Residual heat—heat given off by an appliance even after
you've pulled the plug—is a powerful yet often ignored tool. If
you make use of residual heat, you'll be amazed at how much
energy, and consequently money, you're able to save.
So how do you make use of residual heat? When you're ironing
your clothes, pull the plug just a few minutes before you need
to stop using it. The heat coming from the iron is enough to
remove the wrinkles from an extra couple of shirts. It’s best
if you iron your clothes by the bulk instead of pressing just
one outfit every time you go out. Pressing clothes by the bulk
lets you unplug the iron every few minutes so you can use up
residual heat. In effect, you’ll be pressing a significant
portion of your clothes without having to use up electricity
for it. The same principle goes with using the stove. Just a
few minutes before you finish cooking, especially if the
setting is on high heat, turn off the stove and allow the
residual heat to finish the job.
Since appliances that generate heat cost the most, don’t
leave them turned on when they aren’t in use. Leaving them on
for a few extra unnecessary minutes may be insignificant if
it’s done for one time only, but if you make it a habit out of
it, they add up and reflect on your bills.
- Daimler Brings Smart Car Sharing to Austin
Daimler’s Car2Go program, which it launched in Germany last week, may come stateside — to Austin, Texas, no less, where they like to keep it weird. The company plans on bringing 200 Smart ForTwos to the Texas town and making them available to subscribers 24-7.
Cars can be prebooked or used on-the-spot, if it’s not already spoken for. Car2Go members use a smart card and PIN to access the cars, then pay about 25 cents a minute to tool about town, which includes gas. Hourly and day rates are available too, according to a post in the New York Times’ Wheels blog.
Austin city employees will get first crack at the system this fall.
Image of the Smart ForTwo at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show by Kristen Hall-Geisler.
- Green Freebie: Win a Ford Fusion Hybrid ? Plus a Trip to See American Idols
By Susan Seliger
If you?re feeling so happy you?re tempted to break into song about an American car company getting into the hybrid game — and getting 41 MPG, as Ford clams for its new 2010 Fusion — then sign up to win one. Ford, the sponsor, will also award the winner a trip to LA plus VIP seats to hang with the idols at the show. The only catch ? you have to watch a video of the idols fooling around with Ford cars in order to enter this contest. If that seems like too much to ask, see if you can find a teenager lurking nearby to handle this part of the transaction. But then you just might have to share driving rights. Your choice. We just tell you where to go to find greener pastures ? the journey is up to you. Start here. Deadline: 5-08-09.
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Photo credit: LA Times
- Should You Get A Solar Water Heater?
WHAT IS A SOLAR WATER HEATER?
A solar water heating system uses the sun’s energy to heat water for basic daily use or for space heating. There are solar collectors that gather sunlight (which is how the heater works). These collectors are mounted in a sunny space like on your roof or in your yard. There are pipes which connect to a storage tank and a pump circulates water through the collectors when the sun shines. Then a heat exchanger preheats the water and it’s stored in the tank for use. Of course this is just a simple run through and there is more than one type of solar water heater. To see a full on description of how this works read the in-depth solar water heater piece at the Department of Energy (DOE).
ARE SOLAR WATER HEATERS COST-EFFECTIVE?
Yes. Start up will cost you; typically $4,000+ for a smaller system all the way up to $20,000+ for larger systems. That said, solar water heaters are one of the most cost-effective investments a home owner can make because solar, after initial costs, is free energy. When you figure that the typical household uses 20%+ of it’s energy just for water, you can see how the savings will add up over time.
According to the DOE, a typical existing home will see water heating bills drop 50%?80% if a solar water heater is installed. Also, because the sun remains free, you won’t be subjected to later energy cost hikes. If you build a new home, you’ll save more than if you install one in an existing home. According to the DOE…
“Including the price of a solar water heater in a new 30-year mortgage usually amounts to between $13 and $20 per month. The federal income tax deduction for mortgage interest attributable to the solar system reduces that by about $3?$5 per month. So if your fuel savings are more than $15 per month, the solar investment is profitable immediately. On a monthly basis, you’re saving more than you’re paying.”
PLUS don’t forget, many states offer tax incentives and rebates for making an eco-home change like this, so you’ll save money this way too.
CAN ANYONE GET A SOLAR WATER HEATER?
Yes and no. Start up costs are large, so you’ve gotta have the budget. Secondly the type of system you’ll need can be dependent on various factors so you may not get the exact kind you thought you might. Where you live is the biggest issue. Obviously your solar ability is very different if you live in an area that’s warmer and sunnier year round vs. an area that has cooler, cloudy seasons. Also, if you live in a cooler area, your heater will need more upkeep. You have to drain your system in cold month or use a special antifreeze mix.
To learn more look at these links…
- Beyond Basic Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
We’re always hearing about compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) - and for good reason. CFLs are more earth friendly and last longer than typical bulbs. CFLs are an inexpensive way that any household can incorporate greener standards. BUT, what other greener lighting options are there? CFLs are not the only lighting choice if your goal is a green home. Following are two more green lighting options.
LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES (LEDS): Led lighting is actually more efficient (about three times more so) than CFLs and ten times more efficient than typical incandescent bulbs. They don’t give off much heat and last far longer than CFLs or standard bulbs. For example, the typical lifespan of a CFL is at most 10,000 hours while a LED can last up to 50,000 hours.
A downside of LED bulbs is that they’re more expensive to get started with. They do pay off in energy savings and lifespan in the long run, but in the short run you’ll need a larger budget to start using them. Also, LEDs are and are not handy depending on your needs. They make sense for smaller spaces where direct light is needed, but won’t work as well to light up large areas. See more tips on where LED lighting works best.
COLD CATHODE BULBS: These are actually a type of CFL but they run at room temperature, unlike average CFLs that work (in simple terms) by heating up. These can also be used for dimmers and any other light situation where flashing lights are needed. and last longer than other CFLs. You won’t have to fork over much extra cash for cold bulbs either, they’re not too much more than other CFLs and save you a little more over time due to their long life span. Cold cathode bulbs used to be used more like LEDs - i.e. in smaller, direct light situations, but currently you can find all sorts of bulbs for all kinds of applications.
Where to find these bulbs:
- 5 More Tips to Lose Weight, Save Money and Green Your Diet
By Susan Seliger
Thank you, friends, for contacting me about yesterday?s post (with 5 tips for losing weight and going green) asking for more tips ? here you go.
Reducing your carbon footprint while you reduce your love handles is simpler than you think. The large quantities of meat the typical American consumes is one of the biggest eco-problems ? and one of the easiest to fix. Consider this morsel from a new book, Go Green Get Lean, by Kate Geagan: If you switch to a vegetarian diet for just two weeks, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 122 pounds and your calories by nearly 12,500?that?s 3 ½ pounds gone ? in 14 days!
Need more motivation to green up your eating? By scarfing down the average American?s diet, according to Geagan, you generate far more carbon dioxide emissions (2.8 tons per year) than you do by driving a car (2.2 tons).
Change is easy ? OK that?s a lie ? but it isn?t complicated at all. The key to developing new eating patterns depends as much on your attitude toward food as what you consume. So here are a few things to think about, so you can lose weight, save money, and take steps to save the planet, too.
1. Forget 3 squares — eat 6 smaller meals spaced evenly through the day.
Though we were all raised on eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, some diet experts say it?s healthier to keep the metabolism stoked evenly throughout the day. Consume 6-7 small meals of 200-300 calories each, every 2-3 hours. It works on several levels: first you get used to eating small portions ? and you realize that these smaller (and greener) portions can be just as satisfying. Second, it keeps your metabolism revved, so you burn more calories as you eat. And third, you won?t ever get really hungry ? so you won?t overeat at mealtime. How can you — it?s always meal time.
2. Don?t go shopping when you?re hungry.
You know you buy more when you?re famished. And fattening snacks seem so irresistible in that state of mind that you don?t notice that these processed foods (like potato chips and flavored crackers) cost more per pound than the most expensive meats and exotic fruits and vegetables. Before you leave home, grab a carrot or some gum to munch on while you shop. And stick to the list.
3. Go meatless ? try tilapia: it?s the little black dress of the fish world.
Cutting out meat yields a big cost savings. And it?s about the single-biggest green modification you can make in your diet. Going vegetarian can reduces your carbon footprint by over 5000 pounds annually, according to Josh Peterson in Planet Green.
Even the more expensive fishes, like salmon (rich in those valuable anti-aging, anti-oxidant Omega-3s) are often less expensive (and better for the planet,) than many cuts of meat. For an inexpensive alternative, try tilapia ? a mild white fish with lovely texture that works. It?s the little black dress of the fish world ?you can dress it up, dress it down, so versatile it works with any kind of spices and flavoring or just on its own sautéed in organic olive oil with a splash of lemon. (Top 20 Tilapia recipes.)
4. Cut out sodas ? lose two pounds per month.
Sodas are expensive and packed with sugar. If you eat as much sugar as most Americans do — 150 pounds per year ? you?re releasing 855 pounds of carbon into the atmosphere. Just by cutting consumption in half, according to the book Go Green, Get Lean, the average Joe could cut 7,500 calories a month. That?s about two pounds per month.
5. While eating ? do not watch TV or talk on the phone — focus on every mouthful.
Ever finished a meal, looked down at your empty plate and barely remembered having eaten? What a waste of calories ? and enjoyment. Mindful eating is the key to weight loss. You maximize pleasure (so eating less doesn’t feel like deprivation).
It?s simple: do not multi-task. Concentrate on every mouthful. Smell each bite before chowing down (your sense of smell is hundreds of times more sensitive than your taste buds.) Chew each bite 25 times (start counting) before swallowing. Invite a friend to join you. Open a bottle of organic wine, pour a small glass (see tip on small plates), and discuss the food, your lovelife, the environment (anything but the economy).
Feeling thinner, greener and richer already, aren?t you?
Related Articles:
Top 5 Ways to Lose Weight, Save Money and Green Your Diet: The Trifecta of Recession Bliss
Photo credit: From blog Because noone asked
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- How to clean properly with cloth vs. paper towels
I talk a lot about green, healthy, and non-toxic cleaning here. Why - because green cleaning has to be one of the easiest green changes any household can make. It takes almost no start-up money, no advanced skills are needed (like when building a solar house), it’s an extra healthy change to make, and it’s cost efficient.
One of the major green cleaning tips I go over again and again is to ditch the paper towels and use cloth. You can save so much money and so many trees with this one tiny step that it seems lame not to try. However, sometimes friends I have say, “BUT paper towels are way more hygienic than cloth for cleaning.” Is that true?
Fact: It is true in a general sense. Paper towels, while bad for the environment, do have one thing going for them - they’re cleaner. One paper towel per mess. No spreading of germs.With a cloth or sponge you do spread around germs to a point IF you don’t clean correctly.
However, you can clean well with cloth. In fact, you can make cloth cleaning towels work just as well as paper towels only without the cost and paper use.
HOW TO CLEAN PROPERLY WITH CLOTH:
For general cleaning like wiping down a counter or for things like apple juice spills (no major lingering bacteria in apple juice) or other non-bacteria spills you can use a cloth to death for the mess. Wipe up the juice, wring out the towel, get it wet, and wipe again. It’s all good.
For spills like blood from meat, raw eggs, cake batter, and other items that may carry bacteria or to wipe down cutting boards you need to take a different approach, but that doesn’t necessarily mean reaching for the paper towels.
- Use one cloth to wipe up the liquid part of the spill.
- Use a second cloth drenched in hot soapy water to wipe down the area.
- Use a third cloth to dry the area.
- Toss all the cloths into the laundry.
It seems like a lot of cloths, and another argument is cloth takes water resources to wash, but it takes quite a few cloths to make a full load. At my house we bought a bunch of packs of generic washcloths and some smaller fiber dishcloths (all in small sizes) and use those exclusively for cleaning. We only end up washing about one or two loads of cleaning cloths a week. It’s not a big deal.
If you clean smart you can still ditch the paper towels, cut costs, and over time, save some trees.
- Top 5 Ways to Lose Weight, Save Money and Green Your Diet: The Trifecta of Recession Bliss
By Susan Seliger
Kiss those recession blues goodbye and start taking some simple steps in your daily life that will make you happy on three levels at once. If figuring out little ways to go green or save money makes you proud of yourself, just imagine how pumped you?ll feel if you can do both ? and lose a few of those pesky pounds that have been accumulating round your middle, too.
1. Use what you?ve got in the cupboard — don?t go shopping again until the fridge is bare.
It?s amazing how much you can do with all those cans of food that you probably just keep pushing to the back when you buy new stuff. Check out Allrecipes.com where you can plug in what you?ve got, and the web site will come up with what you can cook with it. Keep some basic, nonperishable supplies in the cupboard (like cans of tuna, tomatoes, rice, pasta) and things that last for months in the fridge (like sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, olives) that will add life to your fresh ingredients. BONUS: At the end, I?ve included one of my family?s favorite, tangy, low-cal meals you can make with stuff you can always keep on hand that can?t go bad. (See Tuna ?noodle pizazz, below.)
2. Use smaller plates.
The best way to lose weight is to cut down on portion size, day in and day out. The average plateful is two-to-three times a healthy-sized serving. You?d be amazed at how much more satisfying a small portion looks on a smaller plate. You don?t feel deprived ? and you?ve saved calories and money as your groceries will stretch farther. To find out what a real portion size is for any food, check out this nifty tool, a Portion Calculator at Lifehacker.
3. Try a new mantra: Doggie bags are divine.
If you?re smart, you?re not going out to eat much. So when you do, you?d better stretch that one meal into two. Learn to love leftovers. Who says that little bit of your entrée and the vegetables isn?t enough for another meal? Have you forgotten so soon what we said about portion size? (See #2). Cut up the main dish into small bites, cook up some nice chewy brown rice or toss in a few more sautéed vegetables and you?ve expanded those leftovers into a full meal. filled out will
4. Don?t toss leftover tossed salad ? keep it for the next day.
I know gourmands turn up their noses at day-old salad, but if you think of it as marinated vegetables instead of wilted lettuce, it tastes much better ? and the nutritional value is pretty much the same. (On day three, even I give up. Toss it onto the compost heap — and while you’re out there, take a walk around the block for a little more exercise.)
5. Shun prepared foods — Slice, dice and cook it yourself
You can pay twice as much or more for ingredients that are prepped ? like grated cheeses and bottled garlic. In addition, cut up foods go bad much faster than whole foods ? so you can lose two ways. Prepared foods are handy ? but here, too, you?re paying double, sometimes triple the costs of whipping it up yourself. Why pay twice as much for a ready-made roast chicken (rarely organic), when making your own chicken is so simple: wash and remove the innards, pat dry, then slather a little Dijon mustard all over the outside (don?t be squeamish, use your hands) and throw it in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes a pound. Cheap ? low-cal, and fresh.
RECIPE: Susan?s Tuna ?Noodle Pizazz — in 20 minutes flat
So easy — you can always keep these non-perishable ingredients on hand — and it takes as little as 20 minutes to prepare.
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Ingredients: Serves 4
Olive oil ? 1-2 TBSP.
Garlic ? 2 cloves chopped
One Onion chopped or 2-4 scallions sliced — optional.
One large can of whole or crushed tomatoes ? strained through slotted spoon.
One jar marinated artichokes ? optional
Olives (sliced or whole) or capers ? optional
One can tuna
Pasta — One-pound bag
Preparation:
Put up a large pot of water to boil for the pasta ? throw in a sprinkle of salt ? and cover (that speeds up the boiling and saves energy).
Pour enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large frying pan.
On medium heat, sauté some fresh chopped garlic (you can throw in an onion (diced) or scallions (sliced) if they?re sitting around getting moldy in your fridge
Add a large can of Italian plum tomatoes and heat through.
Add a jar of marinated artichokes – if you have it ? and put it on your grocery list for next time if you don?t. If you don?t have it, throw in some olives or capers or sliced sun-dried tomatoes for a tangy touch.
Add spices ? a couple of pinches of basil, oregano, salt and pepper (ground fresh is best, but whatever you?ve got works).
Now stir in a can of tuna (drained).
Turn down the heat to low, and it will heat through by the time the pasta is done.
Add pasta (whatever kind you like) to boiling water, stir with big fork to avoid clumping, and cook (most one pound boxes need 6-8 minutes for al dente). Drain pasta.
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Now you?re ready to spoon the sauce on the pasta, turn down the lights, light a candle, and enjoy!
Photo credit: www.simonyounes.com
- Minimize food waste
Minimizing food waste is important if you want to live a greener lifestyle. Why?
- It creates a general awareness surrounding waste. People waste a lot of items in life and often that means more junk to toss and more resources used when you don’t need to. Minimizing food waste is an easy change to make.
- It means money saved which means you can afford the organics you should be buying.
- Minimizing food waste means less packaging bought - a good thing since so much of the current food packaging you see is layered and excessive. Even if you can recycle, it’s still kind of over the top.
HOW TO MINIMIZE YOUR FOOD & FOOD PACKAGING WASTE:
Use it up: for example, most leftovers can be used to make homemade ice pops (use sustainable reusable molds), used in soups, used in baked goods, and more. Think up new ways to use all your food up before it goes bad.
Only buy recyclables: if you can’t recycle the package, just say no. Buy in bulk using reusable bags and containers to minimize your waste further.
Share it or freeze it: if you get a great deal, but the amount of the deal is large, split it with another family or freeze the excess. Don’t forget to use sustainable food storage.
Compost it: you can make food that’s old do double duty with composting. Turn your old food into healthy soil.
Quit cooking for a crowd: if you know that your family (or just you) has a bad habit of cooking too much and then forgetting the leftovers, stop. Cook what you need, not more.
Give it away: if you cook for an event or a large family dinner, and can’t eat it all, donate it to an elderly neighbor, a shelter, or another organization.
Grow some food: growing your own is a great way to cut down on food waste because one, fresh grown food taste way better, thus enticing you to munch them down. Two, you’ve stopped the packaging and transport issues cold when you grow your own. Organic gardens are highly sustainable.
What other tips do you have for cutting down on food waste?
- 40 Green Home Changes for Earth Day
When it comes to your house, there’s plenty you can do to green it up. Some choices are large and some are small and while it may seem like the big changes (i.e. placing solar panels on the roof) count for a lot, all those tiny green changes you make add up quickly to create an overall more green lifestyle.
Following is a collection of 40 DIY, not too expensive, easy green home ideas - all of these are perfect small goals for Earth Day and beyond.
10 Healthy Green Home Goals:
- Chill out and live simple - good for your mind and rolls over into your lifestyle and home.
- Choose only the best natural and organic body care products for your bath and kitchen.
- Clean green.
- Choose soy candles over wax - they emit somewhat less soot.
- When you are sick, use only recycled tissues.
- Loose the shoes.
- Take a crash course on healthy organics for the home.
- Sleep healthy.
- Plan some fun in your life with an eco-friendly barbecue.
- Grow some fresh air!
10 Green Kitchen Changes To Make:
- Use only cloth napkins.
- Use that microwave to save energy.
- Learn to read food labels - i.e organic vs. natural vs. Fair Trade and more.
- Bake green with silicone.
- Store your leftovers safely with green food storage options.
- Use a natural wood cutting board - or another eco-friendly cutting board choice.
- Quit hand-washing dishes OR at least wash them right for energy and water savings.
- Next time you buy, purchase eco-friendly dishware and pots and pans.
- Green your java addiction.
- Make sure you’re cooking smart with stove and oven energy saving tips.
10 Ways To Save Energy:
- Do a quick and easy DIY home energy audit.
- Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
- Save energy in rooms you don’t use.
- Plan ahead for next winter’s energy use and savings.
- Plan one lights-out evening each week. Eat dinner and play board games by candlelight, play hide-n-seek in the dark, send the kids to grandmas and figure out what to do with your partner (when the lights are out).
- Make it a priority to turn down the thermostat daily.
- Ignore crazy old wives tales about energy use.
- This cheap office tool can save you energy all year long.
- Use LED lighting in a couple of areas of your home.
- Calculate how cell phones can save you energy over landlines.
10 Ways To Pump Up Your Recycling Efforts:
- Learn all the stuff that can’t be recycled and then do your best to avoid it.
- Green audit your trash to make sure you’re recycling enough.
- Quit recycling junk mail - just stop it cold.
- If you must have them, recycle your plastic shopping bags wisely.
- Compost before recycling or tossing stuff in the trash; even if you live in a small apartment.
- Create the most attractive home recycling center ever!
- Make sure you recycle your hazardous household waste properly.
- Cancel all those annoying catalogs.
- Create some recycling fun by making your own paper from recycled bills, newspaper, and more.
- Recycle everything - from cell phones to your sex toys!
What are your Earth Day plans?
- Turn Off Your Lights Tomorrow?Saturday?For Earth Hour! What You Do After That Is Your Business
By Susan Seliger
Go dark! Tomorrow ? Saturday, 3-28-09 ? is Earth Hour when cities, and businesses and tens of millions of people like yourself all over the world will be turning off their lights for one hour ? from 8:30 to 9:30 PM (your time) – in honor of saving energy to save the entire planet.
Join in ? flip those switches to OFF and feel the powerful energy of tens of millions of others, like yourself, sitting happily in the dark, saving energy. Do it with a friend — it’s more fun that way.
Anybody who is anybody will be tuning in and turning off, according to the World Wildlife Fund, which has organized this delightful plunge into the dark. Nearly 200 cities in the U.S. are officially committed; 2400 cities in 82 countries have officially signed on.
Broadway theater marquees and other world-renowned landmarks will be turning off their lights:
- Empire State Building
- Rockefeller Center
- Chrysler Building
- Golden Gate Bridge,
- Space Needle
- Sears Tower
- Great Pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt
- Acropolis in Greece
For those of you with short attention spans who have difficulty reading past the first word ? Earth? and are confused – this is not Earth Day ? it?s a little dress rehearsal. So if you are reading this after Saturday, and you didn?t get to join in the dark-hour fun, you can still make up for it to the gods of green on April 22, 2009, for the big Earth Day.
Turning off is a big turn-on.
Watch this video of the lights going out: Earth Hour in Years Past
Even the Las Vegas strip is turning lights off. And like Vegas, what you do during Earth Hour, stays in Earth Hour.
LINKS:
Earth Hour 2009 video
30 Second PSA voiced by Cate Blanchett
Want a minute-by-minute account? Here?s a new iPhone application ?Earth Hour Trainer?:
Photo credit: 2witches.com/blog/tag/earth/
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