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Air Conditioning Alternatives

Using an air conditioner in the hot summer months has its consequences. Your energy bill skyrockets and the amount of energy usage is a strain on the environment. There are alternatives to using the air conditioner that may save you some money on your energy bill and help out the environment too. The Department of Energy estimates that awnings can cut down solar heat gain (the amount temperature rises because of sunshine) by up to 65% on windows that face south and 77% on windows that face west. Installing awnings above your windows can result in savings of up to 26% in hot climates and 33% in more temperate climates, where you may not even end up needing the air conditioning at all. Plant trees to create shade around your home. Large trees can provide enough shade over your house to significantly lower the amount of light getting through the windows in the summer time, and therefore reducing the temperature to a more comfortable degree. You can also plant vines around your home. Vines are shockingly effective at keeping a house cool. Ivy, Russian and Virginia creeper vines grow fast and have an instant effect on cooling down a house. They can reduce ...

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Eat Your Asparagus

Asparagus is the food highest in glutathione according to the National Cancer Institute. Glutathione is an important anti-carcinogen. Asparagus is also full of vitamins A and C, which are 2 cancer-blocking vitamins, and the mineral selenium, all of which are strong fighters of cancer. A 5.3-ounce serving of asparagus gives you 60% of the recommended daily allowance for folacin, which is needed for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease. Folacin is known to play an important part in the prevention of neural tube defects, like spina bifida, which causes paralysis and death in 2,500 babies every year. Asparagus is also a great source of fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, thiamin and rutin, which is a compound that strengthens capillary walls. Asparagus is harvested between March and June. It's interesting because asparagus is very thin in the early part of the season. As the season progresses, the stalks grow to be thicker. Tenderness in asparagus can be attributed to how fresh the asparagus is rather than how thin or thick it is. In the United States, people eat their asparagus green, while people in Europe eat white asparagus. To get white asparagus, the asparagus is grown under soil to keep ...

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Clean Your Barbeque The Eco-Friendly Way

Now that summer has rolled around, it's time to fire up your grill and make some delicious food at your pool party. While there are a number of things you can do to make your pool party more eco-friendly, there is still the issue of cleaning and maintaining the grill to keep it working for you all summer long. Fortunately, there are some eco-friendly tips you can follow when it comes to cleaning and maintaining your grill. You might be surprised to learn that there is more that goes into cleaning your grill than just turning it up to a high heat to kill off any food or bacteria that was left behind. Cleaning your grill properly will not only cut down on any excess smoke, but it will make your food taste better too. And if you're not a big fan of cleaning, you'll be pleased to know that there are ways to clean your grill that are not labor intensive. Regardless of what type of grill you have, you need to clean your grill after each use. Be aware, that the process will be slightly different depending on what type of grill you have. Letting old food and grease ...

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Cash Versus Credit

The days of carrying a wad of cash in your pocket are slowing going away because nowadays, people are traveling with an array of plastic; debit cards, credit cards, and gift cards. Have you ever thought about what type of plastic you are carrying in your wallet or purse? Or how short the lifespan of these cards really is? Is this method of carrying money really a good move for the environment? Did you know that 17 billion cards are made annually around the globe? The plastic in debit, credit and gift cards is typically Polyvinyl Chloride aka PVC. As you probably know, PVC isn't a very eco-friendly plastic in regards to its manufacturing or as an end product. PVC is broken down through granulation, whereby the pieces just become smaller. This can be a problem for creatures that may potentially ingest the pieces. PVC isn't really recyclable, and even if it were, you wouldn't want to throw it in the recycling bin with how rampant credit card theft is these days. Especially considering that your information is encoded on the card's magnetic strip. The issue is that we need cards that are durable but also disposable because most cards expire ...

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Workouts That Generate Power

Green Microgym, a 3-year-old storefront fitness center in Portland, Oregon allows gym members to workout on exercise machines that are outfitted with compact generators. These unique contraptions allow gym members to burn calories while generating electricity simultaneously. Workouts being done at this gym satisfy the fragment of electrical draw at the gym, while also appeasing the demand among the gym's 200 members to get in shape in an eco-friendly way. The gym is 3,000 square feet and features recycled toilet paper, solar panels, renewable-source flooring and plenty of friendly reminders about turning off unused appliances such as lights, TV's and fans. Members of the gym were excited about the opportunity to generate electricity while working out, finding it a fun and easy way to help out the environment. It was because of efforts made by entrepreneurs in the last few years that these exercise machines were developed. The 2 major startup companies that sell the equipment used to retrofit existing bike and elliptical trainers have both reported setting up around 1,000 exercise machines. It is estimated that United States fitness centers have around 8-10 million machines that could one day be generating power. Undergoing a project of this degree would be ...

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