Going Green ebook

Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com Page 1 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Lights Out White’s Out/Brown’s In Give the Boot to Bleach Stop Using Antibacterials The Right Sponge High Efficiency Showerheads Military Showers Hot Water Heater Rehab Outdoor High Efficiency Lighting Compact Florescent Only Wash with a Full Load Drive Smart Skip Fast Food Buy Local Flowers for Mom Toilet Training Plastic Bottle Controversy Have the Pros Wash your Car Green Nail Polish Energy Saving Coffee Save Toner and Paper No-Iron The WaterSense Label Long Grass is Good Start a Rain Garden Mini Changes for Maxi Impact More Quick Tips Use Less Energy in the Kitchen Conclusion About Silya Wiggins 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 Page 2 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com 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 carbon footprint measures the impact you and your activities have with respect to greenhouse gases and your overall contribution to global warming. 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. White’s Out/Brown’s In Page 3 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com 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. Give the Boot to Bleach Hydrogen Peroxide is a great alternative to chlorine bleach. It’s just water with an extra oxygen molecule that breaks down into oxygen and water. Hydrogen peroxide – or H2O2 -- is made naturally when sunlight acts on water and is produced by both animal and plant cells. Have You Bought into the Antibacterial Movement? Stop! Antibacterial products litter markets everywhere from soaps and cleaners to cutting boards, and even toys. Triclosan is responsible for all the antibacterial muscle. But there’s a problem. Scientists are now worried that widespread use of triclosan will make it useless because bacteria will develop a resistance. Save the antibiotics for when you need them. Both the American Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say you can stay clean and safe by washing your hands in hot soapy water for 20 to 30 seconds, and scrub surfaces regularly. And instead of antibacterial sprays, try using vinegar or baking soda to kill bacteria. Page 4 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com Choose Your Sponge Wisely Cellulose fiber sponges are the only way to go these days. Why? Cellulose comes from plantation forests or is made of recycled materials. 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 rinsing. 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! Page 5 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com Improve the Efficiency of Your Existing Hot Water Heater You don’t need to buy a tankless water heater to reap the green benefits. 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%. Try High-Efficiency Lighting for Your 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 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. Never Do Wash Without a Full Load Page 6 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com 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 water? 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. 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 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 Avoid the Daily Waste of Fast Food and Shopping 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 Page 7 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com 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 better 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 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. Make Your Toilets Work Better for You About 60% of your water consumption occurs in the bathroom. If you’re planning any renovations or improvements keep an eye on 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. Page 8 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com 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 efficient 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. 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. Think Washing Your Car is Greener Than Having a Pro Do It? Think Again! 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 driveway. Page 9 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com 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, federal law mandates that car washes must drain their water into sewers 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 neurotoxins 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. 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 maker off and out the grounds in your compost bin. The next person can Page 10 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com make their own coffee when they’re ready. This method not only saves on water, coffee, and electricity, the coffee is fresher and causes less waste. Saving Toner and Paper We’re supposed to be getting more toward a paperless society, especially under the Paperwork Reduction Act. But how many of us still print a copy of an email to put in a file? Many, I’m sure. 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 – 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. Reduce Ironing Time without Sacrificing Crispness 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. Page 11 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com Look for the WaterSense 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 carrying 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 Gardens and Rain Barrels Page 12 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com 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 sedges, 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 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 could be letting 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 Here Are Some Other Quick Tips to Consider  Only boil as much water as you need when using a tea kettle Page 13 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com     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 Some Tips for Using Less Energy in 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 heating the air around the pan and that wastes energy. 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. CONCLUSION Page 14 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com 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 everyone. Have you been to PowerfulLife.com? PowerfulLife.com is a place where you can get direct access to some of the best peak performacne green technology that lets you go green, and save big money. Find out how you can turn your car CO2 free and save up to 20% on your gas, how to turn your washer machine into a green money saving machine, and more, right here. PowerfulLife.com Page 15 PowerfulLife.com Going Green Find Powerful Ways to Go Green and Save Money at PowerfulLife.com Page 16 PowerfulLife.com