Green It Yourself! How YOU can make your RedHawk life a little Greener.
By Evan Martinsek
Heating Your House (Without a Heater)!
Winter is still here and we all want to stay cozy and toasty indoors. But you’re well aware that heating your home with natural gas or coal-produced electricity is bad for the planet! What should you do? Glad you asked!- Close those windows! Keep them closed and locked prevents hot air from escaping. If you seal the windows, you can prevent even more from escaping. Try plastic wrap around over the window sill, or pushing a towel in front of any holes.
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For windows with a lot of sunlight (like bay windows), try using clear shower curtains that will let the light in, but keep the cold out. For windows with little sunlight, try black curtains that are thick. They’re even better at keeping the cold air out and hot air in.
- Got a big ol’ door? Seal the base! You can buy weather stripping, or just throw down a towel!
- Got a room no one ever uses? Close that door! You can stop the air from circulating where you don’t want it. You can also close off the heating grates that open up into those rooms, so more of it goes into yours!
- Got a lot of wooden flooring? Cover it with carpet! Not only do they feel warmer to your bare feet, they help the heat loss through the floor.
- Cook in your house! That oven produces a lot of heat, and eating hot foods makes you warmer. You can also leave the door open, so the oven heat warms your house. Warning: steam can make the air humid, which means damp, which means colder!
- Finallyyyyyyyy: Candles! Not only are they a source of energy-grid-free light, but those little flames produce a lot of heat! Just be very careful where you place them: away from those window drapes or any other hanging object!