Green Living All Year Round

Green Energy
January tips
March tips
April tips

Green Energy

|
Happy New Year! January is a time for resolutions. Let's make the earth greener!

Winterizing your Home
Keep heating bills low and your family warm

* Keep cold air out and check the exterior of your house, including your roof, for cracks or leaks and having them repaired.
* Check the weather stripping around your windows and doors for any damage and replace it where needed.
* Put down your storm windows and consider purchasing heavier curtains for the winter months.
* Seal off unused ducts: If your heat is distributed by heating ducts, have any ducts that open into unused spaces, such as an attic or crawlspace, sealed off.
* Don't forget to replace your furnace filters or have your furnace checked and cleaned by a service-person.

Efficient fireplace usage - While fireplaces are a cozy place to keep warm, they are sometimes inefficient at keeping your house heated. The following tips can be used to help you lower heating bills while warming your feet by the fire.
* Have your chimney and flue cleaned and repaired of any leaks or cracks.
* When using the fireplace, turn your thermostat down to around 55 or 50, keeping your heat from working overtime.
* Make sure all windows and doors are closed tight, except for a window close to the fireplace, which should be open about an inch. This gives the fire an air source other than the hot air in your house.
* Install glass doors with air openings and install heat-circulating grates.
* A fireback, which is a cast iron plate that rests in back of your fire, is another excellent way to disperse heat into the room.
* For an extra special green touch, try the latest fireplace trend- logs made from recycled coffee beans and molasses. Not only do these logs give off less carbon dioxide than normal logs, but they also leave your house filled with a subtle and sweet aroma

Winterizing your Lawn and Garden

* When raking leaves, start a compost pile to fertilize your lawn next spring. You can simply rake them into a remote corner of your yard and let them sit until the spring, or store them in a composting bin.
* Consider alternatives to chemical treatments, such as minerals and organic matter like fertilizer, which will keep your lawn green and eco-friendly.
* Winterizing garden equipment can prolong the life of your lawn-mower or other tools. Just remove the gas from your equipment and re-use it in your car's gas tank. Run the motor of the tool you're winterizing until all the gas is gone. For more information on winterizing your equipment, visit www.epa.gov/reg5oair/mobile/winter.htm

- contributed by Cathy Ruccolo

 

March

Spring into action with Spring Cleaning! March is a great opportunity to open your windows and get cleaning. It's also a time to simplify your life by getting rid of clutter and starting the summer off with a clean slate.

Spring Cleaning: It's easy and healthy to be environmentally conscious. When disposing of the clutter from the past year, consider the following:

**Donate your old clothes, furniture, and other knick-knacks to a local homeless shelter or other organization. Not only will you be helping someone in need and getting rid of unwanted items, but you'll also be helping the environment.
** Have a yard sale. If you want to make some money, why not have a yard sale? You can even organize with other people in your community and have large yard sale and split the profits. Anything that isn't sold can be donated.
** Recycle anything that can't be sold or donated. To find out what your community will recycle, visit www.earth911.org.
** Find out your next hazardous waste day and get rid of hazardous waste that might be in your house.

Hazardous waste doesn't just include obvious items, like propane gas tanks, it also includes household cleaners. Why not get rid of your toxic household cleaners this spring and replace them with non-toxic and less expensive home made cleaners? First, let's talk about the reasons to switch to non-toxic, homemade cleaners:
** Chemicals in cleaners can harm your family. Did you know that an estimated 90% of all accidental poisonings happen in the home? There's a reason why there are warning labels on household cleaners and it's because they can contain toxic substances.
** Household chemicals are not always compatible with each other and should be stored separately, according to the toxin they contain.

Homemade cleaners cost less and don't pose a threat to the safety of your family or household pets. Here are some recipes that will keep your family safe and your house sparkling:
** All Purpose Cleaner - Put approximately 5 cups of warm water (it's warm to help dissolve the Borax), 1 teaspoon Borax, and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and in a spray bottle. Shake it until the ingredient dissolve and it's ready for use.
** Glass Cleaner Use 1/8 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle and let the sun shine in!
** Bathroom & Kitchen Scrub Sprinkle baking soda on the surface to be scrubbed, the use a wet sponge and get the grime out.
** Furniture Polish Use ¾ cup olive oil, ¼ cup white vinegar, and ½ teaspoon of lemon essential oil (if you like the scent), mix well and then rub into furniture with a rag or cloth.

For more information about the hazards of household cleaners and ingredients for their non-toxic substitutes, visit the EPA at http://es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/safe-fs.html. If you prefer to, you can also buy non-toxic cleaners from many grocery and household supply stores.

 

April

Time to start thinking about your garden and lawn! Here are some ideas for keeping your yard bright and colorful:

· Grow plants native to Massachusetts. While alien species can cause a serious threat to the native plants in an area, native plant species are heartier and they do more to support bio-diversity. Using native plants will save you money on pesticide (if you use it), as well as water and fertilizer.
· Try using compost to fertilize your lawn, instead of chemical fertilizers. Not only is composting a wonderful way to cut down on waste, but it will also save you money. Also, consider joining or establishing a composting group in your community, you can share the compost between the members in your group, or sell the compost to local gardeners.
· If you like growing fruits or vegetables, consider organic gardening. For detailed information on this process, which does not involve the use of harmful chemicals or pesticides, visit http://home.vtown.com.au/dbellamy/contents.html.
· When purchasing gardening tools and equipment, buy recycled or used. Garden hoses and garden shoes are frequently available made from recycled rubber.