Live Green Denver

Earlier in the season I spoke about the energy efficiency of LED lights.  However, there is another way to reduce the amount of energy used by your holiday lights. Tip #16:  Avoid the phantom load Even when you turn off your lights, or any electric device, unless you pull the plug from the outlet...

Today's tip is in the spirit of President Obama's speech at Home Depot,Tip #15:  Winterize your home I can't say it any better that the President: Retrofitting your home "is one of the fastest, easiest and cheapest things we can do to put Americans back to work while saving money and reducing har...

How about a little holiday shopping that will also benefit homeless pets? Facebook fans can save $5 off orders of $25 or more by entering "HOLIDAY" at check out. But this offer ends at 11:59 PM PST today! To me this is a unique opportunity to address many issues in which I am concerned.  As an o...

There are many holiday traditions that in and of themselves are great contributors to landfills.  For example, I recently heard that 2.7 billion cards will be sent between Thanksgiving and New Years.  Once solutions,Tip #14:  Send E-Cards As the name implies, E-Cards.com has an abundance of elect...

Not only should we think about the environmental impact associates with the production of the gifts we give, but we also need to consider the impact of their continued use.  One solution is,Tip #13:  Use rechargeable batteries But how do you avoid the disappointment of a child who has just opened...

While the title of this series is "I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas", as the first day of Hanukkah comes to an end I thought it would be nice to point out that no matter what holiday you are celebrating this time of year there are ways to be green.Tip #12:  Give Fair Trade ChocolateAlong with th...

The past few tips have been on Christmas tree options.  But to have the least impact on the Earth,Tip #11:  Skip the treeThis might be the greatest stretch for the Christmas purist, but it is the purest form of environmentalism.  There is nothing to produce, nothing to transport, and nothing to r...

Here is tip that's not only good for the environment, but good for the sanity of those whom you are giving gifts:Tip #10:  Avoid the clamshell Electronics are a big hit over the holidays, but the packaging in which they are delivered is not.  I don't know how many of my daughter's toys come in ha...

I understand that yesterday's tip was not for everyone, as potted trees do have their challenges.  So, another option for a real tree that has a less negative impact on the environment:Tip #9:  Find an organic Christmas treeGreenPromise.com can help, or check with some of the growers at your loc...

Unfortunately, the next tip does not help those of you who are owners/fans of artificial Christmas trees.  But if you traditionally get a real tree every year try this: Tip #8:  Get a potted Christmas tree Potted trees are still alive and can be moved outside and left in the pot until next year....