In the previous eight articles, Dr. Richard Ehrlich touted the environmental and cost benefits of improving energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and switching to greener, renewable sources of energy. We should all be trying to do this, but there is another thing that you can easily do, that will have lasting effects for generations. Plant … Read more

Today’s guest author is Richard Griffith, an environmentalist, gardener and carpenter who lives in an energy-efficient house and earns his bacon in Grey County. “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” is an amusing account from the wolf’s point of view. The wolf readily admits that he ate the first two pigs, but claims … Read more

In Canada, much of our ecological impact comes from heating and cooling our houses. In winter, the outdoor air temperature can be 40 Celsius degrees cooler than indoors; in summer, it can be 15 degrees warmer outside. Meanwhile, several meters underground, the temperature is a constant 10 C. Conventional heating and cooling systems need to raise … Read more

Since the Walkerton tragedy, we’ve all been more aware of water pollution issues.  There is another aspect of water-related pollution that is often overlooked – the air pollution caused by heating and pumping water. This is a huge contributor to smog and the greenhouse gases that cause global warming! Pumping water takes a lot of … Read more

You already know that you can save energy and cut down on smog and greenhouse gases by switching to compact fluorescent lighting, buying energy-efficient appliances, reducing heat and air conditioning, putting your pool on a timer, buying clean energy and planting trees. The next step is to go after the invisible energy vampires in your home! A surprising … Read more

Imagine this. It’s a scorching, smoggy day, and the sun is beating down mercilessly. Now think about lighting a propane or gas fire inside your house – or running a huge electric heater – to heat water.  All that extra heat warms your house, and generators must burn dirty coal to produce the electricity you … Read more

If your sash windows are sweating, letting in draughts, frosting during cold winter days, and developing mould, chances are your weather-stripping needs replacement.  Instead of replacing wooden-framed windows with vinyl, renewing the window weather-stripping is an affordable solution to a typical Canadian problem. How can you tell if your weather-stripping is causing you problems? With … Read more

Coffee makers. We all have them, and many of us use them daily. These handy gadgets quietly use a surprising amount of energy, drawing 900 to 1200 Watts while making the coffee, and 100-200W while keeping the coffee warm. Many households and businesses run these machines for hours at a time to keep coffee ready … Read more