Going Green!
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”
—Native American Proverb
One of the hottest trends in housing is creating a “green” home. Many Greenwich homes are incorporating green designs in new construction and renovation projects. In fact, in two places where Mother Nature has wiped the slate clean, green homes are all the rage. In the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, actor Brad Pitt has Headed the creation and donation of 150 new environmentally friendly houses that will be 75% more energy efficient. In Kansas, after being completely destroyed by a tornado, the ironically named town of Greensburg will be rebuilt as the nation’s first green town.
Green homes save money by lowering energy bills and reducing a home’s impact on the environment. What may be even more important, however, is the pride of ownership involved in owning a green home and the positive effect it has on the community and the world.
If everyone swapped out just one traditional light bulb for a CFL (compace flourescent light bulb) it will reduce carbon emissions by 150 pounds a year (now here’s a diet where I can be successful!)? Doing your part for the enviroment is now as easy as changing a light bulb! Here are a few more easy ideas to implement:
- For every mile you walk, bike or carpool, you will save one pound of carbon dioxide.
- Recycling half of your home’s waste will save 2400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
- Propertly inflated tires improve gas mileage by 3%, and every gallon of gasoline saved prevents 20 poinds of carbon dioxide waste.
- Using less hot water reduces energy consumpiton. Installing a low-flow shower-head and washing your clothes in cold or warm water can save up to 85 pounds of carbon dioxide.
- Adjusting your thermostat by 2 degrees in the winter and summer can save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
- Planting trees reverses the efects of carbon dioxide. A single tree wil absorb 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide in its lifetime.
