There comes a time in every home owner’s life, when we must look into the face of change.  Or more specifically, we have to remodel.  Whatever the cause, a need to increase home value, an attempt to improve the functionality of a space, or an excess of money (lucky you!), this is a great opportunity [...]]]>

There comes a time in every home owner’s life, when we must look into the face of change.  Or more specifically, we have to remodel.  Whatever the cause, a need to increase home value, an attempt to improve the functionality of a space, or an excess of money (lucky you!), this is a great opportunity to improve the environmental friendliness of one’s home.

The news often reports on amazing homes that have achieved the pinnacle of green.  Homes that generate more energy than they use or generate zero carbon emissions can be inspiring but also intimidating.  Doesn’t it seem that a lot of work must be involved to accomplish these things?  But the truth is that making your home greener is easier when you know what your options are.  Thanks to the internet, one of the greatest resources available is other home owners who’ve already done this.  Here are some great examples to learn from:

• Bozeman House – this is a beautiful website created by Ron Gompertz and Michelle Gantt who remodeled their 1904 house in Bozeman, Montana.  In addition to “doing the right thing”, they also wanted to support local businesses and have a house that would stand up to potential rising energy costs in the future.  What they created was a home that utilized a variety of alternative energies, recycled materials, and looks pretty darn good to boot.  An entire section of their website is dedicated to the materials that they used for landscaping, insulation, counter tops, etc..  Its a fantastic resource, so please check out their ‘Green Products‘.
• Our Cool House – Phil and Lisa Malone share the details of their earth-sheltered, geo-thermal exchanging, passive solar house.  And don’t worry if you don’t understand what those terms mean, their website is full of explanations and a lot of enthusiasm.
• Build It Solar: I Did It – If none of those links were to your liking, Build It Solar has an entire resource listing of people sharing their experiences in building or remodeling houses to be more energy efficient.

Hopefully you will be able to find inspiration (and some awesome looking recycled kitchen counter tops) in the links provided.  Happy Surfing and good luck on your next green house project!

Chances are that if you are reading this, then you’re into green gadgets.. If you’re not, then Welcome, and please feel free to browse around the store to see why you should be!  For the rest of us, being into gadgets might also mean you’re a bit of do-it-yourself-er.  If you are, then today’s post [...]]]>

Chances are that if you are reading this, then you’re into green gadgets.. If you’re not, then Welcome, and please feel free to browse around the store to see why you should be!  For the rest of us, being into gadgets might also mean you’re a bit of do-it-yourself-er.  If you are, then today’s post is for you, because its about instructables.com

Instructables.com is a self-described “documentation platform where passionate people share what they do and how they do it…”.  The idea for the site was created by a group of MIT students who later went on to found Squid Labs.  Supported by an incredible community, instructables.com has become a great place to share ideas and be inspired by others.  The premise is simple but powerful.  Each instructable is a set of linear steps, accompanied by images, that shows how to accomplish a project.  Using this simple format, the website has developed a huge number offerings in categories such as art, food, games, music, science, and technology.  And of course, the reason we are covering it today, is their Green category.

The green category consists of wide array of projects.  There are guides available for composting bins, gardening projects, jewelry making, computer recycling, and energy saving.  Since the last couple of posts have focused on saving water in the home, I thought this would be a good area in which to demonstrate types of instructables available.

At one end of the spectrum is an instructable titled “Conserving Water: 2 Stage Toilet Flush“.  This project requires no money, no tools, and very little labor.  Simply by understanding how your toilet works, and making a small change to its internals, you can convert your standard flush toilet into one that has the capability to perform a low-water flush, for minimal waste, or a full-flush for anything else.  Once you read this, you may think that its too simple to bother sharing but often it is the simple actions that make a big difference.

Now, one step up in difficulty is an instructable titled “Simple Laundry Greywater System“.  This project requires some basic plumbing supplies and skills, mainly the ability to connect a hose with a nut and washer, and some effort.  Reading through this shows you how you could possibly start using greywater from your laundry washing machine in your garden.  The best part about this instructable is that it really opens your mind to the possibilities.  Its pretty easy to re-route your laundry machine’s waste water and if this solution isn’t exactly right for you, you might be able to change it until you have something that does work.

This last instructable actually won recognition from earthjustice.org, and its called “Save Water! Kitchen Faucet with Foot Pedal“.  This project requires several parts (tubing, solenoids, wires), some skills, but mainly confidence.  I say this because it involves electricity and water.  So I hope we all understand that there are no guarantees when you do your own work (but isn’t that what is so great about it?).  This idea is pretty cool though because the end product is a foot pedal that controls the water flow from a faucet.  Not only is it green, but its a cost-effective solution that you could theoretically implement yourself.

So if you’ve got the time and notion, go over to instructables.com and take a look around.  There are projects for every skill level in a variety of areas that you may never have considered.

Happy Holidays dear readers!

With the on-coming holidays and seasonal weather, its a good time to investigate some green options that we may not normally get to think about:

Compact Flourescent Light (CFL) bulbs are one of the more ubiquitous signs of the green movement. They save energy, money, and Home Depot gave them away for free on the most recent Earth Day. What’s not to love about CFLs? Well, for some people, its the mercury in them. You may [...]]]>

Compact Flourescent Light (CFL) bulbs are one of the more ubiquitous signs of the green movement. They save energy, money, and Home Depot gave them away for free on the most recent Earth Day. What’s not to love about CFLs? Well, for some people, its the mercury in them. You may or may not recall a  news article in 2007 about a homeowner who was told it would take $2,000 to hire an environmental cleanup firm to remove a broken CFL bulb from a bedroom.  This incident, while being alarmist, highlighted the fact that, like batteries, CFLs require a little additional handling when being disposed of.

According to snopes.com, a CFL contains about 4 to 5 milligrams of mercury (which is about 125 times less than an old style thermometer). Human exposure to mercury has resulted in negative consequences such as tremors, reduced cognitive ability, and insomnia. Even though there is a relatively small amount of mercury in a CFL, they should not be thrown in the regular trash. Most states have a CFL collection program, about which can you read more at the EPA site.

In the event that you have a broken CFL in your home, the EPA recommends a series of actions which appear to be designed to minimize the spread of mercury powder and vapor. What follows next is an abbreviated listing; you can read the full recommendation here:

1. Clear the area of traffic (people, pets, etc…)
2. Turn off any central air
3. Open a window to vent the room for 15 minutes.
4. Scoop up as much of the breakage as possible, using sticky tape if necessary.  Do not use your hands.
5. If you must vacuum, clean out the canister afterwards.
6. Place all breakage and cleaning materials in a sealed plastic bag.
7. Dispose of the trash as recommended for hazardous waste in your area. This may mean taking it to a recycling center.
8. When vacuuming in the future, turn off the central air and air out the room afterwards.

Of course, if you are of the mind that any amount of mercury is too much, then you may be interested in the following. A company named ClearLite is planning on releasing a product called the ArmorLite. It is a CFL that has a safety coating around the bulb. In the event that the bulb breaks, ClearLite claims that the safety coating helps capture broken class and mercury, “providing an extra level of safety between you and the toxins”. ClearLite projects availability of the ArmorLite in December 2010.

The GreenTech Shop donates a portion of every purchase to charity. One of GreenTech’s charity partners is the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). The EESI is non-profit organization, founded by Congress, who’s mission is to educate and shape government policy with regard to sustainable energy use. EESI engages in three main [...]]]>

The GreenTech Shop donates a portion of every purchase to charity. One of GreenTech’s charity partners is the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). The EESI is non-profit organization, founded by Congress, who’s mission is to educate and shape government policy with regard to sustainable energy use. EESI engages in three main activities:

1. Policymaker Education: EESI generates a huge amount of publications on topics such climate change, solar power, and more.
2. Networking & Coalition Building: EESI plays a role in numerous coalitions in order to present their views to government representatives.
3. Policy Development: EESI provides Congressional offices with options when it comes to shaping policy.

The EESI website is an invaluable resource when it comes to environmental information with a focus on government policy. They have three programs: Energy and Climate, Sustainable Biomass and Energy, Transportation and Energy. Through the website, you can sign up to receive newsletters for each program area or read through the issues and government policy that impacts each area.

For example, browsing through the Transportation and Energy Program portion of the site will show you a summary of the current issues in this area and EESI’s strategy for reaching their goals. Their approach may not be unique, more efficient vehicles and leveraging existing public infrastructure, but what’s important is that EESI tells you what is actually happening about it. Each page lists updates which detail events such as Senate panel hearings, educational briefings (many with audio and video recordings), and news items.

So if you are searching for green news in the government sector, check out the EESI.

ShopSmart recently posted an entry with links for dealing with Greenwashing.  Greenwashing is a marketing practice where a company will put a spin on their products or policies to make them seem environmentally friendly. For example, a cleaning product can claim to be environmentally friendly by containing 100% natural ingredients when the truth is [...]]]>

ShopSmart recently posted an entry with links for dealing with Greenwashing.  Greenwashing is a marketing practice where a company will put a spin on their products or policies to make them seem environmentally friendly. For example, a cleaning product can claim to be environmentally friendly by containing 100% natural ingredients when the truth is that there are plenty of natural things that are toxic, like arsenic.

In this age where green is the new black, its good to keep on your toes. So without further ado, here are some tips taken from the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) paper on “Sorting out ‘Green’ Advertising claims“:

1. “Recycled” : When you see this term, check for what they are referring to. Is it the product or the packaging? What percentage is recycled and what is it made from (post-consumer waste, pre-consumer waste, re-used parts)?  For example, a pair of jeans could be labeled as being made from recycled cotton.  However, if they are made from pre-consumer waste, then you might be buying fabric scraps left over from that company’s own manufacturing process.  This isn’t wrong, but it might change the way you think about what you are buying and how much you want to pay for it.
2. Pretty Pictures and Feel-good Words : Don’t blindly accept a happy picture of the earth and general terms like “eco-safe”. All products have an environmental impact.  Look for information that tells you what it actually is.
3. “Degradable” : Biodegradable items break down when exposed to air, moisture, and bacteria. Photodegradable items break down when exposed to light. Neither of these types degrade well in a landfill because landfills are designed to keep air, sunlight, and moisture away from the garbage.  So unless you are composting your waste, buying a bio-degradable product isn’t helping much.
4. CFC-free : Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been illegal in nearly all consumer aerosol products since 1978. If a product says its CFC-free, that isn’t saying much and it doesn’t guarantee that the product is safe for the atmosphere because it still may contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

These tips are all good things to consider when reading through advertising claims.  Another handy resource is the Consumer Reports Eco-Label Center, where you can look up the meaning of labels on different products.  For example, Palmolive makes a dishwasher detergent named Eco, marketed as being ecologically friendly.  Palmolive claims that it is better for lakes and streams because it is phosphate free (it is said that phosphate makes great fertilizer for algae which can clog waterways).  Great, but when you look up the term ‘phosphate free’ this is what the search returns:

1. The claim is somewhat meaningful for dishwasher detergents, since the meaning is clear, relevant, specific, and there is an environmental benefit when used on products that go down the drain and into waterways; however it is not verified.
2. There are no government or official standards for this term
3. There is no independent organization behind this label
4. The producer or manufacturer decides whether to use the claim and is not free from its own self-interest

I thought this was pretty neat information.  It lets me know the extent that I can believe Palmolive Eco is eco-friendly.  Hopefully these tools will help you evaluate some of the products that you are using.