Do Just One Thing

12/18/13

Scientists at MIT recently conducted a study that showed that if people used a revolving door instead of a swinging door when entering a building, thousands of dollars would be saved every year per building in energy costs alone. On average, about eight times more air is exchanged with a traditional swinging door than with a revolving one. Think of the next time you’re in a warm restaurant on a cold winter day: When someone enters the building using a swinging door, gusts of cold air rush into the restaurant, which forces the heating system to go into overdrive to condition the room. A revolving door minimizes the gush of air dramatically since it creates a barrier with the series of rotating doors.

12/17/13

Do this one thing: Choose unbleached paper products to use in cooking and baking. Many white paper kitchen materials are bleached using chlorine, which has chemicals that can leach into your food from the bleaching process. Products like parchment paper, coffee filters and paper towels all have unbleached -- usually brown -- alternatives you can find easily at almost any supermarket. The cost is comparable, and the effectiveness of the unbleached products is just as good as the bleached ones.

12/16/13

If you choose a live, balled Christmas tree this holiday season, consider leaving it outdoors instead of bringing it inside. A live evergreen can be replanted in your yard after the holiday season, but it has limitations. On average, a live tree can last one week indoors before it gets too acclimated to the warm temperature. Any longer than a week and it will die when reintroduced to the cold air. By leaving a balled tree outdoors -- perhaps by the front door -- you can decorate it early and leave it out all winter long, or until it's warm enough to plant.