I am on the quest to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle this year. And another thing I decided to tackle is our garage freezer! It barely has anything in it and I am positive that our fridge’s freezer will be able to handle a little extra. I think I can make it work!
Why am I doing it?
Well, obviously by turning off the freezer I will be able to eliminate a hefty source of energy consumption. This will result in lower energy consumption, lower energy bill and less emissions from the power plant!
How much energy will I save?
Let’s see, my little freezer draws 5 amps of current and a voltage of 115 volts. It is quite old, so assuming that it runs 50% of the time during cooler months here in Florida, I should be able to save
115V * 5A / 1000 * 30 days * 24 hrs * 50% = 207 kilowatt-hours per month of energy.
I made this recipe of mine a few times and my toddler seems to like it very much! So I thought I’d share.
It’s very easy to make. All you need is one serving of cooked cream of wheat, quarter table spoon of butter and couple of ounces of cooked chicken pureed using food processor. I usually bake my chicken, but it can be boiled or broiled. As long as it’s not too spicy or too salty. In order for chicken to come out creamy I add an ounce or two of water to the food processor.
Once everything is cooked and chicken pureed, add all the ingredients together and you got yourself a meal or two for your baby or toddler!
Homemade baby food is cheaper than the store bought and it is more eco-friendly since there is no additional container involved!
Many have concern with using CFL light bulbs because of the mercury found inside the bulb. CFL bulbs contain about 3.5-5 milligrams of mercury. Mercury is used to ignite the phosphorus particles inside the bulb in order to create the light.
But when looking at it objectively, what carries a higher risk for the mercury exposure using CFL or incandescent lights?
My husband and I just came back from a cruise to Easter Caribbean. One of the ports of call was Saint Thomas island. Saint Thomas is part of US’ owned Virgin Islands. My sister-in-law recommended to go on Bike ‘n Swim excursion on Water Island located a short ferry ride from St. Thomas.
We had a wonderful time and I was truly mesmerized by the island’s beauty and by the exotic lifestyle of its residents.
Water Island is about 2 1/2 miles long and 1 mile wide in its widest part. Since It is in the shape of a mountain with the highest point of 300 ft, water is visible from almost any location. The tropical imported landscaping fits perfectly into its idealistic scenery. A beautiful, man-made Honeymoon Beach completes this secluded paradise.
A few private homes are scattered throughout the island. That’s about all the civilization you will find. The island has no public transportation (except for the ferry to and from the island), stores, gas stations, banks or anything else of such manner. Forget about the fire station or the medical emergency room. They do however have one operational fire truck parked on the side of the road for just-in-case situation. Currently there are 105 full-time residents, 25 of which are children. They rely on St. Thomas for groceries, supplies, banking, schooling and other businesses.
Ironically despite its name, Water Island has no fresh water supply. Residents have to buy fresh water from the desalination plant located on Saint Thomas. Fresh water is more costly for Water Island residents as it has to be transported by a barge from St. Thomas. To save money residents collect rain water from the roofs of their houses and they don’t flush their toilet after number one.
So the paradise doesn’t come without a price. Despite the fact, the property values are quite high. A little over 1000 square-foot, two bedroom, two bath home with a great view will go for no less than $500K.
A smart advice from the resident: if you ever consider moving to such place, try it out for at least six months first. If you survive and enjoy it, then the move might be right for you.
Personally, I think Water Island is a great vacation spot, but that’s where I draw a line for now!
