The Courier-Journal, the Louisville newspaper, recently asked residents why and how did they become drawn into gardening. Me, being a gardener for over 15 years, had to answer. I was lucky enough to have my response and photo in the newspaper. The following is what I wrote on why I'm drawn to gardening:
My parents got me into gardening and I'm so glad they did. Gardening teaches you responsibility as well as the satisfaction of growing something that can be appreciated or eaten. Even in Kentucky, you can grow almost whatever you like. Gardening has been one of my favorite hobbies for years. From flowers to tomatoes, gardening has taught me a lot about nature. I recommend gardening to anyone and everyone.
You can see my response and other gardeners in the Louisville area here.
Over the years I have grown just about anything you can in Kentucky. The photo below is the last all-out garden I had a few years ago. The scarecrow was a fun little thing to add to the garden, but I’m not sure it really worked. Days after this photo was taken a family of deer wiped out my entire crop of sweet corn. I guess they needed it more than me. One of the casualties of gardening, I reckon.
I received an email the other day from Melissa of www.DelmarFans.com. She wanted to share her knowledge on energy efficient ceiling fans. The following is what she has written on these great products:
Now that Summer is here finding ways to stay cool is on everyone’s mind. It’s important to keep cool but at what cost to our wallets and to our environment? Running the air conditioning can use a lot of electricity and most people today (including myself) are trying to cut back on energy use because of the damage it is doing to our beautiful planet plus the cost of energy usage. That’s where energy efficient ceiling fans come in. An energy efficient ceiling fan helps you reduce your energy usage, electricity costs, and improves your room’s comfort all at the same time. You can reduce your electric bill up to 40% in the Summer and up to 10% in the Winter by using an energy efficient fan. These fans use less energy and cost less to run than A/C units. Ceiling fans with effective air circulation can make you feel 7-9 degrees cooler because they create a wind chill effect. So you can turn up your A/C and still get the same cooling comfort by using one-third less energy. Imagine if everyone used energy efficient ceiling fans. What a BIG difference that would make! By using one of these fans you can do your part for the environment without sacrificing comfort plus you’ll save money. It can’t get better than that. J
What to Look for in Energy Efficient Ceiling Fans?
The main things that you need to look for when buying an energy efficient ceiling fan is the product airflow, electricity use, airflow efficiency, and if the fan has an energy star rating. The product airflow is the amount of air circulation produced by the ceiling fan. It is measured by cubic feet per minute, also known as CFM. You want to look for a ceiling fan with a product airflow of 4500 CFM and above to receive optimal air circulation. The electricity use of a ceiling fan is the amount of watts used by the ceiling fan when in use. When looking for an energy efficient ceiling fan you want to try to find one with a lower usage of wattage. The most important thing to look for is the airflow efficiency of the fan. Airflow efficiency is calculated by taking the product airflow CFM and divides it by the watts used. Energy efficient fans should have an airflow efficiency of 75 CFM/Watts and higher. The last thing to look for is the Energy Star logo. Most energy efficient ceiling fans have an energy star rating although keep your eye out for ceiling fans without the logo because sometimes you can find a more energy efficient ceiling fan that doesn’t have an energy star rating.
Energy Star Ceiling Fans
The best selling ceiling fans in the industry today are Energy Star rated due to the increased awareness of the environment. For a ceiling fan to earn an Energy Star rating it must meet the Energy Star product criteria established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, also known as EPA.
Energy Star ceiling fans move 20% more air effectively and use approximately 50% less electricity than standard fans. Ceiling fans with Energy Star qualifications have improved motors and blades designs that result in lower energy usage which will save you money and help the environment all in one.
One of the most popular Energy Star fan is the Hunter 23856 Original Classic fan.
Hunter Fan 23856 52” Original Classic White Ceiling Fan
Product Airflow - 6947 CFM
Electricity Use - 87 watts
Airflow Efficiency - 80 CFM/watt
Extreme Green Ceiling Fans
Monte Carlo has developed extreme green ceiling fans. These fans combine Monte Carlo’s engineering with energy star standards. These ceiling fans are 300% more efficient than the average ceiling fan! One of the most energy efficient fans on the market today is the new 2010 Monte Carlo 5VSR60BSD Versio 60” fan.
Monte Carlo Fan 5VSR60BSD 60” Versio Brushed Steel Ceiling Fan
Product Airflow - 4646 CFM
Electricity Use - 12.1 watts
Airflow Efficiency - 383.9 CFM/watt
When shopping for Monte Carlo energy efficient ceiling fans look for the Extreme Green Logo.
Other Top Energy Efficient Ceiling Fans
Minka Aire F823-MG 52” Wing Mahogany Ceiling Fan
The unique Minka Aire F823-MG Wing ceiling fan has a sleek, modern design that will add style and comfort to your home while being energy efficient.
Product Airflow - 6000 CFM
Electricity Use - 31 watts
Airflow Efficiency - 193 CFM/watt
Emerson Fan CF252BS 52” Brushed Steel Curva Fan
The Emerson CF252BS Curva ceiling fan has a contemporary design and is UL Wet rated, which makes it suitable for covered and uncovered outdoor locations.
Product Airflow - 5329 CFM
Electricty Use - 45 watts
Airflow Efficiency - 118 CFM/watt
Energy Efficient ceiling fans, when used properly, help you add comfort to your home year-round while cutting down on energy use and costs. The ceiling fan direction in the Summer months should run counter-clockwise to create a cooling downdraft. While in the Winter months the ceiling fan direction should run clockwise to circulate warm air from the ceiling down to the floor to evenly distribute the warm air. Also make sure you buy the right size ceiling fan for your room to ensure the maximum air movement. When you are looking for a light kit for an energy efficient ceiling fan make sure you find an energy saving light kit as well. Go green, save money and stay comfortable with energy efficient ceiling fans. J
Energy Saving Tip: Ceiling fans cool people not rooms so always remember to turn off your ceiling fan when leaving a room.
Melissa O'Connor
Marketing Department
Del Mar Designs
www.delmarfans.com
New Designs & Latest Trends www.bloglighting.com & www.ceilingfan.org
I made the below video almost two years ago, but I have recently changed up the audio. This video is a culmination of facts about our environment as well as ways we can improve the environment. I think you'll learn something. I see it as the video version of the Ways2GoGreen website. Enjoy.
A nationwide study reveals that children exposed to higher levels of a type of pesticide found in trace amounts on commercially grown fruit and vegetables are more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder than children with less exposure.
Researchers measured the levels of pesticide byproducts in the urine of 1,139 children from across the United States. Children with above-average levels of one common byproduct had roughly twice the odds of getting a diagnosis of ADHD, according to the study, which appears in the journal Pediatrics.
Exposure to the pesticides, known as organophosphates, has been linked to behavioral and cognitive problems in children in the past, but previous studies have focused on communities of farm workers and other high-risk populations. This study is the first to examine the effects of exposure in the population at large.
Maryse Bouchard, Ph.D., a researcher in the department of environmental and occupational health at the University of Montreal says, "Organic fruits and vegetables contain much less pesticides, so I would certainly advise getting those for children. National surveys have also shown that fruits and vegetables from farmers' markets contain less pesticides even if they're not organic. If you can buy local and from farmers' markets, that's a good way to go."
If this research is true it would be just another of many reasons to eat more organic fruit and vegetables.
So which fruit and vegetables have the potential of the most and least amount of pesticides? See the The Dirty Dozen & The Clean Fifteen.
Is enough being done to protect us from chemicals that could harm us? Watch "Toxic America," a special two-night investigative report with Sanjay Gupta M.D., June 2 & 3 at 8 p.m. ET on CNN.
Earth Day is an annual holiday founded by peace activist John McConnell, who also designed the Earth Day Flag. It started as a grassroots effort to inform people to support environmental concerns and create a movement. Now there are millions in the world who celebrate Earth Day each year on April 22nd. If you haven't already, learn more about Earth Day and become involved.
The first official Earth Day was on April 22, 1970. The day was proposed by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson. It marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Approximately 20 million Americans participated that year, with a goal of a healthy, sustainable environment. Denis Hayes, the national coordinator, and his youthful staff organized massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.
In 1990, 200 million people in 141 countries celebrated the day and lifted the status of environmental issues onto the world stage. Earth Day gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit. For 2000, Earth Day had the internet to help link activists around the world. By the time April 22 rolled around, 5,000 environmental groups around the world were on board, reaching out to hundreds of millions of people in a record 184 countries. Including, hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Earth Day 2007 was one of the largest Earth Days to date, with an estimated billion people participating all over the world.
The Earth Flag was designed in 1970 by Earth Day founder and pioneer John McConnell, an early leader in the international peace movement. Inspired by the striking first photographs of the whole Earth taken during America's historic Apollo 10 space mission in 1969, this symbolic creation attained immediate world-wide recognition, including a lifetime association with renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead. Dr. Mead carried what she called "the flag for all people" with her wherever she appeared from 1969 until her death in 1977.
Earth Day originally had a symbol that was a combination of the letters "E" and "O" taken from the words "Environment" and "Organism", respectively. Later a theta was used because of its historic use as a warning symbol, or the peace symbol. Theta is now associated with Earth Day.
Celebrate the planet locally or globally every day, not just on Earth Day. To find Earth Day events in your area, go to Earth Day events.
We all remember the Cash 4 Clunkers program from last year. This was where you could trade in your older not-so-good on gas mileage vehicle for a vehicle with higher gas mileage while receiving a rebate. Well, this year we now have the 'Cash for Appliances' program for household appliances. The state of Kentucky will pay consumers up to $400 to purchase appliances designated as Energy Star Appliances. Those are appliances that meet government standards for energy efficiency. Energy Star appliances can be seen here.
The 'Cash for Appliances' program in Kentucky begins on Earth Day on April 22. Rebates will run from $50 up to $400 depending upon the appliance. In Kentucky 16 appliances have been designated to be part of the program. They include dishwashers, refrigerators, front-loading clothes washers, and hot water heaters. Dryers are not included because they are not energy efficient.
General Electric's new hybrid hot water heater which will soon be manufactured in Louisville is expected to be one of the more popular products. The state of Kentucky has $4 million to give to consumers. Once the money is gone the program is over. The amount of money each state gets was determined by its population.
To be eligible consumers have to purchase an E-Star appliance that will replace an older less efficient one. Some stores like Sears say they will be open extra hours to deal with what they expect will be a big increase in their business on that day.
To learn more about Kentucky's 'Cash for Appliances' program, specifically which appliances are eligible along with the rebate amount go to the Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence.
I'm very happy to officially announce: the Green Living Community on Lunch.com has officially been launched. I founded this community to create a gathering place for those with a passion for the environment and living a greener life. My goal is for this community to be a spot to learn and share knowledge on eco-friendly products, recycling, gardening, organic, health, and all other things Green. If you would like to become involved, I urge you to join the Green Living Community.
The Green Living Community is mentioned in the Lunch.com official press release. An excerpt from the press release:
Communities on Lunch empower people to create custom review sites for their own unique interests, from strollers to green living to foreign films. For the first time, people can do for their personal passions what Yelp has done for restaurants, TripAdvisor has done for hotels, and Rotten Tomatoes has done for movies. Community founders control the nature of the conversation, and curate the community by choosing the topics, members, and specific pieces of content, as well as creating review templates to guide contributions.
The entire press release can be seen here.
Examples of some reviews in the Green Living Community:
Food, Inc. - Truly a great film. Everyone should see it! by sarahcooley
Precycling is Thinking-Before-You-Buy to avoid waste later by Clay_Miller
Generation Gap -- A Brief Comment on Seventh Generation's Laundry Soap! by Scotman
Favorite Vegetables to Grow (12) by Clay_Miller
If you would like to share and learn about green living join the Green Living Community.
The Green Living Community is here
My personal Lunch.com page is here
Screenshot of The Green Living Community on Lunch.com:
Thank you and I'll see you at Lunch.com.
