It's easy bein' green!

Today I found this great article on babycenter.com, which gives simple, realistic and thoughtful tips on how to make your home, car, nursery, etc. more environmentally friendly. And you'll see that NONE of them require joining Greenpeace, chaining yourself to condemned trees, dynamiting Glen Canyon Dam or even voting Democrat! *smirk-wink*

In and of themselves these changes may not seem significant, but if more families "greenify" their lifestyles (even in such elementary ways as these), the effect could be decisive in making the environmental outlook of our planet much more positive than it is today. As such, I encourage and challenge each and every member of clan Foster -- myself most definitely included! -- to consider implementing some or all of these suggestions into our day-to-day lives.

I've posted some of what I thought were the most relevant points of the article below, but please read the entire article for more suggestions. Perhaps (dare I say it) we as the highly intelligent and opinionated Foster collective could even come up with MORE and/or BETTER ideas in this regard? Bring it on!


Make your fridge efficient
"The single biggest electricity user in your house is the refrigerator," says Lisa Moore, climate and air scientist at Environmental Defense, who notes that you can reduce the energy drain with a few simple tricks. Cleaning the coils every six months will help you use less energy and save money. (Flip up or remove the kick plate or toe grill, and clean with a vacuum attachment or bottle brush. Make sure to unplug the fridge or turn off its circuit breaker first.) So will keeping the fridge set between 38 and 40 degrees and the freezer between 0 and 5 degrees — the settings where it's most efficient.

Stop standby waste
Unplugging TVs, DVD players, computers, and other major electronics when they're not in use could keep thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air each year, according to Al Gore's site An Inconvenient Truth. (Even when they're turned off, their standby consumption is about equal to running a light bulb continuously.) To avoid the hassle of constantly plugging and unplugging, here's an easy solution: Plug several electronics onto one power strip and switch it off. As for small gadgets like cell phones, digital cameras, and hand-held vacuums — once they're charged, keep them unplugged until needed.

Light up right
"Switching from traditional incandescent bulbs to fluorescent is the easiest and most cost-efficient fix for saving energy," says actress Rachelle Carson-Begley, wife of actor and eco-activist Ed Begley Jr. Even though fluorescent bulbs cost more, you'll save up to $60 in energy bills over the lifetime of the bulb. If you don't like the look of fluorescent, switch out the garage and hall lights, and save the mood lighting for bedrooms and bathrooms. Or, mix iridescent and fluorescent in multibulb fixtures.

Flush water waste
A whopping 40 percent of your home's water use goes down the toilet. A low-flow toilet can cut your usage by half or more (and yes, they work just as well). A low-tech alternative: Put a brick or plastic milk jug filled with pebbles in the tank. You'll save gallons (and money) with each flush.

Fix drips and leaks
A leaky faucet? Time to call the plumber. That slow but steady drip, drip, drip can waste up to 20 gallons of water a day. Extra credit: Replacing standard faucets and showerheads with low-flow versions will help a family of four save 20,000 gallons a year.

There are plenty of other small but significant ways to conserve, says Joanna Yarrow, author of 1001 Ways to Help the Earth. "Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge so you don't waste water as you wait for it to get cold from the tap," she recommends. "And turn the water off when brushing your teeth."
**Wendi's note: this would also apply to NOT allowing the shower to run unoccupied while one is brushing their teeth, shaving, etc in the bathroom sink (names being omitted to protect the guilty, *wink*). BIG time water waste, and let's not forget the energy wasted in heating said water waste!

Use dishwasher smarts
"A lot of people think washing by hand is more environmentally friendly than running a dishwasher," says Yarrow. Not necessarily so. You can save up to 20 gallons of water a day by waiting till your dishwasher's full to switch it on. You'll save even more energy by letting dishes air dry on the racks instead of using the heat dry cycle. Plus, most new dishwashers don't need you to prerinse. Simply scrape off food and load, and you'll conserve another 20 gallons.

And if you're in the market for a new dishwasher (or any appliance), look for the Energy Star label. It'll save you more than $40 a year in utility bills, and many power companies offer rebates as well.

Wash in cold
"By washing clothes in cold water rather than warm or hot," says EcoMom Alliance president Kimberly Danek-Pinkson, "you can eliminate 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year." (Bonus: Your clothes will last longer.) If cold water isn't going to cut it with your kid's grimy duds, opting for warm water over hot still saves energy and gets clothes clean.

To make laundry day even more energy-efficient, wait until you have a full load. Danek-Pinkson also advises rethinking what constitutes dirty. "Kids go through lots of outfits that wind up on the floor, and then you toss them in the laundry basket," she says. "Ask yourself, 'Is this really dirty?' If not, think of all the energy you'll spare — for the planet and yourself — by not washing them."

Get the lint out
"If you clean out the lint filter of your clothes dryer before each load, you'll reduce your energy use by up to 30 percent," says Jennifer Hattam, green living expert for the Sierra Club. (That's nothing to sneeze at, considering the dryer is one of the biggest energy hogs in the house.) As with the washer, waiting till you have a full load saves lots of energy.

Adjust the thermostat
"Turning the thermostat just two degrees up or down saves a lot of energy and money," says Earth Day Network president Kathleen Rogers, who headed up the Two Degree Campaign. Rogers recommends setting that thermostat dial to 68 degrees in winter and 72 in the summer. For winter nights, lower to 65 degrees and pile on the blankets. And if possible, opt for an energy-efficient fan instead of air conditioning during summer.