By Melissa Zietz

Ah, winter! Each year, when I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, what I’m really hoping for is just that: Twenty-four hours of snow, followed by some lovely green grass and lots of daffodils. Although it looks like the white will be remaining in our landscape well beyond the holidays, there are still things that we can do during these next few months to help green things up. And who knows, maybe all of the snow really WILL thaw on December 26! But just in case…

A slippery slope

It’s that wonderful time of year when you may wake each day to a layer of snow and ice on your driveway and front steps. While shoveling is the best way to remove snow (and the most environmentally conscious), it’s not always possible to get to things before they turn into an icy mess. While it may seem easiest to apply chemical deicers to the situation, rock salt and other deicers can pollute waterways and harm pets, trees and shrubs. When spread by homeowners on sidewalks and driveways, these salts can damage soils and garden plants and also contribute to runoff pollution. A New York State study found that the high phosphorus content of some deicers contributes to algae blooms (think Lake Monona in the summer), which deprives water of oxygen needed by aquatic animals and plants.

A safer bet is to use sand or kitty litter to provide traction on icy areas. According to the National Wildlife Federation, if you can’t get away from using a chemical deicer, use a liquid rather than granular form because it will cover a larger surface area. Although liquid deicers cost more, you won’t need to use as much. Also, instead of applying a deicer after the ice is already on the ground, try preventing ice formation by putting it down before a storm hits. It will be easier to remove the snow, and you’ll use fewer chemicals. Another thing to consider is that you don’t need to melt every bit of ice, but can use only enough deicer to break the ice/pavement bond and then remove the remaining slush by plowing or shoveling.

Keeping warm by the fire

After all that shoveling, it feels nice to cozy up by a warm fire. While fireplaces aren’t the most efficient way to heat a home, they certainly have ambiance. But should you burn real wood or artificial logs? I thought that wood, being a natural product, would be the way to go, but a study by the Environmental Protection Agency showed that it’s really not the case: The carbon monoxide emission rate of artificial logs is around 75 percent less than real wood, and artificial logs create 80 percent less particulate matter. Chemical emissions are dramatically less as well. Artificial logs will also warm your home more efficiently. Look for logs that do NOT contain paraffin, a petroleum-based by-product with dubious emissions quality. Some great alternatives include fireplace logs made of recycled cardboard boxes, recycled-paper briquettes, and logs made of used coffee grounds, which burn hotter and longer than wood while producing fewer emissions and less soot.

Saving energy, saving money

If you are like me, you keep a bunch of spare socks and sweaters on hand to give to houseguests so that their teeth stop chattering when they visit you. We keep our thermostat at a toasty sixty-two degrees during the day, which many people find uncomfortable, but we just wear lots of fleece! No matter what temperature you keep your home, one way to save energy and money this winter is to install an Energy Star qualified programmable thermostat. When installed and used with the pre-programmed temperature settings for weekend and weekdays, you can save about $100 each year while staying comfortable. Before leaving for vacation, turn down your thermostat so that you don’t waste natural resources by generating unneeded heat. Turning your thermostat down just 5 degrees can cut energy bills (and pollution) by 10 percent. And it may even keep unwanted guests away…

Shed some rechargeable light

As we are all too painfully aware, winter storms often cause power outages, and this means that you need to have plenty of batteries on hand. More than 15 billion batteries are thrown away each year – enough to make a column to the moon and back! Save money and prevent waste by keeping rechargeable batteries stored throughout the house with your flashlights. Many rechargeable batteries can be reused up to 1,000 times. Most rechargeable batteries, and some single-use batteries, can dropped off for recycling. Contact Batteries Plus, on East Washington in Madison (242-9773), to find out if they will take your used batteries.

Trying to stay green during the long Wisconsin winters helps to take my mind off of all the cold. Who knows? Maybe one of these years I’ll learn to love it. Until then, I’m dreaming of a green day-after-Christmas.

Sources: www.sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife, www.epa.gov, www.care2.com/greenliving.