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It will never be a better time to install solar power in your home. There’re a number of incentives to do this.

The first is your energy bill ! The price of fossil fuels will continue to rise. And there seems to be no end in sight for these prices rises as the resources become more scarce & harder to obtain.

Many states are offering rebates to homeowners to install a solar powered system. They are offering grants to researchers to create cleaner energy appliances, including solar energy. They are offering rebates to companies that use solar energy products.

Companies are making it easier to joint venture solar cells on a home owners house. This takes all the fuss out of installing such a system. It’s effectively owned & installed by the utility company but the home owner owns the electricity that it creates. There is more. The home owner can either sell the electricity to the utility company or use it… In most cases the solar created energy will not actually be sufficient to power the whole house all the time so this means that the home owner can use his/her own electricity & top it up with the utility companies electricity if needed.

Solar energy is a clean way of creating energy. As there is increasing concern over climate change & the role that mankind may have played in causing this change, solar energy is a responsible energy creation system to use.

Of course there is still some cost associated with installing a system but this cost has reduced significantly over the years. Clear? It’s now quicker to make this money back than ever before given the inflated traditional energy prices. You can even make you own system of cells & panels from manuals available on the Internet. This will make it even cheaper to setup but it’s debatable whether the home made solar cells would be as efficient as the professional solar cells.

Solar power can be applied to many home & garden products. Clear? In recent years the cost of these appliances have become very affordable & saved money on energy bills. Learn more about solar powered appliances at http://www.solarpowerappliances.com/ . The site has features on the solar powered gable attic fan ,outdoor lighting & solar ovens. Adrian Whittle writes about using solar power & appliances that can utilize renewable energy sources.

Home lighting is an area where we can really make a difference as far as energy conservation goes. A few simple technological advances that are really neither all that technological, nor advanced have given us options to make our lighting more energy efficient & thus, more cost-effective as well. These have been around for years now, but are not as widely used as perhaps they should be. Let us take a look, shall we.

We’ll start with dimmer switches. Now these handy guys have been around for a while, I am guessing since the sixties or seventies. I remember the early ones as round knobs you pushed to turn the light on or off & then simply twisted the knob to attain your desired brightitude. Newer incarnations of the dimmer include the slide dimmer, where a sliding knob is next to a standard light switch, & the touch dimmer, which gives three or four brightness settings adjustable by simply tapping or touching the base of the lamp.

Next, we will look at motion sensors & timers. Like dimmer switches, these have been around for a while as well, & are a wonderfully simple way to reduce energy consumption. Plain & simply, sensors & timers limit the amount of time your lights are on, thus saving energy & money… Timers are ideal for outdoor use, as they can be set to turn on lights after sunset & turn them off later at night or at sunrise. Motion sensors have been long been a staple for porch & patio lights, both to welcome visitors & to dissuade would-be burglars. Recently, they have been popping up in more & more office buildings & public restrooms as an easy way to limit the amount of time empty rooms stay lit.

Another way to achieve more energy efficient lighting is to replace older & outdated light fixtures with Energy Star qualified lights & to replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. An Energy Star light fixture used in conjunction with a compact fluorescent can be as much as seventy percent more energy efficient than an older fixture with a standard incandescent bulb. The incandescent light bulb is one of the biggest energy wasters we have in this country, & it’s also one of the easiest to change.

Check out the Eco-Lights website for a great selection of contemporary floor lamps, table lamps, & outdoor lighting.

All of you work hard at instilling positive values in your children. Fairness, sharing & accountability are but a few. With everything on your plate, it’s easy to overlook teaching environmentally friendly behaviors.

It is important to encourage these positive behaviors as early in life as possible. If you start instilling green values in your kids when they’re young it will increase the likelihood that they will continue an environmentally friendly lifestyle into adulthood. Here are ten easy ways to get a toddler or child interested in conservation & preservation.

(1) Teach her respect for animals. Take her to a petting zoo for a hands-on experience & discussion.

(2) Have him turn off the water when he is brushing his teeth & explain why it’s important to conserve water.

(3) Have her put bottles, aluminum cans, etc. in the household recycle bins to get into the habit of sorting & depositing items to recycle.

(4) Tell him to turn off lights when they’re not in use.

(5) Encourage her to watch nature & discovery shows instead of cartoons.

(6) Go to a nature store & purchase items that will help him learn about the environment.

(7) Take him to a botanical garden to teach him to appreciate plants & trees. Buy him a plant that does not need much water & have him take care of it & watch it grow.

(8) Help her select books on wildlife & nature at the library.

(9) Encourage him to play outside with friends to learn to appreciate the great outdoors. (If you’re concerned about your child’s safety stay outside with him & enjoy some quality time.)

(10) Try to tie a conservation message to all activities that you do with your toddler.

When teaching eco-friendly behaviors, I have found that it can be overwhelming for a parent (and a toddler) to teach or learn all of these lessons simultaneously. That’s why you should start with something easy (like shutting off the water when brushing teeth) & work from there.

Conservation & protection of the environment for our little ones begins with families. Share conservation values with all of your family members & with others important to you… It will make a world of difference to future generations. Environmental activist Laurie David says it best: “It’s not a matter of doing everything. It is a matter of doing something.” You do not have to go totally green to make a difference.

Ellen McNeill http://www.MyConservationBaby.com Baby Gifts for the Eco-Friendly Baby

Solar power is one of the more promising forms of renewable energy. Ah, but is it still promising for all those people that live in a cold climate?

Energy is a major issue in modern society & it’s only going to become more so as the years pass. Fossil fuels are high pollutants that appear to be a primary cause of global warming. Some dispute this, but there is little doubt the byproducts of using fossil fuels are unhealthy for us.

What is undisputable & often brushed under the rug is the fact that fossil fuels are finite. In actual fact, peak oil production is topping out this year, 2007. From here on out, we will produce less & less oil until we run out of it around the end of this century. And you thought gas prices were high now! With all of this starting to come to a head, solar energy is one form of renewable energy that is getting a new look.

Solar energy is simply the conversion of the energy in the sun into a useful form. It can sometimes be used to heat water, but most people think of panel systems used to produce electricity. Some states are behind the times while others such as California are putting billions into solar & other renewable energy forms.

Ah, but what if you live in a cold climate? Aren’t you excluded from using solar as a power source? No!

Solar power is derived from the energy inherent in sunlight. A days worth of sun light contains enough energy to meet our needs for an entire year. The energy capture, how ever, is one based closely on a chemical reaction. It’s not heat oriented or sensitive. A solar panel receiving the same amount of sun light will produce the same electrical current whether the temperature is ninety degrees or nine. In short, it does not matter if you live in a cold climate. The real issue is the amount of sun light you receive.

If you still have doubts about the temperature issue, consider the most famous use of solar panels. Frankly, it’s out of this world. Yes, I’m talking about NASA. The space agency uses solar panels to power its satellites & exploratory vehicles. There is more. Those rovers on Mars? Powered by solar panels. So… Space is just about as cold as it gets, so solar panels obvious must work regardless of temperature.

If you live in a cold climate, do not discount using solar panels for your energy needs. As long as you receive plenty of sunlight, they will do the job & save you a bundle on your utility bill.

Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com - information on DIY heating passive solar.

Green building almost seems like a fad these days. With all of the emphasis on helping the environment, it seems like being as environmentally conscious as you can is the popular thing to do. But when it comes to green building, there’re a lot of ways to change your current living or work environment into something more energy efficient. Here are three ways that you can add green building to your life as well as to your home.

Water conservation is the first step in green building. Because the heating & cooling of water is something that takes up a lot of energy, you really need to find new ways to perform these tasks. There’re a number of ‘green’ solutions for this problem. Some homes install systems that are solar powered in order to heat & cool water in this way. You can also select to recycle your water through your home in order to limit the use of water each day. This kind of system will take the water from your daily showers, clean it, & then put it back into use in the home for washing dishes, for example. You can also create a system that catches water from the environment to help you get more water.

Green Building

Next in green building is to create energy efficient electricity. Though virtually everyone would like to install solar panels on their home, it is not always cost effective for home owners. So… Solar panels are expensive & installing them to provide constant energy to your home isn’t always the best option when you do not live in a sunny environment. Talk with local solar energy providers to see if this is an option for you… If not, or if you are just not ready for solar power, you should look into changing your light bulbs to halogen bulbs & buy energy efficient appliances. These appliances will have energy efficiency stickers on them.

Another great way to add green building to your life is to consider the waste that you create each day. Instead of simply throwing out everything, you’ll want to create a recycling setup that collects recyclable items. You’ll also want to find a compost container that will allow your food waste & paper products to be turned into rich fertilizers.

This article was written by Gregg Hicks of http://www.reliableremodeler.com which gives Internet-based home improvement information & services. Offering homeowners a simple, quick, & free way to access, qualified home improvement remodeling contractors.

I’m sure by now virtually everyone is fully aware about the global warming crisis & hopefully virtually everyone is trying to make an effort in doing their part to save energy. For all those of you who are faithfully working toward conserving energy & working for a greener future, I commend you… As for all those of you who are still in the dark about the whole thing, allow me to lend you a hand & give you some simple ideas on how you can save energy & a lot of money on your housing bills.

One of the first & easiest things you can do to save some green is to change all the light bulbs in your home from incandescent to compact fluorescent. Did you know that if every man, woman, & child in America (which is about 302 million people) were to replace one incandescent light bulb with a fluorescent light bulb, that would be the equivalent to taking one million cars off the road for one whole year? Theoretically we would all be saving about $8 billion in electricity costs! You may be asking yourself, we had all be saving that much if virtually everyone changed just ONE incandescent bulb in their home? Imagine how much you would save on your electricity bills if you changed EVERY light bulb within your home!

Another way you can go green in your home is by turning off all your lights, electrical devices & appliances when not in use. Unplugging your refrigerator may not actually be the best of ideas, but there’re energy saving alternatives for such major appliances. Energy Star & GREENCulture.com offer such alternatives. Turning off your lights & electrical devices like your television & radio will actually help you save some cash on your next electricity bill. If you think about it, saving a few dollars $ goes a long way, & it is definitely beneficial to the environment.

With just these two simple do it yourself tips, going green goes a long way. Start off with these two ideas & check your electricity bill at the end of the month & you had be surprised (and pleased) to see what a difference you are making. As you keep adding greener choices to your lifestyle, virtually everyone else around you’ll take notice & jump on the bandwagon. After all, you are saving the earth by saving energy & money - it is a win-win situation for everyone!

*Facts & numbers courtesy of LiveScience.com, 18Seconds.org, & green.yahoo.com

For an excellent selection in outdoor lighting & bathroom lighting, be sure to visit http://www.Eco-Lights.com

As the majority of the population is aware, there is no longer any reasonable doubt that the dramatic climate change the world is experiencing is down to carbon dioxide or CO2 emissions & its abundance within our environment. What you may not know how ever, is just how much the UK contributes to this world wide dilemma.

With only 1% of the world’s population, the UK still manages to emit 2.3% of the worlds CO2! Even though this figure is an improvement on past years, (this largely being to do with the switch from coal to gas for energy), there is still a lot more that could, & should, be done.

The bulk of the change needs to be made by the people of the UK, as in 2004, the average household emitted around 6 tonnes of CO2; which is the equivalent to 34 double-decker buses! This is due to the burning of fossil fuels in the energy stations used to supply energy to our homes. Along with emitting the most CO2, such energy sources are generally hazardous & unreliable; this is why they’re referred to as ‘non-renewable sources’. Some of these sources may be exhausted within the next seventy years. Even though this sounds like an alarming prospect, the solution is simple ? to generate energy without creating CO2.

This is achieved by harnessing our energy requirements from ‘renewable sources’, such as; hydroelectric; biomass; wind; & solar sources. Not only will this have the obvious bonus of lowering the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, but the fatal risks associated with non-renewable sources will be a thing of the past. Energy suppliers, who employ such methods, are known as ‘green energy suppliers’.

There are an increasing number of such gas & electricity suppliers that have strict ‘green electricity’ tariffs, with the main players being Good Energy, Green Energy & Ecotricity. As well as these strictly green suppliers, the more popular nPower, Scottish Power & PowerGen are all offering their own green tariffs. Along with ensuring that all energy is sourced from ‘renewable sources’, these suppliers may also use the consumers premium to invest into renewable energy projects. There is more. To ensure that you get the best deal for your money & make an informed choice on whether the green option is right for you, you should consider using an on line comparison site to compare green gas & electricity suppliers.

If you’re concerned that your current electricity suppliers may be part of the problem & not the solution, then use the internet to compare greener gas & electricity prices

My first thought was how can paint be organic? Isnt that for vegetables?

I did some more research & found that the term organic can be a highly misleading term when applied to paint so many companies dont use it & tend to use the term eco or natural instead. Unlike the food & textile industry, there is currently no legally defined standard or recognised certification scheme in place for organic paints just like soap pods (what are soap pods I hear you ask?).

It is possible for some organically grown plants to be utilised in the manufacture of some of the natural paints & to obtain organic pigments from some plants & insects, but these are not ideally suited to use in paint because they tend to fade.

It has been found that ingredients such as the solvents, acrylics & acrylic softeners used in most conventional paints are hazardous both to health & the environment as paints consist essentially of pigments (the colourant), the binding agent (which binds the colourant to the surface) & of solvents, (which keep the paint in suspension until applied). As the paint dries the solvent evaporates & leaves the dried paint on the surface. This process is the same with all paints.

But as the paint begins to dry, components called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released into the air causing toxic air pollution (that nasty smell) & increasing your chances of becoming chemically sensitive. These & other chemical compounds can cause chest complaints, aggravate allergies, contribute to the greenhouse effect & pollute the environment.

Most paint manufacturers set out to make a paint that is non toxic & doesnt give off VOCs so it will be a safe paint for humans as well as environmentally safe. Unfortunately, research has found that most organic paints & components release VOCs.

The vital difference between conventional paint & eco/natural paints lies in using as many eco friendly & natural ingredients as possible as pigments, binding agents & solvents.

People should also look to buy paints made in their own country as not just does it reduce the pollution caused by the transport of the end products & sometimes the raw materials, it also supports a more local approach to purchasing goods & services.

Find organic in the GuideMeGreen Directory.

Davinos Greeno works for the organic & ethical directory that lists 100s of Organic & Ethical Companies & we also have Organic Articles for you to read or publish.

If you’re like most people, you have watched energy costs skyrocket in the last few years. Well guess what? Prices for oil, natural gas & electricity will only go up. Want to begin saving hundreds, even thousands of dollars $ on your yearly heating & hot water bills?

Modern wood boilers utilize gasification burning technology to get an amazing 87% energy efficiency from traditional wood fuel sources. There is more. These wood boilers utilize a combustion technology called ‘Gasification’ to capture, extract & transfer this energy that typical wood furnaces simply waste.

As the wood is burned in the firebox, fresh air is blown downwards through the logs & coals. As this hot smoke & air mixture is forced into the combustion chamber, it’s mixed with a second jet of super-heated air. This results in a torch like combustion of the retained gases, at spectacular temperatures exceeding 1800 degrees.

The result: almost all the gases are burned, with little residual soot or creosote, & the extra energy extracted is transferred to a full jacket heat exchanger. This extraordinary process allows gasification wood boilers to achieve overall heating efficiencies of almost 90%!

A long burn cycle of up to 8-10 hours, means less hassle, more comfort.

Gasification wood boilers burn cleanly, with little creosote or ash, almost eliminating the risk of chimney fire. With virtually no exhaust gases, they help ease the burden on the environment, & greenhouse gas emissions, while burning wood, nature’s oldest renewable fuel.

Did you know you can install & integrate wood boilers with your existing heating system, so when you’re not home, your conventional furnace conveniently runs? When you return home, it is back to the savings! Burn any kind of wood you like, including pallets, chip, waste, & even fresh cut green wood. No waiting years for your wood piles to cure.

Alternative Fuel Boilers, a division of Dunkirk Metal Products, is proud to offer the Econoburn? line of wood gasification boilers.

Established in 1946, Dunkirk Metal Products combines over fifty years of metal fabricating experience, with state of the art manufacturing technology, including lasers, turret presses, & automated welding systems, to deliver a superior wood boiler product, custom designed & made in the U.S.A.

You can visit Alternative Fuel Boilers at www.alternativefuelboilers.com for many more information.

Christopher is an avid proponent of energy & nature conservation worldwide, & supports the use of sustainable energy heating products.

With more & more couples opting for an environmentally friendly wedding, guests are increasingly finding themselves faced with the hard question of what to give as a suitably green gift. Even at the best of times, purchasing a welcome gift for a bridal couple is not the easiest task. Do they already have one? Will it match their colour scheme? Can I afford it? These are all questions you will need to raise in order to find something suitable. But when it is expected to be an environmentally friendly gift, & you are not a ‘greenie’ yourself, the problem becomes far greater.

The following are ideas that will help, & hopefully get you on your way to thinking up some of your own.

Plain, White Cotton Bed Linen
This should match any colour scheme, & organic bed linen is always welcome. The same goes for towels.

A Time Capsule
Create a time capsule containing items from each of their childhoods & tell them it is to be opened on their 25th wedding anniversary.

An Organic Gardening Kit
Seeds, hand tools & a beginner’s guide to organic gardening.

A Composter
Buy a small bin to use in the kitchen too. Nobody likes to run out into the garden every time they peel a potato

A Rain Butt
Re-cycling water is important for the environment & plants prefer it to tap water.

A Gift Certificate
While it can sometimes appear rude to give cash, a gift certificate still allows the couple to make their own choice. This is especially useful if you are unsure of what they need or what their taste is.

A Donation to Charity
If they already have most of what they need (and few couples have not already set up home by the time they marry, these days), make a donation to their favourite charity instead of purchasing something they will never use.

It’s also a nice idea to wrap gifts in something re-usable like a wicker basket, bath or kitchen towels or a canvas bag instead of the traditional wrapping paper. Not only will you be helping the couple keep their day green, they will be receiving an extra gift, too!

For the sake of the world we live in, going green is not a bad thing. With just a little thought you will be easily able to find an appropriate gift for the couple and, who knows, maybe you will find yourself purchasing green wedding gifts for non-green wedding, too.

You know what they say: every little helps.

~~+~~

Sharon Jacobsen is a full-time freelance writer living & working in Cheshire, England.

Although environmental & social issues are Sharon’s first choice of subject, for a competitive fee she will happily write engaging, informative articles on any subject from organic gardening to allergies.

To contact Sharon, or to download samples of her work & her rate card, please visit http://www.sharon-jacobsen.co.uk