Coventry Park

Clean green and save money

coventry — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:57:14 +0000

As we become more aware of the harmful impacts of conventional cleaning products, we look for products that are non-toxic, biodegradable and made from renewable resources. Look no further than your kitchen cabinets! Vinegar and baking soda will clean almost anything and are very inexpensive to use.

Baking soda(sodium bicarbonate) is primarily used in cooking where it reacts with other components to release carbon dioxide which helps dough rise. It also has medicinal purposes as well as cleaning functions. Baking soda neutralizes both acids and bases, so it actually eliminates odors rather than just covering them up. It also can act as a mild abrasive cleaner that works well on removing stains from sinks, counter tops and china. It was also used to clean the Statue of Liberty in 1986.

Vinegar is an acidic liquid that produces its key ingredient, acetic acid. Distilled or white vinegar is used in medicinal, laboratory and cleaning processes as well as in cooking.Because it is acidic, it can dissolve mineral deposits on glass, coffee makers and other smooth surfaces.

Listed below are some recipes that use these products for household cleaning:

To clean non-wood surfaces and tile, mix 1 cup plain ,white vinegar with 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Spray the solution onto desired surface and wipe clean with a moist cloth or sponge.
Use plain, undiluted white vinegar to clean toilets.
For an inexpensive scouring powder, combine 2 tablespoons each of vinegar and baking soda and apply to desired surface.
For oven cleaning, combine 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup water. Apply to inside of oven with a basting brush or moist towel and let sit for 1 hour. Wipe off with a clean , wet terrycloth(rough) towel.
For sparkling clean coffee makers, run 1 cup of vinegar through brew cycle and then repeat cycle with water.
For smelly pets, sprinkle baking soda into their fur and brush thoroughly.
In garbage cans, sprinkle bottom of can with baking soda, and then sprinkle baking soda into bottom of new garbage bag.
Use baking soda as a refreshing change from toothpaste to brush your teeth with.

Be careful when mixing vinegar and baking soda together. As kids learn in science class, it is a chemical reaction and that is why they make such an effective cleaning agent.

Use The National Institutes of Health’s web page search for information on cleaning products and many other topics.

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Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront Jacksonville’s First Certified Green Hotel

coventry — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:52:34 +0000

Jim Henson couldn’t have been more right when he had Kermit the Frog sing… “It’s not easy being Green!”

Being green is more than just flying a flag, putting up a sign or paying tribute to the color. Truly being green takes countless hours of hard work. The Green Road is much like the high road, there usually isn’t very much traffic, but travel is not without its tolls.

Crowne Plaza is Jacksonville’s first Certified Green Hotel by Florida Green Lodging – earning its one palm certification. This green hotel in Jacksonville is dedicated to conserving Florida’s natural resources by water conservation, waste reduction, and energy efficiency.

The hotel saves approximately 55 tons of recyclable material each year
Installed low flow shower heads in all guest rooms
Exchanged over 2,000 incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs
Replaced all air conditioning units with new energy efficient units
Exchanged 292 air conditioner filters for ones with higher MERV ratings
Instead of dumping the old units in the trash, the hotel took the units apart and removed the recyclable metal which translates into 15 thousand pounds of ferrous metal, 15 hundred pounds of copper, 345 pounds of aluminum, and 76 pounds of brass
Switched cleaning chemical companies to one with an earth friendly focus
Trained the staff and appointed a green team to manage the program
Crowne Plaza recycles all glass, plastic, aluminum, paper and cardboard

So, it is true, it’s not easy being green. It does take time, commitment, and dedication, but it is the right thing to do. Forget Rose colored glasses. The world really will be a better place if we each make the effort to look at it through green colored glasses.

ABOUT CROWNE PLAZA JACKSONVILLE RIVERFRONT:
Escape to green accommodations in Jacksonville and enjoy affordable luxury in Downtown Jacksonville:

Northeast Florida’s first Certified Green hotel
Complimentary in-room wired and wireless internet service
Complimentary, 24-hour business and fitness centers
TempurPedic Dream-Spa mattresses in all king bedded guest rooms
Quiet Zone Floors – an entire floor devoted to solo business travelers
Guaranteed Wake-Up Calls – or your night is free
All guest rooms feature walk-out balconies
For more information on Crowne Plaza, visit http://www.cpjacksonville.com/

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Solar Powered MP4 Player

coventry — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:17:07 +0000

Manufacturer:
MSRP: $103.63

Greenopia Product Scorecard:

Production	Nontoxic	Eco-Packaging	Certification
Low-Impact Materials	Efficient Use Phase	Corporate Responsibility	Renewable Power

This solar powered mp4 player also has the ability to charge other small electronics with its solar panels. This means that it can replace the burden of several chargers using its green power generation abilities. It also has a built in LED flashlight and video game emulators included.

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What does green mean?

coventry — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:55:34 +0000

A few suggestions to green your life.

It’s easy to jump on the green bandwagon, but this is not something new and trendy that will make us cool today. Being green is a way of life that many of our parents and grandparents embraced while we thought they were being cheap. Remember how they always turned out the lights and reused those paper bags until they were falling apart? If you don’t then your Mom and Grandma were of the consumer mentality that became the norm in the second half of the 20^th century. We are now having to re-adjust our thinking to remember our conservative roots. By conservative I’m not talking politics, but the need to be good stewards and conserve our resources.

Fortunately today’s awareness of the need for sustainability along with new technology makes it easier for us to live an even greener life than our conservation minded forebearers. Architecture students are taught as part of their regular curriculum to use sustainable materials, take advantage of renewable energy sources, natural lighting, good site planning, and not waste products. “Green” developers not only use green building methods, but work with engineers and consultants on their site plans to save trees and native plants which require less watering and pesticides while incorporating better methods of drainage that do not cause excessive run-off such as pervious hardscape and driveway materials and rain gardens.

So what can you do as the average person to be a little greener?

1. As your light bulbs burn out replace them with compact florescent bulbs, and for goodness sakes do as Mom did and turn out the lights, electronics, and fans when you leave a room. Take this one step further and plug electronics into energy strips so you can completely cut them off when not in use.

2. Turn your thermostat (preferably a programable thermostat) a couple of degrees lower in the winter and higher in the summer. When the temp is comfortable outside open up your living space. This not only improves the air quality of your home, but lowers your utility bills.

3. Use energy star appliances and electronics, and remember, you don’t need a TV in every room!

4. Plan your day so you don’t have to make multiple trips by car and when possible carpool, walk or bicycle.

5. Consider investing in solar hot water heaters, solar panels, roof mounted wind turbines, geothermal technology, and other renewable energy sources if you are a homeowner. State and Federal tax credits and incentive are often offered.

6. If building a home talk to your contractor to see how knowledgeable he or she is about sustainable practices and if he or she is willing to go the extra mile to build “green”. Green building may cost more up front, but the long term payback can be substantial, from lower utility bills to fewer health problems and allergies caused by toxic substances in the home.

7. Educate your self to the LEED certification process. Even if you don’t build a LEED Certified home you can go a long ways towards building a cleaner more energy efficient home if you understand the basics.

8. When landscaping use native plants. Natives are more adapted to our environment (duh!) and need less water and pesticides to thrive. Also, use pervious products for driveways and patios. Rain gardens can be beneficial in areas where poor drainage is an issue.

9. If restoring a home recycle as many of the original materials in the home as possible while increasing energy efficiency by using current green technologies.

10. When buying furniture consider used furniture and antiques. Think about it, you’re recycling! If buying new furniture consider that made of sustainable materials such as recycled and sustainably grown products. Watch out for toxic glues and outgassing in newer products.

11. Participate in your local recycling programs. If municiple or private curbside recycling is not availalbe in your community find your closest recycling center.

12. Try to buy foods and products that are produced locally or at least regionally. Support you local businesses!

13. Take your own reusable bags to the store when shopping. Speaking of shopping, think before you buy. Do you really need new “stuff”?

14. Get your hands in the dirt and grow some food.

These are just a few practices that can go a long way towards a greener life. Remember that life is not fulfilling because of what we have, but what we do. Our actions can have a significant impact on our children’s and grandchildren’s future.

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4 Ways to Cut Your A/C Bill

coventry — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:28:43 +0000

Now that’s summer’s in full effect, it’s time for the next installment in our Energy Savings series, courtesy of our friends at Green Home Guide. This week it’s all air conditioners, all the time.

Everyone knows that once the first heat wave hits, energy bills skyrocket — especially when you’re a fan of air conditioning. Your air conditioning system accounts for the bulk of your home’s overall energy use in the summer.

Luckily, the U.S. Green Building Council clued us in to several ways we can save energy — and money — by using our air conditioners conscientiously.

1. Give Your Thermostat the Time of Day
Programming your thermostat to pump less cool air during the moonlight hours — even a few degrees less — can make big a difference. Here are suggested settings for various times through a 24-hour period:

• 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. = 75 degrees
• 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. = 80 degrees
• 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. = 75 degrees
• 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. = 80 degrees

2. Kick It Up a Notch
78 degrees Fahrenheit is a common indoor temperature for a typical household. If you want to save a significant amount of money, set your thermostat one degree higher. Now set it another degree higher. The only place you’ll feel a big difference is in your wallet. For every degree above 78, you’ll save 5 to 8 percent on cooling costs. If you just want a comfortable home, and don’t need an overly cool one, try raising it to 85 degrees; you’ll save 35 to 55 percent.

3. Don’t Cool the Home for No One
If you’re going out for a few hours, set the thermostat to 85 or 90 degrees. When you get home and reset it, the house will take only about 15 minutes to resume its normal, comfy-cool temperature. The system will consume less energy during this quick, 15-minute cool-down period than if you had left it running at 78 the whole time.

4. Change the Filter
A filter caked with dirt significantly impedes the function of your air conditioner, causing it to pump more air to cool your home. Change the filter several times a year — especially in the beginning of the cooling and heating seasons. Here’s how to change the filter in your HVAC system.

See? Being energy smart is easier than it sounds.

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Coventry Park: Clean & Go Green

coventry — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:14:05 +0000

These days you can find all sorts of cleaning products at the store. They have nice smells, or a new design to ease that work, but in reality, all you really need you probably already have at home.

Martha Stewart can solve any problem, and our cleaning dilemmas are no exception. She has provided several ways to get your cleaning done, and they are all green ideas. Here are a few problems I come across & the solutions Martha has come up with:

problem: window residue
solution: 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar and 1 cup of water in a clean spray bottle will get rid of it in no time

problem: cleaning with vinegar, well, makes the vinegar smell linger
solution: add a few drops of any great smelling oil, like lavender

problem: the drain is clogged
solution: use 3 parts boiling water to 1 part baking soda, and it should be working in no time

These are just a few ideas from Ms. Stewart. What are some of your green cleaning ideas?

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You Don’t Have To Spend More Money To Go Green

coventry — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:22:36 +0000

Planet Earth is depending on you to make wise choices now to ensure a greener future. There are many ways for you and your family to Go Green. Buying organic foods is one way of going green, but organic goods will cost you more money. You don’t have to spend more money to Go Green. Here are some ways that going green newbie’s can start going green today, without spending more money.

The world consumption of plastic shopping bags is staggering. According to the website reusablebags.com, world consumption is up to one trillion of these bags each year. Start reducing your consumption of these plastic shopping bags today. At the grocery store checkout, choose paper over plastic bags and reuse the paper bags on your next shopping trip. When you make small purchases, kindly refuse the plastic bag and place the item and receipt in your personal bag.

Recycling is the cornerstone of going green and it has never been easier. An inspiring number of communities have implemented recycling programs. Did you know Coventry Park offers an on-site recycling program for each apartment home? Contact the office for more details. To begin participating in your community’s recycling program you don’t have to spend any extra money. You just have to get a little organized. You are a piece of the puzzle.

Do you have a closet or storage unit full of old clothes and furniture? A simple way to Go Green that doesn’t cost money is to give away, instead of throw away, old clothes, linens, furniture and electronics. Give other people the opportunity to reuse the items you do not need anymore. You can drop off your items at a local bin, usually located in grocery superstore parking lots or at a local Goodwill or Salvation Army center. You can also call the charity of your choice and they may offer the option to come in a truck and pick up your used items right in Uptown Altamonte.

Reusing is as equally important as reducing consumption and recycling. People throw away enough textiles each year to fill three football stadiums. There are varying degrees of going green. Reducing your consumption of plastic bags, donating used goods for reuse and participating in your community’s recycling program are a great start. You don’t have to spend more money to Go Green; start today.

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Blow Away High Energy Consumption

coventry — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:45:56 +0000

According to information provided by the US Department of Energy and HD

Supply, ceiling fans with reversible rotation enable year round energy savings.

Research distributed by the two organizations reflects that you may save up to 40% on cooling costs and as much as 10% on heating costs. Stopping air leaks below the door will prevent hot and cold air from escaping and decrease energy use from heating and cooling. The figure below illustrates how the process works.

Did you know Coventry Park allows you to purchase new fans and switch out the ones already provided in your apartment? A qualified technician that you hire is welcomed to install them in your apartment.

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