Green tips archive
Tip-a-day
archive
- Do you want “Solar heating” in the winter? Open the ventitian shades, pull up the blinds, throw back the curtains, remove large objects from sun facing windows. The suns rays will give you free heat, known as solar gain,
at least as long as the sun is shining. You’ll want to do the opposite once the sun is no longer shining in the window. And if you can’t be there to change the windows “settings”, then you’ll save more energy by keeping them closed. - We drive to the gym, fight to get the closest parking spot, and then run in circles for an hour. There is a better way; local-ersize…errr, run around your neighborhood. Walk around the block. Bike around the corner. Paddle to the next island.
You reduce carbon from your car ride, learn about your environment, get the
goods on your neighbors, and get FREE exercise (minus tax, title, cost,
and fees on your bicycle, boat or running shoes) - Cleaning green will require multiple entries over the coming months, but you can start now by applying four overarching principles to your cleaning:
- Use preventative measures to stop the soiling of your subject item in the first place. For example, covering part or all of your stove with salvaged
aluminum foil before cooking a particularly noxious dish will prevent
the use of cleaning solutions and water later. - Use
non-chemical means whenever possible. Steam cleaning is often greener
than using chemical preparations. - Use
natural compounds before using commercial preparations. Vinegar slightly
more often in the toilet is often just as effective as vicious commercial
cleaners. And it can help clear buildup that reduces toilet effectiveness. - Use
just enough to get the job done. Start with a very small amount
and increase it to just the amount necessary to get the visible results
you need….don’t rely on often excessive label recommendations.
Do
these look familiar? They are cleaning “filtered” through the
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rethink mantra that is so helpful in implementing
environmental measures. - Use preventative measures to stop the soiling of your subject item in the first place. For example, covering part or all of your stove with salvaged
- While
you may think you are saving money, water and energy, taking your car to
the local car wash is almost certainly a better choice for the environment.
The grease, dirt, oil, gasoline, brake dust and other contaminants that
a car sheds will not go into streets or storm sewers but gets captured,
often filtered and recirculated , but always captured from entering the
environment.Car
washes use less water due to high efficiency nozzles which improve washing
even as they reduce flow rates. The water used to wash cars is often heated
with higher efficiency heat systems, allowing cars to be cleaned better
with less water. - Get
an energy audit of your home and hire a contractor to do the work. For $150,
the auditor measures how permeable your home is, how insulated it is, and
how efficient it and its appliances are. The major test of the house is
when the auditor literally hooks a fan up to your house and tries to blow
air out of it. The easier it is to blow air out, the leakier your house
is.Once
the auditor completes the test, you choose a contractor from this
list. By using contractors on that list, you insure you are eligible
for the rebates available from the state and federal governments. re information
can be found here
at NJCleanEnergy.The
least efficient, leakiest houses can easily save up to 30 percent on heating
and cooling bills. If you average heating and cooling bills are $200 a month,
at 30 percent savings you would save $720 a year before
any refunds and credits. - Make
your own windmill! Directions can be found at here
at Makezine, sort
of a modern version of Mother Earth News with a technology bent. Charge
batteries to power 6 or 12 volt applications, trickle charge your car or
golf cart, or add a voltage regulator to carry out more alternating current
(AC) applications. By the way, in addition to watching this video online,
catch a repeat of this on your local NJN affiliate. Find out more about
MakeTv at NJN. - DUDE,
I am XTREME composting! What is xtreme composting? It is composting every
organic (in the formerly living sense, not pesticide free sense) item that
you discard. Used tissues, that nasty sugared flavored syrup that your grandmother
brought over, broken toothpicks, cotton balls, hair leftover from haircuts
and many, many more items are compostable.These
items will allow you to add diversity to your compost pile while reducing
the waste stream emanating from your home.Be
sure that the item is truly organic and don’t go to extremes. At some point,
there are enough chemicals in “organic” wastes to make them undesirable
to add to your compost pile. Hair from a hair cut has fairly few chemicals
on it relative to the amount of organics. However, particle board has so
much glue in it that it is probably not a desirable composting candidate.
For
REALLY xtreme composting, you can compost animal by-products like chicken
bones, trimmed animal fat, and animal waste picked up from your dog or from
a cat litter box that uses natural litter like waste corn, newspaper, or
pine or cedar wood shavings. Be sure to read up before carrying out these
more extreme forms of composting to insure your, your pets and your yard’s
safety. For example, animal by-products often attract rats, which are disease
carriers. - As
lamely opportunistic as it is, eBay has a point when they said buying used
is buying green. Every used item you buy is potentially one that does not
need to have raw materials be harvested for it, energy be spent constructing
it, and petroleum used to transport it. Of course, you don’t need to buy
it online. Garage sales, freecycling, dumpster diving and borrowing from
the neighbor are also options. - If
you take long showers, there are a number of ways to save money and reduce
your water consumption. First, install an infrared heater in your bathroom.
You won’t be inclined to let the shower run as long to heat up, you may
run the shower a little cooler, and you might not take as long in the shower.
- Next,
get a graywater (also greywater) system. Hardly anyone has them, they yuck
people out, but damn they sure do save water. These systems essentially
let you save a portion of your non-toilet waste water for irrigation and
other non-potable uses.Rain
collection systems can also allow you to use free water for yard applications.
Many of these are just barrels with attachment systems for downspouts.Finally,
use a shower timer! These come in digital, analog and mini hourglass forms
and can remind you when your Hollywood shower needs to come to an end. - Take
a walk in natural landscape, even if you aren’t a tree hugger. You’ll get
free exercise, a free outing, and if you really pay attention, learn something
about how the natural world works. - Rechargeable
batteries are green as you can get; up to a 1,000 charges and pennies (and
grams of CO2) a charge. To be truly green, keep the batteries and charger
plugged in only as long as you need to charge actively used batteries. The
most common technology today, NiMH, does not lose charge like the older
NiCad technology did. - In
this unfortunate season of layoffs, you have a much greater chance than
usual of ending up with a stack of unused business cards.Don’t
Recycle them, Reuse them! Keep them near the bed and use them as bookmarks.
Business cards are also perfect labels. Punch a hole in them, and if you
don’t want your info showing, staple two of them face to face. Or, tape
gift wrap to the printed side and label the blank side as a gift tag. - Eat
less meat. Forget animal welfare, think of your own welfare! Healthier body,
fuller wallet / pocketbook, fewer shopping trips (grains keep forEVER) …oh
yeah; and less CO2 in the environment; less acreage needed for for feeding
animals; less agricultural runoff on and into fishing, hunting and recreating
lands; and on and on.For
an scientifically grounded, eye opening account of the problems with animal
protien on human health, see The
China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and
the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health
- Encourage
your municipality to sign up for Sustainable Jersey, a certification program
for municipalities in New Jersey that want to make environmental improvements,
control costs and save money, and take steps to sustain their quality of
life over the long term.Sustainable
Jersey “encompasses issues such as global warming, pollution, biodiversity,
land use air and water quality, equity, buying local, local living economies,
and sustainable agriculture.” See more at Sustainable
NJ. - Water
conservation, as with many “environmental” measures, not only
helps preserve the environment but can save you money. Putting aerators
on all of your houshold faucets; adding toilet tank dual-flush handles,
flapper valves, water dams, or diverters; and replacing washers on leaky
water outlets can all reduce water usage significantly. - Landscaping
with native plants supports wildlife; can supply food, flowers, and herbs
for your household; and can improve and increase the value of your property. - Examine
your transportation options carefully. Can you take public transportation?
Is it time to buy a Prius or Honda Fit? Hypermiling can also reduce the
amount of fuel you use and lower greenhouse gas emissions. - One
of the ways to go green is to use solar power for many of the tasks your home
and office. Solar can be used for cooking, water heating, electricity generation,
home heating, and greenhouse climate.
Leave a Reply