If you’re dreaming of chestnuts roasting on the open fire and long for that apartment with a wood-burning fireplace, dim the lights, light a candle, cook up some hot buttered rum and stop right there ...
Did you know fireplaces actually suck heat from the room and up the chimney and the CO2 emissions from the wood damage the environment? Not very giving to our air.
Seriously, for those lucky enough to have a fireplace there are some great options to consider, including high-efficiency woodstoves with lower emissions or pellet stoves, which burn either wood pellets or shelled corn, wheat or sunflower seeds. A more expensive option is masonry heaters — the cleanest, most efficient wood burning fireplaces.
If you have a balcony or other opportunity for outdoor lighting a variety of solar cells are available to power your lights without electricity. Go to Renovation Nation to learn more about the options. Annually 19 percent of global electricity generated is taken for lighting — we can save 10 percent of that by switching to energy efficient bulbs year-round, so let’s start thinking about everyday living too.
According to the EPA, waste increases 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Years. Give gifts that require no packing like plants or even babysitting! When it comes to holiday greetings you’ll find some wonderful e-mail cards available and you’ll save a heap of green on postage and cards and your wishes will arrive on time. And what better way to wrap your gifts than with the old newspapers or magazines? Happy Holidays!
Susan Singer, senior vice president of The Corcoran Group, is NYC’s first certified eco-broker. She can be reached at sin@corcoran.com or 917-207-6368.
