Avoid food packaging and cling wrap containing PVC.

We’ve been obsessed with tasty healthy food all week: lobster rolls, salmon, and sushi; takeout craves you can just as well make at home; hormone-free burgers and chili; and even roasted potato dominos. YUM yum yum. Now let’s get serious: what about the stuff that TOUCHES your food when you store it, transport it, or reheat it? Today’s action rewards you for choosing anything but PVC to wrap and reheat your food!

If you know of cooler storage-bowl covers, please let us know asap. For now our favorite is this set from Hunter Gatherer. Only possible drawbacks: 1) they're not organic cotton; 2) they're flown from the UK. But still. We love them.

Beaba Multiportion Baby Food Freezer Tray... not just for babies! Grown-up pesto will freeze gorgeously in these BPA-free trays.

Cling wrap is an easy solution for leftovers and a common packaging material. But not all plastic wraps are alike: some are polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, which environmental groups like Greenpeace refer to as “poison” plastic. From manufacture to disposal it’s highly toxic—for humans and for the earth. Traces of the chemicals used to make it pliable can migrate into food, especially things that are fatty or warm (never microwave plastic, especially PVC!). Exposure to PVC has been linked to dizziness, headaches, asthma, liver damage, brain/nervous system damage, and increased cancer risk. People who work in or live near PVC factories have it the worst.

Here's another cool idea: Laurie David's PVC-free shower cap solution, featured in The Family Dinner. Rinse caps after using to cover food and dry them on the window sill!

PVC is particularly difficult to dispose of as it is made with heavy metals like lead and cadmium; less than 1 percent of it is recycled.

Use empty glass containers & bottles to store food--or splurge on this set from Williams Sonoma!

Ask your grocery store what kind of wrap they use, especially for meats and cheeses. If it’s PVC, encourage them to change to safer plastic #4. Get your neighbors to speak up; there’s nothing like positive pressure for green and healthy changes!

Great Deal: Pyrex storage containers. These bowls are a great alternative to plastic wrap or plastic containers for food storage. They are safe for use in oven, microwave (take the plastic tops off!), refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher.

To minimize exposure, shop for minimally packaged food and things that come in glass; PVC is also found in plastic trays, candy bar wrappers, and bottles.

At home, store food in glass, stainless steel, or lead-free ceramic containers instead of plastic. If you’re going to use plastic wrap, check to see what yours is made of (“3″ or “V” denotes PVC). But truly, a safe plate over a safe bowl tucked in the fridge does the trick.

• Practically Green: Smart Shopping and Conscious Living with Alexandra Zissu
• Green Living Tips: PVC and the environment
• Healthy Child Healthy World: Shopper’s Guide to Plastics & Food: Cling Wrap
• BeSafeNet: PVC The Poison Plastic
• President’s Cancer Panel: Eat Organic, Avoid Plastics
• Rodale.com: Plastic-Free February
• Greenpeace: The Poison Plastic
• PG Picks! Eco-friendly packaging, Laugh Green, efficient factory, green date ideas, nature and architecture, and cool green products
• U.S. Weighs Cancer Risk of Styrene and Formaldehyde

GLAD says that they do not use any PVC in their products. They also say their products are BPA-free.

Next time you’re inside, look around the floor. Near the wall. You might see something like this:

The red light at the top means this strip is ON. Turn it off when you don't need it!

It’s a smart strip, of course! Ever wonder why they’re called SMART? Or why it’s SMART to switch them off when you aren’t using them? Read on.

Did you know that even after you’ve turned off your TV or powered down your computer, they continue to use electricity? This is referred to as vampire or phantom energy use. Pretty much all electronics do this—unless unplugged from a socket—which is why phantom energy accounts for 10 percent or more of your energy bill each month. Unplugging devices is one way to stop wasting energy and cash, but it’s a very tedious process.

Enter the perfect solution: a smart power strip.

Belkin's Conserve Switch Surge Protector comes with a wireless remote, so you can shut off power—including standby power—to all of your electronics with the flick of a switch. It has six switchable & two always-on power outlets, so items you need on will remain on.

Depending on the kind of strip you purchase, it will either power down automatically or you simply press one switch. Either way, you’ve cut power completely to multiple devices at once—reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of your electricity and saving money. Win-win.

The colorful Smart Strip in the photo is, well, smart. It stops drawing power when your gadgets are turned off so no more wasting money on vampire energy. It’s got ten outlets: a great choice for home offices or entertainment centers. Plug it in, start curbing your energy costs.

Buy a smart power strip at an electronics store or online (this will cost around $30). Plug in everything from your laptop to your phone charger and you’re on your way to saving energy. For bigger savings, consider investing in multiple power strips for your home office, media room, and kitchen.

Plug items you want to leave on into the wall. Or purchase a smart strip equipped with a mix of outlets that are always on, as well as power saving ones. This configuration allows you to keep some electronics on (like your cable modem or DVR), while shutting others off (like your TV or DVD player).

Cool mirrored Isole' power strip: combination power strip & motion sensor. With six outlets controlled by occupancy and two uncontrolled outlets, this energy saving power strip is ideal for home, school, or office.

• Unplggd.com: Roundup–Five Great Power Strips
• PracticallyGreen.com: Energy Vampires 101
• The New York Times: Atop TV Sets, A Power Drain That Runs Nonstop
• Terrapass.com: Remove Wall Warts And Slay Electricity Vampires

If you’d like to add 270 points to your Practically Green score, simply insulate your roof, walls, basement, and pipes.

No, this is not buttercream cake frosting: it's icynene insulation sprayed between the rafters: this keeps conditioned air where you want it!

For another 20 points, insulate your ductwork! “Ductwork!?” I can hear some of you renters screaming: “what’s that?”

To understand the concept of insulation: think of these dogs as your pipes, and their plaid coats as the insulation. (TY Bill Cunningham of the NYTimes Style section)

Okay, we know: if you rent your space, or merely inhabit it as a worker, a guest, a student, or other non-invested person, this set of actions might not be for you. But if you’re a home owner, a real-estate manager, a facilities manager, you know how important it is to insulate. And even if you are a tenant, you might be able to improve upon the stuffing in your walls.

If you're ever in San Francisco, visit the Levis headquarters for a fabulous example of denim insulation. 200,000 pairs of jeans were used in this location, many of them collected from Goodwill

Owens-Corning has a new product called EcoTouch and exacting green building guru Alex Wilson gave it a thumbs up: ”EcoTouch is a large, important step for Owens Corning…. Its introduction last year was the first step of a top-to-bottom transformation of the company’s ubiquitous pink fiberglass insulation, making that a healthier, safer product.” Click here for his February 2011 blog post on it at BuildingGreen.com.

Handy diagram at OwensCorning.com guides insulation choices

Excellent insulation, captured by Bill Cunningham

When properly installed, insulation reduces the energy necessary to heat your home in the winter and cool it in the summer. Reduced energy means lower bills, results in fewer emissions, and consumes fewer natural resources. A perfect trifecta.

Almost any insulation can be considered green because of the energy benefits, but some materials are eco-friendlier than others. Some manufacturers use high percentages of recycled content, or substitute natural castor oil for petroleum-based materials. There are versions created from recycled blue jeans, recycled newspaper newspapers, and wool. Some foams are made from renewable products like soy, and avoid use of ozone-depleting chemicals. Steer clear of dangerous ingredients such as formaldehyde, a “known” carcinogen in Europe and a “suspected” one in the U.S., which has also been linked to allergies and asthma and is routinely used as a binder in insulation.

Have an experienced contractor conduct an analysis of your home’s walls, and then walk you through your options.

Air sealing any leaks before adding new insulation is common practice (and highly recommended!). Wall insulation is often installed in combination with added roof insulation.

Tip: ask your contractor if insulation close to R-40 can be added to your walls (the R factor is the measure of resistance to heat flow). This will assure maximum effectiveness, quicker payback from your investment, and provide extra comfort throughout the home. Bonus!

• Energy Savers: Wall Insulation
• Inhabitat: New Ideas for Green Insulation
• Energy Savers: Adding Insulation to an Existing Home
• This Old House: “Insulation”
• Bookmark This Site: Simply Insulate

Even if you have a no Fur policy for your body, don't skimp on padding your building envelope! (TY Bill Cunningham for another great illustration.)

“The essence of good manners is not exclusivity, nor exclusion of any kind, but sensitivity.”

Reading a review of “Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That?,” a new etiquette book, we were reminded of a few green pet peeves: idling delivery trucks, littering pedestrians, and, in our very own house, teenagers and spouses. Specifically: Would it kill you to turn off the motor when you’re inside the building delivering packages? Would it kill you to put your donut wrapper in a trash bin instead of dropping it onto the sidewalk?

And, Would it kill you to turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth? Is the sound of running water essential for sparkly dentals?

Today we focus on Turning off Faucets while Brushing Teeth. A no brainer: it’s free, it’s easy, a quick 10 points, and 60% of the Practically Green community is already doing it.

If you simply cannot remember to turn off your faucet, consider a Mac Faucet hands-free model (with matching soap dispenser)

A standard faucet can use about 2-3 gallons of water per minute. Turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth can save around 20-30 gallons of water per week per person. For a family of four, this can translate into over 6,000 gallons of year.

In addition to saving money, using less water allows more water to stay in the ground or in a reservoir which helps to maintain a natural water balance, support wildlife, and preserve water for future use. Don’t assume that because you live in a place where it rains a lot, there isn’t a water shortage. Even in areas that don’t technically have droughts or even water restrictions, concerns are rising that there may not be enough clean water to support population and water growth due to reduced mountain snow pack. At least 36 states expect water shortages in the next five years.

It seems basic: Turn on, wet toothbrush, turn back off. So why is it so darn hard?? Especially for five-year-old boys?

Like anything, it takes practice to develop a habit and have a routine. If you need a little help in developing this routine, try installing a motion sensor faucet or a foot pedal faucet.

From PedaControl the flow of your faucet with a convenient foot pedal. Pedal Valve designed their hands-free faucets to help conserve water and as a more hygienic option. Great for kitchens, baths.

Drinking Water: Conservation, Preservation, and Stewardship

Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program

Sometimes when we want the advice of a chic, worldly, bossy big sister, and we mean that in the best possible way, we turn to blogs like Dominique Browning’s Slow Love Life, Zem Joaquin’s EcoFabulous, and Ronnie Citron-Fink’s EcoNesting, … and, Priscilla Woolworth’s Almanac.

These women are stylishly green, intelligently and brilliantly green: they’re strict about ingredients, family, and process; they seem to travel everywhere and know everyone; they always have fresh flowers; and they are ready with sharp poison daggers to stab greenwashers. Also, they almost always have a French grandmother.

From SlowLoveLife.com

We recently caught up with Priscilla for a Q & A. (The first in a series, if you like the idea!)

Q. How did you get started?

A. I started developing the concept for my store 6 years ago, when I couldn’t find the non-toxic cleaning products I needed when I was at my house in Maine in the summer. I started shipping them from Los Angeles to Maine a week before I was leaving! Just nuts! Also, my friends were always asking me where I bought things or asked for advice about my lifestyle. I never imagined having my own store, let alone online and I discovered it was the most natural thing for me to do. Maybe it’s in my genes…

(Ahh, yes… that Woolworth!)

Golden Rules painting by Priscilla Woolworth, 24" square, on wood

Q. What makes you bounce out of bed in the morning?

A. How did you know that I bounce out of bed in the morning?! I can’t wait to get to work, especially if I’ve just read something fantastic in the newspaper. I must share it right away. I am a compulsive sharer of good, inspiring, exciting information and all of it is connected to my mission of educating and inspiring the public to make changes they can feel good about.

Penguin egg cosy (or puppet?), made of carpet remnants. $12

Q. What’s your mission?

A. My mission is twofold: to provide my favorite practical non-toxic, organic, energy-saving, water-saving products in my store; and to be a trusted resource for information about living a more sustainable lifestyle. I am my own best customer and use most of the products I sell. The market bags, reusable produce bags, stainless steel compost pail, African kettle, olive soap, glass water bottles and Valentina outdoor composter are a few of my products I use every single day.

Here’s the “delightful Kettle”: “I keep it by my kitchen sink, where I pour water from unfinished glasses, or saved water from washing lettuce, etc. Do not put any soap in it, only water! When it’s filled up, I use it to water my potted plants outside my kitchen.”

African Water Kettle made of salvaged plastic. $12

Q. I’m interested in your big thoughts on why sustainable living is important. Why bother?

A. Sustainable living is the way we all need to live if we are going to have a chance at leaving our world a livable and hopefully better place for our children. People need to know that they don’t have to sacrifice their lifestyle but instead can transition easily to something as easy as using reusable market bags or water bottles. I have heard people say that anything we do won’t make a difference, and I strongly disagree. We all have the power to change the world by what we buy… if we all support, for example, the companies that make non-toxic cleaning products or the ones that use recycled paper for paper products, the more those products will become the norm rather than the exception. The awesome United States is a consumer society, so we as the consumers have a lot of power we don’t even realize. Everything we buy is tracked, and when more people spend their money buying non-toxic cleaning products rather than the traditional brands, those environmentally products will become more available and more affordable.

I am inspired so much by my French grandmother, who at 93 years old, has explained to me the way everyone used to live, decades ago: people bought local and produce in season, using market baskets or cloth bags. Very little was wasted and people lived more simply and were content with less. I feel there is a movement to aspire to this kind of lifestyle.

Priscilla's Valentina Outdoor Wooden Compost Bin

Q. We would love your personal recommendations for products and services that make the process easy and terrific.

A. The easiest recommendations are for things we do on a regular basis, such as shopping for food and personal care. Bring your own market bags with you, buy organic food whenever you can, and buy paper goods made with recycled paper. If you live in an area where water is getting scarcer, get in the habit of keeping a bucket in your shower to catch as much wasted water as possible and use it on your plants instead. EWG.org is a great resource when it comes to checking the safety of beauty products and suntan lotions. Check with your local DWP (Department of Water and Power) and find out what energy saving programs they are offering, and learn ways you can reduce the energy and water wasted in your home, and save money. Add indoor plants like a Spider plant, which acts as natural air cleaners, busting indoor air pollutants in your home or office.

Priscilla on a building, location TBA

Q. What are you doing posted on the side of that huge building?!

A. Just hanging around…

You can find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @ecowoolworth.

Water: Got too much? Not enough? What are the coolest new products for conserving water? How do the experts view this precious resource?

** Please join our free webinar on November 16, 1-2pm ET to get expert advice and answers. **

Register here: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/458003078

Practically Green has 51 Water-related actions, from Wash only full loads of laundry (99% of PG users have done this already; 20 points) to Install a shower timer (Only 1% of PG has done this one! Why is it the least favorite Water action?)

What would happen if the entire country decided to Turn off the faucets while brushing teeth? Or if every Fortune 1000 headquarters Installed a rainwater harvesting system? (150 points!)

We’re hosting an online event for a deep dive on the subject.

Panelists:

•  Molly Hislop: Program Director, Green Education Foundation

•  Michele Hudec: VP of Product and BizDev, American Standard Brands

•  Stephanie Thornton: Community Outreach, WaterSense, EPA

•  Martin Wolf: Director of Product/Technology at Seventh Generation

•  Peter Yost: Director of Residential Services, BuildingGreen

•  Alexandra Zissu: Editorial Director, Practically Green; Author, Planet Home and more

Moderated by Practically Green’s Founder & CEO, Susan Hunt Stevens.

Save money being green

In a skittish economy, money trumps all. Everyone wants to boost efficiency, reduce waste, and be healthy not only because it’s the right thing to do but because it’s miserable watching cash float away any more than we must. Practically Green has 70+ actions you can do that are either free or that will yield impressive financial results.

Check the list! You’re probably doing lots of these things already. You’ll see several to do starting, well… Now!

Here’s a sampling. The point value tells you the relative impact of each action:

Turn thermostat down by 4 degrees in the winter (50 Points)

Turn down hot water heater (20 points)

Turn off the heat dry feature on your dishwasher (20 points)

Switch to reusable towels or dish cloths at home (20 points)

Install one low-flow shower head (20 points)

Use reusable shopping bags regularly (10 points)

Unplug (or avoiding buying) your second refrigerator (50 points)

Turn off the lights when you leave a room (10 points)

Unplug chargers and appliances when not in use (20 points)

Buy antique or secondhand furniture and home goods (50 points)

Buy a pre-owned home instead of building new (200 points)

Commit to 25 of these next steps, and you’ve earned the Frugalista badge. Who wouldn’t want this coy pig on their Practically Green dashboard?!

So go ahead, pick your 25 actions and get this savvy oinker on board your green program!

Five reasons to love the new Nest thermostat.

Our head of engineering is a smooth unflappable type, not given to gushing.

So when he gets excited, we pay attention:

Rajiv’s on his way to earning 50 points for this action:

Install a programmable thermostat

And another 50 points each for these two actions on Practically Green:

Turn thermostat down by 4 degrees in the winter

Turn thermostat up by 4 degrees in the summer

Nest shows how long it'll take to reach the temp you want; green leaf indicates you're in the smart green zone

Nest: it’s a brainy new thermostat designed by Tony Fadell, the guy who sold Steve Jobs on the iPod. In the past 48 hours, this stylish tool has been a complete thumbs-up for testers ranging from TechCrunch to Grist to Fast Company to Wired to the Wall Street Journal: “like Apple, Nest Labs has taken something you use every day and made it simple and delightful to use.”

Why is it so cool?

Let us count the ways:

1) It’s simple: a wheel. Rajiv says it reminds him of the rotary thermostat of his youth… and it clicks as you turn it, like the first iPods.

2) It’s gorgeous, something you’d love to have on your wall. (We’re thinking it would make a great belt buckle.)

3) It effortlessly matches your décor: the trim is a mirror. Did someone say elegant?

4) It adjusts to your behavior and routines: light and activity sensors learn your habits. You might not remember to adjust your thermostat every single time you need to – e.g., when you get up, when you go away, when you return, when you go to bed. Not to worry: this device does it for you.

5) It’s ubiquitous, i.e., you can access it from anywhere. You can set it up to connect to your Wi-Fi, then change the settings remotely from your smart phone. Say you’re heading home early, and it’s suddenly freezing outside. No problem: in a few clicks your house is getting comfortable for your return.

Watch this demo:

You can order it on Practically Green here, for $249 — scroll to the Recommended Products. We have a feeling it’ll sell out, because Rajiv is usually ahead of the pack.

Rajiv Manglani, Director of Engineering

Replacing a toilet sounds like a supreme hassle, but before you put it at the, um, bottom of your to-do list, consider this:

You will likely flush the toilet nearly 140,000 times over the course of a lifetime. A standard toilet uses 1.6 gallons per flush, while older toilets can use more than 3.5 gallons per flush. If you replace older, existing toilets with WaterSense labeled models, you can save 4,000 gallons per year.

Using less water allows more water to stay in the ground or in a surface reservoir which helps to maintain a natural water balance and saves water for future use. There are many parts of the country that do not have enough water to support the current population and levels of water usage. Over 36 states expect water shortages in the next 5 years.

Besides being green, reducing your water usage can reduce the amount of money you owe on your water bill. A family of four will save and average of $90 a year on their water bill by switching to a high efficiency or dual flush toilet.

That’s from Upgrade toilets that take more than 1.6 gallons per flush to standard toilets, one of 3 actions about toilets on Practically Green:

Upgrade toilets that take more than 1.6 gallons per flush to standard toilets (100 points)

Install a high-efficiency toilet (less than 1.28 gallons per flush) (50 points)

Install or upgrade to a dual-flush toilet (50 points)

Boulevard® dual-flush toilet from American Standard: 1.6 gpf OR 1.1 gpf

According to Michele Hudec, Product Development leader at American Standard, even the 1.6-gallon variety will be vintage in a couple of years, due to state mandates and customer demand:

“We’re focused on getting the industry and plumbers to transition to totally conserving toilets, 1.28-gallon per flush [gpf] maximum. Meanwhile, with record droughts in some areas and wildfires in others, people are becoming aware of water as a precious resource. Hotels, commercial builders, and municipalities such as NYC and Miami are all making huge changes for conservation.”

Save the date: Practically Green is hosting a Water Webinar on November 1st, 1 to 2 pm EST. Hope you’ll join us!

If you’ve been involved in a building project recently, or if you’re concerned about building efficiencies, you’ve heard about the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program. Practically Green’s founder discovered the LEED system when she renovated her family’s house, and the vision was born: why not have a manageable, clear framework for all of life, and not just for building? Solution: PracticallyGreen.com

The USGBC’s annual GreenBuild conference takes place this week in Toronto and — catching the GreenBuild fever — we’re throwing a Twitter party with Mythic Paint and a host of other eco-friendly building and design professionals. Check out this line-up, and we hope to see you there!

Please join us for a Twitter Party!!

During the @USGBC #GreenBuild Conference:

Wednesday, October 5 at Noon EST

Topic: Green Décor (use Hashtag #GreenDecor)

Q & A, experts, info, giveaways, and fun!

Hosted by @PracticallyGrn & @SafePaint

Special Guests

Alexandra Zissu @AlexandraZissu | Susanna Schultz @GreenDepotLLC

Marie Jessup BuildingGreen @bglive | Olga Adler @olgaadlerint

Avital Binshtock, SierraMag, @avitalb

Mae Hacking @HereInThisHouse | Spencer Kent @OrganicAuthorit

Corey Colwell-Lipson @CelebrateGreen | Paul Anater @Paul_Anater

Ronnie Citron-Fink @EcoNester | Carin Handsun @HeartPine

Cathy Hobbs @cathyhobbs (HGTV Design Star Finalist!)

Moderator: Elise Jones of Babybites & HereinThisHouse @emjnj

WaterSense is Common Sense, by Veronica Blette

Many people find the sound of running water to be soothing.  That may be true if you are in the woods having a picnic beside a babbling brook, but it isn’t when you are entering your house after a day of work. One day last winter I came home and found that the flapper on my toilet had become stuck in the open position, which led to its earnest, yet futile, efforts to fill the bowl all day long.  Not soothing at all to realize that while I was at work focusing on advancing a nationwide ethic of water efficiency, water was running down my drain. My water bill saw a big jump and I was shocked when I pulled information from my local water utility and saw how much water had actually been lost during that day of wasted toilet filling.

Veronica's water bill

Turns out, I wasn’t alone – the average American house wastes 10,000 gallons each year through leaks. How many of us have heard the ghost flush that happens in the middle of the night?  Well, it turns out that those flushes add up!  Across the country, easy-to-fix household leaks add up to more than one trillion gallons of water lost annually, robbing homeowners of 12 percent of their water bill.

Less than one percent of the Earth’s water is available for human use, and managing water is a growing concern in the United States. Using water more efficiently and avoiding waste helps maintain supplies at safe levels now and for future generations.

That’s where WaterSense comes in – we’re trying to make it simple for consumers to save water through water-efficient products, homes, services, and tips for around the house.  Over the past five years, WaterSense has helped Americans save 125 billion gallons of water and $2 billion in water and energy bills.

Besides finding and fixing leaks, there are lots of other things you can do around the house to save water.  Getting started is as easy as 1-2-3…just check-twist-replace!

1. Check toilets for silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank and seeing if the color appears in the bowl before you flush. Don’t forget to check irrigation systems and spigots, too. (Click here for Practically Green’s efficient-toilet suggestions!)

2. Twist and tighten pipe connections. To save even more water without a noticeable difference in flow, twist in a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator or showerhead. (Fix a leaky faucet; Install low-flow valves in all faucets)

3. Replace the fixture if necessary. It may be as easy as replacing a toilet flapper, but if you need a new fixture, look for the WaterSense label, which signifies the product has been certified to save water and perform well. (Upgrade older faucets & shower heads (older than 1994); Upgrade toilets that take more than 1.6 gallons per flush to standard toilets)

Veronica (at left) and her friends -- on the job!

Want to do more? Join my team and thousands of your neighbors by supporting the We’re for Water campaign. Visit the website to take the I’m for Water pledge, “like” WaterSense on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

About the author: Veronica Blette leads EPA’s WaterSense program. Veronica has been with the Agency for more than thirteen years and, going forward, will always make sure the toilet is not running before she goes to work.

At 3:00 pm I discovered these toilet paper rolls in the bathroom trash upstairs. Obviously recyclable. But nowhere near the recycling bin in the kitchen downstairs.

And at 3:05 I opened an email from Maryam, who has a solution. She submitted the following idea on Quirky and we love it.

Voting ends on Monday at Noon EST so don’t wait! Check it out and if you like it, please give it a thumbs up!

****Maryam’s Genius Idea****

You recycle in your kitchen, right? How about in your bathroom? Probably not. You need a Recycling Sorter that looks good in every room.

I came up with the idea one day when I was standing my bathroom, about to toss an empty shampoo bottle into my wastepaper basket, and I thought, “Why don’t I have a recycling bin in my bathroom?” Then I looked around for a nice, attractive combo trash/recycling bin and couldn’t find anything that didn’t look totally industrial. As I thought more about it I realized that just a divided bin wouldn’t work, it would need to be color-coded so that it was at-a-glance obvious which side was for which kind of waste. And that each side needed to be able to be emptied separately.

Maryam's design sketches

Maryam & Theo

Please click to Quirky (http://www.quirky.com/ideations/102536) to see more and vote (yes, you do have to register but it only takes a second and full disclosure: Practically Green gets absolutely nothing from this except the exquisite knowledge that we may have helped a wonderful innovation come to life.)

Maryam has been with Practically Green from the get-go — and we are delighted to give her idea some exposure.

I love Practically Green. It is the only site I have found that doesn’t give you just a generic list of green things to do, but truly personalized the action to you individually. I love that was you complete actions the site comes up with the next logical actions that you can perform. I find it very inspiring.  And very practical!

Have you ever thought of installing a wind turbine at your house?

Or are you worried that it would be impossible, deafening, or cost-prohibitive? And/or prohibited in your neighborhood or not worth the bother?

All of the above?

Our advisor Jeffrey Hollender went ahead and installed one at his home in Vermont. We like to think he consulted Practically Green to clinch his decision! From the PG action:

Read the complete action here: http://practicallygreen.com/install-wind

Here is Jeffrey’s story:

The Wind Turbine is Up at Last, by Jeffrey Hollender

The Hollenders' back yard, with Wind Turbine

It took longer than expected, but my wind turbine is up and generating more C02 free electricity that we projected.  You may remember that back in June I embarked on installing a 10 kw Bergey www.bergey.com/ wind turbine. The Bergey Windpower Co. (BWC) has its origins in research activities at the University of Oklahoma dating back to 1970.  My plan was to take advantage of a new law passed this past summer by the Vermont Legislature that guarantees that any electricity generated by a residential turbine must be purchased by the local utility at $.20 a kilowatt hour. Not a bad deal considering that here in Vermont we pay between $.10 and $.13 for the energy we purchase.

Every time I look out my window and watch that turbine turn, I feel proud to be part of the solution to the single greatest challenge facing our planet. I know the investment is unaffordable to many, but just imagine the impact if everyone who could afford it committed to do the same.

The turbine will cost about $50,000 before rebates and tax credits. There is a cash incentive grant worth $12,500 lowering the net cost to $37,500, and then a 30% federal tax credit that will further reduce the cost to about $25,000. I had expected the turbine to generate at least 8,000 kilowatts a year but based on my first month I’m generating over 1,000 kilowatts a month, or 50% better than I’d planned.

Since I will sell all the electricity I generate back to the grid (something called net-metering) I will receive a credit against the electricity I use of about $2,400 a year. That means that it will take about 10 years to break even on my investment – unless the wind blows harder or the tax credits go up!

Note: Jeffrey co-founded Seventh Generation in 1987 and built it into a household word, contributing an integral component of the modern-day green-living movement. A prolific author, speaker, and blogger, he founded the American Sustainable Business Council to change the rules of business. Follow Jeffrey on Twitter @JeffHollender and join him on Facebook.

Learn more about Jeffrey and about Practically Green’s other advisors here.

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Maybe you’re inspired to install a wind turbine at your house – or at your school, your company, your town! Maybe you already have one? Please share your favorite big-ticket energy improvement stories with us.

Eco Build: Greening Up My New Home, by Renee Heath

I was lucky enough to grow up in a house my dad built.  And my husband was fortunate as well to have a home constructed by his dad’s two hands.  So it only felt right that we carry on the tradition and develop our own property.  Little did we know what we were getting into…all the decisions (and money)!

From flooring types to paint selections and beyond, we’re spoiled with choice in this country.  What has helped us narrow down the options during our construction process are the following two sentences:

• Will this help our family live healthier and greener?
• Can we afford the selection, and if not, does it make sense to spend extra money now to save cash later?

I thought I would share the questions we are still working through to get your brain ticking over and to hopefully get your input as well as to what we should do before breaking ground!

Recycled Materials

New Jersey gets hot summers, cold winters and everything in between.  So we asked ourselves how we can set up for lower energy bills.  Insulation was the first thing that came to mind.  We found that the cheapest option out there is fiberglass insulation.  Economical but scary to think you have to wear gloves and a mask to install it as to not breathe in any glass fibers!  We really like recycled blue jeans and newspapers lagging for inside of the walls.  I still have to compare what the difference in the “R factor” would be compared to fiberglass.

A different option for the roof, we are looking into blown foam insulation made from a soy renewable product.  Then there’s insulating duct work, pipes and water heater, oh my!

Click here for seven ways to insulate your home

Renewable Energy

New Jersey also has the most amount of people per square foot of land than any other state in America!  So we want to make sure we consume the least amount of natural resources as possible.  We are researching three forms of renewable energy: geo-thermal, solar panels and wind turbine.

Geo thermal is a great option for a natural cooling and heating system.  Love using the earth’s consistent underground temperature to virtually heat our home for free!  This will lower our green house emissions for sure!  We know our winters might get too cold, so we are contemplating a wood pellet stove to top up our heat as it emits less harmful pollutants compared to oil or gas.  Programmable thermostat installed is a no brainer but not sure I can convince hubby to go >78 degrees in summer and <68 degrees in winter.

Solar panel water heater is a want at this point and not a must have.  I already know we need to keep whatever kind of water heater we go with around 120 degrees to be green.  And we want low-flow shower heads too!

Wind turbine for electric is another on tier two/nice-to-have right now.  Plus, need to see if my neighbors agree with seeing a large fan spinning around all day and night.

Energy Efficient Products

Heat Map

I love seeing heat maps of houses showing where heat escapes; windows are always a major culprit.  We want dual-pane low-e windows (blocks radiant heat and prevents heat from escaping). Expensive but efficient, so think this is our spend-more-money-now to-save-later option.  Also there are thermal shades/shutters, weather stripping and window treatments, but to be honest, my eyes went crossed at this point!  I am still just getting my head around the NFRC (National Fenestration Research Council) window labeling system!

Any thought on our above options?  I know I took an energy slant as we are in pre-construction phase, but beyond formal building, there are options for fixtures, furnishing and finishing.  Do you have ideas on all-natural carpet, no-VOC paints and formaldehyde free furniture?

Note: Renee is Applegate’s Digital Social Media Manager, and you can follow her on Twitter @reneerants. Full disclosure: Applegate is one of our favorite sponsors at Practically Green; check out their Healthy Green lunch badge and enter their Sausage Contest!!

Does this Back to School season have you thinking about freshening up your interiors? Today’s guest blogger introduces us to makeover experts in Colorado Springs for solutions on materials & finishes that make any room a great place to learn and create – at home, at school at work.

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When I was asked to write an article about interior makeovers for Practically GreenI immediately knew I wanted to talk to Allyson Buck and Sarah Heinbaugh of Interilife Sustainable Interiors.

Just think about the rooms where kids spend most of their time. Many of the design choices we make can have very serious health implications, so it’s really important to choose nontoxic products. Paint, carpets and flooring can offgas dangerous chemicals that you do not want to breathe.  Luckily, there are healthier options, so you can create a great interiorwithout compromising anyone’s health.

Since times are tough economically I asked Allyson which 3 areas would be cheapest, easiest and have the greatest impact.  All of her are amazing for both the design and the health of your interior space — and can be completed without hiring expensive professionals!

Paint – Paint is cheap, easy and covers the largest surface area.  It is the most impactful change you can make to a room.  It’s the first thing people notice when they enter – both the way it looks and the way it smells when it’s new. If you only buy one nontoxic product for your makeover project, this is the one to make.

Allyson recommends using Mythic Paint.  Mythic is a No-VOC premium paint with No-VOC pigments. People are often concerned that Mythic costs more than paint from, say, Home Depot.  However, Allyson says to make sure you are comparing paints of equal quality. Yes, Home Depot paints are about ½ the price of Mythic. But Home Depot paints aren’t premium paints and they aren’t No-VOC. They aren’t going to last as long as Mythic.  They aren’t going to hold up to crayon drawings on the walls, the rocking chair hitting the wall and all the rest of the wear and tear young children put on a wall.

If you compare the price of Mythic to a premium paint such as Benjamin Moore (still not No-VOC) Mythic is actually cheaper. And, you get the added benefit of it not releasing toxic fumes. Who can put a price tag on that!

Mythic paint is so safe you can touch it up while your baby is sleeping in the same room with no fear of toxic fumes.  A few years ago you could only get No-VOC paint in a limited pallet of earth tones.  Now Mythic comes in a wide selection of colors and it can be color-matched to your favorite color from another brand or your décor.

Flooring – The next easiest thing to change is your flooring.  Carpeting holds dust, allergens, heavy metals and anything else you track into your home.  Even the best vacuum can’t remove everything from carpet.   Babies crawl around, play and lay down right next to the particles in the carpet.  They put their hands and all their toys in their mouths exposing them to anything that’s in your carpet.  Experts often recommend hard flooring, especially with young children around.

Allyson says if you use floating, snap together Marmoleum tiles you can change the entire look of your floor very easily and with minimal tools.  They come in a wide selection of colors giving you many options.  And, when your baby grows up and wants something more grown up you can just pull them up and donate them to your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore or sell them on Craigslist so they can be used again on someone else’s project.

Marmoleum is true linoleum, made from linseed oil.  It is certified asthma and allergy friendly.  The top layer of the tiles is Marmoleum and the bottom is cork.  In the middle is MDF which is free of added urea formaldehyde, which is a carcinogen.

Wool area rugs – Allyson says the next easiest & most affordable way to have a big green impact upon your room is by adding 100% wool area rugs.  The rugs they carry and recommend are made by INDI B and have a cotton backing and are naturally dyed.  Wool rugs are very durable and these come in a wide selection of colors and designs.  When you are done with them they are easy to get rid of.  You can sell them on Craigslist or donate them to a store like Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

We love this 5 x 7' rug from IndiB!

Going nontoxic in these 3 areas can have a huge impact upon the design of your nursery without negatively harming your baby’s health.  Allyson says no matter what green design products you use remember that there are no products that are perfect ecologically or socially.  Try not to get caught up in looking for perfection.  Find the best product you can that meets your design needs, lifestyle and budget.

If you are in Colorado you can visit Interilife’s store in Colorado Springs for each of these products and more.  For other parts of the country go to the individual websites for a list of distributors or to purchase online.

Danika Carter is the beauty editor for Greenwala.

Shopping on eBay is inherently green, according to JD Norton, eBay’s Green Team Community Manager. Their mantra: “The greenest product is the one that already exists.”

Practically Green’s 5-point action elaborates: Buy something used from eBay.

Reusing anything and everything is a lovely way to stop waste at the source; every time you buy secondhand—from a table to a t-shirt–you’re avoiding (or at least delaying) that specific item’s entry into the waste collection and disposal system. Our groaning landfills will thank you.

Reusing has additional environmental benefits including reducing demand for the resources (natural and otherwise) that go into the manufacture and transport of anything new.

Note PG’s product recommendation:

eBayGreen's JD Norton

“Joining” eBay Green is easy: simply enter your eBay credentials, and you’re in a realm of content and shopping ideas that will solve everything on your to-do list: Pre-Owned, Resource-Saving, and Sustainable.

Wonderful packing boxes emerged from a company-wide Innovation Expo competition last year: “Basically, it’s an environmentally friendly, durable box that’s been designed to be used over and over and over again. That might sound like a pretty simple concept, but we think the idea is actually pretty powerful – especially in a marketplace like eBay where many of our buyers are also sellers and sellers are also buyers.” Check out the inside of this box:  

When you receive one of these boxes, log its ID# on the site and find out where it’s been!

• For parents: a back to school focus “We understand – all your kid’s pants have suddenly become Capris, so their request for new jeans is definitely justified. But, consider all options before heading to the mall. Save the planet and your wallet some resources and buy pre-owned girls‘ or boys’ jeans.”
• For golf nuts: this happy eBay seller merchandized 10 million+ “gently used” golf balls on eBay in 2010.
• See more Member Profiles here.      

I took the plunge: I ventured into the vast eBayGreen Inventory — vintage family board games, Coclico shoes vetted by Splendora, copper braising pots, LP records, furniture, Gucci handbags, clutches made from coffee-bean sacks, LED or CFL lightbulbs — and before I knew it I was hooked. I could not stop myself from placing a bid on a 1979 version of Chutes and Ladders!

Three clicks later I had to have this Aurora Borealis crystal vintage brooch and earrings! I offered $7.50 and I swear they look exactly like Schlumberger originals. 

Here’s a great concept: JD points out that eBay Motors is a terrific place to shop for energy-efficient vehicles. YES, all you green car buffs: they have Chevy Volts, Tesla, Priuses, and Mercedes S series.“There’s a huge selection – we separate out Certified Pre-owned, Alternative Fuel, and Collector (aka Vintage) Cars. There’s lots of electric cars…. We even sell wind turbines.”

Would you like some old doors to make into a headboard?  

These “Castle Doors from Seventeenth Century Austria” would be terrific!!

Zem Joaquin, the founder of ecofabulous, is our favorite eBay spokesperson. See Zem’s eBay inspirations here, including DIY Coffee bag tote and creative eco gift wrapping; and check out her Practically Green action plan! (Wonder how she’s coming on the rainwater harvesting system…. maybe there’s one here on eBay?)

JD says there are major plans afoot for eBay Green — coming SOON! — and we can barely wait to see them and share them with you. For now, we’re impressed by the 2400 employees who form 25 eBay Green Teams worldwide — and I’m really looking forward to playing Chutes and Ladders again – decked out in my Aurora Borealis brooch!!!

Follow eBay Green on Twitter @eBayGreen and follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eBayGreen

We love all ingenious ideas for reducing, reusing, and recycling Stuff*. Especially when it comes to baby gear, which tends to be carefully chosen, gifted in sweet beloved tears, pricey — and quickly outgrown!

Daniel and Michelle Lehmann decided to make a business out of it, and here’s their story. Join their reCrib.com community on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @reCrib.

Daniel, Michelle, and their family

* Practically Green suggestions:

• Buy antique or secondhand furniture and home goods
• Get something on Freecycle, instead of buying it
• Buy something used on eBay or Craig’s list

The reCrib Story, by Founder Daniel Lehmann

Picture this – strollers, cribs, changing tables, bouncy seats, excersaucers, swings, car seats, table and chairs, toddler beds, walkers, toys, toys and more toys: all in one NYC apartment that doesn’t seem to be growing. But two kids that are.

Yes, I’m talking about the fun world of baby and kids gear, which at some point, if you are a new parent, takes over your life.  Lots of it, lots of money, and a limited time for use.

My wife and I used to think of ourselves as design junkies (and still do) but our living room was transformed into a playroom before our eyes somehow.

It was a year ago and we were moving to a new apartment. Here was our chance to de-clutter. I brought our endless collection of kid stuff into our basement and noticed that every family’s storage area in the building was filled with more kid stuff. Stroller upon stroller, bike upon bike. I thought: I’m ending this cycle, and I marched upstairs to find the best site for baby and kids gear. Except that it didn’t exist. And so we set out to create it. A website for parents to buy and sell the best (and the best-designed) baby and kids gear. A place to recycle your kid stuff, regain your space, recoup your costs.

The baby and kid gear world has changed in many ways for the better. So much of it looks so good, is well-designed, with more and more of it green. Designers caught on to the fact that parents wanted to enjoy looking at this stuff that adorns their home and followed suit with beautiful pieces that are as coveted as the must-have hybrid car or designer shoe. That’s good for the eyes.  Not so good for the wallet. These items are now often as expensive as our grown-up furniture, wheels and toys.  The worst part is that you use it for MAYBE two years.

This life phase screams for recycling. At the low end of the spectrum, a bouncy seat is used for a few months; at the high end, a changing table is used for two years. That’s it. So you spend all this money, and poof, your kids are in preschool and no longer use it all.

With reCrib, we created a place where parents who want the best brands for their kids – as well as to be environmentally responsible – can meet like-minded parents. Soon after launch, there was much abuzz about reCrib on the mom and family blogs.  People were immediately into it, and we soon saw new postings every day, and we heard story after story about this or that easy and exciting sale.

It’s been so much fun starting a business with my wife and focusing on an idea we are passionate about — and even more fun seeing how happy it actually makes people who use it.  It feels good to know that something that meant so much to your family at one time, is now being happily used by another.  It’s just as rewarding to score a great bargain, a top brand for more than half the price. And it certainly feels good to know that you are doing a very simple yet smart thing for our planet.

www.recrib.com

“If I could snap my fingers and Vivaterra my whole house, I would,” says our Founder Susan Hunt Stevens — and we listen when Susan talks about design because 1) she’s completely redone her house, 2) she has a graduate degree in Sustainable Design, and 3) she is very very particular/thoughtful/thorough.

After all, Practically Green has twelve Home Design actions; the Healthy Home badge rewards you for completing any eight of them.

Pressed to name her favorite Vivaterra purchase, Susan picks the Lotus Flower Chandelier. Her dining table has three of these hanging overhead!

You can find out more about Vivaterra here. We decided to get in touch with the creative brain behind it, Bonnie Trust Dahan. Bonnie has written several lifestyle books including Living with the Seasons: Creating a Natural Home and Garden House, Bringing the Outdoors In. She’s a veteran of Banana Republic and Smith & Hawken, and she is passionate that “we do not have to sacrifice style for natural resources.” Her mantra: “Distinctive design that’s eco of course.”

The main thing is, you don’t buy something that’s disposable. And if you don’t need it any more, swap it. Put it on Craig’s list. Your trash is someone else’s treasure. As a last resort: donate it.

We asked Bonnie for three easy tips on how to revive your home this season.

“First: use vivid color. I don’t mean BIG. Accents are fine. It’s easy because vivid color works in every room: kitchen, bath, bedroom. For kitchen, bright plates and glassware. In the bath: change out your shower curtain. Look at this one made of an authentic spinnaker sailcloth! In the bedroom: Pick out a fresh toss pillow or coverlet. Just change the top of your bed! And please don’t neglect the utility closet! You can use color in even this ugliest room you can think of! Who would mind sweeping with this broom, or mopping with that bucket? See? Suddenly all that color makes you happy!”

Cheerful Chore Tools

Spinnaker sailcloth shower curtain

“Second, assuming you can, make the outdoors another room. Even if you live in a tiny apartment, you might have a fire escape: put a plant out there! This can be inspiring, and it will brighten your life. I encourage people to show personality, have fun.”

Fun? “Try some temple bells or a gong!”

A couple of Bonnie’s favorites that had us drooling:

But don't leave it out in the rain!!

“Very very chic teak chair, very oversized and comfy. It folds, it’s easy to move around, it can be left outdoors.”

One last concept: “Rotate your collections every season. By ‘collection’ I mean small things that are easy to put away. You might have a set of placemats and napkins you use for winter, in deep jewel tones… Switch them out for the warmer months! And please, please! Change the soap in your bathroom!”

A final indulgence, plant-dyed towels….

Botany pairs with beauty in these towels. Kusaki-zome, a Japanese technique that extracts pastel pigments from plants – chamomile, larkspur and olive leaves – creates an exquisite tonality of hues. Super-sized and dappled with slightly raised puffs, these color-safe, organic cotton Japanese originals offer extreme absorbency and sublime softness.

Join Vivaterra on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vivaterra and follow them on Twitter @vivaterra, sign up for the newsletter, and request the catalog. Perfect hammock reading.

Today’s guest blogger is a home-comforts guru, and today she writes on a simple, effective concept: RE-USE. Vicky Sanderson’s approach is an ideal end-of-the-week reflection… and we hope’ll you enjoy it. You might even be inspired to check out our terrific new Healthy Home badge sponsored by Mythic Paint!

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Looking for a simple way to start a greener life? It’s easy. Just watch what you buy!

It would be hard to find anyone who doesn’t want to live a greener life. But it might be equally difficult to find consensus about what that means. Does living green require, for example, reducing energy use and switching to a carbon-neutral alternative fuel? Is it about ensuring that the home is free of materials that off-gas, and eliminating chemical cleaners?  Downsizing from a McMansion to a smaller-footprint home? Buying only sustainably grown, organic foods? Or do we have to hit all those buttons at once to be green?

There are so many angles from which our environmental challenges can be attacked that making choices can be confusing — even overwhelming. But there’s a universally earth-friendly action that’s easy to understand — and execute. It’s simply to consume less. When you can’t do without, consider refreshing and reusing an item you already have, or buying second-hand. When it comes to home design, doing so can be a shortcut to one-of-a-kind décor that makes a personal style statement. Here are three simple ideas for making do with what you’ve got:

Vintage linen makes excellent hand-towels, and looks pretty in a distressed wooden box

Two of my pet peeves are liquid soap and disposable hand towels. But if there’s lots of traffic in a main-floor powder room, you need to keep guests clean — and green. My solution is to buy large vintage linen napkins, and plunk them in an old wooden tool box.  No real need to iron them — just line-dry them in the sun (which kills bacteria!). I add prettily wrapped or boxed soap.  The boxes are then used on my vanity to hold hairpins, tweezers and lipsticks – all that necessary but slightly unsightly girlie stuff, which I stack on a tray, made from an old cabinet face and two handles from Stanley’s excellent hardware collection.

Flickering candlelight adds atmosphere to any space — indoor or out. But you don’t have to spend on matching tea-light holders or candlesticks to get your glow on. Use old Mason jars, which you can pretty up with stick-on words or graphics. Tea-lights also look wonderful in vintage glassware (especially cut glass or crystal), so rather than throwing out your mis-matched stemware, toss a tea-light in each and group them for a great effect.

Mason jars with stick-ons from WallTalk www.walktalk.ca

In many homes, there’s a stash of old picture frames tucked away somewhere, just wasting time. Next time you need a mirror, see if you can’t find something from your collection that’s about the right size and shape. Paint it out if you like, preferably using leftover low- or no-Voc paint. Then get your local hardware store to cut a piece of mirror glass and pop it in. Presto Chango — you’ve got an inexpensive, and unique, vintage mirror. If you have to replace older decorative interior doors, consider turning them into full-length mirrors. And if you have to tear out old cornices or decorative friezes, why not give them a second life as, say, a handsome shelf?

A mirror made from a fireplace insert from Artefacts www.artefacts.ca

An old door becomes a glam full-length mirror. Picture courtesy of Artefacts

Author bio:

Home product specialist Vicky Sanderson writes a weekly column called Hot Home Products for The Toronto Star. Recent pieces include Manly Gifts for a Special Father: Dad Deserves more than a Hand-made Card and a Tie; and Fired Up: Celebrating the Barbecue. Vicky blogs at On the House on all things home and decor related. She’s a popular speaker and expert, and you can follow her on Twitter @VickySanderson

Lightbulbs: A Picture Says a Thousand Words.

Credit: F. Martin Ramin

Steamy hot weather in Boston: it’s easier than ever to realize that the hotter the bulb to the touch, the more inefficient it must be.

We’ve blogged on inefficient bulbs previously (thank you, Brian Clark Howard), and we have three actions that give you points for switching yours to CFL or LED.

Frankly, we’re still conflicted.

Conventional “Edison” incandescents are inefficient, we know that. OUT. CFLs are more efficient, and they aren’t all THAT expensive. But they contain mercury, which is hard to recycle and dangerous on contact.

If price were no object, we’d outfit the whole house in LEDs…. BUT: the price is more what you expect to pay for a pair of decent shoes, not a lightbulb. And the light quality is not perfect — is it, really?

As Practically Green’s Product Editor Rebecca Sama reasons,

Rebecca Sama

“LEDs are superior, but they do have a higher up-front cost. I suspect two years from now, the costs will come down and they will be more mainstream, but for the time being I lean towards explaining the pros/cons of each and letting the consumer/reader decide… it is incredibly exciting to see how the technology is taking off and all the ways that manufacturers and designers are incorporating LEDs into their light fixture designs.”

Last week we pounced on an illuminating (sorry) story by Gwendolyn Bounds in the Wall Street Journal:

“…most of today’s incandescent bulbs will be phased out (some specialty bulbs are exempt) by 2014 and replaced by more efficient alternatives. While cheap at 25 to 50 cents a pop, incandescent bulbs waste nearly all their energy in heat output.

“The light-bulb industry now faces a daunting task of re-educating shoppers who are still in the dark about their choices. A recent survey by General Electric Co. shows three-quarters of consumers have no idea about the new regulation and impending changes.”

The article was illustrated with an infographic that we reprint above, with permission from the iridescent photographer F. Martin Ramin.

More on Bounds here. And here’s tip from her re: the halogen-incandescent option pictured #2 from left in the photo above.

Wendy Bounds

Another point I think is worth making – and which has been lost in this whole debate - is that people don’t actually have to give up incandescent technology if they like that kind of light. They can use new incandescent/halogen bulbs which are currently on the market and meet the new standards. And they are relatively cheap at about $1.50 to $2 a bulb. So for folks who don’t like CFL and can’t afford LED, there’s another alternative that very much is like the bulb they are using now.

What do you think? Have you switched the bulbs in your house? Your office?