GO GREEN......BE GREEN ..... GREEN LIVING EXPLORED: Living Green 365

You are receiving this email because you signed up at an event or at livinggreen.org
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwmikZO2jbT3yr-Jl9iGDfTZ7ppPXu2bQU4ILEYipimjYri_PZ9qPiJ7CiDLseMq-x8pQZSwPeUxQiDye3dESXkLMW9gqg37MX2Ilkig_VHiIA==].
To unsubscribe from this list, click on "SafeUnsubscribe" at the bottom of the email.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

September 2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Living Green 365 readers,

September marks a new school year and a new season, as we welcome autumn to Minnesota
on September 22. This month we also welcome 1056 new readers who signed up at the
Eco Experience [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwmrdVcmLaAnqgII0-FZbRqlgEGiXB7PLSs_09oq4AO82pxZD7XVj1YlSQ5H0De9CBHb9vk4ThUhY7vTFwxxKU9WdsldJWsCEZrO0T1bxYp0vZNxBrxdG6MS]
at the State Fair!
Both old and new Living Green 365 subscribers can find weekly tips on our Living
Green Facebook page [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwkZMdBylui7zaajsd_eglHaBGPRA2O2I4FR9y7ITMdIu0GQIlLfhX4G8ghkIDmAiiGOpFw68Ko1H5PxcHL3qXMlilbMAnLBz_6LV0XqLbRQmY5-aQDoU2xE_NEYiyRPC-ITSdbGtmbC1zDSXyxzATLqC-Xojao5xWs8fzzUiKYFAQ==].
No Facebook account? Don't worry, you don't need one to look at our page.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Start today and save tomorrow...and the next day, and the next day...]

Three quick and easy steps to save energy
Some energy-saving tips can be done once, but they will continue to save energy
indefinitely. Below are three things you can do on a Saturday morning in September
to begin saving energy right away.
1. Set your water heater to 120 degrees.
Water heating can account for 14%-25% of the energy consumed in your home [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwnJ5CpvKkjQeQyIb6y_b9dtTRNJvlZfQutXXc7jh57gw_CW2QtF_vjP8PC8_C3cA4ubJgeFzy_s1g3jX7biL3RydarZvUyyRoWgGxV-3Ubf1j48iFggi0UDuM0AZzvrTEUIrRlEbULflxNWyfKnO40fvoEL6CS4hen844dIPBgtcxtUmSIFUURG].
In addition, water heated above 120 degrees Fahrenheit can damage human skin. To
save energy and reduce the risk of scalding, set your water heater dial so that
it heats the water to 120 degrees or less. Here is how to test the temperature:

* Run hot water out of any sink in your house.

* Fill a glass with hot water and submerge a personal or cooking thermometer into
the water.

* Read the thermometer. If the water is higher than 120 degrees (or simply hotter
than you want it) turn the water heater temperature dial down. As a reference point,
water that is just too hot to touch is around 107 degrees.
* Wait a few hours and test again.

* Repeat until the water is at the desired temperature.
2. Adjust your computer's power management settings.
Power management puts your monitor and hard drives into a low-power "sleep" mode
after a period of inactivity. Using power management features on your computer
can save more than 600 KWh of electricity and more than $60 a year in energy costs
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwnRJI6L92BITA_TRxP8qP1uAwom3GggCQvrRJoR3Hewrw11kHonfOw6nC8EvgMSoIDZnuINQKePIb3oMkaeSOQJNbKlLi3be6QQPKXjQ8-Pj2cOI7cnmiYlT8eDKbNqF472ArgvbtDerSRmGfntMY45_rBKoPmRr0SwKUMG6ZgELQ==].

The two biggest users of power are the display and the hard drive. To improve the
power efficiency of your computer, use the following power management settings:

*
Monitor sleep: 15 minutes or less.
*
Hard drive sleep: 15 minutes or less.
*
System standby: 30 minutes or less. Standby mode turns off the monitor and hard
drive, and switches the computer to a low-power state.
*
Power down manually: Every day after you are done using your computer.
Visit the Climate Savers Computing Initiative [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwnRJI6L92BITA_TRxP8qP1uAwom3GggCQvrRJoR3Hewrw11kHonfOw6nC8EvgMSoIDZnuINQKePIb3oMkaeSOQJNbKlLi3be6QQPKXjQ8-Pj2cOI7cnmiYlT8eDKbNqF472ArgvbtDerSRmGfntMY45_rBKoPmRr0SwKUMG6ZgELQ==]
for specific instructions for your computer.
3. Install a programmable thermostat.
A programmable thermostat will automatically reduce the heating temperature in your
house while you are gone. It is the easiest way you can save energy and money--up
to $180 per year.

* Set the thermostat to scale back by 8 degrees Fahrenheit when you leave for work
and go to bed. Visit the ENERGY STAR web page [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwkYqQ0bqF8Cbwz268qHaiE0OYpLny1Me1-C6i4sSNergglGPM4EVcTJy_9KbJYwb65A9n4DDIt-W2BVNS0tVPK8RMs0NxxYvLn8kBcnttvXzYPuH6HoWbyNC7VFMr41Q725tXRDWBgnCPtcbrwwNMc2V85OkKwKofF_9KLg8IwPVss_HigTpyruDjfeYKnZRVMLRUbZKNeQNQ==]
for advice on choosing and installing a thermostat from your local hardware store.
For more energy-saving ideas, take the Minnesota Energy Challenge [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwnQadYJpPjOX2v1msVN5oABmFyYYSQYySRIWhZGCiE5A05XUpeU6RQbj8_5ShM1U96FfCT1_gPEfp6rTCLtMiZMunACeIBzWxl8i41ObSHorojItDaIiaiW].

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Days of our green lives]

Community events and resources
The Cook County Local Energy Project recently announced North Shore Ride Share [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwmc1DLoCvJCMEzeaUkoiqmveAIiOm-ZWvinZgUBqQi4R1ksuAE9MvnbOUtSlZHFsrrE9WAyChlpAMX199fg9Ws3zr9BJo1EpXbZXFJ49x6yBd3ShxwhUzT7],
a free service connecting drivers and riders for travel, carpooling, and package
pickup/delivery along highway 61 in northern Minnesota. The service is completely
free, and anyone can use it. The program's goal is to reduce fuel use, save money,
and build community.

Learn how build a raingarden at a Friends of the Mississippi River's Raingarden
Workshop [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwmspgNg_Ox3LER1tIxaY28x0VEgb4k-FPGEWKDQnjtqsvw1BbfqiX9jx7QptYJe-SlRPeqnXTZ2xTZdB_bLZqJxL3sfPtnWjq1FOBOnizhjw5cZlHLQJJtTZ7ZbBQi7FxiBHAUy2CInSEYyGfkWfS3t4SojNXcChOs=],
September 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Homecroft Learning Center (St. Paul).
Learn about natural alternatives to toxic personal care products at Natural Beauty
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwlFhGsO_FWBtb7PPKMljlmY7AhKjAZbusfVqKK2i5YeSJ5H-SjaX94-hHQGFB3xomLaacDM3F01dP42PstkF735wwzIYfxh9cU4hck6hR6hvJAaiotJznKI9Ulm16M3Jd2YC3TAa97jp-YZFj9S0lP7].
Try products and take home samples, September 30, 6-8 p.m., Happy Dancing Turtle
(Pine River).
Join Great River Greening along the St. Croix Valley blufflands for an Acorn Planting
Event [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwlSIemOtHccjBza2YKmR0swVZ4vLu6T_HAW_hiV5Ar6CltvkIN5DIPuuSueC7tDxFxNwEgVbso0plRCqV0bb9fVNWXfHUOYfOXRrC4VF1lyPkzVbTbJMxxn26wLwEwD776bgxiqphGS8H46VKW1vAgi],
October 2, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Franconia Bluffs Scientific & Natural Area (Franconia).
Sponsored by the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES), the self-guided, public
Minnesota Solar Tour [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwnnQVey76FIbRGYNsDn6DnKRPuF4OMKOVRDD0bEYmvtAzvPCyhyWfUwt67dQJL3at0Lj5jKjZEAuRhGIVYokwnXUGOxiptbcQfSBVFPDS-XAMuiLrawX-WMgk8E8b3b_vewpIEw8TuF9Q==]
features 50+ exemplary homes, businesses, and institutions that have incorporated
renewable energy into the design and operation of their buildings, October 2, 10
a.m.-5 p.m. (statewide).
Look for more events on the SEEK [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwnYD7own50HSCK5bPUE71v7x4eIHRBre0Z0pVHioDc3tM9saIfAyAdMwPlIey01-WMyB6gnxxZu4BaMGuZfCpXY5hrQTmvVvMXiEeBrKzioJRzTepqM1WQqwl2-rwJMIQk=]
and NextStep [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tsmzpfbab&et=1103646912589&s=14296&e=0014DS4yTxNLwnTpNYDjWRzJhA0YB2Dvf-tygSDoV1wNmunVtSgZKdmMhZkza8Erofd69hLpAlZYNxjw33eEzhROhuYCnp7OQnrLD9s72-JMU6Ig1VOjei1SODeH3qLAmj19qX9kJ0NRao=]
calendars.