I've seen lots of ideas on how to conserve energy, which saves you money. Everything from buying water-saving nozzles to windows that redirect heat.
What I am going to hopefully explain in this post is how much energy you can waste by just having things plugged in. Those little red lights that show that the appliance is on do burn energy. The most common villans of energy wasting are anything with an external energy pack, anything that uses a remote, or anything that has a running clock(vcr). But just how much is wasted though?
Its believed that most modern appliances use about 15 to 30 watts while not in use, just by being plugged in. This adds up to an extra $10-30 used throughout the life of an appliance. That's PER APPLIANCE.
According to the Canadian Government, it averages out to be about 5-10% of your monthly hydro bill. So if your monthly bill is, lets say, $100, that means you could be wasting $10 each month on unused appliances. It adds to up a good 2 meals out on the town each year!
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Monday, October 1, 2007
Eco-Friendly Lamps Win at Top Drawer Autumn Awards
This past week at the Top Drawer Autumn Awards in England, top designers from all over the world showed their latest designs in food products, interior design and more. Among the awards was the one for Best Eco Product, going to lighting and homewares designer Ulrika Jarl, for her 'cell lights'.
The ceramic lamps give off a peach colored light. They are all created locally(in England), and use materials sourced locally and all waste bone china is reclaimed and reused. The lamps are supplied with energy-saving lightbulbs.
Although ceramic is not a material that is seen as environmental, Ulrika reports that the ceramic is only kiln fired once, and does not require a second firing for the glaze, which keeps the energy consumption to a minimum compared to most other types of ceramic.
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The ceramic lamps give off a peach colored light. They are all created locally(in England), and use materials sourced locally and all waste bone china is reclaimed and reused. The lamps are supplied with energy-saving lightbulbs.
Although ceramic is not a material that is seen as environmental, Ulrika reports that the ceramic is only kiln fired once, and does not require a second firing for the glaze, which keeps the energy consumption to a minimum compared to most other types of ceramic.
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Friday, September 28, 2007
TheFind.com Launches FindGreen
Product search engine TheFind.com has now launched its eco-friendly counterpart TheFindGreen.com. The website allows you to search through 300,000 products from over 1,200 stores, giving your environment-friendly shopping an online boost.
They also feature a list of 'Hot Searches' that give you a peek into organic and green products that you probably wouldn't have thought of before.
The search results page is a great feature too, allowing you to scale the target price up or down, to filter results into your price bracket. There is also a color feature that searches a product's colors.
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They also feature a list of 'Hot Searches' that give you a peek into organic and green products that you probably wouldn't have thought of before.
The search results page is a great feature too, allowing you to scale the target price up or down, to filter results into your price bracket. There is also a color feature that searches a product's colors.
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Thursday, September 27, 2007
Creative Ads: Singapore Environment Council
Heres a fun one from Asia. I like the message, and that its really original.
Tag line:
Atmospheric pollution affects everyone.
To find out what you can do to help the environment, visit www.sec.org.com.sg
Creative Ads: Greenpeace
Tag line:
Ordinary bulbs are killing the environment.
Just one simple act on your part can stop the climate crisis: switch to Compact Fluorescent Lamps. Find out more at www.banthebulb.in
Ordinary bulbs are killing the environment.
Just one simple act on your part can stop the climate crisis: switch to Compact Fluorescent Lamps. Find out more at www.banthebulb.in
Use Air Fresheners And You Could Die.
Did that title get your attention??
So the actual situation isn't as dire as it sounds. But its still pretty bad. A recent study by Natural Resources Defense Council found that 12 out of 14 popular air freshener products contained a chemical known to be harmful to the health of humans. Phthalates, known to cause reproductive problems and hormone disruption in humans, were found in virtually all air freshener brands, including several Walgreens-branded air fresheners that the popular retailer has now pulled off its shelves.
In a hopeful lapse of judgement, neither the FDA or the EPA test air fresheners for homes, meaning consumers could be exposed to unknown chemicals without warning.
Only two products tested by the NRDC -- Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects -- contained almost no detectable levels of phthalates, yet the twelve other products tested positive for the chemical even though some were labeled "unscented" and none of them listed phthalates as an ingredient.
This just raises the question as to how many lethal chemicals we are being subjected to each day in our own homes. Maybe its time that the government starts filtering new products? Or maybe we should start using nature's air fresheners instead of ones made in factories?
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So the actual situation isn't as dire as it sounds. But its still pretty bad. A recent study by Natural Resources Defense Council found that 12 out of 14 popular air freshener products contained a chemical known to be harmful to the health of humans. Phthalates, known to cause reproductive problems and hormone disruption in humans, were found in virtually all air freshener brands, including several Walgreens-branded air fresheners that the popular retailer has now pulled off its shelves.
In a hopeful lapse of judgement, neither the FDA or the EPA test air fresheners for homes, meaning consumers could be exposed to unknown chemicals without warning.
Only two products tested by the NRDC -- Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects -- contained almost no detectable levels of phthalates, yet the twelve other products tested positive for the chemical even though some were labeled "unscented" and none of them listed phthalates as an ingredient.
This just raises the question as to how many lethal chemicals we are being subjected to each day in our own homes. Maybe its time that the government starts filtering new products? Or maybe we should start using nature's air fresheners instead of ones made in factories?
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
PETA Ads Going Sexy
U.S. actress Maggie Quigley, who is better known as Maggie Q, is the focal point for P.E.T.A's newest print ads, promoting vegetarianism.
Check out peta.org for more info.
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Check out peta.org for more info.
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