We CAN Be Green

Green Quick Tip: Research Beach Water Quality

Going Green: Enjoy the Beach Safely

It's summer time and nothing says summer like going to the beach. However, did you know that the quality of beach water varies greatly from state to state and even within the same state?  Before you make your plans, head over to the EPA's site to find individual state contacts and websites.

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Going Green: Alternative Energy: Residential Solar Energy

Going Green: How Does Solar Power Work?

Solar power is energy from the sun. You feel it every day when you walk outside during the day. The sun provides heat and light for the earth. But, what is going on when people decide to use solar power for their homes?

Solar Energy Basics

It all starts with the sun’s rays which bombard the earth with solar radiation (UVA and UVB). Much of those rays are then reflected back into space but there is enough of that energy that is absorbed by the earth to fuel homes all across the planet.

You’ve probably seen solar panels on rooftops and in yards as they have gotten a bit more streamlined since they first came out. Until recently, only the well off could afford residential solar power but the systems are more affordable and commonly used now.

Each solar panel is composed of photovoltaic cells. These cells are usually made of silicon or other semi-conductive material. The cells are arranged uniformly with a positive and a negative end to create the solar panel device. When the light hits the panels (usually placed on the south side of the roof or the lawn), it is absorbed into the solar cells.

The light energy (photons) hits the solar cells and electrons are knocked loose. These loose electrons move through the array and create the electricity you need to power your home. At this point, the electricity that is produced is DC, or direct current. Your home uses AC or alternating current so the energy has to be converted.

This is where the rest of the system takes over. The electricity that is produced by the solar PV (photovoltaic) array, is then passed to a DC disconnect device. This device interrupts the flow of electricity from the array. From there, you can use one of two methods for funneling the electricity into your home. If you use a residential solar power system that is directly connected to your electrical system, the electricity will then pass through an inverter to change the DC to AC. If you are using a system that uses a battery to store solar electricity for later use, solar electricity is sent to a battery bank where it is stored until needed. When you are ready to use the electricity, it then passes through an inverter for use by AC outlets in your home.

Have anything else to add? Do you use solar power? What have your experiences been?

Here's to Going Green!

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Green Quick Tip: Reduce Waste: Recycling Electronics

Going Green: eCycle

eCycle by taking your old computer, DVD player, iPod, or other electronics to a recyling center. In addition, many computer manufacturers offer free recycling of your old computer when you purchase a new one from them.  By recycling your electronics, you will help keep hazardous substances out of landfills.

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Green Tips: Reduce Waste: Time to Recycle!

Going Green: Time to Recycle

In our fast paced world, it is easy to ignore that every day we are adding to our mounting waste. For many, the fact that the landfill is nowhere near us, it’s easy not to think about how full it is getting. Teaching your family to recycle helps to combat this problem.

Many of the products people use are not environmentally friendly. A soda can left on the street will stay there indefinitely. It is not biodegradable so once it is created, it will be around forever. The problem happens when people don’t take the items to be recycled and instead just toss them in the garbage to sit in the landfill forever.

Recycling is a major component to the solution of global garbage. It works, but only if you participate. The responsibility belongs to all of us, as citizens of the world, but it begins with you and your family.

The number of items in the store made from recycled materials is growing. Our shelves could be filled with more of these products if everyone did their part to help. Most towns and cities provide recycling containers for residents to use. If you're not sure if your town or city does, call their municipal office and ask.

If you don’t have such a service in your area, buy your own trash can or other container to gather your recyclables. You can schedule a pickup or take them to the appropriate recycling plant for processing. The point is to just do it! In some states, you can even make a little money collecting aluminum cans or returning glass soda bottles for deposits.

Whoever picks up your recyclables should have literature on how to package them. Cardboard is typically broken down and tied together. Old newspapers are tied together in bundles much like they are delivered to newsstands. Bottles are grouped together based on the number on the bottom or the label.

To encourage recycling in your home, have separate bins for your recyclables in the house. Mark them clearly so no one gets confused. If kids want to make money, let them collect cans from neighbors.

Get in the habit of breaking down boxes after you use them. This includes cereal boxes, tooth paste boxes, gift boxes, and the like, not just heavy duty cardboard. All of these paper products can be used for recycling.

Envelopes and old bills can be recycled, too. To protect your information, shred them first and then bag the shredded paper for recycling pickup. Most of us just toss out these envelopes in the regular trash but they can be put to better use.

Recycling saves on pollution and landfill space. Why not do it? I personally can’t think of a reason not to. Can you?

Here's to Going Green!
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Green Quick Tip: Green Cleaning: Chemical Cleaners

Going Green: Chemical Cleaners Safety

If you have to use chemical cleaners, it is essential that you use them safely. Make sure to read all of the labels and store them where kids can't reach them.  You should also dispose the chemical cleaners properly; DO NOT dump them in storm drains, your yard, etc.

Of course, the best course of action is to use eco-friendly cleaners!

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Green News: Make Me Greener, Please

This NY Times article from yesterday talks about the rise in popularity of eco-consultants and how people from all walks of life are turning to eco-consultants to help them go green. Some eco-consultants will charge $200 for their service while others charge $99. The range of services and skills vary by who you hire and there is no formal recognized licensing program but some states do offer their own programs.

The part of the article that I want to talk about and have issue with, however, is this:

David J. C. MacKay, a physics professor at the University of Cambridge and author of the new book, “Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air” (UIT Cambridge, 2009), said gestures like unplugging the cellphone charger when not in use should be seen for what they are — tiny.

“It’s like bailing the Titanic with a teaspoon,” Professor MacKay said. “The energy saved by unplugging the cellphone charger for one day is the same energy used when you drive your car for one second.” Topping his list: turning down the thermostat in the winter, flying less and buying less “stuff,” which he noted comes embedded with the energy it takes to make it and transport it.

While I do agree that the act of unplugging a charger is tiny, if you get several million people unplugging their chargers it adds up. If those same people make other lifestyle changes like using CFL's, driving less, using programmable thermostats and low flow shower heads it all adds up to be significant. Going green isn't about just doing one big thing (though that is better than nothing); it's about making a series of lifestyle changes that taken together make a positive impact on our environment and our health.

What do you think?  What does going green mean to you?

Here's to going green!
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Green Tips: Gardening: 7 Tips For Starting A Family Garden

Going Green: 7 Tips for a Family Garden

These days, it seems that kids spend most of their time indoors playing video games or watching television. A great way to get your kids off of the couch and save some money at the same time is to start a family garden.

The benefits of a garden are numerous. First of all, you get to save money on food. In a garden you can grow fruits and vegetables which are the staples of a healthy diet.

Number two, a garden is very eco-friendly. By growing your own food you save on trips to the grocery store which saves gas and decreases pollution. It also saves on the effects of trasporting fruits and vegetables to your local supermarket. Also, fresh foods contain more of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs so you’ll be getting healthy.

Introduce your kids to nature in a way that shows how it directly benefits them. If you take the care to tend your garden, you will have delicious food to eat anytime. There’s nothing like feeling hungry and going outside to pluck a juicy red tomato off the vine.

Here are 7 tips for families who want to “go green” by producing their own food in a family garden.

1.    Get everyone involved. Tilling the soil is a big job for one person; have the entire family help prepare the ground for the garden.

2.    Read up on gardening. The reason so many people don’t have vegetable gardens is because they don’t know what’s involved. When you start without a plan, you are soon to fail.

3.    Decide what you will plant. Most gardens are begun at certain times of the year depending on what vegetables you choose and where you live.

4.    Use organic fertilizers and insect repellents. Organic gardening products are eco-friendly and allow you to eat foods right off the vine or out of the ground if you choose. Adding friendly insects to your garden, like ladybugs, will take care of undesirable pests without any chemicals.

5.    Weed the garden. Weeds can choke growing vegetables and ruin a garden. Regular weeding is a necessary part of bringing your vegetables to harvest. Take turns so no one feels like they are doing all the hard work themselves.

6.    Freeze or give away extra vegetables. You will have enough for the months when nothing is growing. Sharing your vegetables with friends and neighbors might inspire them to begin their own garden.

7.    Watch your garden grow. There’s nothing wrong with taking a daily tour of the garden with your kids. They can see the fruit of their labors as the vegetables enlarge and push through the soil. You have a front row seat to see nature at work.

Do you want a family activity that is environmentally sound and saves money? Start a family garden using the 7 tips above. Also contact your local cooperative extension office for more on gardening.

Here's to going green!
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Going Green: Green Health: Mesothelioma

Going Green: Dirty Industries Have a Long Tail of Consequences

In recent years there has been a great deal of national attention focused on the improvement of industrial environmental standards. Even as we attempt to rebuild our economy, we seem to be focused on not only restoring industry, but also using this as an opportunity to do it in a way that is not environmentally destructive. This provides us the opportunity to improve all aspects of these industries, including the workplace hazards among workers and the health hazards affecting members of the surrounding communities that were all too common.

What many people may fail to realize is that not only does the health of our planet depend on improved environmental standards, but our health may as well. Health complications of industry can essentially be divided into two categories, both direct and indirect.

Direct health conditions which have arisen as a result of the burning of fossil fuels, for instance, are increased asthma rates in areas with high smog indices. Even mild cases of asthma can deteriorate overall respiratory capacity over time and leave breathing seriously diminished if the quality of the air people breathe is unimproved. Release of chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere has shown to lower  our filtered sunlight and increase ultraviolet light exposure. Ultraviolet light has been conclusively linked to skin cancer. Perhaps it is no surprise then that skin cancer incidence in countries like South Africa and Australia, where the atmosphere is most diminished, is much higher than other areas of the earth.

Indirect health consequences include those which can be attributed to antiquated industrial infrastructure, including toxin exposure among workers. Oil refinery workers, for instance, are shown to have a much higher chance of developing mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, than those in cleaner industries. While asbestos was banned for most uses in the late 1970s several of these refineries and factories are still using pre-ban equipment which is exposing workers to harmful asbestos fibers.

We see then, that there is a clear advantage to implementation of cleaner, more sustainable energy policies and environmental attitudes, not only for the health or our planet and our posterity, but that of world’s population even today. 

June 10, 2009

Written by Bill Hawthorne, representative of maacenter, the web's leading organization for relevant and authoritative information regarding asbestos and health complications associated with asbestos exposure, including the rare cancer mesothelioma. Our organization is staffed entirely by writers and other developers who recognize the importance of building awareness in the fight against cancer.

Green Tips: Energy Conservation: 5 Ways To Keep Cool #Green

Going Green - 5 Ways To Keep Cool Without Breaking The Bank (and the environment)

• Set your programmable thermostat to a higher temperature while you are away or asleep. Using it properly can save you on your energy costs.
• Run ceiling fans in a clockwise direction to create a wind-chill effect that will make you feel cooler. IMPORTANT - Remember that ceiling fans cool people, not rooms, so turn them off when you leave a room.
• Have your duct system expected for signs of leaks and disconnections (most houses leak 20 percent or more). Seal any leaks with foil tape or a special sealant called duct mastic. Also consider insulating ducts in unconditioned areas (like the attic, basement or crawlspace).
• Seal air leaks around your home to keep the heat out and the cool air in. The biggest air leaks are usually found in the attic or basement, but also come in around doors, windows, vents, pipes and electrical outlets. Use caulk, spray foam or weather stripping to seal the leaks. Also consider adding more insulation to keep your home cooler this summer.
• Maintain your cooling system. Check your system’s air filter every month at a minimum and change the filter every 3 months or sooner if dirty. Remove leaves, dirt and other debris from around the outdoor components to improve air flow and efficiency. Have a qualified professional tune-up your system with a pre-season maintenance checkup and, if it’s time to replace your old system, look for models that have earned the EPA’s Energy Star.

Here's to Going Green!
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Green Quick Tip: Home Safety: Radon Test

You should test your home for radon when you first prepare to buy a new home and then every several years thereafter.  Radon is a naturally occurring, odorless gas that can seep into your home and cause lung cancer.

Here's to going green!
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