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Eight Ways to Cut Summer Energy Bills
With summer finally kicking into gear across the country, you can almost hear the gentle hum of air conditioners ratcheting up. And with it, climbs home energy bills.
These days, the average household spends $1,900 annually on energy (based on electricity and gas usage), according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But much of that, say energy conservationists, is money wasted.
The good news: Cutting back doesn't mean you need to be a tree-hugging naturalist, suffering stoically as you read by candlelight. These days, you can do right by the environment and your pocketbook—without any major lifestyle sacrifices. In fact, by taking some relatively painless steps, you can cut your bills by one-third or more.
More from SmartMoney.com:
• 13 Simple Ways to Lower Your Electric Bill
• 7 Energy-Saving Eco-Gadgets
• 8 Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill
Here are eight easy ways to save this summer (including a few tips that will work year-round).
1. Upgrade Your Thermostat
Are you the type who likes to chill after a sticky workday by coming home to a house that's as cool as a meat locker? You can live this dream and cut your energy costs by investing in a programmable thermostat. These handy little devices allow you to cool your home at different temperatures at specific times.
So you could, for example, turn down the AC during the day, when your family is away from home—and crank it up again 30 minutes before the first family member returns. Or, you could turn it down during the wee hours of the morning, when no one's likely to notice a shift in temperature.
Installing a programmable thermostat shouldn't set you back more than $100 to $150—and the energy savings can be substantial. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), you could cut your heating and cooling bills by 10% annually just by turning your thermostat back 10% to 15% for 8 hours a day.
2. Go Green
Ok—this will require a bit of effort on your part, but the returns are twofold: Planting just three shady trees around your house not only can whack $100 to $250 off your annual heating and cooling costs, according to the DOE, but will most likely make your yard more attractive, to boot. (Leafy trees can shield the house from direct sunlight, keeping temperatures down, while still permitting sunlight to hit your house during the winter months.)
Not interested in nurturing your green thumb? Simply pulling the shades (or drawing your curtains) can cut energy costs as well, says Mel Hall-Crawford, an energy efficiency expert at the Consumer Federation of America.
3. Keep It Clean
Keeping your air-conditioning unit clean and in peak performance is another big money saver. To kick the summer off, your AC unit should have a professional tune up (expect to pay somewhere between $90 and $120), says Maria Vargas, an Energy Star spokesperson at the EPA. (Energy Star is a joint program run by the EPA and the DOE that, among other things, deems certain products energy-efficient.) And air-conditioning filters (regardless of whether you have central air or an individual unit) should generally be checked every month or so to see if they need cleaning or replacement. This is something you should be able to do on your own.
Another item to add to your spring cleaning list: Dusting off your refrigerator condenser coils, says Hall-Crawford. This will make the unit run more efficiently.
4. Buy a Better Bulb
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (called CFLs) require 75% less energy than traditional (officially called incandescent) light bulbs, and last up to 10 times longer, according to the ASE. Be sure to look for CFLs with the Energy Star label, since these bulbs won't have any buzzing or humming problems, promises Energy Star's Reed. These bulbs now come in smaller sizes (called subcompacts) that can fit into any lamp, and they have a wider color spectrum. According to the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), replacing just four well-used 100-watt incandescent bulbs with equivalent 23-watt CFLs will save you $120 to $200 over three years.
Also, do you still have one of those halogen lamps leftover from your college days? (You know—those tall lamps that didn't cost much more than a couple of pizzas to buy?) Do yourself a favor: Dump it. Not only are these dangerous fire starters, but their bulbs, which can generate temperatures of 700 to 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, are energy hogs as well, says Vargas. That makes them considerably less inexpensive than they seemed back in the day.
5. Join the Fan Club
A ceiling fan can balance out a room's temperature, allowing you to turn down the AC and still feel cool.
6. Unplug
Even when all of your home electronics are turned off, many continue to suck down energy. The main culprits: televisions, VCRs, DVD players, stereos, phones and microwave ovens. (Generally, anything that has a clock, a remote control or an on/off light falls into this category.) In fact, idle TVs cost U.S. consumers $600 million annually, or $5 per household, according to the EPA. One solution: Plug the items that can truly be turned completely off into a power strip, and then use that as your on/off switch.
7. Fight Leaks
Your pricey, cooled air might be leaking right out of your house. Leaky windows and ducts (which carry the air to the rooms in your home) are two ways that cool air can be lost, making your air conditioner work harder. "We have found that as many as 70% of ducts are installed with leaks," says Vargas. Having your ducts properly sealed and insulated could save you as much as 10% in energy costs, according to the EPA. So if you think your duct system is faulty, try to have it checked out by an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) technician. (One way to find one is to visit the North American Technician Excellence web site.)
8. Be a Savvy Shopper
By far the biggest way to save is to invest in energy-efficient appliances. When shopping around, look for the Energy Star label. There are more than 44 product categories that qualify.
Of course, replacing your appliances (particularly the biggies, like a refrigerator or dishwasher) will require an upfront investment. But if you've got an old clunker, you could recoup your costs quickly. For example, if your central-air-conditioning unit is more than 10 years old, replacing it with an Energy Star-qualified model could cut your operating costs by 30%.
Copyrighted, SmartMoney.com. All Rights Reserved.
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Lessen Your Baby's Toxic Load (Part 3): Skin and Bath Products
Baby care products such as shampoos, lotions and powders fall under cosmetics` regulations and the FDA is not required to test their safety. The only way to be assured a product will not contain harmful compounds is that it be certified organic, and better yet, certified organic to food standards. Infants and children are extremely vulnerable to the harmful effects of these chemicals because their brains and organs are still growing and developing. You need to know how certain ingredients cause harm, how to read labels to avoid toxins and how to find acceptable substitutes.
MAJOR TOXINS
•PHTHLATES: Phthlates are known to disrupt the endocrine and reproductive systems, especially in young boys and it is suspected that the increase in male infertility is directly related to exposure to phthalates.
Phthalates have been in the news a lot lately but did you know that they are present in most baby care products such as lotions and shampoos? Europe and Canada are taking action, but the US is still dawdling and allowing the FDA to try and convince us they are safe. They aren't. Although the California law will ban 6 types of phthalates in bottles and toys, phthalates in other products such as bath and skin care products have not been addressed, As there is no requirement to fully disclose ingredients on the label, there is no way to determine if they are phthlate free UNLESS you buy certified organic products.
A recent study from the University of Washington determined that children weren't just being exposed through bottles, formula and chew toys, but were absorbing phthalates through their skin when products were applied. Researches checked the urine of 163 infants aged 2 to 28 months. More than 80 percent of these children had 7 or more types of phthalates in their urine. The more a baby was bathed, the more lotions used, the more phthalates were detected. Baby shampoo had been used on more than half the infants within 24 hours of the urine tests. Fourteen percent of the babies had had powder applied and over 30% had lotions applied. These babies had FOUR times the level of phthalates in their urine than those babies whose parents had used no products on them.
The industry counters this study by stating the only phthalate used in baby products is DEP which they claim has been proven safe, so how could 7 or more different types be found? Yes, babies and children are exposed via many routes, but the fact remains that all phthalates were dramatically increased in babies whose parents had done nothing differently other than use shampoos, lotions and powders. This strongly indicates the increased phthalates came from these products. Remember, full ingredient disclosure isn't required, so we don't know exactly what the manufacturer is putting in these products.
•CARCINOGENS or cancer causing agents: "Though its review of 23 peer-reviewed studies of cancer incidence from the past 50 years, EPA has determined that infants up to age two are, on average, ten times more vulnerable to carcinogenic chemicals than adults, and for some cancer-causing agents are up to 65 times more vulnerable. The Agency also found that children from age two to 15 are three times more vulnerable to carcinogens than adults. By incorporating these factors, the new risk assessment methods show that children accumulate up to 50% of their lifetime cancer risk by their second birthday." http://www.ewg.org/node/8683, April 2, 2008. Here are just a few ingredients known or suspected to cause cancer: Alkyl-phenol-ethoxylades, Ammonium laureth sulphate, Benzene, Cocamide (and cocomide)DEA, FDC- (FD&C) Colors, Glycols - Propylene glycol, Diethylene glycol, carbitol, Ethylene glycol.
•FRAGRANCES: "Fragrance" can contain up to 4000 separate ingredients, almost all of them synthetic. Synthetic fragrances cause headaches, dizziness, rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting, asthma and allergic skin reactions. They also affect the central nervous system causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, and other behavioral changes.
•1,4 DIOXANE: Companies use ethylene oxide to make harsh, petroleum based ingredients gentler. A byproduct of this ethylation is the production of 1,4 Dioxane, a known carcinogen and suspected to cause kidney damage. Recently several supposedly "green" companies were exposed because their products contained this chemical which is direct proof of the presence of petroleum based chemicals. Again, you will not find this listed in the ingredients, especially because it is a byproduct and not part of the formula. If you see any of these ingredients listed on the bottle, stay far away from it: myreth, oleth, laureth, ceteareth, any other "eth," or PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, or oxynol
•MINERAL OIL: Would you put gasoline on your child? According to Environmental Working Group, 40% of all baby lotions and oils contain petroleum, a non-renewable hydrocarbon made from crude oil. This oil coats your baby's skin in a non-breathable toxic film. According to Australia's National Occupational Health and Safety Commissions (NOHSC), "Prolonged contact with mineral oil has the associated risk of developing skin conditions such as oil folliculitis, eczematous dermatitis, melanosis of the face and plantar warts." Petroleum also disrupts hormones and diminishes the skin's ability to detoxify. It is the 2nd most likely cause of premature skin aging following excessive sun exposure. Mineral oil based sunscreens are now being implicated in promoting skin, colon and breast cancer and in fact, are found in most breast cancer tissue. Petroleum is a known carcinogen, known to adversely effect health, yet still approved as safe by the FDA.
•SODIUM LAUREL SULFATES(SLS)/SODIUM LAURETH SULFATES(SLES): These ingredients are used to make shampoos, soaps, toothpaste etc sudsy. According to the Journal of American College of Toxicology (Vol. 2, No. 7, 1983), SLS can damage the immune system; cause separation of skin layers and inflammation of the skin. The American College of Toxicology states that SLS/SLES can cause malformation of a baby's eyes. These chemicals are absorbed easily through the skin and wind up in the heart, liver, lungs and brain.
•PARABENS: Are often used as a preservative in everything from food to shampoo to baby wipes. Even at very low doses, parabens are known to cause reproductive damage and systemic organ toxicity.
•"NATURAL": This term is not regulated and no guarantee of safety. Most products labeled "natural" contain at least one of the above ingredients and have petroleum chemicals in them.
HOW TO REDUCE YOUR CHILD`S TOXIC LOAD:
•READ LABELS: Carry a list of the above ingredients with you when you go shopping.
•KEEP IT SIMPLE: Before a baby becomes mobile, warm water and a washcloth is usually all you need.
•CHOOSE CERTIFIED ORGANIC: When you do use products, choose products that are certified organic. You can be assured that these products contain nothing but pure, truly natural, non-toxic ingredients that are safe for your baby, your family and the environment. Miessence Baby is an excellent example of a product line certified organic to food standards. (A review of some of the Miessence Baby products will be forthcoming in another article).
Remember, the skin is the largest organ in the body and readily absorbs almost anything placed on it. The above ingredients are just some of the major toxins. There are many more. Assure your children's future health by protecting them now. If you can't pronounce the ingredients or have no idea what something is, if the label reads like a chemistry textbook instead of a garden, don't buy it. Know what you are putting on your baby's (and your own) skin.
How to Build Your Financial Safety Net
In betrayal of 99% of the American taxpayers who opposed the pork-packed financial bailout bill of 2008, Congress passed the bill on Friday, October 3. President Bush signed it into law within minutes, and King Henry (Henry Paulson, Treasury Secretary) went right to work using taxpayer dollars to start buying up bad banking debt that nobody else would touch.
Three days later, in response to the bailout plan, the stock market plummeted and financial institutions around the world were rocked in a dangerous credit crisis that brought the world "to the edge of the abyss," as one prominent mainstream news journalist stated.
Although I strongly disagree with the use of taxpayer dollars to bail out rich, elite bankers who lost money making risky bets on outlandish financial instruments, I'll leave that for another editorial. Today, I'm here to offer you strategies on how to make the most of the post-financial bailout economy and build your own financial safety net, even if things get worse in the global economy.
Here, I'll share down-to-earth strategies on what you can do -- starting right now -- to protect your savings and actually grow your income, despite tough economic times.
To really understand why these strategies are so powerful in building your financial safety net, you'll first need to acknowledge the two greatest risks now facing the U.S. financial system in the post-bailout era:
Risk #1: Hyperinflation
Every time the Fed creates more money to bail out another financial institution, it expands the money supply, diluting the value of any dollars you already hold. As more financial institutions fail (or corporations and even U.S. states), the Fed will likely be forced to create hundreds of billions of dollars in more money, sapping the spending power of your dollars and leading us into accelerated inflation. (I'll show you how to insulate yourself from that risk in this special report.)
Risk #2: Sell off of U.S. debt
The other big risk is that international investors (central banks of other nations, primarily), will now see the U.S. as a hopeless debtor nation, and they will either stop buying U.S. debt, or they might even start selling off the U.S. debt they already hold.
On September 30, 2008, the U.S. debt reached an astonishing $10 trillion. It's going up by $500 billion a year, and that's even before considering the cost of the financial bailout. As of April, 2008, Japan held nearly $600 billion of U.S. debt, China held over $500 billion, and the U.K. held $250 billion. See the statistics for yourself at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sta...
The risk is that Japan and China, in particular, could start selling off U.S. debt. If that occurred, it would make it more difficult for the U.S. to sell new debt. Specifically, the U.S. would either have to 1) Offer to pay higher interest rates to new debt buyers, or 2) Print more of its own money to cover expenditures or buy back its own debt, causing more inflation (see Risk #1, above).
Those are the two risks that could seriously threaten you if you don't build a financial safety net first. They both really boil down to losing the value of the money you're earning or saving. For example, your paycheck might stay the same each week, but you'll find that you can buy fewer and fewer things with that paycheck (because the money is worth less).
So how do you build your financial safety net before global financial chaos threatens your economic livelihood? That's what this special report reveals.
This report is easily worth $39, $79 or a lot more. I could have offered it for sale on the website and probably earned at least five figures selling it. But I've decided to make it available at no charge because of the extreme risk of financial harm now facing NaturalNews readers due to the crooks in Washington, at the Federal Reserve, and the legislators on Congress who have betrayed the American people. I do not want to see any harm come to NaturalNews readers, and I want to get this into the hands of as many people as possible.
Click here to read more
As the biotech giants seek to control and monopolize the food chain, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find foods that have not been genetically modified, especially here in the US. Billions in profits are being generated through GMOs, and we are already aware of some short-term health concerns. The long-term effects of GMOs are not known yet, simply because they have not been in use long enough yet to do sufficient studies. However, we do know that the nutritional components of many modified foods are severely compromised.
Today's post gives several practical tips on how to secure food that is free from genetic tampering. As with all wellness issues, it will take a bit more effort and perhaps more money as well (although convenience foods and GMO-laced products are expensive too) to eat this way, but the rewards are well worth it. As they say, staying well is much cheaper (in numerous ways) than getting well.
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Dangerous Chemicals in Food
Did you know that some of the foods we are ingesting are actually harmful to us? Lots of food we eat are loaded with potentially harmful chemical additives, preservatives and other dangerous substances.
A good rule of thumb to follow is that if you have to eat anything with these food additives in them, make sure you do so in moderation.
BHA and BHT
BHA and BHT stands for Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). These are food additives that are used as a preservative to keep food from spoilage. BHA and BHT can be found in butter, meats, chewing gum, snack foods, dehydrated potatoes, and even beer. These additives are approved by the FDA as safe for human consumption. However, they are proven carcinogens. There is proof that some people have difficulty metabolizing BHA and this can result in health and behavioral changes.
Saccharin
Sweet n Low is a common brand name of saccharin. It is a sugar substitute. Its purpose is to give a no-calorie substitute for sugar. The problem is that it is proven to cause cancer of the bladder, uterus, and even cancer of the blood vessels.
Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate
This food additive is commonly used in hotdogs and cold-cuts to preserve their color and flavor. They are also used to prevent botulism, which is a fatal disease that comes from food.
The problem with sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate is they are known to cause cancer. They cause nitrosamines to form in our intestines, and that are definitely a culprit for cancer.
Acesulfamfe-K
Acesulfame-K, much like saccharin, is a sugar substitute. It is commonly used in chewing gum, gelatin dessert, baked goods, and soft drinks. It may also cause cancer, as it has been found in laboratory studies with rats. Acesulfame-K breaks down into acetoacetamide, which causes thyroid problems in rats, rabbits and dogs.
Olestra
Olestra is a fat substitute that makes fattening foods fat-free. It is not absorbed by the body so it causes digestion problems, such as diarrhea and loose stools. It hinders the body’s ability to absorb beneficial nutrients as well.
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Do Cell Phones Harm Brains?
There’s been a great deal of talk lately about cell phone use, and increasingly people tell you they want a few basic rules to stop cell phone invasion that comes from loud conversations in quiet spaces.
But what about harmful effects that cells phones bring to the brain? Today’s Scientific American questions whether cancer fears from cell phone use, are fact of fiction? Listen to Dr. Olsen’s findings on prenatal concerns here. What do you think?
Scientists remain undecided about safety guarantees from mobiles, which is why they advise using an ear piece and speakerphone.
According to researcher Jorn Olsen at UCLA cell phones do not send enough radiation to alter or damage DNA, and for this reason do not tend to lead toward cancer.
Not surprisingly, long-term cell phone use seems to create greater problems, while short term exposure appears to hold less danger, according to most recent studies out there. UK researcher, Laurie Challis pointed out that of the 29,000 men and 38,000 women yearly who develop brain cancer people in industrial nations are twice as likely to develop brain cancer as those in developing countries. The jury is still out on why this is so.
Studies are currently being carried out in several countries on this topic, and yet research so far still shows conflicting conclusions. To complicate the findings further, plenty of anecdotal stories seem support both sides of the debate.
However since scientists cannot rule out harmful risks, some people are playing it safe to avoid increasing brain cancer risks. Which side of the debate are you on? Fact or fiction?
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I hope they'll be ok.
Two men shot at mall near Seattle
CNN) -- Two men were in serious condition Saturday evening after shootings at a shopping center in Tukwila, Washington, authorities said.
The men who were shot were taken from the Westfield Southcenter on stretchers and placed in ambulances.
The men who were shot were taken from the Westfield Southcenter on stretchers and placed in ambulances.
Two other people were taken to hospitals with minor conditions resulting from an evacuation of the center.
Authorities said they had one good witness. The mall southeast of Seattle was closed while police search for the shooter.
The men who were shot, believed to be in their 20s, were taken from the Westfield Southcenter on stretchers and placed in ambulances.
"They were close to each other when they were shot," said a spokesman at the scene.
Chris Plummer, who was visiting from Pennsylvania, told CNN affiliate KIRO that he was standing next to the shooter when the man began shooting.
Don't Miss
* KIRO: Witness says shooter was in fight
Plummer told KIRO that there was a fight between a group of 18- to 20-year-olds and that one of them pulled out a gun and started shooting.
A woman who appeared to be to be going into labor and a man who suffered a neck injury during the evacuation also were taken to a hospital, the spokesman said.
Shoppers described a scene of chaos as people rushed for the exits.
"They grabbed their kids and ran out of there," a store manager said.
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