Greentopia Designs Blog

It's Easy Being Green

Fri, 08 May 2009 23:28:00 GMT

We all love him, but Kermit had it all wrong! Being green is easy. When it comes to being a little more eco-friendly as a family there are some easy things you can do.

Turn it off. The lighting in our homes is about 11 percent of our energybill, and while CFL’s use 75 percent less energy than incandescent it still uses more energy than a light that’s turned off.
Computers, DVD player, cable boxes, game systems, cell phone chargers, and other electronics continue to use power even when turned off, or are not in use, if they are still plugged in.
Use power smart strips which allow you to connect appliances together, so for example, when you turn on (or off) the computer, the scanner, printer, and copier will follow suit.
Electricity isn’t the only thing we need to be mindful of and turn off. How about the water? Brushing teeth, washing hands, shaving, washing or rinsing dishes, washing fruits and vegetables, or running water waiting for the water to get warm are all practices that we do that waste gallons of water each day.
Turn off the water while brushing teeth or shaving, fill a container with water to wash fruits and vegetables or rinse dishes in. Place a container in sink or shower to catch water until it gets warm –then use water to water plants.
Change the packaging. Did you know that an average elementary school generates more than 18,000 pounds of lunch waste in a year? Pack lunches in reusable containers.
Kick the plastic habit. Reach for a glass for water when at home, instead of a water bottle out of the refrigerator, and fill a reusable container to take with you when you are not at home.

Earth Day 2009

Fri, 08 May 2009 23:26:00 GMT

earth day 2009

Did you know that Earth Day has been celebrated annually on April 22^nd since 1970? What began as a national observance has spread throughout the world with over 175 countries now participating in the event. In honor of Earth Day, here’s a look at some of our environmental challenges today and some ways we can help make a difference.

Did you know that 25 million trees would be saved if Americans would recycle just ten percent of their newspapers?

Each year 1 million sea birds are killed as a result of eating or being strangled by plastic.

84 percent of household waste can be recycled – food scraps, yard waste, paper, cardboard, cans, and bottles.

Every hour Americans throw 2.5 million plastic beverage bottles away.

2 billion gallons of gasoline would be saved in a year if all cars in the United States had properly inflated tires.

A leaky faucet that drips one drip per second can waste 3,000 gallons of water in one year.

If Americans would turn their heat down by just two degrees we could save 500,000 barrels of oil each day.

Do you know what one thing separates a habit from a lifestyle?

Fri, 08 May 2009 23:35:00 GMT

Just a little practice! Recycling has taken root in many areas of the country and now
other trends are beginning to grow and take root as well. New trends in living green
were written about in recent article by Kit Selzer in Better Homes and Gardens.
The first trend is one most of us are familiar with-curbside recycling. The next
phase growing across the country is single-stream recycling. Our community
has been doing this for the past few years and it has made it so easy to recycle
that it has increased the volume of participation. Single-stream recycling makes
it possible to combine all approved paper, glass, and metal into one recycling
container. Show your children a fun animated video of how these items are
automatically separated at recyclebank.com. This process has been so successful
in saving cities money and increasing participation in recycling that the newest
trend on the horizon is curbside composting.

The second trend making its way into the green vocabulary is upcycling. What is
it you ask? Upcycling is a way of giving discarded items a new life by using them
in a different way without breaking them down. Terra Cycle (terracycle.net) is a
company that actually wants your old plastic shopping bags, chip and cookie
wrappers, and drink pouches. Using these items they create purses, backpacks,
and tote bags.

The third trend is reduced packaging, which has become a hot topic.
Not only does it save the manufacturers money, it is environmentally friendly,
and easier for consumers. Retailers have begun to work with manufacturers
hoping to reduce waste and recent federal legislation has been introduced
which will also help reduce the amount of packaging consumers must deal with.

The fourth trend should be at the top all home improvement lists – energy upgrades.
As you have paid your recent utility bills you are probably looking for some energy-
saving options. Upgrading insulation, water heaters, or heating and cooling systems
might not be as exciting as remodeled kitchens and outdoor living spaces, but the
reduced energy costs and increased physical comfort will make you happy you did.
Federal tax credits for 2009 allow for 30 percent of the cost of qualified systems and
are available until 2016.

How much more would you pay for an energy-efficient home?

Fri, 08 May 2009 23:40:00 GMT

In a recent survey taken by the National Association of Home Builders homeowners said that they would be willing to pay an additional $6,000 more for an energy-efficient home that would save them at least $1000 annually in energy costs.. It appears that home buyers in 2009 are looking for eco-friendly options.

With a little effort we can make a big impact with our existing homes. The first thing to do is a home energy assessment and follow through on as many recommendations suggested for saving water, electricity, and natural gas as possible.

The next important thing to do is to test your home for dangerous pollutants. Unless your home has been tested in the last two years these tests should be done to make your home eco-friendly. Testing for lead and other pollutants in your water, and radon in the air are especially important to do if you have children. It is unlikely you would have one of these problems, but it is of great importance to find out and take action if needed. Every home should also install a carbon monoxide detector.

Given our current economic challenges taking steps to improve our homes by making them more energy efficient and eco-friendly is a pro-active step we all can take and save a lot of money in the process!