(NewsUSA) - According to the Department of Energy, 80 percent of older homes do not possess adequate insulation. Poorly insulated homes require more energy -; and money -; to maintain comfortable temperatures. Luckily for homeowners, insulation projects are easy, inexpensive and can yield big returns.

"Energy efficiency is on everyone's mind these days, and one of the easiest ways to help your home perform as efficiently as possible and lower home heating and cooling costs is to make sure the insulation in your attic is providing an effective thermal barrier," said Bohdan Boyko, building science manager with GreenFiber, a maker of a natural fiber cellulose insulation product made from 85 percent recycled materials.

Creator of Odd Shoe Finder.com Gives Unused Shoes New Homes

Falls Church, VA, July 11, 2008 – If you are in need of a pair of affordable shoes, a mismatched pair of shoes or a single shoe in a certain style then Kent Basson has a deal for you.  Basson founded Odd Shoe Finder.com on the internet to help people who need odd sized shoes or who are handicapped or injured.  The innovative site has evolved and joined the "green" movement and now offers the opportunity to purchase affordable pairs of shoes, two shoes in different sizes or one shoe. 

Basson kicked off the recycling theme at Odd Shoe Finder.com by recently purchasing 5,469 unused, brand name shoes and boots from an asset recovery company.  The original size of the shoe lot was about 12,300 single shoes from which 1,900 matched pairs were created.  This inventory originated from a sporting goods store that had many unsold mismatched pairs of shoes because some consumers with two different sized feet swapped out sizes before purchasing.  These shoes will be posted on the site for a low price to get them into closets and keep them out of the garbage. 

By John F. Carroll

As an energy conservation consultant, if I had a compact florescent light bulb for every time a client told me that children are their barrier to energy efficiency, I could replace the sun, (with 75% less heat of course). But still, in my own younger days I remember rolling my eyes at Dad's silly suggestion that I turn a light off after I left the room. Like many things in life, saving energy can be difficult to grasp when you are not the one writing the checks. Since the law currently requires we support our children until age 18, I produced the following set of ideas for inspiring our children to save energy.