My electricity provider has a program called Cycled Air for those with central air conditioning units.  They pay $30 per year to customers who sign up to let the utility install a device on the air conditioner that allows the utility to cycle the air conditioner on and off during times when the overall demand for electricity is high (peak demand).  The cycles are only 15 to 20 minutes long and most customers cannot feel a difference in the temperature in their homes.  Two sustainability benefits can result from participating in programs such as this.  Your air conditioner uses slightly less power, and the utility can delay building new power plants to accommodate the peak demand power use. 

It’s still winter for many of us in the northern hemisphere, but my utility is ready to enroll customers now. 

I read the label on a spray can of air freshener.   The label includes a warning against concentrating and inhaling the contents because it can cause serious health problems.  Do you really want those chemicals in your air, even if they are very diluted?  If you do use spray air freshener, use one tiny squirt rather than a big long spray.

An article in National Wildlfe magazine, February/March 2015, World Edition, discusses how planting native-to-your-area trees and shrubs can benefit birds.  According to the article, ninety-six percent of terrestrial birds feed their babies insects rather than seeds and berries.  However, many insects cannot eat nonnative plants, so a lack of native plants might disrupt food chains for birds, reptiles, and animals that eat insects. A study in progress showed that chickadees are more likely to nest in yards dominated by native plants and prefer to look for insects on native trees and shrubs.   The full article is at http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Birds/Archives/2015/Chickadees-And-Native-Trees.aspx

I plan to research trees, shrubs, and flowers so I can focus my spring planting on native species to make my yard an oasis for birds, bees, and butterflies. 

Significant water shortages are developing in parts of the western US, and water conservation is getting more attention in these areas.  Another reason to conserve water even in areas with plenty of water is to reduce use of the energy and resources required to manage municipal water supplies.  Significant energy is required to pump the water to the water treatment plant, treat the water, pump it to homes and businesses, and treat the sewage.  Chemicals and other supplies are also required to support these processes.

Many people now have re-usable bags for the grocery store and I am glad this movement to reduce the use of plastic bags is growing.  What about the plastic produce bags?  I save them and keep them with my cloth grocery bags.  Most of them can be re-used several times before they are recycled.  Items such as melons don’t require a bag.  Many other small fruits and vegetables don’t need to be put in a bag if you’re only buying one or two.  

February 5, 2016
Take your own re-usable container to the restaurant for the leftovers.  The leftovers get eaten and one less Styrofoam container goes to the landfill. 

February 6, 2016
Read the owner’s manuals for your appliances.   Many of the manuals have maintenance and operation tips that will increase the life or energy efficiency of the appliance. 

February 7, 2016
When you are heating water in a teakettle on the stove, fill the teakettle only as full as required to get the hot water you need right then. Heating more water than you need takes longer and uses more energy.

February 8, 2016
When you start a baking project, don’t automatically start pre-heating the oven as the first step in the project.  Wait until you are about 5 minutes from putting your baking in the oven to start pre-heating.   For some types of baking projects, you can turn the oven off 5 minutes or more before it’s time to take the baking out of the oven.  If you haven’t opened the oven door, there will be plenty of residual heat to finish.

February 10, 2016
Many times I walk by a conference room in the office and notice that the lights are still on even though the room is empty. I take just a few seconds to turn the lights off. It doesn’t matter who pays the electric bill, less electricity use is a good thing for the planet.

February 12, 2016
You may not be able to change the number of miles you commute each day to work, but you may be able to change the length of time you spend in traffic with your car’s engine running. Try leaving home or work a little earlier or later to see if traffic is lighter at those times. My commute can last 15 to 20 minutes longer each way if I travel during peak traffic times. I prefer to leave home earlier and save both my gas and my time.