The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save The Planet

You know you should do more for the environment and our planet, but some of the solutions seem to be extremely expensive and time-consuming. Josh Dorfman's new book, The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save The Planet, outlines a plan for living green that anyone can become a part of, including busy families, students, businesses and more.

New trends for living a green lifestyle include eco-friendly products for everyone - services, the latest fashion, decorating, home energy and water conservation, gardening, children's items and much more. Dorfman's solutions are convenient and affordable - and they work as good as or better than non-environmental products. The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget was born from what Dorfman saw as a need to make green products affordable and of a quality seldom seen in eco-friendly products.

Some of the outdated ways to live green were unrealistic for our busy lifestyles and too expensive for our waning economy. For example, solar panels cost thousands of dollars and may take a while to realize a savings on your investment. But newer ways of thinking such as SolarCity - a company that leases solar planes for a low monthly cost - enables home owners to enjoy the benefits of saving money immediately on their home energy costs.

The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget is informative, letting readers know about particular environmentally friendly products that they can use easily in their own lives and that won't cause a major investment of time or money.

The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget is specifically written for those of us who really want to make a difference in cleaning up the environment and saving our planet but just haven't reached the point where we'll enthusiastically make use of the time and money it takes to utilize the three Rs of living green - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Dorfman has written The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget not to lecture us about how we should be living green, but to inform us about all the new innovations in green products, services and technologies that will make living green actually appeal to us. What we may not have heard about regarding innovations for living green is detailed in Dorfman's book. Green subjects such as solar power, cleaning products, fabrics, water conservation and even interior decorating are explained and specific brands are mentioned and rated for quality and ease of use.

One of the trends that Dorfman writes about in The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget is how other cities in the United States are making progress in living green. For example, Boston now offers WiFi on its trains to promote public transportation.

After years of lecturing about the environment and speaking to people about problems and inconveniences of living green, Dorfman set out to resolve the problems and to give his readers solutions that are easy and affordable. In The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget, Dorfman emphasizes the cutting edge developments for making living green practical and affordable.

Josh Dorfman was out to make green living trendy and attractive. When he spoke to audiences about how they could use eco-innovation and to promote his first book, The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish, Green Living, he noticed that the response was often that it was a great idea - but too expensive. Then, during a speaking engagement for a group of affluent parents in a suburb of New York City, the complaint surfaced again - and he surmised that money wasn't the only problem.

Digging deeper, Dorfman discovered that money wasn't really a reason that people weren't using environmentally safe products. After all, the people who came to hear his speech in New York City were driving new Mercedes, living in McMansions and wouldn't be put off by an expensive product if it worked and if it were easily accessible.

Josh Dorfman began to speak to people about the real reasons why they weren't living green and came up with the answer he suspected - the environmental products didn't measure up to more popular choices and most people consider themselves too busy to go out of their way to purchase the products.

Dorfman began to use what he termed "a lazy environmentalist filter" as he asked himself, "Would a regular person want this product or service even if it weren't green?" The results of his research are in Josh's new book, The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save the Planet - a must-read for those of us who care, but are too lazy to go out of our way.

Wouldn't it be awesome if your home generated all of its own power, freeing you from rising energy rates and allowing you to live comfortably while treading lightly on the planet? Though recent advancements in clean energy are bringing this ecoutopian dream closer to reality, cost is, unfortunately, still a major factor. But all hope is not lost for the Lazy Environmentalist on a budget. There are simple steps you can take to dramatically reduce your energy output while saving money. Since the EPA estimates that the average household spends more than $2,000 per year on energy and historical trends point to a steady increase in prices for all residential power sources-electric, propane, natural gas, and kerosene-implementing easy energy-saving measures is in nothing but our enlightened self-interest.

SET THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE

Until recently most homes in the United States were built under the assumption that energy is cheap and abundant. This may explain why the EPA has found that the average household spends about $1,000 every year, or 50 percent of its total energy consumption, seeking the perfect indoor temperature. Building houses capable of capitalizing on the natural heat and light from the sun or cooling from tree shade and breezes was rarely done. As a result, we've got some pretty dumb houses. To counter your home's deficient IQ, start by installing a digital, programmable thermostat that lets you automatically control and adjust your home's temperature throughout the day. Good ones range in price from $35 to $80 and can reduce your heating and cooling costs by about 20 percent per year. Of course, to reap those benefits you have to take the time to program them, which is why Energy Star requires that all of its qualified models come with four pre-programmed settings to automatically adjust temperatures throughout the night and day-an ideal situation for Lazy Environmentalists. If you're feeling ambitious, you can always override the settings to suit your particular needs. Lux makes several affordable models that are highly rated by Consumer Reports for ease of programming, temperature accuracy, and clear display. They start at around $35 and are available at numerous retailers, including Ace Hardware. The Honeywell FocusPro 6000 series ($70) is equipped with an easy-to-read display and is compatible with central air conditioning units as well as electric, gas, or oil furnaces and heat pumps. Unless you're adept at home remodeling projects, you may wish to have a local HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) professional install your model.

For those who survive the sweltering season with individual air conditioner units, a digital thermostat won't be much help. The best way to stay cool, use less energy, and reduce your bills is to choose Energy Star-rated models that have an EER (Energy Efficient Ratio) over 10. EER measures the ratio of cooling capacity to energy usage, and top-notch Energy Star models sometimes go to 11. Look for affordable, top-rated models from GE, Frigidaire, Haier, and Kenmore. See Greenerchoices.com, a website run by Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, for a list of best buys. But while looking for the ultimate AC, don't forget the ceiling fans. Fans are easy to install and a cost- effective method of cooling your home while creating a feeling of tropical relaxation. Visit Energystar.gov to search for models that consume less energy.

GREEN THE FRIDGE

Next to heating and cooling, running the refrigerator is the second most energy-intensive residential activity. Refrigerators account for 14 percent of all energy use for the average household. Switching to an energy-efficient model can save you a bundle, with current Energy Star models clocking in at least 40 percent more energy efficient than refrigerators built before 2001. For the budget-minded, top- freezer models are usually the way to go since they offer the most storage at the most affordable price. The Frigidaire FRT18S6AW is a top-freezer unit (about $550) that's a great choice for smaller apartments thanks to a slim profile that offers 18 cubic feet of storage space. While the fridge comes with few bells and whistles, it gets the job done with plenty of room for veggies, beer, and leftovers. One of the most highly rated top-freezer refrigerators is the Whirlpool ET1FHTXM (about $850), with about 21 cubic feet of storage room. Nice perks include an interior ice maker, water dispenser, spill- ontrol glass shelves, and gallon storage on the door. To get the skinny on a wide range of quality, energy-efficient refrigerators, check out Greenerchoices.org.

CHOSE ENERGY-SMART ELECTRONICS

We Americans like our TV. Yes we do. We enjoy it so much that the EPA and Department of Energy now estimate that televisions in combination with related products like set-top boxes (the device that connects your TV to an external digital television signal) and DVD players account for 10 percent of the average household's energy use, and that number is rising. As for energy efficiency, conventional wisdom holds that when it comes to flat-panel models, those with LCD (liquid crystal display) screens are more efficient than their plasma screen counterparts. This is mostly true, but since energy output depends upon the specific model you choose, your best bet is to visit Energystar.gov and check for TV models that meet the new, stricter Energy Star standards, which went into effect in November 2008. When you choose an Energy Star-qualified TV, you're choosing a device that uses significantly less energy than its conventional counterpart when it's turned on and when it's off. Sound strange? Blame it on the "vampire" effect. One of the pitfalls of modern living is that everything we leave plugged into the electric socket uses energy even when turned off-some estimates have found that 5 percent of all energy in the country (and of every household) is wasted as result of this power-sucking phenomenon. Unless you plan to unplug your television and all other electronics when they're not in use, you can achieve savings of about 30 percent by selecting Energy Star products that use less energy whether they're turned on or off.

You can also combat vampire energy drain the super lazy way by plugging your television and all related devices into a Smart Strip Power Strip. Available online for under $40 at numerous outlets like Smarthomeusa.com, the Smart Strip comes with 10 outlets: one blue, six white, and three red. When you plug your television into the main outlet (the blue one), all devices plugged into the white outlets become connected to its on/off status. So when you turn your TV on, all the other devices automatically turn on. When you turn your TV off, all the other devices automatically shut off. The three red outlets enable you to operate devices- like lava lamps and curling irons-independently of the TV's on/ off status. And because the Smart Strip Power Strip is just that, it senses when devices are turned off and cuts all power to those devices, eliminating the dreaded vampire effect. The strip performs equally as well when operating with computers and their related peripherals (printers, scanners, speakers, etc.) and is an excellent power surge protector. A smaller, 7-outlet version is also available for around $30.

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Josh Dorfman is an environmental entrepreneur, media personality and author of The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish, Green Living. He is also the founder and CEO of Vivavi, a retailer of modern, green furniture and home furnishings. His latest book, The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save The Planet, is now available. For more information, please visit: http://www.lazyenvironmentalist.com

Eliminate Junk Mail with MailStopper.
www.mailstopper.com - Mailstopper manages your removal from junk mail lists to save paper which means trees. The average home receives over 100 pounds of junk mail per year. The service costs $20.

Get your Magazines Digitally and eliminate paper.
www.zinio.com - Zinio takes you into the age of digital magazine subscriptions and reduces the need for all that paper. At Zinio.com you can subscribe to more than 500 titles, like BusinessWeek, Cosmopolitan, Car & Driver, Men's Health, Dwell, Outside, and Yoga Journal. Download the Zinio Reader and read the magazines on your computer or access your subscriptions online from any computer at Zinio.com. iPhone owners can even access entire magazines through their phones.

Watch your favorite TV shows (and now many movies too) for free on the web. www.hulu.com. Hulu lets you watch your favorite shows without having to purchase a television to do show. It's a great way to reduce your consumption while still enjoying your favorite shows. The Lazy E loves The Office and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and watches them both free of charge at Hulu.com

Use Natural Cleaning Products.
www.greenworkscleaners.com - Green Works natural cleaning products are made of plant-based, biodegradable ingredients like corn, coconut, and lemon. Choose from all-purpose cleaning products, glass and mirror sprays, bathroom and toilet bowl cleaners, and dish soap that are available nationwide at supermarkets, drugstores, and mass-market retailers.

Use a Brita water filter to save money and the planet by eliminating plastic bottled water waste.
www.brita.com - Save money as you wean yourself off your disposable water bottle habit-a practice that collectively results in more than 38 billion disposable plastic bottles deposited in the landfill each year in the United States. The easy affordable filter of choice is a Brita pitcher. When your replaceable pitcher filter is used up, recycle it. Early in 2009, Brita launched a new program with eco-products maker Preserve to recycle the plastic from used filters into a sleek line of personal care, tableware, and kitchenware products. You can drop off filters at participating Whole Foods Markets or mail them directly to Preserve.

Use kitchenware products made of recycled materials.
www.preserveproducts.com - uses recycled Brita pitcher filters and empty Stonyfield farm yogurt cups to make colorful plates, cups, utensils, colanders, storage bins and more. Preserve also makes recycled plastic toothbrushes and razors.

Use Kitchenware products made of eco-friendly bamboo. both Bed, Bath & Beyond and Target offer tons of affordable products made of bamboo, a rapidly renewable, naturally growing resource (no insecticides or pesticides).

Use school supplies (and more) made of recycled materials.
www.terracycle.net - TerraCycle is redefining America's relationship with its trash. The company that began with plant food made from worm poop and packaged in empty Pepsi bottles has exploded into an innovation powerhouse that transform garbage-like Oreo cookies and Chips Ahoy! wrappers-into a broad range of products, including office supplies, backpacks and messenger bags, and even shower curtains and umbrellas.