More Hip than Hippie - A Home Energy Audit
This week we talk about a wayward whale, Eagle spotting, and Audits (Energy not IRS).

In the news -

• Up the Thames - A whale ended up in the Thames river. Sadly he died while they were trying to help him back out to the wild.
• The Eagles - Val and her family went to see the Eagles out near the rice fields. They saw one - it was huge.
• Parisa - Val waxed her legs. At least she didn't cry. She likes the smooth legs, and that all the parts (minus the wax) is reusable.
• Dori's House - Floors are being refinished, paint is going on (all low voc paint from Sherwin Williams). Fennel Frond, Clear Day, and Sole - Check them out in the colors section on the Sherwin Williams site.

Our Finds of the Week

• Scrapile.com - Dori found a company that makes great, stylish furniture out of scrap lumber.
• In Plenty
  
  The Top Ten Things We Hope to Find as the Glaciers Melt -
  • Jimmy Hoffa
  • Waldo
  • The mates to all our loose socks
  • A word that rhymes with "orange"
  • Dave Chapelle
  • Bill Gates's PIN number
  • Edvard Munch's The Scream
  • The Missing Link
  • The lost pieces of the ozone layer
  • Santa's Workshop

   

  The Beer - Piraat Ale - a Belgium beer imported by Win-It-Too, Inc. out of Santa Barbara, CA

  The Chocolate - NOT DARK!!!TerraNostra Chocolate Ricemilk Choco. For vegans this is a good choice. We liked it, but we're die hard dark chocolate fans so this wasn't top of our list.

  The Home Energy Audit
  Over 75% of our utility bills are spent on heating, cooling, lighting, cooking and running other appliances in their homes. Did you know that heating the shower for a family of four can cost up to $33 a month?
  Make it a goal to save 20% on your monthly energy bills this year. By incorporating simple tips throughout the house, you can do it.
  Before we start, here are the general steps to get started:
  Step 1: Take the following tour throughout your home and determine where you lose the most energy. Are there holes and cracks in or around walls, ceilings, windows and electrical outlets. Is there enough insulation in exterior or basement walls? Do the appliances work properly? Are they sucking every dime out of your wallet due to their lack of energy efficiency? Is there a way to use daylight to reduce the time the lights are on in your home?
  Step 2: Develop a plan. List priorities based on where you are losing the most energy, your budget and the amount of time you have available and what your limitations are if you are renting.
  Step 3: Begin making changes around your house.

  Living Room:
  For south facing windows, keep draperies and shades open during the day as they received the most sunlight. Keep all drapes and shades closed at night to help reduce chill.
  Minimize the use of your fireplace as warm air escapes through the chimney. Unless a fire is burning, keep the fireplace damper closed. If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue.
  If you have large blank walls, hang a tapestry to help trap warm air.
  Kitchen:
  Use your kitchen ventilation fan wisely - did you know that in just one hour, these fans can pull out a houseful of warm air?
  When using your oven, keep preheating time to a minimum and use the smallest pan possible to use less energy (less to wash, too). Limit the time you open the door as you lose heat - use the light to see what's happening inside.
  Scrape, don't rinse off large pieces of food and bone from the dishes. Soaking and pre-washing should be reserved for burnt on foods.
  Cover pots and pans with lids to retain heat and reduce cooking time.
  Position your refrigerator or freezer away from direct sunlight or warm air so the appliance doesn't need to use more energy to keep cool. Example: dishwasher, range, heating ducts, etc)
  Bedroom:
  Unblock all heating registers, air supplies and return vents.
  Plug all holes in walls including light switches, electrical outlets and windows to keep air from leaking out or in.
  Keep doors closed to unoccupied rooms and close vents. Why heat an empty room?
  Keep heated waterbeds covered when not in use.
  Bathroom:
  Install low flow showerheads and repair leaky faucets. Heating water is the second largest energy user in the home.
  Leave the bathroom door open after a shower to let the warm steamy air circulate through the house.
  Don't use the toilet as a trash can - every flush can use up to six gallons.
  Don't let water run when shaving, washing your face or brushing your teeth. Brush your teeth while waiting for warm water, then fill the basin and wash or shave.
  Lather once in the shower, Rob. A short shower uses half the water of a full bath. Use a shower timer to limit shower times.
  Attic/Basement:
  Add insulation to your attic and ducts. Check with your local utilities company for programs that provide free insulation or financial assistance. They're available in many states.
  Have a professional tune up and inspect your furnace once a year and change your filters regularly. It can make a big difference in furnace efficiency.
  General Tips:
  Be conscious of how many lights are on in your home. If your kids need light, purchase a low wattage night light -they illuminate while using extremely little energy.
  Wrap your water heater - this can make a big impact.
  Set your water heater to a maximum of 120 degrees. Plenty hot enough to wash everything, saves energy and prevents scalding.
  Switch to cold water laundry detergent, you can save up to $63 a year.
  Set your thermostat at 68 in the winter and 80 in the summer. Adjust accordingly to your climate. A few degrees can add up to big bucks at bill time.
  Houseplants add humidity and absorb toxins. Humid air feels warmer and helps to reduce winter colds and dry skin.
  Use CFL's! They last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and use at least 25% less energy. Buy quality - cheap bulbs burn out.
  Paint walls light colors to reduce the amount of light you need.
  Keep your light bulbs clean - dust absorbs light and reduces efficiency.
  Keep South facing windows clean to maximize light and heat retention.
  If you have old windows and can't afford new ones, apply plastic sheeting to help insulate.
  Utilize weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows - prevents major heat loss.
  Power down appliances when not in use - this means unplugging. Computers, stereo's, toasters, coffee pots, you get the idea. Just because they're off doesn't mean they're not pulling current.
  Lots of little things add up to big savings. Keep track of your bills and your total wattage use. Consider buying a Kill-o-Watt to help detect key money sucking appliances.

  Listener Emails
  

  • Tracy sent over a great tip for eco-friendly cat litter (which, by the way the girls apologized for forgetting- especially cat lover Dori) made of recycled wood pellets and is completely compostable. They even have a form to fill out where you can get your first purchase free after rebate. You can find it at www.felinepine.com/cons_rebates.html
  • Barry asked about a comprehensive list of green companies. While there isn't one complete list, the gals recommend Co-op America's National Green Pages. You can find them at most natural food stores and at several major booksellers. Or, you can get them free by joining Co-op America at www.coopamerica.org. Also Check out Organic Life Magazine, and Sustainable Industries Magazines.
  • Jen - Hello,
    A friend of mine just turned me on to your podcast - I just checked it out and I think it's great that you're putting that information out there! And you just sold me on the Earth Enzymes drain cleaner!
    I'm currently looking for a new job in the Cleveland, OH area and would like to find some companies that are environmentally aware, that produce earth-friendly products, something to that effect. I've tried searching a little, but I'm having trouble finding any such companies in the area.
    Please let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions. Val suggests checking with your local Chamber of Commerce.
  • Elizabeth in England - Let me just say you two are the California sisters I left behind! I am a transplanted Californian (Santa Maria is my home town) living in England. It is so great to download you guys every week. I have been committed to living green for years but it is an ongoing struggle! With four kids I am always challenged with things like how to pack my kids lunches without using prepackaged crap OR 5000 plastic sandwich bags, or how to recycle the mountains of boxes, bottles and cans that my family seems to generate in a timely manner before they take over our pantry and drive us out onto the streets! So thanks for the encouragement. I am currently conducting my own local organic beer and cider review in your honor and took myself out to lunch today at a local organic restaurant just because I was in the mood after your podcast! Hopefully I will be sending out four girls into the world that carry their own shopping bags, drink and eat locally, and drive environmentally responsibly cars. My crazy parenting style will be worth while if I can pull this off and with your help I hope to!! Thanks gals!!!
  • Liisa - I just got back from vacation on the big island of Hawaii, and I took you guys with me... on my iPod (yes, I know that isn't the same as you actually getting to go).
    About cleaning your drain with something other than Drain-O; white vinegar and baking soda down that sucker, cover it up and let it burn through that hair and icky stuff.
    Congrats on getting a Trader Joe's! We love ours. They have a great Zen cleaner, excellent biodegradable laundry and dish detergents... and excellent organic dark chocolate bars.
    Finally, a question: how safe is Oxi-clean for the environment? I have no idea how it works, other than it being bleach-free. Does it become inert after awhile? - Val says it gets it's power from oxygen.
  • Jarrod asked about good stains and urethanes that won't outgas he and his new wife to death (their cat Pixel does that just fine). Val recommends afm safecoat www.afmsafecoat.com
  • Ann - Did you happen to see Target store's Sunday circular? They are selling bamboo sheets and towels - hooray! Nice to see a national retailer going green. Val went to the website, and didn't find that they had actual bamboo fibers, but bamboo texture and design. Let us know if we've got it wrong.
  • Prabjit - Hello Dori and Val,
    I'm a guy studying Psych/Art History in Tucson, Arizona and you babes got a primo podcast! I would know--I used to be subscribed to 50 of them (but now I'm down to 20. For me, you hold a spot next to the likes of NPR's podcast collection--important, urgent, diverse, oh so relevant, and HUMOROUS. First off I'll recommend another podcast to you and your listeners. The Vegan Cooking School is a tight, 15min podcast hosted by chef Tracy Jorg that's got some good recipes...chocolate pudding, tofu scramble, and yes beer battered onion rings! I just wanted people to know about it, so there.
    Another comment concerns your show on Paper vs. Plastic. It made me think how I was raised in my house and how I keep my own apt. When grocery shopping at Albertsons (I'm a poor college student w/o a car and it's across the street..sry) I take my TJ's (Trader Joe's) canvas bag and walk to and from the store while listening to your podcast :). When shopping with a friend, I collect all the plastic bags that he and I used and I store them in my apartment. I use plastic bags to organize my clothes and laundry instead of a BIG dresser. I use them to cover the inside of small trash bins in the bath and bedroom so they stay clean of "goo". And the rest I save, so if someone has to blow chucks or something there's always a bag around.
    So my question is what's your review of the Nalgene, post-consumer (#7) plastic bottles that about a fourth of college students own? Are they OK with the hippies? I've had one for a year now and I've never bought an ordinary plastic bottle because of it. Who've thought college students, fresh away from home, would revert back to babies -- carrying around bottles :) Ha! On a related note, though I can't find the article in my mailbox, my dad forwarded a news article telling people not to freeze water in cheap plastic bottles or heat food in Tupperware because of the release of dioxins. Having heard you gals cover parts of this too I thought I'd tell you that everyone on my email list got the message.
    (Val said not to use #7 plastic bottles - switch to a stainless steel bottle - or use a glass bottle or a bottle from Biota.)
  • Andre, one of our Canadian listeners (eh?), shared a website with some disturbing information about pet food. Check out www.commondreams.org for more information.
  Email us at hip@greenfeet.com