greenHo.ws

After many weeks of encouragement, cajoling and even a little harassing from EcoDaddy, I have decided to finally give blogging a shot. This morning while commuting to work with my two EcoBoys in tow, I watched a well-groomed, twenty-something gentleman zoom passed us in his brand new BMW. The boys were excited by this sleek, speed machine. As they argued about whether the car more closely resembled Lightening McQueen or the Batmobile, we watched a plastic wrapper come flying from the driver’s side window. It was followed by a cigarette, a second and then third piece of plastic.

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This is a short post to offer an opinion on something that surprised me a lot today.  While wandering through Costco (buying in bulk to save time and energy getting to and from stores), I spotted a magazine with “Green” in the title.

I was surprised when it turned out to be Green Guide from National Geographic. 

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What if I told you that you could have one of the best fertilizers available for free!

Compost is an excellent replacement for commercial fertilizers. Compost is also a universally recommended soil amendment. It is usually blended with soil to improve sandy soil’s water holding capability and to loosen clay soils. (more…)

There has been buzz over the last few months as news hit about how much power is used by new technology TVs.  Specifically, plasma and LCD TVs constantly use power and significantly more power than traditional tube TVs when turned off.

There have been lots of tips out there on how to handle this, like unplugging the equipment or using a power strip.  But there are some factors to keep in mind when taking these actions.  Here’s a short guide on how to green your electronics and entertainment center power consumption.

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There often appears to be some confusion about what certain terms mean as they relate to the “green” movement. I thought it would be useful to pull together a short list of some of the more common terms to help clarify things.

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There are a number of things that you can do to save energy that are either free or very low cost. Most are simple, easy to do items that can save a noticeable amount of energy.
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Solar hot water refers to water heated by the sun. The principle is simple, it has been around for many years and can work in virtually any location. Solar hot water doesn’t involve a major investment, around $3000 to $6000 is typical. Solar hot water can cut the average family’s water heating energy costs 20 to 40 percent in general and as much as 90 percent in some Southwestern regions.

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Do you have plans yet for the weekend? Great! Here’s a few more ideas:

• go grab a couple cans of paint from Benjamin Moore and see how well they cover; if they do well, they should save money and be better for the environment than your usual can;
• it’s not to late to have a party;
• take some time to inspect your garage doors; is it time to put in some new ones in with better insulation?

and here’s one I missed last week:

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Would you believe that businesses overstate the green-ness of what they sell?  And that many of those overstated claims are on products you and I pick up every time we go to the grocery or big box store?  What if you found out that 99.9% of products labeled “green” were not?

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A new green super paint?

There is a new type of paint that was developed by BM, it is their super premium paint - Aura™. There are a couple of key items that differentiate Aura from other paints, it’s color technology and the method of mixing the colors. (more…)

You already own your house and it was built back before people were really aware of “green” building practices (you and about 110 million close friends). With American’s spending over $200 billion dollars on home remodeling there are a lot of people out there making changes to their homes. If you are going to update your home, why not go green. Well, you ask, what are some of the best changes you can make to improve your home’s energy efficiency?

Here is my top 10 list: (from little/easy to big/tougher)

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Often, one of the first steps in finding a new house is finding a real estate broker.  It is kind of a weird experience, as I usually try to avoid sales people.  In my search, I came across a green approach some brokers are taking to differentiate themselves in a tough market.

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What’s the largest single opening in most houses – the garage door. Usually the garage is attached to the house and often has living space above it. This is a very large, mostly unconditioned, space that can directly affect the heating / cooling costs for your home.

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Almost everyone loves a party. Parties mean music, food, friends, and sometimes lots of friends. And with all of that comes consumption: food, drinks, electricity(!), and even some basic household supplies. The good news is that it is possible to have a lot of fun and be green at the same time.

I spent a few minutes talking to my wife about some ideas for minimizing the impact of a party. She’s planning one now, and did a little digging into options. Together we found some good news and bad news.

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Not all “going green” efforts have to be giant projects to help the environment. Small changes can add up to a big impact. I’ve pulled together a list of small, simple and quick changes that you can implement.

· Change your HVAC equipment filters on a regular basis – this allows your furnace / air conditioner to work more efficiently and helps keep the air in your house clean.

· Swap out your incandescent lights for Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) or LED lights.

· When boiling water or cooking “liquid” meals, cover the pot. This will allow the item to heat quicker and use less energy.

· Vacuum your refrigerator / freezer coils – this will help keep your refrigerator / freezer operating at it’s peak efficiency.

· Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators.

· Only run your dishwasher or cloths washer when you have a full load.

· If you have a reasonable amount of dishes (more than just a few) using a dishwasher uses only half the energy, one-sixth of the water and less soap than washing by hand.

· Close your window coverings in the winter at night and during the day in the hot part of summer. Install a dimmer switch on frequently used lights. Dim your lights by a quarter, you increase your energy savings by 20 percent; dim them by half, increase your savings 40 percent. You also extend bulb life up to 20 times when you dim a bulb halfway.

· Lower the temperature on your water-heater, it’s safer and saves energy.

· Bring tote bags to the grocery store rather than using their bags.

Remember, little things can add up!

With summer time coming, I thought this would be a good time to start planning. With drought in many parts of the country, it’s not going to be easy to stay green this summer. It will be worth it to try though!

Action 1: water the lawn less. We told you about this a few weeks ago in 6 Tips for Saving Water on the Lawn. The key message is to keep your lawn healthy and it will need less water.

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There is a new certification owner in town. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently established a new organization for providing “green” credentials for builders. It is the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). The USGBC is transferring the LEED Professional Accreditation administration to the GBCI. Over the last seven year there have been more than 43,000 building professionals that have shown a understanding of green building techniques, the LEED® Green Building Rating System™ and the certification process and have been recognized by the LEED AP program.

GBCI was tasked with developing and administering a credentialing programs to improve and expand green building practices and standards as well as exam development, registration and delivery.

The formation of GBCI created an administrative independence between the LEED Rating Systems and the LEED AP credential organization. This is a requirement for seeking accreditation for professional credentialing programs by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

GBCI

Don’t just toss your old computer into the garbage . Modern technology (cell phones, computers, TVs), which we all know and love, are a main contributor to electronic waste (e-waste), which pose a major disposal issue because they are made up of various components that are toxic to the environment.

How big is the problem? In the next three years, individuals and organizations worldwide will replace more than 400 million computers. The average cell phone in the U.S. is replaced after just 18 months. Each year over 130 million cell phones are retired; stashed away in a drawer or closet only to collect dust. As of this writing less than 5% of these phones are collected for reuse and recycling. That approach is one that a lot of people are taking - just putting it in a closet. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance estimates that 75 percent of obsolete electronics are currently being stored. This means that one day there will be a massive disposal issue for the country. (more…)

Take a look at the pile of music CDs you have purchased and the cases that came with them.  Now think about everything it took to get that pile to you.  Consider the manufacturing, shipping, packaging, store, etc. etc.  Surely there has to be a better solution.

I think there is, and chances are you already have a piece of the solution nearby.

Go digital!

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Everyone loves windows since they let in light, provide the views and let in fresh air - more is better. The problem is windows can account for anywhere from 10% to 25% of your heating and cooling bills. Since almost half of U.S. homes have single-pane windows there is a lot of room for improvement. There are a few quick “fixes” that you can make to improve their efficiencies plus a few more extensive changes that you can make for long-term gains.

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