21 Energy Saving Tips

Power plugHome appliances & electronics are responsible for 20% of your energy bills. Learn simple ways to save energy and money while using them.  Read More >>

37 Heating & Cooling Tips

FanHeating and cooling account for about 56% of the energy use in a typical U.S. home. This makes them the biggest opportunity for saving money on your energy bill. Read More >>

25 Ways To Save Water

Water DripWater heating can account for 14%–25% of the energy consumed in your home. You can reduce your monthly water and energy bills with these simple tips. Read More >>

Beware the Snackwell Effect

Posted May 10, 2009 - 10:01pm by Brian Rish

Cookies and milkA recent study reported on in USA Today, cautions consumers against falling victim to the Snackwell Effect when switching to energy efficient products and appliances. Just because something is more energy efficient, it doesn’t mean you should start using it more. If you’ve ever devoured a whole box of Fat Free Cookies in one sitting, you know exactly what I’m talking about. 

According to the study, just like dieters tend to use low-calorie foods as an excuse to over indulge, people who buy energy efficient products tend sabotage their energy savings by actually using the product more than they did before it was replaced with the efficient version.

Lights will be left on longer, more cloths will be washed, thermostats will be turned warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer—all because they are now more energy efficient. Read more >>

Willy Wonka and Bugs Bunny would love this car

Posted May 5, 2009 - 6:26pm by Brian Rish

Formula 3 RacecarToday, researchers at the University of Warwick (that’s in the UK) unveiled the “WorldFirst Formula 3 racing car.” A racecar that runs on chocolate and is made of biodegradable materials like carrots and potatoes!

This Formula 3 vehicle is definitely one of a kind, and was built to show it is possible to develop a fast, efficient, environmentally friendly car.

Dr. Kerry Kirwan from the research team describes the car in detail. “Components made from plants form the mainstay of the car’s make up, including a race specification steering wheel derived from carrots and other root vegetables, a flax fibre and soybean oil foam racing seat, a woven flax fibre bib, plant oil based lubricants and a biodiesel engine configured to run on fuel derived from waste chocolate and vegetable oil. It also incorporates a radiator coated in a ground-breaking emission destroying catalyst.”

The team says the car can do 125mph around corners. Talk about fast food!

Here is some video of the racecar in action: Read more >>

Giant Cabbage Inspires Girl

Posted May 2, 2009 - 6:21pm by joannarish

Giant CabbageIf you are like me, it is painful to watch the news these days.  There is hardly any good news, just stories of killings, fires, and hard times. So it is refreshing to catch the end of NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams.  The “Making a Difference” segment recognizes people who are trying to help people who have been hurt in this struggling economy.   Recently, my big sis sent an email with a link to a story about Summerville, SC featured on The Nightly News. Since I grew up in Summerville, this story is extra special to my southern heart y’all.   Read more >>

Don’t shoot! Dandelions are your tasty friends

Posted April 30, 2009 - 6:04pm by Brian Rish

Field of DandelionsPlease step away from the pump-action trigger on that bottle of weed killer. Hey, what are you doing with a bottle of toxic weed killer anyway? Don’t you know that stuff does more harm than good? Instead of looking at those dandelions as noxious weeds that must be poisoned, pulled, or otherwise decimated, experience a paradigm shift and appreciate the dandelion for the delicious, medicinal puffs of sunshine they really are. Yes, you read that correctly—Delicious!

Up until very recently, dandelions sat on a pedestal.  Instead of being dead-set on their annihilation (like most of us are today), people actually cultivated them for food, medicine, beverage ingredients and dietary supplements.   Read more >>

Apple gets greener, and I don't mean Granny Smith

Posted April 24, 2009 - 6:50pm by joannarish

Green AppleHey y’all!  Did you know an apple a day keeps the doctor away?  Well now Apple Inc. is trying to keep the pollution monster away too.  The rumor is that Apple has teamed up with LG to make their 15-inch MacBooks with super thin OLED displays.  According to an insider, these displays should show up in a few months.

These rumors come from a deal that was made between LG and Apple last year.  LG signed a $500m deal with Apple to supply them with certain types of displays through 2013.  Why are these displays so special you might ask? These new displays will be made with an OLED (organic light emitting diode) screen.

Want to know what an OLED is (I did)?  What better place to find the answer than Wikipedia! So here is what is says: Read more >>