The band has:

The DMB also launched the Green Music Group, a high-profile environmental coalition of musicians, industry leaders and music fans using their power to bring about widespread environmental change in the music industry. Other members of this environmentally- conscious coalition of musicians include Maroon 5, Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow.

Hear the Band and Get in Tune!  Go Green and Sustain your Home and Community with Positive Change…

*Energy SMART tm refers to items that use less energy and conserve natural resources as compared to similar products that serve the same purpose.  Energy Smart also refers to the ways in which we consume electricity that are less costly energy-wise and generally more efficient.

** Energy Startmis a United States government program created in 1992 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the purpose of reducing energy consumption and green house gas emissions by power plants.  This voluntary labeling program has grown worldwide to include increasingly more consumer products. ENERGY STARtm ratings are given to products that meet a set a strict regulation standards for energy-efficiency and cost-savings.

***Revere the Dark Sky: Certain municipalities throughout the United States have passed laws and ordinances requiring outdoor lighting fixtures on newly constructed homes be “Dark Sky” compliant.

Lighting plans with “dark sky compliancy” provide for an unobstructed view of the stars and planets, protect biorhythms of life and prevent light pollution.  Be sure to incorporate shielded fixtures into your outdoor lighting scheme and position fixtures to avoid glare and superfluous light from interfering with your view of the nighttime sky or shedding unwanted light toward your neighbors’ property.

Continually searching for ways to protect the natural beauty of the universe, the lighting industry and modern technology go hand in hand.  Splendid illumination and thoughtful lighting plans are essential to this quest.

Enjoy the best in outdoor and landscape lighting, as well as fabulous lighting for kitchen and bath.  Visit a Capitol Lighting showroom or shop 1800lighting.com to view outstanding green arrivals to renew your home for sustainability and a cleaner America.

Improving your home energy efficiency is a worthy and admirable goal. You can help reduce your impact on the environment while saving money with savvy decision making. However, the up-front investment for some efficiency upgrades is substantial, so always do your due diligence before you find electrician services and commit to buy. Read on to clear up some misconceptions about home efficiency and make sure your money is being put to good use.

You Don't Have to Sacrifice Your Comfort: It's true that the best way to conserve energy is to use less of it with strategies like turning off the lights or keeping the temperature lower in the winter. But that doesn't mean you have to sit shivering in the dark. The key to efficiency is to get the same amount of utility for less energy input. That means replacing old incandescent bulbs with LED versions, or investing in better HVAC technology like a smart thermostat. That way, you can keep your home environment tuned to your comfort while reducing consumption at the same time.

Don't Rush into a Big Ticket Item: The most dramatic way you can upgrade your efficiency is with a brand new heating or cooling system. Equipment efficiency has improved drastically in recent years, and new technologies like geothermal heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar panels can all reduce your bills dramatically. However, they aren't risk free. You’ll often face a significant up-front investment when you find electrician services for these installations, and the actual savings that you will realize can vary widely based on factors like the price of fuel. You could also see a loss if you make a big purchase and decide to sell your home soon after; there’s no guarantee you’ll recoup the cost in the selling price.

That's not to say you should avoid large efficiency investments – just look before your leap. You will get the best return from these items if you already need to replace outdated equipment anyway, and if you plan to stay in your home for many years. To reduce some of the upfront costs, you can also look for federal tax credits that refund up to one third of what you spend, as well as options to lease solar panels so you don't have to put any money down at all.

Don't Forget the Insulation: On the other side of the coin, new HVAC technologies won't do you much good if all that treated air just leaks into the outdoors. One of the biggest ways you can improve your efficiency is by plugging leaks and upgrading your insulation, which is typically a much cheaper fix. With a leak detector, some caulk and spray foam insulation, you can seal up your house with minimal investment, saving you money in the short term as well as preparing the house to get greater efficiency out of newer technologies.

For more straight shooting about how to get the most value for your efficiency investments, find an electrician to conduct an energy audit on your house. Your local Mister Sparky® is always available to help!

When it comes to crime, it’s evident that there’s an appeal to darkness. Less visibility means less chance of getting caught. The 2014 National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)—an annual Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program publication that’s released by the FBI—includes detailed crime data, such as time of day and type of offense. More than 18,000 law enforcement agencies participate in the UCR Program and provide data voluntarily. NIBRS’ Crimes Against Persons data shows that of the 1,093,466 incidents reported in 2014, 562,104 (51.4 percent) were between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Crimes Against Property data shows a lower—yet significant—39.4 percent of 3,493,904 reported incidents taking place between those same hours.

In an attempt to lessen crime and increase energy savings, many cities and businesses have started replacing traditional high-intensity discharge (HID) lights with LED bulbs, light engines, and fixtures. These actions have paid off. In 2008, Los Angeles began a project to retrofit 215,000 lights with LED lights. Since implementation of the project, color-rendering indexes (CRI) than HID fixtures. CRI refers to how accurately a light source reveals the true colors of objects, people, and surroundings. The CRI of an HID bulb can range from zero (high-pressure sodium) to about 65 (metal-halide). LED fixtures are capable of having CRIs of 75 and higher. Lights with a CRI of 80 or higher are considered to show colors most accurately and increase visibility, which is especially important for security purposes and parking lot surveillance.

38 million people in the U.S. that has migraines or study published in a 2016 issue of Brain shows that green LED lighting reduced pain intensity by 20 percent. In the study, “Migraine photophobia originating in cone-driven retinal pathways,” researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center set out to test whether or not colors can affect photophobia and migraine intensity. Photophobia is sensitivity to light and can be associated with pain and migraine exacerbation. Findings in a previous study fueled the motivation for this study. In the earlier study, the researchers found that blind participants experienced increased migraine pain when exposed to blue light.

Sixty-nine participants with migraines were part of the most recent study. Researchers studied the effects that exposure to white, blue, green, amber, and red low-intensity light had on their pain. Blue and red light were the worst—increasing pain by 18-19 percent. White and amber increased pain by 15 percent. Green was the only color that reduced pain.

Another green-light study found that exposure to low-intensity light from green LEDs reduced chronic pain and migraine severity. In this study, eight participants with fibromyalgia or migraines were given a green LED strip light, and five were given a white strip. Participants were asked to use their strips nightly for one to two hours for 10 weeks. Participants with green LEDs reported a 40-50 percent drop in pain.

The study was so successful for some that they asked to keep their green LED strip lights; they continue to use them in addition to or in place of medicine. In a study was published in a 2017 issue of Pain. The University of Arizona study, “Long-lasting antinociceptive (pain blocking) effects of green light in acute and chronic pain in rats,” found that rats experienced an increased tolerance for thermal and tactile testing methods. These tests measured how long it took for the rats to withdraw their paw when exposed to heat or pricked with a filament. Testing was completed under green or white light. The researchers found that after eight hours of green LED light exposure for five days it took much longer for rats to withdraw their paws. Effects of the green LEDs lasted for four days.

Rajesh Khanna, UA associate professor of pharmacology and senior author of the study, reports that, “While the pain-relieving qualities of green LED are clear, exactly how it works remains a puzzle. Early studies show that green light is increasing the levels of circulating endogenous opioids, which may explain the pain-relieving effects.”  In a UA article, “(Exogenous) Opioids, while having many benefits for managing pain, come with serious side effects.” These medications can also be addictive.

Researchers in this study are not advising people to stop their medications without speaking with a professional. However, it is possible, as in Lesneski’s case, that green LED lighting could eliminate the need for them in the future. “We need safer, effective and affordable approaches, used in conjunction with our current tools, to manage chronic pain,” Ibrahim said.

Winter is in full swing in Australia, which also means you’re likely spending much more time in your hot tub. If you don’t currently have a hot tub, and are considering getting one installed in the near future, there are certain aspects to consider before buying one.

We all are aware that water and electricity just don’t mix; and so, sticking to the appropriate electrical and safety protocol with hot tub installations and their maintenance is something you can’t afford to overlook. Here are a few hot tub electrical requirements and safety tips to follow:

Even if you are a DIY enthusiast, installing a new hot tub is a completely different animal. Wiring of hot tubs isn’t an easy task and is distinctly more complicated and involved than setting up some other standard home appliances. Consulting an experienced and licensed local electrician will often save you a significant amount of time, money, trouble or even a trip to a hospital.

An electrician will make sure the electrical wiring and fixtures required for the hot tub are installed well and that helps avoid costly mistakes like ones that can occur in skilled and licensed electrician will make sure that the installation and wiring is in line with the existing codes.

Before installing your hot tub, it’s vital to consider its location. Not only will you need room for the actual hot tub but extra room to get into and out of it. The feature should be at least 10′ away from any type of overhead power lines and a minimum of 5′ away from removed spa panels. It’s also necessary to consider how the hot tub will connect to the power source.