Ecolonomic Life

Photo Credit - Suto Norbert: Dreamstime.com

When was the last time that you left the kitchen with every intention of returning and then getting distracted in another room of the house? Did you leave the lights on? When was the last time you left the front porch light on all night? When was the last time that you turned on all the lights in the living room, just to watch television? Did you ever stop to think that you were wasting energy? Well, today you will.

The moment you flip the light switch off, you are saving money. That means you save money by the hour, minute, even second. Every light bulb has a watt rating printed on its surface. This rating will tell you how much electricity the light bulb uses. A 60watt bulb uses 0.06 kilowatts per hour. If you can get into the habit of turning off those lights, you could save 10 to 20 percent of your electricity usage. (more…)

Photo Credit - http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=993739

There is something very simple that can be done to save you money. There is something very simple that can be done to reduce climate change. There is something very simple that can be done. The only question is: are you willing to do it? My blog posts are going to help guide you into living a more sustainable and ecolonomic life with spending little to no money.

Today I’m going to discuss how to slay those nasty vampires sucking the life out of your house. You may not know you have them because they disguise themselves as friendly intruders. They are your appliances. Your appliances amount to 20% of your energy bill, but what’s worse is that 75% of the energy used by appliances is when they are not in use. The simple solution: unplug your appliances. (more…)

I feel it is time to give new life and meaning to this blog. I have been blogging for several months now, but, as many might have noticed, there was no clear or concise form to the blogs. They jumped from topic to topic and you as a reader may not have really understood what the whole theme of the blog was about.

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US driving habits contribute to the carbon footpint

It can’t be stressed enough the importance of reducing your carbon foot print, but the task can be daunting and if not undertaken correctly, overwhelming. I want to list some simple things that you can do to reduce that foot print, not break the budget (and even expand it), and relieve levels of stress.

First, let’s talk energy. You don’t need to run out and buy solar panels or wind turbines in order to save energy. There are many simple things that will help reduce the amount of energy that you use. Turn off the lights. It may seem too simple, but it helps. If you aren’t using the light or if you leave the room, flip the switch. If you aren’t pumping electricity to your house then the power plant supplying your electricity isn’t burning as much fossil fuels. Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. They are a little more money, but they last longer and don’t use as much energy. Work with the least amount of light that you need. When you are on a laptop make sure you have it on the energy saving. This will reduce the amount of electricity it uses and will save the battery for longer use. Lastly, replace old appliances with ones that have an energy star rating. This is a little more costly, but you find a significant change in your utilities bills. (more…)

Dealerships are making deals on new cars when you bring your clunker in. Photo from mlive.com and by Katy Batdorff of The Grand Rapids Press

If you haven’t heard of the new government program CARS, then you must really be out of the loop. No worries though, because I am here to give you a little more insight. The Car Allowance Rebate System or CARS is a government funded and dealership operated program where people can take their cars into certain dealerships and get a $3,500 to $4,500 rebate if they trade in their gas guzzlers for a more fuel efficient vehicle. (more…)

Dandelions are a very familier weed and seems to really like flower beds and lawns. Photo from Grian Herbs Knowledge Base.

If you’ve ever had your own garden you know the dilemma of weeds. They are always getting in the way and can be real pains in the neck (and back). If you don’t really care about the environment then toxic herbicides are the way to go, but they are harmful to more than just those weeds. Herbicide run off is toxic to wild animals and even children who play near the place they were sprayed, not to mention other plants and insects as well. The chemicals can also ruin the soil. The solution is a lot better than getting down on hands and knees and plucking the weeds out though. There are things you can do that are good for the environment and will make those pests a little more manageable. (more…)

China has the largest population in the world and possibly one of the highest pollution rates in the world. Last Thursday, China and the United States made a stride to reduce their rates of impact on the climate. I have already explained the new Energy Bill in previous posts and it seems that China wants to go green as well.

The United States and China are going to collaborate together in making better green technologies. Their focus will primarily be the building sector. Both countries goals are to have eighty percent more efficient buildings. China builds more structures than most other countries in the world. I believe that if they take greater measures to produce greener technology they will greatly affect the climate and also the activity of other societies. (more…)

Some time ago I wrote a post about the pros and cons of e-books. Regardless of those debates e-books are growing to be a very popular form of literature. I even have begun to think that e-books are a wondrous invention (and I love the old fashion form of books).

Research was the thought in my mind. I have discovered that you are able to highlight and search when using a Kindle. This is a great feature that can be used for many different industries. Kindles could become a student’s best friend if it can bring text book prices down and make research and notes easier. (more…)

Fighting climate change has not been at the top of some oil industries list. For some, it could be found at the bottom of their list. Exxon Mobil, one of the nation’s largest oil companies, has pushed climate change to the top of their list. This could be a huge step for the oil industry as a whole. Exxon is investing $600 million dollars in the research and development of algae based fuel, sometimes called in oil industry “oilgae.” Exxon has been known and criticized as an oil company that doesn’t care about its impact on the climate. The same people who have criticized them for not caring are questioning whether the company will actually do something with this research. Exxon has admitted that this will be a slow process that could take five to ten years before being implemented. If they do follow through with this program there is no telling where the oil industry will go. This could be one of the greatest steps for alternative energy. (more…)

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) passed the House by a very slim margin. It was passed with 219 votes to 212. In my last blog I discussed everything that was found in the draft formulated by co-sponsors Henry Waxman and Edward Markey, both Democratic Representatives. Once the discussion draft made into the House, amendments and changes came. The bill was expanded to about one thousand three hundred pages. There is no doubt that much controversy and debate came over this bill. (more…)