Making Life Greener – Shaving Site Switch Saves Water

As I was getting ready this morning, it struck me how many little changes we have made to our routine and how little I think about them once they become new habits. (And how much of my thinking about this site happens in the shower!) Read more

Test Drives for Hydrogen Cars

Several automobile companies, including the BMW Group, General Motors and Honda Motor, are developing prototypes of hydrogen cars and have been recruiting individuals to test drive them the Mercury News reports. This allows the companies to test how the cars react to normal driving conditions as well as collect additional user input. Read more

Making Life Greener – Simplify Your Soap

One of the goals of Greening Families is to help families make their lives greener more easily. To that end, we are adding the “Making Life Greener” series to the site. This series will profile simple changes you and your family can make to green your lives. No family is alike so pick and choose the changes that work best for your family now. As we go along, we’ll organize the suggestions in a variety of ways to help you group changes if you prefer. Read more

Yet Another Reason to Consider Joining a CSA

I’ve previously highlighted some of the benefits our family has experienced since joining a Community Sponsored Agriculture or CSA group to expand our food horizons. New research published in the recent Wisconsin Medical Journal provides further reason to add more fruits and vegetables into your family’s diet. Read more

Ways to Lessen the Impact of Rising Heating Prices

Experts are predicting that energy prices this year will be even higher than last year. Today’s USA Today discusses the expected increases in heating oil, natural gas, and electricity. With the electricity costs expected to jump 9.4%, natural gas 23.8%, and heating oil a whopping 36.3%, some suggestions to make homes more energy efficient seemed in order. Read more

Another Perspective on Gas Prices

I really enjoy reading about the steps other families are taking to improve their lives. I always come away with good ideas and the wonderful sense that people everywhere are doing good things. Today I came upon an article on Newsweek.com discussing how high gas prices led to positive change for one family. This article not only mentions several suggestions for reducing gas consumption but also discusses the benefits of not driving as much. Read more

What To Do with an Old TV

With the upcoming recent switch from analog to digital television signals, many families have bought or are planning to buy a new TV. That means numerous families are faced with the decision of what to do with their old television. What a perfect opportunity to help protect the environment! Read more

Shopping at Thrift Stores – Good for the World, Good for the Wallet

I posted earlier about our back-to-school shopping trip but wanted to go into more detail about the benefits of thrift store shopping. When we initially considered shopping at thrift stores, my first thought was, “Ick!” In case that is also your reaction, here are some reasons to consider it.  Read more

A Look into the Future of Renewable Power?

Today’s Washington Post contains an article discussing renewable energy in Colorado during the last four years.

In 2004, largest utility company in Colorado fought against a ballot initiative that required 10% of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources. The initiative passed and the company, Xcel Energy, started work on the necessary changes. They were quite successful, meeting the new requirement eight years ahead of schedule! In fact, Xcel Energy has agreed to double the target to 20% of electricity coming from renewable sources. Read more

Colleges Going Green

Those with college-aged children may want to check out the recent article in USA Today regarding the green efforts of colleges.  From recycling for moving boxes to dorm rooms with solar thermal heating, colleges and universities across the country are moving to reduce their environmental impact. Read more

Next Page »