ONE Bulb = ONE Million Cars

According to CFLBulbs.com you can make a difference by eliminating the pollution of ONE MILLION cars by replacing your old bulbs with ONE CFL!

Reduce emissions!

Reduce your electric bill!

Here are some facts also stated by the CFLBulb website:
Most homes have 15-30 bulbs.
Compact Fluorescents (CFL's) provide more light with less power.
They typically require less than one-third the energy to produce the same amount of light, as common incandescent bulbs.

What about the mercury you ask?

CFL's typically contain about 4 mg of mercury —enough to cover the tip of a pen. The amount of energy that is saved by using one of these bulbs outweighs the environmental costs substantailly.

According to EPA, a "power plant will emit 10 mg of mercury while producing the electricity needed for one incandescent bulb over the course of its lifetime. A CFL, in contrast, would result in the emission of only 2.4 mg of mercury over the same period - a net savings of 3.6 mg per bulb"

*photo courtesy of homeconstructionimprovement.com

CREATING A COMPOST - What works best for you?

Most homes waste is 1/3 compostable.

Americans generate about 210 million tons of trash, or solid waste, each year. Over half of this waste gets placed in landfills. About 56 million tons is recovered through either recycling (glass, paper, plastic or some metals) or through composting (yard waste).

A compost turns your 'waste' into rich soil.
Starting a compost may be a little time consuming at first, but the rewards pay off quickly with low maintenance.

After I set up a compost bin at my house I noticed a dramatic difference with how long it takes me to fill up my 'landfill' garbage can. On the other hand, I do tend to fill up my 'yard waste' receptacle rather quickly. I fill it with all my produce remains, left-overs (with the exception of meat products), paper towels and coffee filters.

WHY COMPOST?

• Cuts back on household waste
• Less waste in our landfills
• Helps create beautiful gardens/landscaping
• Save money on chemical fertilizers.
• Reduce greenhouse gases.
• Reuse organic materials.
• Recycle natural nutrients.
• Improve soil without chemicals.
• Produce rich humus for plants.

HOW IT WORKS:

Inside your compost bin, microorganisms from within the soil eat the organic waste that you provide. This breaks down the waste and produces very rich soil. The microorganisms require air and they get it when you stir up the matter in the bin. They also need water to survive.

FOR AN EFFICIENT COMPOST YOU NEED:

• Air - your compost bin should be turned daily or every other day
• Water- Just make sure that it is moist
  
• Break up big pieces to expedite the process
  
• Soil - should provide enough microorganisms for the process

You can benefit from the finished compost in as little as 2 or 3 weeks, you may then find super rich soil full of fiber and inorganic nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
The perfect ingredients for a happy garden!

There is a plethora of websites that help guide you through the process of setting up your compost. Please explore the links below to find which kind of compost would work best for you.

Composting 101
Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center
About my Planet

Want to start vermiculture composting?
City Farmer
Watch a video on how to set up a worm composting bin:

One olive = $40 Thousand Dollars?

After learning about how much money American Airlines saved by removing something so seemingly insignificant it got me to thinking. WHAT IF just one day a week we decided to take our reusable coffee mugs to Starbucks for our specialty coffee drinks? What if JUST ONE day a week we used a Klean Kanteen or other NON-Disposable bottle for our drinking water? WHAT IF JUST ONE DAY A WEEK we filled a REUSABLE bag with our groceries instead of plastic bags??? Every piece of plastic that you use will be on this planet for hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years, unless it is incinerated (which isn't good either, ie. air pollution). With a simple change (it doesn't even have to be every day) we could make a substantial difference.

Here are some facts:

The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that more than 13,000 pieces of plastic litter are floating in every square kilometer of the ocean worldwide. The Surfrider Foundation estimates that more than half of the litter on beaches is plastic. Many researchers and environmental organizations now list plastic as the number one threat to our marine environments around the planet. In addition, chemicals in some plastics have been linked by researchers to a laundry list of diseases, including breast cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, liver abnormalities, and prostate cancer. It can seem a little overwhelming.

• Americans throw out 38 billion empty water bottles a year, more than $1 billion worth of plastic. (Fast Company, December, 2007)
• In the U.S. alone, more than 24 billion pounds of plastic packaging is produced every year. Most of that packaging is designed for single usage, meaning it’s designed to be thrown out as soon as that package is opened. (Surfrider Foundation)
• Worldwide, human beings use more than 1 trillion plastic shopping bags a year.
• Every reusable bag bought or distributed prevents about 400 plastic bags from being used. (Surfrider Foundation)
• Every 13 plastic bags saved equals enough petroleum to drive a car one mile. (Surfrider Foundation)

Learn More About Plastics and What YOU Can Do:

• Rise Above Plastics, a campaign of the Surfrider Foundation
• Journal of American Medical Association, September, 2008 study

*information gathered here can be found on the Klean Kantine website.

*photo of plastic bottles courtesy of:
ThingsThatMakeYouGoGreen.com

Low Cost!!! Addressing Your Home's 'Green' Potential

Here are some low cost ways to make your home more efficient (remember efficiency means eventually more of YOUR MONEY will be saved). Some of these changes are simple, a few are more involved and therefore I shall dedicate much of this blog to help you get started on some of these projects (if of course, you are so inclined).

• Use CFL or LED lightbulbs
• Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators
• Start a compost pile
• Plant Trees
• Insulate your hot water heater
• Weatherstrip and caulk doors and windows
• Collect rainwater to water plants
• Paint with low - or no VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint
• Replace all heating/cooling filters
  
• Install a programmable thermostat
• Plant a rain garden
• Plant native plants
• Place appliances or office equipment on powerstrips to reduce 'phantom' load - this I recently did. Went through and put my microwave, coffee maker, DVD player, etc. on a powerstrip. Basically everything that has a clock and that I never look at for the time. Now I just push the button on the powerstrip to turn it all on/off!
  

It's a Commitment!

With many of the local newspapers filling up with advertisements geared towards brides and grooms, I am reminded that wedding season is right around the corner. Myself having 2 friends that will be tying the knot within the next few months, I have let them know about Emily Elizabeth Anderson's 'Eco-Chic Weddings'. Emily reminds us that an environmentally conscious wedding need not equal a less stylish one. Click here if you want to check out Emily's website.











Click on the image to read more about this book.

Another one?!?!?

I was recently introduced to this networking site called Greenopolis. While I don't (yet) personally know anyone on it, I am hoping that it will help keep me abreast when it comes to the increasingly popular 'green' scene.
Click here to check out this site.