Sticker Shock

scleaver — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:12:33 -0400

Green has never been more popular. And, as the trend spreads, we’re still figuring out just what it all means. Take food. Today’s Eat.Drink.Better blog post was about defining sustainable cuisine, which is more than organic, but is, “a way of growing, shipping, processing, preparing and eating foodstuff that doesn’t deplete the natural food systems that create the product.”

I’d love to eat sustainable, but even as green, earth-friendly, organic labels have spread, there still isn’t a one-size-fits-all sustainable label. So, given that sustainable is the best combination of local, organic, fair trade, pesticide free, and any other causes that you care about (no genetic engineering, perhaps) that you can find, you can combine labels to ensure that you’re getting the most sustainable foods possible in your grocery store.

Check out the Consumer Reports Eco-Label Tools for all your label needs. The site includes a virtual kitchen with explanations about how common foods are labeled, descriptions of what various labels mean for foods, household products, and more, and some search tools for labels and certifiers. I was unaware of many of these labels, like the Protected Harvest label that certifies a food, like strawberries or potatoes, as grown using integrated pest management techniques that use as few pesticides as possible.

How often do you read labels? And, can a little sticker sway your purchase?

Image of a Fair Trade logo from the Consumer Reports Eco-Label tool.

Can You Use LED Lights In Your Home?

jchait — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:00:00 -0400

LED lights appeared in the 60s but just recently have been used for home lighting applications for space lighting. Basically a LED is a semiconductor device which converts electricity into light. Obviously there's more to it than that though.

For a not-too technical look at LED workings check out How Stuff Works.

Currently, LED lights, or Light Emitting Diodes are not appropriate for house wide lighting use. By design, LED lights are directional, meaning their light doesn't spread all that well. That said, there are still pros to replacing some home lighting with LED lights.

LED bulbs burn cooler; a point that can help prevent fires.

LED burns more efficiently than incandescent, which saves energy and money. The monetary savings may be cut though, depending on where you get your lights. You can find them for the same cost as incandescents, but not always.

LED lighting is durable. Consumer Reports recently compared one of the more well known LED applications, , to regular incandescent bulbs. The LED bulbs far out-performed the incandescent. Research on small home LED light applications show the same.

LED lighting is healthier for the environment.

So, where can you use LED bulbs in your home. Most current research suggests that LED lights work best for small spaces, or places where you may need close-in direct light. Keep in mind that this is because LED lights burn in a more muted fashion, you're not going to get bright light like you will with other choices.

Places LED works well include:

Reading lights.
In stairways or closets.
Recessed lighting.
Linear strip lighting.
As a night light.
To showcase something - an art piece for example.
Lights you see inside a glass door cupboard.
Outdoor and porch lighting.

Outdoor lighting is iffy. Some people like how LED looks outside while others think the light is too dim. I've heard both sides. Personally, I like the more muted look of LED, but if you need extra bright light outside, LED is not what you want. The best you can do is try. You can always replace a light.

To see the sort of LED bulbs available check out C. Crane.

I wrote a post a while back about my favorite LED solar lighting applications from Solar Cynergy.

[photo via Solar Cynergy]