Solar, wind and other clean technologies are key to fighting climate change. But what do you do if you can’t put solar collectors on your home or buy an electric car or tap into your own windmill? RE Royalties has an answer: invest in “Green Bonds” that help finance investments in renewable energy generation, energy efficiency management and sustainable infrastructure.

When RE Royalties offered to sponsor a post here so we could all learn more about their unique approach to fighting climate change and protecting the planet, I immediately said “yes!” Here’s what I learned by interviewing electronically their chief operating office and co-founder, Peter Leighton, a veteran renewable energy executive with over 20 years of experience in the energy sector, including wind energy and more. This year Peter was named as an Honouree to Canada’s Clean50 for 2020.

In a nutshell, what is RE Royalties?

RE Royalties Ltd. is a specialty finance company created in 2016 that provides innovative financing for climate change solutions. It does so by using a “royalty financing model” to build and support renewable and clean energy projects and companies globally. In other words, it collects royalties from the companies it finances, and uses those royalties to build more projects.

With climate change a pressing issue globally, RE Royalties has become an important and innovative source of capital for renewable energy projects. Royalties is a publicly traded company on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “RE,” It is the first to pioneer the royalty-financing model for renewable energy projects.

Green Bonds enable you to reduce your personal carbon footprint and directly fund the growing green economy.

Why invest in clean energy at all? It seems like the market for solar, wind and geothermal is taking off nicely on its own.

Renewables are currently the lowest cost source of new electricity generation in two-thirds of the world. But, we have many clients who still have trouble accessing low cost capital to help them deliver their renewable energy projects. Our goal is to help these clients build more renewable energy while delivering our investors with growth, yield and the opportunity to help the planet.

The fundamental vision of RE Royalties is to:
1. Help build a cleaner and more sustainable world; and
2. Generate a strong, economic long-term return for our investors.

Why do you need investment dollars when governments subsidize companies like yours so heavily?

This is an interesting question and I would like to answer it in three parts.

Firstly, RE Royalties does not receive any form of government subsidy, whatsoever. We pay tax, we pay our employees and our suppliers on a competitive market basis, and the capital we raise is priced based on investor choice.

Secondly, there is a broad perception that renewable energy is subsidized. I would agree that historically, government policy was necessary to develop the renewable energy industry and subsidies were required to get the monopolistic public utilities to encourage innovation. The fact is that today, renewable energy is the cheapest source of new electricity generation in two-thirds of the world and will be the cheapest everywhere by 2030.

Thirdly, I note that on your excellent website www.biggreenpurse.com, you state that you believe that “… the fastest, most effective way to stop polluters is by pressuring them in the marketplace.” I could not agree more!! I would turn your question around and ask it a different way. Why as a society, are we OK subsidizing the fossil fuel industry by not asking them to pay for the negative impact to the planet that they create?

Personally as a consumer, I am happy to pay a deposit fee to encourage me to recycle a pop bottle, or to pay an extra charge if I forget to take my knapsack to the grocery store and have to use a plastic bag. I am happy to pay for transit to get to work, if it is snowing and I cannot ride my bike. I am also happy to pay a premium for organic produce because I think that is better for my family and better for the global environment. In other words, I am already paying for the negative externalities associated with bottle production, plastic bag production, transportation, and industrial scale farming.

Our society has the opposite view of the fossil fuel industry. There is a groundswell of anti-carbon tax sentiment even though we know that global carbon emissions are causing climate change. Just ask the citizens of California, Washington and Oregon whether they would like to remove the subsidy that prevents the oil and gas industry from paying for their product’s negative externalities. This would be like me saying that I don’t want to pay the city for garbage pickup – that I would prefer to just throw it in the woods.

How risky are Green Bonds compared to other types of energy investments?

It is difficult to compare risk across investments unless you have a clear view into all of the details of each investment alternative, and a clear view of the investment risk horizon for each individual investor. The assessment of Green Bond risk depends on the following: the individual investor; the financial strength of the issuer; and the details (terms, conditions, covenants, etc.) of the offering.

RE Royalties Green Bond offering is different from others in the marketplace because the Bonds are senior-secured against the assets of RE Royalties Ltd. Think of this being like a car loan where the bank’s loan is fully secured against the asset, or car.

The RE Royalties Green Bond also pays a fixed annual rate of interest of 6%, paid on a quarterly basis for the life of the bond. This means that a potential investor knows exactly how much they will earn on this investment. Finally, the International Capital Markets Association oversee the Green Bond Principles governing the issuance of Green Bonds and this means that investors can be sure that the bond proceeds will be used only for truly green investments.

Would Green Bonds ever invest in nuclear power companies, given that some who are concerned about carbon see nuclear power as a solution?

Our investment mandate at RE Royalties would preclude us from using the proceeds of our Green Bond financing from investing in nuclear power companies.

Can Americans or Europeans or the Chinese invest, given that the company is based in Canada?

Yes, investors from the US, Europe or China can purchase our RE Royalties Green Bonds, but they will need to have a Canadian investment account to buy and hold the securities. Canadian securities regulations require a high degree of disclosure and transparency, so the fact that we are traded on the Canadian exchange may be an advantage for some foreign investors. The fact that we trade in Canadian dollars may also be some advantage to  US and foreign investors who are looking to increase their exposure to the Canadian dollar. Some investors in very low interest rate environments such as Europe or Japan may also find the 6% yield on our green bonds very attractive.

In addition to solar, wind and geothermal, are there other promising renewable technologies that Green Bonds might help boost?

Our vision is to create a cleaner future by investing in renewable and sustainable energy. We are agnostic to technology, meaning that we will support any technology. We like proven technology and we have a bias for operating projects. This is because we really like near term cash flow!

It is important to note that to meet our goal of helping to build a cleaner and more sustainable world, we are focusing on both renewable and sustainable energy. Put simply, the world’s carbon emissions are very broadly speaking, driven approximately one-third by electricity generation, approximately one-third by building heating and cooling, and approximately one-third by transportation. Currently we are focusing on the electricity generation piece, but we do see lots of opportunity to utilize our royalty financing product to advance projects in the energy efficiency and transportation sectors.

Is the 6% per annum interest rate guaranteed, regardless of how the economy (nationally and globally) performs?

Yes, the 6% interest rate is guaranteed for the term of the bond. There is no relationship between the interest rate and the performance of either the national or global economy.

What is the projected growth rate of the renewables economy over the next 5 to 10 years?

Globally, $289 billion was invested in renewable energy projects in 2018, according to the United Nations. This investment is expected to increase to $534 billion by 2030 according to the UN Environment Programme as of June 18, 2019.

You can learn more about investment opportunities with RE Royalties Green Bonds here.

The post RE Royalties Green Bonds Power Clean Energy appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Good job! Our consumer demand for clean energy has significantly reduced demand for power generated by polluting coal. Solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal energy sources combined are making a large impact in providing the energy Americans need.

Burning coal pollutes the air and generates carbon dioxide, a major cause of climate change.

Given how serious climate change is, this increased capacity in clean energy is great news!

Use of Coal-Powered Electricity Plants on the Decline in America

With the clean energy revolution is in full swing and more consumers switch to solar and wind, America’s dependence on coal is waning. According to the US Energy Information Administration, coal use in U.S. is at its lowest point in 39 years. In the year 2000, a total of 1,024 coal-powered electricity plants were in operation in the United States. By 2018, that number had decreased to 359.

In part, the decline in coal use can be attributed to natural gas. But that’s not the long-term solution to either climate change or the pollution associated with fossil fuels.  Burning natural gas still sends a considerable amount of climate-changing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Maybe worse, large amounts of methane gas are released into the air during “fracking,” the destructive process of hydraulic fracturing used to extract natural gas from underground shale formations. In fact, though methane gas accounts for only about 15% of greenhouse gas emissions, it lasts longer in the atmosphere, so can actually be worse for climate change than CO2. Plus, fracking pollutes groundwater and creates terrible air pollution around its facilities, many of which are located near schools and in the heart of communities.

What’s So Bad About Fracking? Here’s What You Need to Know.

Clean Energy Capacity Matching That of Coal

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) tracks the capacity of different energy sources. The April and May 2018 capacity reports show that renewable energy sources are on par with that of coal, both having around 20-22% of power producing ability. 

For renewables, wind and water lead the way by together providing about 75% of the total renewable energy capacity. Eight of the ten largest wind farms in the world are located in the U.S. Five of those are in Texas. The largest wind farm in the world is located in Kern County, California. It has the capacity of creating 1,020 MW, with expansion plans to raise its capacity to 1,550 MW.

Solar has added 200 new units so far this year. This gives solar an additional 1,964 MW of capacity, allowing it to account for 2.83% of America’s total power generating ability. Con Ed, a large U.S. utility company, is the second largest solar energy provider in North America. In 2018, they acquired wind and solar projects worth 2.1 billion dollars.

Their total clean energy capacity now can reduce carbon emissions by 5.4 million metric tons each year. That is equivalent to removing 1.2 million cars off of the highway.

The present issue with renewable energy power production is that the capacity is not being used. But with the ever-present public and state pressure for green energy, power producers will continue to scale up their use of renewables.

It’s only a matter of time before clean energy production will permanently bypass that of coal. 

The post Hate Coal Pollution? Switch to Solar, Wind. appeared first on Big Green Purse.

When you save energy, you save money. But where should you start to get a jump on using less energy, especially with winter approaching? Here are 12 smart steps to take, courtesy of Canada’s Direct Energy Regulated Services. Start with actions to reduce the amount of energy you need. Then replace existing equipment with more efficient options.

TO SAVE ENERGY THIS FALL…

INSULATE AND WEATHERIZE

1.Upgrade the insulation in your exterior walls, crawlspaces, basements and attics. Many homes don’t have nearly the insulation they need to keep warm air in and cold air out. If you live out west, check with Alberta power companies, for example. Or, check with your local utility in your region to find out how much insulation your home should have to cut down your energy bills.

2.Seal leaky windows and doors. Heat from your home escapes out these cracks. These leaks are easy to seal with weatherstripping around the door and caulking for the windows, available cheaply at your local hardware store.

3. Seal electrical outlets on exterior walls. Some small amount of cold air gets into your house through electrical outlets that are positioned on exterior walls. You can buy pre-cut insulation pads to put behind those outlets, or plastic plugs to place in them when they’re not being used.

REPAIR AND REFIT

4.Clean your chimney, and install an efficient insert. Wood-burning fireplaces send most of their heat up the chimney, rather than into your home. Maybe this year is the year to install an efficient insert that will capture the heat and radiate it back into your house. Clean the chimney to improve air ventilation and reduce risk of fire.

5. Remove window air conditioners. If they must stay in place, seal them with caulking or weatherizing tape and cover them with an airtight, insulated jacket.

6.Cover single-pane windows. Single panes of glass offer almost no protection against cold temperatures. If you have single-panes, see if you can add energy-efficient double-pane windows with inert argon gas fill, warm-edge spacers, and low-e coating. Also hang drapes or curtains in front of windows to provide additional insulation.

7. Check your water heater. If its surface is hot or even warm, some of the energy used to heat the water is being wasted. Check your owner manual to see how to wrap your water heater in an insulating blanket to keep more of the heat inside the tank.

8.Set the water heater temperature reasonably. In Canada, the recommended temperature is between 43 degrees C and 49 degrees C. In the U.S., the Dept. of Energy recommends 120 degrees F.

9.Uncover heating vents. Make sure your heating bents aren’t blocked by furniture or drapes and the dampers are open. Vacuum out dust and pet hair from warm air registers and cold air returns so your furnace runs more efficiently.

REPLACE

10.Replace your furnace with one rated 90% or higher in energy efficiency. If your furnace is getting old, consider replacing it with a newer, more efficient model. Check with your local utility to see if any rebates are available to help cover the cost. Some tax credits may help offset the cost as well.

11.Replace the air filters in the furnace once a month or so. Cleaner air filters help improve the furnace’s efficiency.

12.Replace your standard thermostat with a programmable one. Get a thermostat that you can set to turn down the heat when you leave for work in the morning or go to bed at night. You can also program it to turn up the heat before you get home or wake up. The U.S. EPA reports that doing save can save you anywhere from to 30% on your heating (and cooling) energy bills.

NOTE: Partners and sponsors help us bring you the expertise you need to lead the greener life you want. Our editorial opinions remain our own. Thanks!

The post 12 Ways to Save Energy This Fall appeared first on Big Green Purse.

If you’re considering solar panel installation but don’t know how to pay for it, you’ve got to read this post. We’ve teamed up with Ecotality.com, which specializes in “everything solar,” to help you figure out how to pay for the clean energy you want, starting with solar panel installation. Read on!

The number of homeowners considering having solar panels installed on their homes is growing. People love the idea of using clean, non-polluting energy that doesn’t cause climate change or air pollution. They’d like to lower their utility bills, too. No wonder 70% of Americans say they “support a version of California’s rooftop solar policy being mandated nationwide.”

Yet, if solar is so popular, why isn’t there more of it?  One big reason is that many homeowners think they can’t afford it.  We wanted to provide some perspective on the costs and suggestions for how to cover them.

What Could Solar Panels Cost?

There are four elemental aspects when installing solar: solar panels, an inverter to convert solar electricity to current you can use in your home, a controller to manage the system, and batteries to store generated power.

Costs for each of these can differ depending on where you live, what finance options you consider and are qualified for, and how much electricity your home both uses and could produce via the installed solar panels.

Generally, total costs could start at $20,000 and more, depending on how many panels you install. However, before you run for the hills, keep in mind that this is just the “sticker price,” not necessarily the final price you’ll pay.

Once you factor in statewide energy tax credits, company discounts, zero-down financing, and federal tax cuts, you might actually pay for only half that cost. And once the system is installed, your lower or zero utility bills additionally offset the initial cost of your system, which might eventually cost you nothing over time.

For example, say your electricity bill averages $200 a month, or $2400 a year.

Your solar panel installation might cost $20,000 at the sticker price, but various incentives and tax credits mean the actual cost outlay is $10,000.

After a year, your utility bills are zero, which means you’re saving $2400 a year.

In less than 5 years, you’ve paid for your solar panel installation through money you’re NOT paying to your utility. Thereafter, you’re “making” $2400 a year on your system by relying on your own solar rather than power from the utility.

Here’s another way to think of it.

You were already spending $2400 a year on electricity. You shifted that money into payments for solar panels. After 5 years, you paid for your solar system. If you live in your home another 10 years, you’ll actually pocket almost $25,000 in money saved on electricity.

By the way, many states allow solarized homes to sell money back to their utility. Not only can your home’s solar system save you money, but it might make you a little, too.

Available Loans for Solar Panel Installations

One solar panel financing option is solar loans.

Solar financing companies include: Urban Solar Group, Florida Solar Design Group, Sun-Tec, Fun In The Sun Solar, and ESD Solar. Know that obtaining multiple quotes can help you better decide which package best suits your budget. (You can choose to finance the complete cost of your solar infrastructure by using a property as collateral, should a financial company require that from you.)

Why Solar Loans Could Work For You

You will need to decide if you should purchase your panels outright or take out a loan to finance their purchase (some companies also install panels for free, but then charge you for the electricity generated, like a standard utility does – see below). Ecotality believes loans make sense if the monthly savings you get from lower electric bills are higher than the amount of the loan you need to repay monthly.

Typically, solar loans have very similar terms and conditions as other home improvement loans. A few States even extend below-market interest rates that are paired with subsidized solar loans. Additionally, many secured solar loans have a tax-deductible interest, so this also already lets you save more on income taxes.

Solar Leases and Power Purchase Agreements

Solar leases and power purchase agreements (PPAs) allow you to rent a solar panel system without having to purchase it.

With a PPA or lease, it is the third-party owner’s (TPO) responsibility to set up the solar panels on your home. You will pay a below-market rate as payment for the solar electricity for the entire duration of the term. So, instead of paying your utility for electricity it generates from polluting coal and oil, you’ll pay a solar provider for solar power. You still turn the lights on, but the power source is cleaner!

Under this arrangement, you won’t need to worry about having to pay a hefty upfront figure.

However, you will not be eligible for all the tax credits, rebates, and other government incentives available to solar panel owners. These perks go to your TPO. Furthermore, at the end of the lease, TPOs may either remove them from your property or sell them to you. They will also be responsible for taking care of all the solar panel maintenance fees, should there be any.

Compare Your Solar Financing Options

Before you decide to take on a financial product, examine every solar financing option you’re qualified for, including PPAs and solar leases.  Discuss your choices with a financial advisor to tax consultant. Be cautious as you weigh the pros and cons of your options. Look for sites online that discuss solar panel installation costs and present side-by-side computations and comparisons of packages provided by solar providers.

Benefits of Installing Solar Panels

Environment-Friendly – Compared to other available energy sources, solar energy is among the cleanest. It doesn’t pollute the water, nor does it produce greenhouse gases or nuclear waste. It also doesn’t produce noise, ensuring households aren’t bothered by unwarranted buzzing sounds.

Lower Utility Bills – Using your own electricity translates to not needing as much from your usual electricity utility. This automatically means you get to cut back on the amount of money you would have spent on your electricity bills. It also helps that it’s possible to sell unused electricity back to the grid.

Solar Energy Can Be Used In More Places Than You Think –  Really shady roofs? No. But as long as sunshine is penetrative, solar energy can be put to use. For example, you can install solar panels on sunny property near your home, like in your backyard. Panels don’t need to go on your roof to provide electricity to your home.

Ecotality offers many more in-depth explanations of how solar works. They also provide excellent product review buying guides and list solar companies to check out state-by-state.

NOTE: Partners and sponsors enable us to bring you the expert content you need to lead the greener life you want. All editorial opinions remain our own.

The post Solar Panel Installation: Costs, Financing, Loans appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Why is the Green New Deal such a big deal? And what impact could it have on your life and the life and future of your family and community?

I’ve read the Deal from top to bottom and here’s what I’ve figured out:

What the Green New Deal aims to do is:

Eliminate the carbon emissions fueling climate change and
the resulting extreme weather events, economic disruption, and disease it causes.

…and 

Do it in the next 10 years.

But what, specifically, does the Green New Deal call for? Here’s a rundown of the Deal and what it means for us and our kids.

First, what actually IS it? The Green New Deal is a resolution, not a proposed law. It does not suggest specific legislation. Instead, it sets an exciting goal that calls for the US to reach “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2029. In doing so, it acknowledges how current energy production affects every aspect of our lives, including employment, health, housing, and education.

Still need to know more about climate change? Don’t miss this post:

Top 10 Reasons to Take Climate Change Seriously!

Why Is It called a “New Deal”? The reference is to the New Deal President Franklin D. Roosevelt created in the 1930s to save the United States from the worst depression in its history. FDR’s New Deal not only put people back to work but established a host of federal agencies and programs to protect farmers, the unemployed, youth, and the elderly.

Several of those programs, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), as well as the Social Security System and the Securities and Exchange Commission, endure today and continue to benefit millions of Americans.

How would the Green New Deal benefit the environment? This past year, rampant forest fires and severe hurricanes destroyed millions of acres of forests. Climate change has made it possible for voracious pests like the pine bark beetle to extend their range northward, killing additional millions of acres of trees. Every year, oil spills pollute lakes, rivers and streams. Fracking for natural gas emits horrible air pollutants and contaminates the drinking water of hundreds of communities.

Phasing out the coal mining, fracking, and oil drilling whose emissions cause pollution and climate change would improve air and water quality. Reversing rising global temperatures could stop the spread of many pests and illnesses like Lyme disease, which have been on the rise as ticks extend their range into what were once cold climates.

How would the Green New Deal get us off dirty energy and onto cleaner energy sources? The Deal suggests a multi-step plan that begins with efficiency. It would upgrade all existing buildings to “achieve maximal energy efficiency, water efficiency, safety, affordability, comfort, and durability.”

New energy would be achieved by “Meeting 100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources”  like solar and wind. The GND also advocates investing in “clean, affordable, and accessible public transportation,” and expanding high-speed rail to reduce the need for polluting air travel. It would spur “massive growth in clean manufacturing” while “removing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing and industry as much as is technologically feasible.” Helping farmers and ranchers eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (i.e., the methane cows and pigs emit when they belch and fart) is on the list, too.

Would the Green New Deal benefit children’s health?  Yes! The Deal advocates an immediate transition away from burning the fossil fuels whose emissions are the primary source both of climate change and dirty air.

That would be good news for all kids, but especially for the millions who suffer from asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Less air pollution would also mean fewer “code red” or “code orange” air quality days, so kids could play outside more. In the long term, reducing the extreme weather events associated with climate change would protect children from threats associated with hurricanes, wildfires, and floods. It would also help stop the spread of infectious diseases, poison ivy, and the ticks that cause Lyme disease.

Who’s going to pay for it? The sponsors of the resolution, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA), view the Green New Deal as an investment, not an expenditure. “We will finance … the Green New Deal the same way we paid for the original New Deal, World War II, the bank bailouts, tax cuts for the rich, and decades of war–with public money appropriated by Congress.”

In all likelihood, individual programs would be paid for by some combination of re-allocated federal program budgets and private entrepreneurial investments, like those Elon Musk made to create the Tesla electric car and John Mackey made when he established the Whole Foods grocery chain.

Anything as ambitious and creative as the Green New Deal is bound to generate detractors and naysayers, and the Deal is no exception.

But with sixty-nine percent of Americans saying they are “somewhat worried” or “very worried” about climate change, according to a December survey by Yale University in Connecticut and George Mason University in Virginia, it would seem that a majority of Americans want government to do much more than they’re doing to rein in this catastrophe-in-the-making.

Of course, you don’t have to wait for Congress to act to do your own part to start saving energy and using  solar and wind.

Start by reading this post:

18 Smart Ways to Save Energy At Home

Then,

Check out the Sunrise Movement, a non-profit coalition that’s working to advance the Green New Deal across the country.

And stay tuned! I’ll have more specifics coming your way soon about how you can take advantage of the Green New Deal.

NOTE: A version of this post originally appeared on Moms Clean Air Force. Make sure you check them out!

The post 6 Reasons Why The Green New Deal Is Such a Big Deal appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Eco friendly hurricane preparedness? Why does it matter?

I’ve lived through Hurricanes Bob, Ernesto, Fran, Irene, Isabel, Jeanne, and Sandy, which was so fierce it was called a superstorm. I’ve had to survive several “derechos,” too. Plus, just three months ago, I was trapped for three hours in a terrifying flood and had to be rescued by first responders.

Especially with hurricanes, you know they’re coming, and you want to do everything possible to be prepared.  But before you rush out and buy cases of plastic bottled water, crates of paper plates, and bulk bags of single-serving plastic-wrapped food, take a pause.

You don’t need to give up your green lifestyle simply because a hurricane is coming your way!

Check out these 10 eco friendly survival tips. They are the same ones I follow whenever I’m faced with a hurricane or other natural disaster. I hope they’ll help you, too.

Eco Friendly Hurricane Preparedness Survival Guide

Here’s what you may need both during and after a hurricane – and how to keep it green.

Note: For convenience, I’ve provided Amazon links so you can see what I’m talking about. Plus, if you need these soon, you can get them delivered quickly. You may also be able to find most of these items at your local hardware or grocery store. If you do buy them at Amazon, I’ll earn a teeny, tiny commission that helps Big Green Purse bring you helpful info just like this. Thanks!

DRINKING WATER

You could lose access to your water supply if pumps stop working or if the supply becomes contaminated because there’s some kind of breakdown at your water treatment plant.

Authorities recommend you have a three day supply of water on hand for every person in your household. That means about three gallons of water per person, to use for drinking as well as cleaning.

Rather than buy cases of plastic water bottles, fill up gallon-sized water jugs with filtered tap water. You can also use pitchers, Thermoses, large water bottles and even cooking pots.

The LifeStaw Personal Water Filter removes bacteria, parasites and even microplastics so you have drinking water wherever you need it.

Large reusable water jugs are also a good option. Though I almost never recommend buying plastic,  reusable jugs that are used only occasionally can help you avoid dozens of single-use throwaways.

Here are two options. Both are collapsible, so you can store them and save them for the next emergency.

Wash all the containers well in hot water. Wait until the day the weather event begins. Then, fill up your containers and cover them tightly, then use sparingly as needed. The water should easily last for three days.

Don’t leave plastic containers in the hot sun.

Once they’re empty, let them dry out completely, then store them in a cool, dry place.

Finally, if you must buy bottled water, choose the largest containers rather than cases of single-use throwaways.

Need a new water bottle? Here are 5 we like!

PERSONAL HYGIENE

If by chance you do lose water, you’re still going to want to clean up.

Each person should have a washcloth available for their hands and face and a sponge bath or two.

You’ll find lots of soft organic cotton wash cloths here, as well as those made from bamboo.

Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap could come in handy as well. Get the unscented soap and use it for personal hygiene and to wash dishes.

Just remember that any soapy water can contaminate other water supplies, so if you pour soapy water out, make sure you do so at least 200 feet from a storm drain, creek or river.

Once an emergency has passed, this is still a great soap to use around the house.

Skip the antibacterial hand cleaners, but if you do need handi-wipes, look for those made with plant-based ingredients free of alcohol, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, artificial dyes, fragrances, and triclosan.

Babyganics Hand and Face Wipes is one option. Honest Co. is another.

NOTE: Baby wipes are NOT biodegradable. Nor should you flush them down a toilet. Check with your municipality as to whether they can be recycled in your community.

FOOD

Have food on hand that doesn’t require refrigeration or cooking. This could include canned tuna and other fish; dried cereal; fresh and dried fruit; peanut butter and jelly; snacks and cookies; soups; and breads and crackers.

If buying canned tuna and salmon, the two brands I think taste best are Sustainable Seas and Wild Planet.

Sustainable Seas sources tuna caught only by pole and line.

That way, there are no other fish or sea creatures unnecessarily caught in nets and killed.

Sustainable Seas is endorsed by The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program and the Blue Ocean Institute. Plus, it tastes good!

Wild Planet sells salmon, tuna, sardines, anchovies, and more.

The pink salmon is really delicious, and can be eaten right from the can or mixed with a little mustard or other condiment.

Like Sustainable Seas, Wild Planet sources its tuna only from pole or troll catch fisheries, not purse seine nets that catch a lot of other fish or sea animals.

Other Food Tips:

In the event of a power outage, keep freezer closed. Open the refrigerator minimally and quickly. Make ice in advance and as soon as the power goes out, put big blocks of ice or ice cubes in your refrigerator to help keep it cool. Have a cooler out and ready if needed.

POWDERED, BOXED OR CANNED MILK AND MILK SUBSTITUTES

If you lose power, one of the first foods to spoil could be your milk. I personally love milk in my coffee and tea, so I always make sure I have some kind of milk on hand in the event of an emergency.

Though I don’t make a habit of buying single-serving milk, I keep a few cartons of single-serving organic milk boxes in my pantry for emergencies.

If you live dairy-free and prefer almond milk, you can also find single servings in a variety of flavors.

Brands like Silk are organic and Non-gmo verified.

COOKSTOVE OR GRILL

I have a gas stove, so even when I lose power I can cook because I can use a match to light a burner.

If you have an outdoor grill, make sure you have enough propane to meet your cooking needs for as long as the power outage lasts.

Skip a charcoal grill as they generate a lot of air pollution.

Here are some camping stoves that work well and are good to have around in a power outage.

Solar ovens could also come in handy – once the sun starts shining again!

LIGHTING

Candles – Avoid using tapers or any candle that could easily tip over and start a fire. Choose beeswax or soy candles, which are healthier than paraffin candles that emit air pollution.

This 100% beeswax emergency candle won’t tip over, and it will give off a lot of light.

You can also group tea light candles together to create a cozy light source. Keep them on a tray or dish, not just on your table or counter, and definitely don’t put them on paper as a precaution against fire.

LuminAid – LuminAID solar lanterns are inflatable and can be charged either by the sun or USB port. That means you can also use them to charge a cell phone.

I like this company because they also provide emergency relief to communities that are hard hit by storms.

They were very active in bringing lighting to residents in Puerto Rico after hurricanes there demolished the island power plants.

Head Lamp – The beauty of a head lamp is that it shines light in the direction you’re looking while freeing up your hands so you can do other activities.

This headlamp uses rechargeable batteries and shines enough light for reading, cooking and anything else you may need to do to make a power outage more tolerable.

Flashlights – LED flashlights give off very bright light. Most of them are battery powered, so if you opt for battery flashlights, use rechargeable batteries like this one does.

Rechargeable Batteries and Charger – You can get rechargers for most batteries. Recharging batteries reduces the number of batteries you’ll use over time.

My Big Green Purse community recommends using Energizer rechargeable batteries and the charger they come with, rather than a generic brand.

Solar Garden Lights – One Big Green Purse reader brings her solar powered garden lights in from outdoors and takes advantage of the light they emit. Brilliant!

DISHES and DINING

Resist the urge to buy a stack of paper plates, plastic forks and knives, and paper napkins. Greener options include:

Reusable plastic, like the options made by Preserve.

Again, I don’t advocate buying much plastic at all.

But these won’t break, so if you can’t wash them right away, you don’t have to worry about storing them. And once you get them, you can use them for picnics and parties, too.

Corelle – One Big Green Purse readers uses Corelle dinnerware as her back-up, not just for emergencies but for parties, too.

Corelle is extremely durable and doesn’t easily break so, like Preserve, could be a good option if you can’t wash it right away.

Another advantage of Corelle is that it is quite thin; it won’t take up a lot of room when you store it.

Camping plates – If you already go camping, you probably have a set of metal plates, bowls, cups, and cutlery.

If you don’t but your area is prone to power outages and other emergencies, now might be a time to get a set. These are indestructible, easy to store, and easy to clean.

If you don’t have the water to wash your dishes off right away, wipe them off with a damp sponge until you can. Dip them in a pot of water that you’ve added a couple of drops of bleach to if you need to reuse them; the bleach will help disinfect them.

By the way, reduce the need for dishes in the first place. Focus on one-plate or one-bowl meals and lots of finger foods.

Just in case you want to turn an emergency into a party,
don’t miss our post on plastic-free party supplies!

HAND CRANK RADIO

If you lose internet access, you can stay up-to-date on what’s happening by listening to a radio.

I personally prefer a radio like this one: it can be hand cranked when you have absolutely no power, but can also be charged by solar or battery.

It includes a flashlight and a port so you charge your cell phone, too.

CHARGERS

You’ll want to keep phones and other mobile devices charged, and possibly your lap top or computer.

Charge everything up in advance, and charge portable battery packs as well.

Car Lighter Charger – plug into your car’s cigarette lighter, or to the USB port in newer cars

Solar Chargers – There are a wide variety available to charge phones and other mobile devices, as well as laptops.

Keep in mind that if it’s stormy and cloudy, there may not be enough sun to charge your device. Charge them in advance, and recharge them when there’s enough sun to do so!

TRASH BAGS

If you end up with debris that can’t be recycled, use trash bags made from recycled materials, like these.

They’re made from 70% certified post consumer recycled materials and belong to 1% For the Planet.

I’d love to hear about how you prepare for a hurricane or other emergency.

Plus, please let me know if you have any recommendations for our eco friendly hurricane preparedness survival guide. What products and services make your life easier during a power outage or other natural disaster?

The post Eco Friendly Hurricane Preparedness Survival Guide appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Here’s how to tell which ones are the best – and the 5 places you should install them to use the least amount of energy and save the most money on your energy bill. And if you don’t have any bulbs, don’t worry.

Taking the Energy Star Pledge enters you into a giveaway for a terrific package of ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED LED Bulbs worth $50 (see more below).

Look for the ENERGY STAR Logo

The best LED bulbs are those that bear the bright blue and white ENERGY STAR logo.

The ENERGY STAR is a symbol of energy efficiency, set up by the federal government to help consumers and companies save energy

LED bulbs that earn the ENERGY STAR label are independently certified to save energy and help protect the environment. Here’s what that means:

LEDs that are ENERGY STAR Certified meet the program’s high-performance standards to save you the most energy and money while

providing the highest quality light.

So first things first: Whenever you shop for an LED bulb, above all, make sure the blue ENERGY STAR logo is on the package (just like it is on this one to the right).

PUT ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED LED BULBS IN THESE 5 LIGHTS

According to the U.S. EPA, the average American home, maybe like yours, has approximately 70 light sockets, many of which still use old-fashioned incandescent or halogen bulbs.

Understandably, you might not be able to replace the bulbs in all your lights at once. That’s why EPA has put together this list of the fixtures where you should replace the bulbs first.

Replacing your home’s five most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with models that have earned the ENERGY STAR can save you about $40 per year on your electricity bill.

Though you might spend that much money buying the new bulbs, after the first year, that $40 just builds and builds. In 10 years, you could save $400 (and that’s if you only replace the bulbs in five fixtures – what if you do them all??).

Take the ENERGY STAR PLEDGE!

That’s not only a terrific way to stop wasting money on lighting, it’s also one of the best investments in your home you can make. ENERGY STAR encourages you to #lightthemoment with certified LED bulbs in videos like this one:

NOTE: Many retailers, including Ace, WalMart, Lowe’s, and Home Depot, offer frequent sales that make buying LEDs extremely affordable. Look for sales and coupons that will save you even more money when you buy LED bulbs.

Even if you can’t or don’t want to replace all 5 bulbs, as least do one.

A single ENERGY STAR Certified LED bulb that has earned the ENERGY STAR can save nearly $55 in electricity costs over its lifetime.

TAKE THE ENERGY STAR PLEDGE

There’s so much to keep us busy that, despite our best intentions, sometimes we don’t get around to doing what we should or want to do.

That’s where the ENERGY STAR Pledge comes in handy.

I took the ENERGY STAR Pledge because I wanted to make myself a promise – that I would actually switch to LED bulbs. Here it is! (I pledged to replace 5 light bulbs, as well as to turn off lights when not needed.)

I’d like to ask you to take the ENERGY STAR Pledge, too.

It literally takes less than a minute to do, so no “I don’t have time!” excuses, please!

As an added incentive, taking the pledge enters you into our LED Great Bulb Giveaway for a chance to win ENERGY STAR Certified, high-quality LED bulbs worth $50 (you can decide what kind you want, up to $50).

All you have to do is snap a screenshot of your pledge (like I did with mine) and share it on the big Green Purse Facebook page.

How easy is that?

I hope you’ll do it right now!

POST A PICTURE OF YOUR ENERGY STAR PLEDGE TO WIN LED BULBS WORTH $50.

The post People Who Choose 5 ENERGY STAR Certified LED Bulbs Save More Money appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Car sharing services claim they save people money by eliminating the need to own their own vehicle. But for Big Green Purse readers, the environmental benefits of car sharing matter just as much.

I’ve been relying almost exclusive on car sharing for the last six months, when I decided to experiment with going carless and opened up membership with Zip Car and Car2Go, two car sharing services that are in my neighborhood. I’ve become a big fan of the practice. I’m delighted to team up with Ridecell.com, a mobility platform, to explain some of the environmental benefits of car sharing compared to owning your own vehicle.

The Financial Benefits of Car Sharing

Car sharing services regularly highlight how customers can save money sharing a car rather than owning their own vehicle. I’ve certainly found this to be true.

Here are some of the direct money savings that come from sharing a car via a service rather than owning one:

On average, it’s estimated that a car costs its owner almost $10,000 a year – not including car purchase or car payments. You can do a lot of car sharing for that amount of money!

The Environmental Benefits of Car Sharing

Here’s how the planet wins when you share a car:

Less Pollution From Manufacturing – More people utilizing one vehicle over and over results in fewer cars needed to be manufactured, and less parts needing to be built, distributed, and used, as well. The United Nations Environment Program reports that “vehicle manufacturing is more damaging to the environment than the production of any other good, including livestock farming and steel making.” One of the most important environmental benefits of ride sharing is that it reduces the need to manufacture more cars!

Less Parking Infrastructure, More Green Space – With fewer people purchasing vehicles, we don’t need as much parking infrastructure, including parking lots, parking garages, and on street parking.

Less Gasoline Burned, So Less Climate Change – When you share a car, you end up driving less because you’re not automatically jumping in your own car for short trips or random errands. As such, car sharing can reduce the total number of miles driven and the amount of gasoline burned. Since burning gas emits carbon dioxide (CO2) and CO2 is a primary cause of climate change, sharing cars can help put the brakes on what might be the most serious environmental problem our world faces.

Less Air and Noise Pollution – The primary source of urban air pollution comes from vehicles burning gasoline. Just as reducing vehicle miles traveled benefits the climate, it also helps reduce air pollution. Fewer cars traveling means less noise pollution, too.

More Walking, Biking, And Using Mass Transit – Once you get into the mind set that you’re going to share a car, it’s not a big leap to decide to take the bus or subway, too. People who car share may also be more likely to walk or bicycle the short distances that they might otherwise have traveled in their own vehicle. I’ve personally found this to be true for me. I regularly walk distances of two miles or less rather than drive them.

The Car-Sharing Process

If you’re interested in utilizing a car-sharing system instead of owning your own vehicle, here’s how it all works.

There are a variety of car-sharing services you can investigate, including ZipCar, Car2Go, and GetAround, which is a network of car owners who share their vehicles. (Some rental car companies may also a car-share service; check them out locally.)

While each program can operate a little differently, in essence they work by having you sign up to their system via an online registration form of some sort.

You will typically need to choose a plan based on the number of hours each month you want access to a car, and/or the amount of miles you plan to drive.

Once you’ve joined a program, you can log in to the company’s app or website to find an available vehicle in your area. Some systems will show you on a map where the closest cars are to your current location, while others allow you to input a zip code and search that way.

Once you’ve chosen a vehicle, you can reserve it for your preferred time and then use your membership card, phone app, or other system instructions to gain access to the vehicle on the day.

Most of the time you will need to return the car to the same parking space where you got it from, but some car-sharing programs will give you the choice of a one-way usage which allows you to leave it at your destination instead.

Car sharing is most convenient for people living in urban and more densely populated suburban areas that also offer good mass transit options. If that describes your city or community, I highly recommend you consider car sharing before you purchase another vehicle.

Note: Our partners enable us to bring you the expert content you need to lead the greener life you want. Our editorial opinions remain our own. Thanks!

The post The Environmental Benefits of Car Sharing Compared to Owning Your Own Vehicle appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Has your community set a goal to go carbon neutral? When you start planning, make commercial LED lighting a priority.

LEDs aren’t just for the lamps in your living room. They can meet pretty much any lighting need your city or town has. They work in office buildings, retail developments, transit centers, hospitals, schools, factories, communal workspaces, show rooms, libraries, and more.

In fact, if a space needs a light, there’s no good reason why it shouldn’t be an LED.

That’s why we’ve teamed up with the LED lighting experts at Alcon Lighting in Los Angeles: to explain the many benefits of commercial LED lighting.

Why Choose Commercial LED Lighting?

LED lighting is popular for some reasons you’d expect, and maybe a couple you’ll find surprising.

LEDs are modern, stylish, and functional. As you can see from these photos, they look as cool in the kitchen at work, pictured above, as they do lighting up building corridors, which is why Sustainable Los Angeles chose them for their space.

But in this day and age of climate change, extreme weather events, and expensive energy, the added bonus of using an LED is that it’s a climate saver.

“An LED light bulb can reduce heat and energy consumption by 90% while increasing color rendering and light quality,” Alcon points out on its website.

Put another way, LEDs are the best way to get the affordable, quality light you want without the climate change or environmental impact you don’t.

LEDs also help keep the air in your communities cleaner.

Most lighting is powered by electricity that’s generated by coal-fired utilities. Burning coal releases carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the major causes of climate change. It also emits tiny toxic pollutants that turn into smog and make our air dirty to breathe. When you use LEDs, you cut the CO2 AND the air pollution.

That, on top of the money saved and the high quality of the light LEDs exude, is why, if your goal really is to have a carbon-neutral city, you actually can’t achieve that goal without switching to commercial LED lighting.

Here’s one additional benefit to LEDs.

If you walk or drive through your community or city at night, how many buildings seem to have every office light turned on, even when no one is there working?

With commercial LED lighting in place rather than old fashioned bulbs, you can reduce energy use in these buildings by 90% – even when the lights are left on (though, of course, we still want them turned off when they’re not in use).

Lighting accounts for almost 20% of the energy a commercial building uses (it’s about 11 percent for residential buildings, which is still a lot!).

Whether you’re building new construction or renovating existing structures, make sure that the architect understands that commercial LED lighting is a top priority. If the architect is not familiar with LED lighting options, the experts at Alcon Lighting can lend some expertise.

By the way, if you’re wondering how LEDs compare to CFLs (compact fluorescents), this post explains: 

7 Ways LEDs are Better than CFLs

NOTE: Sponsors like Alcon Lighting help us bring you the expert content you need to lead the greener life you want. All editorial opinions remain our own.

The post Commercial LED Lighting Can Help Your City Go Carbon Neutral appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Are you smarter than a light bulb? If you’re using ENERGY STAR certified LEDs, congratulations! You are!! You can prove it by sharing a photo of your best LED moment on Facebook or Twitter using the #LightTheMoment hashtag.

#LightTheMoment

If you’re not using ENERGY STAR certified LEDs, well…the light bulb might win.

That may sound ridiculous, but consider this:

According to U.S. EPA, the average American home – probably like yours – has approximately 50 light sockets.

Most of those still use inefficient incandescent light bulbs – you know, like the ones Thomas Edison invented. In 1879. That’s 138 years ago!!

Would you consider using a phone that relied on 138-year-old technology? No.

Would you want to putz around in the 109-year-old Model T? Nope.

What about trying to make your latte using a Little House on the Prairie-type open fire cooking pit? I just don’t see it.

And yet, when it comes to light bulbs, you’re using the least smart, oldest, most expensive to operate, and most time wasting technology on the market:

An incandescent bulb.

A bulb that spends 90 percent of the energy it consumes (and that you pay for) creating heat, not even light!

A bulb that lasts only 1/10 as long as bulbs that you can reliably turn on and off for an average of 15,000 hours before they need to be replaced.

Duhhh…

Lucky for you EPA’s ENERGY STAR program is coming to the rescue.

They’ve worked closely with the lighting industry to develop energy efficient LED bulbs. Here’s why they’re so smart!

WHAT ARE ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED LEDs?

LED stands for light emitting diodes, but that’s not important.

What’s important is that LED light bulbs certified to meet ENERGY STAR’s high-performance standards are so much more energy-efficient and cost-effective that, well, they make anyone who uses them look a LOT smarter than people who still use those old-fashioned incandescents.

ENERGY STAR knows you WANT to be smart. That’s why, starting on October 24 (today), they’ve launched an initiative to encourage you to #LightTheMoment by sharing pictures of special moments in your life that can be made even better by lighting them with ENERGY STAR certified LEDs.

In fact, ENERGY STAR is inviting you to take pictures of those moments and post them on Facebook and Twitter using the #LightTheMoment hashtag (please tag @ENERGYSTAR while you’re at it).

If you already have LED light bulbs in your home, go ahead and and show off how smart you are by snapping fun photos of how you’re enjoying their light at home or at work.

Then stay tuned, because, in addition to impressing all your friends and family with your energy smart-ness, ENERGY STAR will be showcasing many of the photos in their “Moments Gallery.” Your photo may even end up in a “Light the Moment” highlight reel in November. (I love this reel ENERGY STAR has pulled together so far.)

But if you DON’T have LED light bulbs yet, for goodness sake go get some! Check with your local utility before you head for the store, since many power companies actually give consumers rebates to buy LEDs.

You’ll save money buying the bulbs, and you’ll save money on your electric bill, too – in some cases, up to $55 over the lifetime of each and every bulb you buy.

Remember those 50 outlets EPA says most houses have?

Do the math:

50 outlets x $55/bulb savings = $2,750.

How smart is that?!!

By the way, LED light bulbs give you some bragging rights when it comes to talking about what you’re doing to stop climate change – and after all the climate-related hurricanes and fires this season, who doesn’t want to do that?

Most electricity still comes from coal-fired power plants. Burning coal emits the carbon dioxide that causes climate change.

When you switch to an LED, you reduce the amount of coal needed to keep the light bulbs burning in your house.

 “If each home replaced only one of Thomas Edison’s light bulbs with an ENERGY STAR certified LED, we would prevent nearly 7 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emission per year, equivalent to the emissions from 650,000 cars.”  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Doesn’t that sound like a no-brainer?

SHARE YOUR #LightTheMoment!

You can get more information about the #LightTheMoment campaign from ENERGY STAR right here.

If you need help figuring out what bulb to actually buy, check out this handy guide.

By the way, here’s one last way to show you really are smarter than a light bulb:

When you buy your LEDs, make sure they carry the bright blue ENERGY STAR label. That’s how you’ll know the bulbs meet the highest performance and energy efficiency standards you want.

DO ME A FAVOR, PRETTY PLEASE!

Will you please share this post and the hashtag #LightTheMoment with your own communities? I know sometimes it’s fun to be the only smarty pants in the room. But I think you’ll agree that, right now, the planet needs as many smart people pulling for it as possible.

Thanks for spreading the word!

The post Are You Smarter Than a Lightbulb? Only if You’re Using ENERGY STAR Certified LEDs! appeared first on Big Green Purse.