YourTemeculaValleyRealtor

Insulate Your Home. You may be wasting a lot of energy right in your own home.  Do an energy audit and make a list of the things you believe should be done.  Your local hardware store salesperson can help you determine how much the improvements will cost, how much energy they will save, and how [...]

Have A “Green” Picnic. Plan an outing that doesn’t create a lot of waste or pollution.  If you’re having a barbecue, avoid using lighter fluid–it contains naphthalene, an air pollutant which is suspected of causing cancer.  Instead, use an electric starter or, better yet, a device that lets you start coals using newspapers instead of fluid.  [...]

Get outside… Electrically powered exercise machines at gyms and at home require energy to operate. By taking your workout outdoors, the only energy required is yours. Walking, biking and jogging are great cardiovascular activities. Along the way,  strength train by using your body weight for resistance with lunges, squats, dips and step-ups.  You will get a great workout and you will have [...]

Find Out How To Dispose of Hazardous Waste. Nearly every household has some kind of hazardous waste: old paint cans, used motor oil, unused pesticides and weed killers.  If you dump these things down the drain, you’ll end up polluting the water supply.  THey should be disposed of in a site specially designed for hazardous [...]

Eat Organic Produce. Organic produce contains far fewer chemicals than other produce.  That’s probably better for your health, and it is definitely better for the environment.  All those chemicals get washed off of farmers’ fields into rivers and streams, where they pollute our water.  In addition, many of the chemicals are made from petroleum and [...]

Don’t Buy Aerosols. There are environmentally better packages for most products.  Aerosols can’t be recycled–which means that they are guaranteed to end up in landfills–and some of their ingredients contribute to air pollution.  Instead of aerosols, look for spray bottles, liquids, powders, and roll-ons. Check back tomorrow for your “E” idea…

Create A Compost Pile. It’s easy to do.  Find a corner of the yard that’s out of the way.  Carefully throw food wastes (leftovers, eggshells, coffee grounds, spoiled vegetables, etc.) into a pile and mix with dirt.  Every week or so, turn the pile over with a shovel to give it more air.  In a [...]

Buy Products Made Of Recycled Paper. How can you tell if a package is recycled?  It’s right on the package.  Many have specific claims, such as “made of 100 percent recycled material.”  However, some recycled packages don’t advertise this fact, although there are ways you can find out for yourself.  For example, when shopping for [...]

Avoid Fast Food. Most fast food is overpackaged and is responsible for producing mountains of trash.  By avoiding eating at fast food restaurants whenever possible, you’ll help reduce this needless waste. Check back tomorrow for the “B” idea…

Find yourself doing epic battle with possibly the greatest nuisance known to man and beast? Fleas! One thing all pet owners must come to grips with: If you are going to own pets with hair–whether indoors or out–you are going to have fleas. Once you resign yourself to this, you can set about controlling your flea [...]