Archive for the ‘Green Homes’ Category

When the price of gas started going up a few months ago everyone pointed their fingers at the size of our gas guzzling cars. How wasteful they are, the carbon footprints they have, how they contributed to the troubles that the auto industry is experiencing now. While all this is definitely true, does anyone stop and think about the size of the houses we live in and the impact they have on our planet? After all really, how many rooms can we occupy at once?

Since 1940 the average square footage of a house in the US has gone up by 800 square feet, from 1200 sq ft. to 2000 sq ft. That’s and increase of almost 67%. I doubt very seriously that the average number of people in a  household has gone up 67%. In fact the number of people per household has dropped dramatically since 1940. So we have to ask ourselves, is all this space necessary.

Beyond the averages are the no longer rare mega mansions, found almost in every corner of the country. Why anyone would need a 56,000 sq ft home like Candy Spelling, or the 60,000 sq ft mansion sold by Donald Trump for a cool 100mil, or the 66,000 sq ft home owned by Bill Gates is beyond any reasoning that I can find acceptable. But that’s just me.

We seem to like space, to be surrounded by empty rooms that we can walk into anytime we like, but that spend most of the time empty. Maybe it’s a possession thing, or a territorial thing who knows. But the bottom line is that the bigger the space, the bigger the footprint, and the amount of energy that is consumed.

Some Statistics:

• Average Household of 2000 sq ft uses 8900 kw hours of electricity a year.
• Half the energy consumed in a home is for heating and cooling it.
• The typical home is a major source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for over twice as much carbon dioxide (CO2) annually as the average automobile. (ref: HERE)

Maybe we need to reevaluate how we use space, if there is a need for so much of it, and if the space is already there how to share it with others. Back in 1940 the average house was 1200 sq ft and 3-4 people lived in it, in 2003 the average house was 2000 sq ft and 2-3 people lived in it. Not only has our appetite for house space gone up, but also our need for personal space. Not sure what this says about our society, but we have to ask ourselves, are these, luxuries that we can afford to live with or do we need to rethink our needs.

The EPA has a Household Emissions Calculator that you an use to figure out the footprint of your house.

Here are some tips from the EPA that can help you reduce your footprint at home.

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The 2009 Green Log  Awards were created to put the spotlight on innovative green building solutions. The voting has started and will take place from April 16 to May 11.

Please take a minute to go and vote for your favorite green building solution.
Go through the following 14 categories and vote for one of the nominees under each category.

Insulation Solutions & Systems
Includes innovations in the product used as insulation as well as the effectiveness of the insulation.

Structural Insulated Panels & Building Systems
Creative and unique alternatives to conventional stick-frame design or to be used in conjunction.

Green Consulting and Design
Companies and individuals who can provide expert knowledge to those trying to build green.

Stains & Finishes
Stains, coatings and paints that are designed to protect your structure while also protecting the environment.

Flooring
Green flooring options made from non-traditional and recycled sources such as glass, bamboo, and cork.

Building Materials
Innovative products which can be used in many areas of your green building project.

HVAC (heating, vents, ac)
Learn how these systems utilize new technologies to provide your home with heat and or cooling while reducing energy consumption.

Home Furnishings
Furnish your home with green furniture made from reclaimed wood or eco-friendly curtains and upholstery.

Countertops & Surfaces
Creative enviro-friendly surfaces made from recyclables and renewable material.

Renewable Energy Solutions
Generating and conserving power from the elements; sun, water, air.

Water Conservation & Systems
Systems and products designed to help us monitor and control our water usage.

Lighting Solutions
Innovative ways to bring light into your home while saving energy or utilizing recycled materials.

Product Review Websites
Websites that display or review potential green building products and solutions.

Green Building Informational Websites
Sites and Blogs dedicated to providing specific green building information.

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Here are some great tips to greening your home and saving money at the same time… Green a home, by using drinking water filters instead of bottled water, shower filters and bath balls to reduce water consumption and chlorine intake, furnace filters, green cleaning products, organic sheets to reduce allergens. All for under $250 dollars.

bibi

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Finally we are getting some rain. Oh, I know some parts of the country are getting way more than they need but for those of us in parts of the country where rain is scarce, we welcome every drop.

It’s time to think about how to capture this precious water any way we can, so that we can reuse it and disperse it in our gardens when the rain is not so forthcoming. The best way to do this I found is to use a Rain Barrel. I found this really attractive one over at the Garden Supermart, it has a Crown Planter that allows you to put a plant on top for a more attractive look than an average planter, it comes in two versions a 50 gal one and a 65 gallon one, with a spigot at the bottom, a connector with shut-off valve and a 6′ garden hose. Many more tips on Living Green can be found at the Garden Supermart.

Another way to save water during the rainy season is to have a rain sensor on your sprinkler system. So many times do I see sprinklers going on in the middle of a rain shower, what a waste. If you are not home to monitor when your sprinklers go off, a rain sensor will do that for you, so you don’t have to watch water and money go down the drain.

Collected rain water can not only be used for watering plants but also for washing driveways, cars, walkways, dogs, gardening tools. Use your imagination and I am sure you can come up with many other uses recycling rain water.

gardensupermart.com rain barrel recycling rain water water conservation

bibi

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Next time you think about remodeling any part of your home or maybe even building your new home, Think Green first. Whether you will be putting down a new foundation or changing the Blinds in your home there is always a Green alternative. Here’s a checklist that can help jog your imagination.

• In the Bathrooms, use high performing shower heads which use 1-1.5 gallons per minute/ 60% less than traditional shower heads.
• Thinking of repainting the house? Think No-VOC Paints. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds which are toxic.
• Keep your attic cool by installing a radiant barrier to keep the heat out.
• If you are building new or gutting rooms, remember proper Insulation is key to energy savings.
• Taking into consideration your window coverings is often overlooked, but good Blinds or room darkening curtains can help keep the heat out and keep you cooling bills down.
• Remodeling the kitchen? How about a recycling center in the kitchen making it easy and a good habit for everyone to learn. These can usually be installed right in the cabinets. And if you want to get fancy there are even Kitchen Composters out there.
• Changing your flooring? Consider engineered wood, especially ones that use recycled materials.
• Redoing the landscape? Think water conservation in your new garden. Use indigenous plants whenever possible, and consider a drip system to compliment your sprinkler system for those areas that don’t need quite that much water. Check out Xeriscaping and also remember to capture and reuse rainwater.
• Consider a Tankless Water Heater. They heat water on demand rather keeping the whole tank of water hot constantly. A lot of savings there.
• Use Solar Energy where you can, even for heating the pool.

Please leave any other suggestions in the comments…Thanks…

energy efficient green building

bibi

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Earth Saving Tips from

Believe it or not!

According to a two-year study by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), many indoor plants absorb air pollutants through their leaves and roots and convert them into breathable air.
Within 24 hours, some plants can remove up to 87 percent of toxic indoor air.

Depending on the species, one plant can provide effective cleaning for every 100 square feet of space. For example, between 15 and 20 golden pothos and spider plants can refresh the air in an average 1,800 square-foot home.

Plants work equally well in homes, offices, and factories, as long as their requirements for sunlight, water, and soil are met.

 

 

clean indoor air pollutants stale air toxins

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• Improve your soil. Find a local nursery and take them a sample of your soil. They can test it and tell you what you need to improve it.

• Let the good bugs do their work. Beneficial Insects

• Choose the right plants. Choose types that are resistant to disease and pests and are not water hogs. Also choose many different types of plants, makes you less vulnerable to diseases.

• Don’t jump for the chemicals at the first sign of bugs. Most bugs are beneficial in the garden. Try knocking the bugs off with a spray of water, or cutting off the diseases area of the plant.

• Avoid using pesticides, they end up killing more than you intend.

• Choose Native plants, they are already adapted to your environment and will require less time and effort from you.

• Weeds Happen! Get used to it. Try ground covers you can step on or crowding them out by spacing planting s closer together.

• Fertilize Naturally. Composting

• Water Smartly.

  • Water less frequently but for longer periods of time. This will give your garden a deeper watering and promote deeper roots.
  • Water between 5 am and 10 am, so that water is less wasted through evaporation, and leaves have time to dry out.

• Use Mulch. It crowds out the weeds, saves water and feeds the soil.

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Welcome to our Green Site. Hopefully we can share our ideas and motivate each other to make a difference in this world.

We can begin by sharing our favorite sites, articles and blogs on how to take small steps towards making

Green Living the norm.

 

bibi

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