If you made improvements to your home in 2007 to make it more energy efficient, you may be eligible for a tax credit. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 encouraged homeowners to invest in cleaner technology and energy efficiency by offering credits of up to $500 for qualified insulation, replacement windows and doors, water heaters, and certain high efficiency heating and cooling equipment. Tax credits, unlike tax deductions, are as good as a rebate -- they come straight out of Line 46, the taxes you owe.
Parents are alarmed by a new study that suggests that baby lotions, powders, and shampoos may be exposing young children to potentially harmful chemicals called phthalates. Many phthalates (pronounced thal-ates) interfere with hormones (especially testosterone), and have been shown to alter normal reproductive development.
Phthalates are found in a wide array of consumer products, including cosmetics and fragrances, pharmaceuticals and vinyl children's toys. Phthalates have no place in any consumer products, but their presence in products intended for babies is particularly alarming since phthalates interfere with normal reproductive and hormonal development. These chemicals are easily inhaled and also absorbed through the skin.
Before you put plastic containers in the microwave, check the bottom of the container. Some plastic dishes, bottles and cups are made of polycarbonate plastic, commonly marked as number 7 on the bottom of the container. Polycarbonate is made from a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) which is an endocrine disruptor that interferes with reproductive development and hormones.
Microwaving or heating foods in polycarbonate plastic increases the amount of BPA that leaches into food. Before you put any plastic dish in the microwave, check to make sure it says "microwave safe" and doesn't have a number 7. Containers that are older and have become discolored or cracked are also likely to leach more BPA.
Today's bigger, better and brighter TVs consume a lot more electricity than the old cathode ray tube sets of a decade ago. When combined with related devices, TVs make up about 10% of the average household's annual electricity bill. Toss in gaming consoles and home theater systems and you may be accounting for some serious electricity consumption-and pollution.
Even when you think these products are off, together their standby consumption-referred to as "phantom" electricity loads-can be equivalent to that of a 75 or 100 watt light bulb running continuously.
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