Up the Green Factor through Home Renovations

Going green is in right now; and by all signs, it’s going to be a hot topic for quite some time now. If you have been bitten by the green bug and are ready to do your part for the environment, then we are here to provide you with a few ways to do this with home renovations. Green renovations are a win-win situation for everyone; you save energy in your home which means you save the money in your pocket. Going green also makes your home more earth and family friendly. These renovations are small enough to not turn your life upside down to accomplish, but the effects are wonderful.

You can start with installing a radiant barrier in your attic area. While this sounds high tech and expensive, it is really just a large piece of tin foil that reflects the heat of the sun away from your home. This will keep your home cooler and let your air conditioner run a little less. If you want a green renovation for the winter, you can check out the solar heating options that are on the market. There are two common types of solar heating systems; the water heating system or the solar panel system. Both of these work in a similar manner by taking the heat that the sun produces and storing it as energy for use in heating your home. If you live in a mild climate, this green renovation may take you from a monthly heating and cooling bill to none at all. Definitely worth thinking about. The water use in your house may be another renovation you can make to green-ify your home. Install a high-performance shower head in your bathrooms. These heads can reduce your water usage by up to 60%.

Another green renovation that anyone can do is locating your local recycler and using them. The only investment will be a few extra plastic trash bins to separate the recyclable waste in your kitchen.  Before long, sorting your trash before you throw it away will be automatic. Once your bags are full, make a trip to recycle center and drop them off. Some recyclers even offer money for your plastics or aluminum cans so you might even make something from your trash while you are helping the earth.

When you are shopping, get in a green mindset and see if you can buy products that are made from recycled materials. Many of your home improvement products are even manufactured with recycled material. Swap out your energy sucking light bulbs for some fluorescent bulbs that use a lot less energy. There are little things we all can do to be more green in our everyday life. A few green home renovations may be a great place to start.

Casting Your Vote Dollar for Organics

Most of us think of our voting rights and responsibilities begin and end at the voting polls in government elections. But did you ever consider the voting power of the dollars that you earn? In a government structure that is controlled in so many ways by consumerism, then the ultimate control of that comes from the citizens and their dollar votes. Each time we spend a dollar or more of our money we are in essence, voting for products or a whole way of life. Now you may be wondering how this ties in to organic products and services. There are ethics involved in your purchase of organic products, and your dollars work as votes for those set of ethics.

So maybe you still aren’t really sure how ethics, dollars, votes and organics go together. Lets start with an explanation of how your dollars equal votes. When you make your everyday purchases, big or small, you are essentially supporting the companies whose products your are purchasing. As you spend your dollars you are voting “yes” in support of that companies work and trade policies. If you spend your dollars with companies that support fair wages and work against sweat shops and child labor, then you are giving your vote of approval for that companies’ policies. In the same way, if you are spending your dollars with companies who do not care about the environment or fair labor laws, then you are giving your stamp of approval (your dollar vote) to this company.  This is the reverse of a boycott.

Now, how does this tie in to organics? Well, when you purchase products that are non-organic, you are voting for the companies’ policy of potentially environmentally unfriendly pesticides and fertilizers. You are also voting for the genetic modification that is going on with these mass producers. When you purchase organic foods and products you are casting a vote for the ethics of organic living. Products that are earth and family friendly. Which side would you cast your dollar vote on?

Within the organic and green movement there is some dissension about going organic or locally grown. Not all of your local farmer’s market participants are organic, but everything is generally locally grown by local farmers.  Buying locally has proven to have the lowest impact on our environment. Trucks weren’t needed to transport the produce across the country. You are also supporting the economy in your area. Others would argue that when you buy local that is non-organic, you are essentially letting the local farmers keep doing things the way they have, instead of encouraging them, with your dollar vote, to seek a more earth friendly way of farming. Each of us has the right to cast our dollar votes as we wish. It is a proven fact that organics are better for our health, our farmers and our local communities. When you vote organic you are effecting positive change in many ways.  The voting power is yours; use as you see fit.

The True Impact of Green Living

In this world of companies that are more concerned with their bottom dollar and less concerned about the people they are serving, it can feel overwhelming to consider our power to change this situation. In a world full of sweat shops, genetically modified foods, animal testing and a scary environment that is only getting worse the more we ignore it; it is understandable that we would feel like there is nothing we can do as individuals. But, if we make the choice for a greener style of living, then we can effect a change in our communities and then impact the world. Green living is simply buying and supporting those companies and individuals that promote a healthy body and a healthy planet. By doing this, these companies and individuals are promoting an ethical way of life, which is essentially what green living is about.

So how does this work? It is really quite simple. Every one of us must make purchases, most of us on a daily level. Choose the products you buy based on the companies ethical standards. Do they use animal testing or exploit their workers? Are they environmentally conscious and responsible? If everyone who is concerned about these things would make green choices, then these companies would see a loss in profits and then they would have to make changes to woo their consumers back.  For companies to take notice they have to feel how serious we, as consumers, are about being green.

Green living follows the basic law of taking only what you need but leaving enough so that there will always be more. This is sustainable living at every level. To encourage this in your own community, as well as your own life, consider these green changes to your way of living.

Buy only organic and locally produced produce. Not only will you be supporting local farmers trying to do a good thing, but your family will be healthier. Eat a more well balanced diet that is lower or free from meat.  Find a group of local individuals or families who feel the same way you do and support each other in your green quest. Find ways to use less energy at home and on the job. Turn off your computer at night instead of just putting it to sleep.  Shop thrift stores and look for organic clothing. Consider walking or biking instead of burning fuel in your car when you don’t have far to go. Stay in to eat more often; you’ll be healthier and so will your wallet.  Green living is attainable and will make its mark on our communities and effect change.

Green Home Remodeling Tips

Green home remodeling requires a lot of forethought and care, but if you take the time to find out which contractors, new products and procedures make it possible to rebuild green, then the hard work is done. There are so many factors to green remodeling to think about, including the sustainability of the products and materials that you use, how you deal with the waste, the disruption of the environment, and that the new building is energy efficient. In remodeling, it is important to give each of these issues as much time and consideration as the last because of the impact each has on the other.

If you can purchase and hire locally, this would be the most ideal and beneficial, not only for the environment but for the local economy as well. Materials that are sustainable and can help to conserve energy in the future, but are also local, do not have to be hauled across the country which will ultimately produce in a lot of energy waste. Understandably, this is not always possible, so purchasing from a local vendor that supports green companies would be the next best thing.

No matter what part of your home you are rebuilding, there are green ways to redo it. In kitchens, shop for sustainable and natural countertops, flooring and windows. Bedrooms and other living spaces can be redone with green paint, sustainable flooring and lighting. Bathrooms can be made as the model of green remodeling in your home, with a variety of options for everything from faucets, to water controlled shower heads, sinks and toilets, and then there is the flooring and paint like every other room. In the end, it is important to not only consider the products that you are putting in, but how well everything is going to work together to ensure that you will benefit from the work done for years to come.

How to Choose Green Home Appliances

Most people do not realize that the small home appliances that they purchase are energy hogs, especially when compared to the newer large home appliances, such as refrigerators, televisions and dishwashers. With the new energy star ratings that have been put in place for larger home appliances, it is infinitely easier for consumers to determine how green an appliance is. When it comes to smaller appliances though, it become difficult for the average consumer to understand how much energy will be used and if there is a better option out there. There are several things that you can look for though in order to choose the best products for your home.

The first indicator of how much energy a product consumes is the wattage it requires in order to function, which every appliance should have somewhere on the package or on the appliance itself. Wattage will tell you how much energy is necessary to power the appliance and a quick check at which appliances consume more than they should is to quickly scan several of the same appliance on the shelf. When you have the same product, that are the same size and do the same job, but one requires 240 watts, while another requires 120 watts, then there is an obvious distinction.

Once you have brought home your green appliances, or if you already own all the appliances that you can afford, but don’t know how green they are compared to newer products, there are things you can do to keep energy consumption down. Instead of keeping your appliances plugged in when you are not using them, remove them from a power source and keep the cords put away. Even when not in use, when your appliances are plugged in they continue to consume energy. Above all, make sure that you ask questions about the appliances that you are looking at because there is generally someone on staff who is knowledgeable on which products are more energy efficient than others.

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