by Ingrid Justick:

Vol. 27, No. 5

Make a difference this Holiday Season with presents that bring joy to friends and family and our planet. Sharing gifts with others is a wonderful way to celebrate the abundance and joy of the season. It is also a great way to support the causes you care about and earth-friendly companies you respect.

Give green gifts, such as organic cotton sweaters and locally produced food baskets. Handmade gifts are the most cherished. As an alternative, gifts of service, like car washing, dog walking or babysitting have no negative environmental impacts, and are of personal significance. Rather then asking friends or family members what they want, ask what they like to do. Give tickets to concerts, shows, or sporting events. Planting a tree in someone’s name is very special. When shopping for gifts, lighten your impact on the environment, and create more cheer by carpooling with friends. If you take the time to select eco-friendly gifts, please do not use generic wrapping paper. When using recycled paper you reduce forestry, water, energy, and global warming impacts.

Entertain with real plates, cups, silverware and napkins instead of disposable goods. Plan a holiday party with an eco-friendly theme. Make homemade gifts from recycled items, such as fabrics or old photos. Or, host a “good use” party at which you collect old winter clothing for your local homeless shelter.

Decorating: Buy holiday lights made with LED’s (Light Emitting Diodes) available from hardware stores. The bulbs are 90% more efficient than traditional lights, use only 5% of the energy, and last up to 100 times longer. Rather then filling the house with store purchased ornaments, which are easily broken and are destined for landfills, make your own decorations. Create wreaths and centerpieces from biodegradable pine cones, pomegranates, cinnamon sticks, or dried fruit. For your front door, purchase a biodegradable wreath from birdseed, and string popcorn and cranberries into garland for your tree instead of tinsel, which takes years to decompose.

Recycle fresh Christmas trees. While you need not feel guilty about purchasing a cut tree (almost all are grown on tree farms and have no impact on forests), used Christmas trees create significant landfill waste. To find out where your tree can become mulch for local gardens or parks, log on to www.earth911.org and enter your zip code.

And most important, is the gift of togetherness:

Take a night off from the season’s obligations, gather your friends or family and become aware of all the blessings in your lives.

by Ingrid Justick:

Vol. 27, No. 4

Finding ways to maximize your wintertime energy savings is the most effective way to reduce your home’s global warming footprint. Many winterizing fixes are simple strategies that require minimal cost, with a high return on savings.

Plug Air Leaks: If one fourth of U.S. households sealed leaks around their doors and windows, it would save enough energy in heating and cooling costs to prevent eight million tons of CO2 from being emitted, according to the EPA. One technique to identify leaks is by walking with a lit candle near potential draft-causers, such as windows, doorways, vents and electrical outlets. When the candle flame starts to flutter, you found a leak. Also look for dirty or frosty spots in insulation, which indicate leaks. Use caulk to fill small gaps, and use weather stripping for larger gaps. Conventional caulk often contains formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, as a preservative. Find nontoxic caulk at your local hardware store, or at Green Building Supply (800-405-0222).

Upgrade Your Insulation: Installing more insulation will help you reach your efficiency goals. Your local home supply store can tell you the recommended “R” value of insulation you need, based on where you live. (R-values are measurements of how well insulation keeps heat from passing through.) Insulating your attic properly is most important. Use natural fiber insulation that contains no chemical irritants. To add to your energy efficiency, seal and insulate your ducts with duct sealant or metal-backed tape focusing on ducts that move through attics, basements and garages. Homes with central air can lose up to 60 percent of heated air if ducts are not properly insulated. In many cases, air leaks can be hidden away in places hard to find. Hiring an energy efficiency auditor associated with the EPA’s Home Performance program can help you identify energy inefficiencies. Local utility companies sometimes provide energy audits for free.

Check Your Windows: If your windows feel drafty, there are several inexpensive ways to seal them. Add storm windows to provide additional draft protection. Close your curtains or shades at nighttime; it can reduce heat loss by 30 percent. Install a programmable thermostat. Energy Star recommends a temperature of 70 degrees or less when you are at home. Set the temperature back by eight degrees at night when you are sleeping. To save more energy, install zone heating. You heat highly used zones in your house instead of the whole house.

Clean Your Filters: Check your air filters monthly. Dirty filters prevent efficient airflow; therefore you are using more energy for less heat because the system has to work harder.

Humidify: Humid air feels warmer than dry air at the same temperature. So when you use a humidifier, the heat index of a room increases, allowing you to set your thermostat at a lower temperature.

Some of the simplest measures can also be the most satisfying way to warm our homes and hearts, when we know we are taking steps toward a more sustainable future.