Green Tech

Sure, you’ve thought about adding solar panels to your roof as a way of reducing your home’s carbon footprint. Maybe you’ve even given wind power a gander. But what about ground source heat pumps?

By now, most greenies know that computers and their accessories are some of the biggest energy hogs in the home — and that improperly recycled electronics can easily end up in toxic dumps in developing countries.

Want to make sure you’re doing right by Mother Earth when it comes to computers? Follow these three steps to green computing:

Did you know that only one percent of the world’s water is fresh water fit for human consumption? Or that you can save more than 30 percent on your water bill by installing and using low-flow fixtures?

Sure, we could tell you all the facts about water conservation, but we’d rather show you, courtesy of this infographic from eLocal.com.

Ford, Chevy, Nissan, and Mitsubishi have all announced plans to release fully electric cars in the coming years, which means we’re going to have to have charging stations available for about a million all-electric cars by 2014. So, how’s that going to work?

Good question. Here’s your cheat sheet on what they’re calling electric vehicle “smart charging.”

Back in June when I wrote about the upcoming Cash for Clunkers program, few observers actually thought many people would take advantage of it. Surprisingly, then, as you’ve probably heard on the news, it was so wildly successful that it used up its entire $1 billion allotment in a single week!

Take a look at a pile of food scraps, and most eco-minded folks think “compost.” And sure enough, that’s a great way to recycle. (Or is it “reuse”?)

In any case, there’s another use for your rotting apple cores and moldering orange peels: Energy. A few municipalities have started setting up facilities to capture the biogas that escapes as organic matter decomposes and turn that gas into energy.

Take a look at a pile of food scraps, and most eco-minded folks think “compost.” And sure enough, that’s a great way to recycle. (Or is it “reuse”?)

In any case, there’s another use for your rotting apple cores and moldering orange peels: Energy. A few municipalities have started setting up facilities to capture the biogas that escapes as organic matter decomposes and turn that gas into energy.

Green mobile app developer 3rdWhale will be the first mobile app developer to join 1% For the Planet, a “growing global movement of 1,202 companies that donate 1% of their sales to a network of 1,781 environmental organizations worldwide.” And they want your help deciding where their money will go!

There probably isn’t a single one of us eco-conscious folks who hasn’t at some point come up with a better idea for helping the world go green. Now there’s a chance to see that idea come to life.

Ed Begley Jr. and wife Rachelle Carson star in "Living with Ed"

You’ve been doing your part to go green — turning down your thermostat, sorting that recycling, driving less, composting. Now it’s your turn to take a break and watch what other people are doing to go green.