a sassier shade of green

a sassier shade of green

Everyone likes fortune cookies. We dont usually eat them- we just like to crack them open to see what word of advice we'll find inside.

Well this is even better.

Sign up with Idealbite.com and you'll get a little message each day that, unlike fortune cookies, offers advice more applicable than the usual dribble that requires "in bed" put after it to make it helpful.

Idealbite serves up useful tips on how you can live greener.

The site is fun and fruity, styled with illustrations and colors much like Dailycandys girly e-zine of tips for "the sweet life." Though Idealbite caters to those who want to be green and fabulous at the same time, there is still some genuinely good information available for those who don't concern themselves with which fashion designers carry eco-fashion lines.

Tips range from energy to healthy living to entertainment and travel.
Take, for instance, the timely tip below:

Which is the more efficient way to keep cool: turning on your AC or leaving your freezer door open?

The Bite:

If you have an older house, they're probably about equal. Sloppy ductwork loses a lot of cool air, and older ACs are pretty inefficient. Install an Energy Starâ� air conditioner and make use of programmable thermostats to save big on electricity.

The Benefits

• 1/6th of all electricity generated in the US goes to AC. Caulk and seal ducts and use more efficient ACs - you'll use 20% less electricity.
• Save some cold, hard cash. Replace a 10-year-old room AC with a new Energy Star model and save about $14/year. Use programmable thermostats and save about $100/year.
• Ceiling fans (spinning clockwise in the summer, so heat is forced upwards) use 90% less electricity than AC.
• Drapes, shutters and awnings can further keep out heat by up to 77%.
• Lower cooling costs by 10-50% by planting hardwood trees on the east, west and south sides of the house.

Personally Speaking

During the August '03 blackout, Heather was sweating over the lack of AC (she was sweating even more over the fact that she couldn't use her computer or cell phone).

Wanna Try?

Check for a high Energy Efficient Rating (EER - for room units) or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER - for central AC). The higher the EER or SEER, the more heat removed/watt of power used.

• Lennox - air conditioners with up to a 20.50 SEER rating (prices vary by location).
• Carrier - the first major manufacturer to switch to Freon-free Puron, a more Earth-friendly refrigerant (ditto - prices vary).
• Heat & Cool Smartly - Energy Star's guide to being cool.
• Ideal Bite's CFL Tip - stop heating your house with your light bulbs.
• Ideal Bite's Green Tags Tip - support green energy by offsetting your AC use.