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With Japan’s tragic nuclear power incidents unfolding right now as a result of the earthquake and tsunami, it’s no wonder that a lot of people are asking questions about the safety of nuclear energy. Regardless of how safe the system, if an incident does happen, and radiation exposure becomes an issue, we don’t really have a way to deal with it.

The energy needs of wealthy countries are vast, and critics of renewable energy say that sources such as hydro, solar and wind can never meet all of our needs. But I’m glad that some people are becoming more conservation minded, and that new sources for that renewable energy are coming online.

As I blogged about earlier, Bullfrog Power, a renewable energy supplier that, to date, has offered customers wind, solar and hydro power through the main energy grid in several provinces, is now offering green natural gas, which is being collected from landfill methane sources, capturing it for our use instead of letting it rise into the atmosphere.

A new poll recently conducted for Bullfrog Power shows that more than 68 per cent of Canadians don’t know that the conventional natural gas used in their homes adds to Canada’s overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprint. According to Statistics Canada, however, natural gas use is a major contributor, releasing at least 32,000 kilotonnes of GHG emissions annually.

I’d like to know: do you think we can power our future with better sources of energy?
To encourage your answers, I have a fabulous prize pack from Bullfrog Power to offer.

The prize pack includes $150 worth of green and energy conservation products:
· Brita pitcher
· Bullfrog T-shirt
· Honeywell programmable thermostat
· RBC Blue Water Project water bottle
· Burt’s Bees lip balm
· Rocky Mountain Soap Company bath salt and soap
· Nature Clean shampoo and conditioner
· The Green Line toilet bowl cleaner
· Nature Clean laundry liquid
· Eco-Jot note pad
· A certificate for up to $50 off the purchase of green electricity and green natural gas

UPDATE: CONTEST CLOSED!. CONGRATULATIONS to Stephanie, winner of the Bullfrog Power prize pack!!

Do you find it hard to decide which energy-saving lightbulbs to buy because you’re unsure of how bright the bulbs will be? Incandescent, LED, compact fluorescent (CFL) and halogen bulbs all have a range of wattage (energy draw) and brightness (lumens) and other features as well. Figuring out which energy-saving bulbs will work in your light fixtures is worth it, however. According to Natural Resources Canada (link here), “In residential lighting alone, replacing conventional incandescent bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs could save Canadian consumers almost $600 million a year on their electricity bills.” Um, I think they mean all of us together, unless your energy bill is way bigger than mine.

So how to compare? Look at lumens, not the wattage of the various bulbs. How much energy a bulb uses has nothing to do with how bright it is, since the bulbs don’t efficiently convert 100 per cent of the energy into light. That’s why incandescent bulbs get so hot: they waste about 90 per cent of the energy used, converting it into heat instead of light!

Here are 7 questions you should ask when buying lightbulbs:

1.  How bright is it? Lumens are the measure of brightness, so it’s good to get familiar with lumens as the way to compare various bulbs.  Here are some common examples of equivalents. (Some bulbs may be more or less efficient than my list below, so you may see different wattage and lumen numbers on bulb packaging.) Bright to brightest:

25-watt incandescent = 220 lumens

7-watt CFL = 290 lumens

9-watt LED: 470 lumens

10-watt LED = 475 lumens

40-watt incandescent bulb = 495 lumens

9-watt CFL = 550 lumens

43-watt halogen = 800 lumens

13-watt CFL = 860 lumens

60-watt incandescent bulb = 800 to 1,000 lumens

20-watt CFL = 1150 lumens

75-watt incandescent bulb = 1170 lumens

16-watt LED = 2,500 lumens

2. What colour of light does it provide? You may want a warm-white bulb in some applications, where in others a bright or cool white bulb is more appropriate. Look for light colour options on the package.

3. Does it turn on instantly? Some bulbs take a moments to fully illuminate. You may want instant-on bulbs in some areas of your home.

4. Can it work at low temperatures? Some CFLs don’t work or last as long at sub-zero temperatures, particularly if used with motion detectors. Look for  bulbs rated for lower outdoor temperatures if you plan to use them outdoors.

5. Is it dimmable? If you’re trying to create an intimate atmosphere, dimming is a must! More and more dimmable energy-efficient bulbs are now available.

6. How long will the bulb last? It may be worth it to you to pay a little more for high-quality bulbs that last longer. A good-quality LED bulb can last for 25,000 to 50,000 hours, so you may not need to change it for 15 years! How handy would that be for those tricky to get to ceiling-mounted lamps?

7. How much does it cost? Ah, the bottom line. But before you dismiss that pricey LED bulb, consider calculating the cost per hour, based on the bulb’s lifespan. A 40-watt / 495 lumen incandescent costs about $1, or $0.001 per lifespan hour. A 9-watt / 550 lumen CFL costs about $4, or $0.0004 per lifespan hour. A $40 10-watt / 475 lumen LED (with a 50,000 lifespan) costs $0.0008 per lifespan hour.

Have you turned out the inefficient lights in your home? Are you having any trouble figuring out which bulbs to buy?

Energy-saving lightbulbs contest CLOSED. Congrats to Vicki, who won a set of bulbs from IKEA! The contest closed at noon on Tuesday, February 8. Employees of Homemakers magazine and Transcontinental Media and their family members were not eligible to win.

What’s the worst gift you ever received? Stinky soap that made you sneeze? Flaking candles that wouldn’t stay lit? Something that still had remnants of earlier wrapping paper on it, a clear regift? If only the giver had recognized that they just didn’t know what to get you, and chosen to give you a charitable gift — perhaps a donation that supports Canadian wildlife habitat — instead.

Charities themselves, as well as giving organizations such as Canada Helps, make it really easy to donate with gift giving in mind. This year World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) is offering symbolic wildlife adoptions to help them fund their conservation work. This year they’re introducing the lynx. According to WWF, “Hunting and trapping the lynx for their soft fur has completely depleted lynx populations in some parts of the world. Habitat destruction and degradation place further stress on the lynx, forcing them to adapt to unfamiliar environments.”

And World Wildlife Fund is offering one lynx adoption kit to Eco Logic readers!
UPDATE: THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR ENTRIES!
CONGRATS TO GAYLE OLSON, THE WINNER OF THE LYNX ADOPTION KIT FROM WWF!

World Wildlife Fund Canada's lynx adoption kit

To win this adorable, collectible version of the lynx, simply post a comment below. The lucky winner will be chosen by drawing a name from a hat when the CONTEST CLOSES at noon on November 17. Employees of Homemakers magazine and Transcontinental Media and their family members are not eligible to win.

Good luck! And look back to Eco Logic soon for more green gift ideas.

Win this great bag!

UPDATE: CONTEST CLOSED! The winner is: Leanne Cooke, who is looking forward to shopping in style. THANK YOU to everyone who entered! Look forward to more contests coming up soon.

A beautiful prize landed in my lap today! It’s Reisenthel’s new “loopshopper L”, a large, gorgeous, durable red shopping bag with an insulated, reflective lining, perfect for transporting hot or cold foods. It has padded handles so you can comfortably carry it on your shoulder, and exterior zip pockets for stashing small items. If you bought it, it would cost $50, but you can win it right here!

It’s a beautiful bag, and while I’d love to keep it all for myself, I’d prefer to send it to an Eco Logic reader here on Homemakers.com.

To win, simply post a comment below. The lucky winner will be chosen by drawing your names from a hat when the CONTEST CLOSES at noon on September 3. Employees of Homemakers magazine and Transcontinental Media and their family members are not eligible to win.

See more great reuseable shopping bags in the upcoming November issue of Homemakers magazine.

No, they’re not some old earrings that have been languishing in my jewelry box, they’re new earrings made with sterling silver that’s been recycled from scrap metal; about half comes from jewelers or from refineries that recycle scrap metal. What it isn’t: metal that’s been newly mined to make your earrings, at the expense of the environment. For example, silver is mined in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. Who would want jewelry that’s made at the expense of that landscape?

Who’s making this jewelry? TerraCycle, a Canadian recycler that has many other products made using recycled materials, such as these products I noted in an earlier post, which are made with kids’ lunch packaging. Crossing all of their sustainability t’s, TerraCycle’s silver is certified by a third-party.

Where can you buy this sustainable jewelry, including pretty, glittery pendants and delicate earrings? Walmart stores across Canada, for $16 to $29. According to the release, Walmart Canada has three long-term sustainability goals: to produce zero waste, to be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, and to sell products that sustain people and the environment.

So, how can you get your hands on this lovely pair of earrings? Just post a comment, and I’ll pick a random winner on Monday, May 17th at 5 p.m.

As I mentioned a few days ago, I’m trying a seed-starting experiment. It’s a contest of sorts, to see which seeds will sprout first, and which ones last through the highs and overnight lows of spring. I planted a few kinds of tomatoes, a couple of wildflowers, an herb, an annual flower and some lettuce.

So far, the annual flower, Nasturium, was first up, but couldn’t take the cold. (Perhaps it will resurface, but
I doubt it). Now the clear winner is the wildflower, the Blue Vervain. (That’s it at the back, on the left side.) It was wise enough to wait a bit longer to reach up to daylight, but now it has several stems unfurling toward the sun. Close runners up are my tomatoes — all of them sprouted around the same time, including a sprout from seeds I harvested from a (delicious, Quebec-grown) commercial grape tomato and three heirloom tomato varieties, including brown grape, green grape and yellow plum.

We shall see if the tomatoes survive cool nights coming up, if the Blue Vervain survives transplanting, and whether or not that Boston lettuce surfaces at all! Based on this test, in 10 days or so I’ll start planting more of the top-performing seeds.

Have you started your seeds yet? Do you have any advice on transplanting the fragile seedlings? And I have a contest for you: The first person to tell me about their seedlings or offer a tip will win a copy of “Natural Living: The 21st Century Guide to a Sustainable Lifestyle” (Gaia, 2010) by Liz Wright.