Apartment Therapy Re-Nest

Myths and Truths about Black Websurfing

Fade to black. The concept of using a black-backed screen on computer screens got some pretty big play around the "greening" side of the web--we even mentioned it here and surveyed readers here on AT:HT about their monitor type--and Treehugger set out to find out the truths and myths behind the supposed stats floating around the web. The results might surprise you.

The five most common questions they go on to answer get into data (and its origins), and go beyond the "it depends..." to provide succinct information about the issue.

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Light Up Wreath

If you're not ready to make the switch to LED on your Christmas tree, consider using LED lights on a wreath you can use over and over each year. This idea is by Danny Seo, from his blog Simply Green. He says he used a grape vine wreath and went to town with a few strands of LED lights.

Make it even greener by using a recycled grape vine wreath from Napa Valley Grapevine Wreath Company!

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Best CFL?

Danny Seo of Simply Green has finally found a compact fluorescent light that he can recommend. His choice? GE's Energy Smart Dimmable CFL bulb, which retails for about $11. The 15 watt is equivalent to a regular 60-watt bulb is dimmable, and will save you an average of $45 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. He says this CFL doesn't have the harshness people often complain about when it comes to CFLs--he even went around to each of the lights in his place to test out this bulb and was thrilled with the results.

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Super Eco Christmas Tree Lights
Slinksn. (slingks) Surreptitious web links to other good sites

We couldn't help ourselves...be a little green elf and put these Eco-Friendly Christmas Lights around your tree for years of "green" glow!

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Compute Your Way to Better Health

Addicted to the internet, and want to loose weight while feeding your addiction? Check out the bike-powered computer that some MIT students cooked up.

We've got a couple of other semi-crazy kinetically-charged ideas after the jump.

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Green Maven Search Engine

Green: The color symbolizing earth, nature, and in a broader sense, life. Maven: A trusted expert who seeks to pass knowledge on to others. Green Maven: A new search engine that seeks green options, an news aggregater for green topics, and green directory (which you can browse through if you'd prefer instead of searching)

So what really makes Green Maven a great resource?

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Max.5 Book Light

Light your late night reading sessions with this greener option from NY's Museum of Modern Art: the Max.5 Book Light uses a bright white LED light that will last practically forever.

It's powered by 2 AA batteries, which give it 20 hours of lighting, and if you use rechargeable batteries, you can make it an even greener choice. At $40 ($36 for MoMA members), the Max.5 also makes a great holiday gift for a book-lover in your life.

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Do You Give Vampires a Home?

Are there vampires in your home? Do they vant to suck your...energy? To the tune of 5 cents of every dollar you spend on energy for your home, energy vampires are sucking on your energy and your money, which equals $4 billion dollars each year in the US. The US energy department is estimating that it could rise to 20% of total energy costs by the year 2010.

What's an energy vampire? It's all the electronics that are really on stand-by when you turn them off--even your chargers that don't have anything attached to them, they're still sucking electricity.

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Office Depot Recycles Your Electronics

A new recycling spot for your electronics is now as close as your local Office Depot. They've started a new Tech Recycling Program that, for a flat fee of $5, $10 or $15, will take as many acceptable electronics as fit in the box. Best option we see is for recycling CRT monitors for only $15, which could be cheaper than your local recycling place charges to accept it.

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Green Kitchen Resource: HGTV's Website
Slinks: (slingks) Surreptitious web links to other good sites

Considering greening your kitchen? An on-line resource for materials, how-tos and even green builders can be found over at HGTV's Kitchen Design website. Bookmark it for future use if you're considering any upgrades. There are a lot of useful tips about greener home technology options on the site, including about lighting, tankless water heaters, and touchless faucets.

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Microwave vs. Oven: Which is Greener for Reheating?

Suggestions for using technology greener abound, and this post from Treehugger adds info about figuring out which is greener for reheating food: the microwave, or the oven. So what's the answer? Like many choices in the greening of our home technology, the answer isn't totally straight.

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Halloween CFLs: Spooky and Green

They're creepy and they're spooky, they're all a little kooky...Halloween CFLs! Get an orange one and a black one, and you'll be set for Halloweens for years, and years, and years to come, long after you're grave is no longer the cardboard one in the front yard but rather a real one--and that's spooky. They sell for $9 for the pair of 1 orange and 1 black.

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

DIY Wine Glass Chandelier

Storage, a DIY, and lighting in one.

From Treehugger comes a way to solve any space dilemmas you might have when it comes to storing your good glassware in a small space, and the option isn't very expensive to create, either.

Add an energy efficient bulb, and it'll last a long time and not cost very much to operate.

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Slinks: Sun Lizard Solar Powered Cooling and Heating

Out of Australia comes a solar powered unit that can both cool and heat your home, the Sun Lizard. It's said to cool it up to 10 degrees C in the summer and warm it 4-6 degrees C in the winter, reducing energy costs by up to 60%.

posted originally from: AT:Hometech

Brando LED/Laser Hand-Powered Flashlight

Looks like a squirt gun, but it's really a hand-powered LED flashlight that also has a laser pointer...for those times you need to give a presentation during a black out. (Laser pointers are also great for entertaining most cats and some dogs.) It's a greener option because it doesn't require batteries to power it. $10.

posted originally from: AT:Hometech