Tag Archive for heat

36 Million Trees Gone This Year

That happens every year. This massive annual tree loss results in hotter cities, a whole lot more pollution, and unhealthy humans. Some causes we can’t do much about–fire, hurricanes, disease, insects. What is under our control, though, is cutting down trees for more parking lots, buildings, and roads.

Why care about the loss of trees? Because trees provide many essential benefits: 1) heat reduction, 2) energy emissions reduction, 3) water quality improvement, 4) flooding reduction, 5) noise reduction, 6) protection from UV radiation, 7) improved aesthetics, 8) improved human health, 9) wildlife habitat.

To find out exactly how trees do all those things, plus how we can plan for trees and help stop the loss of trees, read US cities are losing 36 million trees a year. Here’s why it matters and how you can stop it.

Beat the Heat!

Beat the heat with skylights that reflect sunlight, low-E coatings on windows facing south and west, and awnings over windows. In the summer, a non-heated house is more comfortable than blasting air conditioning and avoids unnecessary energy usage.

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[For more easy, money-saving, Earth-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/view/7000 or your favorite e-book seller and download to your computer or e-book device. Totally free, with no strings attached.]

       

Saving Can Be Cool in the Summer

Here are a few hints to keep your house–and so yourself–cool this summer: 1) Open up the window coverings when sunlight isn’t streaming through, then close when the sun hits the windows. 2) Use light-colored, loose-weave mesh shades to let in light and keep out heat. 3) Apply reflective (also called low-emissivity, or “low-e”) coatings to the outside of windows. Then, sit back, relax, and enjoy the comfort, knowing that, by not using your AC, you’re saving energy and money.

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[For more easy, money-saving, Earth-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/view/7000 or your favorite e-book seller and download to your computer or e-book device. Totally free, with no strings attached.]

Heat Illness in Pets

Many of us are suffering from the high heat. But we’re not the only ones. So are our pets. The National Weather Service put out this chart to remind us of the symptoms to watch for in our pets so we can take measures to get them cooled off and avoid heat illness. They ARE our responsibility, and they depend on us.

Cut Your Heating Bill

45% of the total energy used in U.S. homes goes toward heating.  So it pays to let the sun in, seal drafts, use insulated window coverings, and replace your old furnace, which is probably only 65% efficient (or less) and might burn 400 more therms of natural gas than a new model that’s 95% efficient. It’s good for you AND for the Earth.

[For more easy, money-saving, Earth-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/view/7000 or your favorite e-book seller and download to your computer or e-book device. Totally free, with no strings attached.]

You Think It’s HOT? Get Used to It!

90 million of us are searching for relief from exceptionally high heat. Even those who deny that the Earth is warming are heading into air-conditioned rooms and guzzling cold water.

Problem is, this is only the beginning. Read “Historically Unprecedented Summer Heat” Will No Longer Be Unprecedented.

The World Health Organization tells us, “Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress.”  —  That seems like reason enough for us to do something.  What? Read the article.

 

Body Heat

I just learned something that can help those of us suffering through extra-hot days.  Oh, I know about protecting my skin with proper clothing and sunscreen. Now I know that sweating may be a smelly nuisance, but it gets  rid of 22% of our body heat. Meaning that sweating is a good thing. I learned, too, that I should be drinking A LOT more liquid than I do, like half my body weight in ounces. (Think of all the exercise I’ll get traipsing to the bathroom.) And I should avoid eating high protein foods in the heat, because they interfere with the body’s ability to cool itself.

Now I have a choice: follow all that advice  or stop complaining about the heat!

To Do List for Winter

Today is the first day of winter.  Time to change some habits.  Here’s a helpful list.

  1. Check and turn on your heater & be sure your outside animals have warmth and protection from the cold.
  2. Dig out heavy coats and sweaters for your family & set aside those in good condition that no longer fit or you don’t use and drop them off at a charity or shelter for the homeless.
  3. Buy more groceries at one time so you don’t need to go out into the cold so often & donate some non-perishable food items to a local food bank to help hungry families.
  4. Cook heartier meals for your family & dedicate some hours to a soup kitchen to help feed the hungry.
  5. Lay in a supply of board games to play with your kids when it’s too cold to go out to play & call to chat with someone who is alone and not able to go out even when it’s warm.

This winter, think of both your immediate and your extended family.

Climate Change Making Us Mentally Unstable?

According to the EPA, climate change can affect our mental health.  The EPA report just released says that man-made global warming is making us sicker, both mentally and physically.  The Surgeon General agrees, saying that doctors are seeing more and more climate-related cases.  Asthma is worsening because of it.  Extraordinary heat is killing tens of thousands of people.

This is no flimsy White-House-conspiracy report; it’s based on 1800 scientific studies.  And our governmental health agencies aren’t doing enough about the situation.

Read more details at “Fever: Federal Report Says Global Warming physical health,White House,EPAMaking US Sick.”

Be Cozy and Warm and Safe

Baby, it’s cold outside.  Yes, it’s starting to be cozy-up weather, a time when thoughts turn to….space heaters.  They’re convenient and effective, and you don’t have to warm up rooms you aren’t spending time in.

BUT, be safe.  A third of all house fires are cause by space heaters that overheat, melt, tip over, or are used improperly.  You’ve probably had that one stashed in the closet for years.  Time to replace it.  Newer ones have better safety features, like anti-tips, automatic turn-off at overheating, and protections against fabric that leans against it, catching fire.  Look on the box for the features of various brands.  (You can also see what Consumer Reports, Comparaboo, or another research company has to say about those brands.)  Buy the one that does the best job and, above all, is safest.

When you get it home, remember to plug it into it’s own dedicated socket (no rats nests of plugs piggy-backed into that poor socket) and keep it three feet away from flammable items.

One more thing–if you have friends or relatives (especially older or disabled ones), pass on this info to them.  Maybe even buy them a new heater for Christmas.

Once again, dear readers, please keep safe.  I need you!