You don’t have to be a fanatic to live green

Eco-responsible lifestyle recommendations are the main topic of many publications and web pages created in the last years. Though being a Toronto realtor gives me plenty of occasions to talk about the many ways of eco-friendly living with my clients, my topic today will be a bit more specific. My aim today is not to cover the whole subject of environmentally conscious living, giving all the tips you’ve probably heard before. Today I would like to consider the three very common things which people from the industrialized countries usually take for granted: food, water and electricity.

Groceries

Suppose that the majority of people are used to recycling part of their litter – at least paper, glass and metal, then we can say that most of the remaining household rubbish is comprised of food. The majority of the groceries that we throw away is in most cases in flawless condition and in some cases even in the original wrapper or box. The sad reality is that on average most families in Canada throw away 20 to 30% of food bought in shops. If we include all the food that is thrown out in stores and restaurants, we come to the conclusion that some 7 to 14 billion tons of groceries is thrown away every year. Speaking in money language, it means annual waste of $3 to 5 billion in Canadian dollars).

Now you are probably surprised by these societies directed at fighting hunger, and on the other side so much food being wasted right at our homes and neighbourhoods. But wait before you start packing the groceries you are not going to eat and sending it to places full of hungry people. There are some other methods you might want to try instead of throwing the food away. 1. Do you have any food left from yesterday? Try to incorporate it into today’s lunch. For example you can stuff some peppers with some leftover rice. 2. In your larder or food cabinet, try to stick to a simple habit: the groceries closest to the expiration date is always stored in front of the fresher ones. 3. It may happen that you know beforehand that there is some food you are not going to be able to eat before its expiration date. Instead of throwing it away, try to find a local charity or soup kitchen and bring your food there when it’s still serviceable. Let some people eat it – hunger isn’t only to Africa. 4. Have you thought about mulching the leftovers instead of dumping them? Maybe you will oppose that you don’t own a garden. But your neighbour might own one and may be able to help you to get rid of your leftovers.

Water

There are plenty of ways to avoid wasting water and you can probably name most of them yourself. One problem that comes to me when thinking about sensible water usage is the way we handle human waste: toilets. We got used to using toilets so much that we no more think of them – as long as they operate the way the are supposed to. But try to calculate the amount of water your household uses every month just for flushing the toilet. Big number, isn’t it? But it doesn’t have to be that much, there are some methods of reducing the amount of water necessary for every flushing. Basically, we can mention two useful recommendations: 1. Substitute your old toilet by a new type that has been designed to use as little water as possible. Just check out your local store – you might be amazed what choices regarding toilets there are today! 2. Another way of decreasing the amount of water for flushing is to place some plastic bottles filled with water into the tank of your toilet. Keep testing to find how little water is enough for the toilet to work properly.

Electric current

Here the situation is similar to the one with water and wasting it – there are a lot of tips on how to save electric energy to be found in books, magazines and on the Internet. But one of the machines that needs vast amounts of energy is one that you might be using daily: a tumble dryer. We got used to having anything we like or need immediately, that we no longer care how much superfluous resources are wasted just because we don’t want to wait. It’s a fact that no one has time today to wash clothes by hands and dishwashers actually save water. But tumble dryer? Would it be such a great obstacle if we just waited 1 – 2 days for our laundry to get dry? If you really want to “live green”, use your tumble dryer only in crisis situations or get rid of it (sell it) completely. In addition to the environment, you will save some money on your electricity bills as well.

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3 Types of Roof Gardens

Aesthetically pleasing, roof gardens are functional as well. In addition to growing food, roof gardens can also provide temperature control, hydrological benefits and architectural enhancements. In some instances they can even be wildlife habitats. There are a number of advantages when you plant a roof garden. On a hot day, for instance, the garden can cool the room beneath it. In the winter it can provide insulation from the cold. Water is retained from evaporating in Germany because roof gardens are required there. It will prevent flash floods from occurring. Three basic types of roof gardens exist. The primary differences are related to the depth of the soil, the type of plants the roof will support, and the required maintenance.

Extensive Roof Garden

Due to the shallow soil, this type of roof garden is easiest to maintain. Because they are lightweight, extensive roof gardens work wonderfully on top of garages, sheds and other small home extensions. Although it’s easy to maintain this type of roof garden, it has the least aesthetic value, and the number of plants that can grow on it is quite limited. Lichens and mosses are prime examples of plants that thrive in an extensive roof garden. Surfaces like metal, glass and plastic are ideal places for lichens, which are symbiotic organisms, to colonize. Mosses, which are small small green plants, do not depend on large amounts of nutrients for survival. Known for clinging to stones and walls, these plants can live off of nothing more than rainwater.

Semi-Extensive Roof Garden

These roof gardens, which have deeper soil, are capable of supporting a greater variety of plants. These types, therefore, are more easily decorated than extensive roof gardens. Stronger structures are needed to support semi-extensive roof gardens due to their having heavier soil. A good plant choice for this type of garden is sedums, which can store water in their tissues. That means you won’t need to go out and water them every day – but during times of drought, they could die and turn patchy if not properly cared for. Wildflowers that don’t need any maintenance are also ideal for semi-extensive roof gardens.

Intensive Roof Garden

This type of roof garden can support trees and elaborate arrangements. Intensive roof gardens require large, strong structures to support them. Concrete buildings and on top of roof decks are the most common places for intensive roof gardens to be installed since most single-home dwellings prove unsuitable for such projects. Assuming the structure of the building can support the weight, there is no limit to what you can plant in an intensive roof garden.

About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn to live more eco-friendly lives. Find out more about green living at her blog on Green and Environmentally Friendly Gadgets.

This article was originally posted at Three Roof Garden Variations.

Simple Instructions To Build A Windmill For Everyday Use

With oil prices moving higher and higher, power costs tend to follow the same trend. Given that our daily life relies very much on the consumption of electricity, getting your power from alternative sources is an attractive option.

The sun, water, and even wind are viable sources of energy. What’s more, they are renewable sources of energy as they are continuously present in our environment. More and more people now want to set-up their own windmill at their homes. With the many instructions to build a windmill available out there, it is up to you to find the one that is easy to understand.

Here are some helpful instructions to build a windmill:

Basically, there are several distinct types of windmills, based on the direction their blades spin:

1. The Horizontal upwind, where the wind hits the blade before the tower and the shaft stands horizontally;

2. The Horizontal downwind where the wind hits the tower prior to the blade; and

3. The Vertical Axis, mounted on short towers and its blades are pointing upwards.

Essentially, a windmill has four componants that must be given extra attention:

- base
- tower
- blades
- nacelle

In constructing this structure, the main objective is to maximize the conversion of the wind’s energy into electricity. Therefore, it should be tall enough to take advantage of the wind’s action in obstructed terrains – an average tower usually stands at 5 feet.

The base must be strong and heavy compared with other parts, to assure a sturdy structure because it is the principal foundation. It is advisable to use materials like sandbags or concrete, and in the case of a five-foot windmill, the base must be at least 18 inches square thick and 20 pounds heavy.

The tower supports the blade in capturing wind energy. There are many approaches when constructing it. You can either use guyed lattice or steel and pipe tubings or make them using a jin pole or crane.

The nacelle attaches the blade to the tower and contains copper wires and magnets that run the blade and help convert the wind’s energy to electricity.

The blade is the propeller used to capture the wind’s energy, so it is necessary that the blades are able to gather the flow of the wind easily, turning with the least potential resistance.

Materials to be used for these parts must be lightweight, so you can make them from plastic or PVC pipes. Note that in strong winds and storms, the blades can pose a danger if separated from the structure, so be sure to lock in the blades tightly, keeping safety precautions in mind.

Considering that a simple windmill could cost at least $40,000, constructing one for personal use can be quite expensive, but utilizing what is around you can help you save some expenses.

It is thus recommended to recycle parts in order to cut your expenses. Following these simple instructions to build a windmill will enable you to create one from scratch.

Windmills are just the beginning. To learn more about solar and wind power, go to Solar and Wind Power For Residential Homes or if you are looking for a simple way of building your own residential wind generator, see our Energy4Green Review.

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Green Clean in Your Own Home Environment

Green Cleaning

Ditch your usual cleaning products in favor of a ‘greener’ solution and you’ll not only save the environment, you also save money! Green cleaning products are made from natural ingredients and many of them work just as well as the store bought cleaners, if not better. With these cleaners you won’t have to worry about dangers of skin contact and your kids will be safe. Plus you’ll have a few more pennies in your pocket!

Lemons and oranges are excellent cleaning tools. Limes can be also be used if you find them cheap enough. The power is in the citric acid. It is even a great way to clean grease. Mixed with water, lemon and orange juice is strong enough to clean yet gentle enough not to hurt most surfaces.

Make a room deodorizer by mixing 5 parts water and 1 part fresh orange juice in a spray bottle. This will get rid of smoke, cooking, pet and other nasty odors.

Want a great way to clean your microwave? Mix 4 parts water with 1 part lemon juice. Microwave in a microwave safe cup or bowl for 2 minutes. Let it stand for a few minutes you will find that all of the grease and splatters are easily wiped away.

Vinegar can safely be mixed with lemon juice to provide some very strong cleanser, while both are completely save for the environment.

Use baking soda and vinegar mixed together to clean up pet and other stains as well as mold and mildew. Most of your tough cleaning jobs can be made much easier by using a baking soda/vinegar cleaner.

Run a cycle on your coffee maker with little vinegar and a full pot of water. After the coffee maker has run the cycle, toss out the vinegar water and run one more cycle with just water. If you smell vinegar after this cycle, do another cycle with just water and don’t use as much vinegar next time. This will clean out the plumbing of the coffee maker.

Vinegar is also a great grease cutter. Try it the next time you have to clean a greasy stove.

Remove brown stains stove by soaking a rag in vinegar. Cover the stains with soaked cloth for 10 to 15 minutes and the stains will just wipe away.

Use rags when you are cleaning rather than disposables like paper towels whenever possible. Rags can be thoroughly cleaned in the washing machine and reduce your grocery bill. Try to wean yourself off of disposables as much as possible. If you do have to use paper towels, purchase recycled paper towels to reduce your carbon footprint. If you are using paper towels be sure put them out with the other paper waste if you have a recycling collection or take them to a recycle point. The paper can be recycled and is biodegradable if it makes it’s way into landfill.

These cleaning tips, if combined with using alternative energy can help drastically reduce your families carbon footprint.

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