Online Features
Green Living
96C4_18065283_web.jpg
Save money and do a world of good with reusable containers
(BPT) - Even as the country moves out of the great recession, many Americans are still in a money-saving mode – looking to conserve wherever possible. Good news. There are simple ways to save money especially if you go back to the time-honored concept of BYO – “bringing your own” container of coffee, lunch or water as ...
full story
2UNC_17837820_web.jpg
Simple ways to save water, money and your landscaping this summer
(BPT) - With many states facing drought this summer , homeowners across the country will be looking for ways to save their landscaping while conserving water at the same time. Even if you’re not in a drought-affected area, it pays to keep conservation in mind when it comes to watering outdoors. Using less water is good...
full story
I94S_17063460_web.jpg
Take advantage of tax credits to stretch home improvement dollars
(BPT) - Warm weather heralds home improvement season. It’s also the season of high electric bills as air conditioners hum to life in response to rising temperatures across the country. When you’re making summer upgrades to your home, improvements that make your house more livable and attractive are even more rewarding w...
full story
7T01_16948283_web.jpg
Think outside the fuse box: Unique energy-saving home improvements
(BPT) - You’ve replaced your home’s 20-year-old windows with new, Energy Star-rated models, upgraded to electricity-sipping appliances and there’s not a single incandescent light bulb to be found anywhere in your house. You may be wondering what more you can do to further reduce your home energy bills. When you’ve cove...
full story
Turning energy and water into wine [Infographic]
To produce a quality bottle of wine requires many things, including substantial amounts of energy and water. For its second-annual Earth Day Report, Frei Brothers Reserve(R) is demonstrating how technology and conservation - from vine to bottling line - can help significantly reduce a winery’s energy and water footprint. This year’s updates include reducing total water usage at the winery by 5.4 million gallons, or enough H2O to supply 54 homes for an entire year. Total energy use at the Son...
full story
CWCI_17307230_web.jpg
Make exterior trim part of home remodeling
(BPT) - As existing home sales continue to climb and housing prices increase, remodeling is also on the rise, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Owners of older homes are investing more in home improvement projects that add beauty and value, especially with environmentally friendly ...
full story
972E_17798981_web.jpg
Practice water conservation at home
(BPT) - Home is the place a person can always escape for some rest and relaxation. This year, upgrade your home to be a place that also helps you conserve water and be a better environmental steward. Technology has come a long way in improving performance and efficiency in household fixtures, especially when it comes t...
full story
CC7H_17780128_web.jpg
Garden detective: Clues to determine and deter unwanted animals in your yard and garden
(BPT) - Holmes and Watson, Riggs and Murtaugh, Starsky and Hutch – when it comes to sleuthing out just what critter is munching on your spring garden, you may feel like your partnership with Mother Nature is as contentious as any that ever graced the big, or small screen. After all, how are you supposed to fight the “cr...
full story
JF78_17064581_web.jpg
Greenest of the green: Top efficiency-boosting home improvements
(BPT) - Forget wondering who’s the fairest; when it comes to choosing home improvements that make your home look good – from the curb and to potential buyers – it may make more sense to ask “Who’s the greenest of them all.” Sustainable home improvements not only help reduce utility costs and boost owner satisfaction wit...
full story
IL2L_17626870_web.jpg
Simple ways to save energy at home in just minutes
(BPT) - Home is where the heart is. But it’s also a place where families can be more conscious of their energy use. While conserving energy helps save the planet, it also helps homeowners save money. According to Christine Ackerson, sustainability manager at LG Electronics USA, by adopting a green mindset and taking a ...
full story
LBW_16512160_web.jpg
Five tips for spring home decorating 'eco-style'
(BPT) - As spring blossoms, so does our desire to lighten up – in life and at home. Simple eco-friendly changes to home decor can set the tone for a much fresher and brighter outlook. Here are five tips to get you started: Get a color lift Color has long been credited for its mood-changing qualities. “Color can reall...
full story
BN4T_17660196_web.jpg
Simple tips to save water, money and the environment
(BPT) - There are a number of ways to save water and they all start with you.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American uses about 50 gallons of water per day at home. That means a family of four uses approximately 6,000 gallons a month. The following tips can help you save water, mon...
full story
national news
Massachusetts police search NFL player's home in homicide probe: report

Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez talks on a phone during media day for the NFL Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis(Reuters) - Massachusetts State Police searched the home of New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez on Tuesday as part of a probe into a suspected homicide, according to ABC News. Hernandez was initially uncooperative with police after the body of a 27-year-old man was found in an industrial park near his home in North Attleborough on Monday, ABC News said, citing unnamed law enforcement sources. A police spokesman confirmed there was a homicide investigation under way in North Attleborough, but declined to give further details. ...


2013-06-18 22:07:10 -0500
Pentagon unveils plans for moving women into combat roles

U.S. soldiers from the NATO-led coalition force relax beside a basketball court as night falls at the Kandahar Air Field, AfghanistanBy David Alexander and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top U.S. military official declared "the days of Rambo are over" as the Pentagon unveiled its plans on Tuesday for integrating women into combat infantry positions following 12 years of war in which they fought and died in Iraq and Afghanistan while barred from front-line fighting jobs. The plans, which call for gender-neutral job requirements like scaling walls and lifting 55-pound (25-kg) tank ammunition, will require more years of study, education and training before some services open combat jobs to women. ...


2013-06-18 19:08:19 -0500
Journalist who brought down U.S. general is killed in Los Angeles car crash

A small bouquet of flowers lies next to a charred tree and glass fragments on Highland Avenue in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Journalist Michael Hastings, whose 2010 Rolling Stone magazine profile of the U.S. military chief in Afghanistan, Stanley McChrystal, led to the general being relieved of command, died on Tuesday in a car wreck in Los Angeles, his employer said. A statement from the editor-in-chief of online news outlet BuzzFeed reporting that Hastings, 33, had been killed, gave no details of the accident, and neither Los Angeles police nor the county coroner's office would confirm his death. ...


2013-06-18 22:38:06 -0500
Journalist Michael Hastings dies in car crash at 33
Michael Hastings, the award-winning journalist whose explosive 2010 Rolling Stone profile of U.S. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal ("The Runaway General") led to McChrystal's resignation, died Tuesday in an early morning car accident in Los Angeles, the magazine said. He was 33. "Hard-charging, unabashedly opinionated, Hastings was original and at times abrasive," Rolling Stone, where he [...]
2013-06-18 19:23:00 -0500