According to the Residential Energy Consumption Survey, home energy is one of the largest components of our energy consumption. However, advances in technology have created new ways for households to reduce energy costs and ultimately make homes more eco-friendly. One way that people have begun to utilize these new advances is through home automation. Home automation is the process of using technology to control home tasks and appliances.
Technology and green don’t have to be at odds with each other. In fact, green technology is becoming more common than ever before. Once upon a time “to be green” suggested a certain lack of sexiness. I think it’s safe to say that the mentality of green not being sexy has gone out the window. Working in the technology industry has shown me that just because I’m working with bleeding edge gadgets doesn’t mean I can’t still have an eye on eco-friendly alternatives.
You’ve decided to go green. Maybe you bought a hybrid, or are installing energy-efficient appliances throughout your home. These big-ticket items are a great way to do your part for helping the environment, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Your eco-friendliness can extend throughout all rooms of your house—even into your bathroom.
California’s startup auto company Tesla just won the 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year for its Model S, an electric car. Analysts have lauded the start-up for winning against bigger established automotive companies. Not only did the Model S win this prestigious award, but it also exceeded its projected sales by 250 units. Tesla expects to be profitable for the first quarter of 2013 and shows incredible promise as a start-up headed for long-term sustainability. And according to Phil Lebeau of CNBC, the model S outsold the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt last month. So, the question on everyone’s minds: how long / will it last?
In a recent study conducted by UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health, researchers discovered a possible link between traffic-related air pollution and several rare childhood cancers. The study, led by Julia Heck, an assistant researcher in the Fielding School’s epidemiology department, collected data on almost 4,000 children who were born in California between 1998 and 2007. Pollution exposure was estimated for the various areas around each child’s home and cancer risk was determined using statistical analysis. The study showed that children exposed to more pollution were those more prone to developing cancer.
When it comes to being a shopper, how green are you—in reality? Do you shop with a conscious green mind, or is going green at the grocery store just an afterthought? Here are some criteria that will help you to determine the category under which you fall and what you can do take your green shopping to the next level. If you make most of your buying decisions based on environmental conditions, you fall in the Committed category (this constituted 2 percent of the population back in 2009, according to Grocery Manufacturers Association/Deloitte).
It’s no secret that the prevalence of cars is contributing to environmental damage and wallet damage as well. The skyrocketing price of gasoline is nothing encouraging when you face a daily commute, and having to breathe in all those fumes while sitting in traffic isn’t that great for you either. The growing movement about environmental awareness is quickly taking hold of people’s consciousness, and it’s an important cause.
