Comments Ben Rosenthal has made

  • air circulator

    In between traditional floor fans and ceiling fans are air circulators, which do a better job circulating whole room air space rather than blowing only in one direction at a time. Check out Vornado's collection.On Umbra on fans versus AC posted 1 year, 4 months ago 19 Responses

  • I'm with SnoDragon

    Outside of blaming Umbra, who didn't write this one, I'm surprised you didn't select similar tastes and consistencies of tooth cleaner products to produce a more balanced comparison. What about Tom's of Maine wintermint paste?On A family-friendly review of six eco-toothpastes posted 1 year, 8 months ago 20 Responses

  • Carolla's for me

    I've been using Carolla's Beeswax Skin Creme for several years and love it. It's thick instead of goopy and it rubs in well without leaving an oily residue.  Plus, I don't have to use more than a little at a time for good effect. It's made only of olive oil, beeswax, water, and borax. The beeswax makes it not completely unscented, but it isn't full of ugly fragrance.On A review of six hand and body lotions posted 1 year, 10 months ago 16 Responses

  • Litetronics wins eco-packaging; LEDs; Cold Cathode

    Recyclable PVC! Is that an oxymoron? I have yet to find a municipality that recycles PVC. Where can I ship my backstock of it?

    In my experience, Litetronics wins the eco-packaging award, with an all cardboard package. No plastic window, replaced by a photo of the bulbs likeness printed on the outside. And a cardboard insert that keeps the bulb from moving.

    Lorna: LEDs are on the market already. Marketed as EarthLED or EcoLED, you can get up to 10 watts (equivalent to a 100 watt incandescent).

    The next best technology in the CFL industry, while we wait for LED prices to come down, is the cold cathode bulb. This one supports dimming in conventional incandescent dimming fixtures. Current max wattage is 13 and I hear there's an 18W bulb on the way.On A review of compact fluorescent bulbs posted 1 year, 11 months ago 28 Responses

  • no R-values

    I'm not seeing the R-values for the materials listed on GreenHomeGuide. Where?On Umbra on insulation posted 2 years, 10 months ago 4 Responses

  • Green Shalom Action Guide

    Another good place to start is Temple Emanuel of Kensington, Maryland, where Rabbi Warren Stone has led a significant environmental movement for 18 years. Emanuel has just dedicated to him a Green Shalom Action Guide (450KB PDF), potentially with many of the green tips and words of Torah you seek.

    The Teva Learning Center mentioned above, where you might one day wish to be an educator, is another awesome resource. In fact, I happen to be there right now.On Umbra on eco-tips in event programs posted 2 years, 11 months ago 7 Responses

  • DEADstiny

    So, maybe complex will be completely green-powered. However, I doubt all the power requirements of the facility will offset the amount of carbon emissions from the cars, trucks, buses, trains, and airplanes that get visitors there and home. Anyway, in my opinion, a vision that tries to use green power (and green building???) as a means to fuel a greater consumeristic lifestyle is a backward one.

    While it'd be nice to see a massive example of green-built structures in the U.S., rather than offer the nation yet another reason to spend money on more "stuff," perhaps Congel would be better liked by the environmental masses if he developed a green town. Anyway, I've had enough just hearing that the parking space alone would be about the same area as the National Mall. Apparently, no one has considered trying to reduce traffic, let alone energy or environmental impact.On Mega-mall in upstate New York could give birth to a clean-energy awakening posted 4 years, 4 months ago 9 Responses