Recent Comments

1. Dry clothes outdoors. - 29 Nov 2006

   susiefoster – My wife loves for our towels to be as soft as can be, but I prefer to hang them on a line. The compromise that seems to work is that I hang them on the line and get them mostly dry, then tumble dry them on low to get rid of most of the roughness. Not a perfect solution, but it still saves energy. I had to experiment a bit to find the right balance between line dry and tumble, though.

2. Stop Taking Plastic Bags From Shops - 08 Jun 2007

   We’ve been doing this for quite a few years. (It helps that I go to a lot of conventions, and therefore get a lot of canvas bags.) The trick is, as soon as you catch their eye, tell the person at the counter that you have your own bags.

   Sometimes it’s nice to see the lightbulb switch on over their heads. “Hey, reusing bags… great idea!”

3. Ditch The Disposable Items - 08 Jun 2007

   One way to reduce your battery usage: if you have kids, tell your friends & relatives around birthdays/holidays not to buy any gifts that require batteries. Side benefits: Your kids will likely get more books, and you’ll find the house isn’t as noisy.

4. Ditch The Disposable Items - 08 Jun 2007

   More on batteries: if you use non-rechargeable batteries, don’t recycle them right away. Most electronic devices stop working after the batteries fall below a certain power level, but there’s still some juice left. Save them (making sure to keep paired batteries together) for use in your TV/VCR/DVD remote controls, which use very little power. I have “dead” batteries that I’ve been using in my DVD remote for well over a year.

5. Walking ... It's The Way To Go - 05 May 2008

   Someone once said: “Everywhere is walking distance if you have enough time.” I wholeheartedly agree. Aside from the health benefits, there’s no better way to really get to know your neighbourhood than to walk through it, as opposed to driving past it.

   Walking also has the psychological benefit of providing a calm, quiet space in what’s often an otherwise hectic life. Make a habit of taking a walk with friends or family after meals and you’ll see what I mean.

6. Walking ... It's The Way To Go - 05 May 2008

   Someone once said: “Everywhere is walking distance if you have enough time.” I wholeheartedly agree. Aside from the health benefits, there’s no better way to really get to know your neighbourhood than to walk through it, as opposed to driving past it.

   Walking also has the psychological benefit of providing a calm, quiet space in what’s often an otherwise hectic life. Make a habit of taking a walk with friends or family after meals and you’ll see what I mean.