Go Green with Clean-Green-Earth.com

On one side you have the people who are concerned with the economy and the financial implication of completely going green. On the other side, you have "treehuggers" who are concerned only with the state of the Earth. Where does that leave all of the others like you and me? Evidently it is somewhere in the middle.

I believe it is possible to have both. The problem is getting people to be aware of the small things that are being done that can considerably fix or help the planet. Things like recycling, making sure your car is in optimal condition, walking or biking when possible, lobbying for alternative energies, and the smallest thing...use a trash can!

I still am amazed at the amount of trash that litters our streets, roads, highways, waterways and beaches. So many times I see people throw trash out of their car window when they are driving. For goodness sake, another great reason to stop smoking is so we don't have cigarette butts lying all over the ground! IS IT TOO HARD TO USE A TRASH CAN?

How many fires are set because someone threw a lit cigarette out the window, or a lit match? What is the impact on the environment from one match? Loss of plant life, loss of beauty, smokey air, ash, harmful toxins. Come on!

And so called municipalities are also to blame. How many trash trucks do you see are driving and trash is blowing out from the top of the truck? Can't this simple thing be stopped?

What action can we take? You don't have to be an absolute "treehugger" to appreciate that we have a problem here. The middle of the road is fine for most people, if they are aware that everything they do has consequences. Think about it!

There are many different ways that we can conserve energy in the home by doing small, but specific changes. The quantity and quality of light around us determine how well we see, work, and play. Light affects our health, safety, morale, comfort, and productivity. In your home, you can save energy while still maintaining good light quantity and quality.

* Consider using high-intensity discharge (also called HID) or low-pressure sodium lights.

* Exterior lighting is one of the best places to use CFLs because of their long life. If you live in a cold climate, be sure to buy a lamp with a cold weather ballast since standard CFLs may not work well below 40°F.

* Turn off decorative outdoor natural gas lamps; just eight such lamps burning year-round use as much natural gas as it takes to heat an average-size home during an entire winter.

* Use outdoor lights with a photocell unit or a motion sensor so they will turn on only at night or when someone is present. A combined photocell and motion sensor will increase your energy savings even more.

* Consider using 4-watt minifluorescent or electro-luminescent night lights. Both lights are much more efficient than their incandescent counterparts. The luminescent lights are cool to the touch.

* If you have torchiere fixtures with halogen lamps, consider replacing them with compact fluorescent torchieres. Compact fluorescent torchieres use 60% to 80% less energy, can produce more light (lumens), and do not get as hot as the halogen torchieres. Halogen torchieres are a fire risk because of the high temperature of the halogen bulb.

* Take advantage of daylight by using light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room while preserving privacy. Also, decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight.

* Recessed downlights (also called recessed cans) are now available that are rated for contact with insulation (IC rated), are designed specifically for pin-based CFLs, and can be used in retrofits or new construction.

* Use CFLs in all the portable table and floor lamps in your home. Consider carefully the size and fit of these systems when you select them. Some home fixtures may not accommodate some of the larger CFLs.

* Consider using 4-watt minifluorescent or electro-luminescent night lights. Both lights are much more efficient than their incandescent counterparts. The luminescent lights are cool to the touch.

* Use 4-foot fluorescent fixtures with reflective backing and electronic ballasts for your workroom, garage, and laundry areas.

* Consider three-way lamps; they make it easier to keep lighting levels low when brighter light is not necessary.

* Use task lighting; instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it. For example, use fluorescent under-cabinet lighting for kitchen sinks and countertops under cabinets.

* Turn off the lights in any room you're not using, or consider installing timers, photo cells, or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on.

* Install task lighting - such as under-counter kitchen lights or bathroom mirror lights - to reduce the need for ambient lighting of large spaces.

* Use dimmers, motion sensors, or occupancy sensors to automatically turn on or off lighting as needed and prevent energy waste.

* Install fluorescent light fixtures for all ceiling- and wall-mounted fixtures that will be on for more than 2 hours each day.

* Use ENERGY STAR® labeled lighting fixtures.

* Consider light wall colors to minimize the need for artificial lighting.

* Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in place of comparable incandescent bulbs to save about 50 percent on your lighting costs. CFLs use only one-fourth the energy and last up to 10 times longer.

* Turn your lights off when you leave a room. Standard, incandescent light bulbs should be turned off whenever they are not needed. Fluorescent lights should be turned off whenever you'll be away for 15 minutes or more.

* During winter, open curtains on your south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home, and close them at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.

* Installing a skylight can provide your home with daylighting and warmth. When properly selected and installed, an energy-efficient skylight can help minimize your heating, cooling, and lighting costs. - Department of Energy

One of the best stimulus packages that was signed by President Obama was the Car Allowance Rebate System (cash for clunkers). This stimulus package took 700,000 older, low MPG off of the streets and freeways and replaced them with new more fuel efficient vehicles. The average gain in MPG was from 15.9 to 25.6 MPG. If you extrapolate that out by the number of miles that Americans drive, that is a huge savings of used petroleum as well as a cleaner environment. A lot of the vehicles that were traded in did not even have catalytic converters on them!

So kudos to the Obama Administration for realizing that there is a great trade-off in stimulating the economy in a responsible, Green manner!

Recycling hazardous and dangerous items

Many things that are put in the trash can now a days are considered extremely dangerous and hazardous to the environment. In the old days, everything that was not useful anymore was just considered trash and placed in the trash can, taken to a land fill and covered with dirt.

Now, after years of research, scientists have found the dangers associated with this old behavior. All of the batteries, aerosol cans, plastic, paint, oil, medications, and Styrofoam is sitting beneath the surface of our landfills harming the fragile eco-system. It is only now that we are realizing the err of our ways and it is time for change.

All of the products that we need to use to maintain our lifestyles must be dealt with upon the end of their useful lives. So what can I do to keep our environment clean? Well, here are some useful tips:

Paint - make sure the can is completely sealed while in storage. Use the entire can of paint, leaving no remnants behind. If you don't need the entire contents, donate the rest to a charity that can use the rest. When the can is empty, make sure you drop it off at a hazardous waste center

Oil - The days of doing our own oil changes are going away, but still some home grease monkeys decided to do it themselves. Make sure that all of the oil and filter is collected in the proper collection can. Oil can be recycled at most auto parts stores like AutoZone or Kragen.

Batteries - Batteries contain some of the most hazardous chemicals. Think about it, battery power is caused by a reaction of chemicals. You can find out where to recycle used batteries and other electronics at earth911

Medications - Growing up, the thing to do with medications was "flush them!" How wrong were we? Flushing medications pollutes the water as most cities are reclaiming their water. The water, and toxins, make it to the oceans, rivers and lakes. Often, there are collection centers available for disposing of old medications. Pharmacies and Hospitals are also helpful with getting rid of old medications.

Aerosol cans and cleaning supplies - Make sure that you use all of the products in the packaging. Most of these are hazardous and can contaminate the water and Earth. Check with your local city or county for a hazardous drop off center for these types of products.

Together, we can keep the Planet clean for our future generations! Will you do your part?

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