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energy at home

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    Ask Umbra on low-e window films

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I have noticed window film applications available at local home improvement stores that claim additional insulation qualities when used, in addition to a sleek look when compared to window blinds. In comparison to the standard winter window applications you can buy to help with drafty windows, but […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • Obama announces new efficiency initiatives as part of big clean-energy push

    President Barack Obama doesn’t think he can solve global warming by changing his f**king light bulbs, but he’s going to do it anyway. More importantly, he’s going to change the light-bulb industry. Obama unveiled new energy-efficiency standards for lighting and appliances on Monday — the latest in a string of energy-focused announcements and events for […]

    Kate Sheppard Politics

  • Symptom: High utility bills; Diagnosis: Full energy efficiency workup

    Photo illustration by Tom Twigg / Grist The red Honda Fit from a local car-sharing service pulls into the driveway of a suburban San Francisco Bay-area home, and two clean-cut young guys in khaki jump out and start unloading a Ghostbusters array of gadgets — something resembling a giant black megaphone, a glowing tube attached […]

    Todd Woody Technology

  • Ask Umbra on rinse aids

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dearest Umbra, While pleased as pie to have a new super-efficient dishwasher, I remain curious as to the chemical composition of the required rinse aid. This dishwasher relies on a hot water rinse and its stainless steel tub to somehow dry the dishes — there is no energy-sucking, plastic-melting […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • Ask Umbra on ungreen roommates

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I would like to reduce the amount of energy that my household uses as much as possible. But I have a problem with my roommate. She refuses to use CFLs. She gets upset when I turn off phantom loads, like the power supply for her laptop computer, […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • The digital TV conversion is here — are you e-ready?

    We interrupt your life to bring you this reminder: By June 12, all television signals in the U.S. will be digital. Seriously. So here’s an e-guide to ease your mind. Wait, WTF is happening again? The signals from all TV stations, which were analog for decades, will now be digital. This transition actually began in […]

    Katharine Wroth Culture

  • With green home venture, Sierra Club mixes profits with passion

    Photo illustration by Tom Twigg / GristIt’s not unusual these days for big green groups to get in bed with business, but one of the oldest and most-respected environmental organizations — the Sierra Club — is going them one better by getting into business itself. The San Francisco-based Sierra Club has launched a for-profit online […]

    Todd Woody Technology

  • Two homeowners, one monster, and a cutting-edge power source

    There’s a monster in our basement. It eats fistfuls of dollar bills, guzzles No. 2 heating oil, and belches filthy clouds of soot and CO2. We have to kill it before it kills us. Only problem is, we and our tenants are dependent on it — this being New England, we need something down there […]

    Peter Thomson Cities

  • Ask Umbra on hydro power at home

    Q. Dear Umbra, Please tell me you didn’t just imply that hydroelectric is a clean energy source. You didn’t just say that, did you? Brian K.Eugene, Ore. You’ve got the power in your hands.iStockA. Dearest Brian, In my recent column on living off the grid, I pledged to discuss micro-hydro as a power source for […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture