Go Solar!

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★★★
Solar panels are quite durable - and generally have a warranty of 25 years. Since the main ingredient of a solar cell is sand (silicon) - it's pretty low-impact to manufacture and produces polution-free energy over it's entire lifetime. It's hardware components are almost completely recyclable.

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆
Although solar panels are expensive, if you figure them as part of the cost of your house, and build them into the mortgage, they can actually be cheaper month-to-month than the electric bill that they eliminate (depending on the climate you live in - running large A/C units on solar can be impractical).

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
Electricity is electricity - there's really no lifestyle change to using solar power over utility power. There can be occasional drawbacks though. During extended cloudy weather your batteries may get depleted - if you are completely "off-the-grid". Most systems are still attached to power though, and you can actually save money by selling power back to the utility company (acting as a "generator") during times you are producing more electricity than you are using.

What We’re Doing
We've started off small and put an 80 watt panel up on the roof (see photo). We got it as an anniversary present to ourselves a few years ago. It is cabled to a black Pelican box (also pictured) that contains four sealed wheelchair batteries, a solar charge controller, and an inverter (to produce 110VAC from the batteries). It produces enough electricity to run small items like fans during the day and a floor lamp at night. The batteries have enough storage to run a large box fan for several days if electricity to the house goes out (which makes summer power failures much more bearable!) It can also power a small refrigerator for a day or two for emergency food cooling. Eventually we hope to build a small home completely "off-the-grid" and rely on solar for all electric needs.

A Little Humor

At the Electric Company: "We would be de-lighted if you send in your bill. However, if you don't you will be "

Most books now say our sun is a star. But it still knows how to change back into a sun in the daytime.

Take up Knitting!

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
Not a lot of environmental benefit - but there are a few things! You reduce packaging and distribution costs that would be involved in purchasing the items you made if you bought them instead. Also the energy costs of their production are coming from food you would have eaten anyway, since it's a human-powered manufacturing system.

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆
We don't have a sheep for spinning our own wool (yet!), so for now we still need to buy the yarn and don't save as much as we could otherwise.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★★☆☆
The girls (and I) love having their own knitted scarfs, sweaters, socks, etc. that Shannon makes.

What We’re Doing
Shannon took up knitting as a hobby a few years ago, and enjoys having something to do with her hands during unoccupied moments just about anywhere! I think we've all gotten scarfs, and more recently she has started making socks (a little trickier from what I understand). The photo shows a yellow sweater she made being modeled by one of our girls. I'm afraid that about all I know of knitting is how to tie knots (probably doesn't count anyway, since you don't use needles for it). Anyway, I guess this isn't a big environment saver - but it exemplifies the culture of "doing for yourself" which is much more environmentally sound than buying something made by machines half the world away.

A Little Humor
A traffic cop pulled alongside a speeding car on the motorway. Glancing into the car, he was astounded to see that the young lady, who was driving, was knitting as she drove.

Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the policeman wound down his window, turned on his loudspeaker and yelled, 'PULL OVER!'

'NO', the young lady yelled back, 'IT's A SCARF!'

Make a Greenhouse

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★☆☆
Well, there isn't really an environmental benefit to a greenhouse directly, but by continuing to grow food during the cool season you are helping reduce the energy costs associated with bringing food to you from halfway around the world where it is warmer!

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆
You can save a little money over the cost of store-bought foods, if you don't spend a lot on the greenhouse!

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
Fresh fruits and vegetables! And you don't have to fret so much when a freeze comes along, as you've got protection for your garden.


What We’re Doing
Shannon made this little "dome tent" (seen in the background behind the young furniture finishers) using thin PVC pipe and sewing up some heavy translucent plastic. It allows most of the sun in, so the plants (in this case usually citrus trees that need freeze protection) can grow - but also traps enough heat that a light freeze during the night won't damage the trees. Here in Austin TX that's usually enough protection for them, although on a really cold night we'll sometimes put a hot lightbulb in there with them. In cooler climates, you'd have to use a more effective design. Shannon takes this apart and stores it in the shed during the warmer part of the year. You can also use "crop covers" for overnight freeze protection of garden beds that aren't in a greenhouse.

A Little Humor
Riddle: There was a green house.Inside the green house there was a white houseInside the white house there was a red house.Inside the red house there were lots of babies.What is it?

Answer: (backwards) nollemretaw a

Grind wheat to make Bread

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
You save a little on packaging by baking your own bread and grinding your own flour. Especially if you reuse breadbags to hold your bread!

Money Saved: ★★★☆☆
Storebought bread is pretty expensive these days. And it's mostly air anyway! (Didn't you ever wad up a slice into a little ball as a kid?)

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
Although kids sometimes prefer the light airy fluffiness of storebought bread, they can also come to appreciate the yumminess of fresh-baked wheat bread. Especially lightly toasted with butter and fresh strawberry jam. There isn't much better than that! Only downside is the extra work to make the bread - but if you make several loafs at a time (or use a bread machine if you must!) it doesn't have to take too much effort.

What We’re Doing
On sunny days Shannon often bakes bread in our solar oven outdoors. In the winter though, sometimes she'll just go ahead and use the oven since it helps warm up the house anyways. We did a lot of research a number of years back and purchased a Country Living Grain Mill. It uses a steel grinder that works faster for hand-grinding than a stone wheel. We wanted a mill that could be used by hand, for emergency use. But after grinding our first batch of wheat that way, we elected to motorize it for daily use! This mill has a wheel that can handle a belt, making it easy to hook up to a motor (see photo). I just got a grinding wheel pully and a 1/2 hp motor, mounting them all on a thick board. If we needed to, we could hook the handle up again and do it using "muscle power". They also had a photo on their website of someone who had hooked a stationary bicycle up to one! We've been grinding wheat for all our bread for at least 6 years now on it with no problems - it's very solidly made. In fact, Shannon has become the "miller girl" for our neighborhood - also grinding wheat for other ladies nearby!

A Little Humor
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large tray of bread slices. The nun posted a sign on the bread tray, "Take only one. God is watching."Further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. One child whispered to another, "Take all you want. God is watching the bread."

Grow your own Food

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★★★
By growing your own food, you 1) Reduce packaging, distribution and sales energy costs for the food you eat. Also, you reduce the impact of producing that food by using your own energy to plant, cultivate, and harvest it and by ensuring that environmentally sound practices such as composting and natural pest control measures are used.

Money Saved: ★★★☆☆
Seeds and gardening equipment can be expensive. The key is to track everything you spend, and try to make due with what you have. Take care of your equipment, use heirloom plants so you can harvest their seeds to use next year. Use rainwater harvesting to water where possible. Keep track of your harvest so that you know how much you've produced, and work to improve your cost/harvest ratio. It is quite possible to grow your food for less than what it costs at the store - and it will be better and fresher.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★★★☆
Although gardening can be a lot of work and take a lot of your time (depending on how you approach it), most people find that there is a lot of benefit. Aside from getting out and moving your body (you know - that word "exercise") there is great satisfaction in watching things grow and carring for them, then harvesting and eating what you've grown yourself. And you know where it came from - you don't have to worry about the latest e. coli spinach recall, heavy metal contamination from use of sludge fertilizers, etc.

What We’re Doing
Shannon has been developing our garden for 10 years now. When we first bought our house, the backyard was all grass. The first year about a third of the turf was dug up for garden. It's slowly grown until it takes up at least half of the yard now (and several trees have been sacrificed because they shaded the garden too much). Shannon weighs everything she harvests from it and tracks all of the money spent on it so that she can measure how efficient her production is. And we have fresh salads most of the year (in Texas we have three growing seasons), with occasional fresh fruit.

A Little Humor
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

"If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life." — Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

Make a Draft Stopper

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★☆☆
A lot of heat (or cool) can escape a house by drafts under or around doors, through open chimneys, etc. If you can see daylight if you get down to the floor and try to look under your door, then this homemade gadget can help conserving energy.

Money Saved: ★★★☆☆
Once again, conserving energy means saving money. It only costs a couple dollars in rice, and some recycled fabric from old clothes to make this thing.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
A little bit of a nuisance to have to push up against your door after opening it, but helps keep your house more comfortable and prevent cold drafts from seeping into your living room . . .

What We’re Doing
Our house has had some foundation settling, and as a result we've had to make several adjustments to our front door over the years. One result is that there is a bit of a gap at the bottom now that lets cold air in during winter months. Shannon made this simple fabric tube and filled it with rice (uncooked!) which makes it sort of like a bean bag. Pressed up against the bottom of the door, it seals it quite well!

A Little Humor
It was autumn, and the Indians on the remote reservation asked their new Chief if the winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a new Indian Chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets, and when he looked at the sky, he couldn't tell what the weather was going to be. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he replied to his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect wood to be prepared. But also being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?"
"It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold indeed," the meteorologist at the weather service responded. So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood in order to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again. "Is it going to be a very cold winter?"
"Yes," the man at National Weather Service again replied, "it's going to be a very cold winter." The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of wood they could find. Two weeks later he called the National Weather Service again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?"
"Absolutely," the man replied. "It's going to be one of the coldest winters ever."
"How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked.
The weatherman replied, "The Indians are collecting wood like crazy!"

Add Attic Insulation

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★★☆
Unless you already have a well-insulated attic space, adding more insulation can save a considerable amount of heating/cooling energy. And many insulation products are recycled materials or waste from other industries.

Money Saved: ★★★☆☆
And with energy prices rising, saving energy also means saving money every month! Sure, it costs a little to add that insulation initially. But it's surprisingly affordable and in most areas of North America the payback is pretty fast.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
Your house will be more comfortable, and your furnace or A/C will be blowing less.

What We’re Doing
With winter coming on, most people in our country at least have been switching their thermostats to "Heat". One of the easiest and least expensive things you can do to save on your utility bills is to insulate your house better. When we first bought our house we noticed that the attic had a fairly minimal layer of blown-in rock wool insulation. We called an insulation contractor to come in and blow more insulation in - I don't remember what the cost was but remember being surprised at how cheap it was, somewhere around $200 I think. We probably made that back in the first 6 months heating bills. People in our area are always amazed when they hear how low our utility bills are, and this is one reason for it.

A Little Humor
Question: Why did the customer fire the insulation company?
Answer: They told him they were putting batts in his walls.

I have some information
Regarding your insulation
The R, Mrs. Farr
Is far from par
So the AC gets no vacation

It’s so cold in here said O’Toole
My hiney froze to the stool
The furnace man Joe
Said sir did you know
Your thermostat’s set to cool

Get a Kill-A-Watt!

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
No direct benefit, but when you use the results of your measurements to help you save power, you can save a lot! Helps you find those "energy vampires" mentioned in one of the earlier posts "Go Unplugged!"

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆
Cost of the device is currently $16.99 on Amazon. You can easily save more than that by being more energy aware!

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
Electricity is a kind of a personal servant in a sense - it makes things more convenient and more comfortable for us. Perhaps "employee" would be a better word than "servant" because you have to pay the cost of using it. Sometimes it's more convenient to leave things on, not bother about turning off all the lamps, electronic piano, stereo system, etc. But once we know what those things are costing us, it is sometimes "easier" to remember!

What We’re Doing
Shannon bought this "Kill-A-Watt" meter for us several years ago. You unplug any device, plug this thing into the wall and plug the device into it instead of the wall. Then it will tell you how much power or current the device is using at any moment. If you leave it to run for awhile (like while monitoring a refrigerator) it will also keep track of how much power it uses over time (since refrigerator compressors go on and off during the day, taking more and less power). We've gone around the house measuring different gadgets, and it's very interesting to see how much power your appliances actually take - both awake AND when "sleeping". For example, our desktop computer uses almost 4x the power of the laptop we've got. Our microwave uses more power than the label on the back says it should (what's up with that???).

A Little Humor
"If it weren't for electricity, we'd all be watching television by candlelight."
— George Gobel

Make your own Candy

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
Making things yourself is almost always an environmental plus - saves on packaging and distribution costs if nothing else.

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆
Candy can be really expensive. For example, quality truffles cost at least $1 each, but cost more like $0.20 each or less to make.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★★☆☆
Some candies like chocolate truffles are actually very easy to make. Others, like caramels, take more cooking and are difficult to handle (stiiickkky!!) but worth the effort! Lots of fun to make with kids too - they're fascinated by candy that didn't come from a store!

What We’re Doing
Last Valentine's day we got lots of gourmet chocolate bars, additions like mint leaves and orange tea and cocoa nibs and caschews, and made gourmet truffles! Mmmmm - they were good and we ended up giving away lots and gaining probably a few pounds. Also made peanut brittle for the first time a few weeks ago, as our oldest daughter was asking what it was! Lots of recipes abound on the internet, but if you are a chocolate lover then you need to be aware that truffles are actually very EASY to make!

A Little Humor

You can safely have chocolate while driving.

You can have chocolate all weekend and still walk okay on Monday.

If you've got melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly.

Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.

How do you get 2 pounds of chocolate home in a hot car - eat it in the car park.

If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet?

Money talks. Chocolate sings.

Chocolate has preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger.

Why is there no such organization such as Chocoholics Anonymous? Because no one wants to quit.

Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done.

A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one go. Isn't that handy?

If you can't eat all your chocolate, it will keep in the freezer. If you can't eat all your chocolate, what's wrong with you?

If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control top pantyhose. An entire garment industry would be devastated. You can't let that happen, can you?

Recycle a Book

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★☆☆
Reading a book that was purchased used has very little environmental impact!

Money Saved: ★★★☆☆
Used books can be borrowed free from friends, or purchased for usually less than half price from used book dealers.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★★★★
Once you get hooked on a books your TV will get lonely. Hopefully you can still spare some time for your family and work! And used books are just as fun to read as new ones (sometimes more).

What We’re Doing
Well, one environmental impact I didn't mention earlier can be that with an accumulation of old books you end up needing lots of bookshelves and boxes to keep them in. Ideally you would continue recycling the books to others, but it can be hard to give them up! Our local library has a bookstore where the sell books no longer needed for just a buck or two for hardbacks. We also have a "Half-Price Books" chain that has good prices on used books, movies, and music. They don't give you much on your trade-ins but at least they'll go to another good home! I also enjoy listening to audio books while driving. You can get older (copyright free) audio books to download for free from http://www.librivox.org/ . Myself, I can recycle a book just by reading it again a year later, since my memory is so poor that they seem like new again! Seems like the e-readers like Kindle would be a great solution to the storage problem as well as the waste of trees - haven't tried that yet.

A Little Humor
GOOD RECYCLER: You recycle not only your newspapers but also your phone books, magazines, and cardboard boxes.

NOT SO GOOD: You leave your newspapers in the bathroom stall at work after you're done. Doesn't that count?