Green Your Home!
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Green Your Home! Posted on Aug 14 2008 at 3:39pm by I thought a discussion on Greening your Home might be a valid way to #1. help everyone at home with some simple steps, and #2. keep OnlyGreen as a thought in your Minds;-)
Here are some Great Tips on Greening your Home. I will Post this week with some overall points and then next week if anyone is interested I will go into more detail.
Save on ELECTRICITY
*Stop window drafts by caulking gaps or adding weather stripping.
*Turn off lights in a room that is not in use.
*Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent light bulbs.
*Keep the fridge door closed as much as possible. Check for air leaks around the fridge door and check the internal temperature of the fridge, then adjust as necessary.
*For every 1 degree C you lower your thermostat, you save 2% on your heating bill. Consider setting your house thermostat at 22 degrees Celsius or lower during the day and 18 degrees C or less at nighttime.
*Turn off the computer when it is not in use or at the end of the day
*Take advantage of window coverings and curtains to save on energy.
Save on WATER
*Stop unnecessarily running water.
*Take a quick shower instead of a bath.
*Have a low flow shower.
*Turn off taps tightly and check that they are not dripping
*Wash in warm water and rinse in cold water.
*Water grass and flower beds early in the morning.
*Install a toilet dam in the water tank of your toilet.
Reduce Fuel Consumption
*Walk, cycle, in-line skate, carpool or take public transit as an alternative to using private motor vehicles.
*Avoid using gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers and pressure washers.
*Avoid using the air conditioner in your car, opening the window can be very effective a lot of the time.
*Plan trips in advance so that errands can be combined.
*Ask friends and family who pick you up for a ride to turn off the vehicle's engine when they are waiting for you.
*Purchase Vehicles that are more fuel efficient like a hybrid!
A step Further
*Plant a tree.
*Compost organic kitchen waste.
*Don't buy disposable items that are used once and then thrown away.
*Recycle everything that you can - newspapers, paper products, plastics, glass and cans.
*Give your dishwasher a rest. Save on both water and energy by washing and drying dishes by hand.
*Take cloth bags or re-use old grocery bags when you go shopping.
*Use a microwave to warm up small amounts of food.
Please add your Ideas to the list and lets have a great discussion
If you are looking for something to do to develop yourself, be independant and make a difference in the in the environment, please either visit my website or give me a call - I want to earn your trust and help you grow!
Thank you,
George Kontos ~ Founder
www.OnlyGreen.com
toll free 1-877-527-8910
gkontos@onlygreen.com
RE: Green Your Home! Posted on Dec 4 2008 at 11:23am by An important point that, I think, should be stressed is the full spirit of "green": Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse. Allow me to illustrate.
On one "green" website, I saw the suggestion that we get rid of vinyl shower curtains because vinyl disposal is harmful to the environmental. But, plainly, to get rid of the vinyl shower curtains would be harmful, so the suggestion contradicts itself. Too many "greeners" think of "consuming more, to consume less".
Many of us have ostensibly "ungreen" possessions we should use up ("reuse") before we buy new goods IF WE NEED THEM ("reduce"), and at that point, dispose of the old goods by "recycling" them.
Speaking out is not ACTivism. Just DO it.