Some big ‘n’ bright news from the world of energy-efficient lighting: GE has announced the world debut of the 27-watt Energy Smart LED bulb, a dimmable 100-watt replacement bulb that boasts superior energy-sipping lighting technology - 25,000-hour (22.8-year) life span, 1,6000+ lumens, 3000K color temperature – all wrapped up in a neat, tidy, and incandescent-shaped (A19) package. The omnidirectional, instant-on bulb was designed in collaboration with GE ecoimagination Challenge winner, Austin-based Nuventix. Given that as a LED bulb’s wattage output grows, so does its need for a larger, more complex cooling chip system. To prevent the bulb from physically growing in size, GE tapped Nuventix’s proprietary SynJet technology that replaces cooling fans with a heat-dissipating oscillating membrane called a synthetic jet. It’s expected that the bulb will hit the shelves of North American retailers during the first half of 2013. [Read this article]
Live Green
A 100-Watt Replacement Bulb Designed With Plenty of (eco)imagination
Date: 05/14/2012 | Source: Mother Nature Network 
Forget The Paperless Office: Here’s How To Get A Less-Paper Office
Date: 05/14/2012 | Source: GreenBiz.com
The concept of the “paperless office” first appeared way back in 1975, when an article in BusinessWeek predicted that offices would be entirely digital by the mid 1990s. Obviously, that didn’t happen. In fact, in those 20 years, paper use increased rather dramatically in North American offices. New technologies like email and the Internet actually had office workers printing more, not less, sparking the creation of a whole new industry – software that helps offices reduce unnecessary printing – not to mention those ubiquitous “please think before you print this email” tags on every responsible professional’s email signature. These days, people are a bit more realistic about the paperless idea. There are always going to be situations where people prefer paper: for legal documents, for example. In the last five years, however, the economic downturn and various technological advances have conspired to drive paper use down fairly substantially, making the idea of at least a “less-paper” office more feasible. [Read this article]
Green Homes Seen As A Good Deal
Date: 05/04/2012 | Source: EcoHome Magazine
A new report reveals key factors driving the growth of the residential green building market, most notably that they are perceived to be higher quality and better value than traditionally built homes. “New and Remodeled Green Homes: Transforming the Residential Market” estimates that the green homes share of the construction market was 17% in 2011, and predicts that it will rise to 38% by 2016, based on the five-year forecast for overall residential construction. The study, which surveyed NAHB builder and remodeler members about their green building practices, highlighted the factors driving the growth in the green home building market. It found that customers are strongly value-driven – around two-thirds of respondents state that customers request green homes or remodeling projects in order to lower their energy use or save money, more than twice any other factor. More than 80% report that energy efficiency is making today’s homes greener compared with two years ago. The use of energy-efficient features was the top practice by nearly all surveyed builders. [Read this article]
Green Your Pantry: 10 Do’s And Don’ts
Date: 05/04/2012 | Source: The Daily Green
From safe, nontoxic food storage and green cleaning to the basics of whole bulk foods and integrated pest management, here are some tips to help you get started on a healthier Earth-friendly diet today. Plastic containers may be versatile, lightweight and cheap, but some types of plastic also leach chemicals into foods. If you’re keeping some plastic around, purge anything marked with a recycling code No. 3 or 7 first. Those numbers are used to mark hard plastics that often have the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A. Whatever you use for food storage, avoid microwaving or cooking in plastic, and avoid using plastics that show signs of age, since these conditions make chemical leaching more likely. Choose glass, ceramic and stainless steel over plastic whenever possible. These materials are long-lasting, can often be transferred directly from the pantry or fridge to the oven or microwave, and – most importantly, they won’t leach chemicals into your food. [Read this article]
Eco-Friendly Laundry Tips
Date: 05/04/2012 | Source: Mother Nature Network
You can save money, reduce your energy consumption, cut your family’s exposure to chemicals and prevent water pollution without spending all day hand-washing your laundry or purchasing an expensive new washing machine. Here are 10 easy eco-friendly laundry tips, from choosing safer soaps to making your dryer more efficient. Resist the urge to do several small loads over the course of a week, and wait until you have a full washer’s worth of laundry. Even the most high-tech energy-efficient washing machines use a lot of water, and older models can consume up to 55 gallons per load. Heating up water for clothes that aren’t extra-dirty is an unnecessary waste of energy, and you can even get away with using the cold setting on laundry that needs a lot of extra help. Just pre-soak soiled laundry in cold water for an hour or so, adding a few tablespoons of baking soda to loosen dirt and grime. In order to get the most from your washing machine, be sure to thoroughly sort your laundry. Wash towels alone, and separate heavyweight and lightweight items. Loads of similar-weight laundry will dry faster and more evenly. [Read this article]
Students Save Energy & Money Through America’s Home Energy Education Challenge
Date: 05/04/2012 | Source: Department Of Energy
What if you could operate a TV and an Xbox 360 for 35 days without increasing your electricity bill? One group of Montana students did just that as part of America’s Home Energy Education Challenge - a new initiative launched by the Energy Department and led by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) that encourages student involvement in reducing home energy waste and lowering utility costs in their homes. During the first year of the competition, participants worked to reduce their families’ energy bills and conserve energy. Montana’s Carter County schools were one of many teams of elementary and middle school students across the country that got involved in the competition. The goal of the challenge was simple: to leverage the creativity and enthusiasm of students to inspire families to save energy and save money. Students from schools across the country competed in the challenge by coming up with ways to use energy more efficiently in their homes. [Read this article]
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