One of the biggest energy hogs in the kitchen is the oven, and choosing the right appliances to cook with can make a big difference for energy savings. A halogen countertop “oven” uses special lights that create radiant heat that can roast, bake and do whatever an oven can do. When you cook something in a halogen appliance instead of a conventional oven, you reduce your energy usage by 75 percent. It also cooks food about 50 percent faster than a traditional oven. A combination of both time and energy savings makes it a good investment for the kitchen.

Does parking in the shade in the hot summer months make a difference for your car? Researchers in Phoenix tested the theory and found that cars in peak sun were significantly hotter than those in the shade. That’s obvious, but what’s interesting is that the sun-parked cars heated to temperatures that exceeded 160 degrees, which is when materials like car seats and dashboards can burn your skin. And when it came to cooling the interior of the car, a shaded car took just 12 minutes to cool down, while the car in the sun took 21 minutes. When it comes to long-term car parking, seek shade whenever possible.

If you like to grow fruits and vegetables from seed at home, what’s the best way to avoid genetically modified seeds? The good news is that most GMO seeds are limited to larger-scale farming, and those crops are mostly things like corn, soybeans, cotton and crops for sugar production. For home gardeners, the only chance you’ll buy GMO seeds is for corn or squash, so to be extra sure, look for certified organic seeds. Otherwise, the likelihood the seeds at your store are GMO is very low. You can also look up seed companies that have signed a Safe Seed Pledge, which lists seed brands that have promised not to sell GMO seeds.