Air Quality Category

Earth Hour Is A Family Affair

March 4th, 2010 by andrea in Air Quality, Community, Energy, Energy Conservation, Lifestyle

(NC)—Earth Hour is a global lights out phenomenon, led by WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to show support for action on climate change and demonstrate that individual action can make a big difference. It’s also a great opportunity to talk to your family about the environment and look at what you can do to reduce your environmental impact.

This year, Earth Hour takes place on Saturday, March 27 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. (local time). Families are encouraged to join millions of people around the world and turn off their lights for one hour in support of action on climate change. Small acts can make a big difference. For more information or to join the movement, visit www.EarthHourCanada.org.

Here are some activities to help you and your family make an evening out of Earth Hour: Read the rest of this entry »

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Window Coverings

January 14th, 2010 by Conrad in Air Quality, Blogs - Mill Creek Net Zero Home, Energy, Energy Conservation, Green Building Blogs, Products + Materials

IMG_2416

The temptation has always been there for eco-house builders. It’s those damn windows; they are just so useless once the sun goes down. There must be some way to insulate them once they no longer need to be seen through, right? Read the rest of this entry »

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Ventilation

November 25th, 2009 by Conrad in Air Quality, Blogs - Mill Creek Net Zero Home, Energy Conservation, Green Building Blogs

Mill Creek NetZero Home Heat Recovery Ventilator

I heard a story once about a man who built a house using insulated concrete forms (ICFs). While I don’t advocate their use in general, ICFs have some distinct advantages (certainly over conventional construction). The primary of these advantages is supreme air tightness. ICF homes (those that are built with ICFs from top to bottom) can achieve hourly air change rates of 0.2. In contrast, the Mill Creek NetZero Home has an airtightness measurement of 0.36 ACH, which is really amazing for a wood-framed house. Read the rest of this entry »

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Airtight

September 22nd, 2009 by Conrad in Air Quality, Blogs - Mill Creek Net Zero Home, Energy, Energy Conservation, Green Building + Design, Green Building Blogs, Green Homes, Insulation

The importance of air tightness in building construction cannot be overstated. Very few factors affect energy performance in a cold climate more than air moving in and out of a building.

The Mill Creek Net Zero Home (MCNZ) has achieved an air tightness test result of 0.36 air changes per hour (ACH) at a pressure of 50 Pascal. In other words, when it’s really cold out, which creates a big pressure difference between the inside and the outside of a house, the 0.36 of the air in the MCNZH would leak out and be replaced with cold air over the course of an hour. It has the equivalent of a 13.8 square inch hole in it leaking air all of the time. Read the rest of this entry »

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Celebrate Evironment Week

May 25th, 2009 by andrea in Air Quality, Community, Lifestyle, Transportation

Environment Week is nearly upon us! Tune into what Environment Canada has to share about the event:

Five Easy Ways to Celebrate Environment Week

May 31 - June 6, 2009

Canadian Environment Week is a time to focus on simple changes that contribute to a greener future for everyone. You don’t have to look far to find easy ways to green your lifestyle or appreciate the beauty of nature. Here are a few suggestions:

  1. Buy locally grown food. Take some time to visit local Farmers Markets and learn more about the benefits of choosing locally grown foods!
  2. Change at least one light bulb to a compact fluorescent. Those qualified to ENERGY STAR® use about a quarter as much electricity as a conventional light bulb to produce the same amount of light. Compact fluorescents cost a bit more than incandescents, but they last up to ten times longer.
  3. Take a walk on the wild side. Go for a day hike on a local nature trail and revel in the beauty and serenity you’re trying to preserve for future generations. Read the rest of this entry »

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Spring Cleaning with a Clean Conscience

April 30th, 2009 by andrea in Air Quality, Lifestyle, Products + Materials, Toxicity

Yes, I do realize that cleaning isn’t something you do only in Spring. And, although I’m a little behind in my chores these days, I actually do clean year-round. At least before company comes anyway!

Fact: A good vigorous top to bottom house clean each Spring can help us evict our clutter and our sub-furniture dwelling bunny colonies.

But sometimes, the substances we enlist to exterminate germs go rogue, attacking our lungs, skin and eyes. Once down the drain, these toxic cleaners continue to unleash their fury on waterways and aquatic life. Read the rest of this entry »

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Bullfrog Power Available in BC

March 28th, 2009 by andrea in Air Quality, Energy, Renewable Energy

Bullfrog Power, Canada’s leading provider of 100 per cent green electricity, announced today that it is now offering British Columbia residents and businesses a new way to take a stand in support of low-impact renewable electricity and reduce their environmental impact. Bullfrog provides British Columbians with the first and only choice to support new wind power.

Bullfrog Power is the only company that allows all British Columbians to choose to support low-impact renewable electricity rather than electricity from higher impact hydroelectric generation facilities or greenhouse gas-emitting electricity from fossil fuel-powered sources. When B.C. homes and businesses become “bullfrogpoweredTM”, Bullfrog ensures that low-impact renewable electricity is injected into the electricity grid to match the amount of power consumed. Read the rest of this entry »

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Earth Hour ‘09 is Around the Corner

March 13th, 2009 by andrea in Air Quality, Community, Energy, Energy Conservation, Lifestyle

On Saturday March 28, 2009, millions of people around the globe will usher darkness into their lives for the good of the planet. Will you be one of them?

Earth Hour is an annual international lights out event happening on Saturday, March 28 at 8:30 p.m. The goal is to get as many individuals and businesses as possible to turn off their lights for one hour to raise awareness about climate change and demonstrate that people are ready to take personal action and that in turn, people expect more engagement on behalf of the government. (WWF Earth Hour FAQ)

The point of Earth Hour is not to say that turning off the lights for a single hour each year is enough. No, it’s not enough. But it is a start. I’ve always firmly believed that spouting critiques is only slightly more progressive than ignorance. Read the rest of this entry »

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Raising Spaces Officially Green Powered

January 5th, 2009 by andrea in Air Quality, Energy, Renewable Energy

Imagine if you could choose a New Year’s resolution from your list, press a button, and like magic achieve it instantly. Guess what? Many of you actually can! If green powering your home is on the list, that is.

Raising Spaces is pretty green to begin with - we conserve energy, water, and materials, print documents only when necessary on reused and 100% recycled paper, make web changes via a wind powered computer, and do what we can to help others go greener at home.

Now, we’ve taken the next step toward reducing our carbon footprint by becoming bullfrogpowered™. This means that 100% of our electricity consumption is generated by wind power. Read the rest of this entry »

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Air Conditioning as a Last Resort

August 13th, 2008 by andrea in Air Quality, Energy Conservation

Nestled within Green Living Ideas’ collection of practical resources is a top notch piece on why air conditioning is best used as a last resort, if at all. It echoes a few concerns that I’ve been ruminating as this summer steams along.

Beyond an overall discomfort with consuming massive amounts of energy to rid our homes of heat (also energy) while warming the climate in the process, the Eco Air Conditioning piece points out the social and health costs associated with air conditioning systems, and reminds readers of both simple and technical solutions to an overheated home.

Still, it amazes me that as we control our indoor environments, we forget that heat is energy. Why have we not yet found a way to harvest this heat for domestic water heating and other applications? Let’s make like a martial arts master and ‘harness the strength and momentum of our opponent for our own benefit’.

While we await the next generation of heat harvesting-cooling technology, how about we embrace non-technical solutions that don’t rely on energy consumption to kick heat out of the house? Visit Green Living Ideas for the full article.

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