of the environment in the process continues to maintain a large focus in these projects. The true beauty of utilizing eco-friendly products is that in many instances, it also saves the home owner money in the long run allowing these green products to pay for themselves. Here are six ways to make one’s home more eco-friendly that will also help save them money.

High Efficiency Washers

As innovation continues to improve and evolve when it comes to home appliances, washing machines are no different. Companies such as Bosch Washing Machines are now designing these high efficiency washers to be able to wash more clothes using less soap, water and energy. The cost savings alone for these washers will more than make up for the difference in cost. In addition, an added benefit to the evolution of these washers is that they run much more quietly than their predecessors.

Compact Florescent Light Bulbs

Another great way to save money and energy is with the use of compact florescent lighting. These odd looking light bulbs come in a variety of different lighting options from Daylight to Soft White, and provide the same wattage as incandescent light bulbs, but at a fraction of the wattage. This not only saves energy each month on the utility bills, but it also saves money.

Bamboo Flooring

Hardwood flooring is one of the most beautiful ways to increase a home’s value and overall aesthetic appeal. Being able to accomplish these goals while also remaining eco-friendly is even better. Bamboo is a highly renewable resource, and very durable to boot. This not only makes bamboo flooring a very green option for updating one’s floors, but a highly sustainable one as well. 

Tankless Water Heaters

Although these tankless water heaters have been popular in Europe for decades, they have recently caught on here in the United States. The main eco-friendly feature these water heaters boast is their ability to heat only the water the home owner needs at the time versus keeping a standing tank of water heated throughout the day. The amount of energy and money these tankless water heaters save will more than pay for their cost within the first year of usage. 

Reel Lawn Mowers

Going green outside one’s home is just as easy with the use of a reel motor lawn mower. Since the rotating blade only requires one to push it for power, these reel mowers cut grass just as crisply as gas-powered lawn mowers without having to rely on fossil fuel for power, or putting harmful emissions into the environment. 

Energy Efficient Windows

Another feature people can install in their homes to provide an eco-friendly boost is the use of energy efficient windows. These double-paned, and sometimes gas-infused windows help to keep the heat out in the summer, and inside in the winter. Both options help to ensure the furnace and air conditioners are not running as often keeping utility bills down, and eco-friendliness up.

This post was originally posted here: Get your home ready for winter

In January, the U.S.was gripped by one of the coldest winters on record, with temperatures in some parts of the country falling as low as -50F. As another winter approaches, households are advised to prepare their homes for winter, a task that can be made more affordable by considering savings at moneysupermarket.

The prospect of an especially harsh winter should not be dismissed by households. Every year, cold weather causes thousands of deaths and extensive damage to properties in the United States.

Although the east coast is often worst hit, severely cold weather can strike any part of the country, which is why all property owners should prepare for the forthcoming winter.

One of the most important areas of the home to protect from the cold is the plumbing. Pipes can easily freeze overnight, often resulting in supply shortages, leaks and building damage.

Insulating pipes wherever possibly is highly recommended, while it is also useful to locate and clear access to the internal and external water supply pipes in the event of an emergency.

Central heating systems should also be checked ahead of the winter. Money can be saved by replacing old or inefficient boilers during the warmer months.

Servicing a boiler in the fall can also help to prevent component failures, which are likely to be more expensive to fix or replace in winter when plumbers and engineers are at their busiest.

Considering that heating systems will be more heavily relied upon during winter, it is advisable to check and, if necessary, replace all carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms in the home.

Meanwhile, furnaces and radiators should be inspected by suitably qualified engineers. Fireplaces should also be checked, while chimneys ought to be cleaned.

Reducing energy consumption is another good way to save money in preparation for winter. Installing smart meters in the home to identify where power savings can be made helps to reduce energy bills.

Efficiency can be improved even further by insulating lofts, ceilings and cavity walls. It may also be worth installing solar panels on rooftops (ideally in spring) to generate energy for use in the home.

Another useful pre-winter measure is to inspect, clear and repair all drains and gutters, which can cause various problems that are exacerbated by rain, snow and ice.

Strong winds often cause damage during the fall, so repairing roof tiles, shingles and flashing may be necessary to ensure that a home is ready for more challenging weather conditions.

The grounds of a home should also be maintained in preparation for winter. Lawns should be mowed and trees with large or overhanging branches should be trimmed to avoid problems with ice and high winds.

The foundations of a property and its exterior walls and doors ought to be checked for cracks and other such problems. Sealing even the smallest of holes in an outside wall can prevent a major rodent infestation.

Finally, households should prepare for the worst. Gritting salt or sand should be purchased to keep ice from settling on drives, while basic provisions such as food, blankets and candles should be stockpiled in case of an emergency.