Efficiency

For those of us who ride a bicycle through town either for pleasure, exercise or just getting around we know what an adventure cycling can be. A small segment of the automobile-driving population seems to not know what to do about cyclists. Some motorists either give us a huge berth or near to none at all and many seem either puzzled or strangely frightened by bike riders. An even smaller, but frightening, minority of car drivers are actually hostile to cyclists. Which begs the question, how can automobile and bike drivers learn to get along?

Do you remember when it was dark at night? I mean REALLY dark. Step outside your door an hour after sunset and you'll see what I mean. Between the neighbor's always-on security lights, the glaring streetlights, and the 24 hour stores around the block the night time sky isn't all that dark anymore. If you live in a city or even most towns it has become difficult if not impossible to see most of the stars anymore.

One of the terms that is bandied about a lot recently is Carbon Footprint. A person's carbon footprint is the amount of CO2 they are responsible for producing each year. If you intend to live a more sustainable life then reducing your carbon footprint is a good way to measure that. The first question to answer is "What is my carbon footprint." Thanks to the wonders of the Internet CarbonFootprint.com can help you measure your CO2 output.

Paper or Plastic? I'm asked that simple question about once a week and I now have a better answer - Canvas. I've known for a while that neither paper or plastic is a great shopping bag choice. Paper bags, as they are currently produced in the U.S., require cutting down about 14 million trees each year. The 30 billion plastic bags Americans use each year require 12 million barrels of crude oil for their manufacture. Why not short-circuit the debate between the lesser of the two evils and use a canvas bag?

That's the proposition from the folks at the New Belgium Brewery (makers of Fat Tire Ale). If you will donate your car, sign over the title to a charity, and give it away completely ... the New Belgium Brewery will give you a custom-fitted commuter bike. Wow! Now you have to commit to riding the bike (and not driving a car) for a full year, submit a video or letter application, but that's about it. If you're ready to give up your car completely go to FollowYourFolly.com and go to the Bike Trade section of the website for more info.

I am in the process of establishing a native grass (buffalo and blue grama) lawn in part of my backyard. Beyond the weeding of undesired plants and occasional watering I have been reintroduced to mowing after several years. Because I'm working to reduce my ecological impact I decided to go with a Reel (not "real") Push Mower. As I am the power for this mower it needs no fuel (other than a good breakfast for me) or electricity to run. Well, after a few weeks of mowing I can tell you about the pros and cons of using a reel push mower.

WalkScore.com is a new website that can help you answer the question "How walkable is your house?" We make all kinds of decisions when we pick a place to live. The usual list of questions for a new house or apartment center around closet space, number of bedrooms and baths, a garage or car port and a gas or electric range. One question that can get left out is, can you walk there?

I'm a bit of a cycling fan. Not fully over the edge, mind you, but I'm enthusiastic about bikes. I know that biking is inexpensive, great exercise and one of the most fun ways to get around. But not everyone I know is completely sold on the idea of bikes as a form of transportation. Here's a look at ways to make cycling a practical mode of transportation.

Pick your bike:

This idea is so simple that it didn't occur to me until I moved in to my current house. I had used a clothes dryer for years out of habit and inertia until I moved into a home with a clothes line. After buying a package of clothes pins I was ready to dry my clothing the simplest, cheapest and best way I have found yet. Of course, my grandmother has been drying clothes on the line since before I was born, but some things are rediscovered by each generation.

The advantages to line drying clothing are straightforward and numerous.

If you are still thinking about making the switch to Compact Fluorescent Bulbs from the old and inefficient incandescent light bulbs, here are some answers that could make the change a little easier.

GE Lighting Compact Fluorescent FAQ

The Frequently Asked Questions from G.E. discusses everything from use of CFL's in dimmer and 3-way switches, electronic interference, mercury and proper disposal of CFL's, and energy efficiency.