Beautify Your House and Save Money and The Planet

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Jesse

In our ongoing quest to save the planet and money, we can also make a few changes that will beautify our homes and improve the daily quality of our lives.   There are a few very simple things you can do (yes you, even the least handy of handymen and women can do all of these).

1. PLANT TREES: One very easy thing you can do to dramatically change the curb appeal of your home, while saving energy is:  Plant a tree in your yard.  By planting a tree in front of windows that receive large amounts of sun, you are naturally shading your house.  Shading can reduce indoor air temperature by as much as 20%, which will dramatically reduce your need to use your AC.  If you live in a locale that is hot year round, then plant a tree that is green throughout the year.   However, most of us should probably stick with deciduous trees that will let the softer winter light in during the winter months, allowing you to passively heat your home.  This one step could cut your AC bill by hundreds of dollars per year, and has the potential to reduce your heat use as well.

Other benefits: helps clean the air, improves the look of your home, and will also attract a larger variety of wildlife.

2. TRAIN VINES UP TRELLISES:  You can plant climbing vines six inches in font of the walls on the hottest side of your house, and train them to climb up trellises.  As the vines fill in, they will provide shade and will provide a buffer from the summer sun.  This will help reduce the radiant heat that is absorbed by your house, and thus further reduce the need for air conditioning.

3. PAINT YOUR HOUSE: We all know that dark colors absorb heat, and light colors reflect heat.  Many of my friends plan what they will wear with this in mind.  Well, this is important in the color of your house as well.  If you live in the middle of the desert, the next time you paint your house, choose a light color.  It will reflect much more of the radiant heat.  If you live in a colder climate, then paint your home a darker color.  Dark paint will absorb 70%+ of the heat that strikes it.  This will keep your home much warmer.

So there you go, simple improvements that will put money back in your pocket, reduce your energy use, save the planet, AND……beautify your home.

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Another Very Cool Electric Car

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Jesse

For all you tech lovers out there.  It is definitely worth looking at the new three wheel electric car that is being designed by Arcimoto, a company based in Oregon  that has some pretty cool ideas.  This car will work for many of us in our daily lives.

Click Here To Visit Their Site

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Green Your Income Part 1

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Jesse

One of the best things you can do for your wallet and the planet is to begin to work toward creating greener sources of income.  And in my opinion a great start is through the web.   I’ve often heard it said that “Everyone has at least one book in them, waiting to be written.”  I don’t know that a book is the only outlet, but the point is the same.  We all have something to say or share, and why not do that in a way that adds to your income.   A few ideas:

1 You could write a book.

2. Write and submit articles and commentary to magazines and radio programs.

3.  Or do what I’m doing here and blog.   There are people who make 6 figures a year just by blogging.  

Let’s focus on #3. 

You will not launch your at home career, writing or otherwise, and instantly make millions.  You have to have something to say, and share the information in a way that helps or entertains people.  I started this blog because the BP oil spill made me so angry that I wanted to take some kind of action towards making the planet healthier, and towards helping people to understand that we can all make a difference.  I had the information in my head, and we all benefit from it being shared.  A side effect is that I can make some money by sharing this.

If you’re not a writer, you could video blog.  I just read an article that said that many people are making over $100,000 per year by posting videos on youtube.  Not bad huh?

Why is this green?  It’s green because you do not have to drive anywhere to earn this income.  No trees or other natural resources have to be harvested.  It is also something that can add pleasure to your life, along with income.  That is green in that it makes the world a healthier place overall.

So how do you start?

Well you need a website.  Over the years I’ve had many, hosted by several different companies.  My favorite from those is Bluehost.  They are very reliable, affordable, and extremely easy to turn into a blog.  They can load the WordPress program right onto their site and you’re off and running. 

Click on the banner to check them out.

They cost around 6.95 per month, and with a year signup you get $50 of free google advertising. So start your website, download the software and get started.  Improve the world by sharing.

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Solar Now Cheaper Than Nuclear

Posted on August 22, 2010 by Jesse

According to researchers at Duke University, the cost of producing Photovoltaics has now dropped to the point that it is now cheaper than producing an equivalent amount of Nuclear power.

This is exciting news, especially considering that many in the environmental community believe that the cost of solar cells will plummet in the next few years.

Stay tuned.

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Exciting News In The World of Solar

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Jesse

An exciting announcement in the world of solar. Starting in 2011 a company called Clarion will begin selling a plug-n-play solar system. Starting at $4000, this kit is designed to hang in front of south facing windows. It will come with a small inverter (a must for solar) and will have a payback period of around 4 years.

Why is this great news? Because it will make solar affordable for most homes. The kit will generate around 1800 KWh of power per year. That is equivalent to the energy used by the average refrigerator annually. It will also come with software that will monitor your home’s power usage, allowing it to draw less power from the grid.

Including the extra shade generated by the panels, this kit will probably generate about 20% of your home’s annual electrical needs. This means monthly savings, cleaner energy, and an easy start down the road to a greener world.

Look for these kits next year. AND, the price is going to drop to only $3000 in 2012.

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Stop That Junk Mail – Part Three

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Jesse

If you are still receiving a lot of junk mail.  You can pay the non-profit 41 Pounds to stop your junk mail for 5 years.

A few interesting facts from their site:

Trees — Keep 100+ million trees in forests, cooling the planet.
Water — Protect 28 billion gallons of clean water.
Climate — Junk mail produces more C02 than 9 million cars.
Planet — We donate to your favorite charity when you sign up.

They do charge a small fee, but it is not much. 

Now I’m not saying you have to do this, but it’s not a bad idea if you are still getting junk in the box.

www.41pounds.org

(Based on the fact that the avereage person receives 41 pounds of junk mail a year.)

Saves trees, water, the atmosphere, and your sanity.

I have not used this site so far, but it seems like a good idea.

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Make the School Year Green

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Jesse

I just read an article that said that due to budget cuts in state governments, many schools are sending home long lists of school supplies for parents to buy.  Unlike previous years when crayons and pencils were standard fare, now parents are being asked to buy paper, clorox wipes, paper towels, glue, and all sorts of products that schools used to supply.  This is a strange developement, but maybe it can be useful. 

If you are buying products for your children’s classrooms, you might as well do your best to buy green products.  They are usually close in price.  You’ll be providing a cleaner environment for your children, and together a huge difference will be made.

Just a thought.  Best of luck with the school shopping.

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Stop That Junk Mail – Part Two

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Jesse

So you’ve asked to be removed from junk mail lists. What next?

Easy. Contact your credit card companies and ask them to stop sending you promotional mailers.

“But what if I need a balance transfer offer?” you ask.

Simple, go to their website and apply.

By stopping these mailings, you not only help to save tons of paper, you also dramatically reduce your chance of being the victim of identity theft. Most personal documents are stolen right out of a person’s mailbox. Oldschool, but effective.

So stop those paper offers, and enjoy the reduced amount of junk in you mail box.

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