Mahalo How To » Environment

Are you energy aware?

lil_lupie01 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:11:13 +0000

For years now federal agencies have been observing October as Energy Awareness Month. It was this year that President Obama declared October as National Energy Awareness Month. So, what does this mean? What are we supposed to do? That’s actually a really good question. Well, let me give an example of what NOT to do.

So the picture above is of my hubby’s desk at night at our old home. Everything glowing brightly, each component harmoniously humming as we would slumber, all night every night they sing their song and greedily suck every ounce of electricity they can. No, the computer does not get shut down for weeks even months at a time. Neither do any of the extra components and doodads that are attached to the desk. Everything is plugged into power strips, as recommended to help reduce your electric bill and conserve energy, but they rarely get shut off. Chargers silently sit plugged into the wall lonely without their mates. Lights are left on even when the numerous large windows in our apartment are pouring daylight into the room.

I am not writing this in order to publicly pick on my husband, he does try. He uses public transportation instead of driving our gas guzzling SUV the mere 10 miles into NYC. He always makes sure we have a full load of dishes before using the dishwasher and that we air dry instead of using the heated dry. And there are many more ways that he helps but, as of right now, where his electronics are concerned he is not doing so hot. And when I was thinking about this subject, I thought about all of our efforts we take to try and save energy but, I was immediately distracted by the behemoth of a PC sitting 10 feet away from me humming in my ear. And I realized that no matter how much we talk about changing our habits and even take measures to make it easier it doesn’t make a difference until you put it into action. By taking simple steps like, using Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, taking shorter showers, unplugging appliances when not in use, and turning off lights when leaving a room we can not only reduce our energy costs but also help the environment. And it is these changes that will make difference in the world around us.

Here are a few more tips that will save money and energy. Now I think it’s time to shut down that computer.

How To Save Money and Energy at Home

Walking Where You Live

Sara — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:00:37 +0000

There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when choosing a place to live: prices, schools, commute to work, etc.Â The New York Times suggests also consulting Walk Score, a website that’ll show you how “walkable” a prospective location is. Walk Score assesses how many stores and services are near enough that you can walk to them, instead of driving; the more places you can reach on foot, the higher the score. Consulting it is a great way to know how tied to your car you’ll be in a new neighborhood.

All about composting

Sara — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 04:53:17 +0000

Composting is a great way to help the environment: you reduce your waste while producing fertilizer for your garden. I used to consider composting an option solely for people with backyards. However, composting can be done indoors- which means apartment dwellers can now join in the composting fun! Heck, even Martha Stewart has instructions on how to compost indoors. And if you don’t have a garden in which to use your compost, there’s probably a community garden near you that would appreciate the bounty!

Visit Mahalo for more tips on indoor composting.