Have Fun, Stay Cool, Save Water and Energy This Summer

Here we are in the middle of summer, and the Denver area has seen alot of heat and dust and dryness. Perhaps you have noticed that there seem to be alot of "hazy" days. Medical experts have noticed an increase in asthma, too. Here are some simple tips to help keep you cool and yet avoid sucking too much energy.

$ Close drapes/blinds/windows against sunlight. Open up the windows on the non-sunny side. You will help keep the house cool without air conditioning.

$ Buy some insulating window film and install it. Some can be installed with just water and a squeegy. Cost is reasonable.

$ Use fans when you can: ceiling fans move the air and this tricks the mind into thinking it's cooler. Portable fans are helpful when you are stuck in a specific area and just need a little bit.

$ Water outdoors sparingly, using soaker hoses or a drip method. You get extra bonus points if you are using a recycled hose! These 2 methods minimize water lost to evaporation. Water in the early morning or early evening. (Watering at midnight not recommended; you can develop fungus on your plants and grass.)

$ Use mulch around planted areas that lose alot of moisture. This helps keep the weeds down, too.

$ Use alternative transportation, when you can. Carpool, bus, lite rail, bicycle, scooter, motorcycle. You will be putting less CO2 into the air.

$ Drive during "off" hours, when you can. You will get to your destination with less gas consumed, and less junk added to the air. And less stress!

$ On especially hot, dry days, try to purchase your fuel in the early morning or evening. This helps cut down on the ozone.

$ Try to avoid unnecessary idling of your engine: drive-throughs, waiting to pick someone up, etc. If you are in a big traffic jam and it is safe to turn off your engine, do so. You will save gas and also contribute less to the ozone layer. Which brave business will have the nerve to be the first to suggest we turn off our motors while we wait?

$ Can you cut down your use of power mowers? This is a tough one, I know. Recent studies have shown the one power mower puts out alot more CO2 than a passenger car! Some stores sell push mowers. Anyone remember them?

$ Try to manually weed your garden, if you can. This is also tough, especially if you have alot of land to care for. But even doing a little bit of manual weeding is helping the environment because you are not using chemicals to kill the offending plants, nor are you using gas weed-eaters. Take advantage of the weather, when possible: last night it rained heavily, so pulling weeds today was really easy!

$ When getting into a hot car, open up the doors for a couple of minutes before you jump in & turn up the air conditioner to "Ice Age". The hot air molecules are swirling around in your car, looking for an escape, and you can provide it when you open up the doors. It just takes a couple of seconds, and then you can hop in to a cooler car, and turn on the air conditioning if needed.

$ Make Sun Tea. Drag out that old glass container that holds about 2 gallons, fill it up with cool water from the tap, and place your favorite tea bags (about 6 - 7) into the water, then put it in a nice hot & sunny location. You'll have "solar" tea in no time, and it's cheap! I love Good Earth tea, which is kind of spicy, and does not need sugar.

$ Try to avoid using those ubiquitous plastic water bottles if you can. There is not much opportunity for recycling them, and they are really adding to the landfills. Several of the large companies bottling the special water are known to be depleting the already-shallow water tables of various third world countries, thus making their situation more desperate. And the water is not all that special, in many instances. (Yes, we've been fooled again!)

$ And if you have to use your sprinklers, run through them like a little kid. Instant cool down!

Thanks, and enjoy your summer!

Earthworks Expo This Weekend in Denver!

Earthworks Expo will be at the Denver Merchandise Mart this weekend; July 27 - 29.

If you have been wanting to know more about energy conservation, energy conversion, reducing, recycling, reusing or any other enviro-related topic, this is the event for you!

Hours: Friday, July 27: 11 am - 8 pm
Saturday 28: 9:30 am - 8 pm
Sat eve Gala Reception: 7:30 - 10 pm
Sunday 29: 9:30 am - 6 pm

You can check to see the large number of Exhibitors at this link: www.earthworks2007.com/exhibitors.html

This is for the whole family! They will have workshops for kids, an EarthWorks Store, a Kids' Garden, a Farmers Market, and more!

The ticket prices are reasonable. But if you are interested in volunteering, please contact Nicole Irvine: nicole@earthworks-expo.com You have to commit to and work 6 hours, and you get a Tshirt, free entry, and other assorted goodies.

MAS