We live in a new world. Time for paying attention to our natural resources is now. We now have woken to the realization that our planet is not the inexhaustible support program we believed it to be.
Thankfully "going green" does not require severe and costly changes. Making a factor in the worlds natural resources, just takes small decisions made a single step at a time. We can decide to:
Recycle Reuse Restore Reduce
With these four words in mind we have a few of the the majority of wonderful ideas, tips and tips for present. Simple and affordable going green concepts. And, if you choose to implement any or all of the suggestions you can be assured you are adding to the over all health of the world now and toward a more environmentally friendly living environment for our future decades.
1. Going Green by Changing Your own Lights. If every home in the U. S. replaced only one light bulb from the standard incandescent towards the highly energy efficient luminescent bulbs becoming promoted today we would
Save The national average of $600, 000, 000. a year in energy expenses.
Save Enough energy to lighting more than 3, 000, 000 houses for one year.
Save Green house gas equivalent to the emissions given removed from over 800, 000 cars.
Save Significant amounts on your energy costs. My husband spent one day replacing all of the bulbs in our home. Not completely convinced it would make that much of the difference on our bill I backed his efforts more for the preservation aspects (and because he had switched off the TV) rather than the money saving presentation.
Boy was I surprised once the next electric bill came,
it dropped approximately 20%! or regarding 10 cents per
hour!
This modify in bulb has one feature that may take some time getting used to. When you initially turn on the lights - they will appear dingy due to the fact they need to warm-up a bit before they are at maximum - light up the room - efficiency. They also initially cost a bit more however the standard life span far outlasts the essential bulb - from months in order to years.
Another energy saving tip would be to install dimmer switches. Years ago these types of dimmers did not provide any advantage other than creating ambient light within a room. Today they are designed to reduce your electric consumption as well.
2. Going Green by Choosing an Environmentally friendly Floor. If you are planning to replace your own floor with hard wood there are 2 options that are delightfully green, appear beautiful, perform well, and cost less compared to most hard woods. Cork - Cork has come a long way from its first purpose of wine stopping.
It originates from the bark of a tree that could be harvested once every 10 yrs and does no damage to the forest at all. Like sheering a lamb! It's typically sold in tile or even sheet form and is easy to install. Mainly because cork contains millions of air pockets - it is comfortable to stroll on and easier on the foot when standing for long periods of time with the food prep. It is also hypoallergenic, absorbs sounds, plus acts as a thermal insulator which means heat on the feet.
There are fantastic color and grain options available these days so be sure to shop around!
There really are a few drawbacks to consider. Cork needs to be sealed to moisture protect and it is not very resistant to fading or punctures however , it does bounce back well every time a heavy blunt object is decreased on it.
The other floor covering choice is Bamboo - bamboo is certainly more competitive if you need a tougher wood floor. Harder than walnut yet it is made from a fast increasing Asian grass that matures within about 6 years. It can be refinished many times with dye-based stains. Quite eco-friendly.
Bamboo also offers a wonderful selection of color, grain and style. Have a great time looking for the color and grain of the beautiful hard wood option. Did I actually mention it's priced lower than the majority of oak options?
3. Going Green simply by Recycling or Restoring Your Furnishings. Must you buy new home furniture or can you refinish, restore, paint or recycle?
Wonderful design tasks can result from painting, restaining or even reupholstering that piece that is out dated or worn. The most exciting element of recycling furniture is the money ended up saving.
Sandpaper, paint and associated materials are relatively inexpensive. Door pulls, drawer pulls can really change in the look of that tired piece of furniture as well as minimum expense. A picture says one thousand words especially in this case. Go to the web site listed below to see some wonderful examples of these furniture restoring choices.
Design applications usually last regarding 10 years. The neutral : earthy colors we have been seeing so frequently has been around since the late 90's therefore it is on its way out. This year you will start to see bold, bright colors being placed on accent walls, furniture and designs. So , don't be afraid to experiment with colour, fabric textures and brush strategies. This is the year for bold, brilliant and beautiful! Go for it.
Another concept you may want to entertain is a fantastic option to purchase "slightly used" from your local Great Will or Salvation Army. Using a bit of frugal redesign "know how" you can create remarkable results.
4. Going Green by Buying Energy Star Home appliances. Energy Star is the Oughout. S. Governments Environmental Protection Agency and the Oughout. S. Department of Energy Seal of approval program to confirm a products ability to avoid/limit greenhouse gases without sacrificing quality.
When you purchase an Energy Star item you will be assured you have a product that will decrease energy consumption and save you cash when used in your home, guaranteed about the same life span of the appliance.
2007 statistics from energystar. gov reports that will consumers "saved enough energy within 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gasoline emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars - all whilst saving $16, 000, 000, 000. (16 Billion) on their utility bills.
Wow - Good Job! Let's keep up the great work!
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