Go green with these light bulbs to save money

One of the main ways that we waste precious energy is with lighting. Everyone has to be able to see where they are going, but is there a way to light your path that is eco-friendly?

Of course there is! And today’s options for lighting that saves energy is greener than ever before, but it looks so good you won’t notice a difference until you see your electric bill.

Here are two more ideas to go green and save electricity with energy-efficient light bulbs.

Save Energy with Green Lights

Compact Fluorescent Lighting

You’ve probably seen compact fluorescent light bulbs through the years. Up until recently, CFLs were those weird coiled bulbs. You probably “re-coiled” (pardon the pun) a little at the thought of putting those things in your pretty lamps.

Recently, these same CFLs have been transformed into a more recognizable light bulb shape that will fit most any fixture. The advantage of CFLs is that they last longer, don’t give off any heat, and use less energy. The initial expense is offset by the fact that the bulbs will last for years. You aren’t replacing them nearly as often as a regular light bulb.

CFLs for Summer

There are even CFLs in yellow as bug lights. In the summer it’s nice to sit on the porch in the evening but you don’t want to end up as the main course for a bunch of hungry insects. These bug lights are powerful and give you hours of bug-free enjoyment along with being quite energy efficient.

Motion-Detecting Lights

When someone is out late at night, you leave the outside light on for them so when they come home they have a bright path. Having that light on for hours is costing money. You must admit there are many times when that light is forgotten and left on all night. The solution? Install motion-detecting lighting.

Adding motion-detecting flood lights to the corner of your home is well worth the effort. When someone approaches, the lights come on. Once all motion has ceased, they go off again. You get lighting only when you need it, instead of wasting energy leaving a light on for hours and hours.

You know that little cartoon “light bulb” that hovers over a character’s head illustrating that they got a “bright” idea? Has your light bulb gone on yet? Use these bright ideas to reduce your energy bill and conserve our earth’s precious resources at the same time.

Discussing the Pros and Cons of Using Vegetable Oil as Fuel

A few weeks ago we talked about biodiesel, a promising energy source that is often cleaner burning and more efficient to create. One of the most popular uses for biodiesel fuel is as an alternative to gasoline for use in combustible engines like those found in vehicles. As the use of vegetable oil to power vehicle engines continues to become more common, it is also gaining viability as the technology improves.

However, like any emerging science there are both pros and cons involved in using vegetable oil to power vehicle engines. Here are some of the reasons—for and against—that are being used in the debate over substituting vegetable oil as fuel.

Pros: Good Reasons to Use Vegetable Oil as Fuel

It’s can be found in abundance.

Vegetable oil is everywhere, especially if you include used cooking oil from restaurants. Even conversion kits, which allow you to convert vegetable oil for use in a standard diesel engine, are easily obtained.

It’s cleaner burning.

The burning of vegetable oil does not emit the greenhouse gases that fossil fuel combustion does.

The supply is sustainable.

Unlike fossil fuels, vegetable oils are a renewable energy source.

Greater energy efficiency.

Vegetable oil can provide far greater mileage per gallon that gasoline. It has been said that a car fueled with a combination of diesel and vegetable oil can go nearly 1000 miles between fill-ups.

Cost—it’s cheap.

Vegetable oil can be extremely cheap—free, in fact. This is not only due to the lengthy mileage, but also due to the fact that waste oil can be filtered and used.

Cons: the Arguments Against Using Vegetable Oil as Fuel

Cost—it’s cheap… now.

Yes, this cost was a pro but it’s also a con. The potential problem is that the cost of vegetable oil will rise as demand increases.

Crop demand could lead to deforestation.

To meet a rising demand for vegetable oil for cars, more and more land would need to be devoted to growing the crops from which the oil can be produced. This means less land available for other crops that are needed to feed the world. It also means that more land will have to be cleared to make way for these vegetable oil-producing crops.

Vehicle maintenance is more difficult.

Vegetable oil engines are tricky to maintain. From heating the oil to just the right temperature and viscosity to the tendency of vegetable oil to clog key components of the engine, maintaining such a vehicle requires vigilance and time.

Cars run on vegetable oil have a distinctive smell.

While the emissions from vegetable oil vehicles are not of the greenhouse gas variety, they do smell. Most people liken the smell to French fries.

Voiding the warranty.

It’s possible that the use of vegetable oil will void a vehicle’s warranty.

It seems that the pros and cons of using vegetable oil as fuel really depends on the circumstances. For example, it’s all pros if you have an old diesel van with lots of room for an extra fuel tank and the time and money available to spend maintaining it. Vegetable oil is a more negative option if you have a new, gasoline-run sedan and little time and skill to devote to it.

Overall, despite its many advantages and disadvantages, vegetable oil is still not ready to be used as a replacement for fossil fuels in general.

Favorite Green Images

Unplugged: 60 Energy-Free Activities

1. Bike somewhere
2. Play any sports
3. Outdoor games (i.e. tag), races
4. Roll in the grass
5. Make a blanket fort
6. Read a book
7. Walk to the library
8. Play an instrument
9. Sing
10. Organize your closets
11. Declutter and clean your house
12. Garden
13. Give a massage (or get one)
14. Brush your teeth
15. Look at photo albums
16. Yoga on a mat
17. Read outloud to a child
18. Draw or color
19. Walk to a thrift store
20. Play dolls or action figures with your child
21. Brush and put sponge rollers or clips in your hair or your child's
22. Play finger games (itsy spider, etc.)
23. Go to the park
24. Write a story or journal
25. Write a poem
26. Do stretches
27. Knit
28. Sew by hand
29. Walk to the gym
30. Make homemade lotions
31. Write a children's book and illustrate it
32. Try origami
33. Get your hair cut or cut your child's hair
34. Play cards
35. Trim and buff your nails
36. Volunteer
37. Help a child with scout activities
38. Donate to good causes
39. Memorize scripture
40. Talk to someone and listen
41. Have a picnic with homemade food
42. Prepare lessons
43. Do exercises with free weights
44. Take the stairs
45. Put on a play
46. Give yourself a honey facial
47. Make a craft and save it for a gift
48. Play hopscotch or chinese jump rope
49. Learn sign language
50. Take a class
51. Explore a new place
52. Play a board game
53. Play party games
54. Do chores (i.e. hang your laundry to dry)
55. Take care of a pet
56. Hold a yard sale
57. Visit someone (walk to their house)
58. Meditate
59. Pray
60. Run outside (do an errand)

Any other ideas?

Top Green Cars and Why I Love Air Pollution, Don't You (Cough, Cough)?

I live in a big city and oh how I love to breathe in that dirty polluted air....

I mean, who wouldn't (cough, cough)?

It is so worth it to have all of those dirty factories making unnecessary stuff to clutter up people's homes (like my 30th pair of shoes!).

And the traffic. The traffic is GREAT. It totally makes sense.

I mean, I definitely would trade a few years off my life due to the air pollution and accept all of the accumulative affects of climate change for traffic and clutter.

I mean, what a pain to use the subway, bus, ride a bike or walk when I could take my SUV!!

I get to sit in comfy comfort all by myself in my huge castle-like car. It is like being a queen I swear!

It's all for a great cause. My comfort.

I get to relax in a temperature-controlled environment (my cozy car) while I drive across town to buy some awesome shoes on sale, even if it means that the world's future generations have to endure skyrocketing temperatures and mass flooding.

OUCH! What was that for? You are totally rude.

What did you say? Somebody needed to get my attention?

OK... make your point.

My shoes are ugly and I am a selfish what?

OK normally I would be offended by this, like most people, but for purposes of this blog post I will see the light....

I know. You are right. I should care about other people. Climate change will cause a lot of suffering. And the truth is that air pollution really sucks and I hate traffic. I suppose I can take the subway back to return the shoes. But what if I need to take a car sometimes?

So, what you are saying, is that I can still keep a car to use when necessary, but I should make a better choice?

What choice is that?

What? Buy a used Honda CRX, shove a built B18 or fresh K series engine into it, and achieve performance better than a Tesla, with a much MUCH smaller carbon footprint, and all for a fraction of the price?

That is WAY too confusing for me. What about new cars?

New cars are not the best choice because they use up natural resources and a lot of energy to manufacture? However, they often have better safety ratings, so if I want to go new here is the list to choose from?

The List

Rank	Vehicle	ACEEE Green Score
1.	Honda Civic GX	57
2.	Toyota Prius	53
3.	Honda Civic Hybrid	51
4.	Smart fortwo	49
5.	Toyota Yaris	46
6.	Nissan Altima Hybrid	46
7.	MINI Cooper/Clubman	45
8.	Chevrolet Cobalt XFT/Pontiac G5 XFE	45
9.	Honda Fit	45
10.	Chevrolet Aveo/Aveo 5	44
11.	Toyota Camry Hybrid	44
12.	Kia Rio	44

^{Source: ACEEE's "Green Book: The Environmental Guide to Cars and Trucks"}

Cool. OK well maybe I will trade in my SUV for one of these....

but do you promise I will still feel like a QUEEN?

No, but I might feel like a responsible person with a brain?

Wow. Thanks.

My Sustainable Home: Turn off the Lights.... Turn on Your (significant other)!

Is my home an oasis of sustainable love?

We live in a nice, mid-rise apartment. I already have points going for me here because multi-family housing is more sustainable than large, single-family homes. This is simply because less-energy, space, and water is being used per person. (Some of you may be thinking- well that is nice for you, but we have kids, so we could never live in an apartment, but it's OK... we have kids too!) Read why single-family homes are obsolete here.

The other great thing about apartments is: no lawn care! No mowing= more free time. If I feel like I need a yard I can go to a park or forest or hike up a nearby mountain.

My apartment is located in walking/biking distance to the grocery store, post office, library, hair salon, schools, work, movie theater, thrift store, subway station, bus stops and restaurants. We don't even need to own a car. We chose our location well.

Inside my home; however, I could do better. All of our furniture was new when we bought it. Sustainability didn't cross our minds during our furniture buying frenzy. It would have been better to buy used furniture. However, my husband would sooner set himself on fire than sleep on a used mattress, or own a used couch. So, what to do? We could shop from a store that uses wood from sustainable sources and other recycled materials such as Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams or the Inhabitat Shop or 2modern. We could also look into refurbishing old furniture.

Next, lets move into my kitchen and bathrooms. A great resource for greening your kitchen is here. So... are we equipped with all energy and water saving appliances?... NO....why not? Because we don't own our apartment or our major appliances- so our hands are tied in many respects. As far as our small appliances (mixer, blender, toaster)... I try to keep them unplugged and to limit their use. We would love a more energy-efficient refrigerator and dishwasher, but we have to endure the status quo. We even have a funky water faucet that doesn't fit any water-saving faucet aerators. Nor can we switch out our current top loading washing machine for an energy-efficient front-loading one. Nor can we install an awesome new eco-friendly toilet...

BUT we can try this and I will have to look more into this.

Also, I need to replace our bathroom shower heads with these. (Hmmm...Christmas wish list?). A great website of information to really green your bathroom is here.

Another thing for my wish list is a dryer rack for our balcony- this would cut down our use of the dryer, which is a huge energy-suck!

Since we don't own our apartment, we also can't install a programmable thermostat for our home. However, we can dress appropriately for the weather and manually keep the heating and cooling down a bit. Another thing that helps us is closing the blinds when it is really hot or cold.

Other items on my wish list are some power-saver strips (such as these). These devices are great because they connect to computers and TVs getting rid of phantom power that is totally useless anyway!

Moving on through my home, we do have sustainable lighting throughout. It was very easy to replace all of our burned out light bulbs with new energy-efficient CFL lights. We also try to keep the lights off when not in use. It's more fun in the dark anyway!

Other factors that affect sustainability is water pollution. How do I pollute water? By using chlorine bleach and toxic cleaners in my home. There are so many eco-friendly cleaners out there that it really isn't a problem, except when you have a house cleaner who insists on toxic crap and when you give her eco-stuff she complains and complains. So, then perhaps you put your foot down, but your husband rebels and secretly goes out and gets her what she wants. So that's my house, but when I clean- it's vinegar and lemon juice or just plain water.

The other thing I plan on doing to be more sustainable is start a small organic fruit and vegetable garden out on my deck. This will be completely experimental- and I plan on watering with left over bath or shower water. In the future I'd like to hook up a drip water system using gray water. One step at a time I suppose.

Even if I can't do everything I would like to do now, there are some things that I can do and at least I know what to do when we own our future home. See below for my check list....

Buy Now

• more dishrags, so I don’t need paper towels
• more cloth napkins, so I don’t need paper napkins
• reusable plastic covers (they resemble shower caps), so I don’t need plastic wrap
• reusable lunch sacks and containers, so I don’t need disposable items
• four large trash cans to separate my glass, aluminum, paper, plastic
• small glass containers and cups, so I don’t need plastic ones that don’t recycle easily
• extra thrift store dishes and silverware, so I don’t ever need disposable stuff
• SIGG water containers for adults and kids
• “green” cleaning products for general cleaning, dishwasher and washing machine
• more compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), replace all old kind
• low-flow showerhead
• tank bags for toilets
• organic shampoos, conditioners, soaps, deodorants and lotions (no petroleum)
• reusable toothbrushes and razors (only replace the head)
• organic cotton towels, curtains and clothes
• recycled toilet paper
• organic, local food
• in-shower timer to keep showers short
• dryer racks, so I can use the dryer less often
• organic seeds and fertilizer
• cloth grocery bags
• smart strips (power-saving strips)
• recycled paper

To Do List

• repair leaks
• stuff cracks for better insulation
• recycle everything that I can
• close blinds in winter and summer
• unplug small appliances
• use tap water (filtered if needed), instead of bottled
• reuse towels a few times before washing
• lower the temperature of hot water heater
• use natural light whenever possible
• buy in bulk and items with low-packaging
• compost and garden
• use microwave over using an oven
• don’t wash dishes by hand, use a sponge before filling dishwasher instead of rinsing
• reuse paper and don’t print unless you have to
• don’t buy it
• get energy from a renewable source

Buy Later (when we own our home)

• energy and water efficient (Energy Star) large appliances, including convection oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, front-loading washing machine
• faucet aerators
• eco-toilets or adjustable flappers/dual-flush
• tankless hot-water heater
• bamboo, cork or sustainable wood flooring
• VOC-free paints, stains, caulks, grouts
• formaldehyde-free cabinets
• secondhand fixtures and accessories
• window caulk, door snakes, heat-trapping blinds or curtains
• used, refurbished or sustainable furniture
• programmable thermostat
• trees for around our home for cooling shade

Environmental Sustainability: Changing the World in my Pajamas

Honestly I used to be better at changing the world in my p.j.s - spending great amounts of time writing to congressmen and signing petitions online... and I need to start doing that again, but this is what I am doing now...

I click here ... every day to help save the rain forests. But I could do more.
We need to support organizations that are working to restore the earth through protecting forests, conserving and rebuilding soils, regenerating fisheries, and protecting plant and animal diversity.
The following organizations could use our help in creating a sustainable world...
(Pick your favorites!)

Audubon Works to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats; aka The National Audubon Society Bluewater Network Champions protection of ecosystems by reducing fossil fuel use and eradicating other causes of air and water pollution, global warming, and habitat destruction Center for a New American Dream Helps Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life and promote social justice EarthJustice Public-interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment Earth Rights International Activists, organizers, and lawyers working on human rights, environment, and corporate/government accountability Environmental Defense Works to link science, economics and law to create innovative, equitable and cost-effective solutions to society's most urgent environmental problems Environmental Working Group Environmental research organization that uses the power of information to improve public health and protect the environment by reducing pollution in air, water and food Friends of the Earth US | Friends of the Earth International Campaigns on the most urgent environmental and social issues of our day while simultaneously catalyzing a shift toward sustainable societies GRACE - Global Resource Action Center for the Environment Links with the research, policy and grassroots communities to protect the quality of the environment and preserve the future of the planet Greenpeace Focuses on the the most crucial worldwide threats to our planet's biodiversity and environment National Environmental Trust Informs citizens about environmental problems and how they affect our health and quality of life Natural Resources Defense Council Uses law and science to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things National Wildlife Federation Unites individuals, organizations, businesses and government to protect wildlife, wild places, and the environment Resources for the Future Works to improve environmental and natural-resources policymaking worlwide through objective social science research Sierra Club Mission: to educate and enlist humanity to enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth, its ecosystems and its resources Union of Concerned Scientists Alliance of more than 100,000 concerned citizens and scientists; pursues scientific analysis and innovative thinking to build a cleaner, healthier environment and a safer world Wilderness Society Protecting America's wilderness since 1935 through the potent combination of science, advocacy and education World Resources Institute Develops solutions to move human society to live in ways that protect the earth's environment and improve people's lives Worldwatch Institute Analyzes interactions among key environmental, social, and economic trends to promote transition to an environmentally sustainable and socially just society World Wildlife Fund International | WWF US Committed to saving endangered species and the wild places that are so vital to our planet's health and survival

I am also partial to giving to adoption programs because we adopted an orphan from Russia in 2007. If everyone adopted one child in place of having one biological child we would no longer have an orphan problem in the world.
Reece's Rainbow: Help's down syndrome kids get adopted
Sweet Hope The proceeds from the sale of all of the candy (super yummy!) goes directly to Baby House (orphanage) #2 in Khabarovsk, Russia.

Spreading the word is another way to change the world in my pajamas: Writing this blog is a way to get the message to readers around the world about the importance of sustainability. Sustainability is IMPORTANT. It's vital for our future survival.

Homes and Communities: An Oasis of Sustainable Love

I think building and designing sustainable cities and homes needs to go hand in hand with building clusters of strong, close communities. We can retrofit suburbia with an updated sustainable design.

A library, food co-op, tool bank, churches, book store, community garden, police, post office, parks, day cares, cafes, thrift store, recycle center, local grocery, work places, community center and schools can all be built close together for individual communities inside the larger city.

Housing can be built up around these services- building up instead of out.

The goal is to get the maximum amount of people in the smallest amount of space without sacrificing comfort- all in walking distance to needs and services. Using space better will enable more people to access renewable sources of energy. For those times when people must leave their community- a system of fast trains, buses and subway trains should be available everywhere- all interconnected. The city needs to be designed with people in mind. Strong, close, interactive communities is the goal.

The streets should be walkable and narrow. There should be bike lanes and streets just for bikes. The city should be designed around walking and biking and using mass transit- not around cars. So parking lots could be converted into building space. Also, the buildings need to be designed with sustainability in mind- using recycled or other sustainable materials. Building or retrofitting buildings to become LEED certified would need to be mandatory.

Other important initiatives would be reducing urban water use and creating areas for farming and gardening inside the city. There would also need to be an extensive recycling program.

More and more cities are becoming sustainable. Check them out here.

Also- check out the video above to see a newly retrofitted sustainable community.

Sustainability: Vote For That!

Do you feel that there is nothing you can do to make a difference?

You want to, but what can one person do?

One person can do a lot when they join with others who are already voting for sustainability.

Taking action is like voting for what you want to see happen in the world.

For example-

I just took action to tell the EPA to protect our waters from harmful nitrogen and phosphorus pollution.

Check it out: http://action.sierraclub.org/ProtectOurWaters

These are the kinds of simple things we can do to make a difference. After we take action it is important to let others know about it (that is what I am doing right now). The more people who hear about it the better.

Another way to vote for sustainability is with your money. If you purchase items derived from sustainable sources you are choosing/voting for what you want to see more of. Production is driven by what people spend their money on.

Another way to make a difference at the same time as making money is to invest in socially responsible companies. By supporting these companies and avoiding others helps to grow the right kinds of business. You can learn more here.

My Diet: Is It Sustainable?

I try to purchase organic and local food when I can (with my cloth grocery bags of course).

Our grocery store is not well-stocked with sustainable items, and I don't have a local farmers market, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter or Trader Joe's, but I do what I can.

I try to eat/serve less beef, pork and chicken with a preference for turkey.

I wish I could say that I buy locally raised, organic free-range turkey, but they are not available here in Seoul where I live.

So here is my daily diet (yes, I always eat the same thing):

Breakfast: Cherrios + organic flax cereal + local milk + organic cliff bar (energy bar)+ tap water

Lunch: plain oatmeal + local milk + organic and nonorganic fruits + mixed nuts+ tap water

Dinner: turkey bacon, tortilla, organic and local veggies or

spaghetti and peas and local bakery bread or

turkey slices and organic broccoli and rice or

Amy's organic frozen dinners or

turkey hotdogs and carrots

Dessert: organic dark cocoa

I have recently eliminated juice in favor of the real fruit (example: oranges instead of orange juice) which is more sustainable. I also try to only drink tap water over bottled water which is also more sustainable. Local bakery bread is more sustainable than organic bread that has been shipped a long way to your grocery store.I am still waiting for an organic spaghetti sauce that actually tastes good. Any suggestions? Also, I am waiting for our grocery store to stock organic rice, oatmeal, nuts and oat cereal. You know what? I just decided that I am going to speak to the manager of our local grocery store about this- maybe I can help things along.

I would also like to incorporate more beans and less meat in my diet- especially black beans, but I need some good recipes that will make my kids like it. hmmm???

So, yes, my diet could be more sustainable... but for now this is where I am.

Someday I will grow my own veggies on my deck. Taking one step at a time.

Meanwhile I think I'll rent the movie Food, Inc. to learn more.

Yummy Organic Gardens and Beautiful Shady Trees

Healthy families, healthy food, clean air and water...

This is what sustainable actions will bring- today and in our future.

A key to receiving this abundance is through tree planting and organic gardening.

We can be a part of this solution.

I recently found an awesome deal online- for only a $10 membership donation you can get 10 free trees or have 10 trees planted for you in your name: click here to see.

Planting trees wherever we can is always a good idea. Here is a great website that teaches you how to plant your own trees: Click here.

At the same time, we need to stop supporting deforestation. This means we need to help curtail the demand for products that are reliant on deforestation. We can do this by purchasing recycled paper and cardboard products/packaging as well as recycling our own paper and cardboard. We can also buy wood products made from sustainable wood farms. Some examples are here and here.

Organic gardening equals clean water and healthier food.

The reason that this is true is because conventional gardening/farming uses pesticides that get washed into our water supplies and leave a residue on our food. When we buy from organic farmers this leads to a healthier planet that supports healthy life.

Purchasing organic food is great, but we can go a step further and grow our own organic fruit and vegetable gardens. Here is a great site to teach you how to grow an organic garden: click here.

Short on space? You can grow veggies in pots on your porch or deck: click here to learn more.

Through our combined efforts we can truly make the earth a garden of beauty for us and future generations.

Sustainable Action: Help The Poor And Make Yourself Rich

1. I click here ... every day. This is an easy thing that costs nothing, but giving away free food is not enough to change the world. We need to support programs that really get involved with programs that create change.

2. I give away 50% of the money I make to charity. This is the website that inspired me to do it, although I didn't sign up as a member. Before you all think that I am some sort of saint you need to realize that I don't make much money and we don't give away 50% of the money my husband makes. By giving to charities that serve social needs around the world it strengthens the world as a whole and serves to create a sustainable and stable world.

We need to support programs that are making efforts towards universal education and healthcare (especially curbing HIV), stabilizing population in poor countries, encouraging gender equality and eradicating poverty.

Here are the "charities" I have given to recently and recommend:

Kiva.org : This site allows anyone to give loans to people in poor countries. The cool thing about this site is that you get your money back.

World Food Programme : Fights Hunger world wide

Childfund : Provides children with education, health care and other needs

Greatergood.org : We sent a child to school in Guatemala, but there are a lot of things you can choose at this website

Children's Hunger Relief Fund : Helps hurting children around the world.

I also recommend Oxfam International and Unicef

If a child was dying from starvation on your front lawn you would do something, so why would your compassion end simply because the child is residing elsewhere?

We can all make a difference towards a sustainable future by supporting organizations that bring prosperity and stabilization to societies around the world .

When we are contributing to the prosperity of others, helping people who can't help themselves we are truly rich.

Recycle For Easy Money: No Matter Where You Live

Everyone should recycle to the extent that is possible in your area....

or else the earth will become deluged with landfill waste (like the picture here (yuck!)).

It is easy to get started. What I did was purchase seperate garbage cans to hold paper/cardboard, glass, aluminum, plastic and non-recyclable trash. Then, when they were full I put them in the outside bin designated for recycling. You can even go a step further and recycle food scraps with the help of a composter.

You may not receive money for your efforts, but you will receive those intangible rewards of knowing you did the right thing....

Now we will skip ahead to those who came here because they wanted to learn about THE EASY MONEY....

1. Consign or sell your gently used items. Buying used and donating/selling used items is recycling. You may not have thought about it this way before, but it is. Whenever you sell something that is used at a garage sale, on E-bay or Amazon or your local paper or craigslist or to a pawn shop you are saving the planet.

2. Refurbish old furniture, repair clothes, fix up old cars or other items rather than throwing them out. This doesn't make money, but it will save you money which is almost as good. You can also turn around and sell the item you saved from the landfill. It is also fun to find ways to reuse your trash for something else, such as a large, old box for a playhouse (rather than buying a new one).

3. You can sell used parts, glass, paper, scraps, rubber etc. at recycleinme.com.

4. This website and also this website explains about some companies that pay you for your used ipod, laptop, ink jet cartridges, boxes, golf balls, gaming console, etc. Check them out!

5. And finally I am going to put in a plug for John at Cell Phone Recycling because he left a comment on my blog and so check out his site HERE and recycle your old phones for money!

Water Conservation: I Never Let The Water Run… Except, of course, when the bathtub overflows

Funny how I am trying to conserve water at the same time I am trying to drink more of it!

It is better to use water for something useful (drinking) then to just let it pour down the drain unused.

I always turn off the water when I brush my teeth, but I recently decided to look hard at how most of our water was being wasted.

The culprits: baths, showers and toilet

I used to give my four year old a bath every day. This was largely to shampoo and condition her long, unruly hair. If I skipped a day it would look ratty and she would scream and cry when I tried to comb it out. This was a huge, unnecessary waste of water.

So my solution? I cut her hair to look like Rihanna's. She loves it. She thinks she's a rock star.

Now she needs fewer baths and never cries when I brush her hair.

I was also spending a long time shaving in the shower.

My solution? Laser hair removal. I never have to shave again. It's expensive, but think of the time it saves in just one year of not shaving (not to mention the water it saves)!

Also, one thing I am thinking of getting is a shower timer. It can be a game to see if my kids can get done before the timer goes off.

The next issue is the toilet. It helps to put a small plastic jug filled with water to displace water in your tank, but there is something else you can do...

I really don't want to discuss this on my blog, but here it goes. You don't HAVE TO flush every time you pee. OK I said it...That is up to you and your tolerance level...

On to other, more pleasant subjects.

Other ways we can help:

-use rain barrels at the end of downspouts to water gardens or other needs (i.e. washing car)
-turn off the water when brushing teeth
-don't rinse dishes before the dishwasher and never wash dishes by hand
-use water conserving appliances
-use environmentally friendly cleaning solutions (such as vinegar and lemon juice)
-don't use chemicals

Drinking water.... Oh yes. Isn't it nice to have clean water to drink, wash, etc. ?

Let's keep it that way by using less of it!

Why We Could Run Out Of Fresh Water

We often don't see water as the precious resource it is....

but this miracle may not last forever if we are not careful.

A lot of people are confused as to why we should conserve water. I mean - the oceans are huge! How could we be running out of water?

The problem is that less than 0.3% of the water on earth is available for human consumption and most of this is ground water.

This water supply is decreasing fast and most people in the U.S., or anywhere else in the industrialized world are not taking the crisis as seriously as they should nor do they realize how it directly threatens them.

Water tables are falling, lakes are shrinking and demand is increasing. In fact, demand has tripled over the last half-century. Cities (including U.S. cities) are starting to take irrigation water from farmers to meet their needs. As water becomes scarcer it will become more expensive. The price of water will (and has in some places) far exceed the value of the food that can be produced with it. This will produce a food shortage.

Water scarcity is due to overpumping of fresh water. Water supplies are decreasing or have been exhausted with no hope of replenishment. Water is sustainable only as long as we use as much as is available (conserve) respecting the hydrosphere cycle process.

Another reason water is declining is the widespread use of fresh water for various human uses (water mixing with pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, chemicals, cleaning agents, etc.). This has led to polluted groundwater systems which ultimately leads to a decreased water supply.

Governments need to limit aquifer pumping to sustainable levels, but they have failed to do so. There has been a huge mismanagement of this resource... a "free ride" attitude that will have extreme consequences. Future international conflict over water is a real danger.

So, until governments intervene- it is up to us to conserve.

Steps we can take include: turn off the water, take shorter showers, eat less meat (it takes more water to produce meat than a vegetarian diet) and promote the education of girls (birth control) in developing countries, use greywater in your home, support water-efficient irrigation, etc. Click here for more tips.

Don't believe there is a global water crisis? Check out these articles:

Africa's great shrinking Lake Chad

China’s water table levels are dropping fast

The Ogallala Aquifer Depletion (Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska)

Peak water in Saudi Arabia

Beijing’s Water Crisis

IMMINENT WATER CRISIS IN INDIA

Israel Facing Worst Water Crisis in 80 Years

Dry Taps in Mexico City: A Water Crisis Gets Worse

Behold the incredible shrinking Colorado River

The Shrinking Euphrates ( Iraq Suffers )

The Shrinking of the Aral Sea (near Kazakhstan)

Water crisis hits Egypt "Country of Nile River"

Sea of Galilee is Shrinking

Dead Sea shrinking by 1 meter every year

Mansions, Boats, Big Cars, Excessive Shopping = Failure

Americans are so rich compared to much of the world. We have so much purchasing power. This power can have long-term hazardous effects.

We need to become educated consumers, switching from linear thinking to systems thinking.

Linear Thinking: I need money to buy a larger TV (or replace this with any purchase).

Systems Thinking: Do I really need a new TV or is my current, smaller one sufficient? Can I recycle my old TV? What energy source will I use? Is that source renewable? Many materials (natural resources) were required to produce it. Are those resources sustainable? Recycled? Recyclable? Is it an energy-efficient model? Does it have energy-efficient settings? Can I recycle it at some point? Where are the materials for this TV being taken from? Who is involved in the making, transporting and distributing of this TV? How are they treated? How far has the parts for this TV traveled?

These are the types of questions a systems thinker asks to make sure the purchase is well-thought out.

To learn more about our current linear system of thought and why it fails - watch this fun video.

My belief:

Success is not a big house, an enormous lawn, a wide-screen TV, the latest technology, a boat, expensive possessions, big cars, huge meals, fancy vacations, and an elaborate wardrobe.

Success is a happy family, clean air and water, nourishing food, time for play and exercise, small, sustainable homes, helping those in need, safe, sustainable and walkable communities, ongoing-learning, connections with people, love, caring, stories, songs, hugs and a beautiful earth for all to enjoy.

Are you a success?