The Green Granny does Four-a-Week

www.oxfam.org.uk Oxfam’s “Green Granny” is back with new tips and ideas for living better and saving money. This video introduces the idea of 4-a-week which involves buying more fairtrade, wasting less, buying less meat products and buying more from developing countries. GET INVOLVED Worried about climate change? Confused about how your weekly supermarket shop impacts upon the environment? You need a personal shopper. No we’re not talking about Gok Wan. We’ve launched our 4-a-week personal shopper guide. Stick it in your handbag, your manbag, we don’t mind. Just make sure it’s to hand next time you go shopping. Believe it or not, the small changes you make at the till, can have a real impact on climate change. So here’s our 4-a-week, shelf-aware shopping list… BUY ONE MORE FAIRTRADE PRODUCT Flowers, Hot Chocolate, Cotton, Teas, Honey, Biscuits, Beer, Wine, that’s a list as long as your arm. Fairtrade isnt just about coffee and bananas these days. By buying a Fairtrade product you’re guaranteeing producers a good price and working conditions. Don’t forget Fairtrade Fortnight, it launches this Sunday and runs until the 8th March. To see how you can get involved with this years campaign go to www.fairtrade.org.uk THROW ONE LESS THING AWAY Don’t BOGOF, yes you heard us right. Did you know that as a nation we throw away over 20million tonnes of good food a year. Next time you go shopping, think before you buy. Are you really going to eat all that? Leftovers from last nights …

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12 Easy Ways to Go Green #431

www.therenegadehealthshow.com – There are a bunch of easy ways to go green, but most people (and I agree) need to start small. Here are some easy tips to help you go green today!

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12 Easy Ways to Go Green #431

www.therenegadehealthshow.com – There are a bunch of easy ways to go green, but most people (and I agree) need to start small. Here are some easy tips to help you go green today!

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  the reality tunnel

Green Home tips – Eco heating ideas

Autumn is approaching and that means colder days ahead. However, Australia is blessed with an amazingly moderate climate where even our chilliest days are nothing compared to other regions in the world. This means that Australian residents can take advantage of all natural low emissions heating in their green home.

As well as insulation and energy efficiency, there are other innovative heating ideas to keep your home toasty warm for the winter.

Eco Home Tip #31 – Seal up draughts – Put snakes under door jambs, get weather stripping for your windows. Heavy curtains also help keep in the heat and keep out the cold. You’ll be amazed at how cosy a room can be without any heating at all.

Eco Home Tip #32 – Look beneath your feet – the soil beneath you home acts as a natural insulator, keeping the ground warm all year round. By employing a geothermal heat pump, your home can be take advantage of this natural heat during the colder months. In a geothermal system, liquid is circulated in pupes that run beneath your home. As the liquid gets warmer, it is pumped up to a heat condensor where the heat is released into your central heating system.

Eco Home Tip #33 – Keep it low – Switch your thermostat down a single degree. When we come in from the cold, we’re very likely to crank the termostat up much higher than necessary. Remember that every degree lower on your thermostat can potentially save up to 10 per cent on your heating. Throw on a jumper instead.

Eco Home Tip #34 – Cut your system down to size – as with air conditioning, don’t go overboard with your heating. You’ll be amazed at what a single space heater will do.

Eco Home Tip #35 – Look for the Energy Star – As with all appliances, energy star ratings give a good indication of the energy efficiency of the appliance. Energy star rates furnaces, boilers and heat pumps for central heating in your home.

For more green ideas for your eco home, visit the Green Pages at www.thegreenpages.com.au

Green Home Ideas – Energy Efficient Lighting, what a bright idea

Setting up a good green home starts with energy efficiency. Traditional incandescent light globes lose almost 90 per cent of their energy in generating heat – only 10 per cent of the electricity used is actually going into lighting your room. And because of their various filaments and parts, incandescent bulbs generally have a much shorter life span than their more energy efficient counter parts.

Installing energy efficient globes is one of the most cost effective and easiest options available for a good green home. Some companies had even traditionally given out energy and water saving “packs” for people to try out. Nowadays, these energy saving globes are available everywhere – so the question becomes, which light fitting is right for you?

Eco Home Tip # 36 – The lowdown on CFL – Compact Fluorescent (CFLs) are the most common energy saving fitting. CFLs use just about 20 percent of the energy required for the same amount of light from an incandescent globe and last 10 times as as long. All in all, a CFL will help reduce the cost of lighting your home by as much as 60 %.

Eco Home Tip # 37 – Keep your CFLs close, if shaded – a British study last year revealed that CFLs produced a small amount of UV radiation when used unshaded and in close proximity. Open globes were of note, which “encapsulated” globes were considered safe. So if you’re using a work lamp with a CFL, keep it shaded of opt for an encapsulated globe instead.

Eco Home Tip # 38 – Recycling your CFLs – The typical CFL contains a minute 4 mg of mercury sealed in its glass tubing. Some manufacturers have lowered its CFL mercury content to as little as 1 – 2.5 mg. Handle your CFLs with care and take advantage of recycling programs for CFLs to keep mercury from ending up in landfill.

Eco Home Tip # 39 – Leading by example with LEDs – Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are another popular energy efficient lighting option, especially to replace halogen globes and downlights in your home. The small cluster of diodes can be arranged in a number of configurations and sizes to suit your home. LEDs have been traditionally found in electronics including clocks, and have a variety of uses in terms of producing a broad spectrum of bright coloured light. LEDs are the perfect substitute to the more heat intensive halogen globes and last for over 50,000 – 60,000 hours and uses 70 percent less energy than standard halogen globes. LEDs are also mercury free.

Lighting a home can account for as much as 20 percent of a home’s energy use. Energy saving lights are simply a bright idea for your green home.

Looking for more eco home tips and ideas? Visit the Green Pages directory for more great eco home tips and ideas!