Earth Day 2012 Tips

Photo Disney

School House Rock was my all time favorite cartoon next to the Lorax especially School House Rock Earth edition!! I was an environmentalist long before it was cool and only for "hippies".  Of course some of you may also remember Captain Planet and Team Planet (Planeteers)...I DO!!!!

Oh how I wish they had these cartoons playing for kids again instead of some of the so called kid friendly shows now playing...I digress.

These particular cartoons got me thinking of little things we can do each day to be a little more energy efficient instead of energy vampires.  Even a little eco-savvy.

Tips and Ideas:

• Check for water leaks: thousands of gallons are wasted every day by leaky faucets or leaky pipes. Some repairs are quite simple such as replacing a washer, some repairs may need new faucets and some may need a professional.  Whichever repair you need you will recoup those costs of repairs tenfold by saving $$ from no more leaks.

• Check for ventilation leaks: yes that means your house vents.  You would be amazed how much is lost from ventilation leaks, whether you are heating your home or trying to cool your home seal those systems running through your attics.  I have not performed this check on my own.  I have had HVAC professionals come to perform the checks making sure there are no leaks.

• Insulation: after checking for water and air leaks now insulate.  Insulation will keep your home cool in the summer and warm reducing your need to touch your thermostat.

• Thermostate: control your need to play the thermo wars in the house.  In the winter keep your thermostate set at 72 degrees or lower and throw on a sweater or blanket plus slippers.  In the summer keep your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher and install fans throughout the house instead.  Fans circulate air giving an impression of it being 8 degrees cooler in the house than it is, plus they only cost 21 cents per day versus 7.67 dollar per day based on a home that is 1300 to 1600 square feet.

• Sunscreens: have sunscreens installed on your windows or do it yourself.  Many home improvement centers today of DIY sunscreen kits.  Sunscreens help reduce the amount of heat entering your home in the hotter month helping you keep your home cooler plus they help reduce the amount of UV rays from discoloring or lightening your furniture.  Most homes have screens anyway might as well make them sunscreens.

• Turn off the water while brushing teeth and/or washing hands.  You are only dumping gallons and gallons of water down the drain.

• Turn off non-essential lights.  Nothing more annoying than to see my kid outside playing yet his bedroom light is on!!!

• Turn off television: choose to watch television less and read more or play outside with your kids or take the dogs for a walk or go hike.. Commit to less electronics during the week and weekend but shutting them down or off.  So if you watch 6 hours of television per day (while on the computer or iPhone come on we all do it you know it) try cutting back an hour a day one week, then cut another hour the next week pretty soon you will be well read or super slim from all the other activities you have given up for becoming a slave to the PC or TV.

See more tips on the next post.....

~Deanne

Get yourself a copy of School House Rock: Earth while you are at it! You can spare a few minutes of TV time for this fantastic show.