green it and_save

GREEN IT AND SAVEsimple tips that save more than money

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Going green by Brandon Fick

GatherGreen

GatherGreenpresented by

INTRODUCTION

Going green. It’s what we’ve heard so much of lately with eco-friendly

being today’s watch phrase. We all must be aware of our carbon

footprints. What’s that? Your carbonfootprint measures the impact you

and your activities have with respect to greenhouse gases and your

overall contribution to climate change.

Going green can help offset your footprint. And that’s a good thing!

Living cradle to cradle is something everyone should strive for: what

comes out of the earth must go back into it whether it’s recycled,

repurposed or become biodegradable. Here are some tips you can use

to start your own carbon offset/going green program at home.

LIGHTS OUT

The simplest method you can use at home to start your green program

is to turn out lights when you leave a room. So many people simply

walk out of a room and leave lights burning but you can change that

by making sure to hit the switch when you leave.

1 The incandescent light bulb by Anton Fomkin


WHITE’S OUT, BROWN’S IN

Brown rice is healthier for you because it packs a whole lot more

vitamins and nutrients than white rice. But there’s an environmental

benefit as well: brown rice takes less processing and that means less

energy used.

CHOOSE YOUR SPONGE WISLEY

Cellulose fiber sponges are the only way to go these days. Why?

Cellulose comes from plantation forests or is made of recycled materi-

als. Synthetic sponges have been found to contain triclosan which,

besides being a health risk, is believed to wipe out fragile aquatic

ecosystems, especially algae.

SNAG A HIGH-EFFICIENCY SHOWERHEAD

These showerheads can save up to 3,000 gallons of water per person

per year. You can buy them specially designed to conserve resources

and still feel like you’re luxuriating in a spa-quality shower.

SHOWER LIKE A MIDSHIPMAN

Ever tried a “Navy” shower? It’s a great way to be energy efficient.

When you get into the shower get your body and head wet. Then turn

off the water. Soap up and then only turn the shower on long enough

to get rinsed off. The point is to only use the water you need for rins-

ing.

RECYCLE WATER IN YOUR BATHROOM OR BASEMENT

Don’t waste the cold water flowing out of the faucet before the hot

water kicks in. Fill a bucket with the cold water and use it to water

your plants. Do you use a basement dehumidifier in the summer?

Don’t toss the water collected out of the air down the drain – use it in

the garden!

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Plain blue and pink polyurethane kitchen sponges by Horia Varlan

Showerhead by Tanakawho

Brown rice by Rob Qld

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IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF YOUR HOT WATER HEATER

You don’t need to buy a tankless water heater to reap the green ben-

efits. Lower the temperature of your hot water heater to 120 degrees,

wrap it in a water heater insulating blanket and then insulate the first

3 to 6 feet of hot and cold water pipes. For about $50 you could drop

your carbon emissions by as much as 25%.

HIGH-EFFICIENCY FOR OUTDOOR LANDSCAPE

Replace energy hogging floodlights with compact-fluorescent versions

— they’re just as bright and only use 25% of the energy. Low-wattage

halogen landscape bulbs can be replaced with LED versions or, even

better, solar models. LEDs cut energy use by over 80 percent and can

last as long as 10 years. Motion sensors are the best options so your

lights only go on when you need them to. The newest versions simply

screw into a socket with nothing extra needed!

INSIDE USE COMPACT FLUORESCENTS OR LEDs

Compact fluorescent bulbs are better than they’ve ever been. You can

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LED by Mike Deal

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buy sizes for nearly every fixture and some are dimmable for recessed

lights. LED bulbs are great too and they could last as long as you own

your house.

AVOID FAST-FOOD AND SHOPPING BAGS

Here’s your challenge of the week: keep track of how much trash you

generate by eating out and running to the store. Next time, bring your

own plastic/metal boxes to your favorite take-out place. And when

you go grocery shopping, bring along some canvas bags instead of

using their plastic or paper bags. Better yet, try toting a FEED bag and

lend your support to a project begun by Lauren Bush in connection

with the UN World Food Program. Sale proceeds go to feed a chilled

for an entire school year. Using reusable bags will keep landfills in bet-

ter shape.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF BOUQUET FOR MOM

Here’s a factoid I was unaware of: most cut flowers we present to

Mom on Mother’s Day are imported from Colombia, Ecuador and the

Netherlands. A better alternative would be to give her flowers that

Reusable giant bags by Mr. T in DC

Little bouquet by Kiuko11

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are either grown locally or are organic. Why? Because overseas flower

growers are not confined to the strictures of pesticide bans in the US.

Not only are these insecticides harmful for workers but can also linger

on the petals, which can add toxicity to your bouquet.

WHAT’S UP WITH PLASTIC BOTTLES

BPA – or bisphenol-A – is a major component of #7 polycarbonate (PC)

water bottles and baby bottles. Recent research suggests that this

chemical could cause developmental, neurological and behavioral

problems for fetuses, infants and children. Polycarbonate – you’ll

know it by the #7 in the recycling triangle – isn’t easily recyclable.

Check with the recycling firm in your county to see if they accept #7

bottles. Some cities like Phoenix do not. Here’s one more thing to

know: not every #7 plastic is polycarbonate and, so, not all contain

BPA.

MAKE YOUR TOILETS WORK BETTER

About 60% of your water consumption occurs in the bathroom. If

you’re planning any renovations or improvements keep an eye on

Plastic bottles by Rob Sinclair

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ways to reduce your water consumption, especially if you live in or are

buying an older home. The current federally mandated standard for

bathroom toilets is 1.6 gallons per flush but it could still be gulping

up to 27% of your household supply every year. Some of the devices

used to keep toilets from using too much water per flush can actually

be malfunctioning or were never installed at all so your energy effi-

cient toilet isn’t at all. If you find that you need to replace parts, make

sure that the parts are made specifically for 1.6 gallon flushes. And

rather than trying to retrofit an old toilet with new technology, it’d be

better and more efficient to buy a low-flow toilet instead.

THINK WASHING YOUR CAR YOURSELF IS GREEN?

I know, taking your car to a car wash seems counter to being green.

But it’s actually greener to let the pros do it than doing it in your drive-

way. What’s the difference? Anywhere from 35 to 95 gallons per car,

that’s what. Car washes typically use 45 gallons to wash a car whereas

a home washer could use anywhere from 80-140 gallons. Also, fed-

eral law mandates that car washes must drain their water into sew-

ers where at least some treatment will occur instead of having soapy

water run into the land.

MAKE YOUR NAILS GO GREEN

Your nails are porous and are doorways which allow toxins to enter

your bloodstream. Conventional nail polish frequently contains neu-

rotoxins found in ethyl acetate. So why not play it safe, go green and

pick a natural color? There are some terrific new natural alternatives

to the usual polish bottles which include soy and corn based products

as well as a water based one which also hydrates your nails. Many of

these natural polishes come in beautiful colors and some require no

polish remover. It simply peels off.

DRIVE SMART

There are many more options these days for transportation than there

used to be. You can get a hybrid or electric car or make sure that you

Painted my toes yesterday by Megan Soh

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Prius jumps to lightspeed by Roger H. Goun

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purchase the most fuel efficient model possible. Here are some simple

changes that can improve fuel efficiency by up to 25%:

• Drive at or near the speed limit

• Keep tires properly inflated

• Have clean oil and air filters

• Don’t drive like a drag racer

REDUCE IRONING TIME

Here’s a staggering statistic: typical irons use a whopping 1,000 to

1,800 watts! That’s like using 10 to 18 100-watt light bulbs all at once.

To save energy take your clothes out of the dryer and hang them up

while they’re still warm. This helps prevent wrinkles. Wish we could do

that to our skin… If you must iron, please know that dry ironing uses

less energy than steam and iron at night when electric loads are lower.

A WAY TO SAVE ENERGY AND COFFEE

Sure it’s nice to have a full pot of coffee on, just waiting for you when

you crawl out of bed in the morning. But it isn’t efficient. Try using a

little 4-cupper and make as much as you’ll drink. Then shut the coffee

Hot coffee on a rainy day by David Joyce18

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maker off and throw out the grounds in your compost bin. This meth-

od not only saves on water, coffee, and electricity, the coffee is fresher

and causes less waste.

NEVER DO A WASH WITHOUT A FULL LOAD

Dishwashers and clothes washers are more efficient and green when

you run them only with a full load. Want to really go green when you

wash (and dry) your clothes? Wash in cold water! Did you know that

up to 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is in heating the wa-

ter? True! And here’s a great green tip for saving wads of energy when

you dry: hang them out on a line instead. Not only will you be doing a

good turn for the Earth, your clothes and linens will smell great.

SAVING TONER AND PAPER

We’re supposed to be getting more toward a paperless society, espe-

cially under the Paperwork Reduction Act. To save on toner, click on

your preferences or options tab and then find the print quality section.

There may be something called “draft” or even “econo setting”. Click

on that and save toner! The print will be a bit lighter – but not by much

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Spin cycle by Bryan Rosengrant

Fan by Jar


– and you’ll buy toner less often. Repurpose the paper you’ve used

by using the other side either for notes or printing out something you

want to look at.

LOOK FOR THE WATER SENSE LABEL

Like the EnergyStar label you’ve come to look for on major appliances,

there’s a new kid in town called WaterSense. The mission of this new

program from the EPA is to protect our future water supply through

promotion of water efficient products. You should start to see this

label on products from manufacturers like Delta, Kohler and American

Standard. In fact, Kohler has already rolled out a line of toilets carry-

ing the WaterSense label – that means they use 20% less water than a

standard toilet.

WHEN MOWING THINK LONG

If you’re really into going green, you’ll stop making your lawn look like

a putting green. Longer grass gives grass roots more shade, thereby

preventing soil burnout and dry out. Longer blades discourage weed

growth which means you’ll use fewer pesticides. And the roots will be

healthier. Lawn aficionados claim that you should mow no more than

a third of the blade length at one time. Keep your cutting blades sharp

as that will help prevent stress on the lawn by ripping and tearing.

OF RAIN AND RAIN BARRELS

A rain garden mimics natural systems by creating a depression filled

with plants that collects the rainwater that runs off your house and/or

landscape. You can plant it with all sorts of wonderful things like sedg-

es, ferns, or wildflowers. What’s the point? Well, the plants absorb

the water and release it slowly cuts down on a rush of water running

off the landscape which can pick up fertilizers and pesticides pushing

them into waterways. Rain garden plants filter the water and provide

a wildlife habitat. What you’re looking for here is to reduce the storm

water running from your property into an overburdened sewer system.

And here’s another great way to save on water: capture rain water in a

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Rain by Chris Metcalf 23


rain barrel. It’s a great frugal method that makes good use of a natural

resource and is the ultimate in recycling.

LITTLE CHANGES BIG IMPACT

Try any or all of these to make a difference in your life:

1. When renovating kitchens and bathrooms, choose a 93% natural,

water recycled quartz instead of granite for counters and floors

2. Check your attic for holes in floors and sheathing that couldbe let-

ting energy escape

3. Wean yourself off the power grid. Purchase used power and put up

one or two solar panels

4. When recycling bottles, separate the caps from the base

SOME TIPS FOR THE KITCHEN

Choose the smallest appliance suited to the task. As you can imagine,

the smaller the oven, the less energy used in cooking. If you have an

electric stovetop, make sure your pan completely covers the heating

element and if you use gas burners, have the flame be fully below the

pan. If you don’t, you’re just wasting energy.

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Chives by Eric Bryan25


You can complete the cooking process even when you’ve turned off

the heat. Try turning off the stove or oven a few minutes before the

end of the cooking time states in a recipe and let residual heat do the

rest. Preheating the oven can be a drain on energy. Avoid pre-heating

unless you have to.

Glass and ceramic cookware conduct and retain heat better than

metal. You can lower your temperature by 25 degrees if you use glass

or ceramic instead of metal cookware. Opening the oven door can

lower the internal temperature as much as 25 degrees. Try not to

peek! Instead, clean your oven door’s window and change that burned

out light bulb so you can see well without opening the door.

OTHER QUICK TIPS TO CONSIDER

• Only boil as much water as you need when using a tea kettle

• Don’t leave mobile phone chargers plugged in when they’re not

charging

• Put your car in neutral when stationary for more than a minute

• If you feel cold, put on a sweater instead of turning the heat on or up

• Take showers instead of baths

FORGET ABOUT THE LITTLE BLUE PILL

We can’t forget about eco-sex. Researchers at the University of Milan

tested horny goat weed and found it to be just as effective as Viagra

without the side-effects.

CONCLUSION

As you can see from the tips listed above, there are lots of simple and

easy things you can do to start your own green program at home and

in your life. A greener today will ensure a greener tomorrow for every-

one.

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Smack by Felipe Skroski


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