Be the hero of your house with these smart ways to save energy room-by-room.
Get the link to the live interactive guide pictured here below.

Trump doesn’t need to speak for you when it comes to fighting climate change. Even though he wants to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Accord, you can show him you disagree by practicing smart ways to save energy at home. How?

1) Continue to acknowledge that climate change is a real threat.

2) Do your own part to save energy.

We’ve teamed up with StarTexPower to bring you 18 smart ways to save energy at home. Just go to this live graphic and click on any room in the house. You’ll get three tips per room to help you save energy at home.

Smart Ways to Save Energy At Home

Keep in mind these important room-by-room tips:

In The Living Room

⇒Seal air leaks around windows and doors.

⇒Change your furnace filter every 3 months.

⇒Adjust your thermostat by 10-15 degrees, especially when you’re away at work or when you go to bed.

Of the $2,000 you probably spend on energy annually, $200 to $400 could be going to waste from drafts, air leaks around openings, and outdated heating and cooling systems, reports Energy.gov.

Save as much as 30% on your energy bill by sealing the leaks.

Remember that dirty filters can slow down air flow and force your furnace to work harder.

Adjusting your thermostat by 10-15 degrees for at least 8 hours a day can cut your heating bill by 5-20% annually.

In Your Bedroom

⇒Use ceiling fans instead of air conditioning. Fans topically cost only 1 cen per day, says StarTex, while making the room feel 3-8 degrees cooler.

⇒Hang insulating drapes to keep rooms cooler during the summer and warmer in winter.

In The Kitchen And Laundry 

⇒Wash full loads.

⇒Replace older appliances, including refrigerators
and washing machines, with Energy Star products

⇒Air dry dishes. Use clothes lines and drying racks to dry clothes

In the Bathroom

⇒Lower the thermostat on your water heater. For every 10 degrees you reduce the temperature, you can save 3 to 5% on your bill.

⇒Take shorter showers.

⇒Switch to water-efficient faucets and shower heads to enjoy the same quality but save energy.

Outside

⇒Plant deciduous trees – the kind that drop their leaves in the fall.

Planting on the west side of the house to create shade and help keep your house cool can reduce your air conditioning costs by up to 30%.

You can find more smart ways to save energy at StarTexPower.com. Look for their hashtag, #energylifehacks.

NOTE: Partners and sponsors enable us to bring you the expert content you want at no cost to you. Our editorial opinions remain our own. Thanks!

The post 18 Smart Ways to Save Energy at Home appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Lower energy utility bills. Living in an energy-efficient home can save you hundreds of dollars on utility bills every year. What are some ways to save energy? Insulate your attic and crawl spaces. Trade in old appliances for energy-efficient ones. Weather strip windows and doors. Keep your HVAC system in good working order.  Many states and utilities offer significant rebates to help lower the cost of these initial investments. Plus, you keep all the money you save when you lower your utility bills.

Spend less money on water. My water bill is consistently about half of what many of my neighbors pay. That’s because I’ve taken some key steps to use less water for bathing, clothes washing, dishes and cleaning, and even in my landscaping.

Over the years, I’ve also replaced my toilets so they only use 1.6 gallons per flush or less (older toilets may use 5 times that much). When I replaced my washing machine, I got a high efficiency top loading model, and I only wash clothes when I have a full load.

I do the same with my dishwasher, and only wash full loads. I installed a simple drip irrigation system in my yard so that water gets directly to my plants, rather than getting sprayed all over the yard.  I replaced the faucets in the showers and sinks with models that increase water pressure so a lot less water comes out of the faucet with no noticeable inconvenience.

Be healthier. Improving the indoor quality of your air is good for your health. Indoor air can actually be far more polluted than outdoor air because there’s less air circulation, and because people use cleansers and paints that contain a lot of toxic chemicals. Keep your HVAC filters clean.  Use only cleansers that are fragrance-free. And if you repaint, use paint that is free of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds.

Teach your children. When you raise kids to recycle, turn off the lights and electronics when they’re not in use, help you change the light bulbs, turn off the water when they brush their teeth, and share and swap rather than buy brand new, you help raise responsible kids who will help protect the planet as they get older.

Make more money when you sell your home. Homes that are well insulated to save energy, have water-saving appliances, and built with non-toxic paints and cleansers, garner more money when they’re sold. In fact, the statistics show that over 80% of homebuyers are willing to pay a premium to “go green.” You can often deduct the expenses you incurred in upgrading your house against the profit you make in selling it, too.

Protect wildlife. You can have your home certified as Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation if you maintain your landscape organically, plant trees and bushes, plant to attract birds, bees and butterflies, and add other natural gardening features.

Stop climate change. Climate change is the most critical issue we face when it comes to protecting life on earth as we know it. When you maintain your home to save energy, you’re doing your part to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that help cause global warming, and related natural disasters, like extreme weather events, drought, fire, hurricanes and superstorms.

Why do you value living greener? Please share!

The post The 7 BEST Benefits of a Green Home appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Living in a condo in the city is actually more environmentally friendly compared to living in a suburb. The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports* that a person who lives in a downtown building uses only a third of the usual energy consumption of a person who lives in a typical suburban community.

So if you’re thinking of downsizing to a condo, or buying a condo instead of a house, that’s probably going to be good new for your pocket book, as you’ll use far less energy heating and cooling your home, and you’ll potentially reduce the amount of gasoline you burn since you may not have to drive as much. But apart from making the condo choice in the first place, what else can you do to save energy and water in your condo?

We’ve teamed up with Mondev Condos, which develops Montreal condos for sale, to offer this list of the 15 best ways to save energy and water in your condo.

Best Ways to Save Energy and Water in Your Condo

1. Install a low-flow showerhead. This ensures you don’t waste water unnecessarily every time you shower.

2. Think 1.6 gallons for your toilet. You don’t need a tank that holds several gallons of water to flush well. 1.6 is the accepted water-saving standard these days. Choose a water-saving toilet when buying new, or displace water in the tank you have using a plastic bottle weighted down with gravel. This way, you’ll use less water every time you flush the toilet.

3. Hang insulated drapes. By covering your windows with cellular blinds or blackout curtains, you’ll be able to lower your heating bills by reducing the amount of hot air coming in through the windows during the summer, and cold air coming in during the winter.

4. Insulate attic, walls, and crawl spaces. These are especially useful for outlets that face an exterior wall. If you put your fingers in front of the outlet, you will be able to feel cold air coming into the room if the outlet isn’t insulated.

5. Compost. Organize a community composting pick-up for your condo complex so all you need to do is collect your kitchen waste, then put it out at the curb for easy collection.

6. Place mobile draft stoppers near your door sill. If you can’t weatherstrip or insulate the door, at least put down a door stopper to block cold air from coming in.

7.  Insulate your windows. Use weatherstripping or caulk you can get at your local hardware store to seal leaky windows.

8. Replace old light bulbs with LED lights. LEDs are the most efficient bulbs on the market. Though they cost a little bit more, they save a lot more energy, and last longer, as well.

9. Switch off your lights and electronics if no one’s home. Often times, people forget to turn off the lights when they leave for work, or even when they’re away for a holiday. You can make this simple by installing sensors in your rooms that will automatically turn the lights off when no movement in the room is detected.

10. Choose ENERGY STAR appliances.  Refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, dishwashers, washing machines, clothes driers, most electronics, and even your HVAC system are all available in highly efficient models. Check ENERGYSTAR.gov before you buy.

11. Install a surge protector to avoid unnecessary spikes in energy use. Power bars also prevent phantom power with just one switch.

12. Repair any leaking faucets and toilets. Leaks make up 13% of home water usage. You can actually do this job yourself – check this video.

13. Install aerators on your faucets and showerhead so you can further save water. You will usually just need to screw it onto the faucet to avoid splashing a stream of water when you open the faucet.

14. Bicycle, Walk, Use Mass Transit. Depending on your proximity to city center, you might be able to get a bike-sharing station set up in your condo complex to link your community to other parts of the city by bike. Even without bike sharing, take advantage of your proximity to work, shopping and entertainment by riding your own bike, walking or using mass transit.

15. Create an organic community garden and set up a farmers market or CSA for your complex. Making it easy to grown your own organic food will save you money and trips to the grocery store. Getting a CSA to deliver pre-reserved bags of locally grown food to your complex will also cut down on how much grocery shopping you need to do while providing a reliable source of delicious fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and in some cases, meats.

Improving the efficiency of your home will not only save you money and help protect the planet. It will also increase the resale value of your property when you finally sell.

*EPA: Location Efficiency and Housing Type: Boiling It Down to BTUs

The post 15 of the Best Ways to Save Energy, Water in Your Condo appeared first on Big Green Purse.

What difference does it make if you turn off the lights when you leave a room, install a low-flow shower head, or turn down your water heater a mere 20 degrees? Constellation Energy* shows you exactly why it matters with a cool infographic called 31 Energy Saving Hacks.

These are some of the best energy saving hacks I’ve seen!

Why? Two reasons:

√ One, they cover the major ways you use energy at home: doing the laundry and the dishes, lighting up your rooms and powering your electronics, heating and cooling your home, and showering and bathing.

√ Two, all of them will save you money.

Of the 31 Best Energy Saving Hacks, here are the 5 I like the best (because they’re easy and cost-effective):

1) Skip the rinse on your dishwasher. Using the rinse features costs you 3-7 gallons more of hot water each time you wash your dishes. Wash per usual, then open the door to the dishwasher and pull the wet racks out and let the dishes air dry.

2) Take shorter showers. Cutting just 4 minutes off your shower time can save you over 3,000 gallons of water each year! In a 4-person family, that’s 12,000 gallons.

3) Unplug. You don’t need to keep battery chargers plugged in when the batteries are fully charged. And by the way, unplug other electronics when you’re not using them so they don’t keep drawing power out of the socket (which they do, even when they’re turned off).

4) Clean or replace furnace filters. You find it easier to breathe when your air and nose aren’t obstructed, right? So does your furnace. Give it a clean filter every three months, and breathe easier.

5) Time your water heater. This one never occurred to me before.  You can put a timer on your water heater to turn the heating function down or even off when you’re not home or on vacation. Who knew?

You can see the entire list of Constellation’s energy saving hacks right here.

What’s your favorite energy saving hack? Don’t keep it a secret!

*Note: Sponsored posts allow us to bring you expert content at no cost to you. As ever, our editorial opinions remain our own. Thanks!

The post The 31 Best Energy Saving Hacks to Save You Money, Too appeared first on Big Green Purse.

 Nevertheless, businesses are still wasting enormous sums of capital on energy.  In the U.S., it is estimated that just 14% of the energy we pay for gets used efficiently.  According to researchers working for the UK Government, businesses there are collectively wasting up to £7 million/$12 million USD each day on energy! [1] If we’re going to make progress in reducing carbon emissions and engineer a shift to cleaner, greener ways of sourcing power, it is clear that we need to look to energy efficiency first, with businesses leading the way.  Here’s how, courtesy of Secured Energy Bonds plc, the sponsors of this post.

Employees are Key to Saving Energy

  In the United Kingdom, the Carbon Trust – a leading global non-profit organisation dedicated to helping governments, businesses and the public sector speed up the transition towards a sustainable, low carbon economy – is calling for business managers to take control of bottom line waste.  How?  Tap their employees.  Research indicates that less than 25% of workers in the UK have been tasked with helping to save energy in the workplace and fewer than half are concerned about their employer’s energy spending.

 As a result, workplaces are missing out on annual savings of more than £300 million (almost $500 million USD) – savings which could be achieved simply by encouraging workers to adopt the type of behaviors that will lead to less energy consumption and greater efficiency.  Here are some typical savings:

·       Reduce business air travel by 5%: £128m/$213m & 1.5m tonnes CO₂

·       Reduce lighting by 10%: £55m/$92m & 164,000 tonnes CO₂

·       Reduce waste sent to landfill by 5%: £49m/$82m & 115,000 tonnes CO₂

·       Reduce small power use (e.g. kettles, photocopiers, monitors) by 10%: £39m/$65m & 190,000 tonnes CO₂

·       Reduce temperature by 1°C: £35m/$58m & 194,000 tonnes CO₂

 A survey of employees by the Carbon Trust has revealed that 60% of workers would be more likely to save energy at work if they were financially rewarded, and 58% would be more likely to do so if their actions were recognised. [2]

Surprisingly, only 22% of employees know what measures they could take to save energy, and a mere 16% are confident that they have the authority to do so.  Clearly, businesses need to embark on an employee engagement programme that explains what employees need to do, encourages them to look for opportunities to save energy, and rewards them for doing so.

 Any company that undertakes such a program will be richly rewarded in cost savings and increased employee engagement.  Furthermore, employees will feel good knowing they’re doing their part to help meet important goals in reducing the emission of carbon dioxide, a primary cause of climate change and global warming.  Britain is trying to reach its target of a 26% – 32% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020.  Greater efficiency through employee engagement is key to achieving this goal.

 Transition to Renewable Energy like Solar and Wind

 So, too, is transitioning to renewable energy sources.  The UK’s Climate Change Act calls for 15% of the nation’s energy to be derived from solar, wind power and other renewables by 2020.  Business and industry have a vital role to play in bringing about these reductions.  For example, Secured Energy Bonds plc recently announced a nationwide programme of rooftop solar projects in 22 English schools; the multi-site development will help reduce carbon emissions by around 560 metrics tonnes and will save the schools £1.4m/$1.7m in electricity bills.

 In most countries, meeting domestic needs accounts for less than half of all energy consumed.  That’s true in the UK too, where domestic energy consumption accounts for only 34% of energy used.  Business and industry consume the lion’s share at 43% while commercial and public premises account for another 18%.  Clearly, however much we adopt clean, green energy in our homes, targets to reduce carbon emissions and use energy more wisely are unlikely to be met unless the commercial and industrial sector joins in.

[1] http://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/jul/22/greenbusiness.energy?gusrc=rss&feed=environment

[2] http://www.carbontrust.com/about-us/press/2013/12/bosses-miss-out-on-300-million-energy-and-waste-reduction-opportunity

 NOTE: This post was sponsored by www.energybonds.co.uk/, a subsidiary of CBD Energy Limited.  Sponsorships enable us to provide expert content at no cost to you.  Our opinions remain our own.  Thank you.

The post What Can We Learn From UK Businesses About Wasting (and Saving) Energy? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

 What difference does a roof make?

Any surface exposed to solar energy will get hot. Traditional roofing materials absorb 85 to 95 percent of the solar energy that reaches them, increasing the temperature of the rooms below. Thermally coated roofs reflect more of that energy back out into the atmosphere.

Benefits

A cool roof offers several important benefits. Because it transfers less heat to the building below, the building requires less energy for cooling, a big advantage in the summer when many homeowners max out their air conditioning – and their electricity bills. By some estimates, a thermally coated roof can reduce a homeowner’s electricity demand by 14 to 38 percent (depending also on how well the roof and home are insulated, among other factors).

Most electricity is generated by coal-fired power plants. Burning coal creates air pollution and carbon dioxide that causes climate change. Because cool roofs reduce electricity demand, they also help keep the air clean and help minimize climate change.

Plus, cool roofs can increase comfort for the people living in them, especially in homes that do not have air conditioning. In the picture above, the bottom photo shows how much energy (heat) is being absorbed on an untreated roof, compared to the top photo of the same roof that’s been thermally coated.

Brand new, or retrofit?

Cool roofs can be installed on new construction, but homeowners can also retrofit their existing roofs by working with a contractor to apply coatings or membranes.

What is a cool roof made of?

There are generally two types of roofs –low-sloped, and steep slopped.  A low-sloped roof is mostly flat, with only enough incline to provide drainage; it’s normally used on commercial, industrial, warehouse, office, retail and multi-family buildings. Most homes have a more steeply sloped roof. The kind of roof usually determines what materials can be used to make it cool.  Contractors can use surface treatments like thermal coatings that reflect the sun’s rays, restrict the growth of algae, and are waterproof.  They can also apply membranes, pre-fabricated sheets applied in a single layer (these are better for a flat or low-sloped roof).

What will it cost?

If you’re interested in making your roof cool, get bids from contractors like Improve a Roof who can also tell you what thermal roof coatings are appropriate for your home. Don’t forget to factor into the cost the amount of money you will save on cooling your home in the summer. Some communities may provide tax credits for installing energy-saving technology, which will add to the savings.

NOTE: Sponsors like Improve a Roof  enable us to bring you expert content at no cost to you. Our editorial opinions remain our own. Thanks.

The post Cool Roofs Save Energy & Money, Help Fight Climate Change appeared first on Big Green Purse.

First things first. Weatherize. If you didn’t do this in the winter to keep cold air out, definitely do it now to keep hot air out and your nicely cooled air in. You can find a variety of weatherization kits in our online Amazon store or at your local hardware store.

Second, plant trees. Trees planted strategically on the sunniest sides of your home can significantly reduce the amount of solar light getting through your windows. Plus, they add value to your landscape.

Next, cover up. Chances are, your windows are only single panes of glass, maybe doubles (triple-paned glass is the most efficient, but it’s not commonly found in most houses and apartments). That means that there’s not much of a barrier between the inside and the outside of your house. Curtains or shades  add an extra layer of insulation and increase the energy efficiency of each window covered. The thicker the curtains, the more energy you’ll save, especially if you mount the curtains as close to the window as possible. Otherwise, hot air will end up escaping around the curtains and into your room – and vice versa with cold air.

For energy-efficient shades, skip single louvered panels, whether made of aluminum or vinyl. Instead, aim for shades constructed in a cellular or honeycomb pattern. Here’s a picture of the double-honeycomb shades I have on most of my windows. Triple combed shades are the most efficient available, but they weren’t on the market 25 years ago when I bought my shades.

Honeycomb shades work by creating an insulating pocket of air in each cell that separates the window air space from the room air space.  When not in use, the blinds fold up into a thin band at the top of my window. When down, they provide an effective barrier to the outside air, but still let enough light in that the room can be bright if I use them during the day. You can see more honeycomb options at Levolor and many other online retailers.

Roller shades, made from heavy-duty fabric, can also reduce window energy loss. To get the most out of the shade, mount them on a track that runs inside the window frame. When the shade is down, very little energy will seep into or out that window.

You can also cover your windows with insulated window quilts, like the ones I have on my french doors (right). The quilts affix to the window frame with velcro; they’re extremely effective at blocking outside air. The downside is that they let absolutely no light through so you won’t want to leave them up during the day. I actually made my own for my previous home, and they worked quite well. If you want to make your own, you can find instructions here.

Shade windows from outside. The most sunlight comes through south and west facing windows, so these should be your priorities for exterior awnings or overhangs. A wide variety are available, including those that can retract in winter to let the sun in.

Install storm windows. Storm windows add another layer of glass to your permanent windows. Ideally, your storm windows would attach so that you can still open the window and let air in when you want. I have storm windows on the glass of my front door. In the spring and fall, when the air is pleasant and cool, I lower the storm window so this fresh air can come through the screen and into my home.

Replace old inefficient windows with new double-glazed windows. According to the U.S. Environmental  Protection Agency, Energy-STAR certified windows lower household energy bills from 7 – 15 percent. Federal tax credits to defray the cost of new windows have expired; check with your state and county to determine if you can take advantage of local tax credits to help cover your purchase.

Related Posts:

These Energy-Saving Tips Save More Than Energy (Think CO2 and $$$)

Top 10 Ways to Save Energy and Money at Home

The post Now’s the Time to Consider Sun-blocking Blinds to Keep Your Home Cool This Summer appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Why We Care About Climate Change

Karen warns at Best of Mother Earth that “we can look forward to extreme temperatures, super infectious diseases spread by insects that thrive on warmer temperatures, poor air quality and more. This is frightening!”

Sounds stupid, right? That’s what Beth at My Plastic Free Life thinks, especially after reviewing the film “The Age of Stupid.” “Set in the year 2055, after the effects of global climate change have basically wiped out most of humans and other animals on earth, a lone archivist records a message, illustrating it with a handful of the billions of stories he’s collected in a massive database he calls the Global Archive, before transmitting the entire collection into outer space as a cautionary tale to future civilizations,” reports Beth. “The big question: Why didn’t we save ourselves when we had the chance?”

Lisa of Retro Housewife Goes Green is wondering the same thing, especially since she lives in Oklahoma’s Tornado Alley, that part of the country that has seen a significant uptick in tornadoes and other extreme weather events over the last few years. “Oklahoma was a poster child for extreme weather last year, we had a record drought, broke the state record for most snow to fall in 24 hours, broke the record for coldest day, had the warmest July on record for the whole U.S., record windspeed, record wildfires, the largest earthquake reported in the state, and more.” Writing while facing another possible tornado just a few days ago, Lisa says, “This all hits home with me as I listen to the thunderstorm outside that has rocked the state and even dropped some damaging tornadoes. And I also think back to last year and all of the extreme weather, including the horrible drought that hurt the state so very much and caused me some sleepless nights worrying about the wildfires my dad, a volunteer firefighter, was out fighting.”

On the Big Green Purse blog, I highlight impacts that directly affect my kids – like worsening poison ivy. Most people don’t realize that poison ivy and its nasty cousins poison oak and sumac, are all getting much more dangerous because the plants are growing faster and bigger, and the toxic oil in their leaves is becoming more intense, thanks to hotter global temperatures. I offer some ways to avoid poison ivy and to deal with it once you get it, since in the short-term we’ll have to contend with it showing up more often in our yards and parks.

Lori at Groovy Green Livin’ sounds the alarm on an impact I care about almost as much as poison ivy: the availability of chocolate!

Chocolate is a heat-sensitive crop, Lori’s research shows. Even a small increase in temperature will affect the crops. A report Lori cites shows why there are big problems to come for the cacao tree:

…an expected temperature rise of more than two degrees Celsius by 2050 will render many of the region’s cocoa-producing areas too hot for the plants that bear the fruit from which chocolate is made, says a new study from the Colombia-based International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).

“Warming temperatures and changes in the precipitation pattern will mean rapid declines in growing conditions over the coming decades. Not good news for the cacao tree and in turn bad news for chocolate suppliers and lovers on a global level.”

Abbie at Farmer’s Daughter reports on the impact climate change is having on another beloved food: maple syrup. “In my lifetime alone, the maple sugaring season has moved from March to February. Maple sap runs when it’s below freezing at night and warms up during the day. If we wait to tap trees until March we will have missed our chance. It is clear that spring has moved to earlier in the year and we have to adjust, tap early, or risk not being able to make maple syrup for a whole year…It’s a New England tradition, my family’s tradition, and yet I worry that some day we may lose it entirely.” Abbie is especially concerned about projections that indicate we could lose maple trees and maple syrup entirely by 2100.

Chocolate and maple sugar are two foods we may not be able to produce any more if climate change worsens. But what about the impact producing some foods has on making climate change worse? Katy of Non-Toxic Kids and Moms Clean Air Force identifies three significant ways factory farming contributes to global warming and suggests some very simple yet highly effective choices you have that can make a real difference.

Tiffany at Nature Moms loves traveling but worries that climate change could destroy some of our most beloved national parks before her family has a chance to visit them. “Climate change is melting the glaciers that make an appearance in some (national parks), which not only affects the beauty of these areas, it also means less water is making its way down to lower areas. Plants and animal life that rely on this water start to become endangered or extinct. Water sources that hikers need to survive start to dry up, making the area inhospitable. Scenic waterfalls dry up earlier and earlier and may eventually be gone for good. Can you even imagine Yosemite without its grand waterfalls???”

Do you have pets? Ronnie at Moms Clean Air Force does, and she thinks climate change is making them sick. “I’m worried that my pets (two dogs and one cat) are gravely suffering because our planet is getting too warm for them.” Ronnie reviews some of the available scientific research, but her own observations are most convincing. Her dogs are thirstier, hotter, and getting ticks much earlier than usual. She’s pretty sure her cat has contracted feline asthma as a result of the increased air pollution associated with climate change.

Stephanie at Good Girl Gone Green bemoans the impact climate change has on much bigger animals: polar bears. “When I think of polar bears, I picture a piece of ice with one stranded on top,” she writes. “Some might say it is a depressing way to think of them, but what is even more heartbreaking is that polar bears may not be around in 50 years. Extinct. Poof. Gone.”

What can we do?

Given the reluctance of some people to accept that climate change is actually happening, it’s important to be able to explain why it occurs. Dominique Browning’s Moms Clean Air Force interview with climate scientist Dr. Heidi Cullen provides a clear explanation and offers suggestions on how you can deal with so-called climate “deniers.”

Harriet of Climate Mama works with the Climate Reality Project to raise awareness. For Climate Impacts Day, she’s organized family and friends to visit the proposed site of a natural gas pipeline that would carry gas derived through hydraulic fracking through a state park. She and her colleagues are also holding a “teach in” on fracking to raise awareness between this controversial practice and links to earthquakes and water pollution as well as climate change.

Anna at Green Talk admits that in her household, wasting food is one way her family contributes to climate change. She’s not alone. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “The amount of food waste generated in the US is huge. It is the third largest waste stream after paper and yard waste. In 2008, about 12.7 percent of the total municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in America was food scraps. Less than three percent of that 32 million tons was recovered and recycled. The rest – 31 million tons – was thrown away into landfills or incinerators.” Why does it matter? “The decomposition of food and other organic waste materials under anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas (GHG) 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Landfills are the largest human-related source of methane in the United States, accounting for 34 percent of all methane emissions.” Her solution? Only buy what you intend to eat. And compost!!

For more ways to reduce food waste, check out the suggestions in this guest post from Aviva at The Scramble. Making a list and labeling left-overs are two simple steps that can lead to big savings and far fewer throw-aways.

Mary at In Women We Trust acknowledges that, in the face of overcoming a challenge as daunting as stopping climate change, it’s easy to feel like you’ve hit a “great green wall.” Mary is inspired by people in eleven nations in Africa who are working together to stop the Sahara Desert from creeping further south and turning all of Africa into an arid wasteland. “They aren’t doing it to lower Green House Gases,” acknowledges Mary. “They are doing it to survive, but at the same time, it is helping to lower GHG levels. Even the most die-hard denier can’t argue with the saving of a continent – especially when it’s producing such quickly appreciated results.”

At Big Green Purse, I’ve focused on the many ways consumers can use less energy as an important way to generate less carbon dioxide. They range from smart energy-saving driving tips to the top ten ways to save energy and money at home.

Never let it be said that, despite the seriousness of the challenges we face from climate change, we don’t keep our sense of humor! Deanna at The Crunchy Chicken offers a tongue-in-cheek run-down on the top five benefits of climate change. My favorite? #3: “Tropical weather without vacation prices.” Says Deanna wryly, thanks to climate change, we’ll have tropical weather all year long wherever we live – no need to tough out ten months of dreary winter or spend a fortune on a Caribbean vacation in January!”

Finally, thanks to Moms Clean Air Force for this cartoon and reminding us that the carbon emissions from our vehicles contribute significantly to climate change. In case you can’t commute in a toddler-mobile, here are some other ways you can burn less gas!

What impacts worry you? What solutions do you have? Please take a minute to let us know. Thanks!

The post Climate Change Impacts on Our Health, Our Homes, Our Families and Our Future appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Japan’s nuclear disaster got me thinking about energy demand. Nuclear power advocates justify the decision to power plants with uranium as the best way to meet energy demands that are increasing because world population is growing. I couldn’t help but wonder: why aren’t we talking about reducing population as part of our global strategy to minimize dependence on power sources that pollute the environment and threaten people’s health?

  I asked Bob Engelman, a Vice President at the Worldwatch Institute and one of the country’s most respected experts on the link between population and the environment, to weigh in. Read his post, then let us know how you think population should figure into the calculations we’re making about our energy future.

Always sensitive to talk about, the topic of population is hard to keep under wraps when news keeps reminding us that we live in a finite world. The costs of food and energy are rising despite a global economy in low gear. The likelihood of stemming the rise of the atmosphere’s greenhouse gas concentrations seems farther away than ever. And as Japan’s nuclear nightmare has reminded us yet again, there is no truly safe way to provide the energy that 6.9 billion people need to live decently. We’re pressing hard against limits set by the laws of physics and biology. The idea that we can easily trim our individual consumption to come into balance with nature—worthy as that effort is—looks increasingly naïve.

If people in the developed world slash their per capita greenhouse emissions by half, their effort could be counterbalanced by people in developing countries boosting theirs by just 11 percent. Global per capita emissions would still be inequitable—and unsustainably globe-warming.

Are there too many of us?

When I ponder how hard it will be to save the global climate, the oceans, forests, fisheries and non-human species, the answer seems obvious. But that answer is dangerous. To say we are too many is to imply some of us should go away fast, or at least that people should be made to have fewer children than they’d like.

The conversation looks easier if we start with some core values:

One: see the global environmental dilemma not as a problem to be solved but as a predicament to be responded to. We can’t control our future, but we can act with integrity as we aspire to build just societies in an environmentally-sound world. Addressing our numbers can become part of that.

Two, embrace human rights as a foundation for our actions.

All people—even if too many or consuming too much—have dignity and a right to be here. As it happens, population policies based on the right of all women to choose whether and when to bear a child actually slow the growth of population.

Every country that offers easy access to contraceptive and safe abortion services also has a fertility rate of two children per woman or fewer, consistent with a declining population. More than two out of five pregnancies worldwide are unintended, suggesting that a world in which women everywhere were fully in control of their childbearing would soon reverse population growth. “Soon” would come even sooner if, at the same time, women’s standing relative to men surged—in education, health, economic well-being, legal protection and political participation.

Three, acknowledge that no one can claim a greater right than anyone else to use energy and natural resources. This is called equity. We cannot object if the poorest people living today and yet to be born succeed in gaining the means to consume as much as Americans do. In a finite world whose limits we are now meeting, we need to learn how to share—and plan for a world in which there is enough safe energy, clean water and nutritious food for all.

 None of this makes for an immediate silver bullet for our energy and environment problems. Nothing else does either. We need to make positive moves in every direction simultaneously, right now. But whenever we get serious about making the world livable for our children and grandchildren, population has an obvious place at the table.

Robert Engelman is vice president of the Worldwatch Institute and author of the book More: Population, Nature, and What Women Want (Island Press). His most recent Worldwatch report discusses the connections between women’s lives, population and climate change. (Email rengelman@worldwatch.org for free PDF.)

photo credit 

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How much?

You can take a 30% tax credit up to a total value of $1,500. In other words, you can spend up to $5,000 on a single or multiple products, for your principal residence that you own and live in, and get 30% or $1,500 (30% of $5,000 = $1,500) back as a tax credit. If you made some of your  purchases in 2009 and some in 2010, you can combine the total, but you can’t get more than $1,500 in tax credits on the total purchase.

Of course, once you make the investment, the new doors and windows will also reduce your heating and cooling bills. Your local contractor should be able to help you estimate savings depending on what  you buy, the HVAC system you use, and the climate where you live.

In addition to insulating windows and doors, purchases covered by the 2010 tax credits include:

*biomass stoves (those that burn wood or corn pellets, for example)

*heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems

*insulation

*metal or asphalt roofs that reflect the sun’s rays, lowering a home’s temperature

*non-solar water heaters

The $1,500 maximum does not apply to geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, fuel cells, and wind generators.  These are all eligible for a 30% tax credit with no upper limit. However, the tax credit for fuel cells is limited to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity.

The tax credit with no upper limit is completely separate from the one limited to $1,500 – so you can get both. For example, you can get $1,500 back for new windows, and $3,000 back for a new geothermal heat pump – for a total tax credit of $4,500.

NOTE: These are “non-refundable” tax credits so you can’t get more back in tax credits than you pay in federal income tax.

In addition to these federal tax credits, your state may offer similar credits, bringing the cost down even more.

Whether you replace your doors and windows or not, these additional tips will help you save energy this winter.

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