Go green this holiday season.

It’s hard to believe, but according to Robert Lilienfeld, co-author of the book, “Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are,” between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans throw away a million extra tons of garbage each week. During the season of giving, it sure seems like we’re taking a lot from Mother Nature. Here are some suggestions of ways to go green this holiday season, and you just might save some green in the meantime.

Start with your gift giving. You may not have ever thought about it before, but some gifts are certainly more eco-friendly than others. Giving an experience, like tickets to a ballgame or an art exhibit, create much less waste than complicated toys and gadgets. And some of the best gifts can be homemade like cookies and cakes, or having guests over for a full home-cooked meal.

As you do begin wrapping up those presents for family and friends, consider recycling gift wrap. You can easily reuse gift bags, tissue paper, bows and even wrapping paper. For gift wrapping alternatives, think about using reusable items like scarves, handkerchiefs or bandannas. And if you just look around the house you’ll probably find old posters, maps, sheet music, wallpaper scraps, magazine and newspaper cutouts, and comic pages which all work very well as wrapping paper.

If you need to ship your presents this year, avoid Styrofoam packing peanuts and try the biodegradable kind instead. You can also use crumpled up newspaper, or even dry, popped popcorn (insert a note inside the box letting the receiver know that they can later treat birds to it).

For many folks, the holidays just wouldn’t be the same without a live, fragrant Christmas tree. As you search for that perfect tree, keep in mind that if you purchase a tree from a tree farm you’re not damaging forests. Another option is purchasing a potted plant that can be enjoyed year round such as a Norfolk pine, fig or fichus. Artificial trees are also a good choice since they are reused every year and that saves on the gas you would spend driving to the tree farms.

To ignite your family with holiday cheer, be sure to purchase Christmas lights made with light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. These lights have been around since 2001 and are ninety percent more efficient than traditional Christmas lights. They also release little heat and last about 200,000 hours. According to one U.S. Department of Energy study, if all families replaced their conventional holiday light strings with LEDs, at least two billion kilowatt-hours of electricity could be saved in a month. The savings alone would be enough to power 200,000 homes for a year.

Once you’ve chosen your tree, get creative with the decorations. Give it your family’s personal touch by decorating it with memorabilia such as a child’s first shoe or grandma’s hankie scented with perfume. There’s no need to go out and purchase pricey ornaments when cookie cutters, pinecones, stuffed animals and toys, and miniature toy cars work just as well.

And to start the New Year off on the right foot try treecycling. By recycling your fresh tree you can make a huge difference in reducing holiday waste. Instead of ending up in a landfill, Christmas trees can be ground into wood chips and be reused as mulch gardens, or to prevent erosion. If you visit Earth911.com, you can search your zip code to find the nearest Christmas tree recycling center near you.

Written by Tara Darby as found in Craig Lilly’s Newsletter.

Maintaining your thermostat is important for energy efficiency.

One of the most important things you can do to keep your heating and cooling systems working efficiently is to make sure they are regularly maintained. Some maintenance practices are basic and can be performed by the average do-it-yourselfer.

Among the top heating supplies you can use to maintain your heating equipment are fresh furnace filters. Furnace filters are easy to replace, and a clean filter ensures proper air flow through the furnace or air conditioner.

Filters are readily available at various HVAC parts supply stores and heating supply stores. They can even be found at department stores. A low-end, average furnace filter can cost as little as $1.00, while better filters, such as HEPA filters, can cost $10.00 or more. A HEPA filter removes more particles, cigarette smoke, and pet dander from the air than a regular filter.

Another piece of HVAC equipment that is helpful in maintaining your heating system can be found in most homes and businesses: a shop vac. A regular vacuum will work just as well, provided it has a hose that can be used to vacuum debris from the blower wheel, the flue, and the motor. All of the air in the house flows through the blower, and if too much debris builds up in the blower, the motor may seize up and burn out. Regular vacuuming will help the blower to continue to work smoothly.

While the above maintenance practices are easy and essential to the life and efficiency of your heating equipment, there are maintenance tasks that should not be attempted by the average do-it-yourselfer.

In order to tune up a furnace properly, the furnace must be shut off so that there is no electric current running through it, and gas burners must be removed and cleaned. Only a certified HVAC technician should perform this task, and it should be done annually.

Additional annual service tasks that a tech performs are checks of the many HVAC controls (safety controls) that are present in heating equipment. These controls must be working properly to prevent fires, gas leaks, and other potential hazards.

HVAC technicians also test for carbon monoxide emissions. Average store-bought carbon monoxide detectors do not read low levels of carbon monoxide. Many of these detectors will not go off until emissions of carbon monoxide are at dangerous levels. One of the HVAC supplies a professional technician uses is a carbon monoxide sniffer that detects low levels of emissions.

Maintenance and service on any kind of radiant heat system should never be attempted by the average do-it-yourselfer. Radiant system maintenance involves many specific components and should always be performed by a certified HVAC technician who has been properly trained in radiant system service and in the use of radiant heating supplies.

When it comes to maintaining air conditioning equipment, the average do-it-yourselfer is limited in what he can do. A broom may be used to remove grass clippings, cobwebs, and other debris from the back of the air conditioner. All other cooling equipment maintenance and cleaning should be performed annually by a certified professional.

Air conditioning supplies consist of different kinds of acid cleaning solutions and hydrochloric and sulfuric acids that are only available to legally certified technicians or professionals licensed to use them.

Another HVAC supply a technician uses is a certain guage that he plugs into the cooling system to check refrigerant levels. You must be EPA certified to plug gauges into the cooling system.

R22 refrigerant is made of a chemical which is detrimental to the ozone layer. It is illegal to open the air conditioner and attempt cleaning or maintenance unless you are legally certified.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can perform basic tasks to help keep your furnace and air conditioner working properly: replace your furnace filter once a month, vacuum your furnace flue, blower wheel, and motor, and sweep debris from the back of your air conditioner. But for your safety and the safety of your home and family, and to get the highest efficiency from your heating and cooling systems, you should keep an annual appointment with your professional HVAC service tech to have your heating and cooling systems cleaned and tested.

For more articles by this author, go to Helium.

The cycle of water filtration

The safety of water in the developed world has grown by leaps and bounds over the last century. And while many countries, unfortunately, still deal daily with issues of water contamination, most Americans have access to clean water.

This luxury, however, may have caused some level of complacency concerning what goes into our water and thus into our bodies.

The copious amount of prescription drugs, bacteria, and hazardous chemicals (detergents, bleaches, etc) that are dumped into the water supply each day increases exponentially as our population grows. If the system works correctly, these chemicals are identified and processed out before water is directed into drinking supplies. But what happens when new chemicals and drugs are introduced to the water supply before there are standards for identifying and processing them?

A study by the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) already indicates that a wide range of chemicals are occurring downstream from areas of animal production and intense urbanization.

The chemicals include human and veterinary drugs (including antibiotics), natural and synthetic hormones, detergent metabolites, plasticizers, insecticides, and fire retardants.

In 80 percent of the samples taken during the study, one ore more of these chemicals was identified. According to the study, “Half of the streams contained 7 or more of these chemicals, and about one-third of the streams contained 10 or more of these chemicals. ”

The first study of its kind, it now is apparent that “knowledge of the potential human and environmental health effects of these 95 chemicals is highly varied; drinking-water standards or other human or ecological health criteria have been established for 14. Measured concentrations rarely exceeded any of the standards or criteria. Thirty-three are known or suspected to be hormonally active; 46 are pharmaceutically active. Little is known about the potential health effects to humans or aquatic organisms exposed to the low levels of most of these chemicals or the mixtures commonly found in this study.”

Even known chemicals have found their way into common water supplies. In fact, a New York Times report this month in the city of New York indicated that higher levels of lead are found in homes of those drinking from city tap water sources. They recommended residents let water run for a period of time (30 seconds) before ingesting it.

As a green living solution to this issue, you have numerous options, three of which noted below, each with varying degrees of expense. One of the cheapest forms of filtration is a filter pitcher or a filter that attaches directly to your faucet. Research is key before you buy one of these products, however, as their efficiency ranges widely.

Be sure to research what chemicals and minerals your particular choice has proven to remove.

You may choose to buy distilled waters from your local grocery. This, too, can be another step towards healthier waters. Be sure to buy refillable jugs, however, so you don’t contribute to plastic overuse!

And finally, there have been recent movements into purifying not only our drinking water, but all the water we use in our homes. Whole house water filtration systems can be fairly inexpensive (in the $100′s to low $1,000′s) and can filter out such things as: chlorine, heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals. They can last for years until you need to change your filter.

If you are concerned about chemicals that may be in your normal drinking water, you can order tests online or may even find them at your local hardware store. This is a great first step toward cleaner water for you and your family!

Written by Carla Hill as found in Craig Lilly’s Newsletter.

St. Jude's Recycled Card Program

Over thirty years ago, wishing to show our donors appreciation for making St. Jude’s Ranch for Children possible, the idea was conceived for turning the previous year’s Christmas cards into “new” cards for the coming season. The recipients were so delighted with their unique “thank you,” they requested the children sell them the special cards. And so, the St. Jude’s Ranch Recycled Card Program was born.

Since then, the program expanded to include all occasion greeting cards…just about anything that starts with a used greeting card. People from all over the world have sent us their used cards!

Operated by Kids, Corp., a program for the children at St. Jude’s Ranch to learn entrepreneurship skills, the children participate in making the new cards by removing the front and attaching a new back. The result is a beautiful new card made by the children and volunteers. The benefits are two-fold: customers receive “green” holiday cards for use and the children receive payment for their work and learn the benefits and importance of “going green”.

The ongoing support for the Recycled Card Program has been overwhelming! The Program grew and soon we were receiving over one million cards. We have since redesigned the process to more efficiently manage the increased production from the increased volume and we welcome your submissions!

NOTE: We currently have an increased need for both Birthday and Thank You card submissions.  Cards are now accepted all year round.

To Purchase Cards:

Cards are sold in packets of 10 for $10.00 and are available in the following categories:

• General Christmas Cards
• Religious Christmas Cards
• Easter Cards
• Birthday Cards
• Thank You Cards
• All Occasion General Greeting Cards

Orders may be placed by any of the methods below:

• By Internet:
  www.stjudesranch.org/store
• By Phone:
• 1-877-977-SJRC
• By US Mail:
  Send your request and donation to:
  St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
  ATTN: Donor Office
  P.O. Box 60100
  Boulder City, NV 89006-0100

To Donate Cards:

We welcome your donation and ask that you please review the below tips before sending your donation. Currently, we have found the least expensive way to mail large quantities of card donations is through the USPS in a Flat Rate Box which holds up to 70 pounds (available at the Post Office).

Card Donating Tips:

• All types of greeting cards, including Christmas are used.
• Only the card front can be used (please check to be sure the back side is clear of any writing, etc.)
• We can not accept Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cards.
• 5″ x 7″ size or smaller is preferred.
• Mail donations to :
  St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
  Recycled Card Program
  100 St. Jude’s Street
  Boulder City, NV 89005
• Thank you!

All information courtesy of St. Jude’s Ranch for Children.

Compost is an excellent fertilizer

You can make your own backyard compost container from welded wire mesh, concrete blocks or wooden shipping pallets—anything in which you can form a pile of compost material that’s roughly 3–5 feet across and no higher than 5 feet.

However, it’s easier to buy a commercial compost bin with features that make turning the contents easier, thus speeding up the decomposing process. The Home Depot carries compost bins by brands such as Exaco Trading Co., some units made from recycled plastic and the world’s first continuous-cycle compost bin. This 3-bin compost allows you to add new waste from the top while removing mature compost at the bottom.

Step 1: Mix it
Place the bin near your garden and back door. A small indoor bin is handy to use along with the larger one outdoors. Throw scraps into the indoor bin and, as it fills up, empty it periodically into the outdoor one. Compostable items such as kitchen scraps, tea bags, coffee grinds and grass clippings can be added to the bin; so can brown materials such as dried leaves, sawdust, straw, wood ash and the woody stalks of plants.

Step 2: Layer it
Layer materials high in carbon, including lawn clippings, chopped leaves, green plants and agricultural crop residues with materials high in nitrogen, such as manure, alfalfa meal, hay, paper products, sewage sludge and wood. Just about any organic material can be added to the bedding, including food scraps, eggshells, tea leaves and coffee grounds. Never add chemically treated wood, diseased plants, human or pet waste, meat, bones, fatty foods or weeds. Add water regularly during the compost-building process and after it’s done, letting it trickle into the pile to help get rid of air pockets.

Step 3: Turn it
You can begin to make compost in as little as a few weeks if you speed up the process by turning the pile with a pitchfork once a week and adding fresh manure. Mixing it allows oxygen into the center of the pile, encouraging the growth of bacteria and fungi, which break down organic material into simpler substances. Regularly turned organic matter will become finished compost in 4–8 months.

Step 4: Break it down
Compost is ready to be used when it is dark and crumbly and has an earthy smell. You can sift it to separate material that hasn’t finished composting, but those pieces will continue to decompose in your garden. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will break down.

Step 5: Spread it
Once it’s ready, work the compost into the soil to give it an organic boost before planting. Spread it on the soil’s surface as mulch on flower beds and around the base of landscape plants. Compost may also be used as a top dressing for lawns or as an ingredient in potting mixes. For more great eco-friendly tips, check out the Healthy Homes tab on the Eco Options website.

Article courtesy of Home Depot.

Weatherization reduces heating bills by 32 percent

“The programs are funded by both state and federal governments, and the purpose is to raise consumer awareness of the types of upgrades that are needed to make homes more energy efficient,” said Neil Parsons, vice president of sales and marketing for Mark of Excellence Remodeling, West Long Branch (NJ).

Weatherization is a term to describe various improvements made to buildings and homes to optimize energy efficiency. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), on average, weatherization reduces heating bills by 32 percent and overall energy bills by about $350 per year at current prices. Through an evaluation known as an energy audit, homeowners are given a detailed report identifying problem areas in the home.

Typical energy improvements include air sealing, insulation, ventilation systems or installation of green appliances approved by Energy Star. “As consumers become aware that our energy resources are depleting and costs are rising with each year, energy efficiency is becoming a relevant topic in home improvement projects,” said William E. Carter, president of NARI.

Even though each state provides slightly different programs with a variation of incentives, all of them provide the same benefits to homeowners. “Homeowners notice their return on investment instantly after making energy upgrades in their utility bills. The other benefits are the rebates, the increase in home value from making the improvements, increased performance and durability and helping out the planet by conserving energy for future generations,” added Parsons.

It’s important to make upgrades now because soon most of the country will be entering the time of year when most of a home’s energy consumption occurs. The DOE estimates that 56 percent of the energy use in a typical U.S. home comes from heating and cooling, making it the largest energy expense for most homes.

“Most believe that remodelers are busiest during the summer, but in actuality, the busiest time is during the fall when temperatures drop and homeowners start to feel drafts in their homes and are worried about heating costs,” explained Parson. Another time factor is the program deadlines.

Many state programs last until the end of the year, and energy-efficient improvements must be made within the specified time period to be eligible for rebates. To learn more about your state weatherization programs, visit dsireusa.org. However, Parsons doesn’t think any of the weatherization programs will be going away for good. “Most likely, programs will be extended or modified after deadlines as the government continues to put a high premium on increasing energy efficiency,” he said, adding that if homeowners are considering an energy upgrade, there is no better time than now. “Homeowners who are considering this should seek out a certified contractor that you can trust to give you sound advice about making your home more efficient.”

Written by Peter L. Mosca as found in Craig Lilly’s Newsletter.

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