Don't Allow the Oil Spill to Put a Downer on Summer

Has all the news about the BP oil spill put a downer on summer and a sour face on the garage door?  Think positive! Find small things around the house to offset a carbon footprint.  Everyone talks about light bulbs. Everyone has seen the spiral bulbs, but if spiral bulbd don't fit, try one of the disguised bulbs. A house doesn't need to shout from every fixture that it is eco-friendly.   Strangely enough, a person can clean up their hard drives and save a lot of energy. Storing all those ones and zeros has started adding up and the less data stored and restored, the less power they will guzzle.  Turning off unused computers can go a long way toward cutting the power bills. First is the unneeded heat produced by them and second is the even ghostly energy supply there are pulling. There are even smart power strips that recognize the zombie pull of some brick transformers and cut off the electricity supply.
 
If just looking at the garage door causes some worry over gas mileage and cost, consider cleaning out the car. Not only does every extra trip use gasoline, ever extra pound will impact the gas mileage. Why else did fiberglass replace steel in the modern automobile? The car manufactures know that ever ounce matters when they need to get the lowest mileage for the EPA.

Perhaps the garage door itself is a problem. If the door between the garage and home is constantly opening and closing and the garage door itself is unsealed a lot of heat and humidity can be flowing through. A garage door service can inspect the door and make needed changes quickly and inexpensively.

President Obama talked about the benefits of insulation, and no matter which side of the political spectrum, a person can appreciate how well sealed doors and attics can greatly improve the freedom of a person to move in their own home. Keeping the natural elements on their side of the walls can make any room more comfortable.

If small steps don't seem to be enough to combat environmental angst, consider setting out for an outdoor working vacation. Many national parks have extra chores that can be done like clearing brush or trash. A person doesn't have to go to the gulf to find contaminated water. Sometimes investigative leg work is necessary to help find the source of pollution and then reverse the effects. Pulling a particularly invasive weed that has entered an ecosystem can restore a balance. Make these ecological adventures a part of any vacation plan. Simply not sitting on the couch watching TV can help prevent some excess power consumption. Hot summer days can seem daunting for outdoor work, but just think about the winter while shoveling snow. Find the balance and seize the day.