Green Blog

For the people who seem to have everything or for those who are bored with their lifestyle, there are a few things that one can do to spruce-up one’s life. Perhaps one of the best ways however is to begin redecorating one’s house. Two of the first places one should consider redecorating are your bathroom and kitchen.

These are often the most overlooked and most used rooms in the entire house. Think about it, have you redecorated at least even one of these rooms within the past five years? The answer is probably going to be no. In which case think back to the last time you even looked closely at your bathroom or kitchen other than to clean them.

More than likely, if you noticed anything at all, you put the notion off until a future date when you would be able to devote more time to decorating your bathroom or kitchen, although at that time, the place certainly didn’t look as bad as it does now, after all, the years soon mount up and even though you’ve been keeping it rigorously clean you can’t stop the steady progress of time.

The chances are that if you took a closer look now, you’ll find that the curtains are looking a might drab and worn around the edges, as are the bathroom rugs. And let’s not even look at the soap dish. It is quite true that they don’t make them like they used to, and with very good reason too!

Do yourself a favour and throw out all the unnecessary clutter in the room and get yourself some new stuff - you will be surprised at what you can find these days. Anyway, you’ve probably been eyeing that lovely bathroom set you saw in the shop for some time now, so at the very least now you will have a good reason to go out and splash out on yourself.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to buy that nice new salt and pepper set you saw for the kitchen and a few mats that can be used in either room. Ideally, they should be resilient to such commonplace accidents as water spillage, soap, oil grease, fat and all the other things that somehow seem to become ground into your carpets.

But, if you’re looking for a few new ideas on decorating your bathroom or your kitchen, there are a number of resources you can get your inspiration from. The best one I’ve found so far are the catalogues, which you can peruse until you find what you want.

With all these options, you could even substitute something that is a bit cheaper for the items that you see in the catalogues. This then, is the best way to get your decorating projects started and to keep yourself busy for some time to come and to make your long suffering bathroom and kitchen areas spotlessly new and glitzy.

Fluorescent lights no longer offer just a dim flicker. Yes they are the ecological alternative to normal light bulbs, but they can also be funky and are a favourite of current designers. So why are they a good environmental choice, and what’s so fashionable about them?

Any electrician can tell you that fluorescent lights tend to last four to ten times as long as incandescent (filament) light bulbs and use about 20% of the energy. The trouble with incandescent light bulbs is that 95% of the electricity they use is lost through heat and merely 5% is literally used to light up a room.

Despite the fact that fluorescent bulbs are more costly to buy at first, they will save you money in the long run, typically paying for themselves in under a year. And they fit in nearly all existing light fittings, so you won’t even call for an electrician to change your fixtures.

Another direct green advantage is that because the light bulbs last so much longer they make less waste for landfill as less are being tossed away each year. And once you’re fitting them and doing your part, you may even feel so green and environmentally alert that you take your responsibilities further and turn lights off when they’re not being used.

When you do need to throw away fluorescent light bulbs then try and do so correctly. Unlike normal light bulbs, they have a small amount of mercury which is greenly damaging if they are binned, so ask your local council about recycling services for light bulbs and do your part to keep them out of the dump.

Now for the fun bit! FL lights are fantastic if you want to create a colour wash on the wall or against curtains. They may be recessed so that the light seems to come magically from a hidden source and if the light shines against a reflective facade, you can create a really spectacular effect. You can also talk to your electrician about installing more than one fluorescent tube so that you have a choice of colours at your fingertips.

FL lights of course occur in white but also four fundamental colours - red, yellow, green and blue. If not any of these agree with your scheme, you can put a white light behind a coloured filter of your choice or even get coloured theatrical lighting goo which can be applied to the bulb to attain the effect you’re after. There are even companies that advertise bulbs already coated, offering a range of colours if you can’t face doing it yourself.

If you’re putting together a lighting plan bear in mind that fl white light tends to look cool instead of than warm. FL bulbs can be included into a dimmer system when of course they become less bright, but they won’t produce a warm glow like a filament bulb. As well as being put onto dimmers your electrician could go one step further and incorporate them into a system of pre-set scenes to make numerous mood options for your room.

The truth is that in 2007 the US Government announced that filament light bulbs are to be banned by 2011, which should help save around 5 million tons of CO2 by US household users alone. So it makes sense to get ready now for this new era in lighting. Light bulbs in the US are now graded A-G for ecological efficiency, so it’s easy to pick ones that do less damage and that will save you money in the mid and long term. And it doesn’t mean living in darkness - fluorescent lights have come a long way since their flickering early stages.

You have probably seen those homes that are built with these big windows that are tinted. Have you questioned why these homeowners would want such large windows? The reason behind them having these windows is simple, their house is using the power of the sun to produce their needed electricity and to provide heat.

With a couple of simple alterations most houses could be constructed to include solar power. You will be glad to know that even you can build a home to include solar power, to help you save money on energy cost for years to come. You can utilize solar power for your heating and electricity needs in your house for your lights and other appliances in a natural method, and do away with your energy bill monthly.

There are a few facts to know about constructing a solar powered house. Where your windows should be installed is quite dependent on the location that you live. Usually the sun rises on the south side of the house for the most part.

The windows should be placed on this side of your house. This permits the sun to get into your home and give it warmth in a natural manner. You need to be certain that no obstruction such as trees can block the sun from coming straight into your house.

Don’t use dark colors in your home to decorate with. Instead use bright and light colors that will attract the heat more evenly and benefits you more.

With an additional solar power source placed outside, in which you have a specially designed box for collecting the power of the sun to be changed into the type of energy, that powers your house along with warming the water you use. Building a home to include the products that provide you with solar power only cost a fraction more of building one without this type of power. Solar power is a great investment though over time you get this money back in savings.

Overtime when you totally rely on the sun to heat your home and all the other functions it can perform you will not have a monthly bill because you don’t pay for the sun every month like you do with other power sources. Use ceiling fans to reduce the amount of time you may need to run your air conditioner.

Ceiling fans evenly distribute the cool air and also the heat and eliminates cold and hot places throughout your house. Install doors made of metal that are insulated, so that the cold stays out and the warm gets in and stays put. Make sure your doors are closed tight at the time of day that the sun comes in, this insures that the heat remains in the house for a longer period of time.

Living in a solar power house lets you live green by conserving natural fossil fuel resources. This will also permit you not to fret on the cost of your gas and electricity, due to the fact that you will be utilizing the A #1 source for power without harming our environment.

Educating the public about alternative electricity sources is one of the first steps to getting renewable energy installed throughout the country. Most energy is produced by burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas, over 75%. Nuclear power produces about 20% of electricity and the rest is from renewable energy sources. It is possible to produce electricity from biomass, geothermal power, wind power and solar energy and this type of electrical production is much kinder to the environment.

Electricity is based around keeping a copper wire spinning between two magnets. The charge is what keeps the wire in motion and the copper wire is called the conductor. There are many ways to generate electricity you can but two magnets in salt water and the salt will act like a conductor, you can shine light on a conduct and that heat will be turned into energy or you can actually touch the two conductors directly and send a stream of electricity.

Wind power is one of the best forms of renewable energy but one of the least utilized. This is a pity as most of the United States electricity needs could be meet by wind power alone though the knowledge of the effectiveness of wind power is growing. Wind power is the most environmentally friendly electricity sources and is the most efficient of any electricity production as it produces more electricity then for a small amount of wind power.

Solar power is transforming the sun’s energy or into electricity. This is a well-known electricity source that has been made many advances in recent years. Home solar units and commercial solar energy are becoming much more popular with any excess collected energy being fed back into the electricity grid.

Most solar users find that the electricity is giving them credits for their electricity. The only large costs involved is acquiring the equipment to collect and convert the solar energy into electricity and getting this hooked yup to the electrical grid.

Electricity can also be produced from water falling over a dam as many dams have electricity stations at the bottom or further downstream. Hydroelectric power has been used for years and if you have a stream on your property you can even install a small hydroelectric generator to power your home.

Biodiesel can be used as a substitution for petroleum and biodiesel is becoming more popular for trucks and tankers. Biodiesel is produced from animal fats and vegetable oils and was first used in 1895. Almost all vehicles can be converted to running on biodiesel, though your car may smell like French fries if you use straight vegetable oil!

Your home can be enhanced in stunning ways with this type of lighting. There are all sorts of ways to do this. it is fun to experiment and be creative using a variety of different light fixtures. It is wise to inspect your surrounding home, yard and deck to find out the right lighting.

Security is a number one priority outside your house. You will raise the real estate value of your home with added security. It is a good idea to light up your house entrance with some bright illumination. LED lights are ideal for this because they shine brightly and use less energy. Bright porch lights will not only make it simpler for you to see to get into your house but will also deter criminals.

Your deck is great for entertaining. It can be dressed up and made more exciting with the right lighting. Colored lights and spotlighting will help you to improve the look and feel of your deck.

Well positioned lighting can do wonders for your yard. Landscaping, size and the style of your yard will come into play when you are planning your lighting. Well thought out illumination can make dull places come alive and spotlight dark spots.

Lighting can be used to spotlight certain areas in the garden. Plants or interesting trees can be highlighted. You can use lights on mounts for this purpose or spotlights from the ground. Dark areas can also be illuminated to bring extra interest to different places.

For a soft gentle overall light in the yard flood lights can be used. This will be good for entertaining and relaxing in the yard as it will give a lovely romantic look to your garden area.

To make them safer you can use lighting for your pathways. Your garden will also be more exciting with some lighting. Torches and hanging rope lights are a nice touch. Ground floodlights will provide good overall lighting. It is important not to over do your garden lighting.

You can make a wonderfully dramatic affect with water and lighting; especially when you light up your waterfalls, ponds and fountains. Unique plants, together with fancy bridges and stones will all take on an exciting look with the right lighting. You can enhance the drama by making use of reflections from the water. Rock gardens will look nice when lit right. You can accentuate different rocks and add drama with colors.

To make the most of your outdoor lighting it is wise to plan properly. A landscaping company can help you with this or you can just do it yourself. If you look on the Internet you will find many of these companies. They offer helpful articles and picture galleries. These sites are a good source of ideas. For further help you can look at lighting fixture sites. They will also have picture galleries and useful articles. Another helpful source will be your local lighting store.

Most rooms will have basic illumination called ambient lighting. It is often in the form of overhead lighting, which will light up the whole room. The lighting is usually white and provides illumination which is not very spectacular. If you want a more exciting look you can experiment with different colors and LED lighting. There are a variety of overhead ceiling lights that fit this purpose.

A low energy lighting using fluorescent lighting will save you money. It will brighten up the room with a sharp white light. Bathrooms and kitchens often have this style of lighting.

Bright LED light bars consume even less energy. They are not such common forms of ceiling lighting but can be used for places like entertainment centers and hallways. They will make your home more cheerful when this lighting is used in these places. When you put this type of ambient lighting in your entrance hallways your visitors will feel more upbeat when they come to your home.

Can lighting or Recessed lighting creates a softer light and is nice for bedrooms and rooms you want to relax in. You can use a soft yellow color rather than the bright white ceiling illumination. This will create a more romantic atmosphere in the room. Alternatively you can use a dimmer to change the light from a bright working light to a softer calmer atmosphere.

For a different look you can use chandeliers and pendants. In order to produce good ambient lighting a fairly large chandelier should be used. A chandelier’s multiple pieces of reflective glass will look good in a room with a high ceiling. The beautiful shining light will light up the entire room. Now chandeliers are made in simpler designs, with a few lamps. This style is more suitable for smaller rooms.

A room can be lit with pendant lighting. Your area will look warmer with the soft light reflected from the ceiling. It will give a more romantic feel than white ceiling lights. A certain distinction is given to a room when you light it with a pendant lighting fixture.

Experiment with LED colored ambient lighting to create a different atmosphere in a room. Colored light bars can liven up an entertainment area and even be synchronized with music. Different colors will create a different look and feel to a room. You can experiment with different colors for different effects. A pink or soft yellow hue can be very romantic for dining areas and the bedroom. You can use a dimmer to cut down the brightness when desired.

There are many ways that ambient lighting can be used in your residence. You can use ambient lighting as a basic illumination and add other illumination to add character and atmosphere to a room. There are so many fun ways to experiment with lighting and it will make a surprising difference to your home.

Outdoor lighting is an exciting way to improve your home. This is because there are so many ways that you can do this. You can be really innovative and have a lot of fun with lighting. Firstly you will need to examine your home, yard and deck to see what illumination you can use.

Outside your home is often a question of security. Your home will have extra value when you make it more secure. A simple way to do this is to install some bright lights around your house entrance. You can use LED lights for this as they are bright and energy conserving. Bright lights on your porch will deter criminals and also make it easier for you to see to get in when you return late at night.

Your deck will often be used for entertainment purposes. There are many things that you can do to improve it and make it more exciting, using lighting. Spotlight and colored lighting can make your deck more exciting.

Well positioned lighting can do wonders for your yard. Landscaping, size and the style of your yard will come into play when you are planning your lighting. Well thought out illumination can make dull places come alive and spotlight dark spots.

Lighting can be used to spotlight certain areas in the garden. Plants or interesting trees can be highlighted. You can use lights on mounts for this purpose or spotlights from the ground. Dark areas can also be illuminated to bring extra interest to different places.

For a soft gentle overall light in the yard flood lights can be used. This will be good for entertaining and relaxing in the yard as it will give a lovely romantic look to your garden area.

Pathways can be lit, which will make them safer. It will also add a decorative touch to your yard. You can use hanging rope lights or torches depending on what you want. You can also use floodlights in the ground. It is wise to place your pathway lighting carefully so that you do not over do the effects.

You can make a wonderfully dramatic affect with water and lighting; especially when you light up your waterfalls, ponds and fountains. Unique plants, together with fancy bridges and stones will all take on an exciting look with the right lighting. You can enhance the drama by making use of reflections from the water. Rock gardens will look nice when lit right. You can accentuate different rocks and add drama with colors.

To make the most of your outdoor lighting it is wise to plan properly. A landscaping company can help you with this or you can just do it yourself. If you look on the Internet you will find many of these companies. They offer helpful articles and picture galleries. These sites are a good source of ideas. For further help you can look at lighting fixture sites. They will also have picture galleries and useful articles. Another helpful source will be your local lighting store.

Some of us are called by our spirit to be sustaining spiritual archetypes. The primary purpose of a sustaining spirit is to create partnerships with other human beings, our environment, our society and our world. Partnering is the mode of action for this spiritual archetype. First, let me describe a spiritual archetype. It is a concept. It is an idea expressing your spiritual voice. It identifies, describes and helps you to better understand who and what you truly are.

In January President Obama announced his new green revolution policy to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks in order to help reduce Americas dependence on foreign oil in addition to raising the national fuel-efficiency standards to 35.5 miles per gallon by the year 2016. More importantly the auto industry, environmentalists, union workers, and politicians on both sides of the isle seem to welcome the policy. Their reasons for support are all quite different however.

After serious disputes for many years over these issues with the government and the auto industry, environmentalists praised the new emissions control and fuel economy standards. On the opposing side, the auto makers feel they now have a single national efficiency standard to follow and a reasonable timeline to meet production schedules. But how can these two distinctive groups who have been historically antagonistic towards each other come together to meet a new complex set of regulations after years of opposition? Can they form an alliance to produce a profitable, new idea of transportation and maintain a clean atmosphere at the same time?

What kind of relationship would be most effective to face these concerns when the stakes are so high, the conflicts are serious and the outcome is uncertain? The traditional relationship where one group or person has the power over the other is not an option. The alternative is a partnering relationship where responses to changes are creative and practical. The partnering quality of the sustaining spirit is not about team building. It reaches beneath every economic, political, and social process to call people to learn what it means to be a partner. If the auto industry and environmental sector can learn to listen to the calling of their sustaining spirit, President Obamas initiative will have hope.

There are three characteristics of the sustaining spirit that make partnering possible. The first is intentioning. Intentioning is mindful actions as opposed to unthoughtful behavior. Intentions must be the same so partnering can happen. Too much human behavior is unintentional. We often act out of our past rather than towards an open future where we can imagine new possibilities. When the auto industry fell apart economically, the framework of their social biography disintegrated, leaving them directionless. The security of a lifelong job disappeared. The auto industry continued to cling to a social biography that no longer worked. Members of the auto industry must start using a partnering relationship, which includes intentioning, if they are going to go forward towards a prosperous future.

The second avenue use to establish partnering relationships is parity. When all sides of a relationship realize that each offers something of value to that relationship, parity has been achieved. Both the auto workers and the environmentalists must recognize that both have something of value that is needed to achieve their goals. The sustaining spirit does not call for sameness, but instead calls for equivalency yet individuality.

The third avenue needed is learning itself. Partnering is successful only with a mutual and reciprocal learning environment. Reciprocity between nature, modern technology, Mother Earth, and humanity is essential to the success of partnering. The auto industry and environmentalist must learn from both their own and each others mistakes. This awareness towards learning is essential to the sustaining spirit. Will the auto industry and environmentalists accomplish individual goals while helping the other at the same time? The sustaining spirit says, Yes!

Changes in the automobile industry and in the environmental industry depend upon a thorough analysis of conventional and cultural beliefs. It will be essential to give up certain habits to reach goals. This task cannot be forced. Difficult inner work is necessary. The sustaining archetype is all about partnering. All of us can learn to partner with each other and with our earth, environmental and automobile enthusiasts alike, so that each of us and all of us are sustained. Without that, we are lost.

Always be prepared, especially if you are planning a trip into the great unknown. In the case of a prepared trip into the wilderness, most people undertake a great deal of preliminary work, but sometimes an innocent traveler can take the wrong turn, during bad weather for example, become disorientated and end up lost. In these cases, they could end up in need of some wilderness survival tips.

The US Army has a survival manual which uses a very appropriately named moniker as a memory device to set the important principles firmly in your mind. The army recommends that you study the memory device, which revolves around the very word ” survival.

Think of the word survival. S — stands for size up the situation; U — stands for use all your senses; R — stands for remember where you are; V — stands for vanquish fear and panic; I — stands for improvise; V — stands for value living; A — stands for act like the natives; L — stands for live by your wits, but for now, learn basic skills. These letters represent valuable wilderness survival tips

Out of all the wilderness survival tips given to us by the U.S. Army and other specialists, one of the most fundamental is the need to size up your situation. Always take a deep breath and determine your condition, what tools you have available to help you and your immediate surroundings. Once you have made these judgments, you will be much better prepared to take the next step.

Little wonder that people find themselves in trouble, lost and in need of wilderness survival tips. Remote and rugged countryside is often very close to major cities in a country as diverse as the United States. One of the beauties of the state of California, for example is that real adventures are close by. The Angeles National Forest is only a couple of miles away from the major city of Los Angeles. It is possible to get access to the forest within minutes.

The US Army tells us to “live by your wits”. This is a great wilderness survival tip, but it might be difficult for some to comprehend as we all tend to live a very pampered existence. For a lot of information, tips and tricks, you might consider looking online. These resources will help you to deal with unexpected conditions and train yourself accordingly.

If you find yourself lost in the outback, or immobilized during a hiking expedition, make sure that you plan wisely and value living. Don’t panic, but try and convince yourself that you may be in this for the long haul. This will allow you to plan more appropriately and not subject yourself to any knee-jerk reactions that could jeopardize your chances.

With some adequate planning, a healthy dose of common sense, some research and application of the wilderness survival tips set forth by the U.S. Army and others, everyone of us has the raw survival instinct to enable us to survive in seemingly impossible conditions.

Small but terriblethis may be a proper tagline for our insect pests. Small and tender they may be, insects may bite hard and may cause irritating swells on the skin. The swell may turn into rashes and may even last for a week. So know how to treat them and know how to prevent insects from entering your home. This article will provide you with a brief idea on how to get rid of ants, fleas and chiggers.

The first step is to know where there nests are. Remember that no matter how many times you wipe them off your walls, they will have all the reasons to come back if their nesting ground is inside your house. Ants pop up from anywhere. One moment, you were licking an ice cream, the next moment ants are coming after those drips you left on the floor. Fleas, on the other hand, are minute insects that can cause really bad rashes on the skin. Usually, they thrive in dust-filled sheets or dirty pets at home. Chiggers just love the sight of skin. They can burrow deep down and bite you as much as they can, leaving your skin severely itching afterwards. Here are a few remedies that you can use to help you get rid of the insect pests.

Get rid of ants: You do not need to purchase expensive sprays and repellants for at home, you can find the solutions to your problems! A do-it yourself ant repellant is easy to make. Mix a half cup of white sugar and 2 tablespoons of borax in a cup of warm water. Shake the solution well and spray it to where the ants usually crawl on. You can soak a sponge or a cotton ball in the solution and place them ion the corners of the house. In the ingredients, the white sugar will serve as the bait, the borax as the killer ingredient. Another way is to mint them away! Yes, mint smell is a major hate for ants. So grow some mint in a pot and place them in the kitchen or in the receiving area, where ants are prone to be.

Get rid of fleas and chiggers: When fleas thrive in the home, it usually means one thing, you have a pet. Fleas usually hide under the animal skin. They love the conditions and temperatures of the animal and stay there while it is damp and ready for egg-laying. Proper hygiene for your pet is important to get rid of fleas. Be sure to wash them with gentle flea-removing shampoo and comb them afterwards. The combing gets rid of the fleas so don’t be shocked if you find a lot on the first comb! This will also remove the eggs to prevent the hatching, thus prevent the life cycle of the fleas.

Cleaning your pets is the first step. To totally remove fleas, you need to clean up your home. Borax is the solution, found in your cupboard. Spread a thick layer on the carpet floor or on the furniture. Let the scent stay and make the fleas believe it as food. The borax will kill them. Be sure to vacuum afterwards, you wouldn’t want people sneezing from borax, you know.

Chiggers are either fleas or mites. Both types do one certain thing: they burrow under the skin and bite. How to get rid of chiggers? Now here is the trick part. You see, before the bite is recognized, it takes up to eight hours and by that time, the chiggers may no longer be there. In this situation, it is best to clean the irritated area and be sure not to scratch it. The application of a cream works well to lessen the pain of the sore or swell.

You want a safe haven for your family that is why you need to know that you can find home solutions foe each of these home pests. Help prevent these insects in making your home a place to live in and reproduce. Remember that they will keep coming back, that is why you need to find the roots of the cause to totally prevent them from coming back. Find the remedy at home. At low cost, protect your family and give these pests a splat!