Tis the Season

Wow!  It's December 1st already!  Lots of people I know are getting ready to put up their holiday lights.   For the past couple of years, I've noticed a different kind of light at some homes; they gave off a more vivid color.  When I learned they were called LED lights, I was able to score a couple of strands to try out last year and was very pleased with the effect.  A couple of weeks ago, my friend, Lynn, told me about an article she'd read in Consumer Reports (Dec. 2007, p. 9) comparing LED and incandescent strands.  In short, CR states that incandescent lights are brighter and cost less but the LEDs are last twice as long and use only 10% of the energy incandescent lights use.  Also, the plastic LEDs are less likely to break than glass incandescent lights, run much cooler and therefore, are less of a fire risk.

Still, it's not environmentally sound to just toss out all of last year's lights, is it?  As I weed through all the strands I own, I do plan on buying more LED lights as replacements.  I got an email from Mara, telling me about an article in Better Homes and Gardens (Dec. 2007, p. 112-116) by Sara Snow with lots of suggestions for earth-friendly ways to celebrate the season; one of which is to put your lights on timers, limited to 6 hours per night.  Even so, 1000 incandescent lights (only 10 strands!) will cost you $50 for the season compared to 50 cents to burn the same number of LEDs.  I don't know about you, but I have WAY more than 10 strands just on my tree.  I guess I'll have to rethink just how many lights to put up as well.

Going Green

Hi!  I'm Susie Laker.  If you are like me, it seems that everywhere I turn, folks are talking about going green.  I didn't pay much attention to it; after all, I've been recycling forever, have a compost bin in my yard, and take my own grocery bags to the market.  When I attended the League of Women Voters Green Community kick-off meeting, I was feeling pretty smug, thinking I was way above the curve.  That thought got shot down in a hurry and I found out there was so much more I could be doing to save money, save energy and help save the planet.  Frankly, I was rather overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin.  Luckily, my friends are knowledgeable about such things and are willing to help me learn to lessen our carbon footprint.  This blog will chronicle my efforts to adopt climate-friendly lifestyle practices and to make my home "green".

New Jersey Clean Power Choice Program

Last month at a meeting, the discussion turned toward ways that we could start implementing green practices. I was interested in finding something I could do right away that had a big impact on the environment. Someone was talking about a League member who asked her husband to buy cleaner energy as her birthday gift. I was intrigued! I didn't know that New Jersey offered renewable power sources (obviously, I fast forward through commercials on t.v. and don't look at those inserts in my bills!)

I asked some energy-savvy friends to enlighten me. Apparently 45% of our electricity is provided by coal burning plants and available renewable energy can come from solar, wind, hydroelectric or biomass sources. These benefit our environment and health and developing these alternatives will guarantee energy for the future because we won't have to rely on fossil fuels that may one day be depleted. They also explained that, although these types of energy cost more to produce right now because the technology is new, as more and more people request renewable energy, costs will fall. I balked at spending more for electricity until Margaret explained that the 14% increase (based on current rates) is equivalent to one or two lattes a week! I shouldn't drink so much coffee anyway.

I broached the topic with my husband. I really thought I'd have a hard time selling him on the idea but he agreed right away. Then I went to NJCleanPower.com, read about the different alternative energy providers and clicked on the link for the one I chose. I did need my account number which was on my electric bill. SIMPLE! It only took about ten minutes and for the price of a latte or two, I'm helping our kids have a healthier future!