Inexpensive Way to Heat Your Pool!

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Joyce Benson    |    Add a Comment
Tag(s): Energy, Money Saving, The Great Green Outdoors, Water

Aaahhh, the power of the sun!

An industrious homeowner recently posted his work on a do-it-yourself project to heat his pool.  Basically, he mounted a regular garden hose to a 4×8′ sheet of plywood, painted it all matte black and wrapped it in bubblewrap.  It sits in the sun and heats up while a cheap pump attached to the hose circulates water through it to the pool.  Here’s the video.

Learn more about solar pool heating systems in my earlier post.

Win $500 during National Public Gardens Day!

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Joyce Benson    |    Add a Comment
Tag(s): Events, For Kids, The Great Green Outdoors

Take the day off work, get out and enjoy nature!  Tomorrow, May 11, many arboretums across the country are open to the public with no admission fee!  Plus, you could win $500 with a photo you take while visiting one of America’s great gardens!

Not only will the fresh air and beautiful garden designs inspire you, but you can learn about (and apply to your own gardens):

• Native plants that thrive in your area with little maintenance
• Water conservation and rainwater harvesting (rainbarrels, raingardens, efficient drip irrigation systems, etc.)
• Landscape design techniques
• Plant sales at the gardens where you can get professional advice

This event takes place every year on the Friday before Mother’s Day, so grab Mom and check out the list of participating gardens near you!  Then download a voucher for free admission here.

Learn more about the photo contest here.

Above, is my photo taken at the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, PA.

Tornado – Proof Construction

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Joyce Benson    |    Add a Comment
Tag(s): Green Building, Greening the Home, The Great Green Outdoors

In recent months, many parts of the United States have been hit by devastating tornadoes.  News programs show footage of homes and buildings destroyed by high winds and flying debris.  Some of the numerous casualties could be prevented if we built stronger, safer buildings.

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First Buildings, Now Landscapes becoming Certified Sustainable

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Joyce Benson    |    1 Comment
Tag(s): Green Design, The Great Green Outdoors

For years the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has been certifying buildings under its highly esteemed Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) rating program.  It’s about time our landscapes, with or without buildings, are recognized when outstanding environmentally-sound designs are implemented.

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Manure Converted to Clean Energy?!

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Joyce Benson    |    1 Comment
Tag(s): Food, Going Green, The Great Green Outdoors

It’s true!   North Carolina is not only known for its Carolina blue skies, but also for its humongous hog farms.  Typically all the waste produced by thousands and thousands of hogs fills stinky lagoons, and sometimes overflows onto the surrounding landscape.

The hog waste produces methane and ammonia which, thanks to Duke University, Duke Energy and Google, is now being converted to electricity and fertilizer in Yadkinville.  A new cleaner, innovative waste-to-energy system is in place which improves air quality, not only for the farm’s neighbors, but also for the hogs, whose mortality rates will now be lower (at least until slaughter).

According to the Los Angeles Times, “The digester captures methane equivalent to 5,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year and produces enough electricity to power 35 homes a year.”

Currently, methane “digesters” on farms across the U.S. produced 435 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is enough to power 25,000 homes for a year.  Let’s get the rest of the factory farms to clean up their messes with this technology!

Read more at the SFGate

Photo of hog farm waste being pumped into the lagoon courtesy of VeggieRevolution.blogspot.com

Reclaimed Lumber for Home Improvement Projects

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Joyce Benson    |    3 Comments
Tag(s): Conserving Resources, Greening the Home, Reclaimed Materials

Whether you need wood for flooring, millwork, furniture, fireplace mantels or exposed beams, you can add instant character to your home by installing reclaimed and restored lumber.  These antique pieces of wood, some species no longer available, are very strong and stable.  This wood is typically sourced from historic buildings, barns, factories and mills.

We can conserve our precious natural resources by utilizing reclaimed wood and reducing our demand for newly milled wood products.

You’ll find rich Chestnut, Heart Pine, Rock Elm, Oak, Hickory, Heart Cypress and other hardwoods that’ll transform your living spaces into extraordinary rooms.

To maintain the earth-friendly quality of the wood, have it finished with low-VOC or no-VOC (harmful volatile organic compounds) products.  It’ll also keep your indoor air quality clean.

The following companies offer reclaimed wood products, some re-milled and ready-to-go.  I’ve included the state the company originates from, but most service other areas as well.

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Improve the Efficiency of Radiators

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Joyce Benson    |    2 Comments
Tag(s): Energy, Greening the Home, Money Saving

If you’re lucky enough to have hot water radiators, the most comfortable and least allergen-producing heating system, you may be wondering how to increase their efficiency this winter.  Here are some tips to help save money on your heating bills:

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Warm up Your Home with these Green Winter Tips, Part I

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Joyce Benson    |    2 Comments
Tag(s): Energy, Greening the Home, Money Saving

Want to create a cozy retreat for those cold, wintry days and nights?  There are many things you can do to make your home feel warmer, improve its efficiency and lower energy bills.  In this post I’ll focus on ideas for drafty windows and doors.

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Need a Hot Flame in your Life? Eco-friendly Fireplace Logs

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Joyce Benson    |    Add a Comment
Tag(s): Energy

Who doesn’t love a crackling fire on a chilly night?  If you’re tired of chopping wood and lugging it into the house when needed, firelogs may be a better choice for you.  Besides making your fireplace more efficient this winter, as I’ve written about in a previous post, you can heat up your nights in front of the fireplace with a cleaner alternative than cord wood.

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Easy, Green New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Joyce Benson    |    1 Comment
Tag(s): Going Green

It’s actually pretty simple to live more simply.  Help yourself and the planet at the same time with a few easy changes to your daily life.  Here’s my list of top 5 things anyone can do to lead a greener lifestyle all year long:

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