How to Celebrate Earth Day?

This Thursday marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a day marked to celebrate and embrace the planet we live on as a living and breathing entity. Here in the United States, the day falls on April 22 each year and has been an important teaching day to talk about the environment sine it was first proposed in 1969.

Even people who are not traditionally known as “Green” tend to do something better for the planet on Earth day but that leads me to the question in my post title…how should we celebrate?

Since I am a proudly self-proclaimed Greenie I already do a whole bunch of the things that are suggested as ways to show some eco love -- work from home most of the time, eat far less meat (almost none in fact!), use CFLs, wash in cold water, reduce/reuse/recycle, buy second hand or from local shops as often as is practical, unplug items not in use, do as much shopping on one day as possible to avoid multiple gas emission days, walk whenever possible, etc -- so what should an eco-attuned gal such as myself do to celebrate this momentous day?

Some of you may be having a similar problem right now considering my readers over here are certainly savvy environmental lovers who don’t just hug trees, they plant them too! But this leaves all of us with the difficult task of trying to determine the best way to do even more in honor of the planet; and it is just 3 days away, yikes!

I am stumped! If anyone has suggestions I am all ears! PLEASE give me some recommendations for ways to celebrate on Thursday and I will be forever grateful!

One Billion Bulbs

My sister sent me a link to the One Billion Bulbs site and I had to get on over here to share it with all of you too! Talk about an awesome concept!

These folks have started a website where people can sign up to indicate how many CFL's they have purchased to replace standard incandescent light bulbs. The mission is to save people money and the world's energy by getting 1,000,000,000 light bulbs changed over.

So far they have enough members signed up that they have tracked over 170,000 changed bulbs around the world. Over 148,000 of those have come from the United States alone.

We switched over just about every single bulb in our home with a CFL as soon as the incandescent burned out. The exceptions to this are overhead lights where 1. CFL does not fit or 2. Can not be installed for safety issues. We have 4 floor lamps and 4 overhead lights where CFL's can be utilized and have changed over all the lamps at this time.

To date, those 4 replaced bulbs are calculated at the One Billion Bulbs site to save us $52.84 and 443 lbs of greenhouse gas (CO2) annually (at an approximate 4 hour usage per bulb per day). Now that's savings I can get behind!

I hope everyone has a chance to not only check out the site, and sign up to record your own activity, but to also replace as many of your own bulbs with compact fluorescents as possible to save money and the planet!

GeoBulb Emits Nice Light at Home

About four years ago we completed a swap of all our incandescent light bulbs to CFLs (when they burned out on their own of course) and it has been easy to maintain CFL usage since as just about everywhere carries them these days. What I do not like about CFLs is that once they burn out (it takes longer but it does happen!) I have to locate a special facility to take them due to the mercury content inside. I wanted to find a way to avoid having to do this in the future. Enter the GeoBulb LED light bulb!

Not only does this bulb contain zero mercury but also zero lead. And it is extremely inexpensive to operate. To run annually: a CFL is estimated at $6.89 whereas the GeoBulb is estimated to cost only $3.97. Nice! I love saving $2.92!

And that is per bulb. In my home we have 10 bulbs this could replace; that is a savings of close to $30 per year just for swapping bulbs.

There is a warranty on these bulbs for a full three years and they are estimated to last upwards of 30,000 hours each, just over three years of usage if the bulb is on nonstop for all three years.

Now for the kind of bad news as far as a cost comparison is concerned.

The bulb itself retails for approximately $100. Now this may sound steep, and it is in the short term, but like anything innovative in the realm of energy savings, its cost benefit should be seen over time. Not only will it help reduce the draw on the energy grid but the landfill will benefit as well. At three years per bulb that is a savings of possibly 3 bulbs per lamp (based on CFL average 10,000 hour lifespan).

It is important to note that these bulbs are not to be used with dimmer switches.

After putting this bulb in my floor lamp I noted some personal preferences that made this bulb not the best choice for me. We do not use overhead lighting in our living room so I like my bulbs to be somewhat bright. As a 40 Watt equivalent this bulb was fairly dim so instead of using it in the floor lamp, I placed it in a small accent light and that made a great difference. My chief concern was the low yet audible humming sound it put out, so I will likely not use this light frequently.

Overall, the benefit of this type of bulb far outweighs the impact and as I mentioned, the minor annoyances were just personal preference so I am awarding the GeoBulb a Three Leaf Rating!

As kinks in early models are worked out and more folks come on board to this type of lighting solution I expect the cost to significantly reduce and little annoyances to be well taken care of. Thanks for being an innovative leader in energy efficient GeoBulb! ♥love♥

I Want to Express Great Gratitude

It is hard to believe that it is the first day of the second month of a new calendar year. Since starting this blog in mid October of last year I have logged over ninety five posts, only three of which were not mine and it has been rewarding as well as exciting to dive even deeper into the world of eco love to find all these pearls and gems to share. Without many bloggy friends these posts would not have been possible and I sincerely want to thank everyone who has shared their stories, ideas, thoughts and posts with the readers out there. Also all of you who come back to read these posts every day you are truly awesome and it makes me so happy to know you are enjoying this blog. I would be writing it even if no one was reading but to know there are so many of you interested, concerned and open to discussing environmental topics makes my smile beam!

As the spring heats up and so do the temperatures I fully intend to rub the hibernation from my eyes and get back out into this great big world of ours to explore. I will be doing my best to continue posting as often as I have been up to now but there could be times when I skip a day or two so please do not hold it against me. Instead I strongly encourage everyone to get out there on those days and conceive of your own eco ideas and put them into practice!

Some of the items I discovered I must follow up with as February rolls on are…

☼ Matt posting his final entry on the entertainment center. Part I is here, Part II here.

☼ Me getting in touch with our local public schools to discuss recycling bin availability.

☼ Changing all our bulbs to CFLs (there are 2 left & will be replaced as they die out)

☼ Join 41pounds.org to reduce my junk mail.

☼ Begin replacing all petroleum based products with more natural counterparts (shampoo, dish liquid, packaged items, etc.)

Looking forward to continuing this great journey together in 2009! Thanks again from the bottom of my heart for your unyielding support.

Home Improvement Is Good

The most important benefit of improving our homes is the added level of comfort we achieve in our space. So what solutions are available to make our homes snazzy and comfy without breaking the bank or killing our planet?

Paint! It is the quickest and least expensive way to freshen a space. There are a multitude of products on the market today in almost every price range that are environmentally friendly such as milk (casein), clay or lime wash options. Readily available (and one I can personally recommend from having used it multiple times while installing faux finishes) is Eco Spec from Benjamin Moore. Low VOC, low odor, tintable to most Benny color palates and available in three finish options (flat, eggshell and semi-gloss).

Well I mentioned it so I might as well recommend it…faux! For the cost of a can of paint, glaze, some tools of the trade and a few hours of labor it is possible to “install” various woods, stones, metals or tile, using water based paint products. Think of how great it would be to show off your loft style living room and when people go up to touch the bricks they find out it is faux. Here is one I did recently.


How many trees could be saved using glaze treatments instead of real wood? Here is a great example of mahogany wood graining from one of my favorite finishers Ron Ames.

Flooring! A new rug adds an entirely new feeling to a space and the folks over at FLOR have displayed their love for the planet by giving us gorgeous, interchangeable carpet tiles made from renewable and recycled materials. Ruin a square with an organic red wine spill? No biggie, they even take returns to be recycled into future carpet squares.

Get moving! No, I do not mean packing up and going somewhere new, I am talking about rearranging within the existing space. It might feel boring if the sofa has been placed on the same wall for ten years so why not pull it into the middle of the living room, move the entertainment center to a new wall, create angled furniture arrangements, move accessories from one room to another. Thinking creatively, our homes can feel brand new.

Lighting! Before running out to buy all new energy efficient CFL bulbs consider that light colored surfaces reflect light wonderfully. Save money, and disposal of items, by directing light upwards to reflect off a brightly colored ceiling. Add illumination in soft, creative ways by using soy based candles or from led bulbs on holiday decorations.

So when we are feeling a case of cabin fever this winter it is inexpensive and easy on the environment to make a few minor changes that will keep us feeling refreshed until the sunshine and warm temperatures return.

Eco Holidays

Since I was raised in the United States in an Irish Catholic household these are the holidays I personally celebrate. I would love to hear about any and all traditions or holidays that readers embrace and how this year might be the one where an environmental twist can be placed on those celebrations!

Halloween

For the past couple weeks we have been saying that for Halloween this year we will wear our most tattered clothing and go as out of work bankers. When I was a kid, that same costume was called a Hobo when a clown face was added. It is difficult to imagine myself fitting into my old Halloween costume this year so I am on the prowl to scour my closet and come up with alternate solutions by utilizing items I already have or can acquire very inexpensively.

This trend seems to be catching on as I was reading some comments on my personal blog from Julie. She said:

“So, I pulled out my sewing machine the other night. It's been a while. But it was fun, and I was pretty proud of my "freehand" upcycled creation. The four of us are going to a costume party for Halloween, and since the boys are going to be Batman and Robin, DH & I are going as The Joker & Catwoman. So, I converted a goodwill shirt into a shiny (literally) new green vest for the clown-faced villain in my life. Basic, but like I said, I'm happy with it. :) Still, I need to make a headpiece/mask/ears & tail for my costume, and convert a yellow t-shirt into a cape for Robin...”

Fantastic!

Then there was the year that my sister in law spray painted cardboard boxes and glued on cups to turn my nephews into Legos.

When a child goes out trick or treating the signal for where to stop for treats is a porch light left on so how can we simultaneously conserve energy? Perhaps install a CFL bulb prior to that evening. Or there is always the option of placing this little baby out on the stoop: A solar powered lantern. Charge it that day in bright sunlight and it will hold a thirty hour charge. The candy will run out before the lantern light does!

Thanksgiving

Countless gallons of fossil fuel are burned on the biggest travel day of the year. Gallons of water are down the drain. Electric usage soars while the oven runs for six continuous hours, the television stays on for the football games while everyone naps on the couch and extra lights are turned on all over the house.

So what can we do about it while we still enjoy a hearty meal and laughs with our respective relations?

For starters those hosting this festive occasion can purchase just what is needed of locally grown and organic food. Less fossil fuel is burned because the items have less distance to travel and with no added chemicals it will be a healthier meal all around.

Family and friends who are headed out in their cars to take advantage of this healthier feast can definitely improve their emissions by completing a few small steps prior to the date of travel. Have tires checked and inflated to proper pressure, make sure oil and filter changes as well as tune ups are all up to date. A properly working vehicle is key!

It might seem difficult to reduce a carbon footprint while flying but we can -- pack a travel mug in our carry on bag to fill up with a beverage of choice once past security, attempt to carry on only reducing the weight of baggage on the flight (basically do not over pack), park in an out-lot and take the shuttle to the terminal (less time cruising for a perfect parking spot, carpool instead) and plant a tree (or ten) upon returning home to help offset some of the carbon utilized while on the plane.

For those with a dishwasher that like to rinse dishes, fill a dishpan or the sink halfway with warm water and soak the dishes rather than spending time running them under a faucet. This will cut down on wasted gallons of water and improve the efficiency of the dishwasher. For those without a dishwasher just add soap to the warm water and let the dishes soak. Wash them all at once and rinse them all at once.

About a half hour after the meal is over most everyone stretched out on the sofa (bed, floor, chair) will be passed out but the television will still be running for the duration of that nap. Why not set the sleep timer to turn off after an hour? Encourage guests to be mindful of leaving lights on throughout the house, turn them off when leaving a room.

There is nothing quite like taking an entire day to give thanks and show gratitude for the wealth of things we have in our lives and one of them is the environment. For a complete list of some great tips check out this site.

Christmas

In decades past this was the time of Yule logs burning and smells of cinnamon mixed with winter pine. A time when kids were on break from school so they could have snowball fights, go sledding and build snowmen. A time of frosty noses and family, friends and fun, peace and joy. More recently this holiday has turned into a race to the mall where countless items are purchased for individuals we barely know perpetuating a cycle of disposable consumerism. Acknowledging each other and the fuzzy feelings we have with a special little something is perfectly wonderful but maybe it is time to think outside the box stores to do something that will bring an even greater sense of warmth to everyone involved and give back to humanity at the same time.

Shop local. Instead of driving miles away to a mall or other big box retailer, explore the cities or towns we live in to bring our dollars back into our own communities. This will help boost local economies, keep people employed and build relationships in the places we all live.

Buy handmade items from independent artisans. When we absolutely have to shop online, consider purchasing something more unique from an artist who put their heart and soul into creating that item. Independent artisans are to the internet what local retailers are to a town. The service is always more personalized and generally the products are of a higher quality. I suggest starting the search on Etsy where each shop is independently owned and the items are as unique as the shop names.

Consider donating to a charity in someone else’s name. With amazing success this is something my Mom instituted last year in an effort to rid her home of stuff. We jumped on the train and it was amazingly successful throughout our family. There is something out there that everyone believes in whether it is environmental or humanitarian in nature. There are many on the receiving end of the donation who benefit so the giver and recipient both feel great about doing something special for someone else.

Create a personalized gift. One year for a holiday I purchased a simple plastic box frame, some tiny accoutrements (a plastic phone, a shoe, etc), glued them to the face of the frame, printed a photo of my sister and I and put it inside. She still has that gift to this day. Using our imaginations we can create all kinds of heartfelt gifts that will be cherished for years.

Simply spend time with someone. The holidays can be a difficult time of year for many people. When we embrace what the spirit of the holiday season is all about we will find that sharing a cup of tea over great conversation on a Sunday afternoon is a far greater gift than anything purchased.