A Greener Life

2009-06-05T04:13:00.000-07:00

ENERGY SAVERS!

Green Your Clean

2009-05-02T06:13:00.000-07:00

Fixie Chick, Brenna Hartmann demonstrates How-To Green Your Clean

2009-04-18T06:32:00.000-07:00

MY ECO-FOOTPRINT QUIZ

Building An Edible Wall

2009-04-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

Here's what the wall looked like before we hung our edible herb garden. Watch the video, and see the amazing result!

2009-03-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

Green Living Technologies

2009-02-23T07:30:00.000-08:00

What should I do with my old TV?

2009-02-11T06:06:00.000-08:00

If you decide to buy a digital TV and no longer want your old analog TV, look for opportunities to recycle it. Recycling TVs recovers valuable materials from the circuit boards, metal wiring, leaded glass, and plastics. Call your local household hazardous waste collection and recycling program to find out whether they will be sponsoring an upcoming event to recycle TVs and other electronics. To find a local recycling program, check out the following sites:
Earth 911:  Earth 911 has a zip-code based search engine that enables you to look for recycling options in your community for various products. Earth 911 has taken environmental hotlines, web sites and other information sources nationwide, and consolidated them into one network.
My Green Electronics  Provided by the Consumer Electronics Association, this site is a resource for consumers wishing to purchase green products and/or searching for local opportunities to recycle or donate used electronics.
Sony and Waste Management  Sony, an EPA Plug-In To eCycling Partner, has teamed up with Waste Management, Inc. to offer their customers the opportunity to recycle their used Sony electronics for free. Other brands of TVs can also be recycled at selected Waste Management locations for a fee. To find a drop-off location, call 877-439-2795.
National Recycling Coalition  With an easy to navigate hyperlinked map, this page provides links to state recycling resources. Many local communities have special collection/recycling days that are highlighted on their Web sites.
Source: EPA

2009-02-02T08:34:00.000-08:00

Why a Green Roof?

2009-01-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

In addition to the many benefits of living in a green home, there are many financial incentives that can help make green homeownership even more affordable.

Funding opportunities and incentives:

* The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) provides a comprehensive database of state, federal, and utility incentives, rebates, and tax credits for using materials and practices that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. The information is searchable by a number of variables, including state, technology, type of incentive, and more.
* The ENERGY STAR program includes among its many resources a listing of tax credits for consumers and homeowners, home builders, and manufacturers.
* The Green Building section of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) website features a directory of green building funding sources targeted for several audiences including consumers, and industry sectors.
* Be sure to consult your Local Program website; your local home building association may maintain local contacts and a directory of applicable incentive opportunities.

Source: National Association of Home Builders

8 Ways To Save Water...

2008-12-12T08:25:00.000-08:00

...Without spending a dime!
1. Turn the water off while brushing your teeth.
2. Fill a milk jug with stones and place it in your toilet tank to displace water.
3. Dig up an egg timer from your kitchen and use it to cut showers down to 5 minutes.
4. Turn off the water while shaving.
5. Fix toilet and faucet leaks immediately.-to check if your toilet is leaking drop food coloring into the tank if it shows in the bowl w/o flushing-you have a leak
6. Don't use your toilet as a trash can.
7. Collect "warm-up" water to irrigate your lawn and flowerbeds.
8. Conserve energy. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that .47 gallons of water are lost for every kilowatt-hour of power generated by coal power plants.

November 15th - America Recycles Day

2008-11-14T09:46:00.000-08:00

The use of electronic products has grown substantially over the past two decades, changing the way and the speed in which we communicate and how we get information and entertainment. Our growing reliance on electronics is illustrated by some remarkable figures. According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Americans own approximately 24 electronic products per household.

The EPA is working to educate consumers and others on why it is important to reuse and recycle electronics and what the options are for safe reuse and recycling of these products. State and local governments, manufacturers, and retailers, who are already aware of the pressing need to better manage these materials, are providing more opportunities to recycle and reuse this equipment. Many computer manufacturers, TV manufacturers, and electronics retailers offer some kind of take back program or sponsor recycling events. Many states have passed some sort of legislation to manage end-of-life electronics, and more are expected to follow suit.

Click Here to see who excepts electronic recycling in your neighborhood.

HVAC EE Federal Tax Credit-The Low Down

2008-11-06T18:42:00.000-08:00

On October 3, 2008, President Bush signed into law the “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.”
This bill extended tax credits for energy efficient home improvements (windows, doors, roofs, insulation, HVAC, and non-solar water heaters).

Tax credits for these residential products, which had expired at the end of 2007, will now be available for improvements made during 2009. Not all ENERGY STAR qualified homes and products qualify for a tax credit. These tax credits are available for a number of products at the highest efficiency levels, which typically cost much more than standard products.Home improvement tax credits are available for home improvements “placed in service” from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009. Any qualified home improvements made in 2008 are not eligible for the tax credit. The maximum amount that a taxpayer may claim from all of these tax credits combined is $500 over the lifetime of the tax credit (2006, 2007 & 2009).

For HVAC, the following guidelines apply.
Product Type: Central A/C
Tax Credit Specification:Split Systems:
EER >=12.5 (Energy Efficiency Ratio)
SEER >= 15(Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio)

Package systems:
EER >= 12
SEER >= 14
Tax Credit: $300
Note: For a list of qualified products, go to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency product directory ENERGY STAR, click on the Air Conditioners and in the “CEE Tier” enter “Residential Tier 2.

Product Type: Gas, Oil, Propane Furnace or Hot Water Boiler
Tax Credit Specification:
Furnaces:
AFUE >= 95 (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency)The AFUE is the most widely used measure of a furnace's heating efficiency. It measures the amount of heat actually delivered to your house compared to the amount of fuel that you must supply to the furnace. Thus, a furnace that has an 80% AFUE rating converts 80% of the fuel that you supply to heat -- the other 20% is lost out of the chimney.
Boiler:
AFUE >= 95
Tax Credit:$150
Note:For a list of qualifying products go to the Gas Appliance Manufacturing Association ENERGY STAR
Use IRS Form 5695
Please join me on Home&Yard Radio with the Fixie Chick Saturday morning at 10:00am for more energy saving ideas. SportsRadio 950 ESPN.
Thanks for reading.
-The Fixie Chick

Green Your Weekend with the Fixie Chick

2008-10-24T05:17:00.000-07:00

Did you know?
Heating water is the second largest consumer of energy in the home, second only to heating the house itself!

Be Green - $ave Green and Green Your Weekend!
Insulate Hot Water Pipes for Energy Savings
Insulating your hot water pipes reduces heat loss and can raise water temperature 2 degreesF-4degreesF hotter than uninsulated pipes can deliver, allowing for a lower water temperature setting.

You can reduce your water heating costs by simply lowering the thermostat setting on your water heater. For each 10degreeF reduction in water temperature, you can save between 3%-5% in energy costs.
Although some manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140degreesF, most households usually only require them set at 120degreesF.
>>You also won't have to wait as long for hot water when you turn on a faucet or showerhead, which helps conserve water.

Insulate all accessible hot water pipes, especially within 3 feet of the water heater. It's also a good idea to insulate the cold-water inlet pipes for the first 3 feet.
Foam Pipe sleeves foam are the most commonly used insulation. Match the pipe sleeve's inside diameter to the pipe's outside diameter for a snug fit. Place the pipe sleeve so the seam will be face down on the pipe. You can purchase foam pipe sleeves around $1.00 each.

Insulate Your Water Heater Tank for Energy Savings
Unless your water heater's storage tank already has a high R-value of insulation (at least R-24), adding insulation to it can reduce standby heat losses by 25%-45%. This will save you around 4%-9% in water heating costs.
If you don't know your water heater tank's R-value, touch it. A tank that's warm to the touch needs additional insulation.
Insulating your storage water heater tank is fairly simple and inexpensive, and it will pay for itself in about a year. You can find pre-cut jackets or blankets available from around $10-$20. Choose one with an insulating value of at least R-8.
Resource: US Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

For more tips on Greening Your Weekend, Tune into Home&Yard Radio with the Fixie Chick, Saturday at 10am on 950 am
-The Fixie Chick

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

2008-03-04T15:29:00.000-08:00

FACT: Recycling just one ton of aluminum cans saves the energy equivalent of 36 barrels of oil or 1,655 gallons of gasoline.

TIP: Reduce, reuse, recycle! Recycling offers opportunities for everyone to help reduce climate change, save energy, and conserve natural resources. We can recycle much more than than what goes in the blue box. Consider purchasing items that have been gently used. And before you throw that jar in the box, think about an alternate use for it. Sauce & baby food jars make great reusable containers.

Thanks for reading A Greener Life!
-The Fixie Chick