As part of the Sustainable September series of events, SNAP presented a talk this afternoon jam-packed with tips on living in better harmony with the earth. Not only do their suggestions reduce our impact on the environment, but they save money, too.

SNAP should know. The organization connects low-income people with housing and teaches the community how to live more frugally, especially by reducing waste and conserving energy.

At Auntie's Bookstore today, Living Green Specialist Argyle Baukol covered everything from seeking out recycling services that accept the types of paper and plastic you can't throw into your curbside bin to fixing leaky faucets.

"If a faucet drips one drop per second, that adds up to more than eight gallons of water a day," she told the small audience.

Some of Baukol's other advice:

-The refrigerator is responsible for a whopping 13 percent of an average household's energy use.  Keep yours running efficiently by vacuuming the coils once a month and setting the temperature to 38 degrees (you might need to place a thermometer in the fridge to get an accurate reading). Also, keep the fridge full for optimal energy use. Don't need that much food in your house? Fill it with jugs of water instead.

-Surprise, surprise. More indoor air leaks out of ducts than leaks out of windows. To keep warm air where it needs to go, wrap heat-resistant duct tape around the seams of your ducts.

-Another vulnerable spot for air leakage? Holes that accomodate plumbing pipes, such as under the kitchen sink. Use caulk or foam to seal those areas.

-Wash your laundry in cold water. Hot water costs 20 cents to 40 cents per load and it doesn't sterilize, contrary to popular belief.

SNAP's Living Green Web site covers more of the information shared today, including individual tip sheets with ways to go green in every room of your house.

I feel as though I stay on top of green-living tips, but I still walked away from today's workshop with new ideas. Did you know that the average house has so many cracks in its walls, doors and around the molding of floors that if you put all the cracks together there'd be a 3-foot-square hole in the side of your house? Baukol's answer: sealing up those cracks with nontoxic "rope caulking," a product that looks like a roll of duct tape but feels like puddy.

Plus, there's something about listening--in person--to an expert's suggestions that makes the information stick versus crusing through an article in a magazine or online, resolving to make a lifestyle change, and then forgetting my good intentions five minutes later.

SNAP can come to your home and give a green-living workshop like the one held today. Call (509) 744-3370 ext. 242 for details. You can also subscribe to SNAP's Living Green e-newsleter by e-mailing livinggreen@snapwa.org.

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