2. Move lamps, TVs and anything else that heats up away from your air conditioning thermostat. They may cause the air conditioner to run longer. Since the thermostat only reads the temperature around it, it thinks that the room temperature is hotter than it actually is.

3. Give your south-side some attention. Install awnings on south-facing windows, or apply sun-control or other reflective films. Some solar-friendly homes have overhangs on the room that efficiently shade the house during the hot summer months and also allow the light to strike the house during the winter months.

4. Let your windows wear white. Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house. Close curtains on south- and west-facing windows during the day.

5. Plant smart — trees or shrubs can help shade air conditioning units. Just make sure not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses less electricity, thus saving you money.

Want some more tips - keep reading..

6. If you plan on getting some roofing done, using light shingles on a new roof can cut the amount of heat the house absorbs. Repainting in a light color, especially south- and west-facing exterior areas, helps as well. Though this might be costly at first, if you plan on staying at your home fore many years, this will help you save in the long run.

7. Just a few deciduous trees, properly placed around a house, can save a few hundred dollars in annual cooling and heating costs. Plant on the south and west sides. In summer, daytime air temperatures can be 3 degrees to 6 degrees cooler in tree-shaded neighborhoods.

8. If all else fails, take a vacation. Escape to a tropical locale where there is sand and surf to go along with the sun, or try an Alaskan cruise and cool off with some glaciers. Now is a great time to travel, as airlines scramble for customers in a fearful economy. Don’t forget to turn off the air conditioner before you leave.

Here are some other Summer to-do list tips from Frugal Mania.

Here is one thing you can do to help save the earth!

http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/

Register to no longer have paper telephone books be sent to your
house. You know you use the internet to look up phone numbers anyway!
and help SAVE SOME TREES!

Now about Google SMS..

Google SMS is a service you use with your cell phone. You can get information on:

weather
movie listings
directions
phone numbers
stocks
translations
currency conversion
sports
calculator
and more..

How to use it on your cell phone?:
Simply text message your search query to 466453 (”GOOGLE” on most devices) and they’ll text message back your results.

Example:
For weather: type –> weather boston

For movies: type –> movies (and your zip code)

For a phone number: type –> name of restaurant, city

Make sure you have a cell phone plans that doesn’t charge you for texts - otherwise those fees will apply.

Check it out and tell me what you think…

If you like free things, here’s a way to eat for free while having a great time with friends - Check it out at Frugal Mania.

And I just had a big Earth Day success.. Unfortunetly, my office is a culprit of using the styrofoam cups. However, we (my coworker and I who are the underground Earth Day team in the office) pitched and sold the idea to management to remove the styrofoam cups for one day - Earth Day - and encourage workers to bring their own cups in or use a reusable one the office has in the cupboard. Well - they loved the idea.. So PLEASE feel free to use that idea in your office!

I really hope to just raise awareness..

So our 2 big Earth Day goals for today are:
1) Use a mug for coffee and glass or reusable water bottle for water in the office.

2) Conserve your water usage

Learn how..

1) No styrofoam in the office - there’s alot of buzz about this in offices around the U.S. I only know this because I googled it and alot of people were talking about it. I kinda found it hard to get an office to change.. it was like telling a smoker to quit smoking. So anywho, you can only really change yourself.. and hope others follow along or management makes a big change. So you make your dent in helping by doing it YOURSELF!

2) Conserve Water: Ever heard the saying — if it’s yellow let it mellow — this refers to bathroom usage and when to flush and when not too.. Not sure how hippyish that concept is for some.. I always worry about a guest coming over.. But what we can easily do is:

- Take shorter showers and NOT baths
- Put a container in your shower to catch water to use to water plants
- Turn off the hose water outdoors when not using it or put a water control top on the hose
- Get a water conservatory shower head
- Turn OFF the water while brushing your teeth (ohhh, that one bugs me!!)
- Teach your kids the tips above!

I know it already past, but maybe it’ll be something for next year — over at Parenting Children - she wrote about how to have a Green Easter.. Love it!

Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22nd.. Are you ready?

Well, okay to most people - this day doesn’t mean much.. but what can you do for Earth Day this year.. Let me give you ideas all week in Celebration of Planet Earth!

** Plant a tree and spend some time outdoors ***

I feel like it’s been said a million times - Plant a tree - but besides the time I think maybe McDonald’s or some place in my childhood (foggy memory) gave me a tree to plant.. I really haven’t done this.. But as a city dweller, I think to myself.. Where do I plant this tree? I don’t even know where you get a tree sappling to plant, but I do know ACE, Lowe’s, or Home Depot garden depts. know.. So I think I’ll go get one and take it to a forest area and plant it.. I want it close-ish to the city.. We’re the ones who need to air quality.

Spend some time outdoors: Take an allergy pill and get outdoors.. Walking, hiking, riding a bike, picnic, sitting on your patio and reading, eating at an outdoor restaurant patio.. C’mon - I’m trying to make it really easy to get you outdoors.. I’m really into yoga and recently found a group that teaches outdoors. I also got a bike but it’s been in my den for months - and I just found out about a nearby bike path.

So let Earth Day just be the reason to get you to do some of the things you’ve been meaning to do or always wanted to do.

Here’s some additional motivation - hints on avoidance from Finally Getting Fit.

An article by Nicholas Harter entitled Use Plants to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality discusses a NASA study and the top 10 plants and what each can do in your home.. I have some highlights below but you can read the whole article here.

In 1989 NASA created a Bio-home which tested indoor air quality. Indoor plants were successfully used to remove toxins and alleviate sick building syndrome, a problem created by the presence of indoor air toxins. Symptoms associated with sick building syndrome include allergies, asthma, eye, nose, and throat irritations, fatigue, headaches, nervous-system disorders, respiratory congestion, and sinus congestion.

According to the EPA, “sufficient evidence exists to conclude that indoor air pollution represents a major portion of the public’s exposure to air pollution and may pose serious acute and chronic health risk.”

Plants for Clean Air Council (PCAC) and Wolverton Environmental Services, Inc. expanded this research
in 1990 to test specific houseplants for their usefulness in removing commonly found indoor air toxins. So
far, fifty houseplants have been tested for their ability to remove various toxic gases from sealed testchambers.

The following are the top 10 plants, listed from best to least best (keep in mind these are the top 10, so all are excellent indoor plants):

Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens): Also known as yellow palm or butterfly palm. In a home setting, a 6 foot tall areca palm transpires approximately 1 quart of water every 24 hours. The areca is consistently rated among the best houseplants for removing all indoor air toxins tested.

Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa): Lady palm is one of the easiest houseplants to care for and is highly resistant to attack by most plant insects. It is also one of the best plants for improving air quality.

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii): It has an excellent overall rating and one of the highest transpiration ratings. It pumps much needed moisture into the indoor atmosphere, especially during the winter months when heating systems dry the air. This palm is also one of the top-rated plants tested for
the removal of benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde.

Rubber Plant (Ficus robusta): Bred for toughness, it will survive in less light than most plants its size. It will tolerate dim light and cool temperatures. This plant is easy to grow and is especially effective at removing formaldehyde.

Dracaena “Janet Craig” (Dracaena deremensis): It can tolerate neglect and dimly lit environments. “Janet Craig” is best among the dracaenas for removing chemical toxins from the indoor environment. Scoring well in all categories, it should live for decades if properly maintained.

English Ivy (Hedera helix):

It is easy to grow and adapt to a variety of home environments. However, they do not generally do well in high temperatures. The variegated ivies require plenty of light, otherwise they lose their coloring. It has an excellent overall rating and is particularly effective at removing formaldehyde.

Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii): When its environmental needs are met, the date palm can survive for decades. It is one of the best palms for removing indoor air pollutants and is especially effective for the removal of xylene.

Ficus Alii (Ficus macleilandii “Alii”): A magnificent large plant, its ability to help purify the air, ease of growth and resistance to insects make it an excellent choice for the home or office.

Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata “Bostoniensis”): As an indoor plant, the Boston fern requires a certain amount of attention. It must have frequent misting and watering or the leaves will quickly turn brown and begin to drop. Of the plants tested, it is the best for removing air pollutants, especially formaldehyde, and for adding humidity to the indoor environment.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum sp.): The peace lily excels in the removal of alcohols, acetone,
trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde. Its ability to remove indoor air pollutants and its excellent
performance in all categories make it a most valuable houseplant.

Some of the other houseplants that deserve an honorable mention for the performance include the Corn
Plant, Golden Pothos, Kimberley Queen, Florist’s Mum, Gerbera Daisy, Dracaena Warneckei, and
Dragon Tree.

No matter which of the above plants that you choose to decorate your home with, you and your family will
breathe healthier air because of it. We have become accustom to thinking that are indoor air is cleaner
than the air outdoors, especially when we are told to stay indoors on smog alert or air quality action days,
however, without a few precautions such as indoor plants, this may not be the case.

Here’s another cool idea - growing your own herbs for eating - Check out how at Earthly Garden.

I heard on the radio that there have been 8 reported deaths, over 100 hospitalized, and over 400 sick from this outbreak.

For a full list of products potentially affected by the outbreak and on the recall list visit the FDA website.

Want to know more about this awful incident? Read on..

From WebMD the following study was reported:

To find out how they got sick, the CDC last weekend interviewed 57 people ill with the outbreak strain of salmonella and compared their food-consumption histories to 399 healthy people.

The result: Sick people outside institutions tended to have eaten the Kellog’s Austin and Keebler brands of peanut-butter crackers already linked to contaminated peanut paste. Kellog’s recalled the products as soon as it learned of the possible contamination, the day before the CDC investigation began.

Adults and children sickened at hospitals, nursing homes, and schools tended to have eaten the King Nut brand of peanut butter. In all 14 institutions for which detailed information is available, the CDC and state health departments traced salmonella illnesses to the King Nut brand of peanut butter.

King Nut peanut butter is sold in large containers only to institutions. No commercial peanut butter brands sold in grocery stores have been linked to the salmonella outbreak.

* So, if I were you, I’d just lay off the peanut butter till all this gets straightened out. Shame that the plant this happened at is in my home state of Georgia.

For example, here are some mouth watering desserts from Earthly Eating that do not call for peanut butter.

I think we’d all be on board for eating organic food if it was more available for all food products AND it didn’t cost more.

But until that day comes, should you really be trying to eat more organic, spending that extra money??

From a March 2007 article in TIME magazine, author John Cloud states -

Nearly a quarter of American shoppers now buy organic products once a week, up from 17% in 2000. But for food purists, “local” is the new “organic,” the new ideal that promises healthier bodies and a healthier planet.

Want to know which foods are most important to buy organic?

1. Meat
2. Milk
3. Coffee
4. Peaches
5. Apples
6. Sweet Bell Peppers
7. Celery
8. Strawberries
9. Leafy Greens
10. Grapes
11. Potatoes
12. Tomatoes

and Foods it is not as important to buy organic:

1. Aparagus
2. Avocados
3. Bananas
4. Broccoli
5. Clean Cabbage
6. Kiwi
7. Mango
8. Onions
9. Papaya
10. Pineapples

Check out this really cool entry on Living without Meat on eating the inaugural luncheon meal the vegan way.

The Fund enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disasters - and the Red Cross needs resources now more than ever.

To donate and earn miles, choose your itinerary at delta.com, click on “Trip Activities” and select your donation amount. Then confirm your trip summary and finish your delta.com purchase. Be sure to provide your SkyMiles number during booking to ensure your miles are received.

Disasters change lives - you can too. Give back today.

Want to know more about the Red Cross organiztion?

Directly from the Red Cross website:

In addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers compassionate services in five other areas: community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products; educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development programs.

These are the people that always want you to donate blood — Do you?? DO IT!!

Did you resolve to give more this year by donating or volunteering your time? Check out what your zodiac sign says your new year’s resolution should be at Astrology Explored.

Well what better day than Inauguration Day to talk about how our new President feels about environmental issues..

In his inauguration speech this afternoon he mentioned:

* Not depending on energy sources that make our enemies stronger
* Utilizing natural energy sources like solar energy

Here are more specific issues he says he supports…

From http://www.ontheissues.org/environment.htm:

Government should invest in clean energy & green jobs. (Oct 2008)
Willing to suspend ethanol subsidy to keep food prices down. (May 2008)
Genesis teaches stewardship of earth: sacrifice for future. (Apr 2008)
Regulate animal feeding operations for pollution. (Feb 2008)
Will end the notion of Yucca Mountain nuclear storage. (Jan 2008)
Promote green technologies and fuel efficiency standards. (Dec 2007)
Organized inner-city recycling; fought environmental racism. (Oct 2007)
Reduce mercury and lead to protect community health. (Aug 2007)
Protect the Great Lakes & our National Parks and Forests. (Aug 2007)
1985: Organized asbestos removal in Chicago housing project. (Aug 2007)
Passed lead abatement & 24 other laws in IL Senate. (Aug 2007)
Give Katrina contracts to locals, not to Halliburton. (Jun 2007)
Health Care for Hybrids proposal for fuel efficiency. (Mar 2007)
Scored 60% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection. (Jan 2007)
Three months working on minority students recycling. (Aug 1996)
Voted YES on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005)
Tax credit to remove lead-based housepaint. (Nov 2005)
Establish commission to examine Katrina response. (Sep 2005)
Sponsored health impact bill for environmental health. (Apr 2006)
Inter-state compact for Great Lakes water resources. (Jul 2008)
Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting. (Jan 2007)

Share where you were today for inauguration day at Her Daily News.

Dishwasher versus Handwashing

A dishwasher uses only half the energy and one-sixth of the water, less soap too. Even the most sparing and careful washers could not beat the modern dishwasher. Also a dishwasher can get those dishes alot more clean!

Want some more fun facts?

From http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/facts.htm:

If just 25% of U.S. families used 10 fewer plastic bags a month, we would save over 2.5 BILLION bags a year.
On the average, the 140 million cars in America are estimated to travel almost 4 billion miles in a day, and according to the Department of Transportation, they use over 200 million gallons of gasoline doing it.
Every year we throw away 24 million tons of leaves and grass. Leaves alone account for 75% of our solid waste in the fall.
Over 100 pesticide ingredients are suspected to cause birth defects, cancer, and gene mutations.
Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil.
About 1% of U.S. landfill space is full of disposable diapers, which take 500 years to decompose.
Energy saved from one recycled aluminum can will operate a TV set for 3 hours, and is the equivalent to half a can of gasoline.
Glass produced from recycled glass instead of raw materials reduces related air pollution by 20%, and water pollution by 50%.
Americans use 50 million tons of paper annually — consuming more than 850 million trees.
Homeowners use up to 10 times more toxic chemicals per acre than farmers.
By turning down your central heating thermostat one degree, fuel consumption is cut by as much as 10%.
Insulating your attic reduces the amount of energy loss in most houses by up to 20%.
Enough glass was thrown away in 1990 to fill the Twin Towers (1,350 feet high) of New York’s World Trade Center every two weeks.
One ton of carbon dioxide that is released in the air can be prevented by replacing every 75 watt light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs.
Many banks lent large sums of money to developing nations. In order to pay those debts plus interest many nations have turned to the mining of their natural resources as a source of financial aid.
Every day 40,000 children die from preventable diseases.
The public transportation that we have is a wreck. The U.S. continues to promote and invest in private car travel rather than public transportation.
The human population of the world is expected to be nearly tripled by the year 2100.
A three percent annual growth rate will result in the doubling of consumption and production of food and other products in 25 short years. The amount of motor vehicles that are expected to be operated will increase 15 million a year until at least 2010.
The world’s per capita grain production has been on the downfall since 1985 despite the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
Already a train system has been developed (back in 1987) which is based on magnetic levitation and causes minimal pollution. These versions of a train are already in use in several countries.
Fibre optics, made of glass, are being used to replace copper cables throughout the world.
The uncontrolled fishing that is allowed has reduced the amount of commercial species. Some species, up to one-tenth of their original population.
Every day 50 to 100 species of plants and animals become extinct as their habitat and human influences destroy them.

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The Earth
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Deserts are advancing and taking over the land. In Mali the desert has taken over about 220 miles in as few as 20 years. Deserts can be repelled, by developing tree-planting projects, having better agriculture and by managing the land better. However, governments still are reluctant to fund anti-desertification, despite horrific droughts that have occurred in recent years.
The Earth has been around for 4.6 billion years. Scaling this time down to 46 years we have been around for 4 hours and our Industrial Revolution began just 1 minute ago. During this short time period we have ransacked the planet for ways to get fuels and raw materials, have been the cause of extinction of an unthinkable amount of plants and animals, and have multiplied our population to that of a plague.
Despite all of the damage we have caused the environment most of it is reversible. We can restore habitats and return species to them; clean rivers; renovate buildings; replenish the topsoil, replant forests. However, these activities do not relieve the worst symptoms of the damage. We still have to fix the source of these problems, us and our vision that we must progress.

Ever thought about making the move into reusable batteries??? Do it - learn about it at Natural and Sustainable.
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