Is Your Cable Box an Energy Hog?

Here at GreenDogLove we are fans of being energy efficient.  Waste is not cool, it’s expensive, bad for the environment, and it’s unnecessary. So that’s why I became interested in this story.  Apparently your cable box is one of the biggest energy wasters in your home, as it is basically a computer running 100% all the time.   According to The National Resources Defense Council , Americans spend $2 billion a year to power these cable boxes while they are not in use.  That’s crazy!

Are there more energy efficient options?

1.  One option is to not use DVR, but instead utilize other streaming systems (apple tv, netflix, ect.).  Other streaming systems don’t yet have the full capability of your DVR, but they are close and much more efficient because when your other options are not in use you can turn them off.

2.  If you want to keep your DVR, you do have another option.  You could call your cable company and see if they have a more energy efficient box.  Some companies have multiple boxes and if you call they will replace your current box with a more efficient one.

So if you currently have a DVR and are concerned about your energy usage, it would we wise to look into a more energy efficient option.

Chihuahua fights back Thieves

You may have thought it was necessary for your guard dog to be big. For far too long Dobermans, Pit Bulls, and Rotweillers have reined supreme as the Kings of Protection. But this tiny Chihuahua is here to say, listen to the little pups – we can fight off thieves just as well, maybe better. Take a look for yourself and see brave Paco in action.

Featured Fido: Penny Lane

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Miss Penny Lane and she is one of the most precious pups I’ve ever seen. Penny is a sweet cuddle pup that just loves to make people happy. Read below to learn more about this adorable pooch!

To submit your dog visit our Featured Fido Friday page.

Name: Penny Lane

Breed: Maltipoo

Age: Almost 3

Fun Fact/Story: Penny doesn’t fetch.  If you throw a toy, she looks at you as though you have just had a spasm.

Favorite Activity: Posing for pictures

If your dog could talk, what would he/she say: “When are we going to visit Grandma?”

French Bulldog Babies!

Hey everyone!  For last week’s featured fido we introduced some french bulldog puppies, but now we have a video!

The french bulldog belongs to my brother and she just had 6 puppies last week, those guys are cute!

Wordless Wednesday: Puppy Whistle

Weekly Dog News Roundup: Hypoallergenic Edition

Source: weheartit.com via Carly on Pinterest

 

News from American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy, reports that dog breeds that were once thought to be “hypoallergenic” aren’t all they’re thought to be. A study finds that researchers found no significant differences in allergen levels among the hypoallergenic versus non hypoallergenic dogs. Howerver, the American Kennel Club does still identify dogs that are better suited to those with allergies. These dogs include Breeds like Bichon Frise, Maltese, Poodles and Portuguese Water Dogs.

In ridiculous news, a West Village pet store has banned the buying of pets (puppies in particular) when intoxicated. The store has found that owners will wake up in the morning and realize they cannot care for a pet. What blows my mind is that the pet store was selling puppies to drunks in the first place.

It’s always nice to hear positive stories. This one is particularly inspiring. Marcus, a golden shepherd, woke his owners in the middle of the night to avoid a fire in their apartment building. The fire was a result of an arsonist and Marcus barked loudly enough to warn his owners and several other families in the building.

Another particularly hopeful story comes from Andrew Navarette and his Shih Tzu, Mimi. 7 years ago Navarette reported to Animal Control that he had lost Mimi after he let her out in the backyard. Around the same time another woman, Kim Rafter found Mimi, renamed her Gizmo, and has cared for her for the last 7 years. Just recently Kim had also lost Mimi (Gizmo) and she was recovered at an animal shelter. The shelter scanned her microchip, finding Navarette as the owner. The reunion is bittersweet, as Mimi has to leave Kim and her family, but it sounds like Mimi has lived a happy life being cared for by several loving people.

Featured Fido: Sweet French Bulldog Puppies

For today’s Featured Fido we’re doing something a little different. GreenDogLove fan’s Laura and Aaron welcomed 6 French Bulldog puppies into the world today. We’ve featured their Momma, Jewels on the blog before, and now we’re so excited to introduce these precious pups. Newborn puppies just might be the cutest things in the world. 🙂

To submit your dog visit our Featured Fido Friday page.

Printing Solar Cells and Reducing Solar Energy Costs

I’ve always been a big fan of solar energy, I feel it’s an important part of our clean energy future.  Solar energy has advantages because it’s emission free and it’s energy comes from the sun, which hopefully will be shining for a long time 🙂  Because of these advantages solar energy could become an important complement to our energy supply.

So that’s why I get excited when I see news stories about how the technology is improving.  According to this article, researchers have found a new way to make solar cells.  This new method involves printing solar cells, which could reduce solar cell production waste by 90%.

Solar panel

This is good news!  Currently the biggest drawback of using solar panels for energy is the price, so any progress made in reducing the cost of solar energy is a step in the right direction.  These researchers still have some work to do in improving the efficiency of the cells, but if they are able to put their method to use it could dramatically bring down the cost of solar technology.

Wordless Wednesday: Pinterest

I love technology and sharing. And I especially love when the two merge. So it makes sense that one of my new favorite social media platforms is Pinterest. If you haven’t heard of Pinterest, it’s basically a social pinboard where you can add items and keep track of everything in one dashboard. From food recipe ideas, to home DIY projects, to cute pictures of puppies you can easily store and share all of your ideas or interests. I’m very partial to cute pictures of puppies. 😉 So for today’s semi-Wordless-Wednesday, please enjoy some adorable puppy pictures I’ve pinned.

 

Source: flickr.com via Carly on Pinterest

Source: None via Carly on Pinterest

Source: favim.com via Carly on Pinterest

If you’re on Pinterest, follow me @carly_jane.

Also, send me a comment if you need an invite. 🙂

Weekly Dog News Roundup: Norman, Rosie, and Doggie Poo DNA

As a sweet tribute to her late dog Norman, Jennifer Aniston had his name tattooed on her foot. I’m not a big fan of tattoos, but this seems tasteful and a proper way to remember.

One of the stranger stories this week was the new trend of using DNA analysis to figure out who in your neighborhood is leaving behind dog poo. We’ve detailed all of the diseases left behind by dog feces before (why biodegradable dog poop bags are important) and believe it’s very, very important to practice picking up, but we’re still not sure whether dog poop analysis is necessary or worth the cost and time. I suppose when you’re fed up, you’re fed up. Read more about the report on ABC News.

It’s not a new video, but  it is on the list of one of the cutest videos I’ve ever seen. Check the adorable monkey and puppy playing together.

Rosie is a sweet 11-year old golden retriever service dog whose speciality is keeping people calm. The particular story from ABC News describes an encounter Rosie has with a 15-year old girl who was testifying in court about a man who sexually abused her. Rosie was used to help the remain calm and identify and accused.