I can see the light (a recycled article)

Whenever a light bulb in my house burns out, I (of course) switch to energy efficient bulbs. But even then ... do I really need 10 light bulbs over the mirror in the bathroom? My answer ... No! So, this conservation tip is easy ... just twist off as many light bulbs as you can. For us, two bulbs over the mirror in the big bathroom, and one bulb in the small bathroom, is plenty.

And, of course, turn off lights whenever possible. Have you ever tried watching a movie in the dark? Grab some popcorn, cuddle up with someone special and relax ...

As always, I would love to hear your ideas for reducing, reusing and recycling.

Get ready ... only two weeks left!

Are you ready for Earth Hour 2009? As you know, this blog is all about easy ways to reduce our footprint on the earth ... and Earth Hour is one of the easiest, and fun, ways to do that.

On March 28th at 8:30 pm, for one hour, simply turn off your lights.

Simple, right?

Now here's the fun part ... turn Earth Hour into an environmental "holiday". We celebrate all kinds of things throughout the year ... why not a celebration for the earth. Make it fun ... something that you and your family will enjoy ... and will look forward to each year. Here are a few ideas:

• Pull out those board games which are collecting dust in the closet and play by flashlight ... your kids will love it.

• Have a romantic, candlelit dinner.

• Grab some blankets and lounge chairs, head outside, and watch the stars.

• Prepare some fun foods ahead of time and have a picnic in the living room ... by candle light.

• Tell ghost stories.

• Do you live in a warm climate? Perhaps close to the beach? Take a moonlight stroll.
  

• How about a bubble bath in a candlelit room with soft music from a battery operated CD player.

• Have a scavenger hunt.

So now it's your turn ... what ideas do you have for celebrating Earth Hour 2009? How creative can you get?

And here are two more things you can do:

1. Click over to the Earth Hour site and sign up. You'll be added to their "count" and they'll send you updates on the Earth Hour effort.
2. Tell everyone you know and encourage them to participate.

Join me in celebrating Earth Hour 2009.

Become part of a global effort!

As always ... I'd love to hear from you!

15 "Green" Tips, Hints and Interesting Facts

Here are some miscellaneous "green" tips, hints and interesting facts:

1. According to the The Auto Channel, 147 million gallons of gas, each year, vaporize into the air due to loose, damaged or missing gas caps. Keep your fuel in the tank by making sure you screw the cap on tight.

2. It's time to get out those cosmetics and personal care products such as deodorants, shampoos, toothpastes and mouthwashes and check the labels. 1,4-Dioxane is a known eye and respiratory tract irritant. It is suspected of causing damage to the central nervous system, liver and kidneys. The State of California, under proposition 65, listed 1,4-Dioxane as a chemical known to cause cancer on January 1, 1988. Like many solvents, it forms contamination plumes in groundwater when released to the environment. Groundwater supplies have been adversely impacted in several areas. But you won't find 1,4-Dioxane on the label ... instead look for names that include: myreth, oleth, laureth, ceteareth (and any other "eth"), PEG, polyethylene, polyoxyethylene or oxynol.

3. Here's another good reason to look for products made out of recycled materials. According to the executive director of the Zero Waste Alliance, recycling aluminum uses 95% less energy than producing it from scratch. Recycling glass uses 31% less; newsprint, 45%; steel, 61%; and plastics, 57-71%.

4. Thinking of a new TV? Those with the Energy Star label are up to 30% more energy efficient than others.

5. Do you use flea collars on your pets? According to Pets for the Environment, they are a "source of constant toxic exposure for your pet and family. Instead, vacuum often and thoroughly, bathe your pet regularly, and ask your vet or local pet store about safer flea treatments and repellents." For more great Eco-friendly pet care tips, click HERE.

6. Pat yourselves on the back. Accordingly to a 16-month survey conducted in 2007 by the research firm Mintel, 36% of adults regularly buy green products. That's an improvement of 12% over previous studies.

7. Want to persuade your boss and co-workers to green up the office? Check out Ideal Bite's Top 10 Easiest Ways to Green your Office. They have a great list which can be printed out (on recycled paper, of course) and posted for all to see ... and hopefully act on.

8. Here's a great idea ... help our bird friends stay warm all winter. Instead of tossing out dryer lint, put it in your yard. Birds will collect it and use it to cozy up their nests.

9. Want to have a little fun? Host a green-cleaning party. Women's Voices for the Earth conceived the idea ... basically, people get together with glass jars and Eco-friendly ingredients and then ... they mix up everything from laundry detergent to furniture polish ... all environmentally safe. Check out their site womenandenvironment.org for information and party kits (which are for sale) ... or ... click HERE for their favorite recipes and design your own party.

10. Got the sniffles? Instead of using disposable tissues ... use a handkerchief.

11. According to the EPA, Americans toss out 2 million tons of "e-waste" each year. That includes approximately 130,000 computers. Instead of sending them to a landfill, consider these ideas:

• Donate computers and any peripherals to a nonprofit organization. Many will refurbish them for disadvantaged or disabled people.
• Check with stores like Staples for recycling programs ... some offer credit towards another purchase.
• Check with manufacturers ... some, like Dell and Apple, recycle their own brands for free. Others will take any brand when one of their own is purchased.
• Another idea ... turn them in to a local Computer Recycling shop where usable components will be turned into new products.

12. Each year, the average American throws away 68 pounds of clothing (from Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association). Think reduce, reuse and recycle instead.

13. Replace one outside incandescent light ... yearly CO2 savings: 210 pounds. Lower your water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit ... yearly CO2 savings: 214 pounds. Wash clothes in cold water ... yearly CO2 savings: 327 pounds. Source: Rocky Mountain Institute.

14. Interested in watching a short "green film"? Click HERE to watch dozens of them ... for free.

15. Here's a unique recycling idea ... put your used green tea bags in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Use them as cleansing pads in the morning. The bag helps exfoliate skin gently and tea has anti-inflammatory properties which will help to reduce puffy skin on the face.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

The year in review ..

I love the news programs on TV that review the year and remind us of all the events that took place in the last 12 months. So, what better time than the last day of the year to update you on some of the green living changes we made and how they worked out. Here are a few of the things that had the biggest impact on our house.

Composting and Recycling

This year we began composting ... something that we thought would be difficult in an Apartment. It has worked surprisingly well. We turned planters, not in use, into compost bins and started tossing raw fruit and vegetable matter into them. We now have three bins "working". There is no smell, no bugs and no "icky" factor. The food scraps are decaying rapidly and hopefully we'll have fertile soil in the spring.

Recycling was another activity that we thought would be difficult in a small space. But ... where there is a will, there is a way. We converted trash cans in our office to "paper only" cans. We also put some boxes in our laundry room, which is right off the kitchen, and now toss all recyclables into them. Every week or so ... we make a run to the local recycling area.

The result of these two actions is that the garbage bin has become our smallest can. And, before tossing anything into any bin, we consider whether or not it can be re-purposed.

Energy Consumption

This year we kicked up our energy saving practices. Out of 12 light bulbs in two bathrooms, we twisted off 8 (no one needs that much light). All electrical devices, with the exception of the VCR, the refrigerator and the stove, were put on power bars and when not in use, the power was completely off ... no phantom power gluttons. Things like cell phone chargers or battery chargers were unplugged until needed and then, they were only plugged in long enough to charge up the device. In the summer, rather than use air conditioning, ceiling fans were employed and we ... well ... opened the windows. Adjusting the curtains throughout the day also helped keep temperatures comfortable. In the winter, we dressed warmer and used blankets while watching TV. If the temperatures dipped too low, we turned on the heat ... but only long enough to warm things up and take the chill out of the air.

By far our biggest energy change was the use of the hot water heater. Rather than leave it on, all the time, we opted for turning it on for 30 minutes a day. Our water heater doesn't have an on/off switch but ... the circuit box is easy to get to so ... we just flipped it on and off as required.

These efforts were rewarded by lowering our electric bill considerably ... from $90.00 at it's highest to $34.00 last month. More importantly, there was an energy savings ... from a high 1054 kWh to the current 320 kWh.

Starting this blog

One of the most important green living changes in my life has been writing this blog. Through it, I have learned so many things. In addition, I've met wonderful people ... people who care about each other ... and the planet. In the beginning, my goal was to create a place where we could share ideas and perhaps, between us, compile a large enough list that everyone could do something. Thanks to all of you, that goal has been met.

Now it's your turn

What green efforts have you made this year? What are the efforts that you are most proud of ... and why? Of the green efforts you began this year, which has had the most impact? And has there been anything that was a bust?

I look forward to 2009 and sharing even more green ideas.

To all of you ...

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

Seasonal Decorating

In the US, fall seems to signal a time for celebration. There are celebrations to mark the end of the harvest season ... apple festivals, leaf festivals, wine tastings and corn mazes. There are pumpkin patches at Halloween and German food at Oktoberfest. There are state fairs and art festivals. In November there is Thanksgiving and December brings Christmas, Kwanzaa and all kinds of winter festivals. We're not alone in this ... there are celebrations all over the world for all kinds of reasons.

With each of these celebrations, we typically decorate. Decorating, as a matter of fact, has become big business ... so big that we see Christmas decorations in October and Valentine hearts before New Year's Day. Unfortunately, most of the decorations on the market today aren't very kind to the environment.

So ... does that mean that we shouldn't decorate? Not if we green it up. Here are a few suggestions for decorations that won't hurt the environment:

• Use cornstalks, pumpkins and bales of hay to create a fall scene.
• Make a scarecrow (use burlap, straw, old hats and clothes) and let him greet visitors to your home.
  
• Collect colorful fall leaves to decorate a table or fill a vase.
  
• Display gourds of all sizes, shapes and colors.
• Use baskets ... fill them or simply display them at odd angles.
  
• Make a cornucopia.
• Use bunches of deep red grapes to decorate a table or place them around bottles of wine on the bar.
  
• Pick beautiful apples, arrange them in your nicest bowl and use them as a centerpiece for meals with friends and family.
• Bring colorful container plants indoors or arrange them around an entry (chrysanthemums, flowering cactus, ornamental kale, flowering cabbage, dusty miller, etc.).
• Make a wreath from natural products (pine cones, Rosemary, thyme, sage and berries).
• Decorate a mantle with a natural garland made from evergreens.
  
• Don't forget our feathered friends ... fill the nooks and crannies of pine cones with peanut butter, press in bird seed, and hang in a tree. It'll not only make the birds happy, it'll make any tree look festive.
• Use fresh produce from the farmer's market as decoration. Pomegranates, oranges and walnuts make lovely decorations.
  
• Does Holly grow in your area? Snip a little for mantles or to place around candles (natural candles, of course).
• For those who decorate a tree, use strings of popcorn, small pine cones and cranberries for natural beauty.
  
• Make a Gingerbread House.
• Does it snow in your area? Build a snowman.
• Are holiday lights a must? Use LED lights. And rather than string lights, of any kind, on the outside of your house, string them on the inside, around windows. Any heat created by the bulbs won't be lost.
• Let food be a decoration. Cookies, candies and holiday breads, displayed in festive dishes, add warmth to any celebration.

Not only will your decorations be beautiful ... they'll be earth friendly as well. And that's another reason to celebrate.

As Always ... I'd love to hear from you!