Should You Ditch or Fix Your Old Appliances?

A great little video that gives you a bit of information on making the greenest choice for your appliances.

Students Trade Spring Break for Work on Florida Trail

American Eagle Outfitters and the Student Conservation Association (SCA) today announced their annual Alternative Spring Break program. The program’s goal is to provide the ultimate educational and work experience to a new generation of conservation leaders from across the U.S.
Sandy beaches, sunny days and endless nights lure thousands of college students to central Florida every Spring Break. This year, 60 students are blazing their own trail to Orlando, where they will build a new section of the Florida National Scenic Trail.
“American Eagle Outfitters customers care about the environment, and offering ways for them to get involved makes sense for our brand,” said American Eagle Outfitters Foundation Director Marcie Eberhart. “SCA’s leadership in youth engagement and conservation stewardship ensures this initiative will benefit the Florida National Scenic Trail and all who hike it.”

Read More: Students Trade Spring Break for Work on Florida Trail

Skippy Peanut Butter Recall

We all love Peanut Butter. What do you have in your cupboard? Jif, Skippy or Natural? If you have Low Fat Skippy, please be aware that Skippy is issuing a recall for some of it's peanut butter. If you love the full fat version, you should be safe. For more information, please see the official page at Skippy.

Becoming & Staying Debt Free: Gasoline Prices: How High Will They Go?

Becoming & Staying Debt Free: Gasoline Prices: How High Will They Go?: "It should be no surprise to anyone that gas prices are up. In fact one news site even said they were up 26.7 cents per gallon over last week.Now that is a significant jump. One that will truly effect prices of everything that we buy. GasBuddy.com says that the average price of a gallon of gas today is $3.211 here in Austin, TX and $3.352 nationally. Compared to a year ago when gas was $2.545 here in Austin, TX and $2.695 nationally. This weekend I have seen some stations as high as $3.35 here in Austin. However, we will focus on the current average price rather then the highest. That is roughly a 67 cent jump over last year and 26 cents of that was just in the past week."

Friday Fun

Department of Energy to cut solar costs by 75 percent- Can We Really Do That?

The U.S. Department of Energy said on Friday it will spend $27 million on a new effort to reduce the costs of solar power by 75 percent by the end of the decade in a bid to make the renewable power source as cheap as fossil fuels.

 

Energy Secretary Steven Chu dubbed the program a "sun shot" that was patterned on President John F. Kennedy's "moon shot" goal in the 1960s that called for the United States to land a man on the moon.

 

Chu said cutting the cost of installed solar power by 75 percent would put the price at about $1 per watt, he said, or about 6 cents per kilowatt hour.

 

"That would make solar energy cost-competitive with other forms of energy without subsidies of any kind," he told a conference call.

 

Costs for to install photovoltaic solar panels, which turn sunlight directly into electricity, currently run above 22 cents per kilowatt per hour, although federal grants and state incentives can trim that to below 15 cents for large projects.

 

Many U.S. solar industry advocates have long complained that the Chinese government's support of its solar companies has enabled its companies to take market share from U.S. manufacturers.

 

For the rest of this story, please visit The Mother Nature Network.

What Can I Use Cornstarch for Besides Cooking?

Cornstarch has so many uses. I wanted to share a few unusual ones with you.

Cornstarch:

• Doggy Needs  A Dry Bath?   Don't have time for a trip to the groomers? Try rubbing cornstarch in your pups coat and brushing it out. It will do for a quick freshen up.
• Separate Marshmallows....ever find that bag in your cupboard that you thought you'd have to throw out? Try This: At 1 teaspoon cornstarch to the bag and shake.  Should shake them loose.
• Sprinkle on Your Carpets...to freshen up before you vacuum
• Remove Grease from Kitchen Walls. Sprinkle cornstarch on a soft clean cloth and rub on the spots.
• Say Goodbye To Pests  Make a mix of 1:1 Plaster of Paris and Cornstarch. Spread it into crevices where pests, especially roaches enter. This mix will make them go away!