EcoMinutes
April 2009 – It's Spring
040109
It’s spring, and it’s time to get our homes ready for the warm weather.
If you don’t already have a programmable thermostat, invest in one, it
will lower your energy use and bills.
Set the air-conditioner thermostat at 78 degrees or higher for the most
energy-efficient operation. Install
shaded window film to block extra sunlight and reduce air conditioning costs.
Some states have tax incentives for you to do this. Some films are
permanent so you might not wish to install them if you want to get sun in your
home during the winter. Keep drapes closed or add room-darkening shades to block
out the heat from the sun – white ones will reflect back the heat.
You can shade the windows on the sunny side of your home by planting
deciduous trees; the leaves screen the windows in summer and let the sun shine
through in winter.
040209
When you get ready to spruce up your house, be careful what you use and how you
dispose of it. Painting is a great
way to change the look of a room.
Be sure to use water-based or
vegetable-based paints, stains, and varnishes. Don't wash paint thinners,
household cleaners, oil, or pesticides down the drain or pour them on the
ground; use them up, give leftovers to friends or a charity, or dispose of them
responsibly as household hazardous waste at one of the area landfills or at the
regional roundup or amnesty day.
New furniture and carpets made from synthetic fibers can emit
"volatile organic compounds" which can produce headaches, fatigue, nausea, and
nasal congestion. Ask for your carpet to be aired out before it is delivered and
installed, and keep windows open and use fans to ventilate the room.
Cotton and wool rugs and carpets generally do not produce VOCs. Use
alternatives to standard adhesives which can also be a source of pollutants.
040309
Butterflies play a critical role in maintaining the health of our environment,
and they’re arriving in our area now. Butterflies help pollinate fruits, flowers and
vegetables; provide food for other animals; and enrich our lives with their
beauty. But more and more
butterflies are becoming endangered as their habitats are lost to development or
they’re killed by pesticides. Here's how you can help:
Grow plants butterfly caterpillars like to eat; native plants will
attract native butterflies.
Choose nectar-rich plants
from which butterflies can drink, such as buddleia, heliotrope, milkweed, mint,
verbena, and zinnias. If your yard
doesn't provide enough dense foliage to allow butterflies to hibernate and nest,
build them a butterfly house.
Put out some water.
A shallow dish or birdbath will provide the moisture butterflies need to
thrive.
040609
Getting ready to spruce up your home?
Check your windows.
Installing, high-performance windows will improve your home's energy efficiency.
While it may take many years for new windows to pay off in energy savings, the
benefits of added comfort and improved aesthetics and functionality may make the
investment worth it to you and there might also be tax incentives. Many window
technologies are available that are worth considering.
Efficient windows with two or more panes of glass, improved framing
materials, and low-e coating(s), will help keep heat inside during the winter
and outside during the summer. Can’t
manage new windows, consider adding storm windows.
But be sure you have adequate weather-stripping and caulking - a small
leak around windows,
electrical
receptacles and pipe and wire entry points
is the same as keeping your window open and will make your air
conditioner work harder and longer and waste energy and money.
040709
With warmer weather coming, small changes can make a big difference.
Replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents.
Regular incandescent
light bulbs are inefficient, with 90% of their energy going to generate heat not
light. Compact fluorescent bulbs cost more per bulb but are far more efficient
and last up to ten times longer. Over the life of one CFL, you can avoid
replacing up to 13 incandescent bulbs and use 75% less energy!
Outside, use LEDs which use even less energy than CFLs.
Use lighting controls, occupancy
sensors activate lights when you enter a room and turn them off after you
leave, photocells turn lights on and off in response to natural light levels.
Lower your water heater to 120 degrees or less and wrap your heater in a
blanket to keep in the heat. Be sure
to check your home for water leaks -
a leak in a hot water faucet will waste both water and the energy to heat that
water.
040809
Birds are welcome harbingers of spring.
Birds add beauty to our surroundings and provide natural insect control. To make
your home an inviting sanctuary for birds, create places for them to nest, feed,
drink, and wash. If you don’t have
suitable natural nesting habitats such as old trees, build or buy a birdhouse
and install it out of reach of cats, squirrels, and other predators. Commercial
bird feeders are available, but you can also make feeders out of plastic bottles
or milk cartons that can be hung from safe places. If you prefer to grow your
bird food, consider planting native wildflowers, shrubs, and sunflowers.
Birds are most comfortable with a
rough-surfaced source of water about 2 feet wide, no more than 2 inches deep. A
shallow dish or gently-sloping bowl placed right on the ground will do, as will
a plastic or terra cotta plant dish or even an inverted metal trash lid. Put the
bath out in the open, not close to shrubs or places where cats can hide.
040909
Doing a little maintenance to get ready for summer?
Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but be sure you
don’t block the airflow. A unit
operating in the shade uses less electricity than the same one operating in the
sun. Be sure to keep the outside
portion of a central air conditioner clear from dried mud, debris and grass
clippings. Check again after it rains. Mud can splatter onto the unit and block
the air after it dries. Indoors, be
sure your vents are not blocked by furniture or drapes.
Clean or replace filters once a month or as needed.
Make sure the attic is adequately insulated and properly ventilated to
relieve summer heat. Install a
radiant barrier on the underside of your roof to reflect heat.
Check your weather stripping and insulation and
caulk around windows and doors.
Check your dryer's outside vent. Make sure it is clean and closes properly,
or it could allow hot air into your house.
041009
Check your car to be sure it is ready for summer driving.
Adequately preparing
your car before the weather warms up keep you safe, help prevent costly repairs
and save energy. Rotate your tires.
Be sure to check your
brakes. Warning signs include excessive
grinding, squealing, screeching or chatter.
Check wiper blades, your wipers work hard over the winter months, replace
them in the spring before a shower makes it difficult to see.
Change your oil and give some thought to the kind of motor oil you have
in your engine. Fully synthetic oils, are specifically designed to protect your
engine in hot weather, while optimizing your engine’s efficiency and reducing
oil consumption.
Check all fluids-In the winter months, fluids are easily
depleted as your engine works harder in the colder weather. Make sure to check,
top off or replace all fluids, including brake, transmission, coolant, power
steering and windshield washer fluid and examine belts and hoses for wear or
deterioration.
041309
The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970.
Senator Gaylord Nelson hoped to make the public more aware of environmental issues
and he organized the first Earth Day modeled after the anti-Viet Nam war
teach-ins common on college campuses.
It was wildly popular and
twenty million people participated.
The
American people finally had a forum to express its
concerns about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air.
Earth Day worked because of
the spontaneous response of the people.
By the sheer force of its
collective action on that one day, the American public forever changed the
political landscape respecting environmental issues.
This year, Earth Day will be celebrated in Pensacola on April 18, from
10am until 5 pm at Bayview Park and there will be an environmental symposium at
the University of West Florida in the Commons Auditorium on April 22 from 4 to 6
pm.
041409
500 million people in 180 countries will participate in Earth Day events during
the month of April. After Christmas and
Halloween, Earth Day is the third most activity inspiring holiday in most
schools. Earth friendly activities are great ways to help build environmental
awareness in your classroom, your family or your business. Some ideas are to
decorate with recycled decorations; cook a completely organic meal; replace
incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
If you own a business, make reusable shopping bags and coupons for energy
saving products available to customers.
And don’t forget to go to an Earth Day event.
This year, Earth
Day will be celebrated in Pensacola on April 18, from 10am until 5 pm at Bayview
Park and there will be an environmental symposium at the University of West
Florida in the Commons Auditorium on April 22 from 4 to 6 pm.
041509
The first Earth day took seven years to plan.
On
April 22, 1970, 20 million people, 2,000 colleges and universities, 10,000
grammar and high schools and 1,000 communities mobilized for the first
nationwide demonstrations on environmental problems. Congress adjourned for the
day so members could attend Earth Day events in their districts. The response
was nothing short of remarkable, and the modern American environmental movement
took off. Now, it’s estimated that
more than 500 million people and 4500 organizations in 180 countries will
participate in Earth Day events.
This year, Earth Day will be celebrated in Pensacola on April 18, from 10am
until 5 pm at Bayview Park and there will be an environmental symposium at the
University of West Florida in the Commons Auditorium on April 22 from 4 to 6 pm.
041609
To celebrate Earth Day,
rather than throw away; create.
Turn something old into something new: turn cereal boxes into
magazine holders; create a spring flower pot with your child by decorating with
buttons or stickers; use children’s drawings or wallpaper and cardboard to
create bookmarks; sew old remnants of the shirts you want to keep into a quilt
or blanket; use old CD’s on the bottom of wind chimes.
Using items you have around their house to create homemade crafts can
save money and resources, get the imagination and creativity flowing, and give
you an excuse to spend some time with a child.
This year, Earth Day will be celebrated in
Pensacola on April 18, from 10am until 5 pm at Bayview Park and there will be an
environmental symposium at the University of West Florida in the Commons
Auditorium on April 22 from 4 to 6 pm.
041709
Come out and celebrate Earth Day with us. At the Pensacola Earth day festival
there will be food, music, vendors of all sorts and educational information on
just about any environmental issue you can think of with more than 50
environmental organizations represented. It will take place at Bayview Park on
Saturday, April 18th, from 10am until 5pm.
Don’t forget to bring your disposable plastic bags to exchange for a
reusable bag. Then, in the spirit of the first Earth Day, on Wednesday April
22nd there will be an environmental symposium about global warming in the
University of West Florida commons auditorium from 4-6 pm.
Scientists, journalists, activists, and
regulators will be represented on a panel discussion with a town hall meeting to
follow. Bring your questions, expertise,
and willingness to learn. Both events are
free and open to the public.
042009
Thinking about spring cleaning? Don't forget the environment. This is the eco
minute and I’m HS. As you clean this Spring, choosing methods that release
few if any toxins in the air and water is better for the environment and
everyone in it. Use products that are non-toxic, biodegradable, made from
renewable resources and phosphate and petroleum-free. No products are
completely safe, so while cleaning with any substance keep fresh air circulating
throughout the area. If you have leftover materials to discard, a
household hazardous waste collection center is the best place to dispose of
them. The area landfills collect household hazardous waste, or you can
bring them to the amnesty days or recycling roundups. This method helps protect
Florida’s water bodies, aquatic life and drinking water as well. For more
information, go to WUWF.org and look for the EcoMinute under the news/now link.
042109
Spring cleaning? Some of the best cleaners have been around for a long time. This is the eco minute and I’m HS. A dry cloth and baby oil will shine your faucet handles. Sprinkle baking soda on your carpet, let it sit and then vacuum it up. For stains combine vinegar and water in a spray bottle, or even use shaving cream, spray the stained area, then scrub with a sponge. As a furniture cleaner, mix the juice from half a lemon with one quarter cup vegetable or olive oil, dab the mixture onto a cloth and rub directly onto the wood. To clean your toilet pour one cup of vinegar in the bowl with one quarter cup baking soda, let it sit for a half hour, then scrub. To rid mildew combine vinegar and lemon juice in a spray bottle with a pinch of salt, and let the mixture sit on the mildewed surface. For mold, mix one cup of hydrogen peroxide to three cups of water and apply to surface with a spray bottle. So next time that its time to clean, try one of these natural solutions. For more information go to WUWF.org.
042209
Spring cleaning shouldn’t be hazardous to the environment. This is the eco
minute and I’m HS. Some of the greenest cleaners are the ones you make yourself.
To clean your drain, pour a half-cup of baking soda down the sink add a cup of
vinegar; cover and wait a few minutes, then pour a mixture of boiling water and
salt. As a window cleaner, mix two ounces of vinegar with a quart of
water in a spray bottle. To polish silver, put a sheet of aluminum foil
into a plastic or glass bowl; sprinkle the foil with salt and baking soda and
fill the bowl with warm water; soak your silver in the bowl and tarnish migrates
to the foil; dry and buff. For a
brass cleaner cut a lemon in half, sprinkle it with salt and rub the lemon on
the metal; buff with a cloth. Use vinegar to remove rust on nuts and bolts
and other mineral deposits such as calcium deposits. These homemade cleaners
might be a bit different, but they are safer for the environment and for the
ones that have to live in it. For more information go to WUWF.org
042309
Think of the environment when you’re doing laundry. This is the eco minute
and I’m HS. Lower your water heater to 120 degrees, it works for most household
needs and cuts energy use. Choose cold or warm water over hot - heating the
water for laundry consumes 90 percent of energy in the laundry process. It
takes less energy to do one big load than two smaller ones. But do not overload
the machine or nothing will get clean. Reduce ironing time by taking
clothes out when they are slightly damp and hanging them up, or remove as soon
as they are dry. Even better, avoid the dryer and hang your clothes on a
line. No line or bad weather? Buy an expandable shower curtain rod
and put it in the shower. If you are in the market for a new washer- the newer,
most-efficient washers use four times less energy today and save up to $70 a
year in energy costs. If every U.S. household used the most-efficient washers,
it could save the equivalent of up to 40 million barrels of oil a year. For more
information go to WUWF.org.
042409
One of the best smells of spring is fresh air flowing through the windows of
your house. This is the eco minute and I’m HS. Use your ceiling fans to
circulate the air. Install air filters, purifiers and other air cleaning
devices. Many indoor plants absorb air pollutants through their leaves and roots
and convert them into fresh breathable air. Within 24 hours, some plants can
remove up to 87 percent of toxins.
Using of fans can prevent water condensation. Interior rooms such as the
kitchen, bathroom and laundry rooms especially need circulating air.
It is difficult to completely rid carpets of water damage that can
ultimately create mold and bacteria. If you run into having to replace your
carpets try not to use synthetic fibers – use cotton and wool fibers in your
carpets and rugs. For more information go to WUWF.org.
042709
Save money and energy with Gulf Power’s EarthCents Programs… This is the
EcoMinute and I’m Jeff Rogers from Gulf Power. EarthCents is a menu of energy
efficiency programs for new and existing homes and businesses. EarthCents
programs can help you reduce your electricity bill and protect the environment.
It can also help delay the need to build new power plants.
042809
Save money and energy with Gulf Power’s EarthCents Programs… This is the
EcoMinute and I’m Jeff Rogers from Gulf Power.
EarthCents is a menu of energy efficiency programs for new and existing
homes and businesses. EarthCents programs can help you reduce your electricity
bill and protect the environment. It can also help delay the need to build new
power plants.
042909
EarthCents is a menu of energy efficiency programs for new and existing homes
and businesses. This is the EcoMinute and I’m Jeff Rogers from Gulf Power.
EarthCents programs can help you reduce your electricity bill, protect
the environment and help delay the need to build new power plants.
Geothermal heating and cooling takes advantage of the Earth’s constant
temperature — a renewable energy source — and can save as much as 40 percent on
energy costs. Install a geothermal system and you can receive a $400 per ton
rebate from Gulf Power and reduce CO2 by 6,313 pounds per year.
Solar Thermal Water Heating lets you heat your water using the power of
the sun. You can receive a $1,000 rebate from Gulf Power when a qualified
contractor installs a system. You also may be eligible for an additional $500
rebate from the State of Florida, as well as a 30 percent Federal Tax Credit.
And here’s the great part…you can save up to 75 percent on your annual water
heating cost and reduce CO2 by 5,776 pounds per year.
For more information visit gulfpower.com or wuwf.org
043009
When fixing your landscape, think of the environment.
This is the EcoMinute and I’m Cathleen Del Rosario from the Escambia HS
Environmental Club. Planting hedges
and rain gardens keep pollutants from running off into nearby streams. Rain
gardens consist of plants such as ferns, swamp milkweed, and cardinal flowers
that capture runoff and lets it seep slowly into the ground.
By planting these types of plants, you’re reducing runoff pollution. When
you have time, try sweeping up the sidewalk and driveway rather than hosing it
off. This prevents debris from washing into storm drains and polluting surface
water. In addition, wash your car on
your lawn where the dirty, soapy water will seep into the ground rather than
flowing into local streams and lakes.
If you have a muddy spot, cover it up with mulch, plant grass over it, or
place a ground cover on top of it. This will keep rain from washing fine soil
particles and sediment into nearby lakes, suffocating fish.
For more information, go to WUWF.org.