AP Photo/Ric Francis
READ MORE ABOUT:
Living with Ed follows Ed Begley, Jr., and his wife, Rachelle, as they green their home, family, and celebrity friends. But if you've ever wondered what kind of advice they'd give the rest of us, then the Ask Ed forum is your chance to find out. Readers submit questions and comments about the show, green living, etc., and Ed chimes in with his green answers; here, we've rounded up some highlights of the past week.
Greening Your Pet
Q.
I see that your family has a cat. What are your tips for having a "green" cat? Most especially - litter usage and disposal tips, wet vs. dry food, and flea control?
A. We use a combination of wet and dry food - we try to use good natural foods, stuff we buy at Whole Foods. We also try to use a good natural biodegradable litter - again Whole Foods for that. I once tried one of those pet waste digesters in the backyard - and it worked ok for a while...but eventually stopped working - yuck. We use standard flea control stuff per our vet.
Ed
Heating Water On Demand
Q. My husband and I are in the process of renovating our bathroom. We are interested in getting rid of our water heater in the basement and replacing everything with "hot water on demand" boxes (I don't know what else to call them). They were in our hotel room while in London. Have you heard of them, or do you use them at all?
A. Since you already have a water heater in the basement, you should consider a high efficiency tank model like the AO Smith Vertex 100. It can go right where your existing heater is, use the same 1/2" gas line, and produce 96% thermal efficiency, blowing away most tankless models and providing you with endless hot water. You can even use it to heat your home. I know - I do!
Ed
Eco-Friendly Flooring
Q. I need to replace the existing flooring in my home and want to do it in the most environmentally friendly way possible. I understand that bamboo, while sustainable, is not necessarily the answer given some of the behaviours attached to growing and harvesting it. I wanted to do eco-friendly hardwood.. is there such a thing?
A. Recycled wood is a great choice. Bamboo can be quite good. Just do your homework and make sure the source is from a sustainable bamboo forest and that no VOCs are used in the laminate. Strand woven bamboo is particularly nice looking and strong. FSC can help you with identifying a good source for the bamboo as well.
Ed
More about Ed Begley, Jr.
Living With Ed
Ed Begley, Jr., Campaigns for Solar Energy and Green Job Creation
TreeHugger Radio: A Conversation with Ed Begley, Jr.
