Green Around Acadiana | St. Landry Parish Visitor Center

If I said there was a building in South Louisiana that utilizes solar and wind power, incorporates passive energy efficiency design, collects rainwater, was built with reclaimed materials and showcases local plants and art, would you know where I'm talking about?

If I said that building is the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center, would you be surprised?

Nestled just off of I-49 Exit 23 north of Opelousas, the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center serves to provide travelers with information on notable places and current events in the parish, but it also serves as a destination in itself.

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Beat the Heat, but Conserve Too!

Now that it's officially summer, let's talk about how you can stay comfortable at home even when the temperatures rise. Utility rates typically rise in the summer to follow the increased demand, so it's even more important to conserve energy where you can so you can save on your bill, or at least keep it from climbing too high.

There are easy, inexpensive changes you can make in and around your home to help with your comfort, and there are more long-term investments that can leave a huge impact on your home's energy efficiency.

Inexpensive Options

• Turn your thermostat up a degree or two. You might be surprised to find it's almost as comfortable, and you'll save money on your utility bill.
• Use your ceiling fans. They require much less electricity than the air conditioner, and they help keep YOU cool in a room. When you're not occupying a room, turn off the fan to help wear and tear.
• Hang curtains. Blackout and thermal curtains are one of the best ways to block out light and heat during the summer. But, with the exception of sheer panels, just about any curtain will help to some extent. I recently replaced the valance in my bathroom with a spare curtain (folded in half height-wise because of course we have a window that doesn't fit a standard curtain size), and it has already made a huge difference. With the way this summer is going already, I couldn't stand the thought of that harsh 5:00 sun beating through the window, past the valance, and making the bathroom feel like a sauna.
• Keep your blinds, shades and curtains closed, especially during the day and when you aren't home. I'm not sure it gets any easier than that! However, sometimes you just have to let a couple certain stinkers be able to stare outside for birds and squirrels.

 

• Use the majority of your electricity in off-peak hours. Don't wash your clothes or cook during the afternoon, when the temperatures are at their hottest. The electricity rates will be higher, and the demand from everyone else will contribute to putting a strain on the grid. Do laundry or your hair in the morning or evening.
• Change up your cooking methods. Using your stove and oven contributes to a lot of excess heat in the kitchen. This can require our air conditioner to run more to regulate the temperature to keep things comfortable. Use a slow cooker or cooking dishes that don't require heat. (And I can hear many of you thinking, "Well, I might as well go out to eat or order takeout!" It is an option, but it can get more expensive and keeps more cars on the road.)
• Use CFL or LED lightbulbs in all lights and lamps. Incandescent bulbs give off more heat than light, making them more energy inefficient. CFL bulbs are cooler to the touch and use less energy to give you the same end product. LED bulbs tend to give off really good light, don't have that slow-lighting tendency that CFLs do, and are the most energy efficient type of the group. The bulbs cost more in the first place, but they have the most impact on your utility bill. The lights in the above photo of our ceiling fan are LEDs, and they are amazing. They instantly reach full brightness and do a better job of lighting the room than the previous CFLs did.

 

An LED light bulb we recently transitioned to at home.

 

• Check for cracks around windows and doors. If you can see light peeking through, then a lot of your cool air is escaping too. Patch or seal any cracks or fix anything broken to keep the air from escaping.
• Embrace shade! A house sitting out in the open is going to bake in the hot summer sun. While it's important to make sure trees themselves don't pose a threat to your home's safety, it's beneficial to keep (or plant) trees around your home to provide shade.

More Expensive, But Very Impactful Investments

• Have screens installed on your windows, especially if they're single-pane. They'll help cut down the harsh glare.
• Have solar film installed, which helps with heat reduction and solar glare. Check out this post from 2012, when I had Lafayette, Shutters, Blinds and More install solar film at my former office, making a huge impact on both our comfort and our utility bill.
• Have thermal, double-pane windows installed.
• Insulate your attic or home. Older homes, like ours, typically don't have great insulation, and it is one of the biggest factors toward escaped energy and wasted money. If you can, look into getting fresh insulation and enjoy the comfort.
• Invest in a Wi-Fi thermostat, like the Nest. There are many brands out there these days, but we invested in a Nest when my fiance first moved into his home. It has been so convenient to have the app, and the Nest learns your habits and adjusts the AC usage accordingly. We also have the Auto-Away feature set, so it learns when we aren't home for a long period of time, and it runs the AC less frequently, saving us tons of wasted energy and money. And because I'm a nerd, I love to check the weekly report to see how well we did, usage-wise. But all of the Wi-Fi thermostats enable you to run

What other ways do you stay cool during the heat of summer?

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Packing Up the Sleigh for Holiday Travel

If you think about it, traveling by sleigh is pretty eco-friendly. I assume Santa's sleigh doesn't run on gas, but just on biofuel (hey-ohhhh!). And with the distance he travels in one night, that's a pretty decent source of energy that we should maybe look into!

However, the rest of us still have to rely on other forms of transportation for our holiday travel (and we certainly aren't going to get there as quickly as Santa!) Whether you go by car or airplane, there are a few tips to remember that will help you travel more sustainably and with a smaller footprint.

By Car

• Pack lightly and bring only what you need for your trip. The more you weigh your vehicle down with unnecessary items, the less efficiently your vehicle will perform.
• Pack snacks and drinks in reusable containers. Resist the urge to throw everything in a Ziploc bag! Plus, you'll be able to use the containers again while you're away, and on your trip home.
• Check that your vehicle is up to date on maintenance and oil changes. Your vehicle runs most efficiently when everything is working correctly.
• Fill up your tires to their proper inflation. Low tire pressure reduces fuel efficiency.
• Pack what you can inside the car, as those roof luggage racks reduce efficiency as well.
• Use cloth bags to pack gifts or extra goods for the car, or bring a few empty ones to use on your trip home!

 

By Air

• Don't overpack! Not only will you get slapped with overweight baggage fees, you'll be contributing to a heavier, less efficient airplane.
• Bring an empty reusable drink container. You generally won't be able to bring liquids through a security checkpoint, but you can fill your bottle once you've gone through.
• Use recycling or compost bins in the airport instead of throwing everything in the trash.
• If you have unused napkins from the airport restaurant or in-flight snacks, keep and save them for later. Or even bring your own cloth napkin and say "no, thank you" to paper.
• Have gifts to bring? Don't wrap them before you pack them! TSA agents may have to unwrap gifts during a scan, and there's trashed wrapping paper you won't get back. You'll have to use even more paper to rewrap, and what a headache it is overall. If your gifts are too large or bulky to fly with, consider just shipping them to your destination. (If you're ordering gifts online, have them shipped directly to the recipient to save extra packing materials and fuel.)
• Use mobile boarding passes if your airline supports them. It beats having scrappy pieces of paper that you could accidentally lose or throw away, and it works just as easily.

 

Once You're There

Enjoy your holidays, wherever you are. Don't forget your basic green practices:

• Recycle!
• Use cloth bags.
• Conserve water.
• Keep the thermostat on a moderate temperature, even if you're at a hotel. (And I'd say not to turn the heat on too high, but chances are, we'll all be blasting the AC on Christmas Day. I mean, the high in south Louisiana is supposed to be 74! #ChristmasInShorts)
• Choose reusable cups and dinnerware.
• Don't waste what you don't really need.
• Walk, ride bikes, or carpool.

Where are you heading for the holidays this year? Doing it Four Christmases-style and jetting off to a tropical island, or simply heading to your parents?

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Living In Style...In 200 Square Feet

Tiny homes are increasingly popular these days. Instead of going for a 4,000 square-foot megahouse, many creative and frugal people are investing in a home that's 500 square feet or smaller.

The key to a tiny home life is intrinsically rooted in environmentalism. By living in a very small space, you are forced to utilize every inch. Everything must have a purpose, and if you don't use something, you don't let it take up valuable space. Many homes are built and furnished with salvaged or repurposed materials. A smaller footprint automatically means smaller utility bills. What's not to love about that!? You can even go off the grid with solar panels on the roof.

Tiny homes come two ways - as a permanent structure, just like a regular house, or constructed on a trailer that can be pulled, just like an RV. Being able to move your tiny home provides many benefits. For people who travel often, or have a less stationary job, you can simply pack up and get on the road with your entire home behind you.

Additionally, tiny homes make great vacation places. Got some property at Toledo Bend, or False River, or wherever? Roll up with your 200 square-foot home and start relaxing!

Most homes are laid out pretty similar. There's a living space, small kitchen (with or without a small stove, and usually without an oven), toilet and shower, storage built into every nook and cranny, and most of the time, a loft bedroom, with space-saving stairs.

Image: HGTV

Decorating is where you can vary wildly. Some homes have a sleek minimalist look, some have a wooden cabin feel, and some look like a salvaged junkyard, pieced together with scrap materials.

Image: Tiny Heirloom Homes, via Curbed

If you can't get enough of peeking at other people's tiny homes, there are TV shows and documentaries on Netflix to satisfy you: Tiny House Nation and Tiny House Hunters on HGTV, and Tiny: A Story About Living Small” and “Small Is Beautiful: A Tiny House Documentary.

Think tiny homes are just for wanderers out in the mountains? The movement has even hit New Orleans! Gambit recently wrote an article about tiny homes being a possible answer to skyrocketing home prices in the city. Two years ago, the Times Picayune featured a music teacher in Covington who lives in a 200 square-foot house made of mostly recycled materials.

Image: NOLA.com

Curbed NOLA has a tag dedicated to tiny homes, and the main Curbed site has five impressive homes to drool over, along with a tag for tiny homes around the country.

My fiance and I are obsessed with different tiny home styles, and dream of one day being able to have one out in the mountains of Colorado. Bonus points for in the trees near a lake. We debate over just how many square feet we could live in (less for him, more for me, obviously.) We prefer a fixed home over a glorified RV. We love windows and a clean interior design, with space for our cats, of course!

My absolute favorite tiny home, may be on the larger end of the spectrum at 600 square feet, but is cozy and full of style. Located in Little Rock, Arkansas, the house uses the Tumbleweed Whidbey layout. Take a photo and video tour of Lyndsey's home, but don't blame me if you fall in love with it!

Check out some tiny home vendors:

• Tennessee Tiny Homes
• Tumbleweed Tiny House Company (they sell the mobile versions, but sell simply the floor plans for fixed homes)
• Tiny Heirloom 
• Atkinson & Stone Carpentry

More articles on the tiny home movement:

• LiveScience: Living Small: The Science of Psychology Houses
• Salon: Living Large in 150 Square Feet: Why the Tiny House Movement is Taking Off
• Washington Post: Tiny house, big benefits: Freedom from a mortgage and worries - and stuff

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Summertime Fuel Efficiency

In these dog days of summer, getting into a hot car can feel about the same as stepping into a sauna. With this July being the warmest on record for Lafayette (as if you couldn't feel that lovely oven air every afternoon), it's important to stay cool for your safety.

It's possible to stay cool in your car without sacrificing your fuel efficiency. In some ways, the summertime can actually increase your fuel economy: your engine warms up to an efficient temperature faster, summer grades of gasoline can have slightly more energy and warm air causes less aerodynamic drag than cold air.

The biggest culprit to reducing your fuel efficiency is your good old air conditioner. And second place goes to windows rolled down. According to the Department of Energy, under very hot conditions, air conditioners use can reduce a conventional vehicle's fuel economy by more than 25%. The effect on hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles can be even larger.
Rolling the windows down increases drag, or wind resistance, requiring that your vehicle use more energy to push through the air, moreso at higher speeds.

You probably don't want to use a big portion of your gas to simply cool off inside, and there are easy ways to stay comfortable and efficient:

• Park in the shade or use a windshield sunshade so that the cabin doesn't get as hot.
• Roll the windows down at lower speeds in the city and use the AC on the highway.
• Don't use the AC more than needed or set the temperature lower than needed. Once you're comfortable, turn it down a little.
• Drive with the windows open for a short time before using the AC. Letting hot air out of the cabin first will put less demand on the AC and help your vehicle cool faster.
• Don't idle with the AC running before driving. Turn the AC on after you begin to drive or after airing out the cabin briefly. Most AC systems will cool the vehicle faster while driving.
• Read your owner's manual. Most manuals explain how the AC system controls work and how to best use and maintain the AC system.
• For plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, pre-cooling the cabin while plugged into the charger can extend your vehicle's range. Also, using a warmer temperature setting for the AC will use less battery power.

(Tips courtesy of fueleconomy.gov)

Although parking in shade is the best, it's not always possible. Many parking lots don't even have trees, and those that do have limited shade parking. And funny how those are the spots taken first.

So, sunshades are one of my favorite ways to keep cool. They don't cost much, they can show off your style, and they work WONDERS on a hot day. Auto Anything reports that sunshades can reduce the temperature inside your car up to 40 degrees. And whether it's natural shade or a sunshade, if your car is cooler inside to begin with, your air conditioner doesn't have to work as hard, minimizing its impact on your gas tank.

The shades range from the foil accordion-fold style to the pop-up style. Some are reversible to work in the wintertime, keeping the heat IN. (Can we all please dream of having this problem? #TooMuchSummer) The shades also protect your vinyl and any belongings inside, and keep your metal seat belt buckles from getting too hot. All without requiring gas or electricity.

Other tips from CNET for staying cool:

• Use your bottom air vents. Since heat rises, the best method is to push the hot air out from the bottom to cool the vehicle as quick as possible, by helping the stale hot air escape through the open windows. Once the hot air is pushed out, switch to the upper vents to stay cool while driving.
• Switch your A/C settings. Set the intake on "fresh air" and not "recirculation" when you first enter your vehicle. Recirculation draws in the interior air and typically works best once the vehicle has reached its desired temperature.

And no matter where you park, for how long or whether you use a sunshade, never leave children or pets inside the car. Even with taking these measures, cars can still get too hot for safety very quickly.

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small space, big impact

There may not be a lot to love about apartment living, but it does have perks! It's possible to be eco-friendly in a temporary space.

Before moving into a house earlier this year, I spent almost five years living in apartments, both with a roommate and by myself. I found it pretty easy to be efficient and eco-conscious.

Check out a tour of my former living room and all its green qualities!

How can you go green in your own rental space?

Switch out light bulbs with energy efficient CFLs or LEDs. Chances are, your apartment's lighting will come with incandescent bulbs - a drain on utilities and your wallet. Invest in enough energy efficient light bulbs for all your fixtures and switch them out - but keep the old ones stored away. When you later move out, you can switch them back (unless you want to pay it forward for the next renter!) And use energy efficient bulbs in your own lighting.

Conserve energy by adjusting your thermostat. Stay conservative with your heating and cooling so your unit doesn't run as often, and you'll notice a big savings on your utility bill. Even adjusting a couple degrees makes a difference, so you don't have to be uncomfortable. Most apartments are probably a bit better off than homes, if there's only one wall that has windows. How low can you get your utility bill?? I think one of my lowest was $23!

Invest in thermal curtains. You can always take curtains with you, and thermal curtains will always be beneficial, no matter where you live. They make such a difference on heat from the sun coming in through windows, and they help block out light, whether from the sun or those parking lot lights.

Maintain a container garden. Small pots with herbs or vegetables fit well on small patios, provide what you need and make your outside space look way better than your neighbor's.

Be water smart. Run the dishwasher only when it's full. Don't leave the faucet running while you hand wash dishes or brush your teeth. Take efficient showers or baths. Whether you've got your own washer and dryer or you use the complex's facilities, wash full loads in cold water and dry when it's not peak energy hours (especially during the summer).

Pick up secondhand furnishings. You can find great used furniture or decorations online or at local shops, for much cheaper than buying new. Use them while you're renting, and sell or donate when you move to a house if you don't want to take them with you.

Use green cleaners. From brands like Seventh Generation or Mrs. Meyer's to homemade cleaners, you'll avoid harsh chemicals, which is especially great if you have children or pets in your apartment.

Get a recycling bin. Not all apartments have their own recycling service, but you can still collect your recyclables. It may take more dedication if you have to drive your collection somewhere to drop off, but it's worth it. I'll be doing a post in January that focuses on recycling at Lafayette apartment complexes!

So you may not be able to install solar panels or boost your home's insulation, but there are many ways you can go green in your temporary home!

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traveling and touristing sustainably

Whether you're spending a week at the beach, visiting a new city, or simply visiting far-away family, there are plenty of ways to make your trip greener.

I'll start by using one of my favorite green words to describe packing: EFFICIENCY. 

• Instead of packing everything you own into a set of suitcases, pare it down and bring only what you'll need. Pack pieces that match more than one other piece so you can wear it more than once. Wrap jewelry in socks or scarves and pack those inside shoes, using that available space to cut down elsewhere. 
• Bringing a smaller or lighter suitcase is not only easier on you, it's less of a weight load on your vehicle as well. Of course, that won't make a lick of difference on an airplane, but it at least might save you an overweight bag charge!
• Pack a reusable water bottle to encourage yourself to drink more water and use less water bottles. Metal water bottles ARE allowed through the TSA checkpoint if they are empty. It's even better to leave the top off during screening to help go smoothly.
• If you plan on shopping on your trip (and seriously, what female doesn't!?), stuff a reusable bag into your suitcase or purse to use as your shopping bag. It'll come in handy more than you realize. 
• If you fly with only a carry-on suitcase (which I usually do!), you get to follow the TSA 3-1-1 rules for liquids. Instead of purchasing travel size toiletries, get a set of empty travel size bottles and refill them for each trip with your existing toiletries. 
• For those of you going on beach trips, aka, everyone in South Louisiana who migrates over to the Gulf Coast at some point, you know how much stuff goes along with your suitcase. Skip the styrofoam coolers for your beer and food, and bring a regular one. Bring large containers of snacks and make your own snack bags instead of bringing the individually bagged versions. Use food storage containers instead of disposable zip-top bags. 
• Once you're packed and before you leave, take a walk around your house to make sure unnecessary electronics are unplugged to avoid drawing power. Adjust your thermostat so it runs less, because there's no point to cool an empty home. Just set it to be cooled down when you're scheduled to arrive home. It's also extra important to unplug electronics that draw vampire power as a safety precaution as well.

• Fuel efficiency is super important on vacation, since there are already enough other expenses. If you're going on a road trip in your own car, make sure your tires are inflated and everything is in proper working order. A smoothly running car is more efficient than one that needs work. It's also safer to travel farther in a car that doesn't need service.
• If you have multiple cars traveling together, see how you can cut down on the number by carpooling. If there's extra space, maximize it! Plus, when you carpool, chances are, you'll get some gas money recouped.
• On to flying. Of course, airplanes burn a metric crap-ton (scientific fact) of fuel. I'm not sure what kind of impact any carbon-neutral initiatives are having, but I don't imagine it would be very much. By packing more efficiently and having a lighter suitcase, however, you can reduce your personal load impact. While you're in the airport, you can also be less wasteful. Ask for drinks in your reusable bottle, and refuse a plastic bag at the newsstand. Chances are, you have some kind of bag with you already! I believe at least United has recycling collection onboard the plane, where they accept drink cans and newspapers in a separate bag for recycling instead of trash. Put your items in the recycling collection!
• Nonstop flights are greener than multiple-layover flights because the majority of fuel is burned during landing and takeoff, but of course, sometimes that's just out of your control. Where you have the option, consider it.

A few eco-friendly gadgets can make your trip a whole lot easier! I've already hammered in the reusable shopping bag and water bottle, but to go further than that:

• Look into getting a power bank for your cell phone or other battery-powered gadgets. It should charge through your computer's USB port, which doesn't add much electricity generation, if any. The power bank will come in tremendously handy while you're out exploring and your phone is draining quickly. Plug it into your phone, turn the bank on and throw everything back into your bag! A good power bank should be able to fully charge a smartphone without dying itself.
• GoToobs are food-safe, BPA-free silicone squeezy toiletry bottles. Among the reusable travel size containers, these are more eco-friendly than simple cheap plastic.
• If you're really set on reducing your waste, pack a set of reusable silverware (or rather, bambooware!) Bamboo is very sustainable and fast-growing, and these utensil sets are heat and stain resistant and won't absorb food flavors. They even come in a handy recycled bag!
• I would suggest solar-powered chargers for electronics, but the few experiences I've had with solar powered chargers have not been very electric (waka waka!). Read your reviews before investing in solar-powered chargers. 
• Need portable speakers? Use a cup! Lifehacker has a "DIY" speaker for an iPad (aka cut a hole in a cup), but for phones or iPods, you can simply use the cup both as a holder and a speaker.

Wherever you travel, don't forget your green habits at home! Take the effort to reduce, reuse and recycle.

• Instead of requesting a fresh towel every day in your hotel, save your towel an extra day. Hotels that practice conservation (or at least put a little card in the room to make it look like they practice conservation, but that should probably be reserved for another post) will let you know where to place towels you want to keep and towels you want to exchange. The EPA acknowledges Green Seal and Green Leaf as reputable organizations that measure and rate the environmental initiatives in hotels.
• Don't waste water or electricity. Yes, I know hotel air conditioning is like free air conditioning, but it's still pulling extra power from somewhere! You may not have to conserve as much as you would at home, but you should still conserve.
• Recycle plastic bottles, glass bottles, cans, paper and plastic wherever there are recycling bins, especially as you're out exploring.
• Respect the natural environment around you. Don't trample landscaping or leave litter everywhere. Don't feed the animals.
• Look for eco-friendly transportation methods. Rent a hybrid vehicle (or a fuel-efficient compact if price is an important factor), take public transportation (and some large cities have eco-friendly public transportation!), rent bicycles or simply walk around if you can. 
• If you packed a reusable water bottle and shopping bag, use them!
• Learn about the green initiatives in your home-away-from-home. What do they do differently from your hometown? It can be interesting and inspiring to see how others practice environmentalism. 
• Eat local foods! Not only do you get to experience the real culture of your destination, you can be greener knowing the food doesn't travel as far to get to you. One of my favorite vacation rules of thumb is "If I have the same restaurant in my hometown, I won't eat it on vacation."

Other sources for tips:

• Huffington Post - 9 Eco-Friendly Travel Products
• 6 Ways to Green Your Summer Trip
• ABC News - Green Ideas: Tips for Eco-Friendly Travel
• US EPA - What Can I Do to Help The Environment When I Travel?
• RYOT - 10 eco-friendly travel tips

When you're on vacation, it doesn't mean you have an excuse to trash someone else's hometown. As Sweet Greens puts it, leave no trace! Leave a beautiful place for others to have as good a vacation as you!

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keeping warm with eco-friendly insulation

Insulation is easily one of the most effective ways to make a house more temperate all year round. If you're cold, you typically put a sweater on before you turn up the heat. Insulation is just a home's sweater!

I've written before about winterizing your home and the ways in which you can be more energy efficient in heating and cooling. By far, proper insulation is the base on which all these other methods build upon for maximum efficiency.

All insulation is "green" by nature, but there's a wide variety of insulation types, ranging from toxic to your health to super green and recycled.

Foam and fiberglass are the most common forms of insulation today. Foam products no longer use CFCs, but they do use HCFCs, which are better than CFCs, but still not great for the environment. Fiberglass manufacturing uses 20-25% recovered glass cullet, while mineral wool uses 75% recovered slag. Both still have controversial health risks, so they need to be carefully and expertly handled.

Fiber insulation materials (like cellulose, fiberglass, mineral wool and cotton) tend to have a lower environmental impact than foam-plastic insulation materials, but their thermal resistance is not as highly rated.

Back in the day (and still today to a lesser extent), popular traditional insulation used in homes and commercial buildings also contained asbestos, because the material has great sound absorption, resistance to fire, and affordability. However, the fibers are incredibly toxic to humans. Asbestos is classified as a known human carcinogen, yet it is still widely used in the US.  It affects water, air and soil quality, because it does not break down or biodegrade. When asbestos is inhaled, it becomes embedded in the lungs, and in many cases, leads to mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung lining. You don't want your home's walls to contain cancer-causing fibers, right? And you wouldn't want to subject the professional installers to the same dangers. (For more information on mesothelioma, check out the Mesotheloma Cancer Alliance.)

But luckily, there are better options than cancer-causing fibers with which to insulate your walls. One of the more popular green insulation options from the past few years is cotton insulation made from shredded, recycled denim. But don't go stuffing old pairs of jeans inside your walls just yet. Cotton insulation comes in rolls of batting and is installed the same way conventional insulation is. And cotton insulation has better sound-dampening qualities and fewer potential health problems than fiberglass insulation.

A company in England even makes insulation from recycled plastic bottles.

Wool insulation is a great green option, because it's natural, renewable and sustainable. It requires less energy in production than conventional insulation, and it can help slow down a fire in a home, due to its noncombustible properties.

Foam insulation is another category of insulation that has separate benefits from the batted materials. Foam insulation can be sprayed inside existing walls, making it a good choice for those retrofitting a home without tearing walls down. One local company, Southern Spray Foam, uses foam that contains green materials and is eligible for federal tax credits.

One couple in Chicago insulated their old home with spray foam made out of soybeans. They chose it even though it was the most expensive option because of its eco-friendly properties and a tighter air barrier than batted insulation. On This Old House's website, they discuss the changes the insulation has made in their kitchen, which include soundproofing and improved indoor air quality.

Whichever type of insulation you might choose, SCGH has tips on how to best do the work. Start with insulating the attic first, which can be an easier solution than going into the walls. They also suggest wrapping your hot water heater with an insulating blanket, which can help save water waste. And be sure to address any water leaks in your home before you put insulation in, because you don't want it to get wet!

If you have an upcoming insulation project, do a little research beforehand and see if you can feasibly make the project a little more eco-friendly by using better, less toxic materials.

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shedding some light

I have to admit, the incandescent light bulb ban that went into effect on January 1 took me by surprise. I am 100% an advocate of using energy-efficient lighting, but was did not know that traditional bulbs were actually being phased out of production. Way to be up on your green news, Caitlin. So, what's the deal with all these kinds of light bulbs, you might ask.

In 2007, President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act, which sought to improve fuel efficiency, increase production of biofuels and save energy in industrial and commercial buildings. Part of the way to cut unneeded energy was to make the widespread transition to energy-efficient light bulbs. At the beginning of 2013, 75- and 100-watt incandescent bulbs were phased out, and as of the new year, 40- and 60-watt bulbs joined the club. While you can still buy these bulbs until stores run out of their stock, you should embrace the switch.

Why ditch traditional incandescent bulbs? Easy. It saves you energy and therefore, money. According to the US Department of Energy, the average household dedicates about 10% of its energy spending to lighting. It may not seem like a lot, but spending 10% of your utility bill to turn lights on and off can really add up. Especially when you realize that the majority of the energy used by incandescent light bulbs is actually from the heat given off. Buy a light bulb and pay to run it, only to see most of your money going toward the wasted, needless heat. Energy-efficient light bulbs emit less heat and require less electricity to be 'on'. This is also a great safety change for children and pets.

Money-wise, according to Dayton Power & Light, the average cost to run a 60-watt bulb for one year is $8.74. To run the equivalent 13-watt CFL bulb would cost an average $1.89 for the year. Small numbers, but still a big savings. By replacing about 15 incandescent light bulbs in your home, you could save $50 on your utility bill over one year.

And, you can expect to replace your bulbs less often. CFL bulbs last 10-25 times longer than incandescent bulbs, giving them a greater value (unless you happen to be my coworker, who claims that his CFLs last the same amount of time...). So, while CFLs are more expensive up front, they cost less to run and last longer than their predecessors. You definitely reap the benefits in the long run, once the bulbs save enough money to have paid for themselves.

Another lighting option is the LED light bulb. LEDs are the most expensive, but most efficient and longest-lasting bulb for general use. They're also very commonly found in flash lights, tap lights, desk lamps, or outdoor lighting (and Christmas lights!). LEDs are able to be set on dimmers as well. They work well staying on for long periods outside because of their great energy savings.

I would imagine many people will, at some point this year once stores have run out of their inventory, complain about not having the option to be cheap incandescent light bulbs. While it may seem as if you're being forced to buy something more expensive (and in many opinions, uglier...however, I disagree), you will save money and pay yourself back in the (not very) long run through savings on your utility bill. And who does love saving money on their utility bill?

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deck the halls…with eco-friendly decorations!

There are 15 days left until Christmas – are you prepared? I have to admit that I am not! There are still a few gifts I need to buy, a few being delivered this week, and lots left to wrap. But the decorations are up and the get-togethers are planned! So that's something, right?

Last year, I did a three-part series on Christmas shopping, decorating and gifts and how each part of the holiday can be more eco-friendly.

When doing your Christmas shopping, shop smartly. Try local businesses first for your gifts, or choose gift cards to encourage your loved ones to also shop small. I've picked up a few of my gifts from local shops, and I'm super excited to give them out. If you're looking to save money, try following your favorite local shops on Facebook or Twitter, or add yourself to their mailing lists. There's always a good chance there will be sales and discounts posted that you wouldn't otherwise know about.

If you choose to shop online, first of all, do it early! Avoid having to pay for quicker shipping or using air freight, which takes more of a toll on the environment. If you're making an order from a website, see if there's anything else you can buy at the same time so you can condense packaging. Don't buy one item from 10 different websites, but rather buy three or four items from one website. And choose websites that sell earth-friendly goods, such as Hipcycle, Vine, Abe's Market or Buy Green. There are so many more websites, and you can find just about anything you want recycled, up-cycled, or made with earth-friendly materials. The benefit of online shopping is the amount of boxes you get in the mail that are perfect for wrapping gifts with! Save those boxes and packing materials and use them again.

Decorating is one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season. I love the cheer and coziness that decorations bring to a home. I'm not sure how many times in the past few weeks I've told my boyfriend just how much I love our Christmas tree in his living room. Once your home is decorated, turn off all the lights but your Christmas ones, and enjoy the festive glow while you watch a movie and drink hot chocolate. Bonus points, you'll save electricity from turning your regular lights off. 

When you decorate, look for pieces made with eco-friendly materials, such as burlap, hemp, or organic fabric. Use LED lights for your tree, around your home or outside. They use less energy, helping to lessen the impact on your utility bill when you're already spending extra money on food and gifts. They also keep their cool better than incandescent lights, making your tree a little less of a fire hazard. You can also find decorative solar-powered outdoor lights, eliminating the need for a Griswold-style power cord overload. Keep in mind that they will be more expensive, and chances are, the lights won't be very bright. But they are still pretty!

You should also buy decorations that will last for multiple years. Vintage ornaments give a Christmas tree a classic, timeless look. Our tree has lots of ornaments on it that are relics from our childhood days, and they are my favorite ones. I've been growing my decoration collection for a few years now, and each year I take a few of my family's decorations that they are no longer using. The tree skirt we have has been around for years and still looks great. It only needed a slight cat-proof modification this year (ahem). 

There's a large debate on whether real or artificial trees are more eco-friendly, and there's no clear answer on a winner. Real trees are obviously the more natural choice, and many cheaper artificial trees are made with toxic chemicals and are not recyclable. But, artificial trees can be reused for many years, while real trees are one-and-done. Does anyone plant their Christmas tree outside after the holidays are over? It's a nice thought, but I'm not sure it's possible in South Louisiana! Real trees can be recycled, though. For many years, our city picked up trees separately and sent them out to the marshes, where they would then get placed as a barrier to keep the wetlands from eroding. The city no longer does this, but you can take an idea and use your tree for another purpose. I think this year, our tree will make its way to my boyfriend's family's camp, where it'll go in the water to help some erosion.

Are you ready to wrap? Hold one for one second. Shiny, waxy gift wrap cannot be recycled. Keep that in mind when you buy your gift wrap, and adjust accordingly. Last year I bought what is essentially decorative brown kraft paper wrap, and it was merrily recycled. I used eco-friendly twine and jute for ribbons, and used a few sprigs of Christmas tree branches as extra decoration. I also made a couple magazine-paper gift bows; while those were fun and pretty, I am not sure I'll be taking that extra step this year. You can go the classic route and use newspaper as gift wrap. If you get gift bags and boxes, keep them for future uses. Bags have a very long life if they are taken care of and not ripped. Tissue paper can also be reused. Or you can shred regular old copy paper to use for stuffing inside boxes and for protecting breakable gifts. 

Pretty reusable bags make for great gift bags, and the recipient also has a nice bag to use when shopping during the year. I love to put gifts (especially for showers) in nice reusable bags or baskets, so everything can be put to use later. There's already such an overload of non-reusable gift bags and paper; why add more? 

I also choose not to spend money or waste extra paper on gift tags, as gorgeous as some of them are. There are so many eco-friendly options to tagging gifts though! I usually just write the person's name directly onto the gift wrap, and this year I have some nice metallic pens to make it look extra fancy. You can also use the decorative fronts of old gift cards, or use up those wrapping paper scraps. Just tape it right on to the package, or affix it to a ribbon or bow. Stamps are also a creative idea. You can use letter stamps for each family member's initial, or just use a few holiday stamps. If you want to get extra crafty, Apartment Therapy has some great handmade gift tag ideas. I might just break down and try one or two of these, but I won't leave out my shiny new metallic markers!

And when it comes time to open gifts, keep a separate bin out for recyclable materials. Don't let your hard work just get thrown out with that waxy paper.

So, now that you've got the eco-friendly Christmas basics down, it's time to get crackin'. If you're hosting any kind of holiday gathering, check out my party post so you can keep the eco-friendly theme going.

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link friday, 11.8

Man, this morning was one of those mornings where I woke up almost angry that it wasn't Saturday and I couldn't sleep in a little longer. At least it's only one more day away!

In local news for this week's link roundup:

• Vote for Ray Boudreaux on The Voice! He's a hometown guy and has been representing Lafayette well this season.
• The University of Louisiana at Lafayette will be adding bike lanes to St. Mary in time for the Spring 2014 semester. This will be very welcome by the students and anyone else who enjoys riding around campus! They're also adding bike racks, shelters and lockers throughout campus and near the parking garages.
• Louisiana is ranked 44th out of 50 states for energy efficiency. Not surprisingly. At least we aren't dead last!

And in other news:

• Seventh Generation has tips on how to stay warm this winter without overusing the heater, and they're great additions to my winterizing post from earlier this week.
• Seventh Generation also has a post about food expiration dates that's a good inspiration for a future eco cajun post.
• Mark your calendars for next Friday, November 15, so you can participate in America Recycles Day! 

Hope you all have a wonderful and green weekend!

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winterize yo house!

While the weather has been bipolar for the last few weeks in Louisiana, and I've been able to keep the air conditioner off except for a couple warm evenings. It's currently cold, so I'll take what I can get, and that means you'll be learning about winterizing your home today! And do everything now before it gets warm again, so that when it's cold again you'll be good to go!

Heaters are a huge drain on utilities and will quickly run up your electricity bill, especially if you run it without taking extra efficiency measures. And you shouldn't, because why would you want to spend extra money to let hot air leak out of your house?

Having an energy-efficient house means you're already basically winterized, but there are a few little extra things you can do to ensure a comfy season. 

Some standard efficiency measures you can take any time of the year include hanging up thermal curtains, using ceiling fans, sealing leaks in doorways, replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs, and using a programmable thermostat. These measures help to keep the heat out in the summer and the cold out in the winter, and keeping the air inside the home at a stable temperature year-round, without requiring overuse of your air conditioner and heater.

Apartment Therapy recently featured six ways to save money while fixing up your home for the holidays. Most of the tips are repeats of general energy-efficiency upgrades, but there's one great tip that I need to start doing more. 

Ceiling fans are a lifesaver during Southern summers, but they're also built for comfort during colder months! Just about every ceiling fan has a switch on the base that controls the spin direction of the blades. With the reversed direction of the fan drafts, the cooler air is pushed up and the warmer air is pushed back down, making your room more comfortable without needing to put on the heater. It's a strange concept to me that ceiling fans can be used in the winter as well, but it's nice to get year-round use out of them!

Image: Del Mar Fans

Green Philly Blog talks about a simple way to check for air leaks in doors and windows, allowing you to figure out just where you need some extra weather-stripping. Their test involves an extension cord, a blow dryer and a candle. You'll also need two people - one to go outside with the blow dryer, and one to stay inside with the candle. The person with the blow dryer points it at the same spot on the window where the other person is holding the candle. If the flame starts dancing, you've got an air leak, and you can mark the spot for sealing later. Just don't catch anything on fire!

Houzz also has some tips on how to make your home ready for the holidays, and most are focused more on design and entertaining, but there's one good and useful tip for energy efficiency. They suggest closing vents in rooms that are rarely used, so the heat can be redirected to rooms that are used more often. If you wouldn't want to completely shut off circulated air to rooms, you can still close the vents to where there's a small gap to allow a little heat through. With this change, the heat will be distributed to where it will be most used and will help to keep the electricity bill down.

Space heaters also help to confine heat to spaces where you need it, without heating up the whole house. But always be careful with space heaters! You don't want to run them too long or they will start to rack up your electricity bill on their own. They also pose a fire hazard, so make sure you don't place them too close to anything combustible, especially upholstered furniture. There are no Energy Star-rated space heaters, so it's up to you to use them as efficiently as possible.

And there's always the old-school method of keeping blankets around for when you get a little chilly. Doesn't require any electricity or pose a fire hazard. Blankets really aren't a standalone solution (unless it's only slightly chilly in your house, or it's not cold enough outside to justify turning on the heater), but they can help you use the heater in a more efficient way. Instead of blasting the heat at 74 degrees, turn it down to 68-70 and use a few extra blankets on the couch and in bed. (Hot chocolate also helps to keep you warm with those blankets, and you get 10,000 extra cozy points!)

The main things to remember when winterizing your home are to keep everything sealed so there are no air leaks and wasted electricity, and to try alternative methods in order to keep your heater from needing to run all day and night. Staying warm and keeping your house warm doesn't have to cost a ton of money!

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link friday, 10.11

Busy, busy weekend around these parts. Festivals Acadiens et Creoles is happening in Girard Park all weekend, the Cattle Festival is happening down in Abbeville, ArtWalk is tomorrow evening, and Downtown Alive and Critical Mass are both tonight. And if you're two hours to the east, there's the Jazz Half Marathon (good luck Mom!) and the New Orleans Seafood Festival (which totally balances out the exercise you get in a half marathon). And then there's a Matt Nathanson concert, so...yeah.

If you can't find something to do in South Louisiana this weekend, then you clearly just don't want to leave the house. :)

So before you switch completely into weekend mode, here are a few green-related links I found throughout the week.

• UL Lafayette architecture students are building the COURhouse, a beautiful sustainable home built on a vacant lot in Freetown. Part of the project involved designing the house and preparing the construction documents.
• A Boston resident created the Buca Boot for bicycles, which is a locking case that goes on rear bike racks, and works the same as a car's trunk.
• Food Day is October 26, and there will be a local event held at the Horse Farm in Lafayette from 8am to noon. There will be 'real' food, local farmers, children's activities and educational presentations.
• Nest, maker of the sweet-ass energy efficient thermostat, is branching out into smoke detectors. The Nest Protect will detect heat, smoke, carbon monoxide, light and motion. It will also be able to send alerts to the homeowner's smartphone about low battery or possible hazards in the home. 
• ZLOOP's franchise in Louisiana will be out at Festivals Acadiens to educate everyone about how the company recycles electronic waste in order to keep it out of landfills.

Now, get out and enjoy the weekend! Whatever you choose to do, make it greener! Skip plastic bags and disposable bottles. Use cloth bags and stainless steel bottles instead. Ride your bike. Reuse something that isn't trash!

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making a house an eco-friendly home

My boyfriend recently purchased his first home, and one of my first tasks was to appoint myself as his green consultant. Finally, a place to practice all kinds of things I want to do, but can't in a rental!

We've been extremely busy transforming his house into his own unique home, and one of the big things we've been working on is making the place more energy efficient. Older homes are not exactly the MOST efficient homes around, but in some ways they are built better than new homes. 

Insulating the house, one of the biggest elements to the efficiency overhaul, has still yet to happen. There are only so many things that can be done at once! But many of the smaller elements have been taken care of, which should ease the shock of a one-bedroom apartment's utility bill turning into a three-bedroom home's utility bill.

One of the other main elements that will help the house tremendously will be to replace the single-pane windows with some double-pane windows, which temper heat and cold a lot more and keep the inside air inside the house. (If anyone wants to donate some new windows to my boyfriend, he would love you forever!)

For the very large, very beautiful front living room window, we chose some nice thermal curtains. They add interest to the room, and help to block the light and the heat. Just ignore the fold creases in the panels - they're still brand new and I don't call myself an ironer (ironist? ironing wizardress?).

This is the morning light streaming through the open blinds, and you can see how much of a difference the thermal curtains make in blocking light and the accompanying Southern late summer heat.

Ceiling fans are a staple of any Southern home. We replaced the master bedroom and living room's existing ceiling fans with new ones that have lights on them. The living room ceiling fan is Energy Star rated and came with CFL light bulbs. But even if the master bedroom fan isn't Energy Star rated, it's still energy efficient, as it helps to cool you off in the room without having to run the air conditioner as much. The ceiling fans in each room, coupled with an oscillating fan in the bedroom, have helped keep the house comfortable over the past month, and will continue to help as we move into fan-only weather.

One way to keep the outside air out and the inside air in is to seal leaks in doorways. This happens to be an interior door (to the air conditioner unit), but we fixed each door that had slight cracks, both with these little flappy things on the bottom of the door and with sticky foam weatherstripping. (With this expertise, I'm ready to start hosting an HGTV show any day now!) Sealing cracks in doorways also helps keep critters out.

And of course, one of the easiest switches for energy efficiency - replacing standard light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs. The house's former homeowners had some kind of grand love affair with tiny candle shaped bulbs. I immediately swooped in and removed all the old bulbs and put in CFLs. One tip when you move, and you had CFLs in your old place - take them with you, especially if you put them in. When my boyfriend moved to his apartment I persuaded him to buy CFLs for the lights and fans, and they were all still good a year later, so we took them out and brought them to the new house. It saved a ton of money over having to buy all new CFL bulbs, especially since we still had to buy some.

In some cases, they give off more light than the original bulbs did, and in the other cases, they give off the same amount of light.

And in my favorite part of the efficiency overhaul, it's the item I have wanted for myself for years. This was my big housewarming gift to my boyfriend - a brand spanking new Nest thermostat. It's so preeeeettyyyyy!!!

While we (or I, at least) haven't noticed how it's affected the utility bill for a few reasons, we have enjoyed using it. I don't believe it is fully programmed yet, but my boyfriend has been enjoying the iPhone app very much. Being able to control the thermostat remotely is an amazing feature. Due to the lack of decent insulation in the house's attic, we keep the thermostat on 78-79 and the air conditioner still runs pretty regularly. Once the insulation is put in, we should be able to lower it a few degrees and have it run a bit less. The Nest also tells you if the temperature you choose is energy efficient or not so much, and displays a little leaf under the number. There are so many different ways to set the thermostat, and once you do, it begins to learn your patterns and adjusts itself as it sees you need it. But if you don't have it set and you leave home without remembering to turn the thermostat up, you can easily do it from your phone. When my boyfriend had it first installed, he spent most of the first evening excitedly showing me how he was controlling the temperature while sitting on the couch in the living room. It's the little things in life for them, right ladies? 

These improvements are helping to make the new house more of a comfortable, energy-efficient home, and should also help bring the utility costs down to a less scary level. I also can't wait for the insulation work to be done and then we can really sit back and enjoy his comfortable home.

I'll do some more features in the next few weeks on other ways I (and others) have helped to make his home a green one! 

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changing seasons

It's been overcast and rainy for the past day or so, and I have to say, I'm kind of enjoying it. I stayed in and just relaxed for the first time in a very long time, and the pairing of that downtime with the cloudy weather and autumn officially starting tomorrow is putting me in a great mood. My apartment is now adorned with the amazing colors and smells of autumn, my favorite season. Milo is also enjoying the leaves that land on my patio.

This week I saw that the Lafayette Public Library has some great energy efficiency devices available for checkout, and wanted to share with y'all. The Kill A Watt EZ Meter is a handy little device that you plug in to the wall, then you plug any appliance into it. From there it is able to study and tell you how much energy that appliance is using. Then you can know how to adjust your use of that appliance, or if it's simply using too much energy, you can consider finding a more efficient version!

What I love most about this is that the library has a bunch of these meters available for people to check out. It's like a double whammy of greenness - not only do you get to test your appliances' energy usage, but you can do it without having to BUY another appliance. You can simply rent it and then return it for others to use. It looks like just about all of the meters at all of the library branches are currently checked out, but I would love to check one out in the future to give all of my appliances a quick test!

But even if you're not in the Lafayette Public Library area, you can still find these meters online and get one for your own home. 

And now, back to my quiet, rainy day. The blinds are open, the rain is hitting the roof and Milo is taking a cat nap by the window. Happy last day of summer, y'all! Bring on the fall weather!

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