Want to make your home more eco-friendly but don't know where to begin? Some homeowners are turning to environmental consultants for guidance on the issue, according to this article in the New York Times. For a fee, the consultants look over the person's home and lifestyle and offer a list of recommendations from installing low-flow shower heads to paying extra for wind power from the local utility to composting food scraps. Some liked the experience. "This is specific to us," said homeowner George Bryson. "It's a great check-up, and it gives you a baseline for improving things going forward." There are no industry standards for most eco-consultants so homeowners are advised to exercise caution and do research before hiring.
Electricity technology hasn't really changed that much over the last 100 years. In fact the idea originally pioneered from Thomas Alva Edison for the breakers are pretty much identical today. With that said, isn't it time for some fresh ideas? The majority of all electrical fires in homes happen at the outlet with a device that isn't preforming properly. A simple new elegant idea has surfaced thanks to John La Grou, a long-time electronics inventor, audio designer and entrepreneur, who wants to help save lives and more. This new idea takes advantage of RFID tags in the plug of a simple household electrical device and talks to another RFID reader in the outlet. If the device starts to require more power than it should it tells the outlet to just turn off. A simple, cost effective way to stop a potential fire. Not only does this increase the safety but can be used to cycle electricity in new ways and save on energy. As a electrical DIYer I see the need for this change. COME ON Underwriters Laboratories/Government agencies...let's make this happen. Save people, save energy and is affordable? What are we waiting on? You have to see this for yourself at TEDcom, a 4 minute video that needs to be shared.
That quote is from Ed McMahon, senior resident fellow on sustainable development at the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit land use and real estate development research organization, who was talking about the recent geographic shift in home building from suburban to more urban areas.
In a recent report that looked at residential building permits in the nation's 50 most populous metro regions from 1990 to 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that around 15 surveyed regions saw the number of urban housing permits double with significant jumps in the last five years. New York, whose inner-city development accounted for around 15 percent in the early 1990s, now boasts about half of developmental construction. Urban core development now accounts for around 40 percent in residential building permits in the area, up from a mere seven percent in the early 1990s.
The EPA projects that demographic, environmental and economic factors have pushed this suburban to urban building trend. The EPA says that Baby Boomers and the post-Baby Boomer generation, the largest demographic groups with smaller families, are driving housing preferences like smaller homes and living spaces closer to workplaces. Concerns about commuting energy consumption is another reason EPA attributes to the increase in urban building permits. Finally, downsized consumer expectations in the wake of the current recession is another driver that EPA highlights.
“As home values have dropped in most markets, buyers are considering which options will have the most resale value,” said American Institute of Architects chief economist Kermit Baker. “Infill locations, with their convenient access to employers, retail, entertainment and public transit options, are proving to be appealing from both a livability and an investment perspective.”
With Americans looking to cut their electrical bill, many are looking into energy-monitoring devices such as Kill-A-Watt. These devices display how much electricity the device consumes and how much it is costing you to run. But do they work? Consumer Reports investigated.
As I awoke bleary-eyed yesterday morning, I wondered, "Is daylight savings time worth it?" According to this article from Consumer Energy Report, daylight savings time started during World War I in order to save fuel by reducing the need for artificial light. The time change doesn't save that much energy. According to a report by the Department of Energy, daylight savings time saved .02 percent of the nation's energy total use in 2007. That's about the energy consumption of 160,000 households. Not much, but the hour of extra daylight does have the side benefit of reducing crime and car accidents. What do you think: Keep it or scrap it?
In his recent address to Congress, the President said that in order to ameliorate the economic damage that been done to the United States, we must take responsibility for our actions that have too often prioritized instant gratification over long-term prosperity.
But how exactly are we to take responsibility? The Daily Green has suggestions that are applicable not only to homebuilders and buyers but for all consumers. Here are some of the best suggestions:
1) Battle the Urge: Want vs. Need. Before you buy that new set of chairs made from virgin forest wood for the living room, ask yourself, do I really need to buy these chairs? The Daily Green says that you can eliminate the impact on the environment (and on your wallet) by choosing alternatives: furniture that isn't made by slashing down virgin forests and doesn't use toxic glues, which erode the environment. 2) The Second-Hand User Ask yourself if you can get a used dresser instead of that "new" one you need. The Daily Green suggests looking at Web sites like Freecycle and Craigslist, as well as thrift stores and garage sales to find a new home for that perfectly reusable piece. 3) Recycling and Well Being in the Works How was the item you plan to buy made and packaged? Apparently, ebay has an entire section called The World of Good dedicated to selling certified environmentally friendly products. Every product has a "Producer Story" blurb next to its description telling the consumer what measures the producer took to create a worker- and environmentally friendly product. You can also see where the product is being shipped from to help you decrease your carbon footprint.
Check out BobVila.com's top energy-saving ideas of 2009 for your home here and how to determine if what you're buying is truly green here.
President Obama warns us that our move toward saving the economy and the environment won't be easy. But with a little bit of self-restraint and smart shopping, together, "we will rebuild, we will recover."
As someone who has been to Africa, I can tell you the one thing the continent does not lack is sunlight. Now a young entrepreneur named Emily Cummins has come up with the brilliant idea of converting that solar power potential into refrigeration. Her portable eco-fridge is made of simple household materials and can keep food cool for days. The full Daily Mail article includes a diagram showing how the fridge works.
