Keeping Cool in the Summer

The summer heat is on! Some areas of the country such as the northeast and upper midwest have had incredibly toasty days already this summer. So how can you keep cool without maxing out the air conditioner and using up a bunch of extra energy?

We will start with the common suggestions:

• Weatherstripping - Make sure the weatherstripping on your doors and windows is in good condition.
• Windows - Close shades, blinds, curtains and drapes during the heat of the day.
• Air Conditioner - Replace dirty air filters.
  
• Laundry - Run your washer and dryer early or late in the day. If possible, hang your clothes to dry!
• Cooking - Avoid using stove top and oven to prepare your meals.
• Stay hydrated - Keep plastic bottles of water in the freezer; grab one when you’re ready to go outside. As the ice melts, you’ll have a supply of cold water with you.

Now here are a few other off the beaten path suggestions to help cool you down:

• Cooling your bed - In the pioneer days, people would heat up rocks and put them at the end of their beds to keep their feet warm. You can do something similar by filling a non-leak container with ice (hot water bottle works well) and putting it at the foot of your bed. Put your pillows or pillow cases in the freezer for a while to cool down before going to bed.
• Lights - Reduce the heat coming from lamps and light fixtures by using compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Clothes - Loose fitting, light colored, cotton clothes are cooler than synthetics.
• Keep your face cool - Fill a spray bottle with water and keep it in the refrigerator for a quick refreshing spray to your face.
• Plant trees or shrubs to shade air conditioning units, but not block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses less electricity. Deciduous trees planted on the south and west sides will keep your house cool in the summer and allow the sunlight to warm the house during the winter.
• Stressed out body - Keep your body from creating extra heat by eating smaller meals. Rest a few minutes and allow your body to slow its pace. Put a cool cloth or face mask on your face while resting to drop another degree or two!
  

Saving Money and Energy

Another idea in our series of "easy" ways to impact the environment at your home or office.

Better lights are the No. 1 way to save money and energy. Why? Because changing your light bulbs is an easy, effective step you can take to reduce your electric bill and the greenhouse gases emitted by creating electricity.

Read the rest of this great article from Mother Earth News

Earth Day Becomes Earth Year - Recycle, Reuse, Reduce, and Save Money

This Sunday, April 22nd, is Earth Day. There are many things you as an individual can do to reuse items, reduce the use of energy and resources, recycle goods, and repurpose items. We’ll give you a few examples in this post, but we would also like you to think about Earth Day as another type of New Year’s Day. Make some ecologically based resolutions to follow for the next “Earth Year.” Leave us a comment to let us know what resolutions you have come up with.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Use reusable cloth sacks when you go shopping instead of plastic shopping bags.
Here are a couple of great sources we found for totes:


Foldable Wheeled Tote

This foldable wheeled tote is constructed of durable rip stop nylon polyester. Durable inline ball bearing roller skate wheels fold for convenient storage. Features a front net pocket and side net pocket for additional storage. Detachable coin pocket, as well as rear zipper pocket for personal items. Heavy duty nickel plated zipper, and convenient adjustable handle straps. A great way to get everything home easily!

Organize.com offers a variety 13 1/2"tall (without straps) x 17 1/2"wide fabric totes at great prices. Here are a couple of examples:




2. Recycle your unused cell phones.
You can recycle your old cell phone and possibly even make some cash. You can check out the details here. You can also read more about this topic in our previous post Recycling Cell Phones.

3. Reset all of your light timers.
With the time change and the seasons changing, you may not need automatic timers to be set to turn on as early.

4. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth.
Sounds simple but it can save quite a bit of water over time.

5. Replace some of your incandescent lightbulbs with low mercury, compact fluorescent bulbs.
They use about two-thirds less energy and last from 5-7 years. You will save energy and money. You can't beat that!

Happy Earth Year! Check back with us soon for more great earth friendly ideas. You may want to sign up for our RSS feed so you won't miss a single post.