Install Automatic “Sleep-mode” on Computer Appliances
1) Activate the “sleep” mode on fax machines, printers, and computers to save power while you are not using them (Neal Hribar 2008).
2) Companies waste over $1 billion a year on computer monitors, fax machines, printers, etc. that should be turned off when instead they are left on (Chris Arnold, 2004).
3) Installing an automatic sleep mode feature costs nothing. The EPA provides free software that can do this for your computer (Arnold 2004).
4) Leaving monitors on all the time eats up energy because computer technology runs on burning fossil fuels (Patrick Burns 2008). If every American put their computer-related devices on sleep-mode, we could save up to 100% of the energy we use. That’s up to $40,000! (Patrick Burns 2008).
Close the Drapes on Hot Weather; Open them in Cold Weather
1) Close the drapes in hotter weather to avoid having to turn the air conditioner up. This will eliminate some of the heat that the sun emits through your house on a hot day. Open the drapes during the day in colder weather to avoid turning up the heater. This traps some of the heat produced by the sun on a cold day (Neal Hribar 2008).
2) The average household produces about 30% of their total carbon emissions with heating (Earth Care Sundbury 2008).
3) Closing or opening drapes or blinds has no initial cost. It can only save you money!
4) Trapping or avoiding heat with drapes depending on the season can save up to 55% of the average American’s heating/cooling bills (Energy Right 2008).
Works Cited
Arnold, Chris. 2004. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1960428
Hribar, Neal. 2008 http://www.hribar.com/energy-saving-tips.htm
Burns, Patrick. 2008 http://www.acns.colostate.edu/aspx/www.acns/bulls/energy_saving_power_saving.html
Energy Right. 2008. http://www.energyright.com/ideas.htm#top
Earth Care Sundbury. 2008. http://www.city.greatersudbury.on.ca/cms/index.cfm?app=div_earthcare&lang=en&currID=4770
Ride a bicycle instead of using your car. This form of transportation doesn’t use any nonrenewable energy and also doesn’t give off any pollution (Charity Guide, 2007).
Charity Guide. “Ride Your Bicycle Instead.” 2007. http://bb.philau.edu/.philau.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_11213_1
A four mile drive is equivalent to 15lbs of pollutants (Charity Guide, 2007). If people can start using bikes instead of driving, they can save 15lbs of pollution for each ride.
Eat less meat and more vegetables. Each calorie of protein found in an animal uses 78 calories of fossil fuel to produce. This equates to about half of the consumed water in the US (Next Student, 2008).
Next Student. “10 easy ways to go green on campus.” 2007. http://www.nextstudent.com/the-students-blog/archive/2008/05/06/10-easy-ways-to-go-green-on-campus.aspx
1. Use a clothesline whenever possible instead of a dryer. This saves gas and/or electricity and money. Sunshine is free to use whenever it is available (Merchant, 2008).
2. By using a clothesline instead of a dryer, residential energy costs can drop by 5% (Merchant, 2008).
3. The initial cost is next to nothing if a person has some thin rope lying around and a few trees in the backyard. If this is not feasible, there are several options. A simple clothesline is $5.25 and it can tied to any post, tree, or even fence. A retractable indoor clothesline can be purchased for $22.00 and wooden drying racks can be purchased for $33.00. All can be found at clotheslineshop.com (Clothesline Shop, 2008). The drawbacks of a clothesline are the time it takes for clothes to dry, especially jeans, and the possible stiffness.
4. An electric dryer costs $6.97 a month to run about 5 loads of laundry per week and uses 85 kWh of electricity (Duke Energy). By switching from a dryer to clothesline, the average household can
save about $100 per year (Merchant, 2008).
Works Cited
"Appliances: Cost of Operation." Duke Energy. Duke Energy. 18 Oct 2008 .
Merchant , Brian. "Use Clotheslines, Reduce Energy Cost by 5%." Planet Green. 15 Sep 2008. Discovery Communications. 18 Oct 2008 .
"Outdoor Clotheslines." The Clothesline Shop. 2008. The Clothesline Shop. 18 Oct 2008 .
Watch less television
1. Watch less television by turning the television off when it is not really being watched, watching television in a group or as a family. To just save energy on an LCD TV, turn down the backlight (First Choice Power).
2. If a tv is left on for 8 hours per day it will cost between $41-$102 per year Turn the tube off or purchase an LCD TV, which uses 50% less energy (New York Energy Smart, 2008).
3. Turning the television off is free and easy. Watching television as a family or group is also free and can help build closer relationships. If purchasing an LCD tv check out this website: http://www.consumersearch.com/www/electronics/lcd-tv/?referrer=yahoo_ssp Prices range from $385 to $2500, depending on size (Consumer Search, 2008).
4. A color television accounts for 2.9% of an average household’s energy expenses. If investing in a new television, keep in mind a plasma tv uses 246 watts, an analog tv uses 123, and an LCD tv uses just 77 watts (Portland General). The average American spends 19 hours per week watching television (Merchant, 2008).
"Average number of hours per week spent watching television." Sign on San Diego. 2005. The San Diego Tribune. 18 Oct 2008
1) Keep your tires inflated to improve gas mileage (Bond 2006).
2) Your gas mileage will be improved by 3%(Bond 2006).
3) It costs anywhere from $0-$.50 to use the air pump at the local gas station to fill your tires. By taking the time to do this you save money on gas and get longer usage out of your tires (Green Home 2008).
4) Incorrect tire pressure is responsible for the production of an additional 18.4 metric tons of CO2 which end up in the atmosphere each year (Green Home 2008). Every gallon you save also saves 20 pounds of C02 emissions(Bond 2008).
10 Simple (and Cheap) Green Ideas. 2008
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-simple-and-cheap-green-ideas.html
Fill your tires. Reduce your CO2. 2008
http://greenhome.huddler.com/forum/thread/293/fill-your-tires-reduce-your-co2
1)Remove yourself from the national mailing list to save paper and save yourself the aggravation. Use sites like these:
https://www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference/?ref=G
(CBS 2007).
or pay $20
to use greendimes.com which eliminates larger amounts of junkmail and plants 10 trees for every person who registers.
2)The average person gets only 1.5 personal letters each week, compared to 10.8 pieces of junk mail. 320 million of local taxes are used to dispose of unsolicited mail each year, you are saving your tax dollars (Green Dimes 2008).
3) There is no cost to get yourself unlisted, just savings for yourself and the environment (Direct Mail 2008).
4. 100 million trees are ground up each year for unsolicited mail. It wastes 28 billion gallons of water for paper processing each year. 44% of all junk mail is thrown in the trash, unopened and unread. Green Dimes has stopped 3 million pounds of junk mail and over 500,000 catalogs from being delivered to their members. Over one millions trees have been planted or saved by their service and partners. A reported decrease of 90% of unwanted junk mail has been applauded by their members(KNOL 2008).
Top "Clean and Green" Ideas. 2007.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/24/cleangreen/main3291152.shtml
Green Dimes. 2008
http://www.mamashealth.com/saveearth/greendimes.asp
KNOL. 2008.
http://knol.google.com/k/jonathan-kraft/stopping-junk-mail-and-go-green-has/1cr2uvc2n4ajo/24#
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Lifelong Lessons
The house is continuing the efforts of trying to be more eco-friendly. We are maintaining actions such as unplugging our laptops while we work on them, keeping the lights off whenever possible, and keeping appliances unplugged. We are sticking to the motto “Reduce, Reuse & Recycle” as strictly as possible.
We have incredibly reduced the amount of water and electricity usage. For example, we try to let our hair air dry as much as possible, before we consider using a hair dryer/straightener. And even if some people forget a light switch on occasion, others are there to help out. We are also shutting the water off while we brush our teeth and wash our hands and turning it back on to rinse. This may seem like a small amount of water, however, it does add up with 5 people washing and brushing multiple times every day! I am also working on keeping my room as clean as possible so that I will not have to waste as much electricity on vacuuming or wasting as many chemicals on cleaning up spills and such.
We reuse as many objects as we can before throwing them away or recycling them ex. Plastic bags, water bottles, scrap paper, and getting more than one use out of certain pieces of clothing, etc.
We also continue to recycle as much as possible, including PhilaU recyclables, but also other recyclables we get from other places. I have been recycling ink cartridges and donating old, gently worn clothing.
We are also trying to reduce our ugly carbon footprints by walking, bicycling, carpooling and using public means of transportation. These reduce carbon emissions because either we are emitting zero amounts of carbon or having one trip being used for multiple uses, not just one.
I feel as though many of these tasks are very simple! They are so easy to do, I find myself easing into some of them. It can be hard to master all of the recommendations at once, so easing into them is best. Some habits may be hard to break, but we should be making conscious decisions everyday to do out best at keeping ourselves eco-friendly.
Here are a couple of fun links that reiterate simple ways to being green and encourage us to do so!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrBxApe0EM0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPkOFwaGKG0
It can be easy being green,
Jennifer Rushalski
Rushalski4528@philau.edu
732.688.4877
We have incredibly reduced the amount of water and electricity usage. For example, we try to let our hair air dry as much as possible, before we consider using a hair dryer/straightener. And even if some people forget a light switch on occasion, others are there to help out. We are also shutting the water off while we brush our teeth and wash our hands and turning it back on to rinse. This may seem like a small amount of water, however, it does add up with 5 people washing and brushing multiple times every day! I am also working on keeping my room as clean as possible so that I will not have to waste as much electricity on vacuuming or wasting as many chemicals on cleaning up spills and such.
We reuse as many objects as we can before throwing them away or recycling them ex. Plastic bags, water bottles, scrap paper, and getting more than one use out of certain pieces of clothing, etc.
We also continue to recycle as much as possible, including PhilaU recyclables, but also other recyclables we get from other places. I have been recycling ink cartridges and donating old, gently worn clothing.
We are also trying to reduce our ugly carbon footprints by walking, bicycling, carpooling and using public means of transportation. These reduce carbon emissions because either we are emitting zero amounts of carbon or having one trip being used for multiple uses, not just one.
I feel as though many of these tasks are very simple! They are so easy to do, I find myself easing into some of them. It can be hard to master all of the recommendations at once, so easing into them is best. Some habits may be hard to break, but we should be making conscious decisions everyday to do out best at keeping ourselves eco-friendly.
Here are a couple of fun links that reiterate simple ways to being green and encourage us to do so!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrBxApe0EM0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPkOFwaGKG0
It can be easy being green,
Jennifer Rushalski
Rushalski4528@philau.edu
732.688.4877
Monday, October 20, 2008
Update
Being Eco-friendly in the way we live has been easy in some aspects but not in others. I've noticed that, as stated before, old habits do die hard. We seem to be doing really well when it comes to keeping appliances and electronics unplugged when not in use. I have noticed though that sometimes lights are left on. This may just be because someone was rushing and wasn't really thinking about the light. I feel that if this challenge was more than a month, more progress in living environmentally friendly would be seen. It takes time to break old habits and form new ones. Setting these new habits takes determination and may not be as easy as it would seem.
When is comes to being Eco-friendly, I think we should all think back to the mascot Captain Planet for inspiration. :) Some tips from that site (http://captainplanetfoundation.org)for helping the environment are:
1. Pack a Waste-Free Lunch!
An environmentally friendly lunch includes a reusable bag or lunch box, thermos, plastic containers, cloth napkin and silverware. All of these items can be used again later.
2. Get Involved!
It's up to us to save our planet, so get involved in an environmental organization. Check with your local zoo, chamber of commerce, or an environmental publication to find one that's right for you.
3. Trash It!
Chances are that no matter where you walk, you'll see trash. It only takes a minute to stop, pick it up and dispose of it. You can even organize a group of friends to clean up your local park or neighborhood so that you have a nice place to play.
4. Bright Idea!
Energy is wasted when we use light bulbs with higher wattages than needed, so double-check your bulbs! You can also save energy and money by installing more efficient, compact fluorescent bulbs. And remember to turn off lights when you're not in the room.
5. Conserve Water in the Bathroom!
Make sure to turn water off while you're brushing your teeth. You can also take shorter showers. In fact, make it a game! Keep an egg timer in the bathroom and see who can get their showers down to three minutes. (And still get clean!) By the way, installing a water-saving shower head not only saves water, but it also saves the fuel that would have been used to heat up the extra hot water. And that reduces pollution.
6. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!
From newspaper to egg cartons to organic materials such as leaves and yard clippings, lots of things can be recycled. Even coffee grounds can be used as fertilizer for some plants. So don't throw away what you can use again!
7. Charge It!
The mercury in old batteries will eventually leak out and poison the water it runs into. Instead, buy rechargeable alkaline batteries that can be charged 25 times. That means 25 batteries you didn't have to buy and throw away.
8. Create a Tree-Free Home!
There are lots of ways you can reduce tree consumption in your home. Try replacing paper napkins with cloth napkins, paper towels with a special set of cloth towels or napkins, making note pads from previously used paper or leaving messages for the people in your house on a reusable message board.
9. Camp Safely!
If you're planning a camping or hiking trip into the wilderness, pay attention to how you clean up. Try washing with soapless hot water and sand -- even the mildest soap puts a strain on the environment. If you do use soap, use a biodegradable one. Since there are no bathrooms, be sure to dig your latrine as far as possible from water sources to avoid contamination. Remember, your campsite belongs to others, too (like animals and plants). Leave the site as you found it - or better!
10. Set goals!
There are lots of ways you can make a difference, but don't get overwhelmed by trying to do it all at once! Set weekly or monthly green goals for yourself. This will help to better manage your efforts and still help you to see the changes take place.
Some of the tips above may not apply to this Eco-challenge but they are good in general.
Something I also think is a good idea for being Eco-friendly relates to sustainability. A lot of construction, say for new homes, is done with wood construction. In order to have this construction, thousands of trees are cut down. Even though new trees are planted, they take a long time to grow to full size. 30 years or so is the shortest time these new trees have taken to grow. I believe we should plant not just one tree for every one cut down but at least 3 (to start). Trees aren't just cut down to build homes and other structures, they are used to make our paper goods. We need these trees to help us survive. To clean the air we breathe. So, as well as planting more trees, instead of just making more and more new homes, I believe that old ones should be repaired. If the old homes are in too bad of a condition to simply repair, we should then just demolish and try to rebuild on that land. That way, we use the same land again rather than taking up more of the precious land we only have so much of.
Co-Captain
Rachel Lubin
609-575-3940
lubin4711@philau.edu
When is comes to being Eco-friendly, I think we should all think back to the mascot Captain Planet for inspiration. :) Some tips from that site (http://captainplanetfoundation.org)for helping the environment are:
1. Pack a Waste-Free Lunch!
An environmentally friendly lunch includes a reusable bag or lunch box, thermos, plastic containers, cloth napkin and silverware. All of these items can be used again later.
2. Get Involved!
It's up to us to save our planet, so get involved in an environmental organization. Check with your local zoo, chamber of commerce, or an environmental publication to find one that's right for you.
3. Trash It!
Chances are that no matter where you walk, you'll see trash. It only takes a minute to stop, pick it up and dispose of it. You can even organize a group of friends to clean up your local park or neighborhood so that you have a nice place to play.
4. Bright Idea!
Energy is wasted when we use light bulbs with higher wattages than needed, so double-check your bulbs! You can also save energy and money by installing more efficient, compact fluorescent bulbs. And remember to turn off lights when you're not in the room.
5. Conserve Water in the Bathroom!
Make sure to turn water off while you're brushing your teeth. You can also take shorter showers. In fact, make it a game! Keep an egg timer in the bathroom and see who can get their showers down to three minutes. (And still get clean!) By the way, installing a water-saving shower head not only saves water, but it also saves the fuel that would have been used to heat up the extra hot water. And that reduces pollution.
6. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!
From newspaper to egg cartons to organic materials such as leaves and yard clippings, lots of things can be recycled. Even coffee grounds can be used as fertilizer for some plants. So don't throw away what you can use again!
7. Charge It!
The mercury in old batteries will eventually leak out and poison the water it runs into. Instead, buy rechargeable alkaline batteries that can be charged 25 times. That means 25 batteries you didn't have to buy and throw away.
8. Create a Tree-Free Home!
There are lots of ways you can reduce tree consumption in your home. Try replacing paper napkins with cloth napkins, paper towels with a special set of cloth towels or napkins, making note pads from previously used paper or leaving messages for the people in your house on a reusable message board.
9. Camp Safely!
If you're planning a camping or hiking trip into the wilderness, pay attention to how you clean up. Try washing with soapless hot water and sand -- even the mildest soap puts a strain on the environment. If you do use soap, use a biodegradable one. Since there are no bathrooms, be sure to dig your latrine as far as possible from water sources to avoid contamination. Remember, your campsite belongs to others, too (like animals and plants). Leave the site as you found it - or better!
10. Set goals!
There are lots of ways you can make a difference, but don't get overwhelmed by trying to do it all at once! Set weekly or monthly green goals for yourself. This will help to better manage your efforts and still help you to see the changes take place.
Some of the tips above may not apply to this Eco-challenge but they are good in general.
Something I also think is a good idea for being Eco-friendly relates to sustainability. A lot of construction, say for new homes, is done with wood construction. In order to have this construction, thousands of trees are cut down. Even though new trees are planted, they take a long time to grow to full size. 30 years or so is the shortest time these new trees have taken to grow. I believe we should plant not just one tree for every one cut down but at least 3 (to start). Trees aren't just cut down to build homes and other structures, they are used to make our paper goods. We need these trees to help us survive. To clean the air we breathe. So, as well as planting more trees, instead of just making more and more new homes, I believe that old ones should be repaired. If the old homes are in too bad of a condition to simply repair, we should then just demolish and try to rebuild on that land. That way, we use the same land again rather than taking up more of the precious land we only have so much of.
Co-Captain
Rachel Lubin
609-575-3940
lubin4711@philau.edu
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Suggestions for Going Green FROm Team C
Air sealing
1. Caulking windows or just little cracks in the home can save energy and money. It better insulates houses and keeps cold drafts out in the winter months, while keeping the heat inside. Simply hold a candle or piece of thread near an edge or corner of a window or door and if it blows, there is a draft in that spot (Minnesota) .
2. This is a greener technique than not caulking because by keeping the warm air in it prevents moisture from condensing in the walls. This could prevent structural damage to the home. This also prevents large amounts of carbon dioxide from escaping into the atmosphere and causing polluting. In addition, sealing leaks can over $100 per year in home heating and cooling costs (Minnesota).
3. Caulk is a very small investment. It costs $4.98 for a caulk gun and $4.36 for a tube of white caulk at Lowes. Potential drawbacks include the danger of locking carbon monoxide inside the home, which could be deadly. The benefits of caulking set in almost immediately (Lowes, 2008).
4. Forty two percent of a family’s energy bill is spent on heat and cooling. The average American residential energy consumption is between $1,410 and $2,020 (Ceednet)! Caulking windows and cracks can lower the energy bill by ten percent (EIA, 2008).
Works Cited
"Caulk." Lowe's. 2008. Lowe's. 11 Oct 2008 .
"Caulking and Weatherstripping." Home Energy Guide Techniques, Tactics, and Tips. Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Information Center . 11 Oct 2008 .
"Energy Efficiency." Energy Kids Page. Energy Information Administration. 11 Oct 2008 .
"The Rising Burden of Energy Costs on ." Balanced Energy. Balanced Energy. 11 Oct 2008
Water Conservation
1. To save conserve water in the bathroom place a brick or bag of rocks into the toilet tank. This saves water every time the toilet is flushed. It also takes less time for the toilet to flush because there is less space in the tank (monolake, 2007).
2. This method is greener than leaving the toilet as is because it saves five to ten gallons of water per day, or upwards of 300 gallons per month for a typical family (monolake, 2007).
3. This conservation method is free if rocks or bricks are available in the backyard, but if a brick needs to be purchased, a single brick costs just $0.43 at Lowe’s (Lowe’s, 2008). The drawback is that the brick can deteriorate over time from sitting in the water and the particles that come off the brick can potentially harm the flushing mechanism. Wrap the brick in tape or a plastic bag to prevent this from happening (Arizona).
4. The average American uses four to six gallons of water everyday just flushing the toilet with a small tank (Elmwood). Modern toilets use just 1.6 gallons of water per flush, compared to six gallons a few decades ago. The United States flushes five billion gallons of water down the toilet a day. By putting a brick or rocks in the toilet, each person can save at least five gallons per day.
Works Cited
"Bathroom: Water Conserving Toile." Residential Water Conservation. 2001. SAHRA.
Arizona Board of Regents. 11 Oct 2008
"Brick." Lowe's. 2008. Lowe's. 11 Oct 2008
7294&Ntk=i_products&Ntt=brick>.
"Water Consrvation Tips: Household Hints to Consrve Water and Money." Mono Lake
Website. 29 Jan 2007. Mono Lake Committee. 11 Oct 2008
.
"Water Usage ." Mayfield Electric & Water Systems. 18 Apr 2008. Mayfield Electric
& Water Systems. 11 Oct 2008
.
"Water Usage Facts." Village of Elmwood Park. 2003. Village of Elmwood Park. 11 Oct
2008 .
Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying. If you must use a dryer, consider adding dryer balls to cut drying time (World Watch, 2008).
-They cut dryer time by 25% and are reusable
-In replacement of dryer sheets
-The kit is $7.50
-You can add a lint removal kit to further maximize your dryer’s efficiency, which costs $19.95 for the kit.
-These two items can be ordered online at https://earthaidkit.com/buy/cat-dryerefficiency.php?ref=6
^ (Earth Aid Kit, 2008).
Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high (World Watch, 2008).
-reduce the amount of water and energy that is wasted while doing everyday actions like rinsing dishes, washing your hands, and brushing your teeth.
- kits for faucet aerators run from $2.50-$4.00 when ordered online from https://earthaidkit.com/buy/cat-faucetaerators.php?ref=6
^(Earth Aid Kit, 2008).
Work Cited
Earth Aid Kit, 2008. https://earthaidkit.com/buy/cat-dryerefficiency.php?ref=6.
World Watch Institute, 2008. http://www.worldwatch.org/re
Taking your shoes off at the door can eliminate many environmentally unfriendly things. At the end of the day, imagine what is left on your shoes. Things such as oil, animal waste, antifreeze, particulate pollution, and pollen are just a few of the examples of things that you could be dragging into your home from outside (“How to Green Your Cleaning”). A good way to go about eliminating these kinds of harmful things from entering your home is to have a doormat or a shoeless policy where everyone must remove his or her shoes at the door. This is a very cheap way to keep a multitude of unwanted germs and other environmentally harmful things out of your home. Having a shoeless policy is 100% free, and doormats can be purchased for as low as $4.99 at amazon.com (“Doormat”). It is estimated that “the average six-room dwelling takes in 40 pounds of dust in a year. A private home may have between 800,00 and 1,600,000 tiny bits of dust and particulate matter in every cubic inch of air” (“The Dirty Facts”). Also, “70-80 % of dust, grime, and dirt in a building is tracked in from the outside on peoples feet - permanently damaging floors and carpets” (“Door Mat Facts”). Interior door mats perform many tasks including dust control; protecting floor finishing; and spot, spill, and soil control. They are also very useful in protecting indoor surfaces from wear in high traffic areas (“Types of Mats”).
Works Cited
“Doormat”. http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1224090785/ref=sr_pg_2?ie=UTF8&rs=&keywords=doormat&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Adoormat&page=2
“Door Mat Facts”. Stopdirt.com. 2008. http://www.stopdirt.com/product/INFO24/Door_Mat_Facts.html
“The Dirty Facts”. Stopdirt.com. 2008. http://www.stopdirt.com/c=AWQ6QOXUWLDLPluf5SPN9FsQF/product/CLEANINGTIPS/The_Dirty_Facts__Why_you_need_mats.html
“Types of Mats”. Stopdirt.com. 2008. http://www.stopdirt.com/product/INFO25/Mat_Types.html
Drink tap water instead of expensive bottled water to reduce the amount of plastics you use. “Americans spent more money last year on bottled water than on ipods or movie tickets: $15 Billion” (Fishman, Charles). “We've come to pay good money--two or three or four times the cost of gasoline--for a product we have always gotten, and can still get, for free, from taps in our homes” (Fishman, Charles). Also, “there’s very little empirical evidence which suggests bottled water is any cleaner or better for you than its tap equivalent” (Baskind, Chris). Using less bottled water cuts down on transportation of the product which can save gas and provide less resulting emissions. In the U.S. alone, we transport 1 billion bottles of water per week via ships, trains, and trucks (Fishman, Charles). That’s a lot of gas and pollution. Also, buying bottled water produces plastic waste that is very harmful to the environment because there are such massive amounts. “Bottled water produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year,” and more than 80% of plastic bottles are not recycled (Baskind, Chris). According to Food and Water Watch, in order to produce all of the plastic we use, it requires up to 47 million gallons of oil per year (Baskind, Chris). Cutting back on bottled water is not only free, it has great benefit for the environment.
Works Cited
Baskind, Chris. “Five Reasons Not to Drink Bottled Water”. 11 May 2008. http://lighterfootstep.com/2008/05/five-reasons-not-to-drink-bottled-water/
Fishman, Charles. “Message in a Bottle”. July 2007. http://bb/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_11213_1
Buying local produce is healthier for both the consumer and the environment, and is always a better option than buying out of state produce.Buying local produce helps keep local farms in business
which also helps to maintain lower taxes.
At the same time buying locally helps keep pastures and fields open, rather than developed helping to keep the environment clean and benefit the wildlife population while helping the community thrive (Do it Yourself 2002).It is greener than out of state produce because when you take into consideration the distance most foods have to travel to make it to your dinner table, you realize how many emissions are produced during the transportation process. Buying locally can even help reduce global warming, something we all should be concerned with. Also, smaller, locally run farms tend to use less pesticides and chemicals on their plants (Do it Yourself 2002).The financial benefits aren't direct but are still significant. According to the USDA, 4.7 million farms have been lost in the United States since 1935. In addition, in 2002, farmers reported their lowest net cash earnings since 1940. By buying locally you can help relieve some of the financial distress most farms face every year.Farmers also don't have to share there profits if their produce is bought directly from the farm. By keeping local farms flourishing, farmers always need help harvesting and tending to the farm’s needs, so opportunities arise more jobs and more evenly balanced taxes.From the poor economy to the poor environment to America’s struggle for better health, it can all be helped by keeping your money invested in local farms(Do it Yourself 2002).According to some estimates, farmers who practice conservation tillage could sequester 12-14% of the carbon emitted by vehicles and industry (KVUE 2008).
FoodMiles.us and FoodKM.com are two new twinned sites that allow consumers to type in their zip or postal code for a list of farmers and shops selling locally grown food in their region.
Work Cited
"Buy Local Produce and Help the Planet." 2008. Do It Yourself. http://www.doityourself.com/stry/buy-local-produce
"Ten Reasons To Buy Local Food." 2008. KVUE. http://www.greenrightnow.com/kvue/2008/10/14/ten-reasons-to-buy-local-food/
2. Wear certain clothing items more than once before washing them to save energy and water (Planet Green 2008). 90 percent: Amount of total of energy used by a typical washing machine to heat the water; only 10 percent is used to power the motor (Planet Green 2008). You can consume up to five times less energy by wearing your jeans at least three times, washing them in cold water, and skipping the dryer or the iron(United Nations Environment Programme).
Work Cited
"How to go Green: Laundry". 2008. Planet Green. http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-laundry/green-laundry-stats-numbers.html
Turn off kitchen and bathroom fans 20 minutes after use. Exhaust fans that are used when cooking work very well in absorbing extra moisture. However, leaving them on after you are done using the room cause the fans to absorb extra moisture and reduce the heating or cooling effects of a house (CES Philadelphia 2008). Turning off a fan costs no money and can actually save you up to $7 a month on your heating and air conditioning bill (Free Press Release Distribution 2008). Turn off the oven 5 minutes before you’re finished cooking. The food will continue to cook even though the oven is off because of the excess heat (U.S. Department of Energy 2008). Opening your oven during use or keeping it on until your food is fully cooked wastes about 30% of the heat. People may think that their food will not be fully cooked but baked goods will actually turn golden brown and meat benefits from sitting in a cooling oven for about 15 minutes (Clean Air Online 2008). The average American will reduce their carbon emissions by 50% by not preheating or opening the oven during use and turning it off a little early (U.S. Department of Energy 2008).
Works Cited
CES Philadelphia 2008
http://www.savewithces.com/energyheatandcool.html
U.S. Department of Energy 21 January 2008. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/heating_cooling.html
Free Press Release Distribution 2008
http://www.prlog.org/
Chiff 1999-2008
http://www.chiff.com/a/cut-heat-bills.htm
Clean Air Online 2008
http://www.cleanaircamp
Take extra plastic bags you have lying around, and use them as trash bags. Instead of throwing them away, place them in your trash can to save plastic! “When one ton of plastic bags is reused, the energy equivalent of eleven barrels of oil is saved. When one ton of paper bags is reused, up to seventeen trees are spared,” (Rogers and Kostigen 2007). This is a no-cost (actually, money-saving) act that can help save the environment, and increase sustainability.
Works Cited
Rogers, Elizabeth, and Thomas M. Kostigen. "The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time." 2007.
2. When you go to the grocery store, bring reusable bags with you. This saves thousands of plastic grocery bags from being tossed into landfills. They sell reusable bags at local food marts, and can cost as little as 99 cents, and in many cases, stores offer small discounts if you bring your own reusable grocery bag. “Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year,” (reusablebags.com).
Works Cited
Reusablebags.com. Better Bags for a Better Planet and More. “Facts
figures regarding the true cost of plastic bags.” http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php.
1. Caulking windows or just little cracks in the home can save energy and money. It better insulates houses and keeps cold drafts out in the winter months, while keeping the heat inside. Simply hold a candle or piece of thread near an edge or corner of a window or door and if it blows, there is a draft in that spot (Minnesota) .
2. This is a greener technique than not caulking because by keeping the warm air in it prevents moisture from condensing in the walls. This could prevent structural damage to the home. This also prevents large amounts of carbon dioxide from escaping into the atmosphere and causing polluting. In addition, sealing leaks can over $100 per year in home heating and cooling costs (Minnesota).
3. Caulk is a very small investment. It costs $4.98 for a caulk gun and $4.36 for a tube of white caulk at Lowes. Potential drawbacks include the danger of locking carbon monoxide inside the home, which could be deadly. The benefits of caulking set in almost immediately (Lowes, 2008).
4. Forty two percent of a family’s energy bill is spent on heat and cooling. The average American residential energy consumption is between $1,410 and $2,020 (Ceednet)! Caulking windows and cracks can lower the energy bill by ten percent (EIA, 2008).
Works Cited
"Caulk." Lowe's. 2008. Lowe's. 11 Oct 2008 .
"Caulking and Weatherstripping." Home Energy Guide Techniques, Tactics, and Tips. Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Information Center . 11 Oct 2008 .
"Energy Efficiency." Energy Kids Page. Energy Information Administration. 11 Oct 2008 .
"The Rising Burden of Energy Costs on ." Balanced Energy. Balanced Energy. 11 Oct 2008
Water Conservation
1. To save conserve water in the bathroom place a brick or bag of rocks into the toilet tank. This saves water every time the toilet is flushed. It also takes less time for the toilet to flush because there is less space in the tank (monolake, 2007).
2. This method is greener than leaving the toilet as is because it saves five to ten gallons of water per day, or upwards of 300 gallons per month for a typical family (monolake, 2007).
3. This conservation method is free if rocks or bricks are available in the backyard, but if a brick needs to be purchased, a single brick costs just $0.43 at Lowe’s (Lowe’s, 2008). The drawback is that the brick can deteriorate over time from sitting in the water and the particles that come off the brick can potentially harm the flushing mechanism. Wrap the brick in tape or a plastic bag to prevent this from happening (Arizona).
4. The average American uses four to six gallons of water everyday just flushing the toilet with a small tank (Elmwood). Modern toilets use just 1.6 gallons of water per flush, compared to six gallons a few decades ago. The United States flushes five billion gallons of water down the toilet a day. By putting a brick or rocks in the toilet, each person can save at least five gallons per day.
Works Cited
"Bathroom: Water Conserving Toile." Residential Water Conservation. 2001. SAHRA.
Arizona Board of Regents. 11 Oct 2008
"Brick." Lowe's. 2008. Lowe's. 11 Oct 2008
7294&Ntk=i_products&Ntt=brick>.
"Water Consrvation Tips: Household Hints to Consrve Water and Money." Mono Lake
Website. 29 Jan 2007. Mono Lake Committee. 11 Oct 2008
.
"Water Usage ." Mayfield Electric & Water Systems. 18 Apr 2008. Mayfield Electric
& Water Systems. 11 Oct 2008
.
"Water Usage Facts." Village of Elmwood Park. 2003. Village of Elmwood Park. 11 Oct
2008 .
Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying. If you must use a dryer, consider adding dryer balls to cut drying time (World Watch, 2008).
-They cut dryer time by 25% and are reusable
-In replacement of dryer sheets
-The kit is $7.50
-You can add a lint removal kit to further maximize your dryer’s efficiency, which costs $19.95 for the kit.
-These two items can be ordered online at https://earthaidkit.com/buy/cat-dryerefficiency.php?ref=6
^ (Earth Aid Kit, 2008).
Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high (World Watch, 2008).
-reduce the amount of water and energy that is wasted while doing everyday actions like rinsing dishes, washing your hands, and brushing your teeth.
- kits for faucet aerators run from $2.50-$4.00 when ordered online from https://earthaidkit.com/buy/cat-faucetaerators.php?ref=6
^(Earth Aid Kit, 2008).
Work Cited
Earth Aid Kit, 2008. https://earthaidkit.com/buy/cat-dryerefficiency.php?ref=6.
World Watch Institute, 2008. http://www.worldwatch.org/re
Taking your shoes off at the door can eliminate many environmentally unfriendly things. At the end of the day, imagine what is left on your shoes. Things such as oil, animal waste, antifreeze, particulate pollution, and pollen are just a few of the examples of things that you could be dragging into your home from outside (“How to Green Your Cleaning”). A good way to go about eliminating these kinds of harmful things from entering your home is to have a doormat or a shoeless policy where everyone must remove his or her shoes at the door. This is a very cheap way to keep a multitude of unwanted germs and other environmentally harmful things out of your home. Having a shoeless policy is 100% free, and doormats can be purchased for as low as $4.99 at amazon.com (“Doormat”). It is estimated that “the average six-room dwelling takes in 40 pounds of dust in a year. A private home may have between 800,00 and 1,600,000 tiny bits of dust and particulate matter in every cubic inch of air” (“The Dirty Facts”). Also, “70-80 % of dust, grime, and dirt in a building is tracked in from the outside on peoples feet - permanently damaging floors and carpets” (“Door Mat Facts”). Interior door mats perform many tasks including dust control; protecting floor finishing; and spot, spill, and soil control. They are also very useful in protecting indoor surfaces from wear in high traffic areas (“Types of Mats”).
Works Cited
“Doormat”. http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1224090785/ref=sr_pg_2?ie=UTF8&rs=&keywords=doormat&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Adoormat&page=2
“Door Mat Facts”. Stopdirt.com. 2008. http://www.stopdirt.com/product/INFO24/Door_Mat_Facts.html
“The Dirty Facts”. Stopdirt.com. 2008. http://www.stopdirt.com/c=AWQ6QOXUWLDLPluf5SPN9FsQF/product/CLEANINGTIPS/The_Dirty_Facts__Why_you_need_mats.html
“Types of Mats”. Stopdirt.com. 2008. http://www.stopdirt.com/product/INFO25/Mat_Types.html
Drink tap water instead of expensive bottled water to reduce the amount of plastics you use. “Americans spent more money last year on bottled water than on ipods or movie tickets: $15 Billion” (Fishman, Charles). “We've come to pay good money--two or three or four times the cost of gasoline--for a product we have always gotten, and can still get, for free, from taps in our homes” (Fishman, Charles). Also, “there’s very little empirical evidence which suggests bottled water is any cleaner or better for you than its tap equivalent” (Baskind, Chris). Using less bottled water cuts down on transportation of the product which can save gas and provide less resulting emissions. In the U.S. alone, we transport 1 billion bottles of water per week via ships, trains, and trucks (Fishman, Charles). That’s a lot of gas and pollution. Also, buying bottled water produces plastic waste that is very harmful to the environment because there are such massive amounts. “Bottled water produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year,” and more than 80% of plastic bottles are not recycled (Baskind, Chris). According to Food and Water Watch, in order to produce all of the plastic we use, it requires up to 47 million gallons of oil per year (Baskind, Chris). Cutting back on bottled water is not only free, it has great benefit for the environment.
Works Cited
Baskind, Chris. “Five Reasons Not to Drink Bottled Water”. 11 May 2008. http://lighterfootstep.com/2008/05/five-reasons-not-to-drink-bottled-water/
Fishman, Charles. “Message in a Bottle”. July 2007. http://bb/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_11213_1
Buying local produce is healthier for both the consumer and the environment, and is always a better option than buying out of state produce.Buying local produce helps keep local farms in business
which also helps to maintain lower taxes.
At the same time buying locally helps keep pastures and fields open, rather than developed helping to keep the environment clean and benefit the wildlife population while helping the community thrive (Do it Yourself 2002).It is greener than out of state produce because when you take into consideration the distance most foods have to travel to make it to your dinner table, you realize how many emissions are produced during the transportation process. Buying locally can even help reduce global warming, something we all should be concerned with. Also, smaller, locally run farms tend to use less pesticides and chemicals on their plants (Do it Yourself 2002).The financial benefits aren't direct but are still significant. According to the USDA, 4.7 million farms have been lost in the United States since 1935. In addition, in 2002, farmers reported their lowest net cash earnings since 1940. By buying locally you can help relieve some of the financial distress most farms face every year.Farmers also don't have to share there profits if their produce is bought directly from the farm. By keeping local farms flourishing, farmers always need help harvesting and tending to the farm’s needs, so opportunities arise more jobs and more evenly balanced taxes.From the poor economy to the poor environment to America’s struggle for better health, it can all be helped by keeping your money invested in local farms(Do it Yourself 2002).According to some estimates, farmers who practice conservation tillage could sequester 12-14% of the carbon emitted by vehicles and industry (KVUE 2008).
FoodMiles.us and FoodKM.com are two new twinned sites that allow consumers to type in their zip or postal code for a list of farmers and shops selling locally grown food in their region.
Work Cited
"Buy Local Produce and Help the Planet." 2008. Do It Yourself. http://www.doityourself.com/stry/buy-local-produce
"Ten Reasons To Buy Local Food." 2008. KVUE. http://www.greenrightnow.com/kvue/2008/10/14/ten-reasons-to-buy-local-food/
2. Wear certain clothing items more than once before washing them to save energy and water (Planet Green 2008). 90 percent: Amount of total of energy used by a typical washing machine to heat the water; only 10 percent is used to power the motor (Planet Green 2008). You can consume up to five times less energy by wearing your jeans at least three times, washing them in cold water, and skipping the dryer or the iron(United Nations Environment Programme).
Work Cited
"How to go Green: Laundry". 2008. Planet Green. http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-laundry/green-laundry-stats-numbers.html
Turn off kitchen and bathroom fans 20 minutes after use. Exhaust fans that are used when cooking work very well in absorbing extra moisture. However, leaving them on after you are done using the room cause the fans to absorb extra moisture and reduce the heating or cooling effects of a house (CES Philadelphia 2008). Turning off a fan costs no money and can actually save you up to $7 a month on your heating and air conditioning bill (Free Press Release Distribution 2008). Turn off the oven 5 minutes before you’re finished cooking. The food will continue to cook even though the oven is off because of the excess heat (U.S. Department of Energy 2008). Opening your oven during use or keeping it on until your food is fully cooked wastes about 30% of the heat. People may think that their food will not be fully cooked but baked goods will actually turn golden brown and meat benefits from sitting in a cooling oven for about 15 minutes (Clean Air Online 2008). The average American will reduce their carbon emissions by 50% by not preheating or opening the oven during use and turning it off a little early (U.S. Department of Energy 2008).
Works Cited
CES Philadelphia 2008
http://www.savewithces.com/energyheatandcool.html
U.S. Department of Energy 21 January 2008. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/heating_cooling.html
Free Press Release Distribution 2008
http://www.prlog.org/
Chiff 1999-2008
http://www.chiff.com/a/cut-heat-bills.htm
Clean Air Online 2008
http://www.cleanaircamp
Take extra plastic bags you have lying around, and use them as trash bags. Instead of throwing them away, place them in your trash can to save plastic! “When one ton of plastic bags is reused, the energy equivalent of eleven barrels of oil is saved. When one ton of paper bags is reused, up to seventeen trees are spared,” (Rogers and Kostigen 2007). This is a no-cost (actually, money-saving) act that can help save the environment, and increase sustainability.
Works Cited
Rogers, Elizabeth, and Thomas M. Kostigen. "The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time." 2007.
2. When you go to the grocery store, bring reusable bags with you. This saves thousands of plastic grocery bags from being tossed into landfills. They sell reusable bags at local food marts, and can cost as little as 99 cents, and in many cases, stores offer small discounts if you bring your own reusable grocery bag. “Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year,” (reusablebags.com).
Works Cited
Reusablebags.com. Better Bags for a Better Planet and More. “Facts
figures regarding the true cost of plastic bags.” http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Team C's Suggestions For Living Green
Two ways to conserve electricity
1. Use multi-purpose or combination appliances to save space, outlets, and energy. For example, all-in-one printers/copiers/fax machines/scanners use the energy of one appliance but do the job of four separate machines. Also, unplug the system when it is not in use to save more energy.
2. To conserve in the freezer, fill it up. The more items in the freezer, the more they keep each other cool and there is less work for the freezer. If there are only a few items in the freezer, the appliance itself has to do all the work to keep the items frozen. Also, large ice packs or bags of ice can be added to a freezer fill it up and keep the energy usage down
Sources: "Going Green." HubPages. 2008. Hubpages Inc. . 5 Oct 2008
TURN OFF THE LIGHTS "This is such a simple thing to do, but sometimes it's so hard to remember! Put little stickers near the light switches you leave on the most often, reminding everyone to turn them off when they leave the room. Consider starting a Lights-Off Fund, to which each person must donate a nickel or dime every time he or she forgets to turn off the lights. As those nickels or dimes add up, you might donate them to an environmental organization.
Sources: " Going Green, A-to-Z Idea List. http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/4990/gglist.html
To measure the water consumption of your showerhead, pour 2.5 gallons into a bucket and mark the water level. Then, take a stopwatch and fill the bucket for a minute in your shower. If your showerhead sprays more than 2.5 gpm, get a new one. Delta's new H20Kinetics showerhead uses a frugal 1.6 gpm and is designed so that the water droplets are larger, holding on to heat and offering the feel of a 2.5-gpm shower
Collect "warm-up" water to irrigate your lawn and flowerbeds.
Sources: Main, Emily. "Bathroom Revamp: Savings by the Gallon." Green Guide. 2007. 07 Oct. 2008
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/122/bathroom "8 Ways to Save Water Without Spending a Dime." Green Guide. 2008 07 Oct. 2008
Replace regular light bulbs with compact flourescent light bulbs. "Energy-saving lights can save 80 percent of power than traditional lights, have a fivefold life expectancy of the traditional ones, and have a lighting effect 3.5 times of the traditional ones" ( China Daily 2008). 2)When making tea or a hot beverage, only boil the amount of water needed for that beverage.
Sources: http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T4768588828&
Try not to preheat an oven unless absolutely necessary. If something is going to be cooked for over an hour, there is no need to preheat the oven anyway. "If 30 percent of U.S. households could each reduce total oven preheating time by just one hour per year, the sixty million kilowatt-hours of energy saved could bake a dozen cookies for every American," (Rogers and Kostigen 2007).
Turning off the water while you brush your teeth is one small action that can save a large amount of water. "You'll conserve up to 5 gallons of water per day. Throughout the entire United States, the daily savings could add up to 1.5 billion gallons--more water than is consumed per day across all of New York City," (Rogers and Kostigen 2007).
Sources: Rogers, Elizabeth, and Thomas M. Kostigen. "The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time." 2007. .
The environmental impacts of cleaning products are becoming more thoroughly understood, so more and more brands of healthier products have hit the market. “Many of these products are non-toxic, biodegradable, and made from renewable resources (not petroleum)”(“How to Green Your Cleaning”). But if you’re on a budget, home-mixed cleaners can be a great alternative for getting the job done. “Vinegar and baking soda can be used to clean almost anything. Mix in a little warm water with either of these and you’ve got yourself an all-purpose cleaner”(“How to Green Your Cleaning”). Baking soda can cost as little as $2.19 for a box of Arm and Hammer (“Nextag Comparison Shopping”). Also, a gallon of Vinegar can cost as low as $2.99 (“Food and Drink”). This is a very good alternative because products such as the well-known Simple green all-purpose cleaner can cost $29.95 for one gallon (“Simple Green Cleaning Supplies”).
Sources: “How to Green Your Cleaning”. 2007. http://green.yahoo.com/global-warming/treehugger-221/how-to-green- your-cleaning.html
“Nextag Comparison Shopping”. 1999-2008. http://www.nextag.com/arm-baking-hammer-soda/search-html
“Food and Drink”. 2000-2008. http://www2.shopping.com/xDN-food_and_drinks--wine_vinegar “Simple Green Cleaning Supplies”. 2008. http://shopping.yahoo.com/s:Cleaning%20Supplies:4168-Brand=Simple%20Green B.
Having plants in your home can be a very environmentally friendly way to decorate. They can be aesthetically pleasing and improve your indoor air quality. “Plants can act as natural air filters, removing harmful chemicals like benzene and carbon monoxide from the indoor air”(“Seven Tips for Creating Eco-Fabulous Interiors”). Plants are easy to find at stores such as Wal-Mart and grocery stores. Since we are near the city, there is a multitude of stores that offer plants. There is a list below including some of the names and contact information. “The best plants for improving indoor air quality include the peace lily, bamboo palm and gerbera daisy” (Seven Tips for Creating Eco-Fabulous Interiors”). Peace lilies can be purchased for as little as $15.00 (“Flowers and Plants”). Bamboo Palms plants can be quite costly because they are usually in tree form. This would be a good idea if you have roommates who can all chip in. However, you can buy the seeds for as little as $3.99 and grow your own (“Bamboo Palm Seeds 10”). Gerbera Daisies can cost as little as $3.50 (“Daisy, Giant Gerbera”). This is an easy way to transform your indoor air quality because “people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors”(“The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality”). Having plants to naturally clean the air can make it a much healthier environment. List of Plant Stores in Philadelphia:
1. Circle Florist Shop – 215-289-3737 6400 Castor Avenue - Philadelphia, PA
2. All Occasions Flowers Ltd – 215-625-9193 1002 South Street - Philadelphia, PA
3. Colleen's Corner - 215-335-2288 7400 Frankford Avenue - Philadelphia, PA
4. Fern Flower Shop - 215-483-5971 7100 Ridge Avenue - Philadelphia, PA
5. Flower World Intl - 215-567-7100 230 S Broad Street - Philadelphia, PA
6. Green Acres Garden Center - 215-238-1810 263 S 10th Street - Philadelphia, PA -
You can find more at: http://philadelphia.zami.com/busntype
Sources:
“Bamboo Palm Seeds 10”. 1996-2008. http://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Palm-10-Seeds-Chamaedorea/dp/B000VC18LM “Daisy, Giant Gerbera”. 1999-2008. http://www.directgardening.com/detail.asp?pid=4261
“Flowers and Plants”. 2000-2008. http://www2.shopping.com/xDN-flowers_and_plants--peace_lily “Seven Tips for Creating Eco-Fabulous Interiors”. 2007. http://green.yahoo.com/global-warming/nrdc-230/seven-tips-for-creating-eco-fabulous-interiors.html “The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality”. 25 Apr 2008.
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html#Intro1 .
By choosing products that are made from recycled materials that can be recycled and reused again. Examples are printer cartridges, canvas totes, and clothes. By using these recycled products, you are saving energy, and the use of new materials. (Being a Green Consumer 2008) Also, many times you can buy these products at a discount (for example, remanufactured ink cartridges) or receive a discount on your order (using reusable tote bags) which provides cost incentives to use these tricks. For example, HP has recycled over 250 million pounds in 2006. (HP Global Citizenship Report,2008).
By replacing one meal of red meat a week with something sustainable such as vegetables or fish will help lower carbon dioxide. The amount of energy that is used to feed and harvest the livestock as well as to process the meat contributes to more carbon dioxide. (Eat Green 2008)Red meat tends to be more expensive than most fruits and veggies so if you are a smart shopper, this will not affect your budget. By doing this, "Replacing a diet of red meat and dairy with a ‘chicken, fish, and vegetables’ diet saves 4,300 lbs. of CO2," a year (Statistical Grok, 2008).
Sources:
"Be a Green Consumer." 2008. Conservation International. 10 Oct. 2008.
Chameides, Bill. "Statistical Grok: Carbon Savings at Home." 18 July 2008. 10 Oct. 2008 .
"Eat Green." 2008. 10 Oct. 2008 .
"HP Global Citizenship Report." 2008. 10 Oct. 2008 .
Two inexpensive ways to go green:
1. Insulate your water heater with an insulating blanket so that the heat being used is more efficient (Kiplinger Finance Money, 2008).
2. By insulating your heater, you can eliminate about 500lbs of Carbon dioxide emissions each year because the heater doesn’t have to use as much energy to stay warm (Crawford, 2007).
3. The blanket’s price is under the amount of $20. This will save 10% annually on your water heating bill (Crawford, 2007). 4. Water heaters use about 20% of the energy consumed by the average household. This is the second largest energy user in the home after space heating (Oikos, 2008). 1.) Use cold water to wash clothes in washing machine instead of hot water. Not only does it save energy, but it makes the fabric on your clothes last longer. 2.) Switching to cold water, this saves about 50% of the energy it would take to use hot water. It will also save about $850 in water and detergent (Consumer Energy Center, 2008). 3.) The average American household spends about $72 a month for their water, and if you cut down 15%, you can save $12 dollars a month, equating to $144 dollars a year (Terrapass Blog, 2008). Thirteen Inexpensive ways to go green. 2008 http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/13EasyInexpensiveWaysToGoGreen.aspx Going Green: 20 Small steps that make a big difference. June 2007 http://www.babycenter.com/0_going-green-20-small-steps-that-make-a-big-difference_1682233.bc Oikos. Water Heaters and Energy Efficiency. 2008. http://oikos.com/library/energy_outlet/water_heaters.html Consumer Energy Center. 2008 http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/appliances/washers.html Terrapass Blog. 2008. http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/energy-tip-17-w
1. Use multi-purpose or combination appliances to save space, outlets, and energy. For example, all-in-one printers/copiers/fax machines/scanners use the energy of one appliance but do the job of four separate machines. Also, unplug the system when it is not in use to save more energy.
2. To conserve in the freezer, fill it up. The more items in the freezer, the more they keep each other cool and there is less work for the freezer. If there are only a few items in the freezer, the appliance itself has to do all the work to keep the items frozen. Also, large ice packs or bags of ice can be added to a freezer fill it up and keep the energy usage down
Sources: "Going Green." HubPages. 2008. Hubpages Inc. . 5 Oct 2008
TURN OFF THE LIGHTS "This is such a simple thing to do, but sometimes it's so hard to remember! Put little stickers near the light switches you leave on the most often, reminding everyone to turn them off when they leave the room. Consider starting a Lights-Off Fund, to which each person must donate a nickel or dime every time he or she forgets to turn off the lights. As those nickels or dimes add up, you might donate them to an environmental organization.
Sources: " Going Green, A-to-Z Idea List. http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/4990/gglist.html
To measure the water consumption of your showerhead, pour 2.5 gallons into a bucket and mark the water level. Then, take a stopwatch and fill the bucket for a minute in your shower. If your showerhead sprays more than 2.5 gpm, get a new one. Delta's new H20Kinetics showerhead uses a frugal 1.6 gpm and is designed so that the water droplets are larger, holding on to heat and offering the feel of a 2.5-gpm shower
Collect "warm-up" water to irrigate your lawn and flowerbeds.
Sources: Main, Emily. "Bathroom Revamp: Savings by the Gallon." Green Guide. 2007. 07 Oct. 2008
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/122/bathroom "8 Ways to Save Water Without Spending a Dime." Green Guide. 2008 07 Oct. 2008
Replace regular light bulbs with compact flourescent light bulbs. "Energy-saving lights can save 80 percent of power than traditional lights, have a fivefold life expectancy of the traditional ones, and have a lighting effect 3.5 times of the traditional ones" ( China Daily 2008). 2)When making tea or a hot beverage, only boil the amount of water needed for that beverage.
Sources: http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T4768588828&
Try not to preheat an oven unless absolutely necessary. If something is going to be cooked for over an hour, there is no need to preheat the oven anyway. "If 30 percent of U.S. households could each reduce total oven preheating time by just one hour per year, the sixty million kilowatt-hours of energy saved could bake a dozen cookies for every American," (Rogers and Kostigen 2007).
Turning off the water while you brush your teeth is one small action that can save a large amount of water. "You'll conserve up to 5 gallons of water per day. Throughout the entire United States, the daily savings could add up to 1.5 billion gallons--more water than is consumed per day across all of New York City," (Rogers and Kostigen 2007).
Sources: Rogers, Elizabeth, and Thomas M. Kostigen. "The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time." 2007. .
The environmental impacts of cleaning products are becoming more thoroughly understood, so more and more brands of healthier products have hit the market. “Many of these products are non-toxic, biodegradable, and made from renewable resources (not petroleum)”(“How to Green Your Cleaning”). But if you’re on a budget, home-mixed cleaners can be a great alternative for getting the job done. “Vinegar and baking soda can be used to clean almost anything. Mix in a little warm water with either of these and you’ve got yourself an all-purpose cleaner”(“How to Green Your Cleaning”). Baking soda can cost as little as $2.19 for a box of Arm and Hammer (“Nextag Comparison Shopping”). Also, a gallon of Vinegar can cost as low as $2.99 (“Food and Drink”). This is a very good alternative because products such as the well-known Simple green all-purpose cleaner can cost $29.95 for one gallon (“Simple Green Cleaning Supplies”).
Sources: “How to Green Your Cleaning”. 2007. http://green.yahoo.com/global-warming/treehugger-221/how-to-green- your-cleaning.html
“Nextag Comparison Shopping”. 1999-2008. http://www.nextag.com/arm-baking-hammer-soda/search-html
“Food and Drink”. 2000-2008. http://www2.shopping.com/xDN-food_and_drinks--wine_vinegar “Simple Green Cleaning Supplies”. 2008. http://shopping.yahoo.com/s:Cleaning%20Supplies:4168-Brand=Simple%20Green B.
Having plants in your home can be a very environmentally friendly way to decorate. They can be aesthetically pleasing and improve your indoor air quality. “Plants can act as natural air filters, removing harmful chemicals like benzene and carbon monoxide from the indoor air”(“Seven Tips for Creating Eco-Fabulous Interiors”). Plants are easy to find at stores such as Wal-Mart and grocery stores. Since we are near the city, there is a multitude of stores that offer plants. There is a list below including some of the names and contact information. “The best plants for improving indoor air quality include the peace lily, bamboo palm and gerbera daisy” (Seven Tips for Creating Eco-Fabulous Interiors”). Peace lilies can be purchased for as little as $15.00 (“Flowers and Plants”). Bamboo Palms plants can be quite costly because they are usually in tree form. This would be a good idea if you have roommates who can all chip in. However, you can buy the seeds for as little as $3.99 and grow your own (“Bamboo Palm Seeds 10”). Gerbera Daisies can cost as little as $3.50 (“Daisy, Giant Gerbera”). This is an easy way to transform your indoor air quality because “people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors”(“The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality”). Having plants to naturally clean the air can make it a much healthier environment. List of Plant Stores in Philadelphia:
1. Circle Florist Shop – 215-289-3737 6400 Castor Avenue - Philadelphia, PA
2. All Occasions Flowers Ltd – 215-625-9193 1002 South Street - Philadelphia, PA
3. Colleen's Corner - 215-335-2288 7400 Frankford Avenue - Philadelphia, PA
4. Fern Flower Shop - 215-483-5971 7100 Ridge Avenue - Philadelphia, PA
5. Flower World Intl - 215-567-7100 230 S Broad Street - Philadelphia, PA
6. Green Acres Garden Center - 215-238-1810 263 S 10th Street - Philadelphia, PA -
You can find more at: http://philadelphia.zami.com/busntype
Sources:
“Bamboo Palm Seeds 10”. 1996-2008. http://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Palm-10-Seeds-Chamaedorea/dp/B000VC18LM “Daisy, Giant Gerbera”. 1999-2008. http://www.directgardening.com/detail.asp?pid=4261
“Flowers and Plants”. 2000-2008. http://www2.shopping.com/xDN-flowers_and_plants--peace_lily “Seven Tips for Creating Eco-Fabulous Interiors”. 2007. http://green.yahoo.com/global-warming/nrdc-230/seven-tips-for-creating-eco-fabulous-interiors.html “The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality”. 25 Apr 2008.
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html#Intro1 .
By choosing products that are made from recycled materials that can be recycled and reused again. Examples are printer cartridges, canvas totes, and clothes. By using these recycled products, you are saving energy, and the use of new materials. (Being a Green Consumer 2008) Also, many times you can buy these products at a discount (for example, remanufactured ink cartridges) or receive a discount on your order (using reusable tote bags) which provides cost incentives to use these tricks. For example, HP has recycled over 250 million pounds in 2006. (HP Global Citizenship Report,2008).
By replacing one meal of red meat a week with something sustainable such as vegetables or fish will help lower carbon dioxide. The amount of energy that is used to feed and harvest the livestock as well as to process the meat contributes to more carbon dioxide. (Eat Green 2008)Red meat tends to be more expensive than most fruits and veggies so if you are a smart shopper, this will not affect your budget. By doing this, "Replacing a diet of red meat and dairy with a ‘chicken, fish, and vegetables’ diet saves 4,300 lbs. of CO2," a year (Statistical Grok, 2008).
Sources:
"Be a Green Consumer." 2008. Conservation International. 10 Oct. 2008
Two inexpensive ways to go green:
1. Insulate your water heater with an insulating blanket so that the heat being used is more efficient (Kiplinger Finance Money, 2008).
2. By insulating your heater, you can eliminate about 500lbs of Carbon dioxide emissions each year because the heater doesn’t have to use as much energy to stay warm (Crawford, 2007).
3. The blanket’s price is under the amount of $20. This will save 10% annually on your water heating bill (Crawford, 2007). 4. Water heaters use about 20% of the energy consumed by the average household. This is the second largest energy user in the home after space heating (Oikos, 2008). 1.) Use cold water to wash clothes in washing machine instead of hot water. Not only does it save energy, but it makes the fabric on your clothes last longer. 2.) Switching to cold water, this saves about 50% of the energy it would take to use hot water. It will also save about $850 in water and detergent (Consumer Energy Center, 2008). 3.) The average American household spends about $72 a month for their water, and if you cut down 15%, you can save $12 dollars a month, equating to $144 dollars a year (Terrapass Blog, 2008). Thirteen Inexpensive ways to go green. 2008 http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/13EasyInexpensiveWaysToGoGreen.aspx Going Green: 20 Small steps that make a big difference. June 2007 http://www.babycenter.com/0_going-green-20-small-steps-that-make-a-big-difference_1682233.bc Oikos. Water Heaters and Energy Efficiency. 2008. http://oikos.com/library/energy_outlet/water_heaters.html Consumer Energy Center. 2008 http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/appliances/washers.html Terrapass Blog. 2008. http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/energy-tip-17-w
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Update
Everyone in the house has been searching for new ways to become more environmentally friendly. Within the past week we have come up with a few new ideas that will help us do just that.
Setting your printer to the Duplex printing option is a great way to conserve paper.
Buying more eco-friendly items (refer to link below).
Some companies offer the option of mailing your ink cartridges back to the company to be recycled. (I know that HP offers this service. When you buy a new cartridge, they include a free, pre postage envelope. Just put the empty cartridge in and send it away. So easy!)
Because laptops are a necessity to college students, for work and play, they are used very often. A great way to conserve energy via laptops is to unplug them while in use. Similar to an electric car, the laptop itself can run on its own battery. When the battery is low, simply plug it in to recharge, unplugging again when it has fully charged. This should save approximately half of the energy you would have used!
If you walk away from your computer, you also have the option of putting it in a type of "power saver" or "sleep mode" if you do not way to completely shut off your computer.
So far, these methods, along with the ones previously posted, have been working. Everyone in the house is contributing toward the goal of being more eco-friendly.
_________________________________________________________________
Also, this eco-challenge happens to be just one of the many "green" changes the house has been noticing on the PhilaU campus. Not only have we seen articles in the school paper, reminders to switch off the lights in bathrooms and classrooms, but also in the content of our classes.
Personally, I have seen teachers encouraging duplex printing and e-mailing of assignements, as opposed to printing them out page by page. My Environmental Science class freshman year got us being active by having us pulling weeds out of a nearby forest, which I was told will create a more habitable environment for wildlife.
I am also currently taking part in the toxicology portion of my Exploring Science class. We are learning about the materials economy. This is a description of how we get our stuff and where ig goes when we are done with it. It includes the extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal of "stuff". I have provided a link to a video that clearly explains all of this. It has proved to be very helpful in defininf the problems with the current system, and what we can do to fix it.
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
I have also added another link below. This link is not a video, however, proves to be very informative. They offer a number of service and loads of informatoin about what actions can be taken in towards becoming more eco-friendly. However, their most interesting attribute is their cosmeteic safety database. This website has gathered information about cosmetics that are sold worldwide. They rate each product and give it a score of 0-10 based on the harm they cause to the plant and to humans. You go to the webiste and look up a product that you use. See how it rates among other products and other brands! If you have a very harmful product, you can also look up alternative products that are safer for you, your family and your environment. I thought this website was a lot of fun!
http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/
It can be easy being green,
Teammate
Jennifer Rushalski
732.688.4877
Rushalski4528@philau.edu
Setting your printer to the Duplex printing option is a great way to conserve paper.
Buying more eco-friendly items (refer to link below).
Some companies offer the option of mailing your ink cartridges back to the company to be recycled. (I know that HP offers this service. When you buy a new cartridge, they include a free, pre postage envelope. Just put the empty cartridge in and send it away. So easy!)
Because laptops are a necessity to college students, for work and play, they are used very often. A great way to conserve energy via laptops is to unplug them while in use. Similar to an electric car, the laptop itself can run on its own battery. When the battery is low, simply plug it in to recharge, unplugging again when it has fully charged. This should save approximately half of the energy you would have used!
If you walk away from your computer, you also have the option of putting it in a type of "power saver" or "sleep mode" if you do not way to completely shut off your computer.
So far, these methods, along with the ones previously posted, have been working. Everyone in the house is contributing toward the goal of being more eco-friendly.
_________________________________________________________________
Also, this eco-challenge happens to be just one of the many "green" changes the house has been noticing on the PhilaU campus. Not only have we seen articles in the school paper, reminders to switch off the lights in bathrooms and classrooms, but also in the content of our classes.
Personally, I have seen teachers encouraging duplex printing and e-mailing of assignements, as opposed to printing them out page by page. My Environmental Science class freshman year got us being active by having us pulling weeds out of a nearby forest, which I was told will create a more habitable environment for wildlife.
I am also currently taking part in the toxicology portion of my Exploring Science class. We are learning about the materials economy. This is a description of how we get our stuff and where ig goes when we are done with it. It includes the extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal of "stuff". I have provided a link to a video that clearly explains all of this. It has proved to be very helpful in defininf the problems with the current system, and what we can do to fix it.
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
I have also added another link below. This link is not a video, however, proves to be very informative. They offer a number of service and loads of informatoin about what actions can be taken in towards becoming more eco-friendly. However, their most interesting attribute is their cosmeteic safety database. This website has gathered information about cosmetics that are sold worldwide. They rate each product and give it a score of 0-10 based on the harm they cause to the plant and to humans. You go to the webiste and look up a product that you use. See how it rates among other products and other brands! If you have a very harmful product, you can also look up alternative products that are safer for you, your family and your environment. I thought this website was a lot of fun!
http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/
It can be easy being green,
Teammate
Jennifer Rushalski
732.688.4877
Rushalski4528@philau.edu
Friday, October 10, 2008
Updates
Well, the schedule is working out when everyone follows it, which is happening for the most part. We also are pretty much sticking to the 8 minute time limit on the showers. It's hard to switch from a longer shower to only 8 minutes, but everyone is trying to make it work. For the electricity portion, everyone is turning out the lights when the leave a room or there's someone around to catch it and turn it off. All the appliances are remaining unplugged when not in use and use has diminished to only necessary use. We also are trying to keep the lights off until they are absolutely necessary.
The whole process is helpful in seeing how much we actually waste. It's also challenging to try and change habits that we've had for so long. Most of us keep our laptops on and plugged in almost all of the time. I know for me that it's hard to change from just closing my laptop and leaving for class to unplugging it, turning off the power strip and letting it run on its battery. I hate turning off my computer completely, so it's easier to just unplug it when I leave, but it's not as easy as leaving it plugged in and closing the top. Like I said, this whole process has us changing old habits and everyone knows old habits die hard. We'll have to see how we do in the weeks to come and see if we stick to these changes after the contest is over or convert back to our old ways. Hopefully we do the former rather than the latter, but only time will tell.
Teammate
Kate Jones
860.964.0255
jones1527@philau.edu
The whole process is helpful in seeing how much we actually waste. It's also challenging to try and change habits that we've had for so long. Most of us keep our laptops on and plugged in almost all of the time. I know for me that it's hard to change from just closing my laptop and leaving for class to unplugging it, turning off the power strip and letting it run on its battery. I hate turning off my computer completely, so it's easier to just unplug it when I leave, but it's not as easy as leaving it plugged in and closing the top. Like I said, this whole process has us changing old habits and everyone knows old habits die hard. We'll have to see how we do in the weeks to come and see if we stick to these changes after the contest is over or convert back to our old ways. Hopefully we do the former rather than the latter, but only time will tell.
Teammate
Kate Jones
860.964.0255
jones1527@philau.edu
Thursday, October 2, 2008
hello eco challengers.
we have already spent most of the eco money and this is what we have already bought....
1. battery powered fan
2. biodegradable handsoap with 100% recyclable bottle
3. floor mats (interior and exterior) that allow for less vacuuming
4. organic milk
5. rags and dish/hand towls
6. timer for showers
we also set up schedules for each member of the house in relation to chores and doing their share in helping. we including chores such as making sure recycling and garbage dont contaminate eachother, making sure lights are all out at night or when leaving the house, making sure everything is turned off or unplugged at night such as tv or microwave (anything that uses power even when not in use), and cleaning kitchen and bathroom at the end of the day so it saves more water in the long run.
to save water will plan to time our showers, keeping them at 8 minutes or less. we will also not flushing the toilet every single time, due to the fact that each flush uses about 3 gallons of water, unless circumstances require us to. we were also looking into finding something for the shower head that could reduce the amount of water used. we want to find something for the kitchen sink that stops the water from going down the drain for time such as washing dishes.
for electricity we plan on unplugging thing such as the microwave when ever we arent using it. we plan on keeping the tv completely turned off from a power strip unless in use. we will make sure that when we leave a room or the house all lights are off as well. during the day we are going to try to keep blinds open and use natural light instead.
we try to reduce by having a jug of water in the fridge. then we reuse if possible, such as water bottles until weigh in. then we recycle everything we can.
for coffee grounds and fruit we are going to try to make a compost pile. this will then fill in any pot holes in our yard. this is good for the environment.
-Co-captains:
Rachel Lubin
6095753940
lubin4711@philau.edu
and
Stephanie Reinke
6316645392
reinke9995@philau.edu
we have already spent most of the eco money and this is what we have already bought....
1. battery powered fan
2. biodegradable handsoap with 100% recyclable bottle
3. floor mats (interior and exterior) that allow for less vacuuming
4. organic milk
5. rags and dish/hand towls
6. timer for showers
we also set up schedules for each member of the house in relation to chores and doing their share in helping. we including chores such as making sure recycling and garbage dont contaminate eachother, making sure lights are all out at night or when leaving the house, making sure everything is turned off or unplugged at night such as tv or microwave (anything that uses power even when not in use), and cleaning kitchen and bathroom at the end of the day so it saves more water in the long run.
to save water will plan to time our showers, keeping them at 8 minutes or less. we will also not flushing the toilet every single time, due to the fact that each flush uses about 3 gallons of water, unless circumstances require us to. we were also looking into finding something for the shower head that could reduce the amount of water used. we want to find something for the kitchen sink that stops the water from going down the drain for time such as washing dishes.
for electricity we plan on unplugging thing such as the microwave when ever we arent using it. we plan on keeping the tv completely turned off from a power strip unless in use. we will make sure that when we leave a room or the house all lights are off as well. during the day we are going to try to keep blinds open and use natural light instead.
we try to reduce by having a jug of water in the fridge. then we reuse if possible, such as water bottles until weigh in. then we recycle everything we can.
for coffee grounds and fruit we are going to try to make a compost pile. this will then fill in any pot holes in our yard. this is good for the environment.
-Co-captains:
Rachel Lubin
6095753940
lubin4711@philau.edu
and
Stephanie Reinke
6316645392
reinke9995@philau.edu
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