Change those incandescent bulbs!

How much money do you think you can save by replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)? You would be surprised. I have changed 30 bulbs in my house so far. I have some lights on dimmers and unfortunately you cannot use compact fluorescent bulbs with dimmers. Not true, just found this: Dimmable CFL bulbs .

• Money Savings - Compact fluorescent light bulbs typically consume 65% - 75% less electricity than regular light bulbs. And they last up to 10 times longer than regular bulbs. The bottom line is that you’ll save money by replacing standard light bulbs with CFL bulbs.
• Help the Environment - Most electricity in the U.S. is produced by coal-fired power plants. The problem is that for every kilowatt hour of electricity generated by a coal-fired plant, the EPA estimates that 1.43 lbs of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. By switching to energy-saving CFL light bulbs, you lessen greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
  

Try the Energy Savings Calculator at One Billion Bulbs. It can help you find out. You just enter the number of bulbs in your household, their wattage, hours used and your state of residence. The Energy Savings Calculator will then display how much money you could save on your electric bill for the year by using compact fluorescent bulbs.

Check out: One Billion Bulbs (they have been flooded by viewers, it may take a few tries)

Save Trees Cut Down Junk Mail

I would like you to join me in cutting down on junk mail and catalogs.

Catalog Choice is an easy, free service that allows you to decline unwanted catalogs, reducing the number of catalogs in your mailbox and the number of trees that get sent to the paper mill.

GreenDimes is a great service that will decrease the junk mail and catalogs that come to your home by up to 90%. Plus, they will plant 5 trees on your behalf.

Join me by clicking the links below:

Catolog Choice

GreenDimes

Thank you.

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No More Wire Hangers

OMG! I recently cleaned out my closet and I have so many wire hangers. The thought of just throwing them out just bothers me. Did you 3.5 billion hangers ending up in our landfills every year. I read somewhere that not only are wire hangers recyclable, but they're made of steel (North America's Number One Recycled Material), they also contain a minimum of 28 percent recycled content. There should be a wire hanger recycling bin somewhere, but there is no such thing that I know of. They can be taken to a scrap metal dealer.

I have heard that some dry cleaners take back wire hangers and reuse them or recycle them. You can check with your local dry cleaners. Many are no longer taking them.

I think it would be a great community or school project to have a wire hanger drive. Any proceeds can be donated to a charity or to the PTA.

I did find a The Wire Hanger Exchange where you can give your hangers to someone who wants to use them.

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Find Local Farmers Markets

In my last post I mentioned shopping at local farmers markets, but not everyone knows where to find them. I found a great place Local Harvest where you can search by zip code. They also have a nice mail order catalog of things you might not find locally.

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SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT

Have you heard of the Slow Food Movement? The Slow Movement first started when a protest against the opening of a McDonald's restaurant in Piazza di Spagna, Rome sparked the creation of the Slow Food organization. The Slow Food Movement opposes fast food and encourages the enjoyment of regional produce, traditional foods, which are often grown organically and to enjoy these foods in the company of others.

Slow Food organizations promote local artisans, local farmers, and local flavors through regional events such as Taste Workshops, wine tastings, and farmers' markets.

Visit Slow Food International for more information or to join in.

Visit Slow Food USA for chapters in your area.


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Shop A Little Greener

"IN". You can carry simple bags or make a fashion statement with the wide selection of colorful and decorative bags. Think of them as an accessory like shoes! Eco friendly shopping bags

National Geographic News reported that between 500 billion and one trillion plastic grocery bags are consumed worldwide each year. That 100,000 birds die annually from encounters with plastic bags and also an estimated 100,000 whales, turtles, and other marine animals.
Let's not forget the fact that each bag takes about 500 years to decompose in a land fill.

You just have to get into the habit of using reusable bags. You can keep the small mesh ones that come in pouches in your purse and keep the larger fabric bags in your trunk. Just be sure to always put them back after shopping.

Save gas and check out The Green Planet Shopping Mall for practical and cute bags.

Ecological Footprint - How Big Is Yours

What exactly is an ecological footprint? According to Wikipedia
it is a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It compares human demand with planet Earth's ecological capacity to regenerate it. It represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area needed to regenerate the resources a human population consumes and to absorb and render harmless the corresponding waste.

Basically, there are consequences for everything we do because everything uses earths resources and creates some sort of waste that goes back into the environment.

Find out your ecological footprint for free at MyFootPrint.org.

Water Bottle Safety- How safe is your bottle

Did you know that most water bottles contain BPA. You should never drink from a water bottle that has been left in a hot car and you should not reuse plastic water bottles. I found PRIMO water at my local grocery store. It comes in cases of 16.9 ounce bottles or you can buy PRIMO Bulk, larger 3 or 5 gallon jugs for coolers and crocks. The plastic bottle is made from American grown corn and not crude oil. I always find it on sale and the price is comparable to major brands.

There are many reusable water bottles available on the market now that are safe and BPA Free. Click below for a list:
BPA Free Water Bottles