Eco Green Tips

photo credit: Lyssuel Calvet

This is the season when most people travel more than any other time of the year thus contributing to the general CO2 emissions.

If you’re concerned about the effect you have on the environment while traveling to the exotic places or just across the state border, there are a few simple steps you can take to minimize the unwelcome effects.

First of all, learn to travel light. Any extra 10 lbs of luggage per passenger necessitates 350 gallons of fuel more yearly. Moreover, the more luggage has to go through the security check-points, the more energy is used on scanning and moving it around. Besides, the less baggage you have, the less tags and airline stickers you will need, which will further save some resources, such as paper.

As for driving, remember that each additional 100 lbs of cargo increases fuel consumption by 2%. So the less you take, the better your car’s fuel economy will be, thus saving you money on gas.

And once you hit the hotel, skip the hotel toiletries. By bringing your own personal hygiene items, you save all  those pesky little plastic bottles for someone else to use. Moreover, your own cosmetics are probably much better for your skin and hair since you know what you’re accustomed to. And use only one towel per person for as long as possible and leave the other available towels untouched. This way you ensure that the hotel does less laundry and saves on water and energy.

Furthermore, turn off all the unnecessary lights in your hotel room and bring your own glasses or mugs. This way, you will save some greenhouse gas emissions and will reduce the use of disposable plastic containers or plastic wrappers the hotel glasses are wrapped in to keep them sanitary.

These are just a few steps you can implement to make your travel greener and your carbon footprint lighter, which will benefit not only you and your family but the planet as well.

photo credit: felixp7

Now, that is a question that begs to be answered. One of my readers has left me a comment to my article about the pros and cons of biofuel and it goes like this:

“You forgot to add wood thats a biofuel and a fairly important one”

Frankly, I have never thought of wood in terms of any kind of biofuel and it surprises me that anyone would. There are so many issues concerning the use of wood as it is, and deforestation is just one (if the biggest and most serious) of them. Not only do people cut the ancient forests for wood to satisfy their enormous appetites for paper and furniture, the new trend in biofuel production causes more forests to be logged to make room for the corn fields and such. And to think that someone actually considers using wood as biofuel is horrifying.

Our planet is slowly dying out and we are running out of resources. And as much as one would like to think of wood as a natural and renewable resource, it is quickly becoming a sort of endangered species in itself.

Despite the fact that wood chips can be used in the production of cellulosic ethanol, it still does not answer the increasing demand for energy and fuel. And unfortunately, the idea of wood as a source of fuel poses more problems ecologically than solves any. In the long run, the cons far outweigh any possible pros. And any tree that would be cut down so one can drive a sports car is simply appalling…

photo credit: OakleyOriginals

This year Earth Hour falls on March 28 at 8:30 pm and it basically requires all participants (as many people as possible, so go ahead and let al your friends and family know about it) to turn off all their lights and other electrical devices for one hour between 8:30 and 9:30 pm. Nothing too troublesome and imagine all the possibilities (e.g. a romantic candlelit dinner with your honey…)

Last years Earth Hour was a test and a successful one at that! Although some people tried to claim it nothing but a publicity stunt, the results were mind boggling. If you’re not sure if your own input will make any difference, consider this:

• An estimated 36 to 50 million people took part in the Earth Hour last year
• Bangkok saved an astounding 42.6 tons of CO2
• Toronto minimized its energy usage by 8.7%
• Dubai managed to save 2.4% of the energy usage during this hour
• Christchurch, New Zealand, reached a boasting 13% of energy saved, and the country as whole saved 335 megawatts
• Australians were not much worse: Melbourne saved 10.1% and Sydney saved 8.4% of energy

So let’s all do our part and turn off the lights for just one hour that day. And perhaps we may actually discover the joy of talking again….

photo credit: Blush Response

Imagine a light bulb that is mercury-free and more energy efficient that the best CFLs available on the market. Well, this may well become reality pretty soon.

A Seattle based company, Vu1, has developed a new type of bulb, which is basically a flood-light that works similarly to the old-fashioned TV tubes but gives out brighter light. The technology was named Electron Stimulated Luminescence (ESL) and it emits 40 lumens per watt, which equals a 65-watt incandescent bulb. The bulb consists of an integrated electron source, which discharges them to a phosphor-coated glass that, in turn, transforms the signals into bright light.

The company states that the new bulb will be available for sales on the Earth Day 2009 with the price range similar to the dimmable 65-watt incandescent light bulbs. Moreover, the fitting of the new bulb is the same as with any old-fashioned bulb so it does not require any adjustments. However, the most exciting feature of the ESL is its lifespan—an estimated 6000 hours per bulb (which is slightly less than the more expensive CFLs and considerably more that the regular incandescent bulb).

Thus, with the new technologies growingly available on the market these days it seems like there is hope for the eco-minded who don’t want to spend a fortune on green improvements…

photo credit: jimmyroq

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one should replace appliances if they are 10 or 15 years older because most likely these older models are not energy efficient. However, if your big appliances are not older than that and they seem to work fine, how do you decide whether it is eco-friendlier to keep them or replace them?

Here is some information that may help you make that decision easier:

Dishwashers

• Energy Star recommends replacing models purchased previous to 1994 since more efficient model will save you water, electricity as well as heating costs.
• New Energy Star rated dishwashers use as little as 4 gallons of water per load as opposed to older models, which may use anywhere from 8 to 15 gallons per load.
• Give your dishwasher away instead of dumping it if it’s less than a decade old since a person hand-washing dishes uses far more water than your old appliance may.
• You may want to consider keeping it if it uses less than 8 gallons per load.

Washing Machines

• Energy Star rated models are 37% more efficient and use 7,000 gallons less water per year. Moreover, the front loading models are far better that the old-fashioned top-loaders.
• It’s advisable to replace a top-loading model since the new models will save you water (uses less water and wrings more water out of your clothes so the drying cycle lasts less as well), electricity and heating costs.
• It’s best to dispose of top-loading machines since they are simply not environmentally friendly to begin with.

Refrigerators

• As the biggest energy consumers in any household (use about 14% of total electricity), it’s most likely best to replace any refrigerators produced before 2001 and most definitely any models previous to 1994.
• If you decide to purchase a new one, consider getting a smaller size, depending on your family needs.
• Donate your model instead of throwing it away since there are people that can benefit form it (as long as it’s not older than 1994) and reduce their own carbon footprint this way.

Dryers

• Unfortunately, technology has not changed much as far as dryers are concerned so keep yours as long as it’s working. Despite the fact that dryers use 4% of total household’s electricity, the newer models available on the market will not bring you too much savings.
• The best thing for the environment and your wallet is to get a front-loading washing machine and line dry as much as possible.
• If you decide to go ahead and replace your dryer, donate it if it still works. It’s much better if it ends up in use somewhere else instead of in the landfill.