Product Description

FROM THE PIONEER OF ECO-CONSCIOUS LIVING

A committed environmentalist for more than thirty years, Ed Begley, Jr., has always tried to “live simply so others may simply live.” Now, as more and more of us are looking for ways to reduce our impact on the planet and live a better, greener life, Ed shares his experiences on what works, what doesn't–and what will save you money!

These are tips for environmentally friendly living that anyone–whether you own or rent, live in a private home or a condo–can try to make a positive change for the environment. From quick fixes to bigger commitments and long-term strategies, Ed will help you make changes in every part of your life.

And if you think living green has to mean compromising on aesthetics or comfort, fear not; Ed's wife, Rachelle, insists on style–with a conscience. In Living Like Ed, his environmentalism and her design savvy combine to create a guide to going green that keeps the chic in eco-chic.

From recycling more materials than you ever thought possible to composting without raising a stink to buying an electric car, Living Like Ed is packed with ideas–from obvious to ingenious–that will help you live green, live responsibly, live well. Like Ed.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26576 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-19
• Released on: 2008-02-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
“Filled with sound advice and first-hand experience from someone who has been walking the walk for more than 38 years, Living Like Ed provides a wide array of practical options for anyone who wants to make his life a little-or a lot-greener. Ed Begley is more than a beloved Hollywood figure; he¹s an all-American hero, and Living Like Ed is a comprehensive yet accessible guide to becoming more environmentally savvy that light greens and bright greens alike will find themselves dog-earing for years to come.”
—Treehugger.com

About the Author
ED BEGLEY, JR., is a veteran actor who has appeared in numerous film and television roles. He and Rachelle reside in L.A. in a self-sufficient home powered by solar energy. Visit him at LivingLikeEd.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
HOME TAKING AN OLD HOME  AND MAKING IT GREEN I bought our house in 1988, a simple little two-bedroom house on a small lot in Studio City, California. Given my financial position at the time, it was a great move that has also turned out to be great for my career—I’ve never felt pressured to take a role I didn’t love just so I could make a huge mortgage payment. Of course, by Hollywood standards, this house is a shack. But by world standards, as I’m sure you know, it is a palace. Retrofitting an Old House vs. Building New Few of us have the resources to build a more energy-efficient house from the ground up. I didn’t have the money to do that, and I didn’t have the will to do that. Plus I liked my house. So, I set out to make my home as environmentally sound as I could in every aspect. I knew that with insulation, a drought-tolerant garden, double-pane windows, an energy-saving thermostat, and solar panels I eventually put on the roof, I could make this a much more efficient structure. Indeed, by the time I was done, I had made my home nearly as energy efficient as a new one. And you can do the same for your home, wherever you live. The key to saving energy in your home is controlling energy use. Clearly, there are many ways to do this, from simple changes in what you do and how you do it to more-intense home improvement projects. Because so much of the energy used in your home is used to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer, we’ll start with ways you can control your heating and cooling needs. And there’s another important point I want to mention right up front: You don’t have to own your home to make many of these changes. There’s a lot you can do even if you’re renting, or if you own a condominium or another type of structure where you might be limited as to the kinds of changes you can make. So why bother making these changes? Because they’ll make your home more energy efficient, which means you’ll be helping the environment by saving natural resources. It also means you’ll be helping yourself and saving money—sometimes really big money. So no matter where you live right now, you can make some changes that will make a real difference. A Fresh Filter Perhaps the easiest thing you can do today is change the air filter for your heating and air-conditioning system. Many people think, “Filter? There’s a filter?” If that’s you, yours probably hasn’t been changed in a while. Most central heating and air-conditioning systems have a filter at the air intake—on a wall or on the ceiling—and many window and wall-unit air conditioners have a filter element on the front that needs to be changed, too. I change mine regularly, sometimes six times a year, because we have two cats and a dog, and pet hair is always blowing around. I check the air inlet for my heating and air-conditioning system regularly and often realize, “Whoa! It’s time to change this thing again.” Why is changing the filter so important? Because when the filter gets dusty or dirty or clogged, it’s harder for your system to pull air through it. That means your system has to work harder, and it has to stay on longer in order to do the same amount of work. So changing that filter regularly is the low-hanging fruit that you can  pick right away. And it doesn’t matter if you have central heat and air or a window- or wall-mount air conditioner. Changing the filter is a great way to make your home more energy efficient. Beyond that, changing the filter will help if anyone in your family suffers from allergies. You can even go a step further and choose an air filter that’s designed especially to trap allergens. If odors are a problem in your home, there are filters designed to trap them, too. An Energy-Saving Thermostat Once you’ve got the air moving more efficiently through your heating and cooling system, think about how you regulate the temperature of that air. It requires a huge amount of energy—energy that you pay for in the form of your electric, oil, or gas bills—to raise or lower the heat of your home by even a few degrees. Controlling these costs, and the amount of energy you use, means controlling the temperature both when you’re at home and when you’re away. This is the magic of an energy-saving thermostat. Most people simply turn their heating and air-conditioning system on and off when they want to be warmer or colder. Some even leave the system on when they leave the house, so that it will be the right temperature when they return. Maybe you leave the heat running at your preferred temperature all night long—even though you’re sleeping under a blanket or a comforter—because you want the house to be nice and warm when you get up in the morning. But why spend all that money, and waste all that energy, keeping your house comfortable when you’re not there, or when you can simply add another blanket to your bed at night? If you have central heating or central air-conditioning or both, you can install and use a programmable thermostat instead of an old “set the temperature and it’s either on or off” thermostat. This way, you can save energy and money and have your house at the right temperature when you get home, when you wake up in the morning, and when you’re asleep. You will have to invest some money up front; an energy-saving thermostat starts at about $65. But it will pay for itself in heating and cooling savings in a year or less if you use all of its features. Programming Your New Thermostat •Make sure you program the energy-saving thermostat to shut down the heat or air-conditioning automatically when you leave for work or for school, and to turn it back on 20 to 30 minutes before you expect to return. •You’ll also want to program the thermostat to reduce the temperature when you’re heating the house (or to increase the temperature when you’re cooling it) about 30 to 60 minutes after you normally turn in for the night. Once you’re under the covers and asleep, you won’t require  as much heating or even cooling. (You’d be surprised how much less cooling is necessary to keep you comfortable at night. And you can always open a window in the summer if it’s cooler outside at night.) Again, you just program the thermostat to return to “awake” mode 20  to 30 minutes before your alarm goes off in the morning. •You don’t need to worry about being uncomfortable if you’re home all day on the weekend, either. Energy-saving thermostats let you program different settings for weekdays and weekends. •If you plan on going out of town, make sure you override your normal programming and shut down everything until you return. The caveat here is that if you’re in a very cold climate and you’re worried about your pipes freezing, don’t let the temp fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. And you might not want to shut the system down completely if you’re leaving pets in your home. Even so, you can see there’s tremendous potential for energy savings here. Temperatures change day to day, so don’t be afraid to adjust your program settings, daily if need be, to maximize the efficiency of your system. I check mine every time I leave the house. Choosing a Comfortable Temperature It’s one thing to talk about programming the thermostat. Everybody says, “Sure, makes sense.” It’s another thing entirely to try to reach an agreement with the people living in your home about what temperature is comfortable. Let me talk about the temperature in my house before Rachelle and after Rachelle. When I was single, I would keep the house at 65 to 68 degrees in the winter and 78 in the summer. I didn’t think twice about simply wearing a sweater or sweatshirt in the winter and changing into a cotton T-shirt and shorts in the summer. There is no amount of thermostat programming that can replace good ol’ shutting down the heating and cooling completely when the temperatures outside and inside your home are within your own personal comfort zone. Well, that ain’t gonna fly anymore in my home. I have a wife and a daughter who require considerably more creature comfort than I did when living on my own. If you have a really old heating and air-conditioning unit, you might want to consider purchasing a new Energy Star system. It’s going to be a big investment, but you’re going to make that money back in a few years because the units are so much more efficient now, and use so much less power. The compressors are more efficient, the fans are more efficient, everything about the system’s more efficient. You can literally save up to 20 percent on your yearly heating and cooling costs with a new, more energy-efficient unit. What Energy Star Means Many people think Energy Star is a brand name or a particular company. Actually, it’s a program created jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Its goal is laudable: to help everybody save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices. And the program is working. To benefit from this program, you just look for the Energy Star symbol on a product. It’s like a seal of approval. To wear it, that product has to meet strict energy efficiency guidelines. You can find the Energy Star symbol on all kinds of things, from complete homes to appliances and office equipment, including •central air-conditioning units and room air conditioners •ceiling fans (another great way to reduce cooling costs and energy use) •furnaces •dehumidifiers •refrigerators and freezers •clothes washers •dishwashers •windows and skylights •doors •roofing products •insulation •televisions, VCRs, and DVD players •computers and monitors •fax machines, printers, and scanners •cordless phones •ligh...

Customer Reviews

great eco-motivator
I read this book in about two days and have already started applying much of the suggestions given. I liked how Ed organizes his advice by the cost and ease of applying his recommendations. Most are free, ie, vacuuming your refrigerator coils, some are low-cost buying organic cotton, few are big ticket like getting solar panels. Most are just equal trade-offs such as buying energy efficient light bulbs instead of incandescents. I was able to put many into effect right away and some are on the back burner for when I need to replace things I already have. There is even a checklist at the back which allows you to monitor your changes to compare your gas bills, electric bills etc., which I will really like to see. Overall, the book is an easy-read; no-pressure, just great advice that is easy to apply.

How to go green
Ed Begley Jr. really walks the walk! I really like the way he sets up the book. He tells you how to do the easy things and the more expensive things too. There is something everyone can do and Yes, everything does make a difference. It will save your energy bill, and help to save our planet.

informative
I enjoyed this book a lot. It is a basic guide and a start at being a better person for the earth. It gave me some great ideas to use for myself.