Are Fake Lawns really Eco-friendly?

When I think of fake grass I think of the astroturf I see at miniature golf putting ranges. But, it looks like they have come along way with how it looks now. There are some pros and cons when it comes to Fake Lawns. It sounds like a great idea to have a fake lawn, but the fake grass is not eco-friendly.

Here are some pros to installing a fake lawn:
1. No more wasting time mowing the yard and polluting the air
2. No bugs
3. No weeds
4. No pesticides and fertilizers
5. No watering required
6. Green grass year round
7. Non-flammable (for you smokers out there or people that use torch lamps)

Now the cons:
1. It doesn’t last forever usually 5-8 years
2. Very expensive

For more information check out Foreverlawn and Newgrass.

Exchange Traded Funds for Alternative Energy

J. Alex Tarquinio of the New York Times wrote a great article Funds, Too, Are Mining New Energy Sources. ETFs are economical to buy and and maintain over the years, making them especially attractive for the typical buy and hold investor. ETFs are index funds that trade just like stocks on major stock exchanges.

Green Alternative to Traditional Wood Coffins

Green burials cost less and are earth friendly. Instead of conventional wood and steel coffins, people can bury their loved ones in a more biodegradable cardboard, cartonboard or wicker casket. The definition of a green burial varies, but it generally means either cremation or full-body burial with no embalming fluids and a biodegradable coffin. In addition to the ecological and emotional benefits, green burials can often be friendlier to the pocketbook. Burials that include embalming, steel casket and concrete vaults can cost $10,000 or more, while green burials can be done for less than $2,000.

According to National Geographic, American funerals are responsible for the felling of 30 million board feet of casket wood (some of which comes from tropical hardwoods), 90,000 tons of steel, 1.6 million tons of concrete for burial vaults, and 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid. Even cremation is an enviromental horror story with the incineration process emitting many a noxious substance, including dioxin, hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide and climate changing carbon dioxide.

The Indianapolis Star reported in its Sunday editions  that at least two green cemeteries are being planned in Indiana — one near Bloomington and another in Lafayette. Flanner and Buchanan Funeral Centers in Indianapolis are training staff on green services and are considering ways to create green burial sections at some of its existing cemetaries.

The Green Burial Council, a nonprofit group that sets standards for natural burials, says traditional services can be wasteful - using caskets made of steel, copper or old-growth hardwoods.

 

 

Bring Green Home, Money Saving Tips

Since winter is almost here you may want to check out eco friendly ideas for home.

Plant trees - not only does it improve air and water quality it increases the value of your home. According to the US Department of Energy, as few as three strategically planted trees in your yard can lower your heating and cooling costs. Trees can provide shade in the summer and block cold winds in the winter.

Programmable Thermostat - save up to $75 each year on your energy bill by using one of these in your home. Adjust your thermostat -down two degrees in the winter, up two degrees in the summer can save you up to $45 a year.

HVAC System - each year, your HVAC system could be wasting as much as $50 in energy. Have your system tuned up in the spring and fall each year. Change or clean the filters in your air conditioners and heaters.

Refrigerator coils - by cleaning the dust off on the coils located in the back of a refrigerator makes it more efficient.

Energy-efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs - by changing your five most used light bulbs in your house, you can save up to $27 a year. 

Caulk and weather strip doors and windows - to keep the cold from coming into your home this winter. If your attic insulation is looking a little sparse, you may want to add more before it gets too cold.

ENERGY STAR - buy ENERGY STAR products and appliances.

Dishwasher - open the dishwasher to air dry the dishes, instead of using the hot air dry cycle. Only run the machine with full loads.

Clothes Dryer - most of us live in neighborhoods where the Deed of Restrictions does not allow us to use closeline in our back yard, but if you have a unfinished area in your basement you can hang a close line to dry clothes.

Computers - use the sleep mode on your computers at home and at the office. Turn them off at night.

 

Waterless Car Wash

Do you want to kick the bucket and clean your car without messy hoses and buckets? Well, there are waterless plant-based cleaners you can use without using a drop of water. Think about all of the pollutants we can prevent from entering our streams. I can’t find the plant-based cleaners here in Louisville, but you can purchase Lucky Earth Waterless Car Wash and Eco Touch Waterless Car Wash & Polish online.

Eco-Friendly Water Bottles

Water may be essential to survival, but that doesn’t mean the plastic container should survive longer than us. We waste so much energy producing and shipping plastic bottles and now they are saying the water in these convenient bottles contain pollutants. EWG (Environmental Working Group) released a report that reveals the dirty truth about bottled water. 

If you are interested in purchasing one of these nifty bottles, be sure to check out these sites: Klean Kanteen, Nalgene, Sigg and Platypups.




Energy Efficient Tax Credit for your Home

If you are tired of giving Uncle Sam your money each year and you’re interested in greenovating your home with energy saving technology. Here are some ways you can take advantage of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

All Energy Star labeled windows and skylights - 10% of cost, up to $200.

Exterior doors - 10% of cost, up to $500.

Energy Star Qualified Metal Roofs - 10% of cost, up to $500.

Insulation that meets 2000 IECC & Amendments - 10% of cost, up to $500.

An advanced main air circulating fan - $50.

All Energy Star labeled Geo-thermal Heat Pumps - 30% of cost, up to $2000.

Solar Equipment for Water Heating Systems or Photovoltaic Cells that provide electricity - 30% of cost, up to $2000.

Here is a summary of the tax credits and IRS forms visit Energy Star .

To encourage people to buy energy efficient products, ENERGY STAR partners occasionally sponsor special offers, such as sales tax exemptions or credits, or rebates on qualified products. So if you are looking to update some appliances check out Special Offers and Rebates from Energy Star Partners. Be sure to scroll down and click on Check All so you don’t miss anything.

If you would like to save energy take the Energy Star Pledge  and help fight Global Warming.

 

We Can All Live Green

If you are looking for a book that has hundreds of money-saving tips and strategies for “greening up” your life, then you may want to check out this book. We Can Live Green is launching a new book entitled, We Can (All) Live Green: Simple Steps to Save Money, Stay Healthy and Support the Planet. I checked with Barnes & Noble Booksellers and they do not have it yet. The author Jennifer Noonan is the founder of We Can Live Green, an online resource for connecting consumers to quality green products and services.