Green Your Christmas with Low-Energy Holiday Lights

Whether you like lights that are white or multi-colored, make them green with LED lights that use 90% less energy and last much longer than traditional bulbs. LEDs don’t heat up like standard bulbs...so they stay cooler, are safer for kids, and pose less risk of fires. And if one bulb does break or burn out, the rest of the lights in the strand will keep glowing.

If you can't find LED Christmas lights at your local store, check out Holiday LEDs or Forever Brights from Christmas Treasures to light up your holidays while going easy on the planet. To get even more green from your outdoor Christmas lights, try Solar Illuminations for solar-powered Christmas LEDs.

Photo credit: Graham Soult

Energy Report Cards

I spend a lot of time "eco-nagging" my daughters. Whether it's "please turn off the light," or "DO NOT stand there with the refrigerator door open," I am constantly pestering them use less energy...a concept that I'll admit can be somewhat abstract to children. A great way to teach kids about energy consumption is to turn the tables and let them teach you. Help your child give your house an "Energy Report Card". Here's how...

Energy Report Cards

For Toddlers and Preschoolers: At this age, the idea is to keep it simple. Download the free Home Energy Audit Kit from EarthCare and help your child identify the items in the pictures (of common household scenes) that use energy. Color the pictures and introduce the basic concepts. "When we turn the light on, we use energy." Show your child how you turn off the light whenever you leave a room so that you don't waste energy.

For Elementary School-Aged Kids: Using the same kit mentioned above, take the concepts one step further. Look through the house together to identify the items that use energy (lights, TV, computer, cell phone charger, etc.) Now, see if you can find ways together to use a little less energy. Adjust the thermostat by a few degrees, unplug appliances that you don't use regularly, replace burned out light bulbs with compact fluorescents. Check out HogBusters an online game where kids can learn more about the energy savers and wasters throughout the house.

Next, make sure your kids know just where all of that energy is coming from. The diagram posted below gives a good general overview of how this energy gets to your house. You can explore this site further to learn about the different kinds of energy and how they are produced.


For Tweens and Teens: Teenagers should already know what items use energy, but they may not be aware of how much that energy costs in resources and dollars. Surf with your teen over to Saving Electricity 101and scroll down the page to the Electricity Calculator. There you can look up the energy cost in dollars of most common household items (everything from coffee machines to X-boxes.) The idea is not to make kids feel guilty about using energy, just aware that the energy they use does cost money. Talk about the resources (fossil fuels or renewables) that are needed to create energy. You can also check out Home Energy Savers for a web-based home energy auditing tool that calculates your homes energy costs based on the averages in your local area.

Now that your kids know all about saving energy, turn them loose on their schools. A school "Energy Report Card" makes a great science project and can help schools save a bundle of money on energy costs. Oh, and don't be surprised to hear a little "eco-nagging" as well. "Don't put so much hot water in that bath, Mom!"

The Great Diaper Debate

New parents are inundated with new decisions, often on topics that have never before crossed their minds; bottle or breast? paci or thumb? co-sleep or crib? Of these decisions, none is more vexing than diapers. It would seem from the great diaper debate that there is simply no eco-friendly way to diaper a child. Sure, cloth diapers are reusable and therefore lighten the landfill load. However, their need for frequent washing uses both water and energy.

Independent studies over the years have consistently come to the conclusion that there is no significant difference in the environmental impact between disposables and cloth. So what’s an eco-minded parent to do? Here are the options:

One alternative to consider is a new product called gDiapers, which combines a washable cloth pant with a biodegradable and flushable insert liner. Unlike disposable diapers, they don’t use any elemental plastics or landfill space, and they require less of the water and energy used to wash standard cloth diapers. These “hybrid” diapers are good in a pinch, but they still require paper and packaging (and midnight trips to the store for refills!)

Some parents have eschewed diapers all together and turned to a method called “elimination communication” where parents learn to “read” their baby’s cues and rush them to the potty when they appear ready to go. Inevitable messes aside, this method is unquestionably better for the environment because it doesn’t require water, energy, or landfill space. However, it is not for the faint of heart. If you can’t devote your full attention to watching your baby for “cues,” save yourself and your baby some frustration and use another method.

For those who prefer a traditional diaper, cotton diapers can take the environmental edge over disposables with some energy and water saving techniques, such as line-drying, skipping the pre-soak, and washing diapers in large loads using low temperatures. And today’s parents don’t have to go old-school with pins and plastic pants. Cotton diapers are easier to use than ever before; and, let’s face it, they are just way cuter than disposables. My pick of the bunch is Fuzzi Bunz cotton diapers...they are great looking, ridiculously soft, and a snap (literally!) to use.

Cotton diapers now come in such a wide array of styles and colors, that green parents may finally be able to put an end to the great diaper think about more important things (like sleep!).

Go Low-Flow

As a parent, I would love nothing more than a nice, long, hot shower if for no other reason than to take a break from doling out snacks, referring fights, and wiping up spills. Of course, I'm lucky if I can get 5 minutes to myself. But even 5 minutes is all it takes to wash away 30 gallons of water. Showers make up a big chunk (roughly 22 percent) of the average family's water bill. And showers hit the pocketbook twice...once for water and once for the energy the water heater uses to make the water hot. Low-flow shower heads have come along way since they were first introduced, reducing water use by as much as 500 to 800 gallons of water per month. Install one and you'll save water, energy, and a ton of $$$.

Park It!

The next time you're headed to the grocery store or the soccer field, make an effort to park in the shade. It will keep your car cooler in the summer and minimize the evaporization of fuel.
driving green

It's A Gas

Tired of paying an arm and a leg to fill your gas tank? Take these steps to save gas, money, and the planet.

1. Go Slow: Stick to the speed limit and avoid excessive braking and accelerating.
   
2. Pump It Up: Make sure your tires are properly inflated (underinflated tires reduce fuel economy).
3. Clean It Out: If your car is like mine, it is a rolling closet, fileld with clothes, toys, books, strollers, and snacks. But all of that extra weight may cost money at the pump. The Department of Energy estimates that drivers can save anywhere between 3 and 6 cents a gallon just by removing unnecessary weight.
4. Go Cruisin': Using cruise control, especially on long trips, can save you as much as 7 percent on fuel (according to Edmunds.com.)

A Bright Idea

Lighting adds up to 15 percent of the total energy use in the average American home. So don’t overlook the obvious: turn off lights when you leave a room. Also, try using a lower wattage bulb or swapping out regular light bulbs for energy-saving, long-lasting compact fluorescents that can save energy and cash.

Follow The Sun

Even if you don’t have solar panels on your roof, you can make use of the sun’s power to warm your home in the winter. Leave shades and blinds open on sunny days, but close them at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows. In the summer, block that warmth by closing shades and blinds on the sunny side of the house

Take Control Of Your Temperature

This is one of the simplest and most powerful things you can do to save energy around your house. In the winter, see if you and your family can still be comfortable with the thermostat set around 68 degrees. Turn it down even more when you go to sleep. During the summer months, bump up the thermostat and open a window when there is a fresh breeze.

Pull The Plug

Even when appliances are off, they are still draining energy in “standby” mode. Use a power strip to turn off televisions, stereos, and computer systems when you are not using them and unplug appliances such as phone chargers, extra refrigerators, and printers until you need them.