Making the most of your CFL's

We all know that swapping out old incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) is one painless way to reduce your annual power bill. (Lights account for about 5% of overall household power use). CFLs use 75 percent less energy than their incandescent counterparts and last up to 10 times longer. When you do the light bulb math each CFL bulb can prevent more than 450 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. And depending on electrical rates you could save about $80 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.

If you’re going to make this worthwhile investment (and it is an investment, considering the cost) you’ll want to ensure each bulb lasts a good long time.

A friend was complaining recently that CFL bulbs in his home weren’t lasting nearly as long as they were supposed to. We were noticing the same thing so I did some research and discovered a few tips to help extend the life of your pricey bulbs:

- In fixtures on a dimmer switch use dimmable CFLs (should be stated on the packaging). Dimmers shorten the life of regular CFLs.

- CFLs are best in areas where they’re likely to be on for 15 minutes at a time or longer. Using them in places where they’ll be turned on and off frequently (like closets and bathrooms) will shorten their life.

- For totally enclosed fixtures buy bulbs that state clearly on that packaging that they’re designed for this use.

- If the bulb has been used according to the manufacturer’s instructions and still burns out early you may be eligible for a refund or a replacement. Energy Star certified bulbs carry at least a two-year warranty (covering manufacturer defects). The catch is that you need to save your receipts and contact the manufacturer directly.

Something else you need to know about CFL bulbs is that they all contain mercury. As a result they’re considered household hazardous waste and cannot go in the regular trash. Spent bulbs can be taken to the Crane Mountain Household Hazardous Waste Facility (Saturday mornings) or to convenient drop-off boxes at Home Depot. The mercury is recycled into new bulbs.

Because of the mercury you should be careful where you use the bulbs. Basically anywhere with a higher risk of breakage is not a good spot for a CFL (ex. lamps in children’s rooms or table lamps in high traffic areas).

If you break a bulb you should open a window, leave the room and close the door, turn off the air exchange system and go looking for a glass screw top jar and a roll of duct tape. After 15 minutes you can go back in (wearing gloves), put the glass fragments in the jar and use the tape to pick up the tiny bits. Put the tape in the jar too and use a damp cloth to wipe the area. Put the cloth in the jar, screw on the lid and take it to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility.

This is the ultra-conservative clean up method suggested by Energy Star. Apparently the overall the health risk is minimal (each bulb contains just a fraction of the mercury contained in a silver filling).

Soup can be a satisfying and speedy supper

Lentil soup

This recipe came from a dear friend who used to make it with green lentils but grabbed faster-cooking red lentils once. The result is a thick and satisfying soup that’s ready to eat in under an hour. You’ll see that grating the carrots and dicing the potatoes into tiny cubes also help it cook up quickly. Adding the red pepper at the end gives the soup a lovely red-orange hue.

More time savers: I buy organic carrots and organic, thin skinned potatoes so don’t bother to peel them. I simply give them a quick scrub before grating or chopping.

2 T oil
2 onions, finely diced
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or put through a press
3-5 medium carrots, grated
2-3 medium potatoes, chopped into little cubes
2 cups crushed tomatoes or chunky tomato sauce
About 7 cups of water or broth or a combination of both
2 cups of red lentils
1 bay leaf
1 red pepper, whirred in a food processor
Sea salt & pepper to taste
Good squeeze of lemon

In a large soup pot over medium heat saute the onions in the oil until soft then add the garlic. Stir a bit then add the potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes then add the carrots, tomatoes, water or broth, and bay leaf. Give it all a good stir, cover and bring to a boil. Add the lentils, stir again, and cover. Let it simmer away, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the whirred red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in your favourite herbs (fresh or dried) and serve with a good squeeze of lemon and feta crumbled over or grated parmesan.

My current favourite herb with this soup is fresh cilantro. But if I don't have any on hand I switch to dried thyme or oregano.

Variations:
Add chopped cauliflower to the vegetable mixture
Toss in 1-2 cups of cooked chickpeas near the end
Add 1-2 cups of chopped spinach or swiss chard just before serving

How to eat organic and stretch your food dollar

When it comes to buying produce I often get asked what my preference is – local or organic. Buying local is definitely my preference but it doesn’t mean I always choose local over organic. Throughout the growing season it is easy enough to find local growers supplying organic produce so I get the best of both worlds. But when I don’t have local options that are also organic I’m choosey. Likewise, there are lots of items that I don’t bother to buy organic, even if I have a choice.

I know this sounds confusing so I’ll explain.

In conventional farming today there are a lot of chemicals in play. There are petroleum-based fertilizers that contain heavy metals and there is a crazy array of pesticides that are used in various combinations to kill insects, plants and fungi, in order to grow “perfect” produce. All of these chemicals make their way to our tables in various amounts when we eat non-organic produce. Eating organic is a way to avoid them.

The selective shopping that I explained above is my way to limit the amount of chemicals that my family ingests. Here’s how I manage it without tying myself in knots at the grocery store.

I have a handy guide that helps me decide what to buy organic and what non-organic fruits and vegetables are okay to eat. It’s all based on the amount of pesticide residue commonly found on the produce (after it has been prepared the usual way). My guide lists the 15 fruits and vegetables with the lowest pesticide residue and the 12 with the highest.

The lists are published by Environmental Working Group (EWG) an environmental research organization based in the U.S. I last wrote about their findings in 2008 but they have since updated their lists based on a recent analysis of data (gathered by the US Department of Agriculture and the US Food & Drug Administration.)

“Clean 15”
To help your food dollars go further you can feel comfortable consuming non-organic versions of these fruits and vegetables:
Onions
Avacado
Sweet corn (frozen)
Pineapple
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet peas (frozen)
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Papaya
Watermellon
Broccoli
Tomato
Sweet potato

“Dirty Dozen”
These are the foods with the highest pesticide residue so you’ll want to buy organic. Or consider limiting your consumption of non-organic versions of these foods.

Peach
Apple
Bell pepper
Celery
Nectarine
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Lettuce
Imported grapes (outside of Canada & US)
Carrots
Pears

The lists are a great tool to help you make good use of your food dollars and still eat well. Plus they provide some helpful guidance on when to buy local. To print out a tidy wallet guide visit http://www.foodnews.org/. On that site you’ll also find a complete list of 47 fruits and vegetables tested and more info in the study methodology.

Handle all batteries with care

If you’re anything like us you have a kitchen junk drawer full of spent batteries (or batteries you think are worn out but you really can’t remember where they came from or how long they’ve been in there.) I had been ignoring these batteries until, over Christmas, my brother-in-law asked me what should be done with them. It was a timely question - 40% of annual battery sales happen during the holidays. That’s no surprise when you consider the increased use of cameras and camcorders over the holidays plus all those battery operated gifts.

Since it is estimated that your average individual tosses about eight single use batteries a year, having a drawer full isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It means that you haven’t been putting them in the trash.

Batteries don’t belong in the landfill. Whether they’re single use alkaline (AA, AAA, C, D), lithium, button style or rechargeable batteries, there is a safe place for each of these and it isn’t your household trash. Even though many manufacturers of single use batteries say they should simply be tossed when worn out (which isn’t true) all batteries need to be handled with care. Some are at the very least caustic while others contain heavy metals and other toxic stuff. All can be recycled to varying degrees so it’s important to help them get into their proper recycling stream.

For a one-stop drop off you can take everything (rechargeable batteries, single use alkaline batteries, cell phones, CD Players, MP3 Players, CDs, Portable DVD Players) to Future Shop and look for the Greentec drop box.

As another option, the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (established by battery manufacturers) operates a free rechargeable battery and cell phone collection program. In our area look for drop off boxes at The Source, Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Future Shop and Staples. Along with the common household rechargeable batteries you can drop off worn out rechargeable batteries from power tools, digital cameras, cellular and cordless phones, laptops, MP3 players and any other rechargeable that won’t hold a charge any longer. Visit their website (www.call2recycle.org ) for a complete listing of local drop off locations.
Or you can take your spent batteries to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility (HHWF) at Crane Mountain Landfill where they’ll be sorted and shipped off for recycling. Drop off is Saturday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon. You’ll be happy to know that no item delivered to the HHWF ends up in the landfill.
Now that you know how to dispose of batteries safely, you might want to consider changing your battery habits. A great place to start is to ban single use batteries from your life (except for your smoke detectors) and switch to rechargeable batteries wherever possible. A standard rechargeable battery can replace up to 300 single use batteries.

And one more tip, before you buy something that is battery operated consider other options. Think about it…do you really need a battery powered toothbrush or a battery powered milk frother?

Indoor air quality -- some winter (and year round) tips

This time of year the green living talk is all about home energy audits and the things we’re doing to keep the heat in and those insidious cold drafts out. We’re working harder than ever to keep our homes snug and tight, all the while oblivious to what our efficiency efforts are doing to the quality of our indoor air. That’s why this time of year more than any other we need to be aware of what we’re breathing at home.

Indoor air pollution is a greater concern these days because our homes are much tighter than they were in the past and they’re filled with more synthetic items, including air fresheners, cleaning products, upholstered furniture, carpets, fabricated wood items, scented beauty products and scented petroleum-based candles. These synthetics off-gas – meaning they emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – that are all toxic to varying degrees. It is estimated that indoor air is about five times more polluted than outdoor air. (And that comparison isn’t based on fresh country air it’s based on the air quality in your average city.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranks indoor air pollution as one of the top five environmental risks to people’s health.

In warm weather it’s easy to open the windows to let a breeze flush out bad air. You probably don’t want to do that on a cool January day so here are a few alternatives to help keep your indoor air healthier this winter.

Choose eco-friendly cleaning supplies that are less toxic than conventional products. Look for those with the EcoLogo certification so you don’t have to decipher labels. Better yet, switch to vinegar and baking soda for most of your cleaning needs.

Ensure your stove top is properly vented (especially if you have a gas stove) and avoid cooking with Teflon coated pans since they emit toxic fumes when used at high temperatures.

If you’re painting choose low VOC or zero-VOC paints. Home Depot, Home Hardware and Benjamin Moore all carry lines of these eco-friendly paints that make a newly painted room livable and much healthier.

Avoid room fresheners, especially those that plug in. The chemical fragrances used in these are highly toxic.

Buy fragrance-free beauty products and avoid all aerosols (you inhale all of those tiny spray particles).

Choose soy or beeswax candles rather than regular candles, which are made from petroleum products. And go the unscented route since artificial fragrances are toxic in their own right.

If you heat with a wood stove or wood insert ensure the chimney is properly cleaned annually.

Incorporate house plants into your home decorating - they help to clean the air by absorbing toxins. Spider plants, philodendrons, mums, peace lilies, gerbera daisies and English ivy are some of the best. You need about one plant for every 100 square feet of living space in your home to really take advantage of the benefits.

Being aware of indoor air quality and the simple things you can do to improve it are the first steps to breathing easier this winter.

My Christmas wish list - #5

As I discovered in her previous book, Ecoholic, Adria Vasil's sarcasm and humor go great with green living tips. Ecoholic is a Canadian green living bible so I can hardly wait to see what she has to say in her new book Ecoholic Home (just published in October) .

Christmas wish list: #3 & #4

As you can tell from the heading, this is a 2 in 1 Christmas wish. Pictured here is one of my favourite nibbles at one of my favourite restaurants, Opera Bistro. I love this nibble because the crispy potatoes are so satisfyingly perfect with the homemade dip. And when the potato wedges are gone it's all I can do not to dip my fingers into the luscious mustard mayo.

What I also love about this appetizer is the cone-shaped serving basket that it arrives in. Made by NB artist Brent Rourke, it's exquisitly beautiful and a bit funky. I don't see these particular baskets on Brent's website but I know you can buy your own when you next dine at Opera Bistro.

P.S. This photo looks good enough to eat because I borrowed it off the Opera Bistro website.

Christmas wish list #2

A membership to your local museum or art gallery -- one of the best family outings there is. During our visit to the NB Museum last weekend my kids made these cute whale ornaments out of toilet paper rolls. We also watched an intriguing film about the Bay of Fundy and got to view the new exhibit, Portraits: New Brunswick Painters, 1970-2000. Seeing that I coveted a certain painting of cherry pie by artist Gerry Collins, my daughter (age 6) said she'd paint me one just like it. And she did!

A new kind of gift to give

If you do an online search on green gift giving you’ll find all kinds of unique and nifty items made of recycled products or organic materials. There’s a growing market for all gifts eco-friendly and more and more places to find them locally.

But I often think we should all challenge ourselves a bit more on the green front during the gift giving season. Buying stuff for gifts isn’t awful but there are more ways to give. Of course we all know this but when it comes down to the Holiday crunch it always seems easier to buy something rather than sit back (impossible during the rush) and give some thought to other gift options.

Before you next zip into Winners think about this: based on U.S. stats, the products we buy and the assorted packaging that comes along with them, account for 44% of our greenhouse gas emissions. I was stunned by this. Turning off the lights and driving less are important green living tips but curbing shopping habits is the mother of them all.

So how do you curb your habits during the biggest shopping season of the year? I found my inspiration at the office…

At work there are often online auctions to help raise money for worthwhile causes. They’re filled with corporate branded clothing, cell phones, gift certificates and such. Recently someone had the brilliant idea to ask employees to donate a personal skill or service to these auctions and the resulting variety has been a boon to the online auction hall. It also got me thinking about a whole new kind of gift to give at Christmas.

Here are a few examples:

1. A friend with a sailboat put up for auction a two-hour evening sail, complete with wine and cheese.
2. My husband is a terrific guitarist so offered two hours worth of guitar lessons.
3. Are you computer savvy? A co-worker offered to be someone’s computer geek for a few hours. He can configure a home network, program a PVR, connect all the pieces of a home entertainment system and ensure your wireless modem is properly secured.
4. Another coworker will do a personal coffee run every day for a week for the lucky bidder (and pay for the coffee too).
5. I will soon be delivering one freshly baked loaf of bread a week for four weeks to one of my coworkers.

You can take the same approach with your Holiday gift giving.

1. Are you someone who is hyper-organized? Offer to help someone set their kitchen cupboards or closets to rights and purge the clutter.
2. Give a week’s worth of frozen homemade meals to friends who are often rushed at mealtime.
3. Give tidy bundles of kindling to someone with a woodstove or insert.
4. In a little book, write out the recipes for your best speedy weeknight meals and the kid’s favourite lunches.

The more you think about it the more ideas that come to mind. These are the sorts of gifts that area a joy to receive and especially pleasurable to give.

My Christmas wish list - #1

I love Olivier's Femme line of face cream and facial soap. Now I'm waiting for a pot of their body scrub. (After an in-store demo I was hooked.)

The oils are creamy not greasy so it's easy to use and leaves your skin feeling smooth and moisture drenched, not slippery.

Take a look at the ingredient list. All pure and natural: Olive oil, virgin coconut oil, sea salt, oat flakes, essential oils of neroli, of rosemary, of tea tree, of sage, sweet almond oil, essential oil of benzoin, tocopherol (vitamin E), essential oils of rosewood, of palmarosa, of carrot seed.

You can visit their shop in the Saint John City Market or shop on line: http://www.oliviersoaps.com/