One of my favorite things to do these days is to sit home and wait for my electric bill. Well not really, but you know that anticipation of being able to unwrap that one special box on your birthday? THAT is how I view my electric bill when it comes in and this year has been a banner year for the electric bill. For the first 6 months of 2009 my entire electric bill has been … drum roll please … $117 ($19.50 per month) … in the middle of Phoenix Arizona. OK so I am bragging a little bit, but this is not far off from what you can do at your house…it just takes some time. I have been tracking my electric bills for over 10 years (the nerd in me) and been conscious of my electricity consumption – becoming very efficient in my home space.

My motto is there is no suffering allowed and this is one thing I can’t say enough. So when it gets hot I turn on the cooler or air conditioning and when it gets cold I turn on the heat. Energy efficiency is the first step everyone should make. The next one, if you are so inclined, is to add solar panels to your roof. In this week’s Featured Article I explore the difference between what I call Production vs. Efficiency and the values of both of them.

To learn more, browse The Solar House, which is a fantastic book on passive solar heating and cooking. Ready, Set, Green offers green living solutions that don’t demand a radical overhaul of your life. No suffering allowed, indeed. Just simple steps that make for a happier pocketbook and planet.

Have a great green day!

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Many of you know that my passion for gardening can rival that of the garden bugs that show up in my yard. It is quite an interesting dance as each of us takes lead. Often we feel that a pest solution lies in some kind of pest deterrent. I however have found over and over that if we address the root cause, the bugs essentially become a non issue. What, you say, is the “root” issue? Healthy soil and balance. Join me in this week’s article as we explore just how we can create healthy soil and balance in our gardens.

On a side note, chlorine is added to our tap water to kill all the little microorganisms that live there. THAT is good for our drinking water but not so for our gardens. So what is one to do? Check out the Gard’n Gro Chlorine Removal System that we have available on our site. This handy add-on filters as you go, making for happy flowers and veggies in return.

For those pesky bugs at the cottage and campsite, I suggest our DEET-free Herbal Armor Insect Repellant Spray. You’ll love it. The bugs won’t.

Have a great green day!

Greg

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