Finally, the answer to a question many have been puzzled about! How do I clean up a broken CFL bulb properly ? The answer is laid out clearly on the EPA website:
http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#fluorescent
Disposing of CFLs in an environmentally responsible manner has also become easier across the USA:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/business/24recycling.html
Green-e Certified 100% Wind Energy is available in NYC and Texas markets from Ambit Energy. Get a 7% reduction on your base supply cost for two months, a three day two night deluxe hotel getaway for two certificate good for use at 25 locations across the country, and 2000 initial travel rewards points (and more every month) for going green in NYC. Ambit guarantees a competitive base supply cost (1% or more annual savings) compared to your local utility rate. Available in the five boroughs and Westchester Con Edison service territories.
In Texas market areas, customers get a base supply cost reduction of up to 25%, a three day two night deluxe hotel getaway for two certificate good for use at 25 locations across the country, 2000 initial travel rewards points (and more every month). Ambit guarantees a competitive base supply cost compared to your local utility.
Your local utility will continue to deliver your electricity, read the meter, send the bill, and take care of service issues as usual.
Ambit Energy has an agreement with Shell who has invested a billion dollars in renewable energy. Consequently, Ambit can undercut Con Edison energy supply rates and offer a very competitive wind energy rate. Ambit can also afford to give customers generous incentives because they save millions on advertising by using network marketing.
Contact me if you would like more information. Grab your electricity bill and enroll conveniently online. Option to sign up for guaranteed savings (7% reduction for 65 days and 1% annual minimum compared to local utility rates) on clean burning natural gas in (NY, TX, and IL) at the same time. Ambit Energy offers a generous affiliate program for organizations and businesses. Contact me about joining my team.
There is a great new way to get solar power for your home or business without the big initial investment.
Renewable energy can be made cost competitive with today’s electricity rates. Moreover, with a fixed cost of electricity, this option is not just cost competitive, it is also financially profitable. Solar power can be a financially sensible choice.
The Citizenrē REnU program is the first to give residential customers the chance to use green energy in their home without the usual dilemma. A solar system is prepackaged to deliver energy to the customer or the utility from power generated at the home. This new program takes care of all the usual headaches: it provides hassle free design, installation, operation, and maintenance – and does so with the most attractive terms in the industry.
Customers have the option to rent the system for either 1, 5 or 25 years. This arrangement eliminates the traditional up-front investment and associated investment risk. With all of the customary barriers removed, customers can get down to the bottom-line choice of do they want more renewable energy, do they want more reliability, and do they want more responsiveness.
With the convenience of net-metering, customers have the chance to adopt while still having the additional reliability of the grid. These well-engineered systems are designed to interact with the local utility to reduce system strain, defer network upgrades, and create redundancy of grid supply to enhance overall distribution reliability. This enhanced relationship is a win-win situation for the customer and the traditional utility.
You can sign up now to have a solar system designed for your home and lock in your current electricity rate (based on last year). The average security deposit to get started is only $500 for a home (after you have approved the design).
For more information go to: Citizenrē REnU
The New York Energy Smart SM Small Commercial Lighting Program (SCLP) promotes The Right Light SM: effective, energy-efficient lighting solutions that result in better lit spaces, which allow people to see more easily and cost less to operate.
The Right Light can help small businesses in New York to save 20 to 30 percent on the lighting portion of electricity bills by upgrading their lighting systems. Maintenance costs are lower, because the lighting systems last longer. The Right Light improves your bottom line by creating a more pleasant and welcoming environment for your business’ clients, customers, and patients. The result: Better Lighting, Better Business. Click here to learn more about how The Right Light can help your business.
Since the strangely warm days of mid December 2006 and onwards, I began selling green energy made from wind and water through direct sales to small businesses in New York City. The first people to sign up have been the small creative boutiques in areas of the Lower East Side, the East Village, Soho, Williamsburg, Park Slope, Fort Greene, Red Hook, and Clinton Hill Brooklyn.
One of the first to enroll was Still Life at 77 Orchard Street in NYC. After an engaging conversation with a sympathetic sales associate who had green energy in her apartment, the following day there was a cell phone call for an immediate appointment. The Eileen Fisher Boutique at 314 East Ninth Street NYC was excited about social consciousness and signed up on the spot. Organic Avenue at 101 Stanton Street was a perfect audience for my pitch, after several visits attempting to find partners with a free moment to hear it the greening was accomplished. I ventured to 245 Eldridge Street to visit the Pan Asian sake bar Satsko where green design elements were noted such as the bamboo counters. The chef and then the owner both lit up at the words “green energy” and next thing you know, their other sake bar Alphabet Café at 202 East Seventh Street was enrolled as well. Trackstar had moved to 231 Eldridge from East First Street NYC, and wanted to go green when they had their new account number.
At Jill Anderson 331 East Ninth Street NYC, there were tell tale clues to notice such as the global warming messages in the front window, and I encountered another enthusiastic response. Across the street at 332 Galerie Vercon, the proprietor told her about renewable energy use on her native island and soon that shop was greener than before (after a particularly well-timed visit). One morning at the Klisanin Ross Gallery at 26 Second Avenue, the designer was freer and jumped at the chance to change her electricity to renewable energy. Jewelry boutiques on East Ninth Street NYC, such as Little King Ltd. at 319, and Gregg Wolf at 346, also decided to find the time to try something new and opted for renewable energy. Over at 280 East Tenth Street NYC at the Little Stinkers Shoe Company one day in the late afternoon I was discussing children’s shoes with the proprietor when she suddenly said, “What was that you were talking about when you walked in?”. The owner decided it was best to go greener that day.
Sometimes, direct sales is a comedy of errors. I kept showing up at the wrong time at some establishments that really were sincere. But there was a root canal to contend with one morning, and a family with the flu another appointment, and the fashion shows as well. The exhilaration of one the more difficult energy transformations was inspiring at 35 East First Street NYC at Priti Organic Spa. Over at 102 Avenue B in NYC is the beauty salon called Parlor, where the greening rendezvous was planned late one evening via email with the excited master stylist.
After a flurry of green enthusiast small businesses in the Lower East Side and the East Village, I tried Soho and found some promising long term leads. One day, two sympathetic trend spotters in a design store there suggested that I go to Williamsburg Brooklyn right away. “That would be perfect,” they grinned. I hopped across the river and met a wave of acceptance. Starting with Bicycle Doctor at 133 Grand Street who made a split second decision, and on to Modest Designs who opted for 100% wind power on the moment at 326 Wyeth Avenue. The spa Therapy at 115 Grand Street was the next to opt for green power and the neighbor Sodafine the next day at 119 Grand Street. Passout Record Shop at 131 Grand Street was another enlightened location with a decisive proprietress. At Fille de Joie 197 Grand Street, the charming owner declared wind and water power to be so much sexier and the deal was done. Yet another French fashion doyenne at 54 North Sixth Street, Noisette decided to opt for cleaner and greener energy without much rumination.
Miniminimarket at 200 Bedford Street, and Shoemarket at 132 North Fifth Street called to set an appointment for a Friday to end the week on an environmental note. Earlier in the week I skipped over to Park Slope to enroll Sprout Kidz at 849 Union Street Brooklyn who jumped on it the following day.
A classic mostly vegan and organic bakery at 130 St. Marks Place in NYC, The Whole Earth Bakery had called me for a late afternoon appointment and made an easy decision. Archangela shoe store at 340 Bedford found the time on a friday before Easter and Passover holidays to make a positive energy adjustment. Another spot at 330 Wythe Avenue called Main Drag Music that is already equipped with geothermal heating took the plunge. Back at 100 St. Marks Place in NYC, the Edible Arrangements fruit gift baskets store had decided that renewable was better.
The initial response to the green energy pitch can range from exhilaration, as in “I didn’t know I could do that!”, to quizzical expressions such as “Now, how are you going to do that?”, to a confusion between electricity and energy drinks, as in “we have no more space in our refrigerator”, to frustration with landlords who control the utility bills. Sometimes, shop owners are overwhelmed by issues with suppliers and streams of customers and phone calls, and I am consistently encouraged that so many find the free minutes to enroll. Business owners often assume the move to renewable energy involves renovations, and the installation of new equipment, and permissions from the landlord. No heavy equipment is really involved at all.
Each sale requires explanations about the logistics of the supply and delivery of energy.
The energy is delivered through the infrastructure or “grid “ to each NYC business by the public utility company Con Edison. Anyone with a Con Edison account can choose green energy made from renewable resources. A discussion of fixed versus variable rates is also mandatory. I often play energy bill sleuth trying to sort out issues with energy suppliers and mysteriously astronomical bills. One herbalist shop owner suddenly recalled that she had allowed her neighbor to put a large old model freezer in the basement of her business. She wondered if the freezer could be the cause of her sizable energy bills. Her vegan employee chimed in that the freezer was full of meat.
I typically suggest installing compact fluorescent bulbs and ceiling fans to reduce energy usage and expenses. My own experience with making a spontaneous decision to move to wind and water power seems to be the key to guiding others to make the same choice. Along the winding path there are the green enthusiasts with the expression “Sweet!” a broad smile, and leads on interested businesses and promising areas. The gray concrete sometimes reveals a vision of an enchanted verdant city.
Yep, there are warm (also known as “soft”) , daylight (full spectrum), and cool (brash to most folks) CFLs these days! You can get floods, globes, bulb-shaped spirals, mini bulbs, even yellow bug light CFLs.
So stop complaining that they won’t work for you, and start saving by slashing your energy usage fast and furiously by simply swapping out your incandescent and halogen bulbs.
Go green and save money at the same time. Now you can truly afford to enroll for renewable energy through your utility account because you have reduced your usage significantly. Awesome.
