Hardwood finishes are more eco-friendly than ever

(ARA) - Finishes are vital to protecting the beauty and performance of hardwood cabinetry, flooring and millwork. And while these will always be important considerations for today's consumers, the health of their families and overall environmental health are important as well. So before you visit the local home center, the American Hardwood Information Center, www.HardwoodInfo.com, suggests you contemplate the following "finishing facts."

Whether purchasing factory-finished products or engaging in a do-it-yourself project; be knowledgeable. Ask questions. Read labels. The key words are "volatile organic compounds," commonly referred to as VOCs, usually listed in grams per liter. Lower VOC content products are more environmentally friendly and pose lower health risks. According to EPA standards, to qualify as a zero-VOC finish, VOC content cannot exceed 5 grams per liter, and low-VOC finishes cannot contain more than 200 grams per liter.

Consumers interested in finding the healthiest and most environmentally friendly products, should be aware of VOC content. While paints, stains and other coatings can be emitters of VOCs, they are not alone. VOCs are emitted from many other products found in the home including carpeting, electronics, cosmetics, plastics, cleaning supplies, tobacco products and more.

From blinds to draft dodgers, simple ways to improve your home insulation

(ARA) - When the wind whips outside your home and temperatures plummet, you may start to think of your home's insulation and wonder if it's adequate. While many people equate the idea of insulation with staying warm in winter, did you know your home's insulation can also help keep you cool in summer? And reduce your energy bills in any season?

There's more to home insulation than just that layer of pink stuff in the attic. From weather stripping around doors and windows to the type of blinds you choose, your home's insulation has many components, all of which can help you save energy when heating and cooling your home.

Sealing and insulating your home can save you up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs (up to 10 percent of a home's total annual energy bill), according to EnergyStar.gov. Whether you're fighting winter's chill or trying to keep your cool in the summer, these energy saving tips will help improve your home's overall insulation from roof to basement and reduce energy bills:

Attic

Take a look at the insulation in your attic. Fiberglass batting is the most common type of insulation used in attics and walls. To determine if you need more insulation in your attic, look at the attic floor, and if you can clearly see the attic floor joists because the insulation is level with them or below them, you probably need to add more insulation, according to EnergyStar.gov.

'Tax relief' extended for Energy Star windows

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(ARA) - Between 25 to 50 percent of energy used in a home goes right out the window - literally. In most homes, windows provide the biggest openings between indoor and outdoor air, and the biggest opportunity for valuable energy to escape.


To assist homeowners with upgrading from old, drafty windows, the federal government is offering tax credits under a new act signed into law in late 2010. Available until Dec. 31, 2011, the tax credit is for up to 10 percent of the purchase price, excluding labor and materials for installation, and is capped at $200 for qualifying windows and skylights, and $500 for exterior doors.

Qualifying windows, doors and skylights must meet the Energy Star rating. According to Energy Star, installing windows, doors and skylights with the Energy Star label shrinks energy bills - and carbon footprints - by about 7 to 15 percent, compared to non-qualified products.

"Tax credits offer homeowners immediate savings, but the benefits of Energy Star rated windows are long lasting," says Erin Johnson, window expert from Edgetech I.G. "Research shows that in cold climates, energy-efficient, dual-pane windows with low-e coatings can reduce heating bills by as much as 34 percent. In warm climates, they can cut cooling costs by 38 percent."

The Planet 100 Guide to Green Toys (Video)

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P&G's First Wind Turbine (Netherlands)

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Green Lifestyle Tips By JZGOGREEN

- Buy Local 

- Recycle 

- Use Online Banking

- Carpool 

 - Reuse Household Items

- Use Mobile Coupons and Foursquare for good deals

- Bring Reusable Bags when you go shopping

This Wednesday is Curbside E-Waste Pickup Day in the Town of Hempstead!

When: Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Time: Before 6:00am

Where: At your home – leave items curbside

What: TV’s, Computers, Monitors, DVD/VCR players, Cell Phones, etc.

Available to Town of Hempstead Department of Sanitation residential customers only

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Tips to Save Energy Today

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Easy low-cost and no-cost ways to save energy.

• Install a programmable thermostat to keep your house comfortably warm in the winter and comfortably cool in the summer.
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs with the ENERGY STAR® label.
• Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.
• Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
• Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).
• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F.
• Take short showers instead of baths.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
• Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Visit http://www.energysavers.gov/ for more energy-saving ideas.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

Recycle a Pizza Box? YES!

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Energy Efficient Homes

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Energy efficient homes: wwlp.com

Blue mussels go green: Why sustainable shellfish are safe for your menu

(ARA) - Sustainability is a term we're hearing more often in today's environmentally conscious world. Increasingly, Americans are examining what they eat, where it comes from and how the environment is affected by the foods they choose.

When it comes to seafood, farmed blue mussels are one of the greenest choices around. In fact, Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program lists farmed mussels as a "super green" seafood product. Seafood Watch bases its selections on a variety of factors, including the fishery, habitat, species, management and other factors that affect each species, as well as their Omega 3 content.

"Nearly 75 percent of the world's fisheries are fished to capacity, or overfished, but our seafood choices have the power to improve that situation," says Linda Duncan, executive director of the Mussel Industry Council of North America. "Blue mussels are grown naturally, in their own environment. They're harvested by hand in Atlantic Canada and shipped fresh to your local restaurants and grocery stores."

And mussels grow in abundance. Each female releases as many as 20 million eggs in the spring, which float in the ocean waves, get fertilized and then latch onto mussel farmers' collector ropes, where they continue to grow to maturity as they naturally would.

SOLON and TEP Unveil 1.6MW Solar Power Plant in Tucson

Tucson-based SOLON Corporation, one of the largest providers of turnkey solar power plants and manufacturer of crystalline silicon solar modules in the U.S., today announced the completion of a 1.6 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Tucson in conjunction with Tucson Electric Power Company (TEP). As TEP’s largest local solar resource, the array will provide a faster, more cost effective way for TEP to integrate solar power into its renewable energy portfolio for Tucson residents.

For a green year recycle your e-waste!

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Heating Tips To Save Money

Heating and cooling your home uses more energy and drains more energy dollars than any other system in your home. Typically, 43% of your utility bill goes for heating and cooling. What's more, heating and cooling systems in the United States together emit 150 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, adding to global climate change. They also generate about 12% of the nation's sulfur dioxide and 4% of the nitrogen oxides, the chief ingredients in acid rain.

No matter what kind of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system you have in your house, you can save money and increase your comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment. But remember, an energy-efficient furnace alone will not have as great an impact on your energy bills as using the whole-house approach. By combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with appropriate insulation, air sealing, and thermostat settings, you can cut your energy use for heating and cooling, and reduce environmental emissions, from 20% to 50%

• Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed.
• Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they're not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
• Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season; if in doubt about how to perform this task, call a professional.
• Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
• Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing; when replacing exhaust fans, consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise models.
• During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold window
  Source: U.S. Department of Energy

Save 10 % On Your Heating Bill This Winter

10%

Amount you can save on your heating bill by resetting your programmable

thermostat from 72 ºF to 65ºF for eight hours a day.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

Climate Patriots: A Military Perspective on Energy, Climate Change and A...

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Protect your home during severe weather

(ARA) - Energy costs, burst pipes, ice dams, chimney fires, and power outages are all potential hazards during the winter months as a result of severe weather. It is important to minimize the inconvenience and damage that ensues.

"A few precautions can help protect you from serious losses and disruptions this season," says Lyman Munson, vice president of risk services at Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. "Protecting your home is vital to keeping your family safe and comfortable in the winter months."

Keep your 'green' home improvements running at peak efficiency

(ARA) - If you're like many Americans, you have recently made home improvements to lessen your impact on the environment. While you've already taken big strides toward saving energy - and money - you can conserve even more by making sure your new systems are running at peak efficiency.


Whether you recently outfitted your home with solar panels or invested in a new heating system or water heater, here are some tips to make sure you are saving energy at the highest capacity.

Hospitals join the 'going green' movement

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(ARA) - Sustainability and the greening of health care facilities have been hot-button topics for many years. For hospitals, "going green" can be a challenge for a variety of reasons, including building structure, internal functions and even patient needs. However, the health care industry has been tackling these issues and making important changes so that facilities become not only stewards of patients, but also stewards of the earth.

"Because of their 24-hour nature and the need for infection control, hospitals have, historically, been one of the biggest generators of waste and consumers of water and electricity in a community," says Llora Wonder, vice president of marketing for health care products maker Medline Industries, Inc. "But hospitals are becoming increasingly more sensitive to positively impacting their communities, as well as individual patients. Plus, they recognize the long-term cost-savings of green measures. Many hospitals have now launched initiatives to conserve resources, lower their consumption costs and reduce their negative impact on the environment."

Eco-transport system gives French city clean ...