Recycle your Christmas tree

Dec 18, 2010
Christmas hasn't even come and gone and I'm already thinking about getting rid of the tree. I just don't want to forget in the hustle and bustle of...

Rent a tree for the holidays.

Dec 14, 2010
Instead of buying a tree that's been freshly cut or buying an artificial tree, try looking for alternatives in your community. For example, in...

Stop your dishwasher when it goes into drying mode.

Dec 8, 2010
We use the dishwasher a lot and most of them don't do much of the drying in the drying cycle but use a lot of energy. I generally stop it when it...

Wear weather appropriate clothes at home.

Dec 8, 2010
I see a lot of people not wearing warm clothes inside the home and then cranking up the heater which is an energy hog. Wear as much warm cloths as...

Get a wood fired water heater.

Dec 7, 2010
I build wood fired hot water heaters out of discarded gas hot water heaters. See www.fcpj.org for a video. As you can see from the video its not a...

Collect kitchen scraps for compost.

Dec 7, 2010
I made a scrap fabric sleeve to hang in the kitchen in which I store plastic produce bags from the supermarket. I place one as a liner inside a...

Convert your toilet to dual flush.

Dec 6, 2010
There are dual flush conversion kits that are very affordable and easy to install, it cost me $15 and 15 minutes. They turn your toilet handle into...

For public good, not for profit.

Wait for greener TVs - they're coming out soon!

Dec 6, 2010
TVs and home theater electronics have quietly replaced refrigerators as the biggest consumer of household electricity. Newer TVs are becoming more...

Switch to rotary push lawnmowers.

Dec 6, 2010
Gas power mowers and blowers spew out 5% of our air pollution - some estimates are much higher in metro areas. Buy a rotary for in between cutting...

Use LED Holiday Lights.

Dec 6, 2010
LED lights consume 88% less energy, last years longer, and are marginally more expensive than incandescent mini lights. You'll recover your upfront...