Going Green Tips
10 Ways to Go Greener in Winter
Winter is a great time to focus on your indoor environment!
There are simple, inexpensive - even cost saving - things you can do right
now
to improve the environmental health of your household and to help preserve
the planet. You may be surprised by what a big impact just a small adjustment
can have, all year long.
Here are 10 0f our Favorite Tips:
- Turn down your thermostat by one degree. You won't feel much of a difference,
but your heating bill will: Lowering the temperature by one degree in
winter will save you about 3 percent on heating bills. [Raising it one
degree in the summer will reduce electricity use by up to 2 percent.]
Want to save more on your heating bill? Put on a sweater, turn the temperature
down lower and watch your energy consumption drop. Even better, put an
extra blanket or two on the bed, turn the thermostat to 60 and snuggle
down for a good night's sleep. When you wake up, just turn the heat back
to where it was the day before. If you can afford to install a programmable
thermostat, you can avoid feeling chilly in the a.m. while the house
is heating back up.
- Open the blinds on sunny winter days. The sun may not feel warm to you when you're outside, but letting the sunshine in captures the sun's heat. That keeps room temperatures higher, so your furnace has to work a little less. Keep that heat in by closing the curtains and blinds as the sun sets. [Reverse the procedure in summer to keep heat out during the day and let cooler air in at night.]
- Use your ceiling fans. Never thought of your ceiling fan as a heating device? It is in the winter! Run it clockwise, at a slow speed, and it will push the warm air that rises toward the ceiling back down to where you are. You'll feel toasty and you'll reduce energy consumption by up to 10 percent.
- Limit use of harsh chemicals, such as traditional cleaning products and insecticides. With doors and windows shut tight and sealed against the chill of winter (a great energy saver...), there is not as much fresh air flowing through your house. That means chemicals you spray or apply linger in the air longer, and can affect your health. If you don't use "green" cleaning products already, this is a good time to try some, such as Clorox GreenWorks or other brands you can pick up in the grocery store. Also, try natural methods of controlling pests such as cockroaches and ants. For ants, cayenne pepper shaken along the edge of the floor or countertops is an excellent deterrent; for roaches, baking soda can do the trick.
- Use environmentally friendly products for do-it-yourself winter home improvement projects. Painting a room or two yourself this winter, or working on other projects with materials that include chemical compounds? Remember, your house is tighter in the winter, and chemicals linger longer in the air you and your family breathe. So, use low-emission, quicker drying, water-soluble paints, glues and caulks whenever possible. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has lots of helpful information about what to look for, and what to avoid [www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-winter.htm]. Your lungs - and your kids' lungs - will thank you!
- Switch to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) when your incandescent light bulbs burn out. CFLs are now almost universally available, from your grocery store to department stores and home improvement megastores. CFLs last years longer than incandescents, and CFLs can save over 80% of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs of equal light output.
- Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth. Save water all year long with just one turn of the tap. Just that little wrist action will help you and your family conserve up to five gallons of water per day. Do that 365 days a year, and a family of four could save almost 7,500 gallons a year for the planet, and some good money on their water bill.
- Use your dishwasher - the electric one, that is. You may not know it, but your dishwasher uses less water than washing dishes by hand. The trick is: Only run the dishwasher when it's full, then let the dishes air dry instead of using the dry cycle.
- Use school snow days to save paper and have fun. Watched every video, baked cookies until you're bone tired? How about a family project to make greeting cards cards from old ones, scrap paper, newsprint or magazines? There are several holidays during the winter months that involve sending cards. Creating recycled content cards saves paper and the trees it's made from. Plus, it's a fun way to spend a snowed-in afternoon.
- Take the bus. Most of us are looking for a less expensive way to travel this winter. It's a good season to go by bus. You'll save money, and energy. Traveling by bus can cut your carbon emissions by as much as 75% compared to flying, and by up to half as much than if you were driving. It's also less expensive.
These are just some of the ways you can be Green in the winter. This spring, when you think of where to go for a great, green, family way to spend the day, come visit us at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. We're building Green into every event!
