The Carbon-Free Home - Book Giveaway
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Congratulations to Patti of Minnesota, winner of The Carbon-Free Home!
With all the talk of needing to change our energy consumption habits, many of us feel lost. Maybe we have some cute curly lightbulbs in our house, and perhaps we plan our shopping trips better so we don’t double-back through town and use so much gasoline. But aside from this, what can we do? If your electric bill is giving you nightmares, if you’re dreaming of being more self-sufficient, then The Carbon-Free Home - 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil Fuel Habit, may just be the next book to pick up.
For me, The Carbon-Free Home, published by Chelsea Green, is a rich resource of information on becoming more self-reliant. The focus of the book is most definitely environmental, but because of my interest in self-sufficiency, I’ve found that the two most often go hand in hand. I don’t like relying on the electric company and the gas company. I dream of windmills in my back yard! I appreciate the detailed info authors Stephen and Rebekah Hren share on everything from solar cooking to using rainwater to those wonderful windmills. They go to great lengths to take out the guesswork for you and me, even giving difficulty levels for various projects and the estimated cost of each. Whether you live in an urban apartment or have land far from civilization, you’ll find tips and information useful to help you cut down on your carbon footprint.
If you’ve got kids, there are projects in here that you can involve them in as well. For instance, building a solar oven would make a fabulous project for the whole family. (There are simple instructions and more involved, permanent solar oven constructions as well. Take your pick, they all look fun and efficient.) I can’t imagine a more engaging and educational family activity than learning to cook food on an oven you’ve all made together, with no gas and not even a flame. Teaching children self-sufficiency and love for their planet are two important lessons for certain!
Other sections of The Carbon-Free Home include: Refrigeration, Domestic Hot Water, Rainwater, Heating & Cooling, Food & Landscaping, and more. This book is a rich resource for any family looking to conserve energy and lessen their dependence on fossil fuels.
3 Ways to Enter:
1.) Just tell me one thing you do or would like to do to help your family cut down on energy usage. Remember, leave an interesting comment. If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.
2.) Email subscribers are entered into this and all future giveaways, for as long as their subscription is active. Just click here: Subscribe to dkMommy Spot by Email (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)
3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post. Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post.
Feel free to do all three, and you have three entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Thursday, August 14, 2008, to enter.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:00 am
turn off lights when not in use.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:47 am
I own a 2002 Prius, but I’d love to get one of the new “Plug-in” hybrids that run on electricity for the first 40 or so miles before switching over to the hybrid engine.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:58 am
[...] The Carbon-Free Home Posted by Courtney August 11, 2008 If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!Where: dkMommy Spot [...]
August 11th, 2008 at 11:06 am
I would like to look into solar and unplug “vampire” appliances. solta(at)hotmaildotcom
Danis last blog post..Back To School Event!
August 11th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Just a school bus driver and have to cut back on using electricty. Looking for other ways to save money.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
unplug things whne not using, wash a full load, turn off uneeded items…conserve in the shower becuase it saves on the hot water
August 11th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
i am interested in solar lamps for the outside.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
We’d really like to implement some rainwater harvesting techniques at our house, both passive and active. This book looks very interesting; thanks for the drawing!
August 11th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Unplug everything we can, for a start
August 11th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
turn off your cable box when you shut off the t.v.
August 11th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Put in ceiling fans in the bedrooms.
August 11th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
We’ve been making a lot of small changes lately to reduce our carbon footprint. This book could help us to go even further. So far, we are carpooling, using re-useable canvas totes at the store, using re-fillable water bottles, recycling, turning off lights, lowering the air conditioner, and taking shorter showers. I would love to figure out how to insulate our attic better as well as seal up the windows. During the winter, I save energy by bundling up with blankets and making my cats snuggle up to me. Hmmm… maybe kitty cats are the solution to the oil crisis? Gotta ponder that one.
August 11th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
of course I already subscribe to your blog!
August 11th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
We have been car free since 2002. We’ve never owned a clothes dryer. A dishwasher came with our house, but we’ve never used it. A refrigerator came with our house, but we’ve never used it (well except for storage). We’ve never owned an air conditioner. In the winter time, we keep the heat at 65 during the day and 55 at night. These are just a few things off the top of my head.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Well, I’ve already got the kids doing 10 push-ups for each time they leave their lights on so the next item I need to tackle is getting new windows … my old “contractor grade” windows leak energy!
August 11th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
We try not to use many lights during the day, and don’t use any lights we dont need, keep the ac low and use water saving cycles on the dishwasher and laundry. Great giveaway, thanks!
Mary @ Adventures in Mommylands last blog post..Little Einstein’s Giveaway at A Bookworm’s Diary
August 11th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
turn the heat down to 50 when out or at work during the winter
August 11th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I love summertime in Georgia, because it doesn’t get dark until around 9 p.m. We literally don’t turn on any lights until about that time. There are lots of windows in the house, and we make good use of natural sunlight until we absolutely HAVE to turn on the lights. It has made a significant difference in our electric bill. Not huge, but noticeable. We also try to keep the A/C between 76 and 78 degrees to save energy.
Jennae @ Green Your Decors last blog post..Green Rooms in a Box Series: A Modern Boy’s Nursery Under $2500
August 11th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
When our electric bill in our new home went up 400% during last summer’s heat wave (20+ 100 degree days) we new we had to take immediate action. I recycled our kids Fleece no-sew blankets and turned them into curtains. The cost was $0 because I used things we already owned. It allowed none of the heating to enter the room, thus lowering our AC usage considerably, and it was already set at 85, it just didn’t have to run as much. It also helped during the winter when it was below freezing for much of the season, their rooms never got cold.
To deal with the darkness, I allow them to play outdoors as much as possible in the early morning until it gets too hot. They come in for lunch, and they are tired so they nap during the heat of the day. Otherwise, they each have one lamp in their rooms with an energy efficient bulb in it, so they can read, work puzzles, or play when it is too hot to play outside.
Karens last blog post..CFBA Presents: The Jewel of Gresham Green by Lawana Blackwell
August 11th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
I am investing in those energy saving lightbulbs in every light of the house!
August 11th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
We would love, love, love to have a solar panel grid and small wind turban back-up. Oh, if only someone were giving that away . . .
August 11th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
We added this giveaway to our “Free Stuff” page at http://www.ForMyKidsOnline.com/free_stuff
August 11th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Okay, sorry. We don’t want a breezy hat. We would like a wind turbine. (It’s been a really long day!)
August 12th, 2008 at 1:34 am
Hi, Our family of four made a commitment early in the year, to become more eco-conscious.
Thus far, we have turned down the temperature on our water heater and we take shorter showers.
We turned down the thermostat in the winter and up in the summer. Also, we run more errands in one run as opposed to making many trips. Please enter me in your delightful book drawing contest.
Thanks, Cindi
August 12th, 2008 at 2:52 am
We are unplugging appliances, etc. when they are not in use.
August 12th, 2008 at 6:00 am
only lights on allowed are where we are at the moment…all other lights…off…took a while to get the kids into the habit of this…but they are great now…4 people in the house…max, four lights on. THANKS
August 12th, 2008 at 7:45 am
We put in a solar hot water heating system. Then I do my best to only do laundry on sunny days. We’re way overdue in putting in a clothesline, too. That’s this weekend’s project.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Put up curtains to block the hot sun, because the blinds are just not cutting it.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:38 am
I put in a drain for the clothes washer that emptys into a barrel to use as water for my garden
August 12th, 2008 at 8:59 am
I have started taking shorter showers and washing clothes that aren’t too dirty-like towels in cold water. I would like to eventually replace my older appliances with Energystar ones.
August 12th, 2008 at 10:44 am
I’d like to know how to change my house over to something cheaper and more environmentally friendly than oil heat.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
energy saving lightbulbs
THANK YOU GOD BLESS
August 12th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I’d like an inexpensive way to heat the house. In the meantime, we are recylcing everything we can (including having a comport barrel).
August 12th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Our heat is electric and it is quite costly during the winter…I would love to be able to find a way to trim that cost
August 12th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I would love to have solar heat & hot water!
August 12th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I could really use this book.
August 12th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Al Gore
August 12th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I need to replace more lightbulbs with more energy efficient ones. Thanks for the chance!
August 12th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I work at home, so it is a huge engergy savings, but beyond that we do the lightbulb thing and unplug unused electronics.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
We have a candle night once a month, we have ceiling fans in every room, we are looking into the “green switch” for our outlets, and we are trying outdoor solar cookers.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Sure would like to win.
God bless our troops
August 12th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I’m an unplugging nut. EVERYTHING, monitors when not in use, computers, chargers, toasters, EVERYTHING.
We also have a one cup per day rule that cuts down on how much I run the dishwasher per week!
Pattis last blog post..Gimme more Monday
August 12th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
We would really like to get into using solar energy. Also, to help conserve energy we just recently got special power strips that help reduce phantom energy draws by completely shutting down accessories when a master item is turned off.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
This book sounds great. Things I do to cut down on energy in our home: Shorter showers and I have really worked hard with remembering to turn the water on at a low level too (not so much pressure), we always buy high efficient appliances and just got a dishwasher that has no hot dry cycle but works great. I stumble around in low light/dark a lot too instead of turning on all the lights :o) My energy bills have indeed gone down!!
Next project is to get a new hot water heater that heats on demand.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
We are trying to make changes but have a long way to go to say we are “eco -consious”.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
I need to find ways to cut back on my electric bill. Thanks for the chance to win this book to give me some ideas.
Brandys last blog post..Enlightened perspective
August 12th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
I have always wanted to use our rainwater….in fact I would love to reuse the shower water, too, that is a lot of water going down the drain. Solar panels and a windmill would be great, I would love to generate ALL my own electricity but I don’t think that is possible.
Yvonnes last blog post..Fields of Gold Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!
August 13th, 2008 at 4:27 am
I am going to start taking public transportation more often and let my kids ride the bus for a change.
August 13th, 2008 at 7:18 am
Looks great. We’ve already cut back a TON on things like transporation and using electricity
August 13th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Our thermostat is set at 77.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Turn all lights off when not in the room.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:46 am
We use CFLs, line dry laundry, unplug appliances when not in use, our thermostat is usually set at 62 in the winter.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:48 am
To cut down on energy usage we wash everything in cold water. It gets things just as clean but with less energy used. We also try to do consecutive loads in the dryer so it is still warm from the load before and has to use less to heat up again.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I try to talk about global warming etc from time to time in gentle ways and if I find an article etc. I bring it to the attention of family members. I find that they try to save water, turn out lights, change to the more energy efficient light bulbs without feeling deprived at all.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Try to keep the electronics unplugged and lights off and TV off when not in use.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
We put absolutely everything on power strips, which we shut off when we leave the room. Our electric bills have dropped dramatically, and it’s really so so easy.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
I try to cut down on shower time to save water
August 13th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
It is simple - but I would love an on demand hot water heater. I would also love to install a better heating system - perhaps solar powered…and another small thing would be to update our dishwasher!
August 13th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
It is simple - but I would love an on demand hot water heater. I would also love to install a better heating system - perhaps solar powered…and another small thing would be to update our dishwasher!
August 13th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Keep TV turned off when not using
August 13th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
On Sundays we try to be a no vehicle family.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
I love this!
August 13th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
you’ve probably already won a million bloggy awards - but I just nominated you for another on my blog. No pressure, though, to mention it on your site. Mostly, I wanted others to know about you.
Julies last blog post..My First…EVER
August 13th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
we make sure that we use and reuse as often as possible. We even have a reward for the child who has picked up the most empty cans on the way home from school. We take these to the recylce center at the end of the month. the cans go to a charity that gets money for the aluminum.
August 13th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
limited income keeps me shuffling bills to make ends meet, would so loveto win this book thank you for the chance
August 13th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I would love to get a wind generator to take advantage of the coastal breezes, solar is not an option for us here in the northwest.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
We have already switched all our bulbs with the low energy flourescents; lights go out as soon as we are through using them; and use a gas saving car at 38mpg. We DREAM of going off the grid entirely, with solar roofing panels for solar energy; at least one windmill (how many can you have on half an acre?); routing rain water for ‘dirty’ usage (toilet tanks, etc.). Any other ideas will be strongly considered. Especially affordable changes we can make now.
August 14th, 2008 at 2:31 am
Lovely post. Please add my email address to your list and email me the updates if possible. I always like to read your blog and comment on it.
August 14th, 2008 at 3:08 am
This summer, we did entirely without air conditioning. I know. Saints, huh?
We live in the desert part of Washington state (Seattle hogs up all of our rain!). Our base rate on electricity went up 16% here, so we got creative. We opened all the windows at night, and ran energy star fans on intake. Then we closed everything up in the morning, before it got warm. When it was 115 outside, we managed to keep it down to about 74 inside, just by cooling the house down at night. But boy does it stink if you forget a fan and have it sucking in 90 degree air.
My next step is to get a clothes line set up. I want one of the lines that retracts back into the spinner when it’s not in use so I don’t clothes line (literally) my kids. But I can’t find them in ANY stores! Time to order online I guess.
August 14th, 2008 at 7:44 am
We have installed CFL light bulbs, keep all lights off during the day, all blinds closed during the day - even though I’m home all day. Turned the thermostat up in the summer, down in the winter, installed power strips to turn off all vampire appliances. Turned down the water heaters, don’t use heat dry on the dishwasher and only partially dry clothes in the dryer and then hang to complete drying. I use the microwave to cook as much as possible instead of the oven in the summer - we eat a lot of salads and sandwiches to cut down on heating appliances and dishes to be washed. My electric bill is STILL 350-400 bucks a month and there is only my husband and I living here. I NEED HELP to reduce it further. I am disabled and not a lot of income, so I need affordable ways to energize my home. Thank you so much for this give away. I have high hopes that it maybe can help me.
August 14th, 2008 at 10:21 am
we line dry our clothes instead of using the dryer
August 14th, 2008 at 10:56 am
only doing laundry one day-full loads, cutting down on cooking, taking cold showers.
August 14th, 2008 at 11:20 am
We have replaced our old AC/Heat pumps with newer more energy saving models and we keep our thermostats on 78 in summer. And we live in Florida
August 14th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I bought a clothesline to hang up in the backyard to dry clothes when it’s sunny out- especially our cloth diapers. I need to remember to turn things off like the VCR that still use power even when I’m not using them.
Ellies last blog post..Muffin Tin Monday- Pretzels!
August 14th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
We pretty much do most of the things mentioned in these comments. We’d like to install some kind of rainwater harvesting techniques at our house as well as having a solar panel grid and small wind turban back-up. I would love to generate all of my own electricity, but I don’t think that is possible due to the expense. I have seen some fantastic ideas on TV, but I’m afraid they will remain dreams until the prices come down.
Thank you for the opportunity to win!
August 14th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I’d love to have solar panels installed, but not sure if that’s practical with this house. I’d love to read about some projects that are more attainable right now.
August 14th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
We are just about to make the transition to cloth diapering - less oil usage to produce the disposables we won’t be using anymore!
August 14th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
We are investigating solar air collectors for use on our house. We would love to get these to help cut down on our heating costs in the winter
August 14th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Everything that isn’t in use is unplugged until it’s needed again. We don’t constantly turn the computer on and off like we used to. The thermostat is set at 76 in the summer and 68-70 in the winter. I try to implement new ideas when I come across them. Thank you for the contest!
August 14th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Turn off lights when not in use.
August 14th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
It’s hot here in Southern California so I try to set the thermostat at 78 or 80 if I can stand it in the summer and lower in the winter
Caryn Bs last blog post..Missy Higgins Review and Giveaway
August 15th, 2008 at 1:05 am
I keep the computer monitor turned off when I’m not using the computer.
August 17th, 2008 at 7:54 am
We keep our heating and cooling systems in excellent condition with seasonal check-ups and frequent filter changes. In the winter we delay turning on the heating as long as possible and when we do, we keep the thermostat on a lower setting and wear extra clothes. In the summer we are at a higher thermostat setting, wear cool clothes, and use fans to move the air in the room where we are. We wash using cold water and SoapNuts and only use hot water if something is filthy. When I use the oven, I try to cook several things at once to take advantage of the oven heat and to minimize heating up the house in summer. In the winter after I bake, I turn off the oven and open the oven door to let remaining heat come into the kitchen. I love hearing all the ways people are saving energy - we are all in this together!
August 20th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
i woud like the family to turn off electronics and lights when they are nt in use
August 23rd, 2008 at 2:23 am
Solar water heating will save you around 1/3rd of your electric bill every month. Not an exaggeration, do the math
Go Green!
September 14th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
That’s pretty cool. Never thought of solar cooking as something that was practical, so you have my interest piqued.
lower-electric-bills last blog post..Save on your electric bill by cleaning your AC condensor unit