May 20th, 2010 by Enermosity
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Saving water at home does not require any significant cost outlay. Although there are water-saving appliances and water conservation systems such as rain barrels, drip irrigation and on-demand water heaters which are more expensive, the bulk of water saving methods can be achieved at little cost. For example, 75% of water used indoors is in the bathroom, and 25% of this is for the toilet. The average toilet uses 4 gallons per flush (gpf). You can invest in a ULF (ultra-low flush) toilet which will use only 2 gpf. But you can also install a simple tank bank, costing about $2, which will save .8 gpf. This saves 40% of what you would save with the ULF toilet. Using simple methods like tank banks, low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators you can retrofit your home for under$50.
By using water-saving features you can reduce your in-home water use by 35%. This means the average household, which uses 130,000 gallons per year, coulod save 44,00 gallons of water per year. On a daily basis, the average household, using 350 gallons per day, could save 125 gallons of water per day. The average individual, currently using 70 gallons per day, could save 25 gallons of water per day.
May 20th, 2010 by Enermosity
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Many schools in Great Britain have been fitted with solar panels, reducing both kilowatt hours used and carbon emissions. One kilowatt hour saved stops the of 1/2 ton of greenhouse gases . Any surplus electricity is sent back to the power company and provides income to the schools. Everyone wins.
May 12th, 2010 by Enermosity
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It’s called formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. You know that weird smell a new car has? That’s off-gassing, and what you’re breathing in probably contains formaldehyde. Formaldehyde fumes can also trigger asthma attacks, headaches, and skin and eye irritation.
In the home, formaldehyde is found as a preservative in air fresheners, spray starch, shampoos, deodorants and many other products. The problem is, it’s not always listed as an ingredient. And sometimes it’s listed as part of another ingredient or can contaminate another ingredient, like the sodium laureth sulfate commonly used in shampoos.
The best advice for avoiding formaldehyde is, if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, don’t buy the product. Essential oil diffusers can be used instead of air fresheners, non-SLS shampoos are now commonly found (Dr. Bronner’s castile soap makes fine shampoo, for instance, and is so useful around the house), and so are natural deodorants.
April 22nd, 2010 by Enermosity
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The U.S Department of Energy reports that 20% of our electric bills come from items that are left plugged in when they are not in use, or items that are in standby mode. With a device called the Kill A Watt you can monitor the energy eaters in your home and cut down on electric usage at the same time. Plug whatever item you want into the device and it will tell you the efficiency of that item by displaying the kilowatt per hour. You will be able to determine which items are costing you the most to run. The Kill A Watt also calculates voltage, line frequency, current, and power factor. You can calculate your electric bill before you even receive it from the electric company.
April 21st, 2010 by Enermosity
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Stuff will not make us happy. Here are a few reasons to be more careful about acquiring stuff.
Stuff costs money.
We have to work hard to buy stuff.
Stuff then needs to be stored; requiring more room.
Stuff needs to be cleaned and maintained.
Stuff breaks.
Stuff needs to be fixed; more money.
Stuff then usually needs to be disposed of.
The less stuff we want, the less we need to work, the less worry – leaving us with more time and energy to enjoy other things.
April 20th, 2010 by Enermosity
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Styrofoam is another wasteful material that has infiltrated our lives. Packing peanuts, plastic tableware, meat trays, and clam shell containers are everywhere, with justifiable economic reason. Styrofoam is easily molded, is cheap to manufacture and provides good thermal insulation, but it is very rarely recycled.
One more big reason for banning styrofoam from your life: studies show that styrofoam contains known carcinogens and is dangerous to your health. Nearly two dozen cities in the USA have banned the use of polystyrene for packaging food.
This is one of the easiest conveniences of modern life to eliminate.
April 19th, 2010 by Enermosity
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Although they may make your clothes feel soft and smell fresh, fabric softener and dryer sheets are some of the most toxic products around. Their chemical make-up includes:
Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
Limonene: Known carcinogen
A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list
Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
Here are a couple of natural alterntives that will keep your family safe.
Small magnets attached to the inside dryer barrel have been used for over 30 years and eliminate static cling in your laundry.
If you want a wonderful smell added to your clothing and bedding, make these do-it-yourself dryer sheets: place a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil on a piece of wet cloth and put it in the dryer with your clothes, or fill a small, sealable canvas bag with dried herbs or natural potpourri—lavender smells great—and toss in with wet laundry.
April 15th, 2010 by Enermosity
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ALWAYS filter water for drinking, food preparation and cooking. According to a study by the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) the public water in 42 states contains 260 contaminanats, 141 of them unregulated by the EPA.
April 14th, 2010 by Enermosity
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Most of us will acknowledge that we have an obligation to make a contribution to reducing our disposable materials consumption. Everyone can participate in the Green Movement by using products that don’t require huge sacrafices of money and effort. These are products that actually improve our environmental condition. The new term coined for these simple contributions is un-products. These are products that can be purchased or made that greatly reduce the need for other commonly used products. One of of the most common is the stainless steel water bottle. You buy it once and it becomes your constant companion, a sort of a traveling oasis. Stack that on one side and a year’s worth of bottled water on the other side. The savings in terms of dollars, natural resources, and environmental impact are incredible. Similarly, canvas shopping bags are another notable un-product. Think of the trees or oil saved for avoiding paper or plastic. So what are the un-products in your lives? Do you have a favorite?
