CasaSugar

European Union Phases Out Energy-Wasting Bulbs

CasaSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:30:58 -0700

As of today, it's going to be a whole lot harder to get your hands on a standard incandescent bulb in Europe. In an effort to improve energy efficiency by 20 percent by the year 2020, the European Union has mandated that factories must cease the production of frosted incandescents and 100-watt clear bulbs. The new, more energy-efficient bulbs consume up to 80 percent less energy.

These traditional bulbs will be restocked with halogen and CFL bulbs over the next few years. As of 2012, energy-efficient bulbs will be the only lighting available in Europe.

To hear about the controversy surrounding the switch, read more.

However, if you're a fan of the energy-sucking bulbs, you can still buy them in stores where the bulbs are already in stock. Apparently some Europeans have been busy hording the 100-watt bulbs, preferring the traditional bulbs for their color and light quality, or even for health reasons. Migraine sufferers have said that the lighting exacerbates their headaches. In addition, epileptics have also said that the energy-efficient bulbs exacerbate their seizures, and object to the change.

While CFLs have improved greatly in light quality throughout the years, many people still believe that the light quality is very poor, even though a Popular Mechanics study actually showed that CFLs performed incandescents in overall light quality.

If you're a European reader, have you been affected by this change? Are you hording traditional bulbs, or are you a CFL convert? And if this same ban occurred in the United States, how do you think Americans would react?

Casa Verde: Ed Begley's Top 5 Ideas For Going Green at Home

CasaSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:00:31 -0700

Environmentalist extraordinaire and star of hit eco show Living With Ed, Ed Begley Jr. recently chatted with Green Muze about his ideas for green living. Ed also shared his ideas for the top five ways that people can go green. Many of them are surprisingly easy! Check out Ed's ideas below.

Get out of your car as much as you can. Walk, take public transportation, or ride a bike as much as you can.
Get energy-efficient lighting for your house. The earth and your wallet will both thank you.
Put weather stripping up around your doors and windows, making your home tight and efficient.
Start a compost container or pile, and use it for starting a home garden - it will deliver great food through a great pastime. If you live in an apartment, get part of a community garden!
Practice the 3 Rs - reduce, reuse, recycle.

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Casa Verde: A CFL That Looks (and Lights) Like an Incandescent

CasaSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:00:17 -0700

I've been pushing you to try CFLs for a long time, but I know that some of you are hesitant to do so given their look, as well as some conceptions about their light quality. While the light quality has definitely improved across the board, the funky spiral shape still turns some of you off. If that's the case, you'll be happy to hear that several of the bulbs in the GE Energy Smart line are now masquerading as incandescents. Their familiar, round shape should satisfy the anti-spiral crowd, and the 10,000-hour life of the bulb and its Energy Star compliance will help assure you that you're still living eco, even if the bulb doesn't look like your standard CFL.

To check out the bulb, read more.
Interested in trying one out? Then head to your local Ace Hardware to pick up a GE Energy Smart CFL ($6.49).

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Casa Verde: Keeping Safe With CFLs

CasaSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:00:46 -0700

The Sierra Club recently updated its website with some very helpful green tips, and there are some fantastic suggestions for going green at home. One tip that caught my eye was the safety considerations when disposing of CFLs. Since switching from incandescent light bulbs to CFLs is a great way to save energy and money, I heartily recommend making the switch (as does the Sierra Club). However, since CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, it's important to dispose of them properly.

Here are the Sierra Club's tips for dealing with CFLs:

Don't throw CFLs in the trash; recycle them instead. Some manufacturers, like Osram Sylvania, accept CFLs for recycling. Retailers like Ikea and Home Depot also have take-back programs. Find your nearest CFL recycling center at RecycleABulb.com or consult the EPA's directory of recycling facilities.
If a bulb breaks, open a window and leave the room for at least 15 minutes. Keep children and pets away from the broken bulb.

Want to learn more? Check out this post to get additional CFL information.

Source

Cool Idea: Fluorescent Fixer

CasaSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:00:59 -0700

I've urged you to switch over to CFLs enough, so I'm not gonna go there. But I will admit that I agree the soft-serve-like shape of CFL bulbs is less than desirable — unless you have an ice cream cone pendant light to go with. But, what if CFLs looked like the standard bulbs you've come to know and love? Would that make you switch? I hope so. The Fluorescent Fixer does just that, attaching to CFLs to conceal their unsightly shape, and diffusing the light, which reduces glare at the same time. The light cover sells in sets of three for $9.99 at Ace Hardware, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Walgreens, among others, or directly from the manufacturer, Adaptive Lighting Solutions.

Casa Verde: Halloween CFLs

CasaSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:30:00 -0700

Whether or not you went for my classy Halloween décor picks, you can still spook the neighbors with the glow of these orange and black CFLs that I spotted on TreeHugger. If you still haven't been convinced about the green goodness of CFLs, check out our reasons to make the switch from incandescent bulbs. Then switch your spook on.

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Casa Verde: More Reasons to Use CFLs

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:26:44 -0700

Compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFLs) have gotten a bad rap for years, and granted, they had really poor light quality in the past. But the new generation of CFLs have consistently proven themselves to be great for indoor home lighting-in fact, a recent study showed that study participants preferred the light quality from the CFL fixtures, and that they registered better across color spectrums as well!

The n:vision soft white CFL scored particularly high with an overall "A" score on the test.

Want to try CFLs, but worried about their mercury content? Then read more

Yes, it's true. CFLs contain mercury. But not much. Unless you broke a CFL bulb, wiped the mercury up with your bare hands, and then licked your hand, you're probably going to be just fine. And that's my advice to you: Always clean up broken CFLs with gloves. But the other burning question is what's better for the environment, CFLs or incandescents. In a word: CFLs. You can get the full breakdown here, but to sum up, CFLs require a lot less energy to produce light. That means incandescents require more power. Most of this power comes from coal plants, and coal plants release a lot more mercury than CFLs do.

Bottom line: Replace your incandescent bulbs with CFLs. And check with your local utility before you do, since a lot of utilities are now offering rebates and coupons for their customers to make the switch.

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Casa Verde: An Eco Glam Office

CasaSugar — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:00:33 -0800

Earlier today, I showed you the impressive before and after pics from Bollare's office renovation. However, I only teased you with one of many photos of the gorgeous space. When Bollare, a full service fashion, beauty, and lifestyle public relations firm located in West Hollywood, CA, decided that it was time to move its office, the company turned to Green Tangerine to help transform the raw space into something both fab and green.

To find out more about the transformation and to see many photos of the space, read more.
Bollare turned to the eco-friendly wallpaper of Mod Green Pod for the striking, vibrant paper throughout its office. For paint, Benjamin Moore Pristine EcoSpec Paint: Zero-VOC was used on the walls, and underfoot, bamboo flooring made the cut for this eco office. Lighting is provided by CFLs, though Bollare notes that the lights are rarely turned on, due to the natural light that saturates the space.

View 9 Photos ›

Cool Idea: A Fan That Ventilates and Warms

CasaSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:30:55 -0700

One of my least favorite things about chilly Fall mornings is stepping into a freezing bathroom to take a shower. Since I live in the Bay Area, we seldom turn on our central heating, so more often than not, the bathroom feels like an icebox.

Instead of using a space heater, I’m thinking about adding an exhaust vent fan with a heater. This will not only warm the bathroom, but also improve indoor-air quality by circulating the air and removing odors and contaminants. One fan that I’ve had my eye on is the WhisperWarm ventilation fan by Panasonic Home & Environment Company. It’s quiet, lightweight, compact, and comes with an optional light and nightlight that uses CFLs.

Looking for a simple, eco-exhaust fan that doesn't heat? Then check out the WhisperGreen Energy Star-rated fan. The WhisperGreen uses a super-efficient DC motor, and comes with variable 2-speed and delay timer controls built-in or as a single-speed fans. All WhisperGreen models exhaust fans comply with Green building IAQ standards.

How-To: Get Rid of Fabric-Eating Moths

CasaSugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:00:34 -0700

If you've opened your closet and realized that your favorite cashmere sweater has holes all over it, you've probably got a moth problem. It's unlikely that the moths are attracted to just that one cardi, so there are a few steps you should take to ensure your whole wardrobe doesn't suffer the same fate. That is, unless we're talking about all those reindeer Christmas sweaters from grandma.

To learn how to kick those buggers to the curb, read more.

Clothes moths feed on wool, feathers, fur, hair, lint, paper, and even cotton, linen, silk, and some synthetic fibers. But in general, they especially crave fabrics that have been stained or soiled with food, beverages, perspiration, sweat, oil, and urine. In many cases, you can't even tell that your apparel has been stained, so you should always clean your garments before you store them.
If you've already discovered you have a moth problem, you should wash all of your clothes in the infested area in hot water and detergent or dry clean them.
When it comes time to store your out-of-season clothes, you should keep them in airtight containers such as plastic boxes and bags, metal containers, or wooden (cedar is ideal) chests.
Moths tend to develop under humidity. So, if your closet or storage space is near a bathroom or humidifier, you should ventilate the area by opening windows or using a fan.
Clothes moths also prefer darkness. So if you have an alternative place to store your apparel that is bright, consider moving your clothes. You might also leave on low-energy lightbulbs such as CFLs or LEDs to light your closet.
To capture the male clothes moths in order to stop the breeding process, use a pheromone trap in your closet.
You should also vacuum your closet thoroughly in all cracks and crevices, as well as carpeting. Use a flashlight to identify lint and hair at the baseboards, in air ducts, and corners of the room that you might not see otherwise. If you have upholstered furniture in your closet (lucky lady), make sure to vacuum it thoroughly as well.
As for moth repellants, mothballs are tried and true, but they can also be harmful to your health, and leave a strong odor on your clothes. So, you can make a sachet with these herbal mothball alternatives. Cedar chips tend to lose their effect after the wood has dried, but cedar chests, which are airtight, are often effective.