February 11, 2009 4:11 PM
- Text
Top "Clean and Green" Ideas
(CBS)
Is "going green" just a slogan, or words to live by?
The Early Show asked viewers to share their eco-friendly ideas and, in its "Clean and Green" series, is showing our favorites all week, and rewarding their creators with Sears gift cards worth $3,000.
Danny Lipford, host of "Today's Homeowner," helped pick the best of them, and is sharing the choices with viewers.
The notions all help save money, energy -- and the planet.
He says plenty of viewers seem to find it pretty easy to live greener, and the best part is, most of the ideas being shown are fairly simple.
THE IDEAS THAT GOT THE NOD:
Friday: Embracing "Green" Lifestyle
That's exactly what Michael and Leonor Sarver have done, as Lipford found out when he visited them in their Oxnard, Calif. home.
As The Early Show's own Harry Smith often does, Michael rides his bike to work whenever possible. Leonor keeps the drapes closed in the house to keep the hot sun out, and unplugs all but essential appliances when they're not being used. She uses the stove as infrequently as possible, even making "bake-less" pies! She also prepares many a meal with fresh, uncooked veggies.
The result of those and other steps? Very low energy bills, and more than a few inches off their waistlines.
Today (Friday), the Sarvers are moving into an ulta-green home, in Ventura, Calif., with a geo-dome roof made of solar panels, and a hot water system that's so efficient, it doesn't even need a tank!
Thursday: Reducing Your "Carbon Footprint"
A "carbon footprint" is a calculation to determine an individual's impact on the environment.
The lighter (lower), the better!
Lipford met the Weinaug family, of Apopka, Fla. They've been trying hard to reduce their footprint by, among other things, setting up 2,500 gallon water cisterns to collect all the water from their home's gutters, then using it to water their lawn.
Lipford demonstrated a simple rain barrel that can do much the same thing, with very little expense -- the Spruce Creek Rainsaver (www.sprucecreekrainsaver.com/index.html). It costs $154.99.
To figure out your own carbon footprint, click here.
Wednesday: Water Conservation
We're using so much water that many experts believe we'll have a crisis if we don't cut back.
Lipford showed how Mary Jane Whalley, of Portland, Ore., conserves water in her home -- and the savings, in water and money -- aren't just a drop in the bucket!
Whalley puts a bucket under the faucet in her tub when she first turns it on, to catch the water as she waits for it to warm. It's water that would ordinarily just go down the drain, literally. She then uses the captured water for other things, such as watering her plants. Whalley also stresses the importance of water conservation to her kids, believing if you teach it to them when they're young, they'll practice it all their lives.
Lipford also suggested that Whalley use a low-flow showerhead, which he helped install.
Lipford pointed out to viewers that, although there are many devices on the market designed to help you save on your water bill, there are also a few common sense things you can do to make sure you're not wasting water, inside or out.
Did you know a simple plumbing leak can cost you hundreds of dollars a year in wasted water? A toilet leak can use 50 extra gallons of water a day.
To save water outdoors, Lipford suggests that you:
Landscape with plants that need less water
Water lawns during the time of day when temperatures and wind speeds are lowest, to reduce evaporation
Use a soaker hose instead of a sprinkler system to better target the water to your plants
Use mulch generously to help retain moisture
Set your lawnmower blades to three inches, to encourage your lawn to grow deeper roots and hold moisture better.
On the inside:
Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when water hasn't been run in your home. If the reading isn't exactly the same, you've got a leak somewhere.
A leaky toilet is often overlooked as a water waster. So, place a few drops of food coloring into the toilet tank. If the color leaks into the bowl, replace the flapper. Don't use the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket.
Get those dripping faucets repaired. Usually, it's simply a matter of replacing worn washers.
Install faucet aerators to slow the flow of water in sinks, and use low-flow showerheads in the tub.
Lipford also advises that you use a water recirculation device, which keeps more hot water circulating through your pipes. He says Watts Premier has designed a recirculation pump that's fairly easy to install, so it's do-it-yourself friendly, and the company says it can save you up to 11,000 gallons of water a year. The pump periodically cycles the water that's dormant in the pipes of your house. Lipford explained that, at any given time, there will always be hot water in the pipes. That means you have hot water the minute you turn on the tap. When you don't have to run the water until it gets warm, you save! Since you hook it up directly at the water heater, you don't have to have a pump under the sink or any additional electrical outlets. That will run you about $225, but you'll make that up easily in lower water bills.
Tuesday: Solar Power
Jack Yee of San Diego gets more than 45 miles per gallon from his Toyota Prius. And, even more impressively, he uses solar power to get the energy to run every appliance in his bedroom -- lamps, fan, television, clock radio -- for six hours a day, even though he lives in an apartment.
Though Yee couldn't get permission to hang a solar panel from his window, he found that by putting the panel in the window, he was still able to generate the power for the entire room. He spent $150 on the panel and claims he's never had to plug in any of his appliances to a wall outlet.
And, in a pinch, Yee could even borrow some energy from his car's battery! Which makes Yee clean, green and lean (in the size of his power bill).
Interested in finding out more about bringing solar power into your home? Here are some Web sites where you can get started:
hot2o do it yourself solar hot water system
http://www.hot2o.com/index.html
Solio Solar Charger
http://store.solio.com/s.nl/it.A/id.78/.f?sc=7&category=109
Tulsi Hybrid Solar oven
http://store.sundancesolarcorp.com/tusocoov.html
Monday: Using Less Paper
Doris Renfro from Columbiana, Ohio -- dealing with junk mail by returning it to it senders, hence making them pay for it twice! Oh, and she also shreds some for use as packing material or in her garden.
You can reduce paper usage and save some frustration by registering to remove your name from national mailing lists. To do that, click here.
The Early Show asked viewers to share their eco-friendly ideas and, in its "Clean and Green" series, is showing our favorites all week, and rewarding their creators with Sears gift cards worth $3,000.
Danny Lipford, host of "Today's Homeowner," helped pick the best of them, and is sharing the choices with viewers.
The notions all help save money, energy -- and the planet.
He says plenty of viewers seem to find it pretty easy to live greener, and the best part is, most of the ideas being shown are fairly simple.
THE IDEAS THAT GOT THE NOD:
Friday: Embracing "Green" Lifestyle
That's exactly what Michael and Leonor Sarver have done, as Lipford found out when he visited them in their Oxnard, Calif. home.
As The Early Show's own Harry Smith often does, Michael rides his bike to work whenever possible. Leonor keeps the drapes closed in the house to keep the hot sun out, and unplugs all but essential appliances when they're not being used. She uses the stove as infrequently as possible, even making "bake-less" pies! She also prepares many a meal with fresh, uncooked veggies.
The result of those and other steps? Very low energy bills, and more than a few inches off their waistlines.
Today (Friday), the Sarvers are moving into an ulta-green home, in Ventura, Calif., with a geo-dome roof made of solar panels, and a hot water system that's so efficient, it doesn't even need a tank!
Thursday: Reducing Your "Carbon Footprint"
A "carbon footprint" is a calculation to determine an individual's impact on the environment.
The lighter (lower), the better!
Lipford met the Weinaug family, of Apopka, Fla. They've been trying hard to reduce their footprint by, among other things, setting up 2,500 gallon water cisterns to collect all the water from their home's gutters, then using it to water their lawn.
Lipford demonstrated a simple rain barrel that can do much the same thing, with very little expense -- the Spruce Creek Rainsaver (www.sprucecreekrainsaver.com/index.html). It costs $154.99.
To figure out your own carbon footprint, click here.
Wednesday: Water Conservation
We're using so much water that many experts believe we'll have a crisis if we don't cut back.
Lipford showed how Mary Jane Whalley, of Portland, Ore., conserves water in her home -- and the savings, in water and money -- aren't just a drop in the bucket!
Whalley puts a bucket under the faucet in her tub when she first turns it on, to catch the water as she waits for it to warm. It's water that would ordinarily just go down the drain, literally. She then uses the captured water for other things, such as watering her plants. Whalley also stresses the importance of water conservation to her kids, believing if you teach it to them when they're young, they'll practice it all their lives.
Lipford also suggested that Whalley use a low-flow showerhead, which he helped install.
Lipford pointed out to viewers that, although there are many devices on the market designed to help you save on your water bill, there are also a few common sense things you can do to make sure you're not wasting water, inside or out.
Did you know a simple plumbing leak can cost you hundreds of dollars a year in wasted water? A toilet leak can use 50 extra gallons of water a day.
To save water outdoors, Lipford suggests that you:
On the inside:
Lipford also advises that you use a water recirculation device, which keeps more hot water circulating through your pipes. He says Watts Premier has designed a recirculation pump that's fairly easy to install, so it's do-it-yourself friendly, and the company says it can save you up to 11,000 gallons of water a year. The pump periodically cycles the water that's dormant in the pipes of your house. Lipford explained that, at any given time, there will always be hot water in the pipes. That means you have hot water the minute you turn on the tap. When you don't have to run the water until it gets warm, you save! Since you hook it up directly at the water heater, you don't have to have a pump under the sink or any additional electrical outlets. That will run you about $225, but you'll make that up easily in lower water bills.
Tuesday: Solar Power
Jack Yee of San Diego gets more than 45 miles per gallon from his Toyota Prius. And, even more impressively, he uses solar power to get the energy to run every appliance in his bedroom -- lamps, fan, television, clock radio -- for six hours a day, even though he lives in an apartment.
Though Yee couldn't get permission to hang a solar panel from his window, he found that by putting the panel in the window, he was still able to generate the power for the entire room. He spent $150 on the panel and claims he's never had to plug in any of his appliances to a wall outlet.
And, in a pinch, Yee could even borrow some energy from his car's battery! Which makes Yee clean, green and lean (in the size of his power bill).
Interested in finding out more about bringing solar power into your home? Here are some Web sites where you can get started:
hot2o do it yourself solar hot water system
http://www.hot2o.com/index.html
Solio Solar Charger
http://store.solio.com/s.nl/it.A/id.78/.f?sc=7&category=109
Tulsi Hybrid Solar oven
http://store.sundancesolarcorp.com/tusocoov.html
Monday: Using Less Paper
Doris Renfro from Columbiana, Ohio -- dealing with junk mail by returning it to it senders, hence making them pay for it twice! Oh, and she also shreds some for use as packing material or in her garden.
You can reduce paper usage and save some frustration by registering to remove your name from national mailing lists. To do that, click here.
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