Project: Green Living

So, you have your reusable shopping bags now, you’re headed to the market in your fancy new hybrid car and you and the kids are wearing organic cotton t-shirts that you washed in organic, biodegradable laundry detergent in your high efficiency washing machine. Are you missing anything Ms. Green? Well, that depends on whether or not you’re buying as much locally grown foods as you can.

It’s fantastic that you’ve made some changes, especially the choice to ditch the plastic and paper and use reusable bags, but you can go one step further quite simply and begin to purchase food from stores that bring in locally grown products.

Here’s five good reasons why you should:

1. Less fuel for transportation and cost cutting by eliminating the middle man.

2. Locally grown is usually organic which has less negative environmental impact than conventional farming.

3. You are supporting local business, which stimulates your direct economy

4. You are taking away from the large conventional farmers and contributing to the small farmers.

5. Your produce will be far fresher which translates to healthier, tastier food and a reduction of spoilage.

It’s really great to do our part in helping the planet. It’s unfortunate that it took us so long to realize the harm that we are causing on our planet, but thankfully people are taking steps in the right direction. When you made the simple decision to switch from plastic bags to reusable shopping bags, you contributed to saving sea turtles, whales, birds, and other marine life as well as reduced your city’s money spent on dealing with excessive plastic bags. It’s estimated that it costs city governments as much as seventeen cents per bag to clean up the bags that litter our streets and suburbs.

When we do our part to help the planet, we benefit so much more! Visit your local markets that support local farming as well as farmer’s markets. It’s a great green change!

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It’s a statistical fact that the average American family spends more than $1,600 a year on their home utility bills. Due to the fact that energy has been “cheap” for a long time, we haven’t given energy efficiency the amount of attention it deserves.

But what with fuel prices rising, and the value of the dollar decreasing, its time for us to start looking at ways to reduce our spending by becoming more energy efficient.

There is one piece of good news: there are actually many easy ways to cut down on your energy usage, without having to make unwanted sacrifices.

By making some small changes you will be able to reduce your energy consumption by abut 25 percent, and thus reduce your energy bill.

Easy Energy Saving Tips

* Set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer. Install a programmable thermostat that is compatible with your heating and cooling system.

* Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to light your home. They use a lot less energy than incandescent light bulbs.

* Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle. The dishes will dry just as well, and you will save energy.

* Turn off your computer and its monitor when they aren’t being used. If you feel the need to keep your computer on when you aren’t using it, at least switch the monitor off. It will keep wasting energy even when in standby.

* Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips. When you are not using the equipment turn the power strips off. Equipment in standby mode still consumes energy.

* Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 degrees F. While saving energy, you also reduce the risk of scalding.

* Instead of baths, take short showers. This will save both water and energy needed to heat water, unless you are a fan of cold baths.

* Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes. Washing a half-load will still use a full load’s worth of water and energy.

* Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline.

* Keep your car in good working order. Change its filters regularly, and ensure the engine is running smoothly. A properly maintained vehicle will consume less fuel.

* Look for the ENERGY STAR(R) label on home appliances and other devices. Energy Star products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Heating and Cooling Energy Saving Tips

The following are some easy-to-follow tips on heating and cooling your home. Applying these can save you money:

* Clean or replace filters on furnaces, ventilation and air-conditioning systems once a month or as needed.

* Keep warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators clean. It will increase their effectiveness. Also make sure they’re not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes. This will prevent the heat from spreading into the room, forcing your heating system to work much harder than needed. Though this might sound like a simple point, drapes or curtains over hanging your heating system will trap the heat behind your curtains and leave the room barely heated.

* Hot-water radiators will accumulate air inside them, which reduces their effectiveness. Its therefore important to bleed them (let the air out) once or twice per season. This is a very simple procedure, but if you are in doubt about how to do this, call a professional.

* An excellent way to cut down on energy costs and pollution is to get a Solar Hot Water heater.

* Install heat-resistant reflectors between exterior walls and radiators. This will reduce heat loss and increase the speed that a room is heated.

* After you finish cooking or bathing, turn kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans off within twenty minutes. Exhaust fans remove air, and thus hot air, from your home. So leaving an exhaust fan running when it isn’t needed will force you to keep your heating going in order to replace the lost “warm air.”

* During the cold seasons, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day. This will allow sunlight to enter, and will help to heat your home. Close draperies and curtains at night, as this will act as an insulation layer, keeping the cold out.

* During the warm seasons, keep the window coverings closed to prevent the sun from heating your home.

Find out more information about energy efficiency and alternative energy solutions, at Alternative Energy and Solar Energy.

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A lot of people think that being green is a complicated thing. There’s a misconception that being green involves a lot of time and dedication. That is not necessarily true. Here are five of the easiest and many ways of being green.

1. Stop using plastic or paper bags.

Many places offer very inexpensive reusable shopping bags. I recommend you buy them as soon as you can. Soon you’ll never use a plastic bag again. Plastic bags have a huge negative environmental impact and cost us millions every year.

2. Switch to organic cleaning products.

Did you know that stay-at-home women have a lower life expectancy than women who work outside the home? Women who stay at home tend to be exposed to household cleaners more. There are tons of organic/biodegradable/natural cleaning products on the market today. They clean just as well as the harsh chemicals!

3. Ditch the gas or electric mower and buy a reel mower.

Okay, this isn’t quite as simple as beginning to use reusable shopping bags and will require a bit more effort to mow, but think about it this way: You can get your mowing and exercising done at the same time! On the days that you mow, you can save a trip to the gym. Or perhaps it’s time your kids learn how to mow. The reel type mowers are less dangerous so kiddos can start a bit younger learning to help out with this chore. What’s more is that mowing with a reel mower is better for your lawn! You’ll notice a much healthier lawn that even needs less water.

4. Buy locally grown!

Locally grown produce and meat products are showing up in many, many grocery stores these days. Not only do you help out the local economy, but you save the planet from the environmental cost of transportation. In addition, many local farmers that sell to nearby stores are organic farms. The produce and meat that you’ll be bringing home is devoid of chemicals, pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics. The food is fresher and more flavorful. Good for the environment, even better for your family!

5. Switch to energy efficient light bulbs!

We often think about cars as being a major environmental problem, and they are. Though I encourage hybrids, small cars, public transport, walking, biking etc., I have a figure that will amaze you: If every household replaced three 60-watt incandescent light bulbs with CFLs (compact florescent lights), pollution would be reduced as much as if we took 3.5 million cars off the roads! AND you can cut down on your electric bill. It’s a no brainer!

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With oil prices causing the cost of all kinds of consumer products to soar including fuel, food, and transportation, there is an acute concern about our continued dependence on a dwindling supply of fossil fuels like oil. Additionally, with growing environmental concerns about things such as global warming and continued air pollution, conservation of natural resources and “thinking green” is more prevalent than ever.

Today’s children are taught about the environment and our growing concerns for our planet’s health at school. Children are certainly becoming more aware of these issues, how can you teach your kids about living “green?” One great yet simple way is to have them to learn to use reusable shopping bags.

Plastic and disposable paper bags contribute to tons of waste each year. The consumption of paper bags in the US alone requires the harvest of 14 million trees each year. Plastic bags are the cause of death for an estimated 1 million birds and over 100,000 sea turtles that ingest the bags, thinking they are food. Plastic bags take 1,000 years to degrade, and as they break down in the environment, they spread toxins into our soil, our waterways and into our food supply.

Help the next generation take the principles of environmental protection from concept to reality. Start by teaching your kids simple-to-learn strategies of becoming responsible world citizens. Something as basic as letting them be in charge of the reusable grocery bags when shopping, is a simple yet powerful way of demonstrating that they can do something to make a difference, and do their part to help our environment.

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World Environment Day, which is commemorated each year on June 5th, is one of the most significant mode through which the United Nations stimulates the global awareness of the environment. It is by this way that the United Nations attract political attention and enhances action to shape a better global environment. Each year the World Environment Day is celebrated in recognition of unique theme. Norway was honored to host International World Environment Day 2007 celebrations in recognition of the theme — ‘Melting Ice - The Hot Topic’. Over a hundred nations across the globe celebrates the World Environment Day with highly relevant theme each year. How about seeing some Environmental Products now

The slogan for World Environment Day 2008 is ‘Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy’. With an understanding of the fact that the change in climatic condition is gradually becoming one of the most defining issue of the age, UNEP is requesting the nations, companies and communities to put special focus on the greenhouse gas emissions and to put spare thought over how to reduce them. The World Environment Day 2008 is going to highlight resources and focuses on promoting low carbon economies with a view to shape a better and healthier future. Promoting a low carbon economy involves steps towards improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption. The chief international celebration of the World Environment Day 2008 is going to be held in New Zealand.

The Heads of State, Prime Ministers and Ministers of Environment deliver statements and commit themselves to care for this only green planet of the universe. Serious pledges establish sound and non-transitory governmental policies related to environmental management and economic planning. bicycle parades, tree planting , recycling campaigns, clean-up campaigns, street rallies, school level essay and poster competitions etc. are organized all over the world on June 5th to celebrate the World Environment Day.

See some Environmental Products

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Waste management experts report that “food waste represents almost 15 percent of the total waste sent to public landfills each year- this is the single largest type of disposed material.”

Composting may not be the most glamorous of home improvement projects, but name another scenario where you can improve your garden, and do something for our planet by having less trash to go in our landfills every week. Starting your own compost is simple and has an enormous return. Compost is essentially layers of natural materials that eventually break down to produce a nutrient rich soil. This natural fertilizer is great for your garden as it replenishes nutrients missing from damaged soil. As any gardener will tell you: the success of your garden depends largely on the quality of your dirt.

Step One - What to keep your compost in:

With more people catching onto composting, the options of where and how to keep your pile have increased dramatically. Nowadays, you can buy a prebuilt composting bin. These devices are typically plastic and are designed to keep odors away and thus, critters at bay!

The models vary widely from what they look like and what they can do. Some bins are stationary while others, called tumblers, can be turned by a handle. I personally like this option as it saves on the back straining job of turning your compost by hand with a shovel.

You can also make your own bin, they can be constructed in a open design out of wood pallets, wire mesh, or old fencing. Just know this: an open compost pile is likely to smell and attract bugs and animals. If you go this route, make sure it’s in the wide open, and not next to your bedroom window. For a homemade enclosed composting container one idea I found in my research was is making one from a giant plastic container normally used for storage. Simply drill holes in the bottom and in the lid and you have a very simple and inexpensive composting bin.

Step Two - Add the Food and Yard Waste.
What Not to Put in It:

What to avoid putting in your compost is almost more important than what goes in. Certain substances can be toxic and therefore harmful. Dog, cat, and bird feces are a prime example. Also, avoid any green materials treated with pesticides. Other composting no-nos:
• Limes
• Meat or fish
• Bones, grease, fat
• Cat litter
• Plastic and laminated paper
• Diseased or rotting plants
• Big stalks or roots (cut or shred them first)
• Treated woods

What you can put in your compost:

There should be both “brown” (carbon-rich) and “green” (nitrogen-rich) ingredients in your compost pile. Most of the items - about two-thirds - should be brown ingredients.

• Brown components are rich in carbon and include dried leaves, pine needles, spoiled hay, straw and paper.

• Green ingredients are rich in nitrogen. You will want to create a thin layer of green ingredients between thick layers of brown ingredients. Remember, two thirds of your pile should be brown. You can create a five-to-six inch layer of brown, topped with up to two inches of green, then another layer of brown, and so on. Common green components include grass clippings, yard refuse (old vegetable stalks, last fall’s flower stalks), coffee grounds, barnyard animal manure and fruit and vegetable kitchen waste.

Layers is where to start (if you are using a tumbler, layers aren’t necessary. Just toss everything in!)

• Layer number one should consist of brown ingredients. The key is to have good circulation at the bottom of your bin or pile, so don’t pile the clippings on too thick, about 1 to 2 inches should suffice.

• The next layers should alternate between brown and green materials. Each layer should be about 2 inches thick, and a thin layer of manure can be placed between green and brown layers. A trick of the trade: break down any material that is in large pieces before adding it to your compost pile; it will decompose faster.

Step Three - Maintaining of Your Compost

• Rule of thumb: The more you manage your compost pile, the quicker you will get rich, black compost. Management ranges from simply leaving the pile (everything decays in time, but this method may take a year or more) to turning the compost once or twice a week with a garden spade so the cooler exterior of the pile is turned under. This is where the tumbler compost bins save your back.

• Keep your compost pile damp. Depending upon your weather, this may be easy to achieve naturally during some seasons. You can check for moisture by turning over the compost with a spade - the center of the pile shouldn’t dry out. Depending upon the weather, you may have to sprinkle your compost pile occasionally to keep it damp, or cover it with a tarp to prevent it from being soaked regularly.

• Place the bin in an area that gets a fair amount of sun, as you need the container to heat up to start working. The interior of the pile should be warm. This indicates decomposition of the organic materials is taking place. Your compost should start to heat up in a day or so to about 150 degrees Fahrenheit. If it doesn’t, there aren’t enough green materials. Some of the composting bins come with thermometers, but you can buy one if it doesn’t. Just stick it in the center of the pile to see if your mixture is correct.

Going, Going, Gone!

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