7 Things You Can Do to Maximize Your Home's Energy Efficiency When You Use Solar Power

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7 Things You Can Do to Maximize Your Home's Energy Efficiency When You Use Solar Power

When you’re trying to help the environment, converting to solar power is a great first step that a growing number of homeowners have taken. However, you can go further by being more careful about how your home uses power. By conserving energy, you can stretch the power your solar panels produce. You may even be able to turn around and sell excess power back to your utility company. This is usually applied as a credit on your monthly bill. However, in order to be as energy efficient as possible, you need to be smart about how you use power in your home.

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Could Hemp Oil Benefit Your Pets?

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Could Hemp Oil Benefit Your Pets?

guest post by Kalki Henrietta

Yes, hemp oil for pets is a thing.

There are already many wonderful benefits to using different kinds of oils for humans, but did you know that hemp oil can also be helpful for pets? Hemp oil is produced by cold pressing the seeds of the hemp plant. Since it is derived from an organic plant, hemp oil may contain hints of cannabinoids.

Before you freak out about that tiny detail, let’s clear up a common misconception: hemp oil is derived from the seed of the cannabis plant while its counterpart—cannabidiol (CBD) oil—is derived from different parts of the plant, such as the stalk and the leaves. While both are sometimes associated with producing mind-altering effects, in fact, they don’t do this at all. Instead, they only produce an entourage effect -- and not the bad kind!

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Plant problems and quick fixes: how to diagnose and remedy common issues in your garden

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Plant problems and quick fixes: how to diagnose and remedy common issues in your garden

The past year has seen many people turn to food gardening – some for the first time – to cope with the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here at Green and Prosperous we have previously written about the mental and physical health benefits of gardening. While previously, food gardening seemed to be something you did as you approached middle age and your senior years, nowadays people of all ages are enjoying the benefits of growing some of their own food.

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Always wanted a lawn, but didn’t know where to start? Here are a few tips

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Always wanted a lawn, but didn’t know where to start? Here are a few tips

Many of us fantasize about having our own little fix of green toward the front or the rear of our homes. The trouble with turning this into a reality lies in the details — seeing how to lay the grass, and caring for your yard consistently. Yards require more maintenance than your typical plants, but having said that, a lavish yard isn't unattainable.

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Passive Houses: How They Work and What They Offer

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Passive Houses: How They Work and What They Offer

Our homes use a lot of energy. From electric appliances to heating and air conditioning systems, all of our essentials tend to make living spaces less green. While various eco-friendly home repairs can help with this problem, those looking to truly level up their energy-saving should learn about passive houses.

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10 Gardening Hacks for the Newbie Gardener

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10 Gardening Hacks for the Newbie Gardener

Guest post by Michael Hill

The global health crisis caused by COVID-19 has brought many tragedies to people’s lives. This battle still rages on, as scientists race to get the vaccine that can stop its spread distributed to everyone around the world. While we waited at home for the development of vaccines that would allow us to gradually resume our normal lives, a lot of people discovered new hobbies or activities to combat the boredom and anxiety brought on by the lockdowns.

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8 Ways to Do Sustainable Gardening

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8 Ways to Do Sustainable Gardening

Tending a garden is beneficial not only to the overall aesthetic of your house but also to the environment. It can cut down CO2 in the atmosphere and it also provides shelter to birds, butterflies, and bees, which all take part in beautifying the space by pollinating flowering plants.

But did you know that gardening, if done right, can help Mother Nature even more?

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Environmental Benefits of Living in a Studio Apartment

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Environmental Benefits of Living in a Studio Apartment

More than ever before, people are moving away from the countryside and into the cities. But, with the population growing rapidly every day, housing has become a real challenge, especially since most people want to live in urban areas. This rise in costs has led many city dwellers to exchange their standard homes for studio apartments, which allow them to adapt to changes, ensure affordable prices and stay at their desired location. Having less space has its cons, but it also has a lot of perks for consumers and the environment. How can living in studio apartments benefit the world around us?

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3 Reasons Why Calico Bags Are Kinder to the Environment

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3 Reasons Why Calico Bags Are Kinder to the Environment

Guest post by Hilary Wilkinson

If you haven’t heard about calico bags before, they serve as the ideal environment-friendly alternative to disposable plastic bags. Calico bags are made of plain-woven cotton fabric. Since it’s a natural material, it’s an eco-friendly and versatile product that continues to gain popularity worldwide. These bags have half-processed and unbleached cotton fibers, achieved by weaving natural cotton. The process provides the calico bags with a cream-like, raw appearance suitable for printing.

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7 Green Home Improvements to Make for a Healthier Lifestyle

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7 Green Home Improvements to Make for a Healthier Lifestyle

Guest post by Kelsey Luvisa

The beginning of a new year is a time to think about home improvement. With people across the United States spending more time at home due to COVID-19, making your space a comfortable place to spend a lot of time is important now more than ever. When you care about the environment, making improvements that are green and support a healthy lifestyle might also be on your mind. The real estate experts at HomeLight interviewed more than 1,000 agents across the United States to reveal home upgrade trends, offering some insights about updates that you should consider.

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The consequences of COVID aren't that good for the environment

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The consequences of COVID aren't that good for the environment

What do you think when you see a used disposable mask lying by the roadside? Some may say that it is not surprising and that the main thing is that the person used it. Others will see that this a sign that masks have become yet another kind of garbage polluting the environment. Whether you see it as an inevitable consequence of the necessity of using masks in this pandemic era, or it sets off alarm bells in your head, it's something we need to think about seriously.

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How to Find Eco-Friendly Clothing Options

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How to Find Eco-Friendly Clothing Options

Guest post by Bead the Change

The turn of the century has seen shoppers increasingly go for fast fashion, where they discard apparel at the end of the season to purchase new wardrobes for the next. All this is possible because the clothing is more economical. But in recent times, awareness about the impact of synthetic fibers on the planet is inspiring people to choose more eco-friendly clothing options. They’re rethinking their choices in favor of options and brands that won’t have a lasting impact on the planet.

What can you do to find more eco-friendly clothing? It’s easier than you may think.

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What you should know about microplastics and their threat to the environment

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What you should know about microplastics and their threat to the environment

Guest post by Josh Hill

Plastic is a problem; it has penetrated every corner of the globe: the depths of the ocean and even arctic ice. But now we face a new threat, often invisible to the naked eye -- a form of plastic that is in our drinking water, the dirt we walk on and even the air we breathe!

I am talking about microplastics, tiny fragments of plastic that pollute the environment. But, where do they come from? Why are they a problem? And what can we do about them?

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