The Green Page

- Change the lights. Swapping incandescent bulbs for compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs) might cost a little more per light bulb, but CFLs quickly pay for themselves. If every American household were to replace just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL, the nation would save enough energy to light 2.5 million homes for one year.

- Choose the right cat litter. Green living shouldn't apply only to the human members of your family. There are many green pet products available for your pets, including cat litter. Choose a biodegradable, flushable, septic-safe cat litter like World's Best Cat Litter (www.worldsbestcatlitter.com). Made from whole-kernel corn and natural plant materials, it's also silica-dust free -- making it ideal for people and pets with allergies. This all-natural, high-performance litter is not only a smart choice for you and your cat, but also for the environment.

- Kick the plastic water bottle to the curb. Even though many can be recycled, plastic bottles typically end up in landfills. Worse, the plastic is made from a petroleum product, and the manufacturing process requires oil, a nonrenewable resource. Buy a reusable metal water bottle, and you will do the planet a favor while also avoiding the toxins that plastic can leach into water.

- Shut off electronics. You can significantly cut your energy consumption simply by shutting off any electronic devices that you aren't going to use for an extended period of time. Turn off lights, computers, televisions, gaming systems, printers and microwaves to save money and energy.

- Use non-chemical household cleaners. Mix two tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon of water and put into a spray bottle. Use the solution and newspaper to wash windows and mirrors. A dampened cotton cloth can clean most surfaces. For more delicate surfaces, like antiques, heirlooms, leather and gold-leaf, use a dry cotton cloth.

Green Living: A Plus For Our Planet

(NewsUSA) - How green is your world? For some of us, the inconvenient truth is this: When it comes to "greening" our home, our lifestyle, our family and our pets, we are not always sure where to begin.

Here are some easy-to-embrace, eco-friendly tips. Try some. Try them all. We and the planet may be better for them.

* One coffee cup? Two cereal bowls? Don't put the dishwasher to work. Rinse and air dry. Run the energy-sapping dishwasher only when it's full and on its energy-saver mode.

* Take shorter showers and consider baths a special treat. Hot water heaters are a major energy drain. Insulate your water heater. Install low-flow shower heads -; you'll cut your water usage and water-heating costs.

* Use more energy-efficient lighting throughout your home. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have come a long way and are often 10 times more efficient than compact fluorescents.

* Choose pet products and pet health care providers who share your concern for the natural world. For example, World's Best Cat Litter is made from all-natural ingredients with no added chemicals or perfumes, so it is totally safe for cats and the whole family. The chemical-free litter is especially suitable for people and pets with allergies and chemical sensitivities because it is silica dust-free. Also, the product is safe if ingested by pets or humans because it contains no toxins.

* Close down your computer at night. Hitting the off button is worth an average of $90 of electricity a year. The Department of Energy recommends shutting off your monitor if you aren't going to use it for more than 20 minutes, and the whole system if you'll be offline for more than two hours.

* One day each week, leave the car in the garage all day.

* Our parents were on to something -; when leaving a room, turn off the lights.

* Drip. Drip. Drip. A leaky faucet can waste up to 20 gallons of water a day. A leaky toilet can flush an extra 200 gallons every day. Put six drops of food coloring in the tank. Wait ten minutes. If you find color in the bowl, you have a leaker.

* Planning to build a new home or add on to your existing residence? Locate contractors who participate in green building programs.

* Take a cue from our grandparents. Use natural resources to clean. Lemon juice and vinegar were powerful tools in the past.

* Get out the caulking gun, and weather strip your home.

* Walk, bike or car pool whenever possible. You'll save energy and burn a few extra calories.

Tips for Creating a Sustainable, Stylish, High-Performing Bathroom

Conservation without sacrifice is the goal of American Standard's H2Option Dual Flush High Efficiency Toilet, which uses as little as one gallon of water per flush on the light setting.

(NewsUSA) - Pioneering new product solutions can transform any bathroom from a water-and-money-waster to a water-and-cash-saver without sacrificing style or performance. Think that your bathroom doesn't offer a significant potential for cash savings? Think again.

Let's do a little math with the help of the Water Savings Calculator (www.americanstandard-us.com/water-efficiency/) created by American Standard. Using an average residential cost of $6.06 per 1,000 gallons of water per year, consider this:

* Install new 1.28-gallon-per-flush (gpf) high-efficiency toilets to replace older (pre-1990) 3.5 gpf toilets currently in your home. With the average toilet being flushed 12 times per day, replacing two older toilets saves $118 and 19,447 gallons of water per year.

* Replace three 2.2-gallon-per-minute (gpm) faucets with 0.5 gpm WaterSense-labeled faucets and use them the same 40 minutes per day. The result: Save $451 and 74,460 gallons per year.

* Swap out two 3.0 gpm showerheads for new 1.5 gpm models and save $265 and 43,800 gallons per year.

Grab the calculator -- in one year, the average household can save $834 and more than four swimming pools' worth of water!

Bulking up your wallet and saving water become all the more appealing when combined with a new generation of plumbing products that offer peak performance. Remember these product selection tips as you outfit a new, greener bathroom for your home:

* Look for the WaterSense label. Created by the Environmental Protection Agency, this label certifies that products reduce water usage by 20 percent or more without sacrificing performance. The WaterSense label is currently available for high-efficiency toilets (HETs) and faucets. American Standard has the most high-efficiency toilets independently rated to flush more than two pounds of solids. All American Standard bathroom faucets are WaterSense-certified, and they comply with stringent new no-lead requirements.

* Keep performance front and center when going green. The goal is conservation without sacrifice. Using as little as 1.0 gallon of water on the light setting, the H2Option Dual Flush HET scours the sides of the bowl with a strong push-and-pull siphonic action created by a forceful, but quiet, jetted action under the rim. The FloWise three-function showerhead has the option of a full 2.5 gallon flow rate, but an internal turbine also delivers invigorating sprays at lower water-use settings.