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Summer is upon us, and with it comes heat and humidity. Homeowners are more and more concerned about their spiking electricity bills from running costly air conditioners. These units are the largest consumers of electricity in our homes.

Over half of all Oahu homes have air conditioning, either central air or a single window unit. This is a dramatic increase of almost 22% when compared to 25 years ago. – Hawaii’s Energy Future

Running a window unit in a standard bedroom for 8 hours a night can rack up to a $49 monthly bill, depending on its EER. Turning the thermostat a few degrees lower or running it during hotter hours of the daytime can make a dramatic difference in your electricity consumption, which is reflected on your utility bill. Here a few tips to keep in mind to help lower your energy usage this summer while still keeping cool:

– Consider the use of a fan in place of your traditional cooling unit.

– Change the thermostat to reduce your energy consumption.

– Add a programmable thermostat which will automatically run your AC when the house is occupied.

– Clean or replace filters to increase the efficiency of your cooling unit.

– Take actions to lower the base temperature in your home. Install cooler CFL lights, close blinds, and invest in home window tinting.

– Always make sure to have the right size cooling system for your room or home. HECO has a free calculator to determine the proper unit size and it shows the average cost per month.

– Make sure to schedule system maintenance with a licensed contractor. Central air users can even qualify for a maintenance rebate.

– Add a photovoltaic system to your house.

All of these small but important changes will help to keep your AC from working overtime during these hot summer months. Find more information and further energy saving tips at the Hawaii’s Energy Future website.

Want to find out more about how to save electricity? Visit .

Posted in alternative energy | Tagged alternative energy, Electricity, energy, energy-saving, home, solar electricity, summer | Comments Off

10 Reasons to Wear Yoga Clothing Made From Organic Bamboo

by David Green Posted on June 13, 2013

Organic yoga clothing comes from a wide variety of natural materials. Of all the eco-friendly fabrics out there, bamboo has some truly unique benefits. It’s good for the planet as it’s growing, and it’s good for people who wear clothing derived from the plant’s fibers. Here are the top ten reasons why your yoga pants should be made from bamboo.

1. Bamboo is highly sustainable. Only about a third of the bamboo culms growing in a forest are harvested in any particular year. The younger ones are left to grow for another year or two, thus providing energy for new shoots to emerge.

2. Bamboo is completely organic. It grows well without using any chemical pesticides and fertilizers. This keeps the soil and water free from pollutants.

3. Bamboo removes large amounts greenhouse gases from the air. If you tested equal areas of bamboo forest and hardwood forest, you’d find that the bamboo forest is able to produce 35% more oxygen.

4. Bamboo prevents erosion. When other textile crops are harvested, the land is stripped of nutrients and soil is lost to wind and water erosion. But a bamboo forest is all connected by one root system. This helps bind the soil in place while holding in moisture.

5. Bamboo doesn’t need any irrigation. Natural rainfall is all the water it needs. Compare this to cotton, which is an extremely thirsty crop. Did you know that almost 3% of the total water used by humans goes towards irrigating cotton fields?

6. Bamboo yoga clothing extremely soft and smooth. The reason is because the bamboo fibers possess a naturally rounded surface. You can even observe this by looking at bamboo under a microscope. This smoothness makes bamboo clothing very soft like silk. Even people with skin allergies can wear it.

7. Bamboo fabric wicks away moisture and is highly absorbent. When you sweat, bamboo will help you feel drier by taking up the excess moisture. This is one of the best reasons to wear organic bamboo yoga clothes.

8. Bamboo is breathable and good for regulating temperature. When it’s hot out, you will feel cooler. And when it’s chilly, you can wear a layer of bamboo for insulation.

9. Bamboo clothing blocks up to 98% of UV rays. This lessens your odds of developing cancer.

10. Bamboo has antibacterial properties. If you’ve used bamboo towels, you may have noticed that they smell cleaner for longer time and can be washed less often. This helps water conservation.

These were just a few of many good reasons why bamboo is the best organic yoga clothing you can wear. As more yogis become aware of environmental issues, bamboo is sure to become an even more important source for eco-friendly yoga clothing.

If you’re interested in organic yoga pants and want to learn more, check out this website.