It’s hot out. However, if you’re environmentally conscious and want to avoid cranking up the air conditioner, there are ways to stay cool AND save energy. Take advantage of cooler temperatures during the morning and evening hours, and use a fan during these times. Invest in heavy, dark shaded drapes or blinds in your home and keep them closed to block the sunrays from beating heat into your home.

Cook smarter during the hot summer months, and grill meals outdoors, to avoid turning up the oven and heating up your home. This will save energy and keep your home cooler. When spring approaches, be sure your windows are updated, and free of any leaks so heat won’t enter your home. Lastly, don’t use your dryer during the summer and hang clothes out to dry. Not only will they smell great, you won’t create unnecessary, “artificial” heat in your home. It’s easy to turn on the air conditioner and enjoy a cool home, but it is terrible for the environment. Beat the heat this summer, save energy, and help the environment with these tips for staying cool.

Global warming and other environmental hazards have everyone looking for ways to minimize their carbon footprint and take better care of the Earth. The inherent creative nature of the human race allows many inventors to discover exciting ways to save the environment. While solar powered cars and wind turbines have made giant leaps in the way of green inventions, here are a few simple and creative green inventions.

For example, many people are taking advantage of naturally renewable bamboo for flooring and other home needs. Inventors are now using bamboo to build many environmentally friendly laptops! Another popular green invention is the bamboo toothbrush that minimizes the use of non-renewable and harmful plastic. There is also a water-powered alarm clock that can run for six to eight weeks on nothing but water and a splash of lemon juice – no joke!  Scientists are even working on a solar powered cell phone! It’s easy to get excited about the environment with these ingenious inventions. If you’re working on improving your personal environmental policies, take example from these inventions, and get creative.

Horizontal Spinning Compost Mixer

Composting reuses food garbage and waste and turns it into rich, natural soil that can be used throughout your garden, in flowerbeds, and in landscaping projects. Composting is a great way to serve the environment as it provides a way to reuse food garbage, and diminishes excess waste. If you’re interested in starting composting efforts, the process is as easy as investing in a garbage pail. Drill holes in the bottom of the garbage pail so that the compost will drain, and be sure to set the compost bin on something (bricks, wood panels, etc). Start your composting bin with some soil on the bottom. Begin sorting your food garbage and placing it into the compost bin, and be sure to rotate the soil with a shovel every week.

Another method of composting involves denying the waste oxygen, by filling a plastic bag with food waste, lawn clippings, etc. Add a little amount of water to help break down the waste. Tie the bag off when full, and let sit while you start another bag. With these two options for easy composting you’ll be creating nutrient rich soil in no time.

Going green – everyone is doing it. But how does one take the first steps to being environmentally responsible and living “green”? There are a few easy changes you can make to ensure your carbon footprint is minimized. First, limit the amount of times you use your car, and carpool whenever necessary. A good rule of thumb is that if it takes you less than 10 minutes to drive somewhere, give yourself extra time and walk instead. Similarly, eating fewer meals outside of the home, and cooking more meals inside reduces waste.

Other ways to partake in a more green lifestyle are to recycle and compost. Inquire about your town or city’s recycling facilities. Oftentimes, it’s as easy as requesting a separate garbage container and separating your plastic and paper to be picked up on a different day. Invest in a compost bin and fill it partially with soil. Dump all food garbage into the compost bin, remembering to rotate the pile at least every two weeks. Eventually, you will have rich soil to use in your home garden. Going green doesn’t have to mean an entire lifestyle overhaul. The move to a more conscious style of living helps make giant strides in improving our environment, and our world.

Visiting a friend down the street the other day opened my eyes to something I had never thought about before; flies. More specifically was why did they have such a terrible problem with flies and I had seen so few at my house? When I told my hosts that I didn’t have the same issue they were floored! It seems that they have been battling these little pests since late spring and it was only getting worse. It was a mystery and I wanted to see if I could discover what was going on.

My first guess was it was a chemical that our bug company uses so I gave them a call. They were pretty sure that the organic chemical they used would not keep flies away like that so I was searching again. Then I found it; basil! Believe it or not, houseflies hate the smell of basil and avoid it like the plague. We grow tomatoes and I plant basil as a companion plant to keep as many bugs off of the tomatoes as possible because there are a lot of bugs that don’t like the smell either. So now you know, plant basil around your house or keep a potted plant or two in your home to keep the flies away. I just took one over to my neighbor!

One of the best ways to grow your own food on a year round basis is to build your own greenhouse. This way you get to choose the size based on the available space you have at your home. It does take planning and work and you need to make sure you read a lot about the subject because there is a lot more to it than sticking some plastic up over a frame and putting plants inside, You will need to have ventilation and circulation and there are calculators to help you figure that out OR you can call a retailer who is selling the materials and they can help you as well. Have your dimensions ready and a sketch ready to fax if need be.

One of the best covering materials is Solexx panels and rolls. It is very easy to install and has a great rating for all types of climates including very cold temperatures. You will need to get the thicker 5mm for these extreme climates and the 3.5mm for your normal climates. Since each panel has been treated twice for the effects of ultraviolet, it helps to filter out harmful rays and extends the life of the panels and rolls and is one more reason to consider them for your greenhouse.

With the state of the economy over the past couple of years, we in the construction world have wondered how environmental trends in our industry would fare. If the 2010 National American Institute of Architects Convention is any indication, the LEED trend is increasing exponentially. This year’s convention, held on June 10^th – 12^th in Miami, was a demonstration of the force that continues to propel “green” building and products with LEED requirements in the architectural markets. Most of this movement can be attributed to the inventive nature and cutting edge outlook of the architectural community as many of the exhibited products this year, as in recent years, have more integrated LEED characteristics with little to no increase in costs. I have to admit in the beginning of the LEED movement I never thought it would come to possess so much authority because of our budget oriented industry – I’m glad my initial observations were inaccurate.

It’s also inspiring to see domestic competition in deep-rooted markets. One such product exhibited this year is Formica’s Vivix, a direct competitor to Trespa. Formica will be rolling out Vivix with concealed and exposed fastener systems, both with patents pending. Final testing was to be finished by the end of June so a full roll out of the product by late summer or early fall of 2010 is likely. Vivix has a deep and attractive color pallet and I believe it will prove to be a considerable competitor to other products in the high pressure laminate market.

It’s so easy to look at what has happened in the Gulf of Mexico and blame BP for the oil spill. That’s not saying that BP was not at fault because truly they are. It’s simply saying that we have drilled in very deep water for a long time without a large incident like this and have been really lucky considering the amount of drilling that has taken place as well as the risks and shortcuts that have come to fruition.

Those who have lived on the Gulf Coast for a long time have seen evidence of oils spillage over the years. There has been oil that has been recovered on the beaches and out in the ocean just never in the amount that we see right now and of course never devastated the wildlife and fisheries like this spill has and will. But we should have known something like this would eventually happen. Even though the oil companies have a lax plan for these occasions they knew it was possible because they had a plan. But it was always worth it so they could deliver oil to the American public as cheaply as possible. It just turns out that we will be paying for this cheap oil for a long time and the bill will be higher than we ever thought.

When I married I had no idea that I had married into a family of hoarders because they called themselves “collectors”. The problem is that they collect everything! I am lucky because my spouse and one sister see this and know it is a problem. They both struggle against the compulsion to hoard some things but being aware and having each other to talk to about it has been a life and marriage saving activity. The other sister and brother as well as mother and step-father are another story.

When my mother-in-law came to our home and realized we had given away a chair, I thought she was going to cry. She asked my wife why she wasn’t called first because she would have taken the chair even though we know she has no where to put it. We just don’t tell her about anything that we throw away because she would be aghast to know the cards and letters have been recycled as well as baby clothes, etc. We simply tell her that they are stored in the shed out back as it tends to make her physically ill if we tell her we have thrown them out. I hope she never figures out that our little shed has no way of holding everything we have told her is out there.

Sometimes I think we spend more time than we should making our homes, yards and gardens beautiful while we neglect beautifying what is most important; our inner world. I know far too many people who are either burned out or close to being burned out that it’s not even close to being funny. The term “burned out” is also extremely interesting as it implies that we each have a fire that burns inside of us. So if we had a fire that needed to be tended every day for our life sustenance, would we not spend a good deal of time making sure it keeps burning?

Being able to tap into ones “fire” or lack of is not always an easy thing to do as most of us are just walking through life not paying attention to anything that comes from within. We have been told to pay attention to everyone else; the kids, your spouse, your boss, politics, news and everything else but you! However, if you continue to pay attention to everyone else at your own expense, be prepared to eventually burn out and join the throngs or other people that are oblivious to their own fire. Or make a different decision today to tend to the fire that makes you tick. May it always burn brightly!