There are a number of things you can do to get your garage from basic to energy-efficient – an idea that sparked my interest when I read about what late night talk show host Jay Leno was doing to get his garage greener.

As a writer desperately in need of some quiet space for all my scribbling, I had long since decided to convert my garage into a writing studio.  This generally works out great but proved to be a real challenge during winters.  Despite additional insulation and adding stacks and stacks of rugs to create a warm cozy feel, my writer’s corner is left completely exposed to the cold as soon as the temperature drops around this time of year.

After a little research and a lot of persistent question asking this past week, I was able to sort out what I needed, which apparently was an electric heater.  However looking around my neighborhood, there are tons of families who use their garage as an extension of their home.  These days, garages double as laundry rooms, workshops, play areas and even as niches for pets.  The garage has become an extension of the family's living space, as well as our own personal space.

If you’re like me, either a profuse hermit barely visible behind stacks of books, or a car enthusiast eternally pilfering through some engine, or if you just enjoy congregating with fellow man over a cold one, hopefully my notes here will help you keep your garage sanctuary a comfortable green niche throughout winter.

The Green Heat Solution
What type of garage heater you get depends on what you use your garage for and there are tons of recommended garage heaters.   Personally, I prefer the green appeal of electric heaters.

If you plan on doing any type of body work on cars where bare metal will be exposed, you may want to go with an electric heater as opposed to a heater that burns propane or natural gas. Burning any type of fuel can create moisture in the air which may cause problems when doing body work on cars. With electric heaters, you don't have to worry about producing moisture since these types of heaters use an electric coil as opposed to a burner.

Portable electric heaters also require very little maintenance.  And while electric heaters used to be expensive, newer models on the market are competitively priced.  A higher efficiency rating, contrasted against the extreme cost of natural gas, has made electric heating far more popular than the alternative models that still use natural gas.

A personal  favorite is the Lasko ceramic heater, which heats up in seconds and feels like you’re working alongside a roasting fire. In my quest for a new work space heater this week, I tried out Lasko, Vornado and Soleus, and while they were all great, I felt the Lasko was not only rated at a lower cost but also the one that was far more effective. If you plan on being in your garage space for longer periods of time, it’s probably best to get a larger unit, and then a smaller space heater.

Overall electric heaters have a number of benefits, such as an automatic shut off feature. Most electrical heater units will also automatically turn off if the unit has tilted off its base and/or fallen over. This safety measure prevents hazards and fires - which is critical feature if you're using flammables or have pets or children nearby.

An additional safety benefit includes protection against carbon dioxide poisoning.  Unlike natural gas furnaces, with electric heaters you don't have to worry about lethal gas leaks (which are often undetectable to humans). And since electric heaters don't produce emissions, they're definitely the green choice for any eco-minded home. 

A cost benefit in by electric heaters is that many cities and states offer incentive programs to home owners who switched out traditional heating for electric furnaces.  Additionally, many utility companies offer similar perks to those who heat their space with electricity rather than natural gases.

Just knowing what heater is right for your needs, paired with quick insulation techniques, can go along way in making it easier for your to shift from a warm toasty summer to chilled winters.

Green Garage is brought to you by Shireen Qudosi of Heater Home. Follow Heater-Home on Twitter @HeaterHome.

Images: Apartment Therapy

» Heater Home

As great as winter is, one of the definite pitfalls is the inevitable amount of time that gets spent indoors. But with a few clever eco-friendly ideas, you can thwart cabin fever by keeping your walls visually interesting.

Recycled Cardboard Deer Trophy

To appease the hunter in you, opt for an interesting 100% recycled cardboard deer trophy. While not normally into heads of animals adorning my walls, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the artistic element they offer. The anomalous form that offers a shape but no features is strangely futuristic, and definitely a conversation starter.

Eco-Clock

Fast forward your thinking of time with an bare bones no fuss eco-friendly time keeper. This rubberized clock is made from bicycle chain ring, a tire rubber face, and a bicycle cog pendulum.  The clever clock is the brainchild of cyclist Graham Bergh, who in 1991 used a flat tire tube to hang speakers – sparking ideas that continue to heat up new recycled creations.  A few other creations, specifically the “Hybrid Wall Clock”, pairs recycled bicycle parts with reused computer hard drives.

Recycled Traffic Signs

Speed limits, stop signs and other warnings are easy to overlook in your daily drive, but when twisted around and recycled, make very eye-catching track stopping pieces.  Ideas around reused signs include light switchplates, house numbers, holiday wreathes, hanging plates, coasters, trays, and more.  Most of these pieces are created by metalsmith Boris Bally, whose work is featured at the New York’s Museum of Art and Design among other notable venues.

Creative Comforts for Kids

Inhabitots features sustainable bamboo mobiles that steer clear of non-recyclable plastics known for giving of toxic fumes.  Their adorable mobiles take a step away from traditional wall ware and offer a more engaging 3-d approach to traditional style. There are about a dozen different things to do if your winter home includes kids. Keep their niche warm and cozy by playing with a few different ideas, including fabric re-stickable wall prints and sustainable screen prints, a hanging birdhouse night light made from salvaged French oak, or even vintage wall paper silhouettes of woodsy settings. 

Moss Art

Hot Eco-Art doesn’t get any more literal than this. Eco artist Edina Tokodi creates moss graffiti portraits made with white panels and moss – creating a perfect picture. Tokyo, known for its rigid lack of green space has also inspired the Hokkaidu Sanyu Corpo to create the “River Re Wall”, a framed moss wall garden complete with its own irrigation system offering a faint but relaxing water sound.

And while cooped up in your now highly eclectic home, top off your new hot walls with a wall heater, a much more eco-friendly approach to heating than conventional gas furnaces. Another type of wall heater is the baseboard heater, which is not only discreetly placed but also allows for more wall space to display your eco-art.

“Hot Walls: Eco-Friendly Art Heat up Homes” is brought to you by Shireen Qudosi.  For more information, visit http://www.heater-home.com/category/wall.aspx
 Deer Trophy, Eco-Clock and Recycled Traffic Signs can be found at Eco-Artware.com

» Heater Home

We know solar energy comes from the sun and it's probably redundant to remind you where wind energy comes from. However what about the other energy alternatives you likely hear a lot less about? Solar and wind power definitely dominate the renewable energy market, but they are by no means the only players. Keep reading to learn more about some of the other types of alternative energy.

Tidal power
There are several reasons tidal power hasn't taken off quite like other sources of energy. The necessary structures must be built in saltwater and individual generators are restricted because of the low head of water above the turbines. Several machines are also required to even produce a substantial amount of power. After all that, the ebb and flow of tides only occurs twice per day and generates less than 50 per cent of the installed generating capacity. Compare this to the 70 to 100 per cent a river dam averages and also consider that few places in the world experience a tidal range significant enough to warrant building tidal energy projects.

Biomass power
Biomass energy is created from plants and the materials derived from them. The most common source of biomass energy used today is wood burning, however food crops, agricultural residue and even landfill fumes can be used as sources of this type of energy. You're probably more familiar with biomass under the name of "biofuels."

Technically biomass energy is responsible for the same level of greenhouse gas emissions as fossil fuels,  however it is considered by some to be less detrimental to the earth because it counteracts the carbon dioxide it releases because of the C02 it captures during its growth.

A significant problem of biomass power thus far has been the diversion of food crops to be used as a source of alternative energy (see also: Food Crisis of 2008). In the future, there are plans to use renewable trees and grasses that will not interfere with these food crops.

...read the rest...

Plugging in your radio? Using disposable batteries to power your flashlight? That's so 2005. Instead take a look at Freeplay Energy's line-up of environmentally-conscious products that are powered using human, solar and rechargeable energy.

All of the products are designed to be self-sufficient - meaning if you're power goes out or your battery dies, an item you're relying on such as a flashlight or radio, won't be rendered useless. And of course using natural sources of energy such as the sun (or yourself!) to keep a product working is the most eco-friendly way to go. The line of products includes solar-powered radios-turned flashlights, a self-sufficient rechargeable LED lantern, a wind-up flashlight and a wall charger for mini-USB devices. The products are a mix of the company's own style, as well as those from companies Freeplay has formed strategic alliances with.

The developers of Freeplay seek to further expand the market for self-sufficient energy products on an international level. Check out their full range of eco-friendly energy alternatives after the jump!

» Freeplay Energy (Official Site)

Unless all of your gadgets and appliances have wind-up capabilities to recharge (doubtful), there's a good chance you get a fair amount of use from batteries. While they're certainly convenient, they're also hard on the environment. In Canada alone, it is estimated that approximately 500 million batteries will be disposed of by 2010, an increase of over 150 million since 2004. Even though battery waste accounts for a very small portion of all waste, ore often than not, these batteries end up in landfills and expose the earth to toxic substances such as lead and mercury.

While you may find it impossible to give up the battery habit entirely (those television channels aren't goign to change themselves after all), you can reduce the impact of the batteries you use around your home and office by using the rechargeable variety. Yes, they still contain the same harmful chemicals as regular disposable batteries, however their life span is much longer providing you take proper care of them, and can help minimize the number of batteries that end up in the trash can at the end of their short lives.

You can pick up rechargeable batteries in most conventional sizes (AA and AAA being the most common) at nearly any retail location. Check the various options available to see the approximate time your batteries will give you before needing a recharge. Also be sure to look at several packages since some come with more batteries than others.

To prolong the life of your rechargeable batteries, Energizer offers the following dos and dont's:

Do:

☆ Use the directions enclosed for proper storage and care procedures.

☆ To get the most out of your batteries, charge them at room temperature. It's normal for batteries to heat up while charging and in use, however most are designed to protect from overheating.

☆ Rechargeable batties lose some of their charge for every day they are left off of the charger, so give yourself some time to recharge before you want to use them.

☆ Battery contact points can reduce the efficiency of charging your batteries. To clean these surfaces of your batteries, use a clean pencil eraser, cloth or rubbing alcohol and gently rub the surface.

☆ Only use chargers specifically made for the type of battery your are recharging. If you don't know, do your research and find out from the product manufacturer.

Don't:

☆ Overcharge your batteries

☆ Leave your batteries for long periods of time. They should be charged every six to nine months minimum.

☆ Unless a battery is specifically marked rechargeable, don't attempt to recharge at the risk of leakage or rupture.

☆ Put batteries in a charger that isn't designed for that battery type.

When all is said and done and even your rechargeable batteries have reached the end of their run, never toss them in the garbage. Check out programs such as the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (learn more after the jump) to find search more than 50,000 locations that collect old rechargeable batteries and cell phones for recycling.

» RBRC (Official Site)

Homer Simpson may have passed out from sheer exhilaration when he heard this: a water footprint calculator shows that guzzling a pint of beer is less harmful for the environment than drinking a glass of milk. Developed by a group from the University of Twente in the Netherlands, the website called waterfootprint.org, allows consumers to calculate the amount of water used in the manufacturing and transportation of the products they buy.

For example, an apple weighing 100 grams has a water footprint of 70 liters and a cup of coffee at 125 ml has a footprint of 140 liters. Not surprisingly, the impact of red meat is significantly higher, with the production of one kilogram of beef coming in at 15,500 liters of water. Though still high, chicken and other poultry show a much lower number, with 3,900 liters of water being used to produce one kilogram of the meat.

The website also shows how different countries rank according to their water footprints, with the United States leading the pack at 2,500 cubic meters per year per capita, and Italy trailing closely behind. Some experts believe the results of calculating water footprints could have a much greater effect on consumption than other tactics such as "food miles," and say that research may indicated that shipping products from around the world can actually have less of an impact than the carbon intensive production of locally-produced goods. Ultimately they believe that consuming less is the best answer, as is recycling goods whenever possible.

Some of the water footprints for popular items include:

One slice of white bread - 40 liters
One hamburger - 2,400 liters
One kilogram of cheddar cheese: 5,000 liters
Cotton shirt - 2,700 liters
Pint of beer - 160 liters
Glass of wine (125 ml) - 120 liters
Pint of milk - 1,760

» Waterfootprint.org