(Image credit: Corbis) It’s bad for the environment, but you know you want it. You want those strawberries in the dead of winter. You know you should be eating local produce year round to avoid all of the carbon emissions associated with flying in food from distant places or using energy guzzling greenhouses to grow […]
During the summertime if you put your shades (trisim) down in the morning it will help keep your house cooler for the rest of the day. And don’t just use shades for your house! With the right name-brands you too can be cool as your protect your eyes…
When I was a child growing up I was indecisive. It would take me whole minutes of peering into the fridge to decide what to eat. My grandmother used to chide this practice saying: “Don’t pray in front of the open refrigerator!” Orthodox Jews can take up to twenty minutes in their silent prayer on […]
We had just settled into a quiet cottage near the Dead Sea. Despite the intense heat outside our windows, we were still excited about getting out to float in the mineral-rich salty water. My friends had their swimsuits on and were just out the door. But wait a second, I said. All the lights are […]
Who wants an inefficient refrigerator? Wipe off the coils regularly, dusty coils can reduce the efficiency by 30%. Also let your dishes cool properly before you put dinner away. A healthy fridge will last longer, save energy and work better… What more could you want?
Take care to measure out the right amount of water needed. It takes extra energy to boil too much water. Not only will you be saving energy but time as well; your water will take less time to boil!
According to research by the Department of Energy shade trees can reduce the need for air conditioning by 7% to 40%. If you have a garden, plant a tree. It can decrease the energy you need to cool your space but also provide a place to hang a tire swing, not to mention the offsets.
Leaking electricity from electronics costs Americans millions annually. In fact about $750 million a year from leaky TVs and about $600 million a year from VCRs. To avoid the leaking of electricity, either unplug electronics when not in use, or plug them into a power strip that can be switched off.
Religious Jews will not turn on or off electricity on the Sabbath. Their solution? A timer electrical outlet, a shabbas-clock. Set the times you want the appliance plugged in to be on and let it go… To save energy these outlets are great to use for space heaters. If you use space heaters when those […]
If you aren’t doing this already you’re probably saying: Are you out of your mind?! I can’t do that! Or perhaps: Yeah, I know I should, I will tomorrow. While tomorrow just becomes the next day… It’s time to stop pushing this off. Make tomorrow today. If you don’t have time, make some, it’s for your […]
Did you know that when you drive at a speed that is over 40 mph using the air conditioner uses less fuel than having the windows open? Because of air resistance when you travel with your windows open you slow down your car and you use more gas. If you are traveling over 40 mph […]