I just went to the Down 2 Earth Expo where I attended a lecture by Dan Ruben, the executive director of Boston Green Tourism. He is on a mission to reduce his carbon footprint by 80% – he has already reached 60% without compromising his lifestyle.

He discussed a whole host of ways to curb your carbon foot print, some easier than others. I put together a ‘to do list’ based on his lecture, a few small steps towards my own carbon neutrality Maybe you’ll find something on my ‘to do list’ that you can check off too (I just checked off two!): Click to continue »

In celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd, the Home Depot is giving away 1 million 14watt EcoSmart CFL Lightbulbs beginning April 19th. No purchase necessary, 1 per customer and a great free energy saver for your home or office. According to EPA’s Energy Star Program, Click to continue »

I cannot recall who first imparted these false words of wisdom upon me, but I am sure you have all heard something to this affect at some point: ‘It takes more energy to power down and reboot your computer than if you just left it in sleep mode, so you might as well just leave it on.’  Well, ENERGY STAR, has thoroughly debunked this myth. Here are some power saving tips direct from ENERGY STAR:

• At the end of your work, homework, or Internet session, be sure to turn your computer and monitor off. Contrary to what most people believe, turning computers and monitors off saves a lot of energy and will not hurt the equipment or waste energy by having to boot up again.

• Be careful with screen savers. They actually might be screen wasters as they may keep your monitor from powering down. Just make sure that your screen saver is not programmed to overlap your computer’s sleep mode, since then it won’t go to sleep but will instead stay on to run the screen saver.

• Use the ENERGY STAR power management settings on your computer and monitor so they go into power save mode when not in use. Also use a power strip as a central “turn off” point when you are not using equipment to completely disconnect the power supply.

Who: Arteo Design/Oliver Kessler; Munich, Germany

What: The Modern Punkah

Where: Contact Oliver Kessler for purchasing information

Why: Ahhhh, I can just feel the gentle breeze of the punkah lulling me to sleep as the blades sway silently back and forth transporting me to distant lands…………and if money were no object, I would certainly invest in the new and improved line of Punkahs from Arteo Design. They range in price from 2.000 – 5.200 Euros, which, with a diminishing US dollar, is a tad bit steep. Nonetheless, this reinvention of the ancient cooling system is really quite ingenius.

Punkahs were first introduced in Arabia in the 8th century. They consisted of a series of vertically hanging ‘blades’ manually operated with a cord to generate a slow fanning motion. Later, motorized versions were developed, but the punkah fell out of fashion with the introduction of the mechanized rotating ceiling fan. Click to continue »

Okay, I’ve got some good news and some bad news; Supervalu is building a  new Star Market store in Chestnut Hill.  So the bad news is that Newton, MA is gaining yet another big box store, but the good news is that at least they have seen the light and understand the benefits of building green. This new Star Market will adopt several energy saving strategies in an effort to cut down on energy costs (imagine your utility bills if you were operating four aisles full of refrigerators!) and also to appeal to the environmentally conscious consumer. Even better news if their new building is a success, it will serve as a model for existing stores and stores to come. In addition, it appears other big retailers like Hannaford Brothers are making changes as well. Finally, businesses are coming to understand that going green saves money and, let’s be honest, that is what makes the world go ’round.

“Eco-Friendly energy to power revamped Star Market,” Boston Globe, September 10, 2008

Who: Bluelounge Design; Pasadena, CA

What: Cool Feet

Where: Bluelounge, $12.95

Why: True to the name, most laptop users place their laptops on their laps, unknowingly blocking the air vents located on the bottom of the computer. This results not only in an overheating of your lap, but more critically, an overheating of the computer.

This forces the less powerful side and back vents to work in overdrive and use more energy in order to cool the computer down. If you notice that your laptop frequently powers down or freezes while the laptop is perched in your lap, overheating is likely the cause. Most of us, myself included, try to instantly power our laptop back up without letting it cool-this could ultimately lead to damage to the hardware or worse, the motherboard. Click to continue »

Good news on the front page of the globe today! Equity Office Properties,  one of the largest property owner’s in the Boston area, has announced their commitment to making their properties more eco-friendly citing client demand and high energy prices as the main reasons for this shift.  They plan to invest millions over the next few years to fund a series of eco-friendly initiatives in the hopes of achieving LEED certified status. Plans include installing more energy efficient HVAC systems, creating rooftop gardens, improving recycling efforts and installing low flow plumbing fixtures. Boston Properties has followed suit and hopefully more property owner’s will realize the benefits of implementing green technology on their existing buildings.

From “Boston’s biggest property owner going all green,” Boston Globe, August 28, 2008

Considering that most people leave their cell phones on at all times and their chargers plugged when not charging bleeding vampire energy, there is a great opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of this device. The good news is that cell phones manufacturers are wisening up and making an effort to make their designs a bit greener. Based on a report published by Greenpeace, Metaefficient.com generated a list the top 5 green cell phones on the market in 2008—so the next time you are in the market for a cell phone upgrade—consider the following “green” cell phones: Click to continue »

The Liebherr CS 1350 Refrigerator is just a stunning stunning appliance with a supremely intelligent design. Pure perfection, my needle in a haystack in a sea of stocky oversized fridges. I first ‘met’ the Liebherr in 2006 and just had to have it, despite the $2500 sticker price. It is probably one of the most wise purchases I have ever made. I know, you may say that’s some praise for a fridge, but it is quite deserving. How do I love my Liebherr? Let me count the ways:

1. The slim size (78x 23 ½ x 24 ¾ ) compared with standard US models (69 ¾ x 35 ¾ x 32 ⅞), making the Liebherr the supermodel of refrigerators
2. It is Energy Star Rated
3. Freezer on the bottom allowing the more oft used fridge contents to be located at eye level
4. Individually labeled freezer drawers bringing much needed order to the freezer – no more ice cream containers falling out on your head (this also helps to conserve energy as less cold air escapes when you open the freezer door)
5. A huge vegetable crisper drawer to store all your farmer market finds
6. A gallon jug holder on the door thus utilizing space more efficiently
7. Ice cubes in perfect little cubes as opposed to those insolent half moons
8. An optional wine rack when just one bottle won’t do
9. The handles—very cool
10. Super super quiet
11. All sorts of settings including a vacation mode so you can save even more energy while you are away
12. Liebherr has made a commitment to manufacturing their products from start to finish in the greenest possible way from being the first company to remove harmful CFCs from their products to reusing the energy released during manufacturing to heat their facilities; they are an eco-responsible company.

I know, stating the obvious right? But I suffered through two freezing winters before I discovered that my New England Victorian built in the 1800′s had no insulation–zero, none, I mean, honestly! Is it even legal to have an uninsulated home in the northeast? Unfortunately, since I was working with an existing home, I could not use the much touted denim insulation which repurposes old denim into a cozy blanket of warmth free of formaldehyde and nasty fiberglass.

I opted for blown-in cellulose insulation (much to the chagrin of my installer who kept pushing the fiberglass. I tried to explain to him that fiberglass is toxic and the fibers when airborne are a potential carcinogen, but it was a lost cause). Cellulose is a green alternative to fiberglass made primarily from recycled newspaper.

The great thing about the cellulose is that all of the work is done from the outside in. Holes are drilled into the side of the house underneath the siding and the insulation is blown in straight from the truck-meaning no mess on the inside and from the outside, you could not even tell where the holes were. The cellulose seeps in and fills the cavities between the joists and is particularly good at seeking out any holes as evidenced by a stream of fluffy cellulose that found it’s way into the house filling up a newly installed pocket door. And it’s true, insulation really does what it’s billed to do–keeps the house warmer in winter, cooler in the summer and dampens outside noise.

I have also heard good things about Icycnene spray foam and a soy based foam insulation.