Green.Sexy

It’s cold where I am right now. Really cold. The kind of cold that breaks records and the water main in front of my house… So most people around here are thinking about turning the heat up, not turning it down. But turning it down is better for the earth and for our wallets. So here are a few tips to make turning it down a bit easier. 

• The easiest thing you can do is to bundle up. Sure, I would love to walk around in a sundress with bare feet all year. But I’d also like the earth to be around for more than just one more generation. So I turn the heat down to limit my energy usage, and I bundle up. Right now I have on socks, slippers, two pairs of pants, two long sleeved shirts, and a zip up sweatshirt. If you’re sitting there reading this in a T-shirt with the heat set above 70, maybe put on a sweatshirt, maybe even a hat, and turn it down. At night, toss an extra blanket on your bed.

• Check your windows. Sometimes a window seems to be closed all the way. But when you lock it it often closes even more. So make sure all your windows are locked. Get insulated curtains. Leave curtains open during the day to let the sun’s heat in, and close them at night. Consider covering drafty windows with plastic. And if your windows are old, getting new ones is pricey up front, but it might save you money on heating in the long-run.

• Check your doors. If there is a gap underneath that’s letting in cold air, consider a draft dodger. You can buy one, make your own, or use a rolled up towel or pipe insulation. If you don’t use a door, you can tack a blanket over it. And, just like windows, if your doors are old, it may save you in the long-run to get new ones.

• Keep your house’s humidity at a comfortable level. Moderately humid air feels warmer than dry air (and can also stop your skin from getting dry and cracked in the winter). But overly humid (damp air) can make you feel colder (and can lead to mold). So if your house is dry, you can buy a dehumidifier. If you take baths, you can leave the water in the tub for a while after your done. You can also leave bowls of water around the house, especially near heat vents and fireplaces. If your house is damp, get a dehumidifier and check your faucets and pipes for leaks.

• If you have a fireplace, consider an inflatable draft blocker, a chimney mounted damper, or an insulated glass door to block drafts.

• Use a hot water bottle or microwavable corn sack to keep you warmer in bed or when you’re lounging on the couch.

• Do some baking. You shouldn’t run the oven just to run the oven. But if you’ve been wanting to bake something anyway, do it on a cold day when that extra oven heat might make it more comfortable to turn the heat down a degree or two.

• In the future, keep an eye out for clothes and blankets that have been dipped in silver nanowire (AgNW) solution. It’s something that researchers are working on at Stanford. AgNW coated clothing will reflect 90% of your body heat back to you (most clothes only reflect 20% back to you).

A lot of us use cookware that’s coated in Teflon (that blackish stuff in the pan that keeps stuff from sticking). But older Teflon (and when I say old I don’t mean old old, I mean Teflon that you bought just a few years ago) releases a chemical called PFOA when it gets hot (and getting hot it basically what cookware is for). 

The fumes of PFOA can be fatal to birds. Other animals who were exposed to it in labs got cancer, had immune system damage, gave birth to babies with low birth weights, or died. And, of course, people are not immune to it. DuPont (the makers of Teflon) had to shell out a bunch of money a few years ago because people living near one of their plants had much higher rates of cancer than the general population.

DuPont promised to slowly phase out Teflon over the years and completely phase it out by this year. But a lot us still have those pans in our house. A lot of us use these pans for years, even after the Teflon is flaking right off into our food. So it’s estimated that 98% of us have PFOA running through out blood right now.

There are a lot of PFOA-free non-stick pans now. And that’s a step in the right direction. But a lot of people still worry about what else might be lurking in that unnatural non-stick coating. And non-sticks pans don’t usually last very long, which means they usually end up in a landfill somewhere (the pans are recyclable, but that non-stick coating usually isn’t). And no, they’re not biodegradable.

Aluminum isn’t much better. It’s recyclable, but it also might give you Alzheimers.

Stainless steel pots and pans are a better choice. They’re non-toxic, recyclable, and can last for a very long time. Some copper pots are also lined with stainless steel.

Another very green and very popular choice is cast iron. Cast iron is non-toxic. Cast iron lasts a long time, longer than you or I will. In fact, it’s often passed down from generation to generation. That means it can save you money while it stays out of the landfill. If you ever decide you do want to ditch a cast iron pan, someone will probably gladly take it off your hands. And if not, it’s recyclable. Not only that, but it’s indefinitely recyclable. In other words, you can recycle it again and again and it will still be just as good and just as strong each time. Cast iron can rust if not properly taken care of. But the rust is actually good for the earth (plants and plankton like it), and the pans are easy to restore even if they have rusted a bit.

The most important things to know about caring for cast iron are:

1. Wash it once with soap and water when you first get it, then don’t wash it with soap ever again.
2. Rub it down with vegetable oil (this will keep it from rusting and give it a non-toxic non-stick surface).

For more info on restoring and caring for cast iron pans, check out the following videos:

Biogas is formed when biological matter (like manure) breaks down in an environment where there is no oxygen. It’s green because it’s renewable, it can be used instead of fossil fuels, and it can made locally. Biogas can be used to generate heat and electricity or to power cars, buses, and trains.

For example:

The Bio-Bus is a 40 passenger bus in England that runs on human waste and inedible food scraps. On a full tank, it can go about 186 miles. A bus that’s run on biomethane, like the Bio-Bus, has 97% fewer harmful emissions than a bus that’s run on diesel.

In 2010, British engineers created a Bio-Bug, a VW Bug that runs mostly on biogas. It runs just as well as a regular VW Bug (but much greener and no, it doesn’t smell like poo). According to the Telegraph, the human waste flushed down just 70 toilets can give the car enough gas to travel 10,000 miles (which is how far most people drive in a year).

Amanda is a 54 passenger biogas train that’s been running in Sweden since 2005. Amanda is the most environmentally friendly and energy efficient train in the world. Right now Amanda isn’t the most cost efficient train. She costs about 20% more to run than a diesel. But as oil prices rise, she’ll become more and more cost efficient. In the meantime, being green is worth an extra 20% anyway!

That’s pretty cool. Although walking and biking still have them beat!