My Chat with Ed Begley, Jr - New Book on Being Green

Ed Begley, Jr. has been preaching living green until he's blue in the face-long before it was fashionable to use the "g" word. The fact as he sees it that roughly 75 percent of the country is now stepping in line, doing something to be more energy efficient, makes Ed really happy. I got to talk with him on my radio show Home Wizards in Los Angeles, and he admitted his work with the environment and teaching us how to cut back in our homes and in our lives means more to him than his fame as an actor. He said yes, while he is thankful for his opportunities and accomplishments in TV, Film and Stage ( Such as: "St. Elsewhere," "A Mighty Wind," "Best in Show," and "For Your Consideration" to name a few) motivating us to be as green as we can in our own way is more important to him.

Ed and his wife Rachelle make it a point of showing how we as families can realistically make changes in our homes and lives to save energy and resources on HGTV's "Living with Ed." Now Ed is out with a new book, to be released on August 25^th, Ed Begley Jr.'s Guide to Sustainable Living. I read it and think you'll enjoy how it breaks down the different shades of green you can introduce into your life and home. By the way Ed's utility bill for the entire year is less than $200 dollars! How is that for incentive!

Here are some of Ed's pointers of Sustainable Living:

1- Start with baby steps

2-Assess your home and where you may be wasting energy with a Home Audit. Contact your utility which offers free audits. Also check the websites: www.energyguide.com or www.energystar.gov . Fun thing here these sites show how our home stacks up in terms of utility bills and how we compare to our neighbors! A professional Green Home Audit can cost about a $1,000 dollars.

3-Look at what you can change on the cheap:

Change to CFL's Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs,

Change Air Filters

Turn off the tap when brushing teeth

4-Middle range changes:

More efficient dishwasher, programmable thermostat and window treatments to block sun from heating your home.

5-Bigger ticket changes:

Adding insulation to attic, walls and under home.

Get energy efficient refrigerator

Install new dual pane windows

6- Note that doing all of these things will reduce your energy bill by 50 percent!

7- Watch Phantom Power - cell phone chargers plugged into the wall without a cell phone attached. Ed's solution is the Green Switch with a single flip of the switch turns all of that off.

8- In garden - go for drought tolerant plants, cut back on lawn use and recycle grey water to water the garden.

For more ideas check Ed's websites:

www.edbegley.com | www.begleysbest.com | www.livingwithed.net

Let me know if this helps!

Cindy

cindy@homewizards.tv

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