Living Green:
Franciscan Care of Creation
Feb. 05, 2012 | | Get your Fill Look around your home. How many liquids are you buying in disposable instead of refillable containers? Search for sources near you that offer reusable containers. As an alternative, buy the largest container and pour liquid into smaller ones for use.
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Feb. 04, 2012 | | Don't use so much Most of us use too much of almost everything. Try a quarter-sized amount of shampoo, a pea-sized amount of toothpaste, and one swipe of deodorant. Examine other uses to see if you can cut back. You will save money and resources.
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Feb. 03, 2012 | | Cool it Keep a container of water in your refrigerator for quick access to cold drinking water. A faucet releases a gallon of water a minute. Letting the tap run while the water cools wastes a resource that is precious and in limited supply.
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Feb. 02, 2012 | | Hang it out to dry After the refriderator, the clothes dryer is the second largest consumer of home power. Letting your clothes air dry extends their usable lives, is a good excuse to get outside and the end product smells better too! Consider using indoor drying racks to accomplish the same energy-free job in bad weather.
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Feb. 01, 2012 | | Cruising along When driving on the highway in good weather, drive using cruise control. Keeping a steady speed burns gas at a constant rate, which lets you drive as much as 10 percent farther on a single tank of gas.
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Jan. 31, 2012 | | Razor sharp Two billion disposable razors wind up in our landfills every year. Try a reusable razor with a recyclable plastic handle and consider investing in a razor-blade sharpener to make your blades last longer. You may also try shaving with vegetable-based soap or oil rather than an aerosol can of shaving cream.
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Jan. 30, 2012 | | I can see clearly now Instead of harsh chemical sprays, get your windows and mirrors crystal clear with a combination of white vinegar, water, newspaper and a little elbow grease. You'll also save money and the hassle of needing to stock more cleaning supplies. Mix 2 T. of white vinegar with a gallon of water, and dispense into a used spray bottle. Scrub with the newspaper. You can also use lemon juice or club soda (don't dilute either).
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Jan. 29, 2012 | | Park it When running errands, opt to park your car and go inside instead of using the drive-thru. The EPA estimates that if one million drivers turned off their cars, rather than idled unnecessarily, for just two minutes per week for an entire year, harmful emissions would be reduced by more than 750 tons. And don’t forget that for every two minutes your car idles, it uses roughly the same amount of fuel you’d use to travel one mile. Parking saves gas.
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Jan. 28, 2012 | | Green beer There are many uses for beer that can replace harsh unfriendly chemicals. Try beer as a wood furniture cleaner, copper cleaner or gold polish. Is your picnic or barbeque being plagued by bees? Place a little beer in shallow containers around your picnic area. The bees will go there and leave the rest of the area alone. A little beer can be used as a plant fertilizer and greater quantities can be used for pest control of slugs, fruit flies, and rodents.
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Jan. 27, 2012 | | Just charge it It may not sound like much at first, but investing in rechargeable batteries can save some money over time. In general, the less you rely on single-use, disposable items, the less money you'll burn through.
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Jan. 26, 2012 | | Fill it up Save significant amounts of water, energy and money by only doing laundry when you have a full load. Since about 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water, by doing full loads you'll be using less water per item. Of course, you can save even more if you opt to do all your loads in cold water. Upgrade to “Energy Star” machines when its time to replace them. Then you'll save 50% on energy and water, or about $110 a year.
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Jan. 25, 2012 | | Eat less meat Choose more meat-free meals. Producing a pound of beef consumes 145 times more fossil fuels than a pound of potatoes.
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Jan. 24, 2012 | | Front and Center Getting a new washing machine? A front-loading model uses a third less water, heat, energy, and detergent than standard top-loading designs. Make sure your new machine is certified by the EPA's Energy Star program, which signifies high energy efficiency. According to GE, the average family will save enough on energy bills with the company's Energy Star washer and dryer to pay for the appliances in just 12 years.
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Jan. 23, 2012 | | Take a Cruise Using cruise control in your car improves gas mileage by 7 to 14 percent, except in mountainous terrain. Cruise helps fuel efficiency by maintaining one speed and smoothing your ride. Setting it at 50-60 mph keeps consumption down, so if cruise helps you follow the speed limit, then it has an additional benefit. It is estimated that each 5 mph over 60 costs you 26 cents per gallon.
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Jan. 22, 2012 | | Don't drive thru When you are picking up food, going to the bank, or filling a prescription, park your vehicle and walk inside instead of using the drive-thru. It will cut down on unnecessary fuel use as well as carbon emissions. Every time you use a drive-through, you burn about 18 cents worth of gas idling your car. Estimates for total fuel costs for idling in front of every drive-through in America are in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
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Jan. 21, 2012 | | Worried about Wrinkles? Typical irons draw 1,000-1,800 watts, the equivalent of 10-18 100-watt lightbulbs! You can prevent many wrinkles by removing clothes from the dryer and hanging them up or folding them while they are still warm. If something is wrinkled, try hanging it in the bathroom while you shower because the steam will remove the wrinkles. If you do have to iron, save energy by ironing several items at a time. Dry ironing tends to use less energy than steam.
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Jan. 20, 2012 | | Green fires If you love your wood-burning fireplace, here are some “greener” ways to burn: Use only very dry wood and kindling, to minimize smoke. Skip the starter logs and fluid. Use only plain newspaper—no colored inks—to help get things started. You could also consider installing a natural gas fireplace, or opt for a faux option—a slew of soy candles, alone or nestled into spaces carved in a few logs.
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Jan. 19, 2012 | | When life gives you... Stop moth larvae from munching on your favorite threads by placing dried lemon rind in clothing drawers. Also, wrap rinds in thin cloth to hang in cupboards and wardrobes. It's best to avoid formaldehyde-laden mothballs.
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Jan. 18, 2012 | | Dodge the draft According to the U.S. Department of Energy, drafts can waste 5-30% of your energy use. Start simple and adopt a "draft snake" which you can easily make yourself. Just place a rolled bath towel under a drafty door.
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Jan. 17, 2012 | | Reduce Energy Use Almost everyone enjoys a contest. Challenge your family or yourself to lower your use of electricity, gas and/or water. Monitor your utility bills and set a goal for the following month. Check your next bill for a progress update and keep reducing until you reach the goal. Then set a new lower goal. This will make you much more conscious of ways you may be wasting resources.
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Jan. 16, 2012 | | Dry wood When you start a fire in your fireplace or in a campground, only burn dry wood (preferably logs that have had about six months to dry out). Wet wood doesn't burn as completely, meaning it releases more pollutants into the air. The biggest concern is particulate pollution—solid particles smaller than a red blood cell that are implicated in 30,000 deaths in the U.S. and 2.1 million deaths worldwide each year.
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Jan. 15, 2012 | | Ant-idotes Earth friendly remedies for ants include: lemon juice, cinnamon, baking soda, mint, coffee grounds, vinegar, baby powder, and chalk. The suggestion is to use these substances in the ant line of travel. They are not supposed to cross these substances. To avoid attracting ants, keep all food tightly wrapped and carefully clean up crumbs and spills.
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Jan. 14, 2012 | | Morning Shower If you are still watering your lawn, here’s your environmental penance: You must water in the early morning. Why? The lower temperatures at that hour guarantee less evaporation, lower winds mean your turf is less likely to be blown dry, and high humidity and morning dew contribute to whatever is coming out of your sprinkler or hose. As a bonus, early-morning watering helps prevent lawn diseases, because your lawn will be dry by nightfall.
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Jan. 13, 2012 | | Table manners Replacing paper napkins with cloth is environmental etiquette. You can wash them with the rest of your laundry, and if you choose bright colors and prints that camouflage stains, the napkins will look nicer longer. For “greenie points,” don’t buy them new. Make them from fabric or old clothes you have around the house. If you choose natural fabrics, they will be more absorbent.
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Jan. 12, 2012 | | Light that fire When building a fire, use artificial, petroleum-free logs made from wood fibers and biowaxes. These manufactured logs, surprisingly, burn longer than wood and emit 75 percent less carbon monoxide.
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Jan. 11, 2012 | | Waste not One of the top users of water around the home is the shower, where Americans use more than 1.2 trillion gallons each year. Low-flow showerheads slash shower water consumption 50 to 70 percent. You’ll also use less energy heating up the water. Low-flow showerheads are simple to install and start around $8. Many styles and features are available, including flow-adjusting dials and a pause button, which allows you to lather up and return to the same temperature and pressure.
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Jan. 10, 2012 | | Celebrate smart If you’re planning a birthday party or other event, decorate with live plants instead of cut flowers, and look for special touches that can be reused from year to year: a fabric “Happy Birthday” banner; china instead of paper plates; maracas, tambourines, kazoos, and other instruments in place of disposable noisemakers; funny hats instead of paper crowns or plastic tiaras.
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Jan. 09, 2012 | | Dryer tips Tumble dryers are massive energy users, so if you need to use them, ensure that the lint filter is clean and the room containing the clothes dryer has plenty of air circulation. This will allow your clothes to dry faster and save electricity. Also, be sure the clothes have gone through a fast spin in the washing machine. Of course, line dry wherever possible.
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Jan. 08, 2012 | | Power hungry Did you know your computer monitor uses more energy than your hard drive? Consider turning off the monitor whenever you are away from your computer. Turn computers off and unplug power strips when not in use to save even more energy.
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Jan. 07, 2012 | | Chocolate with a conscience The rain forests where cacao grows are some of the most diverse and fragile ecosystems on earth. Help keep them safe and repair damage already done by buying your organic, fair-trade chocolate from companies that are responsible stewards of the land and fair to the workers who do the harvesting.
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Jan. 06, 2012 | | Green Transportation There are numerous ways to help the environment when it comes to daily transportation. Cut back on vehicle emissions by carpooling, car sharing, riding public transportation, and biking or walking to errands near home or work. If you must drive, increase fuel efficiency by consolidating trips, avoiding sudden starts or stops and removing unnecessary weight from your car. Not only will you save on carbon emissions, but you’ll save on the cost of operating your vehicle as well.
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Jan. 05, 2012 | | Say no to doubles Cut down on waste and use of toxic chemicals, by saying no to doubles at the photo shop. Although more and more of us are going digital, we still order mountains of high-color glossies. Their production requires heavy amounts of chemicals, so instead of doubles, save the negatives that come with your prints, or archive your photos digitally. That way, you can make prints later of images you really want.
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Jan. 04, 2012 | | Plan ahead Select ground transportation, instead of rush delivery, for your mailing needs and cut down on fossil fuel use and pollution. Overnight shipping burns the most fossil fuels per item. In fact, ground shipping tends to be six times more energy efficient than air. Because airplanes release their greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, they tend to do more damage than gases emitted at ground level, at least as far as global warming is concerned.
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Jan. 03, 2012 | | Gas caps Tighten your gas cap until it clicks three times. Each year in the United States, 147 million gallons of gasoline literally evaporate into the atmosphere because of loose, damaged, or missing caps.
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Jan. 02, 2012 | | Hang in there Return your wire hangers to the dry cleaner. Each year more than 3.5 billion hangers end up in landfills, amounting to 200 million tons of steel that could be put to new use.
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Jan. 01, 2012 | | Stop short Cooking instructions often seem like unbreakable codes. But they don’t have to be. Once you heat up your oven or pot, it retains heat. So consider turning the oven or stove off several minutes before the timer rings. Your food will keep cooking and you’ll cut down on energy use. It’s even possible to bring water to a boil, put pasta in, cover it, turn off the stove, and go for a walk. When you get back, your pasta will be ready.
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Dates for Prayer and Action
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