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Green Your Summer

6 Ways You Can Help the Environment

By Leigh Bailey
One Million Acts of Green
Summertime and the living is easy, right? But that’s not an excuse to turn these lazy days into eco-hazards. Here are a few tips, tricks and gadgets to help make sure your summer is both great and green.
 
1. Green your cookout:
Nothing says summer like something sizzling on the barbecue, right? But you might want to think twice before loading your backyard grill with the traditional charcoal briquettes.

When burned, charcoal produces particulates that are a major source of air pollution and could endanger the health of sensitive family members. And while gas grills are a more eco-friendly alternative, they’re hard to lug down to the beach with you.		    
Luckily, one company has come up with a portable, eco-friendly alternative to charcoal—the Flamedisk. Powered by ethanol (which burns 90 percent more efficiently than charcoal) the Flamedisk heats up in seconds, cools down in minutes and is even recyclable!

2. Green your grass:
For me, one sure sign of summer is the wonderful scent of a freshly mown lawn. But traditional gas-powered mowers are a real problem when it comes to the environment.

According to a 2001 Swedish study, running a gas-mower for one hour puts as much carbon into the atmosphere as a 100-mile car trip.		    
The “greenest” alternative to a mega-polluting mower is one that relies on people power, of course, proving that our grandmothers really did know better. These days, even old-fashioned push-mowers have gotten a techno-make over and are easier to use and maintain than ever. Check out Clean Air Gardening for more eco-friendly lawn options.


3. Green your pool:
Lazing away a hot day on a blow-up mattress in the middle of a crystal clear, pristine swimming pool is my idea of heaven on earth. Throw in a fruity drink with an umbrella in it and I may never get out. But the eco-consequences of pools weigh heavy on my eco-consciousness.

For one thing, I’d always assumed a pool uses—and loses—a lot of water. Surprisingly, though, according to one study, the average back-yard pool requires less water to fill an maintain than the average back yard!

But there is some bad news: Heating your pool requires a lot of energy. Using a pool cover can help limit temperature fluctuations which will reduce the energy required to reheat the water over and over again, and there are even solar covers and solar heaters that can heat your pool naturally!

But don’t stop there! Instead of using chemicals to keep your pool clean and clear, consider filling it with salt water instead. Salt has natural antibiotic and antibacterial properties and will help keep your pool algae-free all year round.


4. Green your vacation:
Of course, one of the staples of any good summer is a great summer vacation. This year, put “green” on your agenda and make sure your holiday is as friendly to the planet as it is restorative to your soul.

One suggestion is to select and book a green hotel through RezHub, an eco-friendly travel site that researches and ranks vacation destinations according to their impact on the environment.

And instead of flying or driving, consider taking the train to your destination. If you’re traveling to Europe, you can customize your journey using the continent’s extensive rail system. Staying stateside? In Canada, check out the vacation getaway ideas at the VIA Rail Canada website. In the U.S., Amtrak offers spectacular vacation packages to many of the most beautiful national parks in the country.

5. Green your cool:
Beating the summer heat can take a toll on both the planet and your electric bill. But there are alternatives to traditional air conditioner.

An evaporative cooler (also swamp cooler, desert cooler, and wet air cooler) is a device that cools air through the simple evaporation of water. Most effective in areas with both high temperatures and low humidity, evaporative coolers use a fraction of the energy required by the average 900-watt window-unit air conditioner, and cost a lot less to boot.

An enormous amount of heat is transferred into your home through your roof and windows, so if you haven’t done it yet, summer is a great time to insulate.
 		    
6. Plant a Tree:
One of the best—and greenest—ways to keep your home cool is to plant trees. According to the American Public Power Association, “Landscaping can reduce air conditioning costs by up to 50 percent, by shading the windows and walls of a home.”

And if you join the Arbor Day Foundation—the oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting and conserving trees—they’ll send you 10 free saplings suitable for your geographic area to get you started! Or, if you are a teacher working for a K-12 school, you can order up to three free trees from our Tree Seedling Program.


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