Learn the essentials of going green, the effects of global warming and the push for renewable energy policy that is changing the landscape of how we look at the environment. Everything from links to global warming information and interactive sites, to guides and tips helping you make the grass on your side of the fence a little bit greener.

Visit your green energy portal today! Feel free to comment and leave suggestions as to how we can all provide more information on protecting the environment.

Today we're talking green—go figure. There are lots of ways you can be environmentally conscious and save money at the same time.

Perhaps you've heard on the news that cleaning with environmentally safe, green products is doing your home and the environment a good thing. Green products are biodegradable, non-carbon based solutions that do not adversely impact our environment, and are safer for you and your kids. Many of the products have a neutral pH and no odor.

Just because the product says green doesn't mean it is. According to the Consumer Specialty Products Association, traditional cleaning products are subjected to elaborate and extensive testing to ensure that they are both safe and compatible with the environment. Unfortunately, this is no guarantee that the product is safe for you or your surroundings.

Be conscious of misrepresentations by marketing firms. The green moniker sells these days and chummed water will make the sharks circle. Advertisers and companies have pumped billions into their marketing campaigns to promote their environmentally-friendly products to consumers. So who to trust?

The Green Seal Standard is a benchmark set by a not-for-profit, government-regulated company that endorses neutral effect products. Jonathan Wels of DEC Green advises looking for Green Seal products that are waterborne, non-toxic and pH neutral, containing no harmful solvents or volatile compounds. Look for the Green Seal to maximize your green experience, and maintain a clean and environmentally conscious household.

I recently attended the Energy Marketing and Customer Service Conference (EMACS). EMACS is an annual conference that brings together some of the biggest electric and natural gas companies in the United States.

Exceptional business leaders within the industry discuss the hottest topics, share ideas in interactive round-table discussions and workshops, and learn from one another as to how to apply best practices. Overall, EMACS was created to guide energy companies in providing you—the consumer—with the best products, customer service and practices possible.

The main focus this year was on renewable energy goals set by the government. Did you know that every energy company has a goal to meet on producing renewable energy? For example, Southern California Edison (SCE)—one of California's biggest electric company that services more than 13 million people— has a set goal of 20 percent to be reached by 2010. They are well on their way of meeting that goal since at the moment 16.7 percent of their energy portfolio is renewable. This is exciting for the future of the energy industry.

To my surprise, many companies are taking on new energy conservation initiatives, and are being more proactive and smarter at implementing those ideas. The one that stood out the most for me was that some companies—such as Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)—are encouraging their communities to switch out old light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL) at schools, home-owner associations and government-owned facilities. Per Harry Hudchison, VP of Customer Services and Operations at SCE, by switching out your light bulbs to CFL's you can save up to one-third off your electric bill every month. Hearing that made me want to jump out of my seat and buy a dozen of them! It's well worth the cost.

Overall the conference was great. I learned that companies do actually have our best interest at heart, as well as the interest of the environment.

Two years ago my boyfriend (now husband) got a $400 light bill in the mail. Instead of turning off the lights and setting the A/C to 80 degrees when you leave for work—like most sane people would—he spent three days reading up on the Internet about tampering with your electric meter. Anyway, long story short he finally bought a programmable digital thermostat and thought the problem was solved.

If your husband is like mine, you might save a lot of trouble by taking a little advice. First, get an energy audit so you can see where you are really spending your money. Second, make him think it was his idea so it will actually happen. That shiny new thermostat helped a little, but the audit we ordered detailed the truth. One of our compressors was on its last leg, our attic and walls lacked insulation, the stripping on the windows was sub-par and the French doors in the back of the house were leaking cold air.

Energy audits are in demand, especially in the summer and particularly if you live in Houston where its summer just about year-round. An auditor will inspect the structure, roof, HVAC and mechanicals, plumbing, and interior and exteriors of the entire improvement. Most inspections will be concluded with a report detailing potential areas for cost and energy savings. Usually the report will include recommended contractors, products and services. Further recommendations on financing large capital improvements that could help you make your home energy-efficient may also accompany the document.

Some of the advice we took, and some of it we didn't. My point (in case you're lost) is that the energy audit gave us the ability to make educated decisions regarding our energy consumption, and some of the additional financial obligations that come with owning a home.

An economical way of going green

The days of mindlessly using products and discarding them without a second thought are over. We need to change our ways today to save the planet for tomorrow. I know some of you are thinking it's hard to change habits and it costs too much money to think green. Well I'm here to tell you it really doesn't have to cost much and if you're like me, you'll have to take baby steps towards the big picture.

Saving the environment is not something you do in one day and that's it &mdash on the contrary it's a way of life, a green way of life. Below are some tips to help you change those bad habits and get you on the road to an economically friendly green way of living.

First, the easiest way to a green life is to think small. Normally you're told to think of the big picture, which in most cases is true, but we already know the big picture &mdash saving the environment. Change slowly and change the little things in life before deciding to do it all at once.

• Transportation - Ride the bus to work or even carpool with other co-workers that live in your area. If feasible walk or ride a bike. Now for those of you who can afford it then look into buying a green automobile.


• Recycle - It is always better to set aside items to recycle instead of putting them in the trash to over-fill a landfill. It's even easier if your community has a recycle curb side pick up.


• Cooking - Use a slow cooker, microwave or a toaster oven instead of an electric range. Did you know that a meal that requires one hour to cook in an electric oven uses 2.7 pounds of C02?


• Washing Clothes - Use cold water and save money on your electricity bill. Hang dry at least some of your clothes and save about 700 pounds of C02 a year.


• Lights - Turn off lights when you're not in that particular room and save money and energy.


• Car Tires - Keep your car tires inflated to save money on gas and save the environment from C02 emissions.


• Cleaning Supplies - Save money by not buying several products to clean your home. Vinegar and baking soda are all purpose cleaners that also happen to be environmentally friendly.


• Grocery Bags - Take your own grocery bags back to the store and reuse them until they are worn.

These are just a few things you can do to get you started to a greener way of life. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day &mdash it takes time. We just need everyone to do their part no matter how small or how big to have a cleaner tomorrow.

If you would like to see more tips on living green then see our press release. I've included a few more easy steps on how you can save the environment and they are also economically friendly to your pocketbook.

"Good things come in small packages" is how the old saying goes; I wonder if that applies to weird packages too? You might ask yourself, "What exactly is an LED bulb and why does it have such an odd name" as you reach for the same incandescent bulb your great grandparents used to buy like two hundred years ago (just kidding, the incandescent bulb was patented by Alexander Nikolayevich Lodygin in 1874). Grandpappy was a smart man, so if it worked for him it works for me, right?

Well wake up, times they are a changing. They split the atom, landed on the moon, deciphered the human gene code, and eliminated poverty—well they're still working on that last one. Another one they're working on is saving our planet from becoming an ever-lasting waste pile of humanity, and these "weird" little LED bulbs are a giant step in the right direction.

A light-emitting diode (LED) is extremely small, consumes little energy and contains no lead or mercury, making it quite environmentally friendly. LED's emit light when connected in a circuit, with a semi-conductor chip that has two regions filled with positive and negative electric charges serving as the nuts and bolts.

LED bulbs last 15 years or longer, aren't toxic and use something like 90% less energy than their predecessors. This is really a no-brainer, and the boys at Commerce Energy figured out a way to make it easy by offering the bulbs on their website. The Commerce Energy bulb base comes in both a screw and pin design, making it easy to switch out old incandescent or halogen bulbs. What does this mean for you the consumer? It means more money in your pocket and less destruction to our precious environment, considering about 10% of all home energy costs come from lighting. For once, you can give your pocket and our environment a break at the same time.

P.S. You should still turn the light off when you leave the room!

For more technical information on LED's, please see this Wiki.

Slowly but surely most advanced nations in the world are moving toward renewable energy. New ideas are always emerging, but ocean wind turbines are the newest and most promising one so far.

"We will never get what we want from land," said David Still—managing director of London-based Clipper Windpower Europe—in reference to both the terrestrial wind power and a new solution to locate near the ocean where winds reach their highest speed levels. He predicts that by 2020, half of the United Kingdom's wind power will be cranked out by offshore turbines. We moved our oil digs from land and to platforms out in the middle of the ocean to maximize our intakes, so why not take our wind turbines and place them offshore to increase renewable energy?

Currently, about 85 percent of wind generation capacity worldwide is split between Europe (70 percent) and the United States (15 percent). That's why people such as Peter Mandelstand—who plans on developing an ocean wind project off the coast of Delaware—and Jim Gordon—who plans on installing a 468-megawatt wind farm off of Cape Cod—are determined to make their projects a reality and increase the production of ocean wind power in the United States.

Marine wind generation started in the early 1990's and remains in its infancy. We have a long ways to go, but surely we are moving forward.

Many of you probably haven't considered an eco-friendly Halloween a top-of-the-list priority this year, but there are really some awfully good ideas floating around cyberspace as how to save money, lessen your impact on the environment and still enjoy celebrating Halloween. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Try and put together creative costumes that can be re-used in following years. Check your attic and storage for old clothes and items that can be incorporated. You'll find it easy to get creative and really play into your child's imagination.
• Give your children a re-usable bag, pillow case or other like items for their trick-or-treating adventures. It's all too easy to grab an old pillow case or cloth bag; you're kids will love the fact that they can cram even more treats into their container.
• Save some gas and enjoy Halloween party at street level. So many parents worry about inclement weather and follow their children in vehicles. Throw on a costume and join in the fun, cutting down on gas emissions while your children think you walk on water for participating in the festivities.
• Use products for parties and hand outs that have little packaging. The less you throw away, the less you waste. Buy decorations that can be used in the future, rather than tossing your Halloween decor shortly after the eventful night.
• LED lights can be found at several online retailers. They produce nearly 90 percent less energy than the average holiday lighting, allowing you to go Clark W. Griswold on your home while still conserving electricity.