Jakob Barry's blog

Guest rooms come in all different shapes and sizes but they aren’t always set up with the environment in mind. This may not matter to family and friends visiting from out of town because they are only passing through. However if you have a lot of guests visiting over the course of the warmer months implementing a few green upgrades to the guest room may tip the scales so it’s working more with the environment than against.

That being the case with the summer vacation season fast approaching consider some of the following tips for a greener guest room:

1. CFLs: Change all incandescent light bulbs in the guest room (and adjacent bathroom if there is one) to compact florescent lights (CFLs). These energy saving bulbs will use up to 80% less power meaning if a guest leaves a light on it won’t show much on the electric bill.

   2.  Drafts: Guests arriving over the summer are sure to use the air conditioning on warm nights, especially in humid regions like Fort Lauderdale. For this reason its important to make sure the system is working efficiently and not draining unnecessary power. This means fixing any drafts around windows and doors and cleaning or replacing filters.... read more

With the new academic year just about to begin it’s time to start thinking about how college and university students can make a greater difference when it comes to improving the environment and one place they can all start with together is in the dorm. 

After all, some dorms have so many students the amount of waste produced by those buildings alone is tremendous and it’s not only physical trash that’s the problem. The waste includes utilities and how they are used inefficiently.

That being the case, the following are a few suggestions for greening dorm life up a notch.


1.    Recycle: Whether it’s snack time, meals, or just needing a refreshing drink the things we consume generally come with some type of packaging. For this reason each dorm floor should have its own recycling station so everything that applies can be sorted and disposed of appropriately. 

2.    Conserve water: A major drought has taken hold of part of the U.S. in recent years which means water conservation is extremely important. Dorm residents should be encouraged to take shorter showers and close the faucet between brushing teeth and rinsing when water isn’t necessary.... read more

Each year the National Football League (NFL) spends time and energy on Green-oriented projects throughout the city where the Super Bowl is taking place. ... read more

Although most of us won’t be going to the actual game a good segment of the population will watch it from the comfort of their own homes and likely in the company of groups of others.

These gatherings, sometimes large, can be a lot of fun as Super Bowl Sunday takes on a life of its own in many communities. Nevertheless, the event has the potential to produce large amounts of waste and wasted resources across the country.