Homes & Gardening

I recently moved out of my apartment, and as I packed my 10-years' worth of belongings under the strain of a deadline to leave my old place, I discovered how easy it is for even the most eco-minded person to be extremely un-green and create a lot of waste during this one very big event.

So I decided to make a plan for how to do it right:

 

1. Throwing out

The key in the moving process is time. Plan for time ahead of your move to assess which belongings are going with you and what it's time to part with. Clean out closets, cabinets, and under the beds so you can review and responsibly deal with your stuff.

Set a personal goal to not put anything in the trash. I always see piles of belongings next to the trash dumpsters of apartment buildings from people who moved hastily and just put their unwanteds by the curb thinking the local homeless dumpster-divers or junk collectors will take it. While this may be true for some items, in the meantime, it's a major eyesore for the neighborhood and a lot of it just ends up in landfills.

Yes, one man's trash is truly another's treasure, and there are plenty of resources for you to post all those impulse purchases, ill-thought gifts, mismatching sets of housewares, and outgrown clothes. While you may think of it as junk now, you may be surprised what people are willing to take off your hands by posting it to Craigslist, Freecycle, or eBay.

You could even make a little money from it. Or just have a good ol' fashion garage sale and whatever doesn't sell, donate to charity.

Don't know what to do with your stuff? Get tips from the Green Cheapskate's post: "When you can't decide if it's clutter or treasure."

 

2. Repurposing unwanted items

Take a good look at the items you no longer want - there may be a plethora of scraps that can be repurposed into something else. Now is the time to embrace your inner Martha Stewart and get crafty.

An old coat or pillowcase could be cut up and made into a tote bag, those CDs of bands from the ‘80s could be a groovy set of coasters, some earrings and pendants you no longer wear might make dazzling Christmas tree ornaments or wine glass charms. Sites such as Instructables and HowStuffWorks provide lots of ideas and how-to's for making new items from old ones.

Search for more craft websites.

Make a pile of potential craft projects and put them in a box to tackle after your move. If you don't get around to it in six months, try posting the supplies section of Etsy - other crafty people may be thrilled to use what you've got.

 

3. Recycling

Before you do a big clean-out, get up to speed on what can be recycled through your city's curbside program. Stacks of magazines and newspapers, piled-up junk mail (be sure to shred anything that could be used for identity theft), phone books, and metal clothes hangers are likely contenders.

Some items are actually hazardous and may require special handling (and can be illegal to toss in the trash). These include TVs, computer monitors, and batteries to name a few. But they can be recycled at surprisingly convenient drop-off points at major retail locations like Staples, Office Depot, and Goodwill.

To find out who takes what, go to Earth 911.com and type in the type of items you have and your ZIP code for a list of places near you that will recycle at no charge. Be sure to plot your course so you can load up the car and hit all the places you need in one trip to save even more carbons.

Find your city's curbside recycling information.

 

4. Packing

Once you get down to just the items you want to take with you, the trick will be how to pack it in a green way. A quick search on Craigslist, Freecycle, or your local classified should turn up plenty of free or super cheap boxes you can take off the hands of people who just moved.

Movegreen offers a cardboard box swap program for residents of California. When you're done, be sure to pay it forward and post the boxes for someone else to reuse rather than trashing them. Reusing is even better than recycling in this case. The clever folks at Rent a Green Box and The Green Box Guys have upped the ante on this idea and created more durable reusable plastic bins made from recycled materials. Then when you're done, they take the bins away for you.

For packing materials, save bubble wrap and packaging from items you've purchased online, and reuse the stuff. Or repurpose that stack of newspapers sitting by the couch, even use your own clothes or linens to wrap breakables - then you're moving two items at once!

Find more green packing supply services.

 

5. Get moving

Transportation of people and property is one of biggest environmental hazards we face today. When we move, if it's within the same city, it usually requires lots of trips back and forth to haul our goods.

Consider renting a large moving van after you have everything completely packed and ready. Then load it up. If you've estimated how much stuff you have correctly, this should only take one trip and you're done.

Or get some help by looking into professional movers that have eco-friendly practices. For example Movegreen, mentioned above, will transport your belongings using B20 biodiesel vehicles. They also plant trees and purchase carbon offsets to counter any unavoidable, un-eco actions.

Search for green movers in your area.

When it's all over, you can settle into your new place with no waste and the peace of mind that you relocated on the planet without being harmful to it.

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Today, President Obama announced the details of the HOMESTAR program, otherwise known as "Cash for Caulkers."  The president said the home retrofit program would create construction jobs, reduce the nation's energy use equal to the output of three coal power plants, save participating households $200-$500 per year in energy costs and support energy efficiency innovation.

The program basically includes rebates for energy efficiency improvements that are given at the time of purchase, much like how "Cash for Clunkers" worked. 

Here are some details of the program.

• Small-scale upgrades like insulation, duct sealing, water heaters, HVAC units, windows, roofing and doors would be eligible for 50 percent rebates up to $1,500 or combined upgrade rebates of up to $3,000.
• Entire-home retrofits would be eligible for a rebate of $3,000 towards an energy audit and upgrades amounting to 20 percent energy savings.  Any savings over that would be eligible for more rebates.
• Safeguards would be put in place to ensure that the upgrades actually improve efficiency:  All contractors must be certified in energy-efficient installations and independent auditors will perform surveys to make sure upgrades were installed correctly and are saving energy.
• The program would also help state and local governments create financing options for these retrofits so more consumers can participate.

The program will have to get through Congress, but hopefully with the promise of boosting the economy and creating jobs, it will be attractive enough to legislators to pass.

via White House release

 

 

 

EarthTalk is a Q&A column from E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I have a new linoleum floor, which I chose partly for its eco-friendliness. How do I clean and maintain it without using harsh or toxic chemicals? -- A.J. Maimbourg, via e-mail

Whether you chose linoleum flooring for its no fuss functionality, the soft feel underfoot, its distinctive look, or its green attributes, you definitely want to take care of your investment in an eco-friendly way for the sake of maintaining it for as long as possible while protecting the indoor air quality in your home.

Real linoleum—as distinct from synthetic versions or vinyl—is made from all-natural materials, including wood flour, rosins, ground limestone, powdered cork, pigments, jute and linseed oil. As such it is one of the greenest flooring options out there today. The GreenFloors.com website reports that old linoleum—including scraps and remnants from the production process—can be recycled to create new sheets of the stuff. And given that it is made from natural materials, linoleum is practically carbon neutral, and the energy created by incinerating it at the end of its useful life is almost equal to the energy needed to create new linoleum.

Given how green linoleum is, cleaning it with harsh synthetic chemicals and maintaining it with polymer-based waxes just wouldn’t be right. Luckily there are alternative ways to help keep your linoleum floor looking good for decades without compromising the environment or shortening your own life span in the process.

Melissa Breyer of the green lifestyle website Care2.com recommends sweeping, dust-mopping or vacuuming your linoleum floor frequently in order to cut down on the amount of abrasive dirt around that can build up and mar the finish. As for actual cleaning, she says to use a damp mop with a mild all natural liquid dish soap and warm water. Adding a half cup or so of vinegar to the rinse water will increase shine if that's the look you’re going for. To get rid of scuff marks, Breyer suggests dipping a sponge in jojoba oil and rubbing lightly before wiping up completely. Pencil erasers can also work wonders on linoleum scuff marks.

As for what to avoid, Breyer says to stay away from solvent-based products which can soften and damage linoleum. Typical floor cleaning solutions will leave a sticky residue behind, so sticking with something like Ivory Liquid dish soap is the best bet. Also, the best way to deal with tough stains is not by scouring; instead make a paste of baking powder and gently wipe with a wet rag until the stain fades away.

In terms of wax, there are several greener varieties now available. Livos' BILO is a paste wax designed for wood, cork, tile and—you guessed it—linoleum. It is derived from beeswax and linseed oil and produces a semi-gloss finish after buffing. Like all Livos products, BILO is made from organic ingredients and is 100 percent biodegradable and safe for humans, animals, air, water and soil.

For those willing to commit to periodic occasional maintenance, linoleum flooring should last decades if not longer. And given its relative low-cost and ease of installation, some consider linoleum the “green flooring for the masses.”

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it here or via email. Read past columns here and check out the recent book Earthtalk: Expert Answers to Everyday Questions about the Environment

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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

Want to keep that romantic red rose around a little longer? Whether they're from Valentine's Day or another special occasion, roses can last beyond their first bloom with a bit of extra care. You can dry out the flowers and display them or use them in craft projects for memories that live on.

You'll need:

• Fresh roses
• Push-pins
• Rubber bands or string
• Aerosol hair spray

The key is to start before the heads of the roses begin to droop and before the flowers have lost any petals. This ensures a strong stem, a firm and full flower, and the most vibrant color once dry.

If the flowers have been in water, dry the stems, and remove leaves from the stems. Take two or three roses and gently twist a rubber band or string around the bunch near the bottom of the stems to hold them together.

Secure a push-pin into a shelf, wall, door frame, closet, or other area to hang that is away from people and pets. You want to hang the roses where they will get air circulation but not face a window (so they don't fade or become too brittle). Hook or tie the loose end of the rubber band / string to the push-pin.

It will take about two weeks for the roses to completely dry. Then you can lightly spray each flower with hair spray to keep them from falling apart as quickly (though they will always be fragile).

Blooms will shrink and change color when they dry. Red roses can turn very dark burgundy, almost black. White roses become a lovely parchment color. Pink roses tend to become a deep blush or peach. Yellow roses may turn a brown or orange shade. Purple roses can go blush or brown, depending on how dark they started.

Long-stem dried roses look elegant in vases and arrangements, or you can hot-glue dried blossoms onto wreaths and seasonal decorations. Fill a glass bowl with a mix of dried roses for a romantic centerpiece.

If you want to dry a fully opened blossom, try using silica gel. This product is available at craft stores and can be dangerous around children and pets. Make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. You'll also have to snip the roses sooner.

Have the petals already begun to fall? You can still preserve the flower by pressing it or at least pressing a few petals. This site has easy instructions for making a flower press out of cardboard, paper towels, and coffee filters. You can use pressed roses and petals in scrapbooks and other art projects.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

It's common knowledge that appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they're switched off but still plugged in.

One solution is to unplug electronics and chargers when you aren't using them. Or you can plug cords into a power strip and switch it off whenever you want to cut off all power to appliances.

But many consumers wonder if it's worth the hassle to unplug electronics they aren't using. The answer, of course, depends on your objectives.

While it's true that an "informed and aggressive approach can reduce standby use by about 30 percent," according to scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, "There are more productive ways to save energy with an investment of an hour."

The upshot? If it's easy for you to unplug chargers and other electronics when you aren't using them, then go for it. And no-one says you have to unplug everything. You might want to choose the biggest energy hogs or items that are easily unplugged. 

But don't fret if you find the job too tedious or hard to remember. The following actions are all easy and, in some cases, save you more money with much less effort than stamping out energy vampires.

Pick and choose what works best for you from this list, or try everything for an estimated annual savings of $275.  

 

• Activating the power-save function on your computer is a super-easy way to shave up to $90 a year off your utility bills. Exactly how much you save depends on whether you use a laptop or a CPU and a monitor and how long you currently leave your computer on for.
  
  Low power mode also helps equipment run cooler so it lasts longer. Get into the habit of turning off your monitor when you walk away for 20 minutes and your computer when you leave your desk for more than two hours, and you'll rack up even more savings.

 

• Reduce the brightness setting of your television. Select the "home" mode because the "retail" or "vivid" mode (the default setting for most TVs) uses up to 25 percent more power, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
  
  While you're at it, activate the energy- and power-saving modes on your TV and other appliances and save around $43.04 a year.

 

• Video game consoles, such as the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, use nearly the same amount of power when they are turned on and left idle as they do when you are actively playing a game or watching a movie.
  
  Save more than $100 a year by remembering to turn off your gaming system whenever you're not using it.

 

• Switching off unneeded lights will save you $21.04 a year. Does it make sense to turn off the light when you leave a room for a few minutes? Yes for incandescent bulbs. Fifteen minutes is a good rule of thumb for compact fluorescent light bulbs.
  
  Speaking of CFLs, Consumer Reports' tests found that each CFL will save you around $5 a year in electricity costs over a regular bulb.

 

• Wash your clothes in cold water. You'll reduce your bill by around $18.58 a year and it's better for your clothes.
  
  Even just switching your temperature setting from hot to warm water can cut a load's energy use by half, according to the Department of Energy.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

The State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, also known as "Cash for Refrigerators," has officially started, but whether you can get a rebate yet depends on where you live.

The program is being funded with $300 million in federal stimulus money, but each state is operating its own program and has different start dates, budgets, and rules.

In general, buyers can earn rebates of $50 to $250 for replacing older, inefficient appliances with Energy Star qualified products.

If it's as popular as "Cash for Clunkers," money could run out fast. So if you want to participate, start now by finding out what the deal is in your state. 

Programs in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Wisconsin are already in progress.

All the rest begin over the next couple of months, according to a Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored website. Look for these start dates:

• February: Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands

• March: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, American Samoa, Northern Marianas Islands

• April: Alabama, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Guam

Check the links above for your state's info before you head to the store. Each state has different rules, such as which appliances are eligible, whether you have to recycle your old appliance or prove that it was hauled away, and how long the program lasts. 

Some states require that you buy from a participating retailer. Most programs have  mail-in rebates, but some require you to apply in person for a rebate voucher or allow you to reserve your rebate online before the program starts.

For more info, check out EcoRebates, which links to local retailers and tracks the latest rebate news.

An Energy Star stamp of approval doesn't guarantee that you are buying the most energy-efficient product in a category - some appliances go beyond Energy Star criteria. Since Cash for Refrigerators offers an opportunity to cut down on monthly electric bills, it's worth it to do some research to find the most energy-efficient appliances that work for you. In fact, some states base rebate amounts on how efficient your particular product is, so you'll save more up front and over the life of the appliance.

Ultimately, how much you save on operating costs by switching to a more efficient appliance depends on which new appliance you buy and the appliance you are replacing. Some examples from the DOE: Save up to $135 a year by replacing a clothes washer that was made before 2000 with a new Energy Star model. Replacing a refrigerator made before 1993 with a new Energy Star model can save you up to $65 a year.

Consumer Reports offers tips for finding appliances that perform well and save money on energy.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

 

[In his ongoing but sporadic series Don't Throw That Away!, the Green Cheapskate shows you how to repurpose just about anything, saving money and the environment in the process. Send him your repurposing ideas and challenges, but whatever you do, don't throw that away!]

Ever since the mandatory conversion to digital TV - the proverbial death knell to rabbit ear television antennas - I've wondered if aluminum foil sales have plummeted.

If you grew up with rabbit ears, you know what I'm talking about. Who didn't fashion aluminum foil into a homemade antennae appendage in hope of enhancing the reception of their rabbit ears? I was never convinced that it worked, but at least it gave us something to do, since we couldn't see what was happening on the screen.

Even with the demise of rabbit ears, aluminum foil sales are still big business. Over 1.3 billion pounds of aluminum foil is produced every year in the U.S. - that's a heck of a lot of leftovers. While aluminum foil is just as recyclable as aluminum cans, many curbside recycling programs won't accept it for sanitary reasons (check with your local recycling program for their foil policy). That's a shame, because recycling aluminum uses only about 5% of the energy that it takes to produce aluminum from raw materials.

Alas, until aluminum foil recycling becomes more commonplace, here are some ways to get the most mileage - and most value for your money - from your aluminum foil by using it more than once:

Wash it and use it again (and again):
I swear my mother is still reusing foil from the time of Christ for wrapping and rewrapping leftovers in the fridge. Just wash it in soap and water, flatten it out with a rolling pin on the kitchen counter, and it's good as new. (Caution: Foil that has come in contact with raw meat should not be reused for other food purposes.)

Sharpen scissors and garden shears:
Fold used foil so that it's six to eight layers thick, then cut thru it a few times with dull scissors to instantly sharpen them. To sharpen hefty garden and pruning shears, fold the foil so that it's even thicker.

Reduce static cling:
I don't understand how it works, but if you throw a crumpled piece of aluminum foil into the clothes dryer, it seems to magically reduce static electricity. A true miracle of cheapskate science.

Make shoe/boot forms:
Wad up balls of old foil and stuff them into leather boots and shoes to help them keep their form when you're not wearing them.

Texture paint and plaster:
Use crumpled up foil to add interesting texture to painting and plastering projects. Also when you're painting, old foil is handy for masking doorknobs and other fixtures you don't want painted and for wrapping your paintbrushes and rollers in during a lunch break.

Deter pets and other animals:
For no apparent reason, our cat started using our fireplace instead of her liter box. We put a couple of sheets of used aluminum foil on the floor of the fireplace - which cats, dogs, and other animals can't stand - to break her of that bad habit. Hang strips of used foil on strings around the garden to deter birds, deer, and other unwanted pests, too.

Protect young plants:
Make a collar out of used foil to fit loosely around the stems of young tomato plants and other plant starts in order to keep cutworms and other insects at bay.

Make metals shine:
Scrub rust off of steel and chrome with a wad of aluminum foil instead of using steel wool - it works even better. You can also use aluminum foil and simple household products like baking soda and salt to clean silver and gold, with the proper know-how.

Shim a table leg:
Ball up some old foil for under the short leg of an uneven table to make it a level field once again.

Scrub grills and baked-on messes:
A wad of used foil makes a great scouring pad for cleaning the gunk off BBQ grills and stuck-on food from pots, pans, and inside ovens.

Repair stripped threads:
People often say that I have a screw loose. When I do have a nut, bolt, or screw with stripped threads, I wrap a little aluminum foil around the bolt or screw and try gently tightening it again. A quick temporary fix.

And remember your 10th wedding anniversary:
Lucky break for your wallet! Believe it or not, 10th wedding anniversaries are traditionally celebrated by exchanging gifts made of aluminum. What could be more romantic than a piece of homemade aluminum foil art?

When I was working on this piece I read that some folks recommend putting sheets of used foil on snowy sidewalks to help melt the ice faster and make shoveling easier. Well, I tried that this weekend at home and had no such luck. So I'm not sure about that one.

Now, if I could just find some creative ways to repurpose my old rabbit ears...

Jeff Yeager is the author of the book The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches. His website is www.UltimateCheapskate.com.

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Dearest readers,

Sometimes when I’m down in the stacks researching answers to your latest dilemmas, I enjoy taking a stroll down Ask Umbra archives lane. Here are some shiny tidbits I culled from my past advice on making the most of renting a small urban abode.

Have any of your own sustainable apartment living tips or stories? Let me know in the comments section below or shoot me an email.

Go with the low-flow
Even if your landlord isn’t up for investing in low-flow toilets, you can still adapt your toilet to reduce the amount of water used when flushing by putting a device in the tank to displace some of the water (something as simple as a milk jug filled with pebbles) or investing a few bucks in a toilet fill cycle diverter or an adaptor like the Frugal Flush Flapper. Get the full Ask Umbra answer.

Veg out at home
No need for a yard—shrink your food’s carbon footprint by growing some of your own in a small window garden (you can make one yourself with items from a local hardware store). Peppers, parsley, cherry tomatoes, and basil, for example, can all flourish in the confines of an indoor garden. Get the full Ask Umbra answer.

Compost with the most
Put some red wigglers to work on your food scraps with a worm bin, a good option for composting in a snug, yard-free living situation. You can buy ready-made bins, or if you’re feeling in the mood for some DIY, check out Seattle Tilth’s Worm Bin Plans. Get the full Ask Umbra answer.

Run low on energy
As a renter, you don’t get to make the long-term, expensive investments toward better energy efficiency, but some simple modifications can reduce your bill. Run your dishwasher only when full, and skip the “heated dry” option. And opt for an ample comforter on your bed, so the thermostat can be turned down as low as possible at night. Get the full Ask Umbra answer.

Get pests to bug off naturally
Take a pesticide-free approach to unwelcome cockroaches with catnip, a natural repellent, or a simple trap with beer or bread as bait in a wide-mouth glass jar. If you’re not opposed to offing the roaches, boric acid and silica gel are two nontoxic solutions. Get the full Ask Umbra answer.

Rentally,
Umbra

 

Related Links:

• Turning down the heat caused by meat with Peter Singer
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EAST LANSING, Mich. - Krista and Micah Fuerst were looking near here to buy their first place together, and had narrowed it down to two houses: One built 25 years ago, the other brand new and built to strict energy efficiency standards. The couple's choice was easy: They picked the Energy Star home, which the U.S. had certified because it will use about one-fifth to one-third less energy than a comparable home.

But they're in the minority. Most homebuyers don't think about the ongoing costs of home ownership beyond the mortgage and taxes; using energy costs, too. And fewer still think about the pollution that energy use creates, but home energy use accounts for 16 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The proportion of newly built Energy Star homes is growing, but still only represents 20 percent of new homes built in 2009, according to Sam Rashkin, national director of the Home Energy Star program.

Despite the slow increase in newly built efficient homes, some 99 percent of existing houses are "sick" - damp, drafty, dusty, noisy and expensive to heat and cool. They "could be made at least 30 percent more energy-efficient with highly cost-effective, tried-and-true energy-efficiency improvements," according to Rashkin. A 30% reduction in energy use is a 30% reduction in home energy costs; newly built Energy Star homes have, since 1995, saved homeowners an estimated $1.2 billion.

The Energy Star program won't fix those old houses. Energy Star designations go to the cream of the housing stock; if just one in five new homes meets these standards, far fewer renovations do. So if energy efficient homes cost homeowners less and pollute less, why aren't they more commonplace? Experts say economics and regulations are the root of the problem: Mortgages are structured in ways that fail to recognize the benefits of energy efficiency, while a patchwork of inconsistent and ill-enforced energy codes provides conflicting signals to industry.

Meanwhile consumers remain largely unaware of efficiency's advantages, advocates say, thereby bypassing an easy target for considerable cuts in national carbon emissions - and home energy bills.

In this sense the Fuersts are typical of many homebuyers. Both in their late twenties, the Fuersts were aware of Energy Star-rated appliances, but didn't know the label also applied to homes, said Krista Fuerst, a childcare director. Their home, which wouldn't stand out in any new subdivision, and they mostly just wanted a place big enough to raise a family. They traded slightly longer commutes for smaller energy bills and freedom from costly renovations.

"We're certainly conscious of the environment," she explained, "but we're not hyper-conscious. We're not extreme green."

Of course, the ultra-efficient heating and cooling systems, high-performance windows and other features that make the homes exceptionally comfortable also make them a bit pricier. The added cost for a new Energy Star home may only be about the price of a night at the movies on each month's mortgage payment, but it's enough to scare off many potential buyers.

"It's an incredibly smart choice," Rashkin said, since smaller utility bills more than offset the higher price. "But consumers are overwhelmed by first cost."

Energy-efficient mortgages

To get buyers over that hump, a handful of specialized mortgage options have for decades given buyers more cash up front, since they'll save on energy costs. But nobody's buying. Before the mortgage crisis, when loans were easier to come by and energy was relatively cheap, energy-efficient mortgages weren't very enticing, experts say, and lenders didn't bother with them. Now the specialized options are more valuable, but lenders have grown accustomed to ignoring them.

"It's really unfortunate," said Jennifer Amann, buildings program director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. "Energy-efficient mortgages have been available now for 20 years or so, but they're a really underutilized tool."

While energy-efficient mortgages are a good idea, there's a more obvious solution, according to Cliff Majersik, executive director of the Institute for Market Transformation, which advocates for energy efficiency: Make all mortgages – not just specialized ones – account for energy use.

"The fact is that energy-efficient homes have much lower foreclosure and delinquency rates. So that's a market failure, that we're not giving homeowners credit for buying good, efficient homes," Majersik said. "The challenge is that there are processes that have been in place for a long time, and there's pretty clear evidence that they've let us down."

The House climate bill includes a handful of provisions that would reward buyers of efficient homes. For example, the Federal Housing Administration would be required to insure at least 50,000 energy-efficient mortgages over three years, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would make the kind of wholesale changes to underwriting guidelines sought by Rashkin, Majersik and others. Another provision would enforce a national building code that would improve efficiency on new buildings by 30% immediately, and 70% by 2029. Currently, states can adopt any building codes they want, so requirements vary widely.

Homebuilders say they'll build more efficient homes when buyers ask for them, but demand won't grow until more people understand the benefits of efficiency. Many who have lived in energy efficient homes are convinced.

"The house is heated very evenly," Krista Fuerst explained. "There are no cold spots and no drafts." They set the thermostat at 67 degrees - much lower than would have been comfortable in their rental - and turn it down to 57 when they leave in the morning, but the temperature never drops that low, even after 12-hour days. So far their heating bills have been just over half what they paid last winter. "Now that we have lived in an energy-efficient house," she said, "it would be very difficult to go back."

Douglas Fischer is editor of Daily Climate, one of The Daily Green's trusted sources of information. This post is republished with permission.

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I sometimes think the greenest technology has already been invented. We just forgot about it, or it fell out of vogue.

In fact, you probably already own some of the greenest gadgets ever invented. But, if you're like most people, you have them tucked away in a closet at home and haven't used them for years.

It's time to go back to the future and break out some of these oldies but goodies. Pull them out and start saving money at home, now. They're easier on the environment, and they'll save you a bunch of greenbacks, too.

 

Slow-cooker and fondue pot
If you don't already have a '70s-era slow-cooker (aka "crock pot") collecting dust in your kitchen cupboard, you can buy a new energy-sipping model for about $30.

I call mine my "mean, green, recession-fighting machine," because it costs only a few cents to operate and turns inexpensive ingredients into the comfort food we crave to get us through these tough economic times.

And, talk about a money-saving throwback to the 1970s: I challenge you to go into any thrift store in America and not find at least one or two virtually unused fondue pots (usually in mustard yellow or avocado green) priced at just a couple of dollars. I sometimes wonder if any of us who bought new fondue sets during the Nixon administration actually used them.

The great thing is, fondue is truly fun, delicious, and cheap. In fact, fondue was originally invented as a way of using up leftover bits of cheese, wine, meat, and stale bread. Pick up a used fondue pot at a thrift store and give it a try. Who knows, if fondue pots make a comeback, maybe key parties will, too.

 

 

Laundry rack or clothes line
Drying your clothes outside on an old-fashioned clothes line or indoors on one of those accordion-like laundry racks will not only save you about $200 per year on the cost to own and operate an electric dryer, but it can make some garments last up to twice as long. Read more low-tech, money-saving tips for making your clothes last longer.

 

 

Electric blanket and heating pad
My grandparents kept their thermostats set at meat-locker temperatures during the winter, but stayed cozy with an electric blanket on their bed and an electric heating pad on each of their favorite easy chairs.

At the time I thought my "plugged-in" grandparents were funny - heating just their bodies, instead of their whole house - but now I realize that Granny and Gramps were once again ahead of their times.

Electric blankets and pads cost little more than many non-electric comforters, and only use about a nickel's worth of electricity per night to operate. Yet according to the U.S. Department of Energy, for every degree you turn down the heat during the winter, you'll probably save about one to three percent on your total home heating bill.

 

 

Food dehydrator
Removing the water from food products in order to make them last longer and concentrate flavors and nutrients is one of the oldest food preservation methods known to man, and it's making a comeback.

If you don't already own an electric food dehydrator, you can buy one for about 50 bucks. It works with most fruits, vegetables, meats, herbs, nuts, grains, and even some dairy products.

Dehydrated foods last for months - sometimes even years - when stored in airtight containers. You can save big money on your grocery bill by buying bulk quantities of in season and on sale items and dehydrating them for future use.

 

 

Ice chest and Thermos bottle
Talk about simple genius: Keeping foods cold or hot through mechanical means (i.e., thermal insulation) rather than with electricity saves energy and money - duh!

But the last time most of us carried a Thermos bottle was back in fourth grade in our George Jetson lunchboxes.

Carry your coffee to work in an old-fashioned Thermos rather than buying a cup or two of designer java every day, and pack the ice chest full of picnic supplies and snacks next time you take a family road trip - you'll likely save hundreds of dollars a year if you do.

 

 

 

 

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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc