Blog Archives

Plants and indoor air quality

11/29/2020

Indoor air quality is a complex topic. Many of the items in our homes, including furniture, paint, cleaning supplies, and artificial scent contribute potentially harmful chemicals to the air inside the home. There are several ways to reduce the concentration of pollutants in the air of your home and I will do some future posts on those as I complete the research. While having plants in your home cannot eliminate indoor air pollutants, they can play a small role in reducing the concentrations of the pollutants in your air. Here’s an article that discusses some of the plants you can consider.

https://www.powerofpositivity.com/12-of-the-best-plants-for-cleaner-indoor-air/

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Charging your cell phone

11/17/2020

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Many of us (until recently including me) plug in our cell phone just before we go to bed, so it will be fully charged and ready to go in the morning. After the phone is charged, the charger continues to use a small amount of electricity for the rest of the night. If your phone charges quickly enough and your schedule allows, instead try charging the phone as soon as you wake up. Always unplug the charger when it’s not in use, because a plugged-in charger uses a small amount of energy even when no phone is attached.

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Kitchen ideas part 2

11/8/2020

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Here are more ideas for sustainability in the kitchen.

Learn how to store produce to maximize the time it stays fresh. Some items, such as apples, should not be stored near other produce, because the apples emit a gas that causes fruits such as bananas to ripen faster. Here are two links with information on the best ways to store food. https://www.savethefood.com/food-storage

https://www.livestrong.com/article/523091-what-fruits-shouldnt-be-stored-next-to-each-other

Don’t stand in front of the refrigerator door while you are thinking about what to remove. For every 30 seconds the door is open, it takes 30 minutes for the refrigerator to cool back down. Also, when you need to get multiple items out of the refrigerator, try to get them in batches so that you open the door as few times as possible.
Minimize use of disposable paper towels. Keep washable cloths or rags handy for cleanup chores. Paper towels are still sometimes a useful option, so use the smallest piece that will do the job. I buy the rolls that have half sheet perforations, and then frequently tear the half sheets in half because I only need a small piece of paper towel for the job.
Per a Time magazine special edition on sustainability, using a microwave or pressure cooker saves energy (and time) compared to baking in the oven. Using a toaster oven may also save energy compared to roasting in an oven.

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