Simple Things You Can Do to Start Living Green Today!
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Going Green In The Kitchen
Going green in the kitchen encompasses everything from what you eat to how you cook it.
There's a ton of things you can do in your kitchen that will help lessen your impact on the environment. From using a water saving faucet, to energy efficient appliances to cleaning with non-toxic cleaners, going green in the kitchen can be great for the environment as well as for your budget.
One little thing you can do is reduce your use of paper towels. The average family uses several rolls of paper towels a week but you can reduce your usage by keeping some cloth towels handy in the kitchen and use those for wiping your hands, spills and other uses that would normally call for a paper towel.
You'll save money on paper towels and there will be less of them in the landfill which, in turn, helps the environment. Also, the less paper towels that are manufactured, the less pollution in the air from those manufacturing plants.
Did you realize that some types of cooking are more energy efficient than others? While many cooks love a gas stove, the fact is that the newer model electric stoves are more energy efficient. Not only that, but if you opt for a toaster oven or microwave instead of using your big oven, you can drastically reduce the energy needed for cooking.
Another thing you can do in the kitchen to help the environment is buy local whenever you can. While this might seem like a small thing, transporting food is actually a big drag on the environment. Flying bananas into upstate New York from the tropics can be costly in terms of air pollution.
Not to mention that foods from the grocery store can be loaded with pesticides and your local growers probably don't put so much junk on their crops. Plus, it's nice to support the farmers in your own community.
Using reusable cloth grocery bags, reusing jars and composting organic materials are great ways to reduce waste. You can compost your kitchen scraps, paper and even cardboard.
This will make great fodder for your garden and does double duty as it acts as an organic fertilizer saving you from buying fertilizer which saves you money and ensures that harmful chemicals don't leach into the environment from commercial fertilizers you might have had to purchase.
Possibly the most important thing you can do to be "greener" in the kitchen is to recycle. Make sure you get a good handle on all the plastic and glass materials you use that can be recycled. Check the rules at your landfill as to what has to be separated out and buy yourself some bins to help you keep things separate.
Lastly, you want to keep the environment in mind when you clean. Cleaners full of chemicals can be bad for the environment and the fumes from these can be harmful to the health of yourself and your family.
There are plenty of natural things you can use for cleaning like vinegar, baking soda and tea tree oil that will help keep your kitchen sparkling without harming you or the environment.
Do you want help from the experts?
Please take a minute to read more about this here, I think you will find it very useful:
A Guide To Efficient Living!
Simple Things You Can Do To "Go Green"
Going green is something we all want to do to help save the planet, but many times it seems that the things you need to do are very costly or overcomplicated and a lot of us just simply don't know where to get started.Luckily there are some simple and easy things you can do today that will help to reduce your carbon footprint and some of them will even help you save a little bit of money too.
When it comes to going green, every little bit counts and one of those little bits has to do with using paper towels. The less paper towels you use, the lower your carbon footprint will be. While this may seem like a small thing, every little bit adds up!
One great way to lower use of paper towels is to get some good quality kitchen towels that you can wash and reuse and make sure you have them handy for drying your hands, wiping up spills, and drying off dishes.
Limit the use of the actual paper towels to the really nasty messes. It doesn't really take much effort and you soon discover that you're spending less money on paper towels at the grocery store each week!
Speaking of the grocery store, another thing you can do to help the environment is to stop using plastic bags and switch to those tote bags that you can use over and over again. While the plastic ones might be convenient, there are literally millions of them that pileup in the landfills every year and may take up to 1000 years to decompose.
Plastic bags are bad for the environment, and plastic water bottles are bad for the environment and your health. Invest in some stainless steel drinking mugs to carry your water in instead of buying water in plastic bottles. You'll be helping to reduce more plastic in your landfill as well as saving your body from harmful toxins that can leach into the water you are drinking.
Heating your home is another area where you can help the environment and save a little bit of money with your efforts. Have your furnace serviced to make sure that it is working most efficiently and make sure that you caulk your windows thoroughly so that they are no little places that cold air can get in. Buy a programmable thermostat so you can keep your home at a steady temperature, but try to keep at 68° or below when you are home and 58° when you are sleeping or at work.
Everyone knows that using energy-efficient appliances can help reduce your carbon footprint and save on utility bills, but not everyone can afford to buy new energy-efficient appliances. However, there are some things you can do that will help reduce your electric bill and be good for the environment. If you have a home computer (and who doesn't these days) then make sure you turn it off when you're not using it.
Don't leave lights on in rooms that no one is in and take a good look at all the appliances that you normally leave plugged in all the time. Do they have little LEDs or lights? You might consider unplugging them as these little lights do consume some energy even when the appliance is off.
Going green doesn't have to mean taking extravagant measures like converting your home to solar energy, or driving an electric powered car. Every little step counts, and you will find that these little steps lead to bigger steps and a less negative impact on the environment.
Here is a Living Green resource for you to check out:
THE LIVING SERIES: Eating Green - Organic Foods and Cooking
Amazon Price: $3.99 (as of 06/02/2012)
Chapter 8: Chicken Curry
Ingredients:
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp (25 ml) mild curry paste (reduce to 1 tsp if you like it mild).
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5 ml) ground coriander seed
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin
2 lb (1 kg) boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in 2 inch (5 cm) pieces
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
2 cups (500 ml) chopped apple
1 cup (250 ml) water
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
2 cups (500 ml) baby spinach
1 cup (250 ml) organic currants (optional sweetness)
2 tbsp (25 ml) chopped coriander garnish
Add Celtic sea salt to taste
Directions:
1.
Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a wok or skillet, and sauté the onions slowly until softened and browned on the edges, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic. You will need to sauté for 5 minutes longer.
2.
Stir in the curry paste, cinnamon, coriander and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and sauté for about 4 minutes or until coated with the spices and slightly brown. Season to taste and remove the chicken to a bowl.
3.
Add the coconut milk, apples and water to the wok, scraping up any bits at the bottom of the pan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until apples soften.
4.
Return chicken and simmer, uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, spinach and raisins. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or lemon juice as needed. Garnish with coriander.
Note: This is classic and delicious. For those short on time consider investing in a slow cooker (crockpot). Use the water called for in regular recipe but add the coconut milk right at the end before you serve it.
Eco Friendly Lighting Tips
When it comes to saving the planet and saving some money on your energy bill, lighting can play a key role.Lighting can account for about 30% of your energy bill, so changing your lights to more energy efficient options can save you quite a bit. Not to mention the positive impact on the environment. Here are some tips for more energy efficient lighting:
The first thing you should do is switch to compact fluorescent lighting (CFL). That's those swirly lights that have a whiter glow to them than the incandescent lights.
While these might cost a bit more than the regular incandescent lights, they use only about 25% of the electricity so they can have a big impact on your lighting bill. They last a lot longer than regular bulbs too so you won't have to replace them as often.
LED light bulbs are a newcomer to the energy efficient lighting market and have a few advantages over CFL's.
They have a brighter light and don't take time to "warm up" and reach their full lighting. They also cost less to run and last even longer than CFL's reducing your energy usage by 80-90% and lasting over 100,000 hours.
When it comes to lighting outside the home, the energy conscientious consumer might want to consider solar lighting. Lights for walkways, driveways and outside the front door can collect energy from the sun during the day and use it to power their lights during the night. A great way to light up your home without using any energy at all.
In addition to using more efficient light bulbs, there are some things you can do to help reduce the amount of energy you use for lighting. First of all, you want to be sure that you don't use lights unnecessarily.
When no one is home or when a room is empty, be sure to turn the lights off. During the daytime, open the blinds and let the sunshine in instead of using indoor lighting. Using motion sensors can help to insure lights turn on only when needed.
When it comes to lighting, you need to have the right amount for the tasks you intend to do. While you don't want to skimp or have poor lighting in important areas like the kitchen, you also want to be cognizant of when to use the lights and when to flip the switch.
Remember reducing your use of electricity helps to reduce CO2 emissions into the air since the plants that produce electricity are largely coal burning plants which can add to global warming. A little bit of prudence on your part can make a big difference in the stability of our environment.
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Greener Cleaning
Everyone wants a clean and fresh smelling home, but if you've been using commercial cleaners and air fresheners, you might have a home full of toxins!In fact, the EPA says that the levels of pollutants in the home can be up to 100 times higher than the outside air. This pollution can come from gasses given off by anything from your carpeting to your kitchen cabinets to your cleaning products.
Walk into any grocery store and you will see a myriad of cleaners - there's so many it might even be hard to choose. Most of them are loaded with harmful chemicals, but there are many now that bear the words "natural" on the label. However, one should not be fooled by that one little word - many of these cleaners are anything but natural and there are no standards or regulation for using this word on product labels.
If you really want to go green with your cleaning, there are plenty of natural things you can use. Tea tree oil is a great natural cleaner for mold and mildew, baking soda makes a wonderful abrasive cleaner and white vinegar is a great all around cleaner that will shine your windows and mirrors like nobodies business. In addition to the health benefits of no toxic cleaning, using these substances is also much less costly than most store bought cleaners.
For scrubbing surfaces like bathtubs, sinks and even counters use a mixture of baking soda and liquid detergent combined to make a paste. Put the paste on a sponge and scrub away. You can also mix baking soda with a little water if you prefer.
For cleaning glass surfaces, there is nothing like vinegar. Mix 3 tablespoons with 2 cups of water and just a dab of liquid detergent. Put it in a spray bottle and shake it up, then just spray on and wipe off as you would any cleaner.
When it comes to moldy areas, bathroom tile and even cutting boards, you can use straight vinegar sprayed on the area and let to sit for as long as you want (even overnight). The vinegar will work to clean and sanitize as well as deodorize. If you have a mold problem, combine 2 teaspoons tea tree oil with 1 cup of water and spray directly on the area without wiping off - it works wonders!
You can even use natural ingredients as an effective furniture polish and olive oil works wonders for this task. Mix ½ teaspoon with ¼ cup lemon juice - dab onto a rag and wipe over the wood. This mixture can be stored in a tightly closed glass jar for quite some time.
When it comes to deodorizers for the home, those store bought sprays are harmful both environmentally and health wise. Your much better off to open the windows and let the fresh air in. If that's not enough then you can always put out bowls of dried flowers or herbs, use an open box of baking soda to absorb odors or place some cedar blocks strategically around the house.
There's no reason why you can't clean everything in your home using natural ingredients, so throw out all those chemical cleaner bottles and arm yourself with some baking soda, vinegar and tea tree oil not only will your house be less toxic but you'll save on your next grocery bill too!
Here are some Living Green Bargains to check out
Home Energy Conservation
Making Your Home Energy Conservation Successful
Every year, interest rates are increasing and the cost of heating is definitely going up.And whether we admit it or not, we sometimes find our selves running out of money.
However, if you compare an average house to an energy efficient residence, you'll find out that it is very possible to lessen your annual energy consumption to almost 40 percent.
There are lots of ways to conserve home energy which consequently lower your energy bills. And most of the changes that you can do for your home are also helpful to the environment.
Here are some ways to conserve energy in your home:
Heating and Air Conditioning
1. If you're going out of an air conditioned room for a long time, be sure to turn off the A/C unit.
2. Rooms that are not used often should have sealed vent.
3. You can also install ceiling fans that are remote controlled than have a built-in heater.
4. When the room is occupied, put the thermostat in a comfortable setting.
5. When the fireplace isn't used, close the damper in the fireplace
Laundry Appliances
1. Avoid using your washing machine in partial loads. It is better if you meet the capacity of the machine.
2. Dirty clothes must be pre-soaked for hours. This will prevent you from running your machine twice.
3. For the garments that aren't very dirty, put small quantity of detergent and put your machine to a lighter wash setting.
4. Electric drier consumes more energy in drying clothes so better apply the conventional way of drying your garments.
5. Ironing clothes should be done at one time and during off-peak hours
Refrigerators and Freezers
1. Refrigerators and freezers must be defrosted regularly. Frost build-up can increase the load of the compressor motor.
2. Inspect your refrigerator and look for a leaking gasket.
3. Avoid constant opening and closing of the refrigerator's door because it can contribute to ice or frost build-up.
Kitchen Appliances
1. Don't boil water in an open pan. A pan that's covered will boil the water faster.
2. Keep the burners, range top and reflectors clean. It can help generate more heat and consume less energy.
3. When the food you're cooking starts to boil, turn the electric stove to low mode.
4. Don't put smaller pans or pots in small burners or heating elements.
Lighting
1. Switch off unused lights as well as other appliance that use electricity.
2. Utilize low wattage yet efficient lamps.
3. Replace your incandescent bulb with fluorescent lamp.
Those are just handful of tips to lower your energy bills. There are many other factors which can also guide you in conserving your home energy.
Remember that the two great factors which you can change in order to enhance your quality of life are your lifestyle and your home.
If you want to modernize your home, you have to make significant decisions regarding your household appliances. In today's world, we are faced with a wide range of appliance styles, sizes, configurations and technologies.
Evaluating your household appliances can help a lot in your aim to save home energy. The following are the factors that can help you compare and assess your home appliances:
Energy Efficiency.
It is always good to carefully weigh up the energy efficiency of the appliances in your home. In some household devices, you are left with a choice between electricity and natural gas as the source of power.
The energy efficiency can also be based on the materials the machine or appliance is made of. Various materials can be cooled and heated at different rates.
Size.
Having an appliance with the right size is significant. Speed also comes into play. Generally, the faster an appliance finishes its task, the less time it uses energy.
Features.
Assess first the features of an appliance before purchasing it and think carefully how these features can improve your lifestyle.
Another advisable tip is to come up with a home energy conservation plan. There are various approaches which you can use in developing such plan and these include:
· Identification of the places where home energy is used inefficiently or lost
· Prioritizing the said areas and finding out how much energy is being wasted
· Correcting the said problems systematically depending on your home energy improvement budget
As you come up with your home energy conservation preparation, you should first identify the problem vicinities. It is good to start in the area where higher amount of energy is used because that area can also be the best place to gain potential savings.
With the abovementioned home energy conservation tips, you can free up more bucks without increasing your income.
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totalhealth May 22, 2009 @ 4:09 pm | delete
- excellent tips. Simple yet effective way to live the "green" way.
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