Snappy Green » Green Tips http://ctgreenrealestate.com Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:58:16 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 It’s National Radon Awareness Month http://ctgreenrealestate.com/its-national-radon-awareness-month/ http://ctgreenrealestate.com/its-national-radon-awareness-month/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:35:39 +0000 ctgreenrealtor http://ctgreenrealestate.com/?p=3550 When is the last time you tested your home for Radon?   Don’t wait until you buy a new house because the levels can change from year to year. Tell your family and friends about the health risk and encourage them to test their homes too.  You can call a radon mitigator or pick up a kit and do the testing yourself. It’s easy. Write to Snappy if you need help.

For more on this subject see:
Radon Facts: What Is It?
Factors Affecting Indoor Air Quality

]]> http://ctgreenrealestate.com/its-national-radon-awareness-month/feed/ 0 Holiday Stuff: In With The New, Recycle The Old http://ctgreenrealestate.com/holiday-stuff-in-with-the-new-recycle-the-old/ http://ctgreenrealestate.com/holiday-stuff-in-with-the-new-recycle-the-old/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:59:08 +0000 ctgreenrealtor http://ctgreenrealestate.com/?p=3537 by Wendy Brandt Martinenas

Are there traces of holidays still in your home? In our house, all the ornaments and decorations are packed away but the holiday cards and tree still remain in their stands and I’m staring at an older iphone which has been replaced by the brand new 4S.  How should I discard these items?  I asked Siri but her answer came up as ‘search the web’ so I thought I’d share my thoughts about what to do with the remants from Christmas past.

If you just had to have the latest and greatest gadget and still have an older version in good working order, MoneyTalksNews tells you where you can cash in your older Apple devices, Kindles and more, as well as how much money you can get from several places.  $340 instant sale on ebay for an iphone 4 is not bad. My iphone 4 has a cracked screen which according to Gazelle (a site that sells electronics for cash) is worth $65. That’s not bad either especially since I thought it was worthless.  Of course if you simply wish to recycle your old device, check out the Recyling Center Search on the Resources tab of Snappy Green.

Old holiday cards?  Store them away with the decorations and reminisce next year. Afterwards, cut them up into nice shapes, perhaps using scissors with decorative edges, punch a hole in the corner and use ribbon to create the new season’s gift tags. You’ll save trees and money and have unique looking gifts.

Our tree will get deposited in our Christmas tree graveyard but if you don’t have woods at your home, ask your hauler or check out the Recycling Center Search to find a drop-off location.  Be sure to read the fine print.  In searching for what to do with a tree in Fairfield, I found that Green Cycle picks up at the transfer station but specifies that all tinsel, nail, ornaments and stands need to be removed and they do not take flocked trees which have a covering of artificial snow.  If you have items you don’t know what to do with, check out the What to Recycle list to see if recycling is an option.

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com     William Raveis Real Estate

]]> http://ctgreenrealestate.com/holiday-stuff-in-with-the-new-recycle-the-old/feed/ 0 30 SNAPPY Green Tips for the New Year 2012. http://ctgreenrealestate.com/30-snappy-green-tips-for-the-new-year-2012/ http://ctgreenrealestate.com/30-snappy-green-tips-for-the-new-year-2012/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:39:21 +0000 DavidPopoff http://ctgreenrealestate.com/?p=3497 By David Popoff

When you think “green” sometimes you tend to think expensive, well here are 30 snappy simple ways to be environmentally conscious that you can incorporate into your daily routine. Once you have started you will see how simple they are and will just become common sense habits that will save you money over time. [...]]]> By David Popoff

When you think “green” sometimes you tend to think expensive, well here are 30 snappy simple ways to be environmentally conscious that you can incorporate into your daily routine. Once you have started you will see how simple they are and will just become common sense habits that will save you money over time. Please share your experience with friends.

  1. Use reusable bags instead of plastic throw always.
  2. Compost, even old coffee grinds work great for indoor and outdoor plants.
  3. Pay bills on line, remove your name from paper mailing catalogs, and reduce mail.
  4. Replace toxic home cleaners with organic all natural cleaners or make your own such as baking soda and vinegar.

  5. Keep live plants nearby be it a cactus or leafy to freshen the air.
  6. Put holiday lights on a timer.
  7. Set up recycle center in your house and office for composting, paper, bottles & cans
  8. Conserve water, turn off water when washing dishes, shaving and brushing teeth.
  9. Use a snow shovel instead of a gas snow blower.
  10. Recycle used CFL bulbs to local home improvement centers.
  11. Plan car trips (have tires at proper inflation) to reduce repeated trips, carpool, use public transport, bike or walk.
  12. Read books, newspapers on line, send e-mail cards
  13. Use Earth friendly de-icier instead of salt which could kill grass and plants.
  14. Share magazine subscriptions and recycle books
  15. Reuse as much as possible, recycling is awesome, reusing is better.
  16. Bring a useable cup for coffee to go, have reusable water bottles.
  17. Donate used old towels to animal shelters.
  18. Use master switches to turn off entertainment systems and home offices. Surge protector with on/off switch work great.
  19. Use major appliances during off peak hours.
  20. Lower temperature on hot water heater to 120 Fahrenheit.
  21. Recycle electronics, cell phones, computers, TV’s, etc.
  22. Use Tupperware and reusable containers when bringing lunch to work.
  23. Buy post consumer recycled paper products.
  24. Wash clothes in cold water.
  25. Install programmable thermostats and lower thermostat temperature a few degrees in winter and raise it a few degrees in summer.
  26. Change bulbs to CFL or LED’s.
  27. Buy locally, visit farmer’s markets.
  28. Plug home air leaks, use weather stripping, foam and caulk holes, cracks and door swepts.
  29. Replace filters on A/C, boilers and furnaces.
  30. Share your experience & knowledge about ‘green’ at work, holiday gatherings, with friends & family.

 David Popoff is a Real Estate agent in Darien

]]> http://ctgreenrealestate.com/30-snappy-green-tips-for-the-new-year-2012/feed/ 1 9 Watt Bulb Vs 60 Watt Bulb ~ The Future is Here http://ctgreenrealestate.com/9-watt-bulb-vs-60-watt-bulb-the-future-is-here/ http://ctgreenrealestate.com/9-watt-bulb-vs-60-watt-bulb-the-future-is-here/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:08:32 +0000 DavidPopoff http://ctgreenrealestate.com/?p=3491 by David Popoff          

CBS Sunday Morning story on the history of lighting starts at Edison’s 1879 invention ‘light in a bottle’ and goes up to the new LED’s bulbs that will be the future of lighting. These new LED’s use about 9 watts of electricity versus the standard filament bulb that use 60 watts. The second [...]]]> by David Popoff          

CBS Sunday Morning story on the history of lighting starts at Edison’s 1879 invention ‘light in a bottle’ and goes up to the new LED’s bulbs that will be the future of lighting. These new LED’s use about 9 watts of electricity versus the standard filament bulb that use 60 watts. The second advantage with these new bulbs is that they would last 10 to 20 years without ever having to change them. With somewhere around 4.7 billion sockets in the U.S. this would save a huge amount on electricity consumption by the nation. To see the whole story “Let there be LEDs” click here.

To see how “Just 1 LED Bulb will Save Over $100” click here.

William Raveis Real Estate Darien

]]> http://ctgreenrealestate.com/9-watt-bulb-vs-60-watt-bulb-the-future-is-here/feed/ 0 Christmas Tree: Real Or Fake? http://ctgreenrealestate.com/christmas-tree-real-or-fake/ http://ctgreenrealestate.com/christmas-tree-real-or-fake/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:41:15 +0000 ctgreenrealtor http://ctgreenrealestate.com/?p=3453 by Wendy Brandt Martinenas

With my daughter home from her first year of college for Thanksgiving weekend, our family went for our annual Christmas tree a lot earlier this year at our usual spot: Jones Family Farm.  In the unusually warm weather, we opted for the cold apple cider and did not sit around the fire.  Is this what Christmas is like in California?  The farm was packed and I was surprised to see people tail gating.  It was a great day! As I saw other families with older children it dawned on me that this is one activity that is loved by all ages and one where your kids will chose to go with you over their friends.  Going early certainly has its advantages.  We were able to secure a perfectly shaped tree and that got me thinking…which is the greener choice, a fake tree from a card board box that you reuse or a real tree from the farm?

The CT Christmas Tree Association points out that real trees are a renewable, recyclable resource.   Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and possible metal toxins such as lead, cadmium and organo-tins.  Furthermore, there are about 1 million acres in production for growing Christmas trees and each acre provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.  I suppose you could argue both sides but in the end there is one clear winner,  at least according to the National Christmas Tree Association.  This chart points out that fake trees are built in factories consuming natural resources and that most of them must be shipped from China.  Plastic is a petroleum based product and the type is PVC.   Furthermore, the manufacture of PVC creates dioxins which is the most toxic man made chemical known.  You might also be surprised to realize that the estimated life of a fake tree is not forever, its 6-9 years after which time it ends up in a landfill versus the real tree which is 100% biodegradable and can be recycled.

The Minnesota Christmas Tree Association adopted a logo and marketing campaign a few years ago called “Go Green Get Real.”  Happily I feel these are strong enough reasons to  justify my beloved family tradition.  Which do you think is the greener choice?

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com    William Raveis Real Estate

 

 

]]> http://ctgreenrealestate.com/christmas-tree-real-or-fake/feed/ 2