10 Simple Green Tips for Home

It’s hard to remember the simple things we can do in our busy daily lives to help reduce our impact.  Keep a list close by or on your refrigerator at home and remind yourself and your family of the small things that can make a big difference. 

1.       Reduce your time in the shower by 5 minutes and save 25 gallons of water a day.

2.       Hire a professional to provide you with a home energy assessment. 

3.       Opt for e-statements for your bills and pay them online to help save paper.

4.       Wash your clothes in cold water to save energy.  

5.       Change out your light bulbs to more efficient options such as halogen incandescent, CFL, and LED bulbs.

6.       Purchase less meat and choose meat from sustainably raised animals.

7.       Unplug appliances like computers, heaters, fans, etc. when not in use.

8.       Add native and drought-tolerant plants to your landscaping. 

9.       Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 degrees F.

10.   Avoid placing lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat.

Nuclear No More

Big disasters can create big change.  After the devastating tragedy in Japan this year, the idea of nuclear power as a mainstream source of energy has come under much scrutiny.  Germany has devised a plan to shut down all 17 of its nuclear reactors over the next decade.   Will the U.S. be next?  The anxiety is that we will not be able to provide the same amount of power with renewables and therefore impact the economy.  But how could we not take the chance in light of what can happen like in Japan?  It seems like an even riskier plan to continue using non-renewable fossil fuels and nuclear derived power.   However, some greenhouse-gas reduction advocates indicate that new and improved nuclear power plants will be cleaner and safer.  And they provide a constant power source unlike variable wind and solar technologies. That could be something to consider.  I say let’s see how Germany handles it and hopefully we can model our energy foundation after their success.

Get Plugged In

Weren’t we just recently wondering who killed the electric car? Well, not anymore.  Electric vehicles are back on the scene in a big way.  Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan and others are bringing low- to no-emission mobility back to life.  Many consumers are apprehensive though about purchasing an EV due to the limited mileage before needing to be recharged.  Availability of alternative fuel locations other than at home is scarce at the moment.  Without the mainstream infrastructure in place, EVs will mostly be practical in urban areas where people don’t need to drive as much or as long of distances.  The word is catching on though because plans are already in motion to start installing charging stations along highways.

With the support of federally funded programs like The EV Project and West Coast Green Highway, the vision is becoming reality. Oregon, Washington and California have entered into a tri-state agreement to install charging stations (Level 2) along the I-5 highway from Mexico up to Canada.  Every 40-60 miles, you can fill up!  Eventually, “fast chargers” (Level 3) will be found at private retailers all over.  Imagine this, you pull over to grab a quick bite to eat, park and plug in your car, and in a few minutes, you’re car is charged up and ready to go. I don’t think we’ll be imagining for long.   This is a huge shift from our current perception of transportation.  The end result will help to reduce our dependence of foreign oil and impact to the environment.  Let’s see if this time around the electric car will live a full and prosperous life.