Blogs - Green Home

‘Cash for Caulkers’: The Details

By DAVID LEONHARDT At a meeting of President Obama’s board of outside economic advisers two weeks ago, the venture capitalist John Doerr said the following: In the very near term, the way we can generate the most jobs, we believe, is through home retrofits…. The way I like to put it is, Cash for Clunkers mobilized all of America’s car dealerships… Continue

Added by Green Home on November 19, 2009 at 1:32pm — No Comments

Green Your Electricity: Conduct a Home Energy Audit

Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada This is the first article in a four-part series on how to green your electricity. We will give you practical tips to help improve your environmental footprint, as well as your monthly energy bills. Your house might even become more comfortable in the process. Most of the things we own have two kinds of impacts on the environment. The first has to do with how they are made and shipped to us. The second impact, and this is the theme of this series, has to… Continue

Added by Lisa on November 18, 2009 at 12:33pm — No Comments

A Veteran's thoughts on Veteran's Day (758 words)

Sent to me today by a good friend & true patriot. I am a combat veteran. It is all I ever aspired to be. I never cared about rank or medals; my modus operandi was to answer if my country called, though there were caveats. This missive addresses some of those caveats and what this warrior thinks America should do to REALLY honor veterans – regardless of their combat status. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are lost. They were lost before they commenced – along with the incalculable goodwill… Continue

Added by Green Home on November 11, 2009 at 3:30pm — No Comments

Garbage Bag Airflow Test

Garbage Bag Airflow Test There are times when you need to know the airflow from your furnace registers, bathroom exhaust fan or clothes dryer exhaust. For example, if a house has one cold room in the winter, it is useful to find out if this is because your furnace isn't supplying enough warm air. If you installed a new bathroom exhaust fan, you could use the test to see if it is working properly. This fact sheet tells you how to do the CMHC Garbage Bag Airflow Test. The Test is a quick way to… Continue

Added by Green Home on November 9, 2009 at 6:12pm — No Comments

5 Green Improvements That Will Add Value to Your Home

Get the most bang for your buck with green home improvements By Collin Dunn Corvallis, OR, USA | Wed Oct 28 11:23:00 GMT 2009 When you own a house, there may seem like a never-ending list of things you want to improve, whether cosmetic -- like finally replacing peeling wallpaper or adding a splash of color with new paint -- or more functional, as with more insulation in the attic, or a more efficient heating system. But in a down housing market, in an economy that's made money a bit tighter fo… Continue

Added by Lisa on November 5, 2009 at 11:00am — No Comments

Air Sealing Means Owning Your Heat.

You've got a great house. But chances are it's riddled with holes, gaps and leaks. Some lead to the outside, providing neat little doggy-doors for ladybugs, flies, and cold (or warm) air. Some lead to the upper-reaches of your house – providing opportunities for warm, moist air to travel from the basement to the attic, where the moisture collects, crea… Continue

Added by Green Home on November 4, 2009 at 4:07pm — No Comments

Zero Cost Energy Saving Tips

You don't have to be an an extreme environmentalist to feel the affects of saving energy. Saving energy also saves water. How? It takes 25 gallons of water to produce 1 kWh of energy from a coal fired plant.

Use these tips to start saving energy for free! 1. HVAC thermostat setting – 68 Winter, 78 Summer 2. Water Heater set at 120 degrees 3. Set refrigerator/freezer t

… Continue

Added by Green Home on October 26, 2009 at 6:30pm — No Comments

U.S. Energy Consumption Could Be Reduced 23 Percent by 2020

A new research report says making energy efficiency a priority could prevent 1.1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the next 10 years. September 9, 2009 From EERE Network News The United States could reduce non-transportation energy consumption by 23 percent by 2020 by adopting energy efficiency technologies, according to a recent research report from McKinsey & Company. The report notes that an estimated $520 billion up-front investment (not including program costs) would eli… Continue

Added by Lisa on October 26, 2009 at 10:03am — No Comments

Understanding Passive Solar Heating and Cooling

Learn what it takes to create a comfortable building environment with less reliance on fossil fuels (and lower energy bills). April 16, 2008 By Troy Griepentrog Being passive isn’t always a bad thing, especially when it’s passive solar heating and cooling. The idea behind passive solar is to design buildings that take advantage of natural heat from the sun in winter; and shade and wind and in the summer. Although the concept has been used in many cultures for centuries, passive solar design p… Continue

Added by Lisa on October 25, 2009 at 3:16pm — No Comments

Scott Blake Harris, General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Energy

This week's Supernova Network Age Briefing will feature Scott Blake Harris, General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Energy. This is a chance to ask questions first-hand about topics as far ranging as current "Smart Grid" efforts, how technology is changing our thinking about carbon sequestration and nuclear energy, and how cybersecurity intersects with our country's energy policy. About our guest: Scott Blake Harris is the General Counsel of the Department of Energy. He was nominated for the p… Continue

Added by Amy Domestico on October 22, 2009 at 8:12pm — No Comments

Help us find a cure

The Wii Mommies would like to extend their welcome to Dr.Kristi Funk, a board-certified surgical breast specialist and an expert in minimally-invasive diagnostic and treatment methods for all types of breast disease. Dr. Funk will be on today to talk about the importance of early detection and breast cancer screening as well as share with our listeners why she believes the "Save Lids to Save Lives" campaign from Yoplait is making a difference in the fight against breast cancer.… Continue

Added by Amy Domestico on October 22, 2009 at 8:07pm — No Comments

DOE Helps Greensburg, Kan., Rebuild and Tap Wind Power

The U.S. Department of Energy's work with the city of Greensburg, Kan., over the past year is bearing fruit, as the city is now rebuilding with a new emphasis on energy-efficient buildings and renewable energy, particularly wind energy. Greensburg was devastated by a tornado on May 4, 2007, after which the city announced its plans to rebuild as a model of sustainability. When Greensburg contacted DOE for assistance, the agency sent a team of experts from its National Renewable Energy Laboratory… Continue

Added by Lisa on October 21, 2009 at 2:12pm — No Comments

White House pushes for weatherization of homes

By Renee Schoof McClatchy Newspapers Posted: Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 WASHINGTON The White House will release a plan today that is intended to remove some of the obstacles that prevent middle-class Americans from getting energy audits and making their homes more energy-efficient. America's nearly 130 million homes generate about 20 percent of the nation's emissions of carbon dioxide, the principal heat-trapping gas, says a report being released today by the White House Council on Environmental Qu… Continue

Added by Green Home on October 20, 2009 at 8:00am — No Comments

‘The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind’ – What is future of wind energy projects in N.C.?

By Frank H. Sheffield, Jr., Ward and Smith, P.A. Editor's Note: Frank H. Sheffield, Jr. is a member of the Environmental, Litigation, Real Estate Development, and Zoning and Land Use Practice Groups at Ward and Smith, P.A.By Frank H. Sheffield, Jr., Ward and Smith, P.A. A recent study on wind energy conducted by researchers at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ("UNC Study") concluded that North Carolina "is well-positioned to develop utility scale wind energy production." Studies… Continue

Added by Lisa on October 19, 2009 at 10:29am — No Comments

More Homes Receiving the Energy Star Label

The energy-efficiency program certified 17 percent of new homes built in the United States last year. More than 100,000 Energy Star-certified homes were built in the United States in 2008. The nation’s now 940,000 Energy Star-certified homes save more than $250 million on utility bills annually. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported last w… Continue

Added by Lisa on October 18, 2009 at 9:26pm — No Comments

Is "green" is the next bubble?

Thought was an interesting point of view...love to hear everyone's thoughts..... We're tired of bubbles, right? Anyone 30 or older has lived through two big ones so far, with a brief period of prosperity separating the decimation of dot-com largesse and mortgage-fueled paper wealth. It could take until 2014 for the jobs lost to be replenished, and there's little reason for optimism.

So, w… Continue

Added by Green Home on October 8, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

How Safe is Coal Ash? 130 Million Tons of Waste....

60 Minutes Investigates a Potentially Harmful Waste Byproduct that Inundated a Tenn. Town

(CBS) We burn so much coal in this country for electricity that every year that process generates 130 million tons of waste. Most of it is coal ash, and it contains some nasty stuff. Environmental scientists tell us that the concentrations of mercury, arsenic, lead and other toxic meta… Continue

Added by Green Home on October 5, 2009 at 6:02pm — No Comments

10 Green Myths Debunked

We reveal the truth behind the hype, plus how much money you may be wasting by buying into it. If you’re like most consumers, you’re more than happy to buy green -- as long as it also saves greenbacks. A recent study by the Shelton Group found that consumers who purchase eco-friendly products at least occasionally are more interested in spending their money wisely than in improving the environment. To that end, here are ten oft-cited green myths and the truth behind them -- plus how much money… Continue

Added by Green Home on October 5, 2009 at 8:00am — No Comments

Lake Wylie Riversweep!

Mark your calendars and come help clean up our river!

Green Home is a proud sponsor of the Catawba River Keepers organization and will giving away a comprehensive home energy audit valued at $300 on the day of the Riversweep. For the 8th year in a row, our Lake Wylie Covekeepers (volunteers) are organizing the Lake Wylie Riversweep. Our river needs us more than ever! As development continues to gr… Continue

Added by Green Home on September 28, 2009 at 1:47pm — No Comments

New law: They don't take plastic

Starting this Thursday, N.C. is outlawing plastic bottles in landfills. But recycling rangers likely won't bust you. By Lynn Bonner lynn.bonner@newsobserver.com

Public service announcements, fliers, and corporate-gift cards are all aimed at getting N.C. households to comply with a state law kicking in Thurs… Continue

Added by Green Home on September 28, 2009 at 1:01pm — 1 Comment

< Previous Post

All Blog Posts (125)