Chill Out: Five Ways to Beat the Summer Heat while Staying Eco Conscious

Hello from sunny, and scorching, Phoenix, Arizona! It is mid-May and our temperatures have already started hitting the low 100 range on a somewhat regular basis. I can’t say for sure if this is early since it’s only my third summer here but it sure feels early. I started looking for alternatives to beat the summer heat while staying as eco conscious as possible.

Here are five simple things anyone can do to stay cool and comfortable even on the hottest summer days.

Adjust the thermostat by two degrees

This sounds like a small thing but by setting our air conditioner to kick on at eighty degrees instead of seventy-eight we can save approximately 2% in energy costs. The reverse can also be beneficial to cost and energy saving – turn the thermostat down in the winter. The two degrees on either end will barely be noticeable to the body but it will sure be noticed by the wallet when the savings roll in over the course of the year.

Block passive solar from entering the house

I use heavy weight velvet drapes in the living room and dining room, darker lined curtains in the bedroom, and wooden blinds in the kitchen. What do all these rooms have in common? They’re on the south face of our home where the sun pours in during the entire day. The curtains on the front of the house (north face) are lighter weight and lighter colored. Sunlight can still brighten up the house from these windows but the warming that comes with the sun doesn’t have to bake our rooms in the process. Once the sun passes by each of the windows I can pull back the curtains to let late afternoon light into the home. Bright and sunny doesn’t have to mean hot and wasteful!

Cover the pool

We opted to purchase a home with a pool, something we use just about every day from May through October. Not only does jumping into the pool help to cool us off (another way to eliminate air conditioning!) but it’s a soothing water feature in our yard. However, a pool uses a lot of water which is not only a hit to the wallet but is also a tough thing to justify wasting even a drop of here in the desert. When we first bought this place there were weeks we lost a full inch (or more) from our pool. By installing a simple solar cover (trimmed to fit our uniquely shaped pool) we are able to save from massive evaporation in our dry climate and not only cut back on the water bill but also extend our swimming season on either end of the summer.

Run the ceiling fans, not the AC

Installing ceiling fans is another great way to keep cooling (and heating) costs down. We leave our fans circulating all the time as it keeps continuous airflow through the house even when the air conditioner is off.

Invest in natural fiber clothing

I’ve seen a whole bunch of adorable sun dresses and other summer clothing on display recently but I’ve walked away from purchasing because of one reason – man-made fibers. Polyester and nylon may feel like they’re lighter weight because they’re so light to the touch but it’s an illusion. Synthetic threads such as those don’t breathe the same way a natural fiber like cotton, bamboo, hemp, etc. breathe because they are tighter woven in order to maintain a specific shape. Wearing them close to your skin will actually keep you warmer because the body’s internal cooling system (sweat) gets trapped under their surface with no way to escape. A natural fiber will help to wick away perspiration from the body but also release it into the air more quickly meaning the sweat can help keep the body cool. Cotton, bamboo, hemp, linen, etc. are wonderful alternatives to synthetic fibers and your cool bod will thank you for making the investment!

With just a few simple steps those of us in warmer climates will enjoy their hot and steamy summer by staying cool as a cucumber in the crisper drawer!

Image courtesy Stuart Miles at Freedigitalphotos.net

Recharge a Cell Phone, With No Cords!

The cutting edge of technology these days is always the latest wireless offering such as laptops, gaming system components or even a traditional cell phone. But once the batteries run down or run out completely we are forced to grab the cord and plug into an outlet. Not only does this limit mobility with the device, but it draws on energy that is new to re-power it. Well Nokia is attempting to figure out a way to take the unused energy floating around everywhere to act as a recharging system for a new cell phone they are developing and hope to have operational within the next three to five years.

The phone would very slowly recharge on electromagnetic waves emitted into the air, something Nikola Tesla was attempting to deem possible in the late nineteenth century. I have always been fascinated with Tesla (inventor of the ‘Tesla’ coil, for more information on this breakthrough in electricity please check out this website). This man was a pioneer in adopting radio frequency, electromagnetism and a host of other seemingly impossible ways to manipulate waves that today are proving possible.

Here is an excerpt from the article on Nokia’s technological advance:

“Nokia picks up all the bits and pieces of these waves and uses the collected electromagnetic energy to create electrical current, then uses that to recharge the phone's battery. A huge range of frequencies can be utilized by the system (there's no other way, really, as the energy in any given wave is infinitesimal). It's the same idea that Tesla was exploring 100 years ago, just on a tiny scale.”

Please find the rest of the article here.

Recycling energy at its finest!

The Lights on Our Tree Shine Bright…Green

When the people of Halifax, Nova Scotia began gifting spruce trees to the city of Boston back in 1940, as a thanks for the help provided to them after a 1917 explosion killed over 1,700, it is safe to assume they were not thinking of saving energy in 2008 but this year Mayor Menino and the Park’s Department both have a green twinkle in their eye as the holiday tree will be illuminated by energy efficient LEDs instead of standard incandescent bulbs. This change is part of an effort to provide at least twenty percent more eco-friendly holiday decorations in the city; Frog Pond and the Parkman Bandstand will also be shrouded in a crisp blue-white glow this season.

This is the first year Boston will green up their holidays. Mary Hines, spokeswoman for the Park’s Department, is confident that most people will not be able to tell the difference and will be pleased with the change; presumably since it will likely save the city some of that other type of green. With approximately 8,000 LED diodes, there will be plenty of light to shine bright and once the season is over, the city will do a comparison to determine the level of electric energy we managed to save this year.

For those in the Boston area, the lighting ceremony begins tonight, Thursday December 4, at six o’clock and will be accompanied by a small fireworks display to give a little extra sparkle to the forty six foot tall spruce gifted by Clemantsvale residents Craig and Marina Cook who were grateful to be able to be a part of such a long standing tradition. When Boston discovers the beauty in energy saving, old traditions will meet with new as efficient LED bulbs twinkle on the tree every season to come.

Get Back, Jack

We all know about the benefits of sleep, it will recharge our little bodies to produce energy for our go-go lifestyles, but why are we forced to “gain” an hour of it in the fall only to subsequently “lose” an hour in the spring? Ah yes, the ever discussed, sometimes controversial, Daylight Savings Time (DST) clock change. Falling back to the actual standard time occurred last night (although technically this morning at two) but why do we do it? What possible benefit could it have to mess with our body clocks for a few days every six or so months?

Spring forward, fall back. We are probably all aware of the seemingly timeless expression by now. It may surprise people outside of Arizona, Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands and Hawaii to learn that there is no federal mandate on states to implement this. Say what? That is right my friends, there is no one forcing us to collectively spring forward but we have been doing it on and off for the past ninety years as a way to ensure electric energy savings as well as a way to standardize the schedules of trains, which began to grow in frequency near the end of the nineteenth century.

To make sure that everyone could get to their train on time the concept of time had to be implemented and in 1883 a bunch of big wigs from the railroad deemed what we now know as time zones. Considering they were the most likely to benefit from standardized time, the oversight of this concept has remained with the Department of Transportation.

Now some may be asking -- OK, so that part about saving electricity, how does that factor in? Great question!

In general our body clock tells us that we should rise when it is light and sleep when it is dark. This is not to say that there are some who buck that trend, such as night shift workers, or vampires, but for the majority of us it rings true. In the fall it gets darker earlier so once the sun does set we are supposed to just go to bed. Consequently, in spring, we gain an hour on the clock (this is the DST by the way, fall is the “actual time”) so we have more natural light when the weather is getting warmer to get outside and enjoy nature instead of trapping ourselves indoors with our little boxes of wattage; gaining an hour of daylight will keep us from turning on those pesky energy sucking devices like computers, televisions and lights for another hour.

In theory it sounds wonderful but as our dependence on technology increases and focuses less on the world around us, it is fair to wonder -- is there still a notable savings in electricity usage? There certainly could be if we allow DST to do what it was designed for. We should all use it to its greatest advantage, ensure that it does create a marked difference, so make use of the extra hour of sunlight and read instead of watching television or take a vigorous evening stroll to see the last of the golden leaves.

So on Tuesday when everyone briskly walks to their local polling station to voice their own personal choice, please be mindful of the time of the setting sun. Be safe and bring a flashlight, lantern, glow stick or other means of attraction such as reflective stickers or flashing lights so passing cars will “hit” the polls, not our nation’s energy savers.

Getting Involved

A few weeks ago, my Mom and Aunt came over for a pasta dinner and we all got to talking about the state of the country. My mom outright asked what our generation is actually doing about it. Her question was focused on the entire governmental process and the state of our planet. It occurred to me that my mom already had her time to literally march on Washington, protest, fight back. Her generation was fighting to put an end to a senseless war. Where the history books are concerned, that defined them.

As I pondered her question it became clear that I first needed to consider what it was that defines our generation. Are we all bound together by one common purpose or desire? My answer was clear, yes! What will historically be the thing that defines our generation is our desire to provide a clean, healthy, sustainable environment for all future generations so they can live to discover their own definition. Now that I had nailed down the one true thing that characterizes our global generation I needed to determine what we were doing about making a difference -- how were we “marching on Washington”, literally or figuratively?

So what are we doing?

Joining. I posted an interview with Melissa two days ago. She shared this link with a friend who was interested to read about it and they started discussing the potential of getting together to share even more ideas of how they can become more environmental. Later, one of Melissa’s neighbors stopped by and they started talking about the same thing. She has now invited me and my Mom and there could be an expansion in this group to hopefully include her whole neighborhood as well. One person will not change the state of the entire planet, true, but she sure can help get a crowd together to discuss ideas, increase the size of that crowd, encourage that crowd to take part in efforts to reduce energy consumption or waste, bring that crowd out of their neighborhood and onto the streets of the state, encourage that crowd to tell ten friends, and so on, and so on. There are endless opportunities for change by simply starting a small neighborhood focus group.

Donating. There are a slew of groups out there already and they are spreading the environmental word but many of them are funded by donations from us and without those contributions they may not be able to continue fighting for the change our planet needs. These groups are widespread and diverse and there is one out there to fit the ideals of everyone interested in learning more.

Blogging. It may sound small but with the literal thousands of blogs circulating through cyberspace it is almost impossible to not come across one that is environmentally conscious. On my other blog I have links to twenty four blogs that I read consistently. Of the twenty four there are two which are strictly environmental. That leaves twenty two blogs and I can not think of a single one who has not mentioned the planet, eco-friendly lifestyle choices, the environment, their involvement in particular organizations, heck even recycling at some point. The people who write these blogs are online shop owners, moms, musicians, interior designers, accountants, chefs, law students, writers, photographers, graphic artists and range in age from early twenties on up. And that is just my personal blog roll. There are so many others who share this common thread and with such a diverse group concerned with our planet, and talking about it frequently, we have opened up an entirely new world of opportunity to share information and suggestions for ways to help.

Taking action into our own hands at home. I can not speak for the actions of the billions of people on this planet but I can be held accountable for the things that I personally do everyday. In addition to the three things above I also:

☼ Turn off the water while I brush my teeth.
☼ Consciously conserve toilet paper with my “three squares” rule.
☼ Recycle paper, plastic, metal in the conventional way (toss it in the bin for pick up).
☼ Upcycle, recycle or repurpose anything I can. For example, when my grandparents passed away they left behind an entire house full of stuff including clothes and bed sheets. I took that fabric, washed it and cut it up to make some adorable bags, giving new life to something old. What I could not use went to the Goodwill to further extend its life cycle.
☼ Limit my driving. As I work from home or complete jobs and errands locally, my gas consumption plummeted since moving this past spring. A tank will now last me upwards of a month.
☼ Turn things off and unplug what I can. Lights, computers, the toaster oven, anything!
☼ Open the curtains. The living room is an east facing window so I take advantage of passive solar to heat my apartment in the morning and afternoon.
☼ Eat less meat. I certainly have not gone completely vegetarian but at least two meals a week have moved in this direction and I plan to continue to increase that number.

The list here is a small example of what we can do individually and collectively to better our world. I strongly encourage everyone reading to locate and join local groups, donate to support the efforts of larger organizations, discuss the environment either through a blog or any other form of communication and finally look into all the ways to personally take action and then do it. Together, we can fight to protect our planet and go down in the history books as a generation committed to the greater good of the entire world.

Who Knew?

Last night was game four of the ALCS, better known as “the flogging of the Boston Red Sox by the Tampa Bay Rays”. For those not in the know, these games determine who plays in the World Series. As a gal from Beantown I am a true fan of the Sox but seriously, is it not football season? How many more weeks of baseball are there? Geez. Even though it seems late in the year for this summer sport, we have been watching all the Sox games.

I noticed in the past couple weeks that there were commercials with Anderson Cooper from CNN airing during all the games to advertise for Planet In Peril, a show slated to air on CNN on December 12, 2008 about lacking energy resources across the world. He indicated that if we wanted to do something about it now, Americans watching Game 4 of the American League Championship Series should pledge to turn out their lights while watching the game. A fifteen second portion of the commercial is presented by Sharp -- pledge to watch the game with our lights out to conserve energy, taking the Sharp Lights Out Challenge.

Each person goes on over to the website and clicks on their state to pledge to conserve energy then turns their lights off. Sounds like a great thing all by itself but then, surprise a sweepstakes! Grand prize is a 46” LCD Aquos TV, first prize is a 42” LCD Aquos TV. Cool!

The kicker in all of this is that while I was doing my research into reporting on this energy reducing effort and contest I discovered how Sharp is bringing their carbon footprint down in a major way through strong environmental efforts. A small fraction of the things they are doing as a company include:

☼ The world’s largest roof mounted solar panel system on their Japanese manufacturing facility.

☼ A commitment to providing some of the most energy efficient products on the market.

☼ In the next two years they hope to reduce emissions with their products to the same level as what their manufacturing facilities produce so they off set each other.

☼ They have a strong commitment to energy saving technologies in the entire lifespan loop of their products: manufacturing, packaging, transporting, usage and disposal or recycling of the item.

Way to go Sharp! Your efforts to help our planet are amazing and that is why I am giving you a Four Green Leaf Rating! Hooray!



Even though the game is over (and if you’re a Sox fan you are really excited we are not playing tonight) the challenge and sweepstakes is still going strong but only through tomorrow so stop over to the TBS / Sharp website today, click on your state, actually turn off those lights (or other energy sucking devices) and enter the sweepstakes. Who knows, maybe you will find yourself saving even more energy with one of those beautiful TVs.