Column: "Cheap and Lazy" Shopping

I'm cheap and lazy when it comes to buying gifts. I hope you are, too.

Okay, maybe “cheap” is too strong a word. “Frugal,” perhaps. But I like to save money, and I look for useful gifts that people will appreciate. I hate wasting money on stuff people don't need or want.

And maybe instead of “lazy” I should promote myself as “efficient.” If I can save time shopping, I'm all for it.

Whatever you call it, it's a green way to shop. So here are my recommendations for the “frugal and efficient” (aka “cheap and lazy”) shopper:

1. Give gift certificates to your favorite local shops, restaurants and businesses. These are always appreciated if you choose interesting ones. You've never wasted your money—at the very least you've supported a place you want to keep in business!

2. Browse online and call ahead. In an afternoon, you can visit dozens of stores online without spending a dime on gas. If you come across a small, locally-owned store that looks interesting, give them a call. They can often recommend the perfect gift or refer you to another store that carries what you're looking for.

3. “Wrap” your gifts in reusable bags. Everyone likes to unwrap gifts, but who likes to get stuck with a bunch of garbage? Reusable gift wrap bags are easier and greener than wrapping paper. Drop in a short note with your present, pull the drawstring closed, and you're done!

4. Choose carefully. Pick just one gift per person, but make it special. If you can't find the perfect gift in a store, send something you can't buy: a note and a promise to spend time with the person you love. Or, if you do find the perfect gift but can't afford it, go in with others to share the cost.

5. Shop all year long. Keep an eye out for things you would want to give, and jot them down. A short shopping excursion on a lazy summer afternoon is a lot more fun than a holiday shopping marathon among the mob at the mall. Give yourself time to think; you'll find better deals and more meaningful gifts.

If you put a little thought into it, being “cheap and lazy” is a great way to avoid mindless consumerism and give green gifts people will really appreciate.

Column: Eight Ways to Save

Everyone wants to save money this year, which is good news for the planet. Here’s how you can save $600 in one year — just by being green!

1. Turn off the lights and unplug appliances. A little diligence will shave 15 cents a day off your electricity bill. For the year, save $50.
   
   
2. Keep your car tires inflated properly. For every 10˚ Fahrenheit the temperature drops, your tires lose about seven kilopascals. Add air in cold weather; bleed air in hot weather. Save $60.
   
   
3. Air dry your laundry. Drying a load of laundry requires about 14 megajoules of energy (60 cents worth of electricity). It’s free when you hang it to air dry. Save $75.
   
   
4. Compost kitchen scraps. Instead of paying to throw away your kitchen waste, create your own organic fertilizing compost. Save $20.
   
   
5. Set back your thermostat. Turn down the heat at night and when you leave the house — or better yet, invest in a programmable thermostat. Save $180.
   
   
6. Wash clothes in cold water. Washing in cold water saves more than replacing your washing machine. Heating hot water requires 24 megajoules of energy per load in an older machine, or 12 MJ in a new high-efficiency machine. But it’s zero MJ for cold water in either one. Save $100.
   
   
7. Install a low-flow shower head. Older shower heads use up to 10 gallons per minute. A 3.5 gpm efficiency standard was set in 1980 and raised to 2.5 gpm in 1994. A new 1.75 gpm fixture could save up to – liters of warm water per shower. Save $50.
   
   
8. Carpool, bicycle or walk. The IRS figures that gas, depreciation, insurance, etc. to drive a car one mile adds up to 50.5 cents. Once a week, skip a short trip by car. Save $65.

It’s a good feeling to save money. But it’s an even better feeling to save what money can’t buy.

As I save money being green, I imagine mountains standing intact, not mined for coal; streams running clear, not clouded with uranium tailings; air safe to breathe, not fouled by incinerators; and wilderness still unspoiled, not sacrificed for roads, wellheads and pipelines. So for our planet’s sake, start saving!

For more green ideas for saving money, and detailed calculations, visit www.FWHorch.com/gogreen.

Column: Solar in Action

Don’t miss the National Solar Home Tour on Saturday, Oct. 4. It’s your chance to see the latest developments in solar technology, up close and personal in your own community. From 9 am to 5 pm, you can visit one of six tours organized by the Maine Solar Energy Association. Homeowners will welcome you into their homes, show off their systems and answer your questions.

In my last column, I discussed solar space heaters, solar hot water systems, and photovoltaic (electricity generating) systems. On the solar tour you’ll have the opportunity to see each of these in action, and learn first-hand how well these technologies work in Maine’s climate. Find out which could be right for you.

As a vendor at Common Ground Fair (speaking of which, kudos to the MOFGA staff and volunteers for a great event!), we had the privilege of talking with hundreds of people about ways to reduce their energy bills.

Two products generated the most excitement. The first was our sturdy Maine drying rack, made from extra thick birch dowels and white pine. Its unique design allows you to dry a full load of laundry — without using any electricity or gas. The second was the SolarSheat space heater. For less than $2,000, you can pump heat into your home or workspace with no fuel costs.

Dudley Greeley, the sustainability coordinator at the University of Southern Maine, dropped by our booth. He’s been helping friends and acquaintances install solar space heaters for years, so it was great to get his perspective. Like me, he’s a big proponent of the technology. On a sunny, crisp, cold winter day in Maine, he says it’s not uncommon for a solar space heater to raise the indoor temperature to 75˚.

Imagine coming home from work to a toasty warm space — with absolutely no guilt because it’s all thanks to FREE solar energy.

Our current financial crisis demonstrates the importance of making prudent investments. Solar space heaters represent one of the best investments available in a heating system. They are clean, safe and dependable. What better deal can you find than getting free heat on every sunny winter day for decades?

But don’t just take my word for it. Take the solar home tour and experience solar energy in action for yourself.

For more information, visit www.FWHorch.com/gogreen.

Fred Horch is the founder of F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies in Brunswick, providing practical products and trustworthy advice for sustainable living. Online at www.FWHorch.com.

Column: Invest in Your House

It’s time for Mainers to start panicking about heat this winter.

As you may have noticed, heating oil is ridiculously expensive and seasoned wood is nearly impossible to find. You may be tempted to buy a new high efficiency oil boiler, put in a wood pellet stove, drill a geothermal well or switch to propane, kerosene or natural gas. My advice: don’t.

The billowing cloud of high fuel costs has a silver lining. Conservation makes more sense than ever. Before you splurge for a new heating system, consider better investments.

1. Insulate, weatherize and landscape. You probably know how many miles per gallon your car gets, but how many degree days per gallon does your home get? (The average house in Maine gets about seven.) The higher your fuel costs, the more dividends you earn when you invest in your ceilings, walls, windows, floors and doors. Think money doesn’t grow on trees? It does when you plant a wind break north of your house.
2. Upgrade your thermostat. Do you heat your whole house all the time? Your single most cost-effective investment might be a programmable thermostat. It saves you money by always turning off the heat when you don’t need it.
3. Let in the sun. Every year, a sunny 0.25-acre lot in Maine receives the energy equivalent of 40,912 gallons of #2 heating oil. Yes, you read that right: one-quarter acre of sunshine in just one year provides more energy than all the oil an average Maine home burns in 40 years. Why not use this free solar energy? Renovate your southern exposure, hang a solar space heater on a southern wall, or landscape the south side of your house for winter sun.
4. Heat yourself, not your possessions. Which rooms in your house do you actually use? Add electric space heaters to keep active areas in the 60s or 70s, make sure your pipes are insulated, then lower your main thermostat to keep the rest at 50˚. Unsure which circuits can handle the extra draw? Ask an electrician to review your wiring and label your outlets. Worried about freezing pipes? Ask the company that cleans your boiler to examine your plumbing runs.

Central heating systems are unnecessary in Maine’s high performance homes. As we build more efficient homes, we’ll solve our annual heating crisis. In the meantime: don’t panic!

For additional home heating resources and links, visit www.FWHorch.com/gogreen.

Fred Horch is the founder of F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies in Brunswick, providing practical products and trustworthy advice for sustainable living. Online at www.FWHorch.com.

Column: Green Challenges

You’re on the farmhouse porch at Elderberry Pond in upstate New York, past sunset on a July evening. The frogs sing and the fireflies dance. The leaves of the apple trees rustle. You feel the Earth’s turning, your ears and imagination attuned to the intensity of life all around.

Merby and Lou Lego, my wife’s aunt and uncle, began farming at Elderberry Pond more than 20 years ago. Starting with land that had been in conventional corn and soybean rotation, they spent 15 years rebuilding soil fertility to support their 100-acre organic apple orchard, farm and restaurant.

While few of us have an organic farm and gourmet restaurant, all of us who are striving to “go green” face the same five challenges Merby and Lou have tackled:

1. Commitment. An organic farm commits to growing healthy crops from healthy soil, without synthetic chemicals and federal corn and soybean subsidies. You might commit to powering your home from clean electricity, without coal mining or governmentally-subsidized nuclear power. The first step in going green is making a commitment.

2. Priorities. A farmer must know the carrying capacity of his or her land, and which crops to plant to improve the soil. You need to know your budget, and which projects need to happen first. Will you buy a hybrid car, or move downtown so you can walk to work and shop? The second step in going green is setting your priorities.

3. Learning. When Merby and Lou started farming, they had no formal training. Undaunted, they threw themselves into an experiment on 100 acres. What are the possibilities for your life? Read, talk with experts, immerse yourself in the excitement of discovery as you go green.

4. Adaptation. Elderberry Farm sits on a limestone ridge; Merby and Lou have never been able to grow blueberries, but their potatoes are amazing. Your home might be surrounded by trees, unsuitable for solar power. But your landscaping could provide energy-efficient shelter from winter storms and shade from summer sun. Go green in a way that makes sense for you and your particular circumstances.

5. Sharing. In January and February, the restaurant at Elderberry Farm closes so Merby and Lou can give talks at farm conferences around the country. At conventional farm conferences, Lou tells me, the norm is secrecy and competition, whereas at organic farm conferences, you’re supposed to be honest and nice. As you go green, remember to share what you discover, so others can follow your path.

I hope you find the courage and resources to surmount these challenges in going green. And if you visit upstate New York, I encourage you to enjoy the restaurant at Elderberry Pond and all it represents!

For related resources and links, please visit www.FWHorch.com/gogreen.

Fred Horch is the founder of F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies in Brunswick, providing practical products and trustworthy advice for sustainable living. Online at www.FWHorch.com.

Composting on the Fourth of July

Of all the ways I've worked to help save the planet, I'll always cherish one unforgettable Fourth of July. I volunteered myself and my in-laws for the “recycling” crew at the Festival for the Eno in Durham, North Carolina. Despite the heat and humidity (both 97), we reported for duty.

I then discovered the organizers had decided to expand “recycling” to include “composting” for the first time. Our job was to stand knee-deep in garbage, sorting out recyclable plastic from a sea of water melon rinds, cotton candy cones, half-eaten plates of nachos, and other rotting refuse.

I learned three valuable lessons:

1. My mother-in-law and father-in-law are amazingly forgiving people.

2. Recycling is just the tip of the garbage iceberg.

3. A little planning goes a long way when it comes to composting.

In the years since, I've discovered that composting is actually easy—it's less work to make compost than to haul heavy garbage bags—and arguably even more important than recycling. What better future can you imagine for your garbage than to replenish the Earth?

If you're having a family get together for the Fourth and want to make it a little greener this year, think about a composting plan. Some tips:

• Figure out ahead of time what you're going to compost. Separate containers make it easy for guests to do the right thing; you won't have to sort through their garbage.

• A family picnic is the perfect opportunity to start making a batch of compost. Food scraps like corn husks and watermelon rinds can go right in your compost bin. Use your judgment for other types of waste.
  
  Easy to compost:
  vegetables, fruits, grass, bread, coffee grounds, paper towels, tissue paper
  
  Harder to compost without odors or vermin:
  cheese, fats, oils, butter, meat, fish, shrimp and lobster shells
  
  Difficult, dangerous or impossible to compost:
  pet waste, bones, pressure-treated sawdust, wax-coated paper board, plastics
  

• You can buy plates, cups and even forks, knives and spoons that will compost completely. There are also garbage bags that look and feel like plastic, but are made out of corn so they will compost.

• If you don't own a compost bin and don't want to make a pile, you can still compost. Just dig a hole and bury your food and paper waste about 18 inches deep. In a year or so, worms and soil microorganisms will convert your garbage to “garden gold”.

If you have a good plan and people pitch in, you'll be digging through rich soil by next summer. It sure beats the alternative.

Composting Links and Resources

• Home Composting
  University of Maine Cooperative Extension Bulletin #1143
  http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/1143.htm
  
  
• How Compost Happens
  University of Maine Cooperative Extension Bulletin #1159 http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/1159.htm
  
  
• Composting Bins
  http://www.fwhorch.net/garden-and-composting/composting-bins.html
  
  
• Compost Pails
  http://www.fwhorch.net/garden-and-composting/compost-pails.html
  
  
• Composting Tools
  http://www.fwhorch.net/garden-and-composting/composting-tools.html
  
  
• Composting Supplies
  http://www.fwhorch.net/garden-and-composting/composting-supplies.html
  
  
• Composting Books
  http://www.fwhorch.net/garden-and-composting/composting-books.html
  

Fossil Fuel Free

On May 22, 2008, crude oil hit $135 per barrel. The next day, gasoline reached a record U.S. national average of $3.88 per gallon. Will our American way of life soon be unaffordable?

Nope--we'll just use less fossil fuel.

Consider life in the United States in 1856. Our modern conveniences depended on oil. We used it to light our homes, lubricate our clocks, and keep our trains running. But it wasn't petroleum--it was whale oil.

What happened? In 1857, a commercially viable kerosene lamp was invented. Within four years the market for whale oil had collapsed.

You probably find it hard to believe that we'll give up fossil fuel as easily, right?

Well, here's my family's plan to be free of fossil fuel without waiting for a magic "kerosene lamp":

1. We're becoming energy efficient. We switched to energy-efficient lights and appliances and now use just 10 kilowatt hours of electricity per day. If we were designing a new home, we'd choose passive solar heat, built tight and super well insulated. But we like to walk or bike to work, school and shopping, so we decided to stay in our in-town 1828 federal-style house. We did an energy audit, then installed weatherstripping, added insulation, and upgraded from forced hot air to radiant floor heating.
   
   
2. We'll use electricity and solar heat instead of oil or gas. We'll install solar hot water for showers, dish washing, etc. We're planning to replace our oil boiler with a solar-assisted electric heat pump. Before too long we hope to trade in our gas minivan for an electric model (we're excited to have Maine Electric Vehicles at our store for a talk on June 12).
   
   
3. We'll generate our electricity without fossil fuel. Today for about 21 cents per kWh, we can choose "green electricity" from hydropower dams and wind farms instead of the "standard offer" from fossil and nuclear fuel. For about $3 per day, we could generate our own electricity with solar panels, as Bill and Debbi Lord do at the Maine Solar House.

Fossil fuel won't disappear entirely from our lives, just like whale oil didn't disappear completely. (Did you know the last bottle of whale oil in the U.S. was sold in 1978?) But the high cost of fossil fuel will disappear from our budget, as we choose better alternatives.

Related Information and Resources

• www.EnergyStar.gov - energy efficient appliances
• hes.lbl.gov - home energy audits
• www.RevisionEnergy.com - solar hot water
• www.MaineEV.com - electric vehicles
• www.EnergyMaine.com/mresignup/ - green electricity
• www.SolarHouse.com - Maine Solar House