Composting can be as simple or as complicated as you make it. From piling green and brown things in a corner of the yard

Compost bins need aeration, like this metal mesh enclosure. (Photo: Bureau of Environmental Services, Howard County, Md.)

to buying that perfect compost bin, you’ll generate the same end result.  Those of us who turn and nurture our piles can expect more compost in a faster time period, but regardless our gardens will benefit from a little or a lot.

There are a variety of containers and methods to composting. They include:

• Plastic bins/barrels.

• Wire mesh enclosures and loose piles.

• Worm composters.

• Indoor composters, even motorized filter composters.

Gardening experts lean toward the simpler methods of piles and outdoor enclosures. Closed systems require more turning because there isn’t as much air and water.

The enclosures and bins are mainly to prevent rodents and other animals from getting into the compost, which may be more of a concern in dense urban areas. Homeowners in the suburbs or rural areas can use compost piles without much animal interference.

If you use the pile method, experts say to add dry materials around the outside of the pile to reduce smells.

Sam Hartman, program coordinator for The Ecology Center of San Francisco, suggests a simple approach. Begin with a 3 foot by 3 foot square area in your yard. Enclose it with wood posts and wire mesh.

The University of Missouri extension service  provides illustrations and instructions this type of compost pile, and others, including using an old barrel to make a spinning composter. The churnable composter will work more quicker.

But because it may be easier to stick with a looser routine, many gardeners say stick close to the ground with this earthy process. Like Hartman, Georgia gardening expert, author and television show host Walter Reeves also advocates simplicity. He suggests homeowners pile compost in the corner of their yard where two fences intersect.

But Reeves cautions gardeners not to rely solely on compost to create a bountiful harvest. Make sure to add soil conditioners to your garden beds.

“(Compost) is a component of your garden, but it will not produce the volume to satisfy all your needs. Adding compost to the soil is gonna really jump start the flower bed or vegetable process,” he added.

Getting Started

After you’ve secured a container, you’ll need a pitchfork or large stick and a pail to collect kitchen scraps.

A bamboo scraps collector that could pass muster in the neatest kitchen.

Once you start collecting food scraps, you may want to make a small investment in a composting pail. These pails, which include carbon filters to destroy any smells, are pretty enough to sit on your kitchen counter and start around $20. Some choices can be found at Gardeners.com, or any of a dozen gardening supply stores online.

Clean Air Gardening offers a bamboo scrap pail with a place for charcoal filters in the lid, a nice combination of design and sustainable materials.

PECO, FirstEnergy and PPL Utilities are working together on an environmental project that will help Pennsylvania residents lower their energy usage — and get rid of clunker appliances.

The energy and utility companies announced today that they have set up an appliance recycling center at JACO Environmental Inc. in Hatfield where they will turn in old, energy-gobbling refrigerators or freezers or inefficient, but working window air conditioning units.

The companies will collect the outdated appliances from customers, who will get paid — $35 for a junker refrigerator, and $25 for an old AC unit — and haul it away for free. About 80 percent of Pennsylvania’s residents are served by these utilities and will qualify to participate.

State law requiring energy companies to help customers reduce energy use is the impetus behind the project. Customers who quit running an unneeded extra fridge can expect to save, on average $150 a year on their home energy bills. In the aggregate, if power consumers reduce their usage, they can help the utilities achieve the energy reductions mandated by Pennsylvania’s Act 129.

That law requires all state electric utilities to help customers reduce energy use by 1 percent by May 31, 2011 and 3 percent by May 31, 2013.

Utilities also must reduce energy demand during the 100 highest use hours of the year by 4.5 percent by May 31, 2013, according to PECO.

Find out more at the PECO website on “Smart Ideas,” an array of programs designed to help customers save energy and money.

The energy efficiency programs cost residential customers about $1.50 additional on their monthly energy bills. The new appliance collection program is expected to create 40 new green jobs.

The EPA says homes use half the water in the U.S.

By Kate Nolan
Green Right Now

If you want to save something, try water. It’s going fast. Depletion of the U.S. water supply isn’t something you can argue about. It’s visible, measurable and predictable. Since 2005, every U.S. region has been short on water, and use increases annually. Even New York City has experienced drought in recent years.

Population growth is one factor in the shortage. But the more sobering issue is that the U.S. water supply itself is in permanent decline.

The country’s breadbasket regions in the Midwest and California are sopping up water faster than rain or snow can replenish it. The Colorado River and its reservoirs, serving seven population-growth states and Mexico, are running dry. Dozens of California municipalities have imposed water rationing, and 500,000 farm acres there lie fallow. A respected study says one Colorado basin boom town — Phoenix, the fifth largest city in the U.S. — has a 50-50 chance of running dry by 2021.

The Ogallala Aquifer (beneath Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming) is running dry with a refill unlikely. The aquifer irrigates most Great Plains agriculture. Switching to low-water crops may be its only hope.

At the same time, the country is switching to “clean” industries, some of which — like manufacturing microchips — use a lot of water. Nuclear power, another “clean” enterprise, could reduce our carbon footprint, but it will require a lot of water.

In view of the great slurp industrial and agricultural users are taking, can mere individuals have any impact on water supplies? Can adopting a green lifestyle put a drop back in the bucket?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says, yes.

“Homes use half the water in the U.S., more than is used by business or industry,” said Stephanie Thornton of the EPA’s WaterSense program. On average, we each use 100 gallons of water a day at home, in addition to the 47 gallons each of us consumes out in the community. Thornton says there is so much waste that relatively small changes could conserve billions of gallons.

“Toilets are by far the biggest water user inside the home, accounting for 30 percent of water used,” she said. “Replacing every old toilet with new low-flow models across the country would save 640 billion gallons annually.”

It’s easy to find the right toilet:  just look for the EPA’s WaterSense label, which identifies high-performing, water-efficient products for use throughout the home. (The agency’s Energy Star label indicates energy efficiency.)

Another thing you can do: eliminate leaks. The EPA estimates U.S. homes leak more than a trillion gallons of water a year. The problem is so crucial the EPA sponsors a national “Fix A Leak Week” each March.

But there’s much more to do. Start small and work up to planning some major household purchases:

Little things you can do

For starters, here are a few simple tips that require nothing but kicking bad habits.

Indoors:

• Meditate without the water feature: Don’t run water while shaving, rinsing dishes, washing hands or brushing teeth.
• Take five-minute showers: turn water off to lather up and on to rinse.
• Collect shower water and flow spewed from faucets while you wait for hot water: reuse it for watering plants indoors and out.
• Keep a container of chilled drinking water in the fridge: avoid running tap water until cool.
• Dispose of food waste in a compost pile or a garbage can: avoid using a high water-volume garbage disposal.

Outdoors:

• Sweep. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean sidewalks, driveways and patios.
• Seal drippy hose connections. Spend ten cents on a washer.
• Reduce evaporation. Water plants in the early morning and use sprinklers that make big drops instead of a mist that evaporates before it hits the ground.
• Water less. Most people water too much. Use mulch to retain moisture, and very little fertilizer—it needs water to work. Windbreaks and fences can slow evaporation by wind.
• Don’t water when it rains. Sounds obvious, but is a strangely overlooked strategy. Build on the idea with rain shut-off devices for irrigated yards.

Bigger things you can do

Low-water upgrades are available in virtually every appliance that uses water. The federal “Cash for Appliance Clunkers 2010″ program can help take the sting out of the cost of upgrading. Under the plan, appliances may qualify for state or local rebates or tax credits. Run by the U.S. Department of Energy, the $300 million rebate program is already under way in some states. Each state has its own approach and details, such as the amount rebated, the variety of appliances and types of incentives.

Aerators or flow restrictors: Retrofit all faucets with these little gems. At $1 or $2 each, they can save 2,700 gallons a year per faucet. By adding air to the water stream, they reduce the flow rate of high volume faucets to .5-2.5 gallons per minute or less. The result is a spray that maintains water pressure. Each aerator’s flow rate is imprinted on its side.

Low-flow toilets: For $100 you can replace old toilets that use four gallons per flush or more with new high-efficiency toilets (HET), rated at 1.6 GPF (gallons per flush) or less, or dual-flush toilets. The flush rate is posted inside the tank. You can get a pressure-assisted toilet, but traditional gravity-flush toilets are adequate in most homes.

Dual-flush toilets have two options, one for a liquid waste flush that uses less than a gallon, and a second one for solid waste that uses 1.6 gallons. This split option can reduce water usage by up to 67 percent, and you don’t have to think about it — an infrared sensor light activates the appropriate flush.

A high-efficiency toilet can save 4,000 gallons of water per person per year.

If you can’t install a low-flow toilet, try to displace some water in your old tank. But avoid the old trick of putting a brick in it – bricks crumble. Instead, fill a plastic gallon bottle with water and submerge it in the toilet tank. It reduces the volume of water used in each flush.

Replace older showerheads with new low-flow models.

Low-water showerhead: The maximum flow allowed by the EPA is 2.5 GPM (gallons per minute), but many new showerheads use less. Showerheads with the WaterSense label must use no more than 2.0 GPM.

One way to boost efficiency is by aerating, or oxygenating, the spray, an especially useful technology for homes with low water pressure – and one that helps avoid the flattened hair-dos featured in a famous Seinfeld episode involving low-flow showerheads. Here are some choices:

• An Aqua Helix model ($30) aerates the flow with a “spinning cone” technology to maintain a strong spray that consumes less than .5 GPM.
• For $20, the Oxygenics SkinCare aerated showerhead reduced water use to 1.5 GPM. It’s sold online and at major home improvement stores.
• Kohler has begun offering low-flow options, with a selection that includes 1.75 GPM showerheads.
• Moen also has brought low-flow showerheads into its inventory, getting water use down to 1.5 or 1.75 GPM with in a variety of models.

Tankless water heater: Seas of water go down the drain while we wait for hot water to flow to us through the plumbing. Tankless heaters, or

Tankless Water Heaters warm the water at the point of use.

“on-demand” heaters, skip the pipes, heating the water as it is used. Low energy electric and gas tankless heaters range from whole-home units, starting around $1,000, that can support two simultaneous showers to smaller under-the-counter units. One under-the counter unit, the Stiebel Eltron Mini 4 ($150) can be installed in a single bathroom, kitchen or laundry room. Generally, gas-units provide more hot water than electric units.

The units also may lower water-heating energy bills by 20 percent because they don’t heat standing water. But on-demand units aren’t right for every household. Some heaters provide only five heated gallons of water per minute. That’s enough for one or two people, but those who need multiple showers or do laundry and wash dishes at the same time may have problems.

If you don’t go tankless, insulate your pipes and water heater to keep the water in them hot or cold, decreasing the need to run water until it’s the right temperature.

Hot water-recirculating system. Here, hot water recirculates between the faucet and water heater to stay hot, eliminating the wait for hot water. Systems include a hot water line that goes from the heater to the farthest fixture and back to the heater, a pump, thermostat, a timer and some valves. Manufacturers estimate 11,000 to 15,000 gallons can be saved annually for average families by eliminating the wait for hot water. Cost is $1,200-$1,500; rebates may be available for retrofitting existing homes.

Low-water clothes washer. Most washers use about 40 gallons of water per load and can account for 25 percent of indoor household water use, according to the EPA. You can halve that figure with a front-loading washer. Look for the EPA’s WaterSense label when purchasing a new washer. If you do your laundry outside the home, look for a business that uses low-water-use washers.

Water-saving frontload washers

New front-loading models use very little water by scrubbing the laundry differently—they drop it, during the spin, instead of using an agitator post. Look for a model with a water volume under four cubic feet that uses less than 6.5 gallons water per cubic foot. Some new top-loaders use high-pressure sprayers to agitate and rinse the clothes, cutting down on water use. But they may not clean clothes as effectively as front-loaders, according to Consumer Reports.

Recently, prices have dropped on the new low water-use models, which are also more energy efficient.

Low-water dishwasher. New dishwashers can use less water than washing by hand — if they are operated only when full and if dishes are not rinsed before loading. Hand-rinsing can consume 20 gallons per load. Water-efficient models use on average only four gallons per load, almost 40 percent less than other dishwashers, saving 1,000 gallons of water a year. Look for dishwashers with the Energy Star label. That means it uses 5.6 gallons or less per load. Others use more than eight gallons.

Water treatment cutback: Water softeners consume 15 to 120 gallons for each 1,000 gallons of water used. Reverse osmosis (RO) units waste from two to nine gallons for one RO gallon. If you have water softeners or RO units, turn them off when you go on vacation. Water softeners should only be used when mineral levels in the water are likely to damage pipes. When necessary, use only as much as needed.

Xeriphytic (low-water) plants. The United States Department of Agriculture says low-water plants grow in every region. Hardy examples include succulents and narrow-leafed evergreens, which can do well even in humid climates. For regional recommendations, visit the Natural Resources Conservation Service online.

Harvest rainwater. Kids ask where does the rain go? You can answer that question by harvesting water for use later. Simple systems use gutters, downspouts and contoured yards to direct rain to the garden.

To get the most from a downpour, collect rainwater in a barrel. Some systems can cost a thousand dollars and involve pumps, multiple barrels and hoses networked from gutters to garden. But it can be much simpler: Get a 50-60 gallon rainbarrel and connect it to a gutter spout. Most are closed with a lid or tightly screen at the top. You can  prevent mosquito infiltration by using a biological mosquito control (mosquito “dunks”).

One well-reviewed heavy plastic barrel is the Achla RB-01 Rain Catcher Water Barrel for $100-$160. It holds 54 gallons, has a flat back to fit snuggly against a house and includes a debris screen, watering hose, connections for multiple barrels and its safe design keeps kids and animals from falling in. But there are many other models available; some are even made of recycled plastic or are re-purposed bulk food containers.

Trickle irrigation. Use a trickle or drip irrigation system instead of a sprinkler. Water loss through evaporation is minimal because the water goes directly to the roots. A drip system requires a few valves, a filter, automatic timer, tubing and water emitters. It may sound complicated, but it’s not, nor is it expensive. But it needs occasional maintenance to make sure the emitters aren’t clogged.

Low-water car wash. Patronize a commercial car wash that recycles water used at the site or sends used water to a treatment plant. It can be the most low-water way to wash your vehicle.

The desert-based Arizona Dept. of Water Resources, explains commercial washing, as follows:

• Self service washes use roughly 12 gallons per car. Water lost to evaporation and carryout (what’s left on the car when it leaves) account for 20 percent of water used. Look for facilities that use low-flow spray wand nozzles that shut off when not in use.

• Automatic washes that convey a car through the wash use 44 gallons per wash with17 percent lost to evaporation and carryout.

• Automatic washes that rotate the washing equipment around a stationary vehicle use about 72 gallons per wash — 33 percent from evaporation and carryout.

If you self-wash, try using a waterless car wash, such as Eco Touch ($10 for a  24-oz. bottle that cleans and shines up to six washes).

For a water wash, do it on grass or dirt, which works as a filter and reuses the water as irrigation. A mild soapy solution will not harm the lawn. Use a bucket and a nozzle or water wand with an automatic shut-off.  Nozzles cost $5-$20; wands start at about $10.

Pool sense. Cover pools and spas to reduce evaporation, which can account for thousands of gallons a year. A cover that doubles as a security barrier can cost more than $1,000, but a simple evaporation barrier costs $100-$200.

Of course, water runs through nearly everything we consume. Decreasing the slurp any individual takes means buying goods that are produced responsibly.  Fruit and vegetables grown with pesticides and fertilizers that pollute water and beef raised in water-wasting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) all drive up our personal water consumption levels exponentially.  The best way to control that factor is to know where things originate. Make a habit of asking merchants where things come from.

One last thing you can do: monitor your water use. An easy way to assess it is to pay attention to your water bill. If it spikes unexpectedly, you may have a leak, and you should check for it. The repair may be as simple as replacing a washer. That can save you some water, and some money.

(Kate Nolan writes about the environment and health in Phoenix. She worked formerly as a reporter for The Arizona Republic; managing editor at Phoenix New Times and editor at Playboy.)

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by GRN Network

Get your pipe fittings ready, next week is Fix a Leak week, starting March 15.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sponsors the annual five-day blitz to promote repair of leaks and replacing appliances with those that have WaterSense labels, the EPA’s designation for low water use products. Did you even know that some faucets are engineering to use less water without a reduction in flow. That’s how they get the WaterSense label, and you can find qualified models at the WaterSense website.

So look for local events sponsored by the EPA and local governments, plumbers, retailers, manufacturers and organizations. An average American home can waste 10,000 gallons of water a year from running toilets, dripping faucets, and other leaks.

For details see the EPA webpage on Fix a Leak Week.

Not so long ago, Mr. Clean and company were considered the good guys, the go-to-gang for a deep house cleaning. But in the past several years, alarms have been sounding about chemicals used in conventional household products.

Be they phosphates, sulfates, bleach, ammonia or phenols, certain ingredients are causing strong concerns among consumer-protection groups, federal and state governments, and even a few manufacturers. The new conventional wisdom asserts that many household cleaners contain compounds that pose environmental risks and can lead to health conditions such as asthma, nerve damage, reproductive damage, even cancer. (See our GRN guide below)

Greener cleaners are non-polluting, indoors and out

Complicating the issue, however, is the fact that many companies refuse to disclose all ingredients in their products, stymieing consumers’ ability to make informed choices. We may be seeing more disclosure, however. The non-profit group Earthjustice recently filed a lawsuit in New York State citing a little-known Empire State statute (circa 1976) that requires makers of HH cleaners to disclose their contents. Filed in February, the suit claims the Commissioner of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation has the authority to require such disclosures. The lawsuit has obvious national implications, considering that the cleaners used by New Yorkers are the same as those sold in the rest of the states, even the world.

Earthjustice notified several companies about the never-used law last year. SC Johnson and Simple Green responded by agreeing to list ingredients in their products for New York state consumers. Other major manufacturers like Proctor & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Reckitt-Benckiser and Church and Dwight, have refused.

Get the risk out, with eco-friendly cleaners

In the meantime, a new crop of  greener cleaners has emerged over the last two decades, offering consumers healthier alternatives. Companies like BioKleen and Seventh Generation debuted in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Shaklee greened its cleaners and started selling concentrates, saving on bottles. Lately this movement has gone mainstream, with Clorox producing its Greenworks line and Safeway offering the eco-aware house brand, Bright Green. SC Johnson has taken some if its best-known brands, like Windex and Shout, and reformulated them into an eco-friendly variant as part of its Nature’s Source line.

These are but a sampling of the eco-friendly cleaners on the market today.

Design for the Environment is a new EPA endorsement program for safer cleaners

So popular is green-cleaning that the Environmental Protection Agency has just (in 2010) introduced a new Design for the Environment/Safer Product Recognition program, in which manufacturers whose products substitute harmful ingredients with safer ones become DfE “partners” and their products are labeled with DfE seal of approved. (The Design for the Environment program also provides a list of those making the grade.)

For now, consumers seeking green cleaners still need to look carefully. Cleaners that call themselves “organic” or “all-natural” can carry questionable chemicals. Clues to the most eco-friendly products can be found by looking for these words on labels:

• Plant-based cleaning agent — generally gentler and not from petroleum products.

• Biodegradable — which means the ingredients break down when exposed to water, air or soil, generally within days, into simple elements that can be absorbed by the environment.

Readers also might find this list from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works helpful. It categorizes HH cleaners that can be hazardous and warns residents to dispose of them in accordance with new county guidelines. The products to watch out for are conventionally formulated:

• Ammonia-based cleaners, like window cleaners

• Oven and drain cleaners

• Floor care products

• Aerosol cleaners

• Furniture polish

• Metal polishes and cleaners

• Tub, tile and toilet bowl cleaners

All these can be hazardous to waterways, wildlife, soil and air when dumped in the trash or down the drain; not to mention the irritation and health effects to humans breathing their vapors or coming into skin contact with these harsh chemicals. (See more details below.)

Lately, it seems, just about everyone is taking an interest in helping you manage your home energy consumption.

Hohm is Microsoft's attempt to get into home energy management. (Image: microsoft.com)

Microsoft weighed in with its Hohm offering last summer. Google touts its PowerMeter service. Apple is patenting a system to optimize the powering of your network of iPods, laptops, and electronic gadgets. Intel has added an energy component to its Home Dashboard Concept.

Small wonder. According to a December, 2009, report from Pike Research, the market for home energy management systems and energy information displays (EIDs) will include 28.1 million users worldwide by 2015.

“Energy information displays are the face of the smart grid,” managing director Clint Wheelock said. “These systems will provide consumers with an unprecedented level of visibility into, and control over, the consumption of electricity within their homes, providing a significant opportunity for efficiency improvements and cost savings.”

Pike forecasts that in-home display devices will be the largest EID category, with 14.4 million units shipped by 2015. Web-based dashboards also will be a major component with 11.1 million users, followed by mobile phone energy applications with 2.6 million.

Image: Pike Research

With that kind of interest, Pike notes, the vendor landscape is crowded and competitive. In addition to the aforementioned heavy hitters, Pike cites Control4, eMeter, Energate, Energy Inc., Green Energy Options, GridPoint, Onzo, OpenPeak, Silver Spring Networks, and Tendril Networks as potential major players.

Obviously, plenty of folks have come to believe there is money to be made in helping you save some green of your own. For the moment, however, there seems to be less than universal agreement on just how to go about all that.

Here’s a look at some of the contenders and their current approach:

Microsoft Hohm: We start here simply because Hohm is one of the more accessible of the new tools. It’s also free, and your home doesn’t have to be equipped with one of the new Advanced Metering Systems to use it (although this last point seems to be a decidedly mixed bag).

Hohm allows you to answer up to 200 questions, describing your residence and appliances in detail. If your local utility is on board (and very few are at the moment), you can have your consumption fed directly into Hohm. If not, you can enter the numbers yourself. If you are really lazy, you can do as little as punch in your zip code to get information of average costs where you live.

The more data you enter, the more relevant your feedback will be. Hohm (the names stems from “ohm,” a unit of electrical resistance) will produce a pie chart of average consumption in different categories (heating, cooling, lighting, etc.) It also offers a look at where you stand on a spectrum of efficient and inefficient homes in your area, based on monthly energy costs. Your zip code allows the program to use analytics to factor in weather patterns, etc.

Once a profile is established, Hohm offers a set of recommendations to help you trim consumption, anything from replacing your hot water heater to changing out windows, doors, or insulation. By using Microsoft’s Bing search engine, you also can access information on contractors in your area who can help you with those improvements or repairs.

One problem: Without the “smart” meter, Hohm is only as good as the information you plug into it. When I entered my usage for the period between Dec. 21 and Jan. 21, for instance, the program distributed it evenly over those days. I’m pretty sure more of that usage came between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1, when Christmas tree lights were burning and people were coming and going.

Microsoft emphasizes that Hohm will get better as more people use it and the analytics become more refined. At the moment, Hohm has some good information and fun bells and whistles, but news you can use — “What time of day is my peak usage? How do things change when the kids are home?” – still requires more on the hardware end.

Google's Powermeter is designed to work with "smart" meters. Photo: Green Right Now

Google PowerMeter: This is a Web application for monitoring home energy use that requires an advanced or “smart” meter. The company has partnered with utilities and smart meter manufacturers to offer an energy-tracking dashboard through the meter.

Another option: The Energy Detective, a home-monitoring device from Energy, Inc. Eventually, Google plans to add features, including providing consumers with information to help ratchet down power use during peak times to get cheaper rates.

Currently, PowerMeter delivers more detailed and specific information than Hohm. The downside: You either need a smart meter, or you’ll need to spend some cash on The Energy Detective (TED) to make that connection.

A bit later to the game,  Apple has applied for a pair of patents to monitor how power is supplied to electronics such as computers and iPods.

One is called “Intelligent Power Monitoring” and describes a system that would allow consumers to reduce energy use by providing better tools to control how connected devices are powered. For instance, users could learn when to schedule charging to take advantage of off-peak rates or how to put devices in hibernate mode.

The other patent application – “Intelligent Power-enabled Communications Port” – suggests a system that could distribute an efficient amount of power to a range of electronics. The idea calls for using the wiring of buildings to run direct current devices without using AC to DC adapters. The port also would be able to deliver and store data over home wires.

Intel, meanwhile, has launched a Web site supporting its Intelligent Home Energy Management Proof of Concept. A touch screen device allows people to record video messages or (through third-party applications) track packages or access online yellow pages. The energy component will help families control and reduce energy use.

As the Pike report suggests, the list of contenders expands regularly. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, General Electric and Whirlpool unveiled plans to work with display maker OpenPeak to monitor energy cost and control over appliances.

How will all this information be gathered? That, too, is an issue with more than one potential solution. Many companies anticipate using wireless home networks to allow appliances, a central console, and smart meters to communicate. Another alternative is to use smart plugs, electrical outlets that will allow for energy management without the presence of a smart meter.

Bottom line: Interest is growing, big players are charging in, and there are plenty of strategies for cornering the home energy management market. For consumers looking to save money and be a little more green, competition figures to be a good thing.

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by GRN Network

A new Harris Poll finds that Americans are still acting cautiously when it comes to weathering the sour economy.

And some of  the money-saving steps they are taking qualify as green behaviors, though whether or not this has been intentional was not addressed in the poll of 2,576 adults surveyed online between January 18 and 25, 2010 by Harris Interactive.

The poll found, for instance, that:

• 34 percent of Americans polled said they had switched to using refillable water bottles instead of purchasing pre-bottled water.

• 22 percent said they had cut down on dry cleaning

• 14 percent said they had begun carpooling or using mass transit

The switch to refillable water bottles will save on landfill space, and the manufacturing costs of disposable plastic bottles. Even though this type of plastic bottle is recyclable, studies show that the vast majority are simply discarded, filling up landfills and persisting in the environment for hundreds of years.

Reducing one’s exposure to dry cleaning chemicals can be a healthful switch because the main dry cleaning agent, perchloroethylene, known as “perc,” is considered to be a likely human carcinogen, according to government reports. The dry cleaning industry says personal exposure to perc from dry cleaned clothes is small and not harmful, and it points to recapture efforts that are reducing the amount of perc released into the natural environment. Still, a robust alternative network of cleaners is emerging. These new green cleaners shun perc.

As for the shift to mass transit, the Harris Poll found that this behavior was most evident among the youngest generation of adults, with those in middle age preferring to remain in their cars. Moving to mass transit or carpooling is among the biggest green shifts that a person can take to reduce their carbon footprint, because vehicle emissions are a leading cause of dirty air.

The Harris survey aimed to see what Americans were doing to cope with difficult times and whether they were feeling more at ease with recent improved economic predictions. It asked, simply: “Have you done, or considered doing, any of the following over the past six months in order to save money?” It then offered a menu of choices.

The results:

• 63 percent said they are purchasing more generic brands

• 45 percent are brown bagging, at least part of the time, instead of purchasing lunch

• 39 percent are going to the hairdresser/barber/ stylist less often

• 34 percent have switched to refillable water bottles

• 33 percent have canceled one or more magazine subscriptions

• 22 percent have cut down on dry cleaning

• 22 percent have cut back on cable television service

• 21 percent have quit buying coffee in the morning

• 19 percent have canceled a newspaper subscription

• 17 percent have canceled cell phone service

• 15 percent have canceled land line service and only use  cell phones

• 14 percent have begun carpooling or using mass transit

Where have Americans refused to cut back? On their cell phones. The poll found that 52 percent said they have not, and were not considering, canceling that service.(Though, obviously, 15 percent did cut cell phones from the budget.)

The modern consumer’s penchant for buying the latest electronic gadget has certainly contributed mountains to landfills worldwide and led to other ecological sins, from chemical leaching to demand-driven, warp-speed obsolescence of products.

But the electronics industry once again showcased several eco-conscious items at the recent Consumer Electronics Association tradeshow (known as the Consumer Electronics Show or CES). Aside from lower energy TVs, the newbie offerings foretell of a world where we will control the power we use, much like we control personal electronics now, but with more precision and far less waste.

Here’s a look at some of the most intriguing green offerings:

A 52” LED LCD TV by Sharp that consumes less power than any LCD TV on the market. In fact, Sharp’s LE700 series of full array LED LCD-TVs beat out competitors in all screen size classes for power consumption.

These TVs include sensors that measure the ambient  light in the room and adjust color and brightness, delivering the appropriate picture for the setting, and saving energy.

The LEDs have a listed life of 100,000 hours, and the screen can be viewed from 176 degrees. See more on the TV’s specs page. The 52-inch version is available for around $2,300.

Got a refrigerator that’s not so chillin’ anymore? A washer that’s approaching its last spin? When that appliance goes kaput, or maybe beforehand, you’ll want to check out your state’s federally funded appliance rebate program.

Energy Star Front Load Washer by Whirlpool

That’s right, you may be able to get a federal kickback, courtesy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, just for replacing that old appliance with a new Energy Star one. But you’ll have to check your state’s guidelines.

Under the $300 million U.S. Department of Energy appliance rebate program, each state was allowed to design its own plan. So you’d be eligible to get a rebate on a variety of home appliances in Illinois starting right away because the first phase of the rebate plan begins this month. But if you live in New York, you’ll have to wait until February. And if you live in Texas, you’re looking at April before you can heave off that rattly dishwasher for a shiny new one. Several other states also are starting the program in April, to coincide with Earth Day festivities.

Each state also has developed its own list of eligible items. In Texas, a wide range of appliances, from an array of hot water heaters and heat pumps to refrigerators and freezers are expected to qualify for rebates. But in California, only three items made the list. Refrigerators, clothes washers and room air conditioners will qualify for rebates in California, where the program is set to begin in March.

Many of the states will be requiring that old appliances be recycled, or will be offering additional money for those that are recycled. Still, the program has raised questions about whether it will mimic the Cash for Clunkers experiment of last summer, which was criticized for encouraging people to buy new automobiles, in some cases for only modest efficiency gains. Clunkers did require that new cars meet certain mileage minimums, but they weren’t as high as the market could have provided.

The trade-off, junking a car (the Clunkers vehicles had to be crushed) to obtain a higher mileage vehicle, didn’t make sense to those who ascribe to the green principle of using something until it wears out.

The appliance program will require that all new purchases be Energy Star-qualified. These models are 20 percent or more efficient than the norm, depending on the class of item being purchased.

Appliances do matter. The DOE estimates that more than 70% of the energy used in our homes is for appliances, refrigeration, space heating, cooling, and water heating. Which means that the other 30 percent is comprised of the energy used to heat the house and run electronics.

As for the dollar amount of those rebates, that too will vary, depending upon the item and the state plan.

A sampling:

• The proposed rebate for clothes washers in California is $100, which is in addition to state rebates that can run as high as $250 (offered by LA Department of Water and Power for a select list of efficient washers). So that $1,000 front-loading energy and water efficient washer could come down to $650, a sweet deal. Find other California energy incentives at the website Flex Your Power.
• Texas residents can look forward to a federal rebate of up to $225 to 255 for a clothes washer with proof that the old one has been recycled; but they’ll come up empty if they’re looking for an extra kick from the state, which doesn’t currently offer a rebate for clothes washers. See all the planned Texas appliance rebates here.
• Florida will be offering rebates on six major appliances, with rebate amounts set at 20 percent of the purchase price before taxes, with a cap of $1,500. See the state’s Energy and Climate website for details.

Many of the programs will run for a pre-set period of time, sometimes just two weeks, to avoid the disappointment that attended the Cash for Clunkers program, which ran out of funds after just a couple weeks.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

One thing we learned in 2009 is that you can’t wait for big institutions to take the green lead. For every clean tech entrepreneur, there’s a climate change heel-dragger. We’re thinking of Copenhagen obstructionists, Congress and entrenched fossil fuel interests, as examples.

You can, however, do what you can.

And in that spirit, here are 11 ways to lower your carbon footprint this New Year. Adopting even one of them can help reduce the pollution that’s leading to dire consequences. And while some New Year’s resolutions are hard, and cost you money (gym fees aren’t going down you know), these resolutions are likely to save you money, reduce your exposure to toxins and help you lead a healthier life. We’ve included only those ideas that really make a big impact, and scuttled those that we consider to be “boutique green” — those non-starter nice ideas that matter, but just a little bit.

To help make this list something you can really use, we’ve included some nifty online tools that can help you find a greener track in 2010.

(Photo: Green Right Now)

1 — Drive Less. If you live in the city, or in a small town, you can accomplish this easily. Hop on the bus. Use the corner grocery. Walk. In the suburbs, which were designed to disperse us, it’s trickier. But you can group errands, your kids may be able to walk to school. And maybe this is the year that you ask your employer about working from home one day a week, to cut your commuting costs.

Here’s some ammunition: If you work for a large company, it may soon be inventorying its greenhouse gas emissions. New EPA rules will require some 12,000 of the country’s largest emitters to inventory their GHGs in 2010, and while this mainly concerns utilities, power companies and other heavy industries, it is likely to launch a new era of transparency. Companies across the board could soon discover that a friendly work-at-home policy would cut their carbon imprint, as well as yours.

In the meantime, you can find many Ride Share programs already up and running.

Another sign that things may turn your way: Insurance companies may reward temperate driving with better rates. Check out MileMeter, a company based on giving preferential rates to those who take it easy on their wheels.

If you’re in the market for a new car, find the most economical ones at fueleconomy.gov.

Breakdown of U.S. power sources (Image: EPA)

2 — Buy Green Power. Do this and drive less and you’ll have cut a big slice out of your personal or family energy consumption total. Many power companies now offer menus where a consumer can select a green power package, or even power generated specifically by wind (especially in big wind generation states like Texas, Iowa and Minnesota). Some companies offer cleaner power packages that focus on hydro-power — not the greenest, but better than getting your electricity from a coal-fired plant. Use the EPA’s map finder to see what’s available by state. The EPA also puts out a Guide to Green Power.

You’ve probably heard by now that buildings — commercial and residential — account for nearly 40 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions produced in the United States. That’s largely because they use electricity produced by coal-fired plants, the most carbon polluting of all electricity sources. See the chart above, which shows that about half of our electricity is fueled by coal, the cheapest and dirtiest source of power. So hooking up with a green provider really does make a difference. You’ll reduce your personal carbon footprint, and you’ll be helping shift the market toward cleaner options that your children and grandchildren will need.

3 — Connect with Congress. Send your senator or representative a letter that you support action against climate change. This might take a little time, but the net, aggregate effect could be big. You could point out your personal efforts to conserve; special needs for clean air (like we all don’t need that) and maybe mention the kids and grandkids that you hope to protect from catastrophic changes brought about by human greenhouse gas emissions that are melting the glaciers, turning the oceans acidic, ruining habitat and agricultural lands. Congressional leaders are pretty easy to find these days on the Internet. Congress.org helps you connect. Just type in your zip code and voile! Congress.org also chronicles environmental bills, and their many permutations on its news pages.

4 — Buy Local, Organic Food (when possible). Used to be that this was touted as a way to strengthen the local economy, which frankly didn’t much concern most Americans over the past few decades as groceries burst forth with more and more far-flung, highly engineered foods and treats. But rather than get started on that, let’s just say that getting back to basics can be good.

Farmers Market (Photo: Green Right Now)

There are two main points in favor of going local and organic: The first is better nutrition. Even though experts still debate whether organic produce is nutritionally superior to conventionally grown (with pesticides) food, this debate will soon go the way of the one over whether cigarettes are damaging. A 2008 review of recent studies comparing foods, found that organically grown produce and grains are indeed more “nutritionally dense” — which makes intuitive sense because organic farming doesn’t poison the soil with pesticides, allowing plants grown there to take up the full nutrient load from the ground. The study was done by the Organic Center, a group with a bent, but check out the candlepower of the experts involved and you may be swayed.

The second argument for buying local is indisputable. If you want to lower your carbon footprint, or your “foodprint” as it’s now called, buy food that comes from closer to home. It will come with fewer “food miles” and have contributed less to greenhouse gas emissions. And by the way, it will help the local economy.

5 — Reduce Harmful Chemicals. Step back from some of the toxic chemicals you buy for household use, and those you use to “treat” the lawn and you will be contributing to cleaner indoor air and healthier ground water, especially if you use no-phosphate laundry and dishwasher detergents, now widely available. Consider, too, trying Soap Nuts, the natural laundry soap that is highly concentrated and comes from, well, a nut. We also like Dropps, an eco-laundry detergent packed in individual pouches that dissolve in the wash. Presto — packaging gone!

Outside, try using corn gluten as a pre-emergent weed killer. You will be restoring life to the soil, which can then better sustain life. We won’t get into the debate about whether organic lawns look better than chemically greened turf, some do, but often they don’t have that same ethereal green glow. But a healthy organic lawn can look pretty good, and the availability of organic options in mulch, weed suppressants and other organic compounds is growing.

6 -  Reduce the Personal Paper Products You Use. One word here: Forests. We need to cherish them again, not plunder them to wipe our noses. Look for personal paper goods made from recycled and unbleached paper. This simple step, if we all made a concerted effort, can go a long way toward saving forests. Even Kimberly-Clark, maker of virgin fiber Kleenex, is offering recycled tissues and paper towels and has pledged to take sustainable steps (after a three year tussle with Greenpeace). We’ve printed it before, but it’s worth mentioning here that the Natural Resources Defense Council has put together a guide to the brands using recycled paper. The list of environmentally conscientious products is growing! And one other thing, instead of even using paper towels, try a washcloth. We use one that’s made of hemp, which is naturally germ resistant.

7 — Buy in Bulk. This reduces packaging and can make shipping easier and more efficient. Look for large laundry boxes, wine in boxes and soup… in boxes. The packaging is more degradable and you can buy bigger, storable portions. Bulk products can help conserve energy in many ways, even beyond the savings in packaging. They can make shipping more efficient, and when the carton is degradable, recyclable or reusable, it can save on landfill space and pollution.

8 — Invite Wildlife into the Yard. This can be a tough concept for people who’ve spent a lot of time keeping wildlife out. And we understand. We don’t want moles or armadilloes digging up our garden either. But there are ways….set aside a brushy area in one corner of the yard to serve as a haven for small critters and birds. Plant native plants that feed butterflies and birds, and don’t forget shrubs that produce winter berries.  Construct a water garden to support amphibians. The hows and whys here get pretty deep. We can recommend a book, Bringing Nature Home, for people with yards. People in apartments can do their part by hooking up with a local conservation project.

9 — Conserve Water. We assume you don’t let the water run when you brush your teeth or shave. This year, pledge to take shorter showers or install rain sensors for your lawn sprinkler. Set the dishwasher on economy and see if it doesn’t get the job done; wash only full loads of clothing. We found a new way to conserve this year by using waterless products to clean cars. The Baye’s High Performance Waterless Wash/Detailer produced a great shine — and used NO WATER.

10. Generate Your Own Power. This is still a pricey proposition, but the cost of residential solar installations came tumbling down this past year. And we saw neighborhoods incorporating solar power in ways that don’t even show, with tiles that mimic shingles. On-site wind is a growing option for homeowners with the space and the gusts to try it. Some wind installations have gotten more compact. And don’t count out geothermal, also available on a residential scale.

Michelle Obama oversees an education day in the White House Garden (Photo: White House Photographer Samantha Appleton)

11 . Grow Your Own Food. Take a look at your yard, it’s probably not working for you, but it could.  This past year saw a boom in home gardening led by the First Family, who installed a bountiful food garden at the White House. Without the Park Service to help, you might have to run with a smaller scale project, but even if you’ve only got a condo deck or windowsill, you can grow a few herbs and tomatoes. Urban dwellers also can find a rooftop garden to help with, like  Brooklyn’s Rooftop Farms for instance. Or, provide the patch of ground and hire the garden help, as detailed in this story by KGO-TV.

Happy Harvest and Happy New Year!

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Just as we were getting ready to list our green ways to unfurl the holiday mess, came a timely tidbit about using  cedar spray on holiday decorations to discourage critters and insects from feeding on them in the off-season.

(Photo: Green Right Now)

Naturally, this bit of advice arrived from the CedarCide company in Spring, Texas. Still, it sounded like as good a place to start as any, and frankly, we’ve failed in the past to seal up keepsakes well enough to fend off tiny invaders. Sure, we’ve used cedar blocks and scents in the closet, but it just never occurred to us to spray it on attic storage. According to the website, Cedarcide can be lethal to dust mites, bed bugs and fleas. It’s unclear whether is will deter rats and squirrels. Still, it smells considerably better than the fox urine that some people use to dissuade squirrels from attic camp-outs.

A caveat: We can’t endorse CedarCide’s program in which a homeowner blasts the lawn with CedarCide, killing many tiny living things. This would needlessly destroy the balance of nature in an organic yard. We’re talking here about using the scent on boxes and possibly on pets to keep harmful pests at bay while forgoing more toxic options.

But back to the post holiday clean up.

Here’s the checklist for winding down greenly, after the holidays, which is a great time to reduce, recycle and reuse:

• Go ahead, put the folderol in plastic boxes, the better to keep it in the attic or basement. Use cedar blocks to deter moths, and watch out for food items on wreaths and homemade goods, they’ll attract unwanted guests.
• Mulch that Christmas tree. Check your city website for times and details. If those are hard to come by, the best directory of Christmas tree recycling centers can be found at Earth911. Get ready — Earth911 reports that Jan. 3 is the most popular day for tree pickups. By the way, congratulations Chicago for topping Earth911’s list of the cities with the most Christmas tree recycling programs.
• Now, about those cardboard boxes you’ve accumulated this season. Most cities will gladly pick them up on bulk recycling day. It’s helpful – in some cases necessary – for you break them down and present a flattened layer for pick up.
• Another use for cardboard, however, is as a weed blocker in the garden. If you’ve got trouble spots, plain, matte cardboard can block sunlight to emerging weeds in early spring, and it’s completely degradable, so you don’t have to worry about that weed blocker sheeting sold in stores leaving a synthetic residue in your flower or veggie patch. Granted, mid-winter is not the best time to lay down the cardboard, so you’ll have to store it until early spring. When you do use cardboard, mulch over the top, and punch through for plantings.
• One more thing about boxes. It’s a no-brainer, but we’ll mention it anyway. Those US Postal Service boxes that can be mailed for a set fee, can be reused and reused. So find a spot for them.
• Wrapping paper, obviously, can be refolded and saved for next year. (Just keep buying smaller and smaller presents!) We’ve been saving bows and paper for years and find that the collection makes a nice pastiche. This year, one of our gift recipients remarked on what a nice bag her gift came in. We didn’t mention that it had once been hers!
• Hang on to that wreath. If it’s got live needles, you can collect them for mulch in the garden. If it’s faux, it can be reused for years and refreshed with holly leaves and berries and bows next year.

• Got leftover club soda? Plants apparently like it, once it has gone flat. It provides potassium they need. We stole this idea from Real Simple, which has printed an interesting list of wind-down holiday ideas. This caught our eye because it seems to be a cousin to another recycling practice we promote: Using leftover beer as a hair conditioner. Of course, you’ll  want to be selective about which post-party beer you choose for this personal haircare treatment. Don’t need any extras with the beer. This natural treatment cuts through the gunk that accumulates on your hair and leaves it nice and shiny; especially good for hair that’s more naturally oily.
• Got leftover energy? Take the opportunity to cull old sweaters and clothing while hanging up the new duds you may have received. Donate the stuff you’re not going to wear again right now, while it’s in season. At least you’ve likely got a ready box. And you could spritz it with cedar oil! If you don’t have a local place you use for donations, check out Freecycle.com.

Most commodities come with a clear price attached to a distinct amount. A bag of potatoes, a can of beans, a jar of peanut butter….the cost of these is stamped on a sign at the grocery and an individual label breaks down the nutritional details.

Zerofootprint's Talking Plug

Electricity is sold with a price tag also, a price per kilowatt. Every month, customers pay a provider based on how many kilowatts their household has used. But there’s no label breakdown.

We don’t know how much electricity was expended to power the HVAC or dishwasher or fridge or computer. It’s a mystery what caused that spike in our bill. Our worst power phantoms are hiding.

Could the problem be those old incandescent light bulbs?

We don’t know. We’re in the dark.

“The way we use electricity is quite antiquated and quite dumb,” said Zerofootprint founder and CEO Dr. Ron Dembo, in a news conference Monday to introduce his group’s solution, the Talking Plug ™.

If we knew more — like how much, when and on what we were spending our electricity dollars, we’d be wiser consumers, he said. We could shift electricity use to off-peak hours making utilities happier  –  reducing our bills and our carbon pollution.

The TalkingPlug™ can be the starting point for all that because it takes energy monitoring to the micro level. It exposes errant appliances and runaway energy hogs in the home, but unlike similar, competitor devices that merely signal high or low energy use, it sends a stream of information to a software program (Zerofootprint’s web-based VELO software) so residents can monitor or re-tailor their energy use, and turn things on and off remotely via the Internet.

Set top box not needed today? Turn it off from your office or laptop computer.

“It’s win, win, win,” said Dembo, whose  Toronto-based carbon management company launched in 2005.

The TalkingPlug, he explained, is not just another cool gadget, but a foot in the door toward a new way of thinking about electricity. By putting more transparency into electricity consumption, Dembo proposed that it could lead to a paradigm shift that’s needed to fight climate change.

“It’s about changing culture more than anything,” he said. And changing the culture is necessary. Right now, green buildings are producing wonderfully new efficient buildings, he noted, “But if you leave the electricity on it doesn’t make any difference.”

His theory: You’ve got to develop precise measurements so people can compare their usage. “In short, it’s understood that if you want to change culture you compare things. These products allow you to compare very easily,” he said. This will take environmental consciousness to a new level, he predicts.

As the information bubbles up, and becomes accessible, there could be many applications, Dembo said, such as these:

• 

  A computer screen would register energy use using the TalkingPlug (Photo: Zerofootprint.)

  A school could track its precise energy consumption using TalkingPlug technology, and it could be made public with a meter over the door showing if current energy use was in the red, orange or green zone. Such a device could inform the public and exert pressure on schools — or businesses — to watch their watts.

• Appliance companies could track how their products worked in the home, and aggregate that information and use it for marketing. They could prove their claims of lower energy use, and do research.

• Utilities and residents could make deals to idle, by remote, certain appliances at certain times, resulting in a rebate for the user and a reduction of peak demand for the utility. (Utilities are built for peak demand to avoid blackouts, Dembo explained, but “it’s only a few minutes a year that we hit full peak.” So at the commercial level a lot of electricity is generated to be on “stand by” that is not needed, and never used.)

All these are all potential applications for the TalkingPlug technology, Dembo said, adding that this new technology will be compatible with Smart Meters that are being installed by some utilities to get a better handle on how energy is used in a given home. But they won’t require rewiring or any retrofitting of appliances.

The SmartPlug and Smart Meter technologies could work “in tandem,” Dembo said. “I see this as a rapidly convergent market.”

Right now, the TalkingPlug is being custom produced, and each one costs about $50. But that will come down to somewhere in the $30s after the first of the year, and drop further as it’s adopted and can take advantage of economies of scale, Dembo said.

ZeroFootprint operates a for-profit software and carbon management programs aimed at helping companies reduce their carbon footprint through better risk management and new technologies. The organization also operates a non-profit foundation with a mission of reducing carbon pollution.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media