Can I Save Money By Going Green?
Posted by admin in environment on 07 1st, 2010The answer to this question is yes because you should be able to save money by going green. You say, okay that sounds good, but, wait, what does go green really mean? Well, it means to accept as part of your lifestyle to be friendlier to our environment. You’re probably wondering how can I learn to go green? Well, you can consider the following tips that can assist you in your quest to become friendlier to our environment and save you money at the same time:
Tip One: Reduce the amount of water you are currently using. Did you know if you took less time to take a shower you actually can reduce significantly the amount of water you are using over time? Yes, that’s right you sure can. Just imagine how much money you could save on your water bill if you and your family reduced the amount of time it takes to shower.
Tip Two: Adjust your thermostat in the summer a few degrees higher and in the winter months a few degrees lower to save on your gas and electric bills.
Tip Three: Consider installing energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs. You may want to change out your old light bulbs to these energy saving bulbs sooner rather than later. You’ll probably find that your electric bill has reduced while using these new bulbs because they use a fraction of the electricity than your older light bulbs. In addition, the compact fluorescent light bulbs are better on our environment.
Tip Four: Wash clothes in cold water instead of hot water whenever possible. Did you know that the majority of energy used to machine wash clothes goes to heating the water? Yes it sure does. It’s even better if you are able to hang dry your clothes on a clothes line or drying rack if you can. This would be a great way to dry your clothes instead of using a clothes dryer.
Tip Five: Turn off the lights when they’re not in use. During the day how about opening your curtains or blinds to let the sunshine into your home. By doing this, you will not only save money but reduce the amount of energy you are using thus helping our environment.
Tip Six: Got an errand to run? Is it a short distance? If so, consider walking or riding your bike instead of driving your vehicle. This will help you save on fuel costs for your vehicle, help the environment and assist you in becoming healthier in the long run.
Tip Seven: Pay as many bills as you can online. This keeps you from having to receive bills in the mail, writing checks for bills and purchasing stamps to mail off your bills. Just think, you can do this task of paying your bills by a few key strokes on your computer and like magic you’re all done without wasting paper!
Tip Eight: Turn your computer completely off when it is not being used to save on energy costs.
Tip Nine: Consider going to your local farmers market to buy fresh fruit and vegetables for you and your family.
Tip Ten: Before you purchase new or used items do your research online to see where you can get the best deal for your money. Believe it or not this will also help you to save on your energy costs as well by reducing the amount of gas you use driving around town trying to find the item you want to buy.
Tip Eleven: Recycle as much as possible. It is a good idea to recycle items such as; plastic bottles, glass bottles, aluminum cans, newspapers, computer paper, cell phones, computers and the list goes on an on. Recycling is also good for our environment.
Going green is something that we all can do to make a positive impact on our environment and to do our part in reducing global warning to our planet. In addition, going green will also help you to save money in the long run which is also a very good thing for you and your family.
read comments (0)Green Living: You CAN Make a Difference To The Planet
Posted by admin in environment on 02 16th, 2010Green living means making a positive difference to the environment and reducing your negative impact. Make some small lifestyle changes to get the ball rolling, encourage others to do the same, and we will be helping the planet as well as ourselves. These are just some of the green living strategies that you can use in your home. Green living: making lifestyle choices with the health of the environment in mind.
Increased carbon levels in the atmosphere is believed to contribute to global warming, so a green living way of life needs to address this as well as reducing waste, the use of natural resources and toxins in the air and water. Many of these strategies also save you money and improve your health.
You can make a few changes in your life to help reduce the volumes of carbon in the atmosphere that is choking the planet. Find other ways to travel instead of jumping in your car. Take public transport or car pool to work. Try walking instead of using the car. Great ways to help both the planet and yourself.
Help to save the environment by swapping the incandescent light bulbs in your home for compact fluorescent ones that need less power to light. You won’t need to replace the CFLs as often and they save about 70% of power as well. Did you know that replacing only 5 incandescent light bulbs, your power bills will reduce by $50 a year, so replacing all these bulbs in your house will save you lots more? Switch household appliances off at the wall when not in use.
Improve the health of the environment and your body by eating more plant foods; plants remove carbon for the atmosphere and store it in the soil. Again, you are improving the health of your own lifestyle as well as that of the planet. Cattle compact the soil and produce large amounts of methane which is a harmful greenhouse gas. Eat red meat only twice a week and have a piece just the size of your palm; for the other meals eat fish and poultry meats.
The important three rules of reducing your environmental footprint are recycle, reuse and reduce. Plastics are made from oil and release large amounts of toxins during their manufacture and through the life of the item made from plastic. Collect some reusable cloth bags for your shopping and leave the plastic ones in the store. Limit your use of paper products in your home and office home. Recycling plastic containers keeps them out of landfill, so try to come up with new ideas for their use.
Reduce the amount of water you use in the home. Shorten the length of your shower by only two minutes and save gallons of water as well as money off your water bill. Never turn taps on full; much of that water is wasted as it runs down the sink. Save water by using the washing machine rinse water to wash the car. Try alternative ways to heat and cool your home like solar power, blinds that regulate the temperature and plants around the house to control temperatures.
These few strategies will get you started on making changes that will benefit the environment. Research other things that you and your family can do to really make a difference to the life of our planet and your own health and well-being. Get your kids involved in reducing the environmental footprint of the household.
Thanks for checking out our article, if you would like to read more please review Downtown Dallas Apartments, Plano Apartments and Frisco Apartments. Much thanks and gave a great day!
Is You Mobile Phone Eco Friendly?
Posted by admin in environment on 10 25th, 2009So many gadgets are now going green and the mobile phone is no exception to the current trend.
If you appliances already have the energy star they are deemed to be green and of course you have the option of going green when it comes to the car thanks to the hybrid. However when buying your next mobile is there an option out there for somebody who wants to save the world?
Well since the teaming up of Sprint and Samsung there now is. Unbelievably the new phone is made from corn and is made up by using 80% recyclable materials. You have to question why this hasn’t been done before though? With just about everybody in the developed world owning at least one mobile phone, it seems really strange why this sort of thing wasn’t released earlier!
The phone charger itself now has the energy star on it and some of the applications on the phones are even put on there beforehand to try and make you a greener person. The Discvoery Channel have pre-loaded apps onto there to help turn you into an even greater greener person. They have even put a glossary on there to help explain things on climate changes.
This isn’t the end of it for this phone, it is also a smartphone with GPS, you get to browse the web and it even has speech recognition. It also shows something else, technology seems to be leaping forward at an alarming rate.
Of course it doesn’t just have to stop on the phone, you can buy so many different things for the home that are green and eco-friendly now whether that is accessories for the kitchen as well as accessories for the bathroom So whatever homeware you are looking to change there is always something out there for you to choose.Whatever will they come up with next. Technology is a wonderful thing, but where will it all end?
Be greener to the planet
Posted by admin in environment on 07 18th, 2009There is a huge push all over the world for homeowners to “go green.” Homes are traditionally known as energy cows. This drain on energy reserves can also be a drain on homeowner’s wallets. Going green can help not only the world but the homeowner as well. Insulation comes standard with most of all new build homes, always make sure this has been set up correctly by the builders.
If you have an older home this may not be the case. Insulation was not generally added to homes built before the 1940’s. Homeowners with an older home should check to see if their home is insulated.
The most common type of insulation is cavity wall insulation. Insulation is usually injected into the buildings wall cavity. The gap between the two outside walls. Insulation will stop the conduction of heat into or out of your home and save the power you have traditionally used to heat or cool your home. Sometimes heat insulation in countries such as Japan,
America, and the UK is funded by local power companies, so homeowners are urged to contact their power provider before installing insulation. Turning Out the Lights Another simple way to save the environment and homeowners’ money is buy turning out the lights. More and more people are turning to the option of solar panels to help them save the planet and money.
Homeowners have been told for years that turning out lights when they leave a room will greatly reduce their power bills. But how many homeowners follow this advice? surveys have been carried out which show that people do not turn out the lights when they leave a room. This is really unfortunate because turning out lights is a very simple way to save money and protect the environment. Always research the information you require as there are thousands of energy reviews, home energy review may be the one you need to look at.
Most families do not use the majority of rooms in their homes. If they could turn out the lights in these rooms they could cut their power bills by 25 percent. Turning On the Lights Of course, you cannot live in the dark and you must have your lights on sometime.
Companies have recognized this need to balance the use of electricity and the need to preserve the environment and are now producing environmentally friendly light bulbs. These bulbs use a smaller percentage of electricity every time they are on in the home. They also last longer therefore producing less waste.
Don’t forget to Flush Water bills rank right up there with power bills when it comes to both homeowners’ expenses and protecting the environment. The bathroom is well know room for a very high percentage of water waste.
Along with things homeowners and their families can do to save water, like not running water while brushing teeth, there are devices on the market to help save water in the bathroom.
Several companies are making low flow shower heads that reduce the amount to water that comes from the shower every time it is turned on. These shower heads are inexpensive and easy for the homeowner to install. Toilets also waste water and devices can be purchased and installed that lower the flow and fill level in all toilets. Having these products installed will reduce the wastage of water.
You will be very suprised at the various options available to start going green. Why now start by recycling. Check out the recycling facts you will be suprised.
Finding Quality Green Products
Posted by admin in environment on 06 15th, 2009Someone whispers “organic” or “natural” in mainstream media as the healthy and smart choice and suddenly it is everywhere and the solar power generation is here Organic that, natural this, but is it all just a big scheme to get people to continue to buy their products?
Green Washing. The problem is most products you buy are not all natural or organic and so these companies have a huge problem. Consumer demand started to shift towards healthier “natural and organic” alternatives to the typical non-natural or organic products on the market today. Instead of coming up with a new formula or a new product that actually IS all natural or organic they have simply ADDED a harmless organic ingredient to their products. Why would they do this? That is easy, with this miniscule amount of natural product they can now slap “Made With Organic blah” or “Includes Natural blah” and people will jump all over it, even though nothing has really changed.
So, as a consumer, what can you do to avoid the “fake” go green stuff and get real natural or organic products? It will take a little more than a stop at the super market for starters. Before you go out do some research online and try to find products that actually are all natural and where they are sold so you know where to go. But what if you are at the store already or are not sure what kind of product you want in the first place? Well it gets a little harder but there are some things you can do. Look at the label and see if all the ingredients are organic or natural. If only one is, and it is very small compared to the others on the list then you found a faker, move on.
If it is some kind of skin care product reading the label is the best way to go. The ingredients amount and weight are listed top to bottom. So if an all natural ingredient is the first on you see your probably safe. If it is the last, think again. This does apply to household products that so try to do some research before hand. There are lots of companies now that provide natural alternatives and with a little looking you can probably find some really good deals.
The biggest tattletale is that natural products have nothing to hide. So if it is all natural it will say so on the ingredients and will contain little to nothing of any other ingredient. If you see a huge list of words you can’t pronounce chances are it is not as natural or organic as the huge sticker on the front of it wants you to believe.
Living a Greener Live: What Can You Do?
Tips to Save Energy to Go Green and Save the Earth
Posted by admin in environment on 05 17th, 20091. Cooking requires heat and energy, so conserve it to save money. Cover the cooking pan with a lid so that the heat doesn’t escape. Water will boil around 5% faster in pans with a lid on, thereby saving time, energy and your money, as well as giving the environment a break.
2. While cooking in a Oven, keep the door closed. Most modern Ovens have a glass door so as to let you see what’s happening
inside. Use it appropriately. Around 15% of all oven heat is lost every time the door is opened. If you’re trying to bake a Pizza, for example, and you keep opening the door to see how it’s cooking, then you are cooking at 85% of the efficiency, at the sametime wasting energy and money!
3. STOP using commercial cleaning products in your kitchen or anywhere in your house. They are expensive to buy and expensive to produce. Their production is also harmful to the environment. The waste you release after cleaning is also harmful to the environment.
You can make your own cleaner from a mixture of vinegar, salt and baking soda. It will clean perfectly the same way as a commercial product, and it contains no toxic chemicals, thereby helping the environment. It will cost a great deal less too.
To put this into perspective. We dump some 35 million pounds of toxins down our drains every year, just from household and kitchen cleaning products alone. What kind of damage do you think that is doing to the environment? Well, you don’t have to do it anymore.
Here’s another simple recipe for an all-purpose cleaner, courtesy of
Greenpeace:
½ cup pure liquid soap
1 gallon hot water
¼ cup lemon juice
It’s safe and effective, and costs very little.
4. You don’t have to pre-heat your oven for every time your cook, unless you are baking bread and cake. Just put the dish into the oven and switch on, setting it to the right temperature. That way you are not wasting energy which is lost between the time it is pre-heated and you put in the preparation.
5. Cook once in a day instead of twice. This is a great way to save all round. If your oven can hold two chicken pieces, then why not cook two instead of one. Two chickens will cook in about the same amount of time that one will. Now, do the math… You will cut your cooking time in half, thereby saving electricity - and guess what happens to all the money saved! Yep, it stays right in your pocket. This way you have more time for other activities. The time saved on cooking the second time can be used better elsewhere. Remember, it doesn’t have to be just chickens. It can turkeys, beef, etc. And I surely don’t have to mention the environmental benefits.
Independent writer and Internet Marketeer. My website : http://www.make-my-home-green.com
10 steps to achieving "The Green Effect" under your own roof
Posted by admin in environment on 05 9th, 2009During this economic crisis and continued global warming, the need for sustainable development has become a now issue instead of a later issue. Both private and government entities (including the EPA) have come up with programs and products that promote “green” production and consumption. These environment-friendly practices are now being used in numerous firms and industries.
But what about our where we live? Are our households as eco-friendly as they should be? Continued efforts to sustain the environment should first and foremost be undertaken under our own roof. These can be done with the use of products that consume less power and other valuable resources. Over time, the use of these products can result not only in savings but also in the reduction of waste and materials harmful to our homes and the environment.
Here’s a quick list of 10 items I’ve discovered that can make a world of a difference.
1. Heat-energy recovery system
· Sensible Heat Energy Recovery System (SHERS) uses heat generated from an air-conditioner or refrigerator to heat water. Payback period is anywhere from six months to two years
2.The Eco Bio Block
· Made of volcanic stones and beneficial bacteria, is used to purify water in home aquariums, water tanks and big bodies of water such as ponds, lakes and marshes. When placed in aquariums for the home, there is no need to filter, clean or change water for a period of one to three years.
3. Biowash ball
· Washing clothes without using a detergent may seem strange. Introducing the Anabess biowash ball, it’s made of natural ceramics & alters the chemical composition of the water so it can wash clothes more effectively without liquid detergent. It should last 3 years. Think of the peace of mind you'll have by not ever running to the store for more detergent at the last minute again.
4. Air-con with inverter technology
· The Panasonic Envio series of air-conditioners makes use of an “inverter technology” that changes compressor operation speed to match a changing room temperature and adjust power output accordingly, which leads to reduced energy consumption of up to 50 percent, while product only costs about 14% more than the average AC. The payback period may be expected in about seven months..
5.Low Flow faucets
· Moen has heeded the call for water conservation by coming up with WaterSense-certified bathroom faucets. With the help of new aerator technology these Moen faucets use 30% less water than other models but still feel just as powerful on your hands.
6. Compact fluorescent lamp
· Much has been said about the efficiency of compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs. They last about five times as long as incandescent lamps and consume 80 percent less energy with the same level of brightness. Companies such as Purely Products even carry CFLs that double as ionizers for the room, eliminating the need for an unsightly ionizer on the floor.
7.Reusable shopping bags
· The impact of just one person changing to reusable bags over a two-year period is significant. Used twice a week for two years a consumer would save 832 plastic bags from going in a landfill.
8.Biodegradable Cellulose Sandwich bags
· Typical plastic bags are derived from petroleum and take well over a lifespan to decompose. These biodegrade in 1-3 months in soil BUT actually keep food lasting longer, unlike plastic, they don't release gases which spoil food taste.
9.Smart Surge Protector
· Green Home introduced a smart surge protector. The power strip can 'sense' the movement of electrical current through the strip's control outlet. This patent pending option enables the Smart Strip to fully switch off selected items when it’s not in use saving you money and time!
A small electronic device inside the Smart Strip monitors the current on a single outlet. Let’s say the computer is plugged into that single outlet. When the computer is finished shutting down, the current draw from the computer drops to its idle current -- and the Smart Strip senses the current change, automatically shutting off all of the computer peripherals.
The Smart Strip Power Strip is the only surge protector in existence with energy saving electronics. The 10 outlet surge protector version has 1 Control Outlet, 3 Constant Hot Outlets, and 6 Switched Outlets.
10.Compostable Trash Bags
· These BioBags are made from GMO free starch and are 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable.
Now that you know about these products start using them daily. We each can do our part by changing our daily routines just slightly.
