208 replies to this topic

[btatro]

To go along with keeping lights off, I would like to add actually unplugging appliances when not in use. Even when "off" things that are plugged in are still taking in electricity. I unplug my toaster, coffee maker, lamps when practical, etc

[eds]

btatro, on 31 March 2012 - 07:24 PM, said:

To go along with keeping lights off, I would like to add actually unplugging appliances when not in use. Even when "off" things that are plugged in are still taking in electricity. I unplug my toaster, coffee maker, lamps when practical, etc

Your right, that's called "Vampire Energy," and
. . . it is estimated to cost US citizens $3 Billion dollars a year.

TV sets (especially Plasma one's) Computer systems and Game consoles,
. . . are really "ON," using electricity, when you shut them "OFF.
. . . as are Microwave Ovens, and other appliances that have Clocks in them and
. . . there is an easier way to stop it,
. . . simply plug them into surge-protector with "On/Off" switches,
They really shut of electricity to what ever is plugged into them.

For more information on "Vampire Energy," see the downloadable file here:
http://www.altenergy...-vampireenergy/

[4leafclover]

Grow your own garden! It has lots of benefits like being able to have on hand spices/vegetables plus it helps in the production of oxygen which makes your home cooler. :)

[dkramarczyk]

My aunt recently had to purchase a new set of silverware because her set was missing essential parts as it does happen over time. With the old one she actually make wind chimes out of them and it actually created a really nice sound and they looked really cute too. I think this is a good way to reuse items. Get crafty and make something wonderful out of something that used to be considered garbage.

[clewand550]

We recycle everything in our community.  Everyone is really good about doing their share in recycling.  We have a garbage pickup for garbage and then a separate container for recyclables.  People are realizing here how important it is by helping our planet by recycling.

My husband and I have also changed the way we travel to work.  We both work a good 45 minutes away from where we live.  My husband now takes a charter bus and commutes to work in this charter bus instead of driving by him self in our truck.  I take the car instead of the truck to work and picks my husband up on the way home from work which ends up being on my way home.  This has saved us a lot of money and is helping by using less energy.

[Scott Bartlett]

I do a lot of the usual stuff. I put on a sweater or employ a hot water bottle before turning up the thermostate, I compost, I recycle, I turn off the lights when I leave a room.

Recently, I've been trying to conserve water by turning off the tap while lathering my hands with soap, and also turning off the shower while lathering. I was inspired to do this by a post on TreeHugger about faucets that only let you use 1 litre of water. After that, you have to wait until a reservoir refills with water.

[eds]

This year our big project was to replace 8 single pane windows, with double pane.
. . . The money saved in heating and cooling each year,
. . . according to an Old New England saying:
. . . "A penny saved, is a penny earned . . . and not taxable."

[dkramarczyk]

Scott Bartlett, on 05 April 2012 - 09:33 AM, said:

Recently, I've been trying to conserve water by turning off the tap while lathering my hands with soap, and also turning off the shower while lathering. I was inspired to do this by a post on TreeHugger about faucets that only let you use 1 litre of water. After that, you have to wait until a reservoir refills with water.

I have never heard anything about this, but I would imagine it would be quite beneficial. Mostly people just stand in the water while lathering to keep their bodies warm and relaxed. But it will cost you for doing so.

[Green Thumb]

mommymumbles, on 24 September 2011 - 08:38 AM, said:

A couple more ideas for going green in your home:

Make you own dish soap

Just combine the following-
1 cup of borax
1 cup of baking soda
¼ cup of table salt
2 packets (half an ounce) of unsweetened lemon Kool-Aid

Make Your Own Laundry Softener

Add 1/2 cup baking soda to the rinse cycle (using cold water for the rinse cycle) for soft fresh towels and sheets.

I never thought making environment friendly dish soap and laundry softener would be this easy. Thank you, mommymumbles. I am presently buying/using eco-friendly laundry soap/powder. If anyone knows how to make one as well hope you can share. One more thing, somehow these laundry soaps don’t whiten my white clothes that much so I follow my grandmother’s old ways of exposing the soak clothes under the heat and brightness of the sun for about an hour or so. This helps whitens the clothes. And on occasions that these soaps don’t remove the stains, Calamansi/lemon drops would do the trick. You can just pick this fruits if you have it in your yard or big pots. They are also good for cleaning stains on home furnitures, washbowls, lavatory, walls, floors, etc.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Scott Bartlett, on 05 April 2012 - 09:33 AM, said:

Recently, I've been trying to conserve water by turning off the tap while lathering my hands with soap, and also turning off the shower while lathering.

Shower attachment wands are useful for that too. It lets us "shut off" the water without shutting it off, so we
can keep the temperature we want without wasting water.

[dkramarczyk]

mommymumbles, on 24 September 2011 - 08:38 AM, said:

A couple more ideas for going green in your home:

Make you own dish soap

Just combine the following-
1 cup of borax
1 cup of baking soda
¼ cup of table salt
2 packets (half an ounce) of unsweetened lemon Kool-Aid

Make Your Own Laundry Softener

Add 1/2 cup baking soda to the rinse cycle (using cold water for the rinse cycle) for soft fresh towels and sheets.

That is very interesting. Does everything still get as clean as with store bought cleansers? I really find this interesting. I think another thing that could probably help a person have a more green home is by hand washing your items like in the old days. It worked for them, so it could work for us. Plus, it's pretty good training in case for some reason we lose all of our resources, such as electricity.

[meowcow]

One thing I can share about my experience is that you can start from a less daunting task. I have pondered about going green in the home but was often overwhelmed by the thought of solar panels, recycling, etc. But I decided to just start with some light bulbs. I replaced all my regular bulbs with LED ones and was able to cut nearly $10 in my electricity bill in my first month. I continued this and soon enough I was not only able to save money but now had enough confidence and money to continue on my journey. Now I have been able to purchase solar powered lights, and I am planning on learning more and purchasing more. :)

[btatro]

eds, on 01 April 2012 - 05:21 AM, said:

Your right, that's called "Vampire Energy," and
. . . it is estimated to cost US citizens $3 Billion dollars a year.

TV sets (especially Plasma one's) Computer systems and Game consoles,
. . . are really "ON," using electricity, when you shut them "OFF.
. . . as are Microwave Ovens, and other appliances that have Clocks in them and
. . . there is an easier way to stop it,
. . . simply plug them into surge-protector with "On/Off" switches,
They really shut of electricity to what ever is plugged into them.

For more information on "Vampire Energy," see the downloadable file here:
http://www.altenergy...-vampireenergy/

Thank you for posting a link to get more information. I have not done too much research on the actual numbers and amount of energy saved so I appreciate you posting this to show people the real difference it can make.

[loopmakervj]

I feel your green quotient rises every time you repair a leaky tap,
turn the lights off when you leave a room, avoid throwing trash onto the street, smoke fewer cigarettes,
support your neighbourhood children's play area

Your green becomes blue when you allow the sky to be part of your home, as you ventilate it with courtyards.

It is brown when you choose to reuse your newspapers to line your cupboards.

It is grey when you recycle rainwater to wash your cars with. Green changes colour yet remains the same in context - it's always environmentally responsible.

Green today is entering a new realm, becoming part of everyday life. You don't have to live in a solar-powered home to be green. You can live in one where you use energy-efficient fluorescent lamps.

You don't have to work in a totally non-airconditioned office. You can work in one which minimises energy for airconditioning by optimising orientation, technology and even time of use.

You can opt for locally grown food.

Every time you choose a cloth bag over a plastic one, or promote your local crafts, or contribute to your local school or even set up a crèche for the labour on the construction site of your new house, you are being green.

I would go so far as to say that the sharing of ideas, information, technology and intellectual property is green when it represents an attempt to change the world and contribute to the shrinking of differences and disparities.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Well said, and welcome to the forums.

[eds]

meowcow, on 15 April 2012 - 07:58 AM, said:

One thing I can share about my experience is that you can start from a less daunting task. I have pondered about going green in the home but was often overwhelmed by the thought of solar panels, recycling, etc. But I decided to just start with some light bulbs. I replaced all my regular bulbs with LED ones and was able to cut nearly $10 in my electricity bill in my first month. I continued this and soon enough I was not only able to save money but now had enough confidence and money to continue on my journey. Now I have been able to purchase solar powered lights, and I am planning on learning more and purchasing more. :)

Exactly!  You've discovered the KEY!  
. . . Taking the actual $10 each Month that you've saved on the first project, and
. . . put it aside, to invest it in your next project.
Each time you do it, you will automatically WIN!
. . . When you INVEST in decreasing your energy usage, you will gain,
. . . . . . Money,
. . . . . . Knowledge and
. . . . . . Confidence.
. . . It's a WIN, WIN, WIN situation, and it feels so GOOD!

[Green Thumb]

I read about this funny article where a girl felt her guilty conscience rising everytime she sees a trash loitering on the street or sidewalk. She said she felt like it’s her responsibility to the environment to lift that trash and put it on the available trash bin or if there’s none anywhere, she have to carry it (usually ending up at home) until she finds a garbage can where she can dump it. But her “practical mind” would also reason out to her that “It’s okay. You can leave it right where it is. It’s not your garbage anyway.” She don’t know if it’s a good thing but her guilty conscience would always win and she would always end up picking the trash and putting it to right where it should be because she also have thought of the outcomes when that trash is left there. Her wild imaginative thoughts would sum up to “that single waste could endanger the environment and the whole of the humanity.”

Her message is, like, does it have to be my garbage for me to clean it?

Let’s also try to dispose the garbage we find along the way.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Many neighborhoods have "clean up" day.

It makes the area look better, items are recycled, it's good exercise, and you meet the folks in the area too.

It's more effective than a neighborhood watch program, imo, because you get to know them
and more inclined to watch out for their homes once you work together on projects like that.
Starting a community garden is cool too.

[meowcow]

eds, on 03 May 2012 - 05:08 AM, said:

Exactly!  You've discovered the KEY!  
. . . Taking the actual $10 each Month that you've saved on the first project, and
. . . put it aside, to invest it in your next project.
Each time you do it, you will automatically WIN!
. . . When you INVEST in decreasing your energy usage, you will gain,
. . . . . . Money,
. . . . . . Knowledge and
. . . . . . Confidence.
. . . It's a WIN, WIN, WIN situation, and it feels so GOOD!

Thanks! I'm happy to know I'm taking the right steps and moving in the right direction, and yes it does feel good! As with everything, I found that it does take a lot of patience and self soothing. I've been watching a lot more documentaries about going green and reading up more on it, and it takes a lot of energy for me not to get too frustrated for not being able to afford solar panels and remodeling and restructuring right away, but in a way it's a blessing because I really get to know every nook and cranny so by the time I am at buying stage I would know enough to spend more efficiently. :)

[eds]

meowcow, on 04 May 2012 - 08:55 AM, said:

I really get to know every nook and cranny, so by the time I am at buying stage I would know enough to spend more efficiently. :)

Speaking of "nook and cranny," my wife complained about a draft near the front door, which had just been insulated and we traced it down to 3 light switches beside the front door.  That was when we first discovered that all the wall outlets and switches in our house, had not been insulated.  They had pre-cut insulation at the local store on sale and with a screwdriver and a few hours work, every outlet and switch in the house was insulated. Not sure how much energy and money was saved on that project, or even how to measure it, but I feel that the tiny amount of money and time involved, was repaid many times over, for years to come.