Chill Out: Five Ways to Beat the Summer Heat while Staying Eco Conscious

Hello from sunny, and scorching, Phoenix, Arizona! It is mid-May and our temperatures have already started hitting the low 100 range on a somewhat regular basis. I can’t say for sure if this is early since it’s only my third summer here but it sure feels early. I started looking for alternatives to beat the summer heat while staying as eco conscious as possible.

Here are five simple things anyone can do to stay cool and comfortable even on the hottest summer days.

Adjust the thermostat by two degrees

This sounds like a small thing but by setting our air conditioner to kick on at eighty degrees instead of seventy-eight we can save approximately 2% in energy costs. The reverse can also be beneficial to cost and energy saving – turn the thermostat down in the winter. The two degrees on either end will barely be noticeable to the body but it will sure be noticed by the wallet when the savings roll in over the course of the year.

Block passive solar from entering the house

I use heavy weight velvet drapes in the living room and dining room, darker lined curtains in the bedroom, and wooden blinds in the kitchen. What do all these rooms have in common? They’re on the south face of our home where the sun pours in during the entire day. The curtains on the front of the house (north face) are lighter weight and lighter colored. Sunlight can still brighten up the house from these windows but the warming that comes with the sun doesn’t have to bake our rooms in the process. Once the sun passes by each of the windows I can pull back the curtains to let late afternoon light into the home. Bright and sunny doesn’t have to mean hot and wasteful!

Cover the pool

We opted to purchase a home with a pool, something we use just about every day from May through October. Not only does jumping into the pool help to cool us off (another way to eliminate air conditioning!) but it’s a soothing water feature in our yard. However, a pool uses a lot of water which is not only a hit to the wallet but is also a tough thing to justify wasting even a drop of here in the desert. When we first bought this place there were weeks we lost a full inch (or more) from our pool. By installing a simple solar cover (trimmed to fit our uniquely shaped pool) we are able to save from massive evaporation in our dry climate and not only cut back on the water bill but also extend our swimming season on either end of the summer.

Run the ceiling fans, not the AC

Installing ceiling fans is another great way to keep cooling (and heating) costs down. We leave our fans circulating all the time as it keeps continuous airflow through the house even when the air conditioner is off.

Invest in natural fiber clothing

I’ve seen a whole bunch of adorable sun dresses and other summer clothing on display recently but I’ve walked away from purchasing because of one reason – man-made fibers. Polyester and nylon may feel like they’re lighter weight because they’re so light to the touch but it’s an illusion. Synthetic threads such as those don’t breathe the same way a natural fiber like cotton, bamboo, hemp, etc. breathe because they are tighter woven in order to maintain a specific shape. Wearing them close to your skin will actually keep you warmer because the body’s internal cooling system (sweat) gets trapped under their surface with no way to escape. A natural fiber will help to wick away perspiration from the body but also release it into the air more quickly meaning the sweat can help keep the body cool. Cotton, bamboo, hemp, linen, etc. are wonderful alternatives to synthetic fibers and your cool bod will thank you for making the investment!

With just a few simple steps those of us in warmer climates will enjoy their hot and steamy summer by staying cool as a cucumber in the crisper drawer!

Image courtesy Stuart Miles at Freedigitalphotos.net

Phoenix Edition of Natural Awakenings Magazine

As I was leaving my Chiropractor’s office a few weeks ago I noticed they had a stack of Natural Awakenings Magazine marked as Free on the top of the checkout counter. I grabbed one so I could check out the content inside. I was pleasantly surprised!

The magazine is 60 pages in full color and that includes the front and back covers. The photo on the front of a butterfly on a flower (above) was sweet and made me think of spring right away. In Phoenix that means I’ll be turning on the air conditioner full time pretty soon. I want to find other ways to cut back or conserve so I opened up the magazine in search of tips.

There were articles on Earth Day, cleaning without five harmful chemicals, women’s issues, and lots more. The pages are newsprint and as the publisher says in his letter:

We proudly use recycled newsprint in our publication because it’s the gentlest option for the environment. Glossy paper requires substantially more chemicals and manufacturing processes, and it’s harder to recycle.

I was impressed from the first page! As I read articles written by environmentally and health minded women and men I was reminded of many things I’d read before as well as had my eyes opened to quite a few new facts. For example, in the article “Hormones Have Strong Impact on Weight Gain” by Alan Christianson, NMD I read that the hormone cortisol elevates in stressful circumstances. I didn’t know about this particular hormone before so it was nice to learn while reading.

With a calendar of events and Community Resource Guide in the back and a plethora of advertisements for consumers to find natural/holistic/organic/inner peace related companies the magazine is a complete package for anyone whether new to the area or not.

I’m giving Natural Awakenings 4 and a half green leaves and going now to sign up for their eMag email delivery so I don’t miss any great ads or articles!

To check out the magazine online please visit them at Natural Awakenings – Phoenix Edition

Important Notice About the EPA and some Pesticides

A few days ago I was reading through my local paper and a story struck me as very huge. Unfortunately the article was just a small blurb on an inside page. I wished it had been bigger so it seemed right to share the story here on Green Leaf Reviewer.

I cut the piece out and inadvertantly forgot to note the date it ran in my paper so I apologize for not being able to provide that information. It first ran in USA Today on March 28, 2013. The story is quoted from USA Today but I originally clipped it out of the Arizona Republic.

Study: Two thirds of pesticides got flawed EPA approval

Many pesticides used in consumer products and agriculture received federal approval through a loophole that doesn't require thorough testing, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental group.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency used a regulatory loophole to approve 65% of 16,000 pesticides that pose a potential threat to public health, according to the two-year investigation by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The authors say the EPA's database makes it unclear how many of those pesticides received adequate, if any, testing.

"People should be concerned, because we have examples of at least two pesticides on the market that shouldn't have been approved," says NRDC attorney Mae Wu, who co-authored the study with Jennifer Sass, a senior health scientist. Wu points to nanosilver, which was approved as an anti-microbial agent in clothing but may damage brain and liver cells, and clothianidin, which was designed to be absorbed into plant tissue but is passed on fatally to bees and other pollinators.

"EPA has not yet had a chance to carefully review the issue brief," the agency said in a statement. It cites its own internal review, posted on its website, that said subsequent pesticide information submitted to the EPA "confirms that products initially registered on a conditional basis are not posing unacceptable risks to human health or the environment."

In that review, however, the EPA said it had widely (98% of the time) misused its "conditional registration" of pesticides from 2004 to 2010...

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

What would you like to see done to clean up this issue?

First Annual Arizona Gives Day

The entire state of Arizona - lawmakers, grass-roots activists, businesses, non-profits, and the citizens - are all coming together on Wednesday March 20, 2013 to celebrate the new partnership appropriately dubbed Arizona Gives Day.

This initiative was born just under a year ago when it was brought to the table by Patrick McWhortor and Marissa Theisen of the groups Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits and the Arizona Grantmakers Forum. They were looking for a day of giving in our state that would be a collaboration between every citizen who calls Arizona home.

There are over 800 non-profit organizations participating in the day of giving tomorrow. Donations can be made online and the website is very easy to navigate. Recipients are involved with every corner of life for Arizonans.

Categories include:

• Animals
• Arts & Culture
• Children & Youth
• Community & Society
• Economic Development
• Education
• Environment
• Health
• Humanitarian Aid
• International
• Religion
• Science & Technology

To find out more about a cause or organization you'd like to support on Arizona Gives Day, visit azgives.org then donate as much as you can to help our state aspire to even greater heights!

Not in Arizona? No problem! We'd be happy to accept doantions coming in from across the country or across the globe!

Together, we can make Arizona the most generous state in the nation for even one day!

AAA Magazine As A Green Resource

I've been a member of the AAA Organization for as long as I can remember driving a car. They provide a valuable service, many in fact, and I've made use of their emergency roadside assistance in multiple capacities over the years. Recently while reading my Highroads magazine I came across a small article regarding Green Shops.

A car can be a huge strain on the environment if not properly maintained. Emissions are forefront in many consumer's minds these days but there are other factors that car maintenance can impact which may not even make our radar as we get our cars serviced and cleaned.

Solvents, fluid disposal, spills and energy efficiency are commonly overlooked pieces of the car care puzzle.

I get my oil changed, clean the interior and exterior of my vehicle and make sure my tire pressure is optimal for better gas mileage but where we take our cars to have these services performed can be just as vital as making sure the tasks are completed. AAA has compiled a list of over thirty shops that are on their Green Shops list in and around Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.

Per the Highroads magazine:

Performing beyond the standard environmental regulations, these shops have adopted additional environmentally friendly practices including:

- Using low-hazard, low-pollution solvents or water-based cleaning
- Recycling and reusing fluids whenever possible
- Practicing spill prevention, sealing shop floors, and recycling oil
- Saving energy with efficient lighting, "green" office equipment, and energy-efficient air conditioning
- Properly maintaining plumbing, installing low-water use fixtures, and using desert landscaping and dry-floor clean-up procedures

If you're in the Phoenix or Tucson area you can learn more about the shops on their list by visiting the AAA Green Shops. To find the list of Green shops in your area contact your local AAA office for more information.

It's just one way we can all ensure we do our environmental part.