Green Decorating Tips

by Tori Riggs





A very new and cool way to reuse things is to redecorate them and make them simple art, containers or gifts for your friends. Here are some ways to be green in decorating old objects to make them new.

1. Cover chair cusions with old sweaters. This looks kind of cool and will fit with any style of room.



2. Melt down old candles. You can melt old candles into small flower pots and stick in a ready-made wick to make brand new candles.



3. Make a tiered tray. Collect three plates and two cups that you aren't using and glue them together.



4. Use Altoid containers as supply tins. You can give the covers different looks to make them fit your office's style, or you can just seperate the supplies by flavor.

For more information, ideas, and steps to make your home or office greener, visit http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/eco-chic-on-the-cheap?lpgStart=1&currentslide=14&currentChapter=1

Spring Energy Saving Tips

by Tori Riggs



Here are some tips to save energy and be green during spring and summer.

1. Consider installing a ceiling fan in family/living rooms. Fans give you a nice cool breeze and circulize air around your house, but they won't help much in smaller rooms.


2. Close blinds, drapes and curtains during the hottest part of the day. This will keep strong sunlight and heat out of your house so you don't always feel like you are baking.


3. Use your microwave rather than your stove/oven. Using your oven or stove lets a lot more heat into your house and can make your house hotter for a long time.


4. Do your laundry and and dishwashing at nightime to avoid using too much heat during the day when it can get too hot.

For more tips and information, please visit http://www.nstar.com/residential/energy_efficiency/spring_summer.asp

Energy Saving Tips

by Tori Riggs

Here are some energy saving tips for going green in your household

1. Run full loads of dishes in your dishwasher. Only washing full loads saves water and soap for when you need to wash your dishes again.
2. Use higher watt bulbs. Higher watt bulbs give more light and can replace several smaller and lower watt bulbs, thus saving energy.
3. Turn off lights that are not in use. This can build and save up a lot of energy which can lower your electric bill.

For more information, please visit http://www.we-energies.com/energy-saving_ideas/tips/101tips.htm

Energy Saving Tips

by Tori Riggs



Here are some energy saving tips:

1. Keep blinds or curtains closed to keep in heat.


2. Save energy by turning off appliances during the day when you are at work or school.

For more simple tips, visit http://www.getenergysmart.org/resources/tips.aspx

New Solar Technology

by Tori Riggs



An Oxford University spin-off has developed some new solar technology that is made from cheap, abundant and nontoxic that can be made in any size.

Hoarding the sun's energy, these solar cells can be printed onto glass or other surfaces, made in many different colors, and could be perfect for new buildings that have solar cells incorporated in glazing panels and walls.

The color green on these new solar cells is the most efficient "semi-transparent" color for producing electrical energy, but red and purple also work as well.



For more information, please visit http://www.photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=45543

Green Home-Building Tips

by Tori Riggs



Here are some tips for building a more energy efficient house.

1. Use simple materials. Avoid expensive imported wood and costly brass and copper. Use woods and metals that are closer to home and are less costly.


2. Use natural light. Build a house that allows sunlight to enter your house conviently and don't install many light fixtures.

For more information, visit: http://architecture.about.com/od/buildyourhous1/a/murcuttbuild.htm

Green Pet Tips

by Tori Riggs



Here are some tips to keep caring for a pet green:

1. Adopt from a shelter. Pet breeders just partially raise baby animals just to get money. Adopting a pet from a shelter saves you money and keeps buying a pet green.


2. Keep your animals inside. This will protect the native wildlife from your cats and dogs and keep them from getting diseases.

For more information and green pet tips, visit http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-pets/green-pets-tips.html

Green Party Tips

by Tori Riggs



Here are some tips to get you started on planning more environmently friendly parties.

1. Send E-vites. Don't use your card-making skills just to waste a few trees. Make e-cards to send to the guests. They will still be as creative and inviting as usual.


2. Use non-disposable plates. Sure, the guys won't be able to eat on the couch while watching the game, but this is much greener than wasting money on paper plates and plastic cups that will just be thrown away anyway.


3. Buy plants and give them away. You can buy small house plants as party favors and give them away to your guests. This will make the air more breathable during the party, and your friends may be inspired to go green afterwards.

For more information, visit: http://ideas.thenest.com/dinner-recipes/entertaining/articles/green-party-tips.aspx

Solar Powered Dancing Flower

by Tori Riggs

Need a good idea for a fun stocking stuffer? Get a solar powered dancing flower! Solar powered dancing flowers are very enjoyable and can add character to any place -- whether it is a bedroom at home, or an office at your workplace. It is completely plastic and does not need any water or food. Just put it on you windowsill and watch it dance away! These solar powered dancing flowers are great for kids and adults alike, and are a great, green Christmas gift for anyone you can think of.

For information about buying a solar powered dancing flower, please visit http://www.perpetualkid.com/solar-powered-dancing-flower.aspx

Energy Saving Tips for Everyday Things

by Tori Riggs



Here are some simple tips for saving energy in any everyday situation:

1. Use recharble batteries. This will help you save energy and money: rechagable batteries last twice as long and disposibles and you won't need to by as many batteries this way.


2. Use a glass or mug rather than a paper or plastic disposable cup. This will help the environment with less paper and plastic pollution.


3. Only print what you really need to. Copy and paste information from websites to word documents and delete anything you don't need, and your trash won't pile up as fast.


4. Take your lunch to work in a reuseable container to avoid throwing too much away. Also, buy a regular lunch box or carrier to avoid wasting too much money on paper bag.


5. Turn off the lights when you leave a room, even if you will be right back. Even saving a little energy helps and sometimes you might forget and waste more energy than you think.

For more information and great green tips, visit: http://www.dom.com/about/conservation/daily-tips.jsp

Solar Yard Lights

by Tori Riggs



Do you need lights for your yard in order to see sidewalks and pathways? Solar yard lights are very convienent to use in your yard. They do not produce as much light as tradtitional light fixtures, but they are great for pathway lighting during the night. They also need to be placed somewhere where they will receive six or more hours of direct sunlight a day. Insallation of these devices is very easy because they have their own mini solar generator, so no wiring is required. It will only take as long as it takes to pound into the ground to install one of these amazing devices.



For more information, please visit http://hometurnedgreen.com/solar-yard-lights/.

Cell Phone Energy Saving Adapter

by Tori Riggs




There is a new cell phone adapter that saves energy and money. This adapter is called the Enviroplug, a newer, greener, way to charge your phones. To use the Enviroplug, you simply plug your phone charger into the Enviroplug into the wall. The interesting and energy saving thing about the Enviroplug is that it doesn't keep wasting electricity when your phone is done charging.



For more info, visit: http://www.envirogadget.com/office-eco-gadgets/enviroplug-mobile-phone-energy-saving-adapter/#more-5829

Solar-Powered Backpack?

by Tori Riggs



Have you ever heard of a solar-powered backpack? No? Well, you have now. Offgrid has a solar backpack for sale for two hundred and thirty dollars each. So what does the power go to? What does a backpack even need with energy? Well, this backpack uses solar power to charge your electronic devices while you are in the sunlight. It can charge your PDA, cell phone, iPod, even your laptop! This backpack is light and functional, and can be plugged in anywhere for charging out of the sun. It is definitely worth your money!



For more info, visit http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/offgrid-solar-backpack.

Eco-Friendly Paint

by Tori Riggs



Did you know that paint can hurt your health? Some paints release low level toxic emissions in to the air for years after they have been applied, causing the air in many homes to be even more polluted than outside air. The solution to this toxic problem is buying and using non-toxic paints, such as Sherwin Williams and SoyGuard brand paints. The health benefits of non-toxic paints include reducing the amount of toxins in the air which helps everyone, even those who have alergies. Using non-toxic paints also reduces landfill and groundwater contaminants. Non-toxic paints are easier to clean up and dispose of and they don't have the same noxious odor of regular paint once finished. Using non-toxic paints can help the environment clean up and can help you save money, time, and the health of your family.



To learn more, visit http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_paints.htm

Solar Powered Puma Phone

by Tori Riggs



The company Puma decided to go green and come up with new ideas for smart phones. They, (the German company specifically) have created a green cell phone that has a solar-powered cell on its back for charging in the sun. It also has a built in eco-meter which displays a a real-time count of how many calls, texts and songs have been powered by the sun. The phone is even shipped in eco-friendly packaging. For one last cool surprise, if you use solar power to charge the phone, you get Puma store points. This may be the coolest green smart phone yet!!!







For more information, visit http://greenlivingideas.com/topics/alternative-energy/solar-energy-photovoltaics/puma-steps-into-mobile-with-solar-powered-phone#more-9694

A Very Green Trip Around the World

by Tori Riggs



Want to travel the world and be green about it too? That's Andy Pag's dream, but also his current job. Mr. Pag is traveling the world in an old, recycled bus powered by french fry fat. The bus is not only green in fuel, but in everything else as well. The bus was salvaged from a scrapyard and redone using old tables and other waste materials. Inside, it has a wood burning stove, low power LED lighting, and a waterless, chemical free composting toilet. When asked what it's like to drive this remarkable bus, Mr. Pag said, "It smells like a bus driver's armpit, but when you are using rubbish you can't expect too much." The bus left London on September 19th, 2009 and is still making its way along Asia.

Creative Recycling

by Tori Riggs



More and more people are turning green and staying that way. Some of these people are simply putting aluminum cans in recycling cans and washing their clothes in cold water instead of warm. Of course, there are also these people who recycle in new, crazy ways. Look at these different recycling ways to find out some new ways that you can recycle.

1. Designers have discovered a brand new way to recycle: making clothes into carpets. These designers simply stitch the shirts and coats together to make a cool, easy to use carpet that you can cut into smaller pieces to fit anywhere.


2. A company called Remarkable has made brand new school suppilies from recycling other objects. These school supplies have information about their origons on their covers. For example, there is a notebook that says 'I used to be a juice carton...' on the cover with a picture of an arrow pointing to the juice carton and the word 'Recycle.' This makes shopping for school much greener in the fall.


3. For a more fasionable way to go green, Italian designer Marcella Foschi recycles dying or dead technology into interesting fasions. Her cassette tape coin purses are cute and collectible as well as functional.

These ways to recycle are interesting and can inspire many different, insane ideas to go green with recycling.

For more creative recycling ways, go to http://ecoble.com/2008/03/12/10-unusually-creative-ways-to-recycle-ordinary-objects/.

The 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid

by Tori Riggs



Looking for a new, green car? Look no further. Say hello to the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. This particular hybrid has an electric and gas engine. This means that even if the electricty runs out, you can still drive using gas power. The electric engine alone can get the car to drive up to 47 miles per hour which is faster than any other hybrid vehicle. The Ford Fusion Hybrid comes in many colors, including red, black, white, blue, grey and silver. The car costs about $20,000 and up, for different models, but it is definitely worth it. If you want a good-quality car that is very green inspired, then get the new 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. It will definently pay you back in no time.

A Few Energy Saving Tips for the Home

By Tori Riggs



Think saving energy is too expensive or hard to do? Well, there are several ways to save energy while doing normal, easy things or saving money. They are:



1.) Use daylight to your advantage.

While remodeling or decorating your home, use light colored curtains. These curtains allow sunlight to still penetrate into the room but still allow privacy. Also, use light colors that reflect daylight back into the room.



2.) Use curtains to allow in heat.

During the winter, open the curtians on your south-facing windows. This allows sunlight in and also lets the sunlight heat the house. At night, close those curtains to reduce chill.



3.) Turn computer monitors off.

People think that using your screen saver conserves energy on your computer, but it doesn't. Turning monitors off or putting computers on sleep mode will conserve much more energy than leaving the screen saver on.



So you see, going green is much easier and unexpensive than wasting energy in your home. Using these ideas and many more, you can help the environment and still live comfortably in your home.