*everyday dilemmas

Any questions?

Ask green*light.

How nasty is my fireplace?

Do I have to give up skiing, what TV to buy,
how to deal with my thermostat?

As the days get colder and darker we really start yearning to use our fireplace. I hear that it’s contributing to global warming. How bad is it really? -Bob

A By all rights curling up in front of the fire should be one of life’s little pleasures. Unfortunately, the traditional hearth scene is a sadly inefficient and dirty way to produce heat. Global warming concerns aside, the American Lung Association estimates that in many parts of the U.S., airborne particulate matter from woodburning stoves and fireplaces accounts for up to 80% of all ambient particles. Read more >

Q Seems like I always hear that I should lower my thermostat from 70 to 68 during the day and lower at night. It doesn’t seem like that can really make much of a difference. What’s the real impact? -Jenna

A Sometimes it’s hard to wrap your mind around the beauty and brute force of aggregate numbers. Can a couple of degrees here or there make a real difference? The answer, of course, is a resolute “Yes!” _{Read more >}