In Honor of Earth Day

April 22, 2013 marks the 43rd Annual Earth Day celebrated since it initially began in 1970. Earth Day is a time to remember the precious environment around us and to celebrate the ways in which we are trying to preserve what has been made available to us in our everyday lives. I thought this week it would be fun to post some ideas on how people can celebrate Earth Day and help create a more sustainable environment.

One of the easiest ways to celebrate Earth Day is by planting a tree. Planting trees is not only a fun activity but helps cut down the amount of greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere. Grow Financial, a bank in the Tampa Bay area, will be giving away free Florida Slash Pine saplings to anyone who visits any of their 20 branches on Earth Day. Trees are limited to five per household. The slash pine trees that are being given out were chosen because they are one of the hard yellow pines indigenous to the southeastern United States.
 I'm sure there are plenty of other companies and organizations that are giving away free tree saplings so be on the look out!

Another great way to celebrate Earth Day is to attend an Earth Day event. Earth Day events are held across the nation and are full of fun activities for both kids and adults.  Nationwide events can be seen at www.earthday.net. So find some friends and head to an event near you!

Another fun way to celebrate Earth Day is by sorting through old items or trash for things that can be recycled. This not only prevents more waste from being put into land fills but it also may give you a few dollars (I.E. recycling aluminum or copper). So get some friends together and start collecting those cans and bottles!

Lastly, household members can sit down together on Earth Day, in a town-hall style forum, and discuss specific energy or other sustainable goals that they would like to achieve as a group. This could be simple things such as changing light bulbs to more energy efficient ones or planting a vegetable garden so that the family can eat more locally and organic. No matter what the goals, your family will feel great knowing you are helping the environment, and potentially your wallet.

And remember, Earth Day celebrations don't have to be a once a year thing. This items can and should be done year round! So get out and enjoy all that nature has to offer!

Smartphones, Smart homes?

Courtesy of HGTV

Most people own or at least have access to a smart phone. These phones can do more now than most computers could back in the early 80's and 90's. Smart phones are more than just phones. They are our cameras, video recorders, navigation systems, and personal computers. The rise in technologies has also lead architects and developers to create 'smart homes.' When I first heard the term 'smart home' I thought of the Disney movie, "Smart House" which is a movie about a house which can do all the cooking and cleaning that the house occupants need. However, modern smart homes are more about saving energy and taking advantage of all that technology has to offer.

Energy Monitoring System (Courtesy of HGTV)

Each year HGTV gives away a dream home and in recent years they have been giving away smart homes. This year's Smart Home is located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida and has some of the most-up-to-date high-tech features. So what exactly makes this home a smart home? The house features 17 high-tech features to maximize energy and technological fun. Some of the key features of the home include: wall-mounted tablet monitoring systems, scheduled lighting so the owner can preset when shades or lights turn on or off, door locks that can be remotely locked/unlocked, security cameras, thermostats that can be programmed to operate on a predetermined schedule that reduces energy consumption when no one is at home or during peak demand hours when energy costs are higher, real-time energy consumption monitoring, awning that can automatically retract to block sun and solar heat gain, induction cook tops that heat 50% faster than gas, and toilets with programmable built-in seat warmers, automatic open/close lids, hands-free automatic flush, energy-saver timers, air purification and self-cleaning, programmable bidet spouts. All features can be monitored and controlled by either a smart phone or web-enabled device, except the toilets which are controlled by LCD wall panels.

Smart Toilet (Courtesy of HGTV)

Additionally, this HGTV smart home is part of a low-impact development neighborhood, Paradise Key, that is soon to be designated as a Florida Water Star Community for its water-efficiency practices. Yards for homes in this neighborhood feature drought-tolerant plants, small common area and pocket parks for all 62 homes in the neighborhood to share and enjoy, as well as, 1800 foot walking path. The neighborhood's main goals are land preservation and water conservation. During every step of the construction process, the utmost care is taken to preserve natural features.

This home also features fiber cement siding and trim and a metal roof, wind-load rated and heat reflective, replace cedar and cypress building materials. And double-paned, insulated low-E glass windows and 12-foot telescoping French door panels replace large single-paned windows.

I've been entering to win this house everyday. I didn't win HGTV's dream home giveaway but maybe I'll be lucky enough to call their smart home mine one day!