Buzzword: Recessionista

Rooted in the fashion world, recessionista describes a style maven who stays ahead of the trends without falling too deeply into debt. It joins other reeling-economy Buzzwords, including boomerang children, brickor mortis, and staycation.

Why the buzz? Recessionista is relevant to home improvement, too, especially in these tough times. In 2009, the average consumer will spend $1,300 to undertake 2.8 remodeling projects at home, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute. Obviously that money isn't going to buy dramatic changes for your abode, but it is possible to add style and function on a budget.

Buy second-hand. Clothes hounds shop at consignment shops and thrift stores. For the home, you can buy gently used appliances and building products at salvage shops and Habitat for Humanity-run Habitat ReStores and through organizations like Green Demolitions. Freecycle, an online network used by people to trade household items, is another option.

Accessorize your spaces. This rule gets the most mileage in the kitchen. Whereas new cabinets can cost many thousands of dollars, updating the hardware and applying crown molding, for instance, will transform the look of your kitchen for a small fraction of the cost. For the interiors, inexpensive cabinet organizers improve function and capacity.

Look for alternative materials. In our latest test of countertops, laminates were singled out for their wide variety of patterns and colors. Among flooring, the best plastic laminates actually wore better than most wood, for as little as half the cost. Read more about this option in "10 Questions for . . . Fernando Pages Ruiz, Contractor."

Enhance the lighting. You can create flattering lighting at home with a minimal investment by installing dimmer switches, which allow you to adjust light levels depending on the activity, say high for cleaning and low for dining. Task lighting will make your home a safe, inviting place for people of all ages and abilities. Another easy way to save with lighting is to install compact fluorescent lightbulbs. 

Get your house in shape. Fashion freaks might lose a few pounds to squeeze into a gotta-have-it bargain buy. At home, you need to gain rather than lose—that is, boost the energy efficiency of your space. If single-pane windows are failing, replacement windows can save you 10 to 25 percent per year on heating and cooling and enhance the curb appeal of your home. Plugging air leaks in the attic and walls will save energy and eliminate uncomfortable drafts.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Before you start your next remodel, check out our Home Improvement Guide interactive, which offers buying advice on appliances, tools, and building materials.

Buzzword: Zoning

What it means. Don't confuse this week's Buzzword with school or community zoning. Rather, in the context of heating and cooling, zoning refers to dividing a home into two or more areas where you set different temperatures. Historically, zoning was more common in homes with a hot-water boiler system than in those with a forced-air furnace system. But as houses bulked up in recent years (thanks in part to the McMansion movement), the need to zone even forced-air-heating systems increased. Besides having more interior space to heat and cool, big houses are more likely to have living spaces with different exposures. To keep these rooms from getting too hot or too cold on certain days, multiple distribution systems are needed to control the flow of conditioned air.

Zoning is pitched as a way to not only make your home more comfortable but also to save you money by letting you reduce the heating or cooling to seldom-used spaces. Some manufacturers and retailers also tout zoning by suggesting that you can save by running a space heater or pellet- or wood-burning stove in a frequently occupied room and turning down the heat with your thermostat (see video, right) in other parts of the home.

Why the buzz? Residential heating costs for the 2008-2009 season are projected to be higher than for last season, according to the Energy Information Administration and, says the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the lower 48 states will experience 2.4 percent colder temperatures this winter.

Those figures might make zoning a more tempting proposition. And, in fact, zoning has its place in certain situations, including where one room has very different heating requirements from others in a home. "A room with lots of glass or a bedroom built over a garage could both be candidates for zoning," says Buck Taylor, a heating professional and consultant for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

But for retrofit scenarios, the question of whether it pays to implement zoning depends largely on the accessibility of the hot-water pipes (for a hot-water system) or ductwork (for forced-air system). On a forced-air system, if the central air conditioner and furnace share the same distribution system, balancing the airflow correctly can be even trickier and costlier. 

"For homes with a forced-air system, adding zoning is number 11 on the list of things I'd do [to lower energy costs]," says Harvey Sachs, a senior fellow at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. He suggests you put your money into insulation, windows, and other forms of weatherization. (Read our advice for cutting your heating bill and enhancing the value of your home.) Taylor agrees, even for homes with a boiler: "Every dollar should be spent in the shell of the house, reducing how much heat is required in the first place, before you start trying to solve problems with mechanical systems."

Chandler von Schrader, head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Home Improvement with Energy Star program, adds ductwork sealing to the steps you should take before zoning your HVAC system. He notes that duct leakage is in the 30 to 35 percent range for many homes. Correcting the problem can lead to significant savings and enhanced comfort. "Unfortunately, sealing ducts is dirty, nasty work, crawling around attic crawl spaces," Schrader says. As a result, it's a lot easier for contractors to simply zone the system. "But that doesn't correct the root cause of the problem," Schrader adds.

As for zone heating with a fireplace, fireplace insert, or wood or pellet stove, that's a smart move only if your home is buttoned up tight and the fireplace is more efficient than your heating system. If your gas fireplace is 70 percent efficient and your furnace is 85 to 90 percent efficient, you're probably better off running the furnace.

Bottom line, zoning is seldom the cure-all that some heating-equipment manufacturers would have you believe. So work with a trained professional to get a comprehensive home-energy audit, including a residential-load calculation, and determine the best approach to improving the energy efficiency of and comfort level in your home. Find a qualified heating pro by reading this story and visiting the Residential Energy Savings Network.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Learn how to save hundreds on your energy costs, and discover the differences between energy savers and every hogs.

Buzzword: Energy Anorexia

What it means. Rooted in the serious medical condition anorexia, energy anorexia refers to a situation in which people follow an extremely strict carbon-footprint-shrinking regimen. (Carborexia and greenorexia are other names for this approach to living.) The New York Times used the term "energy anorexics" in the October 19 article "Completely Unplugged, Fully Green," which reported on people dedicated to using significantly less energy in many aspects of their lives.

Why the buzz? In these energy-conscious times and in a country where a fad or fashion of the moment can spur significant lifestyle changes or even turn into fanaticism, some folks have become energy anorexics. The Times piece sparked great debate on the Web, with the blog of Sharon Astyk the epicenter of much of the discussion. Astyk, who was featured in the article, took issue with the story in a recent post, noting, for example, that her son doesn't play organized baseball due to scheduling conflicts with her family's observance of the Jewish Sabbath, not because she doesn't want to drive him too far to play. And commenters on the blog defended her energy-minded lifestyle.

Most of our buzzword items highlight trends in industry or society at large, and the terms are generally tame. But energy anorexia and energy anorexics seem harsh and insensitive given the difficult medical issue from which they're derived. Indeed, similar terms like "true greens" and "enlighteneds" might be a better way to get across the idea.

So we'll leave it to you to come up with a catchy, complimentary expression for people who are environmentally impassioned and acting upon their beliefs. Post your suggestion(s) in a comment below, where you can also share information on how you're working to save energy on your own.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: There's no need for extreme measures to save energy at home, as detailed in our October 2008 "Save Energy, Save Money" feature, this tip of the day, and the Buzzword on weatherization.

Buzzword: The Tie Goes to the Dolphin

What it means. With the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays under way, you might hear the phrase "the tie goes to the runner" used at some point during the best-of-seven set. Here's hoping there's not a decision as controversial as the blown safe call first-base ump Don Denkinger made during Game 6 of the 1985 World Series between the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals.

"The tie goes to the dolphin"—more of a buzzphrase than a buzzword—puts an environmental spin on the baseball axiom. It originally referred to canned tuna: When other factors like taste and cost are equal or at least similar, consumers who believe the tie goes to the dolphin will choose a brand with the "Dolphin Safe" logo on the label (shown). But the buzzphrase can be applied to other categories, including all manner of household appliances and gear, when environmental or energy-efficient issues come into play.

Why the buzz? Steven H. Saltzman, the editor of this blog, turned me on to this concept. Saltzman told me that an official from a federal agency had uttered the phrase during a meeting they had to discuss the energy efficiency of and federal standards for appliances. The phrase seems especially apropos at a time when consumers have been greenwashed by marketing campaigns touting the environmental friendliness of products.

Most U.S. consumers don't base their purchasing decisions solely on a product's greenness. They will, however, make green the tiebreaker between two otherwise similar products. In fact, nearly 90 percent of Americans say they would choose an eco-friendly product if it were to cost the same as an equal competitor, according to a report by BBMG, a New York City-based branding and integrated-marketing firm.

That's why we factor in energy efficiency when rating many household products. With refrigerators, for example, we measure not only temperature performance, noise, and usable storage space but also energy efficiency. In a tie-goes-to-the-dolphin scenario, you'd choose the Maytag MFC2061HE[W], $2,250, over the comparable Maytag Ice2O MFI2266AE[W], $2,050, since the former is more energy efficient.

For washing machines, the Whirlpool Cabrio HE WTW6600S[W], $1,000, and Kenmore (Sears) HE2t 4756[1], $900, both provide very good washing performance. But the Kenmore is a front-loader and will use less water than the top-loading Whirlpool. The tie goes to the Kenmore.

In some cases, the energy-efficiency deal maker is not so obvious and becomes apparent only when you calculate the savings you'll generate over their entire lifetime. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs cost more than incandescent bulbs, but because CFLs last significantly longer and use so much less energy, they're the hands-down favorite.

So next time you're choosing among products, opt for the one that will save you money and help the environment.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Use our interactive Home Improvement Guide for room-by-room buying guides.

Buzzword: Weatherization

What it means. Weatherization is the practice of making a building more energy efficient by sealing its exterior against wind and precipitation and protecting its interior from heat and cold. Buttoning up the envelope of a house with insulation and caulk is the first line of defense. But best weatherization practices treat a building as a single energy-consuming system and might include such whole-house measures as replacing old heating, cooling, and water-heating devices with higher-efficiency models.

Why the buzz? In the presidential debate between candidates John McCain and Barack Obama on October 7, 2008, moderator Tom Brokaw asked the candidates what sacrifices Americans will have to make to get the country's economy back on track. One of Senator Obama's points covered energy use: "Each and every one of us can start thinking about how can we save energy in our homes, in our buildings," he said. "One of the things I want to do is make sure that . . . you are able to weatherize your home or make your business more fuel efficient." (Read the full debate transcript.)

This is not the first time a president or a candidate for that office trumpeted energy efficiency. President Jimmy Carter famously wore a beige cardigan during a 1977 fireside chat in which he talked to the American public about the country's energy crisis. Carter's wardrobe choice is remembered more than his message, made explicit in his 1979 Crisis of Confidence speech, in which he warned: "The energy crisis is real. It is worldwide. It is a clear and present danger to our nation."

In today's world, weatherization should remain relevant beyond Election Day. With that, we've pulled together steps you can take to weatherize your home, helping you to save yourself money and reduce your energy use. If your more motivated by money than by patriotism, note that on average, weatherization reduces heating bills by 32 percent and overall energy bills by $358 per year at current prices, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Plug the big leaks first. Start in the basement and attic and seal any gaps around your plumbing pipes, ductwork, light fixtures, and electric wiring that allow air to flow out of your house. Also seal around your chimney and flue pipes, being sure to use products suitable for high temperatures. Lay insulation between attic-floor joists and on the hatch or door, or add more if it's already there. Also look for dirty insulation, a sign of air movement that reveals other gaps you must fill. Insulate ducts running through the attic, basement, or other unheated spaces.

Stop air infiltration. Insulate the ceilings in an unheated basement or crawl space or around the exterior walls if they are heated. Also be sure to insulate ducts and hot-water pipes.

Program thermostats for savings. Lower your heating-system thermostat 5° F at night and 10° F during the day if no one is home, a move that will shave up to 20 percent off your heating costs. Many electronic setback thermostats let you set a different schedule for each day. Many automatically switch from heating to cooling, and some tell you when it's time to change your furnace or air-conditioner filters. (Read more about air purifiers.)

Buzzword: Brickor Mortis

What it means. This buzzword, derived from rigor mortis, comes to us from Great Britain, where many homes are made of brick and wordplay often takes a macabre turn. With the housing market in some areas across the pond in tough shape, brickor mortis—describing the paralyzed state of home sales and purchases—is said to be setting in at a swift pace.

Why the buzz? England and the United States of America are said to be two countries divided by a common language. We now also share something else: a glut of unsold homes. In January 2008, 32 percent of London residences on the market had been for sale for three months or longer. By August, that figure was up to 51 percent. One silver lining in the trend: the divorce rate in England and Wales is at a 26-year low, according to a BBC report, prompting speculation that plunging house prices might be keeping couples together.

Whether or not U.S. divorce rates follow a similar trajectory remains to be seen. But brickor mortis seems to have set in here, too. On September 17, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that housing starts for August were fewer than expected, sinking activity to a 17-year low. "Builders understand that there is still a substantial amount of unsold inventory to be worked down," noted Sandy Dunn, president of the National Association of Home Builders, in what could be considered the understatement of the year.

If you are selling or buying a new home, be sure to read our special section on real estate, which tells you the best way to price your home and lays out the right projects to do before you sell your home.

You'll likely get the best return if you spruce up the outside of your home by adding a deck, new energy-efficient windows, or new siding, according to a 2007 nationwide survey of real-estate professionals conducted by Remodeling magazine.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Learn how to get your house ready to be sold from a professional stager. And use our Home Improvement Guide interactive for advice on products and materials for any area of your house.

Buzzword: Smart Grid

What it means. Grid is a basic term when it comes to providing electricity to end users, be they homeowners, schools, factories, hospitals, or office buildings. It refers to the infrastructure that delivers electricity from the point of generation to the consumer. Grids consist of a transmission system, which moves electricity from power plants to substations, and a distribution system, which sends it along to the users.

A smart grid uses the same basic infrastructure but overlays it with modern technology. Smart grids are supposed to offer several advantages over traditional versions. They are self-monitoring, meaning they can identify overloads in the system and prevent blackouts; are more secure against human attacks and natural disasters; give users real-time information about their consumption, paving the way for variable pricing, smart appliances, and more efficient usage (leading, in turn, to lower utility bills); and are compatible with sources of green power.

Why the buzz? The gains of smart-grid technology are many, but until recently they've also been mostly theoretical—even after Title XIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 called for the construction of a 21st-century electric system. But earlier this year, Xcel Energy announced that it had tapped Boulder, Colorado, to be the first Smart Grid city in this country. Besides being manageable in size, the 100,000-person city sits near several key research institutes and is home to what one Xcel rep termed early adopters, folks who aren't afraid to try something new. (Would that make them alpha geeks?) The announcement was big news for Boulder.

"We're very excited to be a partner," said Jonathan Koehn, the city's environmental-affairs manager. "It promises to be a great demonstration of what smart grids can do to benefit consumers and utility companies."

The project will unfold in phases over the next few years. Two substations have been upgraded with smart technology, and by the end of the year, 15,000 Boulderites will be equipped with smart meters that allow them to monitor their power usage online. The meters are free to anyone who opts into the program, with Xcel and its SmartGridCity partners picking up the tab.

As smart grids spread throughout the country, figuring out who should pay for the smart meters has become a source of debate. Frederick Butler, commissioner of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and cochair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners-Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Smart Grid Collaborative, puts the cost of a meter at $100 to $200, though that price is expected to fall as the technology matures. "It's a work in progress," says Butler. "The smart grid really has potential, so we want to deploy it in a way that doesn't turn people off, but rather gets them excited."

Central to the discussion is determining who benefits from smart grids: utility companies or customers. "Once we fully identify the benefits, we can assign an appropriate cost allocation," says Butler. Any costs covered by consumers will likely be in the form of a surcharge on their bills for a year or two. But not in Boulder, where early adoption has its perks.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Read more about smart meters and check out our Energy-Saving Guide for tips on cutting energy use at home.

Buzzword: Precycle

What it means. Precycling represents the next generation in residential-waste management. It's no longer enough for you to recycle, separating cans and bottles for curbside collection and depositing unwanted electronics at manufacturer's consolidation centers: These days, the truly trash-conscious aim to minimize would-be waste from even entering the home. Hence the rise of the precycler, an environmentally minded relative of the EcoMom.

Why the buzz? Twenty years ago, there was just one curbside-recycling program in the United States, but by 2006, approximately 8,660 programs had sprouted up. The nation now recycles 32.5 percent of its waste, double the rate of 15 years ago, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Despite the gains, Americans generated 251 million tons of municipal solid waste (that's household trash) in 2006—almost 1,700 pounds for every person. In the European Union, the per capita amount is about 500 pounds less.

To slash the amount of waste you create and to reduce pressure on the nation's landfills, learn how to precycle with these simple lifestyle changes:

1. Buy in bulk. Cut down on packaging and use less gas on shopping trips by stocking up at warehouse clubs. Read our head-to-head comparison of Costco and Sam's Club.

2. Focus on concentrated products. This move cuts down on packaging and how much of a product you consume. In our latest test of laundry detergents, for example, many of the concentrated products cleaned just as well as conventional detergents.

3. Opt for recycled packaging. You can't avoid packaging altogether, but look for products that are made from recycled materials. Even some paint containers are fabricated from 100 percent recycled materials.

4. Dispose of disposables. Choose cloth napkins, towels, diapers, and the like to eliminate packaging and keep the resulting waste out of the landfill. And use washable dishware instead of plastic cutlery, cups, and plates. To conserve water, wash items in the dishwasher instead of by hand, and don't prerinse. (Read about the best dishwasher detergents.)

5. Bring your own bags. Forget the paper-vs.-plastic debate. Use your own reusable canvas or cloth bags when you shop.

6. Eliminate junk mail. Opt for paperless billing with your bank, utility companies, and the like. And put an end to all those unwanted catalogs by taking your name off mailing lists at the Direct Marketing Association Web site. Get more details by reading "How to Opt Out of Marketing Lists."

7. Screw in long-lasting bulbs. CFLs and LEDs are more efficient than incandescent lights, meaning fewer bulbs and less packaging.

8. Start a compost bin. This step falls under the "reuse" side of precycling. Tossing organic kitchen scraps and appropriate yard waste onto a compost heap turns them into nutrients for the garden. (Compost your leaves this fall.)

9. Conserve grass clippings. Instead of bagging clippings, use the mulching mode on your lawn mower to deposit them back into the lawn.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Read our special report on energy savings in the October 2008 issue of Consumer Reports, including a list of 25 simple ways to save.

Buzzword: XRF

What it means. XRF is not the name of hipster rock band or a new "miracle" diet pill. Rather, this abbreviation stands for x-ray fluorescence, a technique used to detect the presence of elements like lead, cadmium, and arsenic in toys, paints, and other consumer products. If an element is present in a product, an XRF analyzer stirs it up with x-rays and measures the fluorescence activity to determine its relative level. XRF also has industrial and environmental uses.

Why the buzz? As we reported in the December 2007 issue of Consumer Reports and as you might have read in news stories over the last year, a rising number of consumer goods have been found to contain dangerous levels of lead. X-ray fluorescence has become a part of the efforts to get these hazardous products off the market. Armed with XRF analyzers, public-health officials, advocacy groups, and responsible manufacturers are able to rapidly screen goods for lead and other harmful elements.

XRF machines like the model shown are pricey, costing upward of $35,000, so you won't find them at a nearby home center. But you can hire a lead professional to perform an XRF test on paint and soil in and around your home. Note that homes built before 1978, when lead paint was banned, are very likely to harbor lead somewhere, sometimes buried, in the walls, woodwork or soil and exterior siding. To find a testing company in your area, go to www.epa.gov/lead (click on "lead professionals") or call the National Lead Information Center at 800-424-5323.

With all the news about lead in toys and other products, the market for home lead-test kits is growing. Home-use lead test kits, while far more limited than XRF, are another way you can find sources of lead in your home. These kits detect only surface, or accessible, lead, not lead embedded below the surface. For more information, read our September 2008 review of lead and radon test kits. (Note that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises against using these kits for the screening of toys, jewelry, and other consumer products.)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology and the EPA have found that lead test kits can be effective in identifying lead paint when used correctly. Although, as our tests confirmed, they don't measure the levels of lead present, which, in some cases could be below the federal standards in some positive tests.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Read this post from the Consumer Reports Safety blog about Jeffrey Weidenhamer, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry at Ashland University who's been instrumental in raising public awareness about consumer products with high lead levels. And learn how to deal with lead paint in your home.

Buzzword: IMBY

What it means. Short for "in my backyard," IMBY inverts the more established NIMBY—a person who opposes developments that will detract from their neighborhood with a hearty "Not in my backyard!" declaration. A combination of practicality and altruism sees IMBYs favoring projects other neighbors find dangerous, dingy, or otherwise undesirable.

Why the buzz? Whooshing wind-turbine blades have become one of the leading edges of IMBYism, as homeowners install residential wind-power systems and communities allow large wind power companies to site wind turbine complexes on public land. In 2008, an estimated 48 billion kilowatt hours of electricity will be generated in the United States, enough to power 4.5 million households. (Big wind farms in Texas, California, and other wide-open states still produce most of the nation's wind power.)

But the small-wind-turbine market—defined as systems that produce from 1 to 100 kWh—grew 15 percent in 2007, according to the American Wind Energy Association, and wind generators are moving from small systems that charge batteries on sailboats and recreational vehicles to ones powering individual homes, farms, and small businesses in suburban and even urban settings.

Even arbiters of style are into wind, as evidenced by this August 6, 2008 story in The New York Times about designer Philippe Starck's ultramodern rooftop turbine.   

But some critics see the wind-backing IMBYs as more selfish than selfless. On August 18, the Times ran a cover story entitled "In Rural New York, Windmills Can Bring Whiff of Corruption", which detailed numerous conflicts between neighbors (and some conflicts of interest among politicians) swirling around wind turbine placement.

Across the U.S., NIMBYs complain that wind turbines mar vistas and reduce animal habitat when built in low-population areas and offshore sites; in urban areas, they're rapped as merely loud and unaesthetic. Animal lovers protest the fact that bats and birds can fly into their rotating blades. (Visit www.stopillwind.org and www.windtsop.org for more arguments, and AWEA's FAQ page for some counterarguments.)

Ron Stimmel, small-wind advocate at AWEA, doesn't argue aesthetics. But on the noise front, he cited test results showing that from a distance of 300 feet, a Bergey Windpower 10 kW BWC Excel wind system like the one pictured at right generated a 54 to 55 decibels of sound with the wind blowing 25 mph. (Wind turbine noise will usually fall under your local municipality's general noise-limit ordinances, so check them before you begin pricing a wind energy system.)

Stimmel also cited a National Academy of Sciences study showing that wind turbines cause just three out every 100,000 human-caused bird deaths. But the study also reads: "While estimation of avian fatalities caused by wind-power generation is possible . . . it is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the incremental contribution of wind-powered generation to cumulative bird deaths in time and space at current levels of development." Bat fatality data, the report notes, are even sparser.

But if sales are any indication, more IMBYs are getting behind the small wind movement despite these concerns. Stimmel also urged Congress to extend federal tax credits (similar to the current 30 percent tax credit on solar-energy systems) to help defray a backyard wind turbine's $12,000 to $60,000 cost.

At the local level, Arizona, California, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Vermont are offering additional tax rebates or credits that will help continue to fuel small-wind installations—to the relief of some residents, and the resentment of others.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Learn more about local utility and state rebates and tax credits for alternative energy systems and how to purchase wind-generated and other green power that's fueling an explosion in "green-collar" jobs. Also, read our report on Neighbor Disputes in the September 2008 issue of Consumer Reports for advice on keeping up relations with the Joneses across a wide range of possible disputes.

Buzzword: Green Collar

What it means. "Green collar" seems to have first appeared in a 1992 environmental career guide that was reviewed in American Forests magazine. The introduction was called 'Where the green-collar jobs are in business, government and citizen groups," says Tom Pitoniak, an associate editor at Merriman-Webster and a keen follower of the term's adoption and evolution.

To green-workforce consultant/author Jim Cassio, a "green collar" job focuses on sustainability and/or the preservation of the environment and is defined by the nature of the job or the employer. "If you're a solar panel installer, then it's obviously a green job; if you're a mail-room clerk, then it depends on if the employer is green company," says Cassio.

Why the buzz? Higher energy costs are making the folks who install wind, solar, or geothermal energy systems a bit busier these days. Like most green-collar companies, they're swamped with work and rushing to make the most out of the long summer hours even as others scurry for jobs.

"I'd say my business is up 100 percent over last year," says Craig Mann of Ralph Mann & Sons, an Ansonia, Connecticut-based company that specializes in installing ground-source heat-pump heating, cooling, and hot-water systems.

The trend is benefiting a wide swath of the American populace. Some owners of alternative-energy companies are hiring construction and manufacturing workers idled by the housing-boom bust. The green sector is also benefiting recent graduates, middle-aged career changers, and others with solid work and solid wages.

"I heard at one conference that starting pay for a solar panel installer was ranging from $14 to $22 an hour, depending on the area," says Karen Christopher of the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, which oversees certification classes for solar-energy installers across the U.S. "I can see solar bringing the middle class back to life," adds Christopher. "I've talked to people at energy fairs and they're trying to start up programs with disadvantaged youth in places like New Orleans and New York. And California is really exploding with jobs that can hire people from the community college levels."

The solar industry isn't the only one having a busy year—installers of installers of "earth-energy" systems are also reporting heightened interest.

"We estimate that the amount of people taking our accreditation classes has tripled," says Gail Ezepek of of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association. "We get so busy fielding calls from prospective customers and contractors seeking accreditation that we don't have time to do anything else."

"There's no doubt that green-collar jobs are growing," adds Cassio. "But a lot of the jobs fall through the cracks because they are jobs that were not here a few years ago. It takes a few years for them to enter the occupational classification system so the government can count them properly."

A government spokesman agrees. "There is no official 'green-collar' worker definition just as there isn't for other commonly cited terms, such as white collar and 'blue collar," says Bureau of Labor Statistics spokesman Gary Steinberg. "One sees green collar and green jobs increasingly used in public discourse, but because of the criteria limitations discussed above, we cannot at this time make any official assessments about the extent of such employment or its impacts on the overall economy."

"We estimate there are about 60,000 solar-energy jobs in the U.S. today and that with current market growth we could add more than 55,000 jobs by 2015," says Monique Hanis, director of communications for the Solar Energy Industry Association.

Buzzword: Neighborhood Effect

What it means. This buzzword comes from Cambridge, Massachusetts, or more precisely, that neighborhood's Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies.

In the April 2008 paper "Good Home Improvers Make Good Neighbors," Kevin Park, a JCHS research assistant, defines neighborhood effect as "a situation where neighborhood conditions (including overall level of home improvement spending) impose costs and benefits or otherwise influence the behavior or actions of a homeowner. Similarly, the home improvement activities of an individual homeowner may impose costs and benefits on nearby property owners and thereby influence the general level of maintenance in the neighborhood." (Download a PDF of the paper here.)

In other words, upkeep is contagious, and the neighborhood as a whole benefits from homeowners' TLC.

Why the buzz? The housing market is still reeling—the foreclosure rate is climbing—and even the most optimistic economists aren't predicting a prompt recovery. Foreclosure is the heartbreaking result for homeowners who can't keep up with their mortgage payments. Herein lies the downside of neighborhood effect. Using a related buzzword, the Center for Responsible Lending refers to "subprime spillover," whereby a foreclosure on a home lowers the price of nearby single-family residences by 0.9 percent. The negative impact is cumulative—each additional foreclosure lowers values an additional 0.9 percent.

But that's the glass-half-empty view of neighborhood effect. Park's paper is largely about the positive impacts of home improvement. And as we observe in our August 2008 kitchen-remodeling special section, today's housing market actually makes it a good time to start a project: Contractors aren't swamped, and appliance retailers and home centers are offering more deals than ever.

Homeowners tend not to see past their property lines when calculating the return on investment of a project. But Park finds a "statistically significant effect of neighborhood home-improvement activity on home appreciation." Between 1996 and 2004, appreciation rates were 15 percent greater in neighborhoods where people spent a lot on home improvement than in low-spending ones.

So the next time your neighbors kick up a fuss over your ongoing renovation, or you over theirs, remember the concept of neighborhood effect.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Use our new Home Improvement Guide interactive, which provides buying advice and more for appliances, tools, and building materials for every area of your home.

Buzzword: Earth Energy

What it means. Earth energy is the newfangled name for the time-honored tradition of tapping the earth’s underground energy to heat or cool a building by running various liquids through a network of buried pipes. You’ll often see the term as part of an earth-energy system, or EES.

“Geothermal had always been the name for our earth-energy process, and it was confusing because everyone was expecting to see hot water coming out of the ground,” says Mark Morelli of Santa Rosa, California-based Air Connection, Inc. “Then my company shifted to calling it a ‘GeoExchange’ system, but ‘earth energy’ makes it easier for people to relate to what we do.”

“Earth energy certainly reflects what an EES does, which is to use the heat of the ground to both heat and cool your home,” says Greg Dudley, a sales manager at Earth Energy Technology & Supply in Marietta, Oklahoma.

Why the buzz? As Americans seek alternatives to fossil-fuel-generated energy, interest in renewable energy has grown—Morelli and Dudley report that their businesses have boomed in the past year—as has its profile. Al Gore in mid-July called for Americans to wean themselves of electricity generated by fossil fuels.

Earth-energy systems are one way to decrease our fossil-fuel reliance. In its most-efficient form, an EES takes the form of a ground-source heat pump. Throughout the U.S., the temperature just a few yards below the surface hovers around 55°F. Running groundwater, an antifreeze mixture, or a refrigerant through pipes and into the pump in your home will produce heat for home heating and hot water. Reverse the flow during cooling season, and the system will remove excess heat from your home and cool your indoor spaces. (See the illustration, courtesy of the California Energy Commission, above.)

While EES are not mainstream, people are talking about them. Members of the Consumer Reports HVAC forum, for instance, are discussing earth energy, with posters sharing information and links, like this one to the California Energy Commission’s Web page on geothermal heat pumps.

A typical EES will run two to four times as much to buy and install as a conventional oil- or natural-gas-fired heating-and-cooling system. But given the rising carbon-based fuel prices and the lower annual operating costs for an EES, a system could conceivably pay for itself within a few years in the best-case scenario, according to industry experts. Payback time will vary depending on a number of factors. High costs of electricity and installation (drilling is pricier in rocky soil) and a colder climate will increase how long it takes to break even.

What’s more, petroleum-based polyethylene pipes used in many earth-energy systems are getting more expensive and, and installers are likely to pass on that cost to you. And unlike solar-power systems, earth-energy systems don’t benefit from the wide array of utility rebates and state and federal tax incentives, although the earth-energy industry is lobbying to change that.—Gian Trotta

Essential information: Use the heating and cooling cost calculators on GreenerChoices.org. And look for our special section on saving energy at home in the October 2008 issue of Consumer Reports, on sale and online in September. And watch our video on ceiling fans, right, for some basic energy-saving information this summer.

Buzzword: Alpha Geek

What it means. Alpha, the first letter in the Greek alphabet, has spawned a lot of power-hungry personality types, including alpha males and alpha moms. The latest members of the Order of Top Dogs, alpha geeks, are perhaps not as tough as those other alphas though they do typically have a strong interest in cutting-edge technology.

Alpha geek term first gained traction in office culture as a way to describe the person with the most technological know-how. (You know, the coworker you seek out when you can't figure out how to download pirated files through your company's ironclad firewall.)

Alpha geeks strut their stuff outside the corporate world, too. For example, your Apple-crazed friend who happily waited in line overnight to buy the new iPhone 3G is an alpha geek, as is your cousin who's been LinkedIn since early 2004 and sends out annoying invites to join LinkedIn to you and the rest of your family.

Why the buzz? Electronics aficionados are the most likely to be alpha geeks, but home and garden enthusiasts can be AGs, too. Consider cooking technology. An alpha geek will adore induction cooktops, which continue to impress our engineers and whose prices appliances are dropping.

Alpha geeks are surely joining the steam revolution, a technology that has found its way into many appliances, including dishwashers, washing machines, and even ranges. Steam modes are supposed to improve performance, although our engineers haven't found steam a noticeable improvement.

Outside the home, alpha geeks will probably know the pros and cons of zero-turn-radius mowers, or "ZTRs," as they no doubt call gear like the Cub Cadet shown above. They're also likely enamored of robotic lawn mowers, which are about as high tech as any outdoor power equipment can be. Note that one of the two models we tested was not acceptable.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: See our Kitchen-Planning Guide for the latest on cooking technologies and our Complete Lawn & Yard Guide for what's new for the outdoors.

Buzzword: Radon

What it is. Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that results from the natural decay of uranium in soil and rock. The gas moves up from the ground and can diffuse into the air or enter a home, typically through cracks and holes in the foundation or concrete slab. (Radon can also enter the home through well water and by way of some building materials). The presence of radon in the home can pose a danger to your health, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In fact, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in this country.

Why the buzz? Radon has been in the news recently with reports that some granite countertops can release dangerous levels of radon. This isn't a new claim—it surfaced in the 1990s—and it's fairly controversial. In April 2008, BuildClean, a nonprofit that aims to educate consumers about safe and healthy building materials, made news when it announced that its pilot project would provide free in-home radon testing of 300 homes in Houston to determine whether granite countertops emit harmful levels of radon. It's worth noting that two big makers of quartz countertops, Cambria and Cosentino (which also sells granite counters), are the sole funders of BuildClean. "By its nature, granite emits radon—the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.," said Sara Speer Selber, BuildClean's president, in a press release at the time.

Next, in early May, W.J. Llope, Ph.D., a senior faculty fellow at the T.W. Bonner Nuclear Laboratory at Rice University in Houston, released a report in which he analyzed 18 articles covering 95 granite samples. In "Radiation and Radon from Natural Stone" (PDF download), Llope reported that 92 of the granite samples emitted no or very little radon, though two were in the 3.1-to-3.4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) range, and one registered 4.2. (These measurements assume a hypothetical unventilated room, not a standard home, according to Llope's study.) The EPA estimates that the average indoor radon level is 1.3 pCi/L and suggests that you reduce radon when the level in your home is 4 pCi/L or higher.

Buzzword: Induction

What it means. You’ll see the term “induction” frequently used on maternity wards—“Things aren’t progressing. I think it’s induction time, Mr. and Mrs. Smith”—and in conjunction with sports halls of fame—“Slugger Mark McGwire’s induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame is not a sure thing because of allegations of steroid use.”

Today, induction is getting play in kitchens, too. It refers to a cooking technology that uses electromagnetism instead of a conventional cooking surface powered by gas or electricity. Only the pans heat up on induction cooktops, not the elements themselves. That feature makes these appliances somewhat safer to operate than gas or electric cooktops.

Why the buzz? To be fair, the induction hubbub is still more of a hum—just a small fraction of the 515,000 electric cooktops sold in the United States in 2007 have at least one induction burner. But based on the high performance we’ve seen from these appliances in our test labs, sales of induction cooktops could heat up.

We started testing induction appliances three years ago, realizing that the technology could well be the (electromagnetic) wave of the future. This spring, our engineers wrapped up their evaluations of the latest models, and once again the technology has earned excellent marks. In fact, the Kenmore (Sears) Elite 4280[0] induction cooktop, $1,800, set a new standard in our high-heat test, boiling six liters of water in just 8 minutes. (Electric and gas cooktops on average need about 12 to 16 minutes.) The Viking Professional VCCU105-4B[SS], $2,200, a hybrid unit with two induction elements and two electric radiant elements, needed 11 minutes to reach a boil, yet like all the induction models we reviewed, it excelled at simmering tomato sauce and melting chocolate—two of our typical cooktop tests.

There are some downsides to induction cooktops, price being a primary one. But as with any emerging technology, costs are trending downward. Five of the nine induction cooktops we tested top $2,000 (the priciest is $3,500), while the GE Profile PHP900DM[BB] induction cooktop costs $1,700. Our Best Buy noninduction electric and gas cooktops cost $580 and $650, respectively. (Read about the Diva 365 (shown), one of the first induction ranges on the market.)

Also note that induction elements work only with magnetic pots and pans, like cast-iron or enameled-steel cookware, so you might need to add some cookware to your collection. Finally, we don't yet have reliability data for these appliances, though if you’re an early adapter, the technology might be worth a look.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Read our buying advice for cooktops, and see our Ratings of electric and gas models (available to subscribers). Look for more details on induction cooktops in our annual kitchen-remodeling special, in the August 2008 issue of Consumer Reports, on sale and online in July. If you own an induction model, tell us what you think about it. Use our Home Improvement Guide interactive to take a room-by-room tour of the top-rated appliances and most cost-effective improvements you can make to your home.

Buzzword: Boomerang Children

What it means. Boomerang children refers to the growing number of young adults who have moved back into their parents’ home after time out of the house, say at a four-year stint at college.

Why the buzz? With the latest crop of college grads having gone through the pomp and circumstance of commencement, a new flood of able-bodied college grads has entered the workforce. Or not. With the “r word”—recession—on every economist’s lips and the U.S. unemployment rate ticking upward, job prospects are less than stellar for the class of 2008.

So rather than light out for the big city in pursuit of entry-level positions, affordable digs, and the sort of twenty-something scraping-by that previous generations accepted as a matter of course, many in the millennial generation are bringing it all back home.

Boomeranging has its supporters and its critics. The pro camp views it as a way for parents and children to forge healthy adult relationships. Those against call the trend perilous pampering that curbs motivation and paves the way for generational conflict.

Consumer Reports can’t settle the debate, but we can help keep the peace by guiding boomerang households through a few potentially key purchases, including:

Mattress
Now that the home office or exercise space you planned or even created has to be turned back into a bedroom, you might be in the market for a new mattress. The process can be perplexing, but our mattresses buying guide tells you what you need to know.

Interior Paint
That reconverted room might need a fresh coat of paint, but who knows how long this boomerang will last? Read our latest report on interior paints, which looks at the issue of one-coat coverage for finishes.

Organizers
After four years of dorm living or, worse, fraternity/sorority rules, your boomerang child may not be so handy with a hanger. So read our report on closet organizers, which includes Ratings of different systems and tips for installing them. The same report covers garage organizers, handy if you suddenly find yourself short on storage space.

Computers
A new computer will help a young B.A. get gainfully employed—or at least keep a Facebook page up to snuff. Our colleagues in the Electronics franchise recently put the latest laptops and desktops through their paces. Check out the results in their report.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: The Money page on ConsumerReports.org contains advice on all things financial, including paying for college and planning for retirement—without kids at home.

Buzzword: Life-Cycle Assessment

What it means. If you’re aware of the age-old plastic-versus-paper debate, then you’re at least indirectly familiar with the concept of life-cycle assessment, or LCA. An LCA is a technique used to analyze or compare products, processes, or services to identify ways to minimize human and environmental impacts. (The life-cycle graphic shown is from the Environment Protection Authority of Victoria, Australia.)

Often referred to as a cradle-to-grave approach, an LCA is typically carried out using software to analyze the cumulative environmental impacts from all stages of a product’s life cycle, including raw-material extraction, product transportation and use and, ultimately, its disposal, reuse, or recycling.

Why the buzz? Although the LCA technique dates back to the 1960s, when awareness of energy and natural-resources depletion was starting to grow, the concept is gaining new ground during these increasingly environmentally conscious times. But even so, don’t expect to see life-cycle assessments spelled out on too many products or services.

That’s because much of the work using LCA tools happens behind the scenes, often using confidential data sets and complex calculations to measure and compare things like greenhouse-gas emissions, natural-resource use, and solid- or hazardous-waste generation, Annual reports from companies like Unilever and Procter & Gamble tout the use of LCAs to evaluate and reduce the impacts of the products they make.

Another increasingly common use of LCAs is to measure and certify improvements in the green-building industry. The National Association of Home Builders and the U.S. Green Building Council are beginning to accept the use of LCAs to help determine whether certain building materials qualify for their certification programs. The U.S. Green Building Council expects to begin offering life-cycle credits toward its LEED certification beginning this summer.

The government is also taking an LCA approach to research products, prioritize, and create better environmental policies. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses a “life-cycle perspective” to help identify products with minimal environmental impacts through its Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program.

While LCA tools can offer valuable information, it’s important to note that the results are only as good as the data and analytical models they use, and their results may not be relevant for every situation.

As for that plastic-versus-paper issue? The Sierra Club, a nonprofit environmental organization, points out that the life cycle of each has pros and cons depending on where and how they are made. The better option, says the group, is to use reusable bags instead.—Kristi Wiedemann, Science and Policy Analyst, GreenerChoices.org

Buzzword: Solid-State Lighting

What it means. Solid-state lighting, or SSL, could be the next big thing in residential lighting. SSL refers to a type of bulb—or lamp, in industry parlance—that uses the movement of electrons through a semiconductor material to generate light. The semiconductor is in a solid block form, hence “solid state.”

Because there’s no filament that heats up (and eventually burns out), SSL is up to 50 times more efficient than incandescent bulbs, claim manufacturers. SSL is also said to last as much as 10 times longer than compact fluorescent lighting and contains none of the potentially harmful mercury that has brought CFLs image down to earth and made recycling them a hassle.

Why the buzz? SSL has existed for decades under the name LED, short for light-emitting diode (the semiconductor material involved is a diode). But LEDs are not the only kinds of SSL. For example, laser technology is a form of SSL, and organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs, are on the horizon. As a result, the lighting industry is transitioning toward the more all-inclusive solid-state lighting moniker. “Within the broad category of TVs, you have several options, including LCD, plasma, and OLED. Similarly, solid-state lighting refers to anything that is not a conventional gas-based lighting technology,” says Govi Rao, chief executive officer of Lighting Science Group (LSG), a manufacturer of lighting equipment.

The switch to SSL might also have to do with the marketing of LEDs, which are still leading the way in this technology. For years, LEDs were limited to commercial use, for example in traffic signals and airport signage. The fact that they couldn’t generate pure white light kept them out of the residential market, except as the red indicator lights on electronic devices. But manufacturers are getting closer to a perfect white LED; LSG, for one, just launched a line of replacement LEDs (shown). Unfortunately, no matter how good the technology gets, some consumers will always associate LEDs with Lite-Brite. By giving the lights a different name, manufacturers can in a way reintroduce them to consumers.

Whatever its name, SSL is still years away from wide residential use. But it’s making steady inroads, including for undercabinet lighting. We’re currently testing these task-lighting fixtures for our August 2008 special kitchen section. Five years ago, we wouldn’t have covered SSL, but this year, it’s a theme in the story. Without giving too much away, we’ll just say that the purported efficiency of SSL is pretty solid.—Daniel DiClerico

Buzzword: Staycation

What does it mean? Staycation is a portmanteau that combines “stay” and “vacation” and refers to a holiday that takes place either at or near home. It joins a list of other Buzzwords that are formed by melding two words into one: greenwashing, prosumer, ruralpolitan, and techorate.

Why the buzz? With the U.S. economy sagging and the nationwide average price for unleaded regular gas surging toward $4 per gallon, a pricey destination holiday is beyond the reach of many Americans. Not wanting to experience a summer devoid of well-deserved R&R, many families are trading in their travel plans for a stay-at-home vacation. These staycations take many forms, including backyard camping “expeditions” and romantic “escapes” to a local hotel.

Just like many vacations, staycations require gear, and at-home holidays call for some special accoutrements. Top of the must-have list is a depen