Turn Down That Air Conditioning

I know it is summer and it is hot, but remember- people a hundred years ago didn't even have air conditioning units! They didn't even have electrical fans! And guess what? They led happy, productive lives. Of course, I'm not asking anyone to not turn on their AC for the summer. All I think is necessary is to use common sense. For most people, 80 degrees indoors when it is over 100 outside isn't too bad. No need to crank down the thermostat to below 70.

There are various ways to cool down. Obviously, wearing lighter, thinner clothes helps, such as shorts and tanktops. Taking colder showers will help cool you off. Drinking ice cold water definitely will chill your system.

Other strategies: remember to turn off the AC whenever you leave home, or at night when it is cooler and less humid. If you have different units for different rooms or floors, it is most effective to only turn on the unit of the area in which you will be staying. If you can control the air flow into rooms, turn off the AC in rooms you rarely use, such as a spare bedroom or a formal dining room.

You can save a lot on your utility bills with these simple changes. I know people who spend several hundred dollars a month just because of the AC! Now, doesn't it seem better to endure a few degrees higher temperature in return for that money? Not to mention the benefits of using less fossil fuel!

This image is from General Heating.

Avoid Individually-packaged Products

Individual packages are all the craze these days. Hello, 100-calorie packs, fruit snacks, oatmeal packets, mini-bags of pretzels, ice cream cups, ketchup, sugar, etc.? I've even seen cute little packets of peanut butter and saran-wrapped microwavable potatoes.

Of course, these little packages of joy are very convenient and portion-controlled. However, they do take a toll on the environment and on your wallet.

More plastic and other materials are needed to create the excess packaging. Because of this, more oil is used to create the plastic, and more fossil fuels/energy is used for the production. Also, ultimately more trash ends up in our landfills and sidewalks. These items also cost a lot more per unit. For example, a large bag of Cheetos is cheaper than a pack of several smaller bags.

In the end, I believe that portion-controlled packaging actually encourages an unhealthy lifestyle. Why, you ask? Well, most of these goods are processed and relatively nutrient-poor. However, because of the portion control, people believe that they are eating healthy.

Steer clear of these convenience foods! If you need portion control, buy a larger bag and divide it up yourself. You can reuse your own little plastic baggies and save some money. It's the lesser of two evils. However, the best thing for the environment would be to avoid most processed and packaged foods and eat naturally and locally.

This image is from ABC News.

Choose the Real White Meat

Though a vegetarian or vegan diet is best in terms of the impact it has on the environment, many people do not have the time, money, or desire for the huge lifestyle change. Therefore, the next best thing to do is to compare the different types of meat we commonly eat. Remember, unlike men, all meat are not created equal.

Let's think in terms of the amount of grain an animal must consume vs. the amount of meat the animal produces. According to BBC News, one cow requires at least 13 pounds of grain in order to make one pound of beef. Pigs need 6 pounds of grain to make one pound of pork. Chickens consume about 2 pounds of feed for each pound of meat. Fish, I believe, need a little less.

Let's say the standard serving of meat is 4 oz. per person (of course, nowadays the perception of portion sizes in blown out of proportion, with half-pound burgers and 12 oz. steaks). A family of four eats meat at two meals out of the day, meaning 28 meals a week. That's over 1400 pounds a year. Now, if the family chose chicken over beef each time, they would be saving over 16,000 pounds of grain annually!

Now multiply this number by the number of meat-consuming families in the world. It's an astronomical figure! We could do so much with this amount of food, including easing third world hunger.

Of course, this is the basic outline, but there are many other benefits.

Environmental

Less water used (beef requires the most, then pork, etc.)

Less fossil fuels used (again, cattle require the most equipment/trucks/shelter)

Less land degradation

Cost

Generally speaking, beef is the most expensive, then pork, then chicken (fish is the exception)

Health

Again, on average beef has the most saturated fat and cholesterol. Chicken and fish have many more health benefits.

If you just can't give up your meat, remember, fish> chicken > pork > beef. Obviously, there are many problems with the chicken and fish market (overfishing, anyone?), but this is a general guide you should use.

This image comes from http://www.aspencountry.com/

Use Sprinklers Wisely

I don't know where you live, but here in Virginia it gets hot in the summer. The sweltering weather means...well, plants are thirsty! Sometimes the seasonal thunderstorms and cloud bursts just aren't enough to maintain a green yard.

People in my neighborhood always turn on their sprinklers during the hottest part of day, the early afternoon. Their reasoning? "Well, plants need to cool down too, don't they?"

This strategy not only may harm the plants, but is also extremely wasteful. With such high temperatures, a lot of the water from the sprinkler evaporates away before it can even reach the plant roots. Having a pivot system makes this even worse, because the water droplets have further to go before falling to the ground.

The best time to irrigate is during early morning or early evening, when the sun's rays aren't so strong and overhead. More water actually is able to reach the plants, so therefore you can conserve more water.

An even better idea would be to buy a different type of sprinkler that drips water directly into the ground, eliminating a lot of evaporation. If you don't want to go out and buy it, and you have an old hose, you can also poke little holes on the side of the tubing and lay it out where your plants/grass are. Simple solution for a big change!

This image is courtesy of CmsGardens.

Universities and Being Green

Yes, I know, this isn't a post with a tip, but I just wanted to mention the trend of colleges and universities going green. I'm visiting campuses right now, and just about every place I've been to has some sort of environmental initiative going on.

The University of Richmond has the one building called Weinstein, and in all of the bathrooms the lights are sensor-activated. When you walk into them they light up. It's really nice and saves them a lot on their electricity bill, but it can be a bit scary if you aren't used to it.

At Duke, they built this Smart Home Dorm that has various features such as solar power systems and rainwater collection systems. I personally did not tour the dorm but it seems very interesting so I encourage you to go visit in case you are ever in Durham.

William and Mary also recently had a dorm building built that was certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

It's a great trend, especially with engineering/science students helping with the construction in some of the buildings and other students experiencing living and learning in them. I hope other campuses follow soon and spread awareness!

Grow native plants in your yard

The next time you are at a plant nursery eying that exotic Brazilian plant, remember something- it is to your advantage and to nature's benefit to bring home something that indigenous to the region. There are a number of reasons why this is so.

Flowers, shrubs, and trees that are native to an area are already acclimated to the local temperature, rainfall, soil nutrients, etc. Therefore, it will be less work for you if you chose these species, since they will most likely not need special care or extra attention.

Many exotic plants require extra water, meaning you will have to turn on your sprinklers more often. Remember from the last post, water = valuable resource + money! You want to conserve it, not find ways to use it up.

Additionally, these plants may require special fertilizers or pesticides since they may not have developed protection against local insects or need nutrients not found in the area's soil. Let me explain to you why the less fertilizer/pesticide you use, the better.

After you apply these chemicals to your land, they stick around in the soil and on the plants. When rain comes, they are washed away with the runoff. Eventually, most of the runoff flows in bodies of water such as lakes. Now, pesticides and fertilizers from farmlands and yards accumulate into the lake. The pesticides can kill off beneficial organisms that are essential to the ecosystem of the lake.

The fertilizers also cause a grave problem, known as eutrophication. In this phenomenon, the nutrients in fertilizers such as nitrogen and phosphorous feed the algae in the lake. Because of the excess food, the algae can grow to enormous proportions, in groups known as "algal blooms." Now, when the algae die, bacteria swarm in large numbers to decompose the massive blooms. These bacteria use up a lot of the oxygen in the lake and cause oxygen-free areas known as "dead zones." With little to no oxygen, fish and other creatures die. Eutrophication is a major issue today, especially in the Chesapeake Bay.

Lastly, native plants simply cost less! They don't have to be ugly either- there are many attractive species located in all areas of the world!

The other dangers of exotic species will be addressed in an upcoming post, hopefully. Meanwhile, pay attention to what you are planting in your yard!

The above image is from www.jstryker.com

Check for leaks

Here's an easy way to cut down on water usage. Every time you use the faucet, shower, hose, etc., make sure to turn it off very tightly. Sometimes, even if the water seems to be cut off, there is still a tiny imperceptible drip. These precious drops of water add up to a lot. A slow rate of one drip per three seconds (yes, it is a long time- one...two...three) can lead to over 1000 gallons a year! That's crazy!

American Water Works Association has a fun calculator that will tell you exactly how much water you waste, right here.

Here's another calculator, which takes into account the number of faucets you have in your home. So, the average household has around 2 bathrooms, right? Each one has a sink and a shower/bath. Plus the kitchen sink, and some people also have faucets in a utility room. Oh, and some homes also have a half bath. Let's plug this into the calculator, still using the 1 drop per 3 seconds. Yikes! More than 3,500 gallons!

3,500 gallons, to give you some perspective, is the same size as this guy's pond that he built by hand, according to this Myspace video. Yeah.

So, by turning off all faucets tightly, you can save a pond-full of fishies! Um...no. But, seriously, check your faucets. It shouldn't take more than 5 seconds a day to squeeze them a little tighter.

This lovely image is from the Daily Green.