Can going green actually save you money? Maybe you are not convinced of that. If so, that would be entirely understandable. Without a doubt, there are a number of consumer items promoted under the “Green Living” rubric that cost more than comparable “non green” items. Evidently, there are enough consumers who are willing to pay a premium for products labeled “green” that marketers can make a good living selling various items this way.
But you don’t have to follow that crowd. In fact, establishing a greener lifestyle can actually save you money if you go about it the right way.
My focus is very much on how consumers can save money as they go green. And it makes sense to create your green lifestyle this way. Cutting back on energy use, conserving water, driving your car less, and buying certain items second-hand are all actions that reduce your consumption of resources. Why should that cost you more?
In fact, it doesn’t. Here are 3 tips for living that greener lifestyle that are guaranteed to save you money.
1) Replace all incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs use only one-quarter of the energy of an incandescent and last up to 10 times longer. It is easy to understand why. Incandescent light bulbs convert only about 3-5% of the energy they consume into light. The rest is dissipated as heat. Incandescent bulbs are essentially little heaters that happen to generate some light. Because CFLs generate less heat, using them will reduce your cooling costs in the summer. Another advantage of CFLs is the following: although the earliest version of CFLs did not work with dimmers switches, the more recent versions will.
2) Buy power strips to switch off electronics when they are not in use.Most people probably do not remember the days when you switched on a television set and then waited 30 to 60 seconds for it to warm up and turn on. Nowadays, we have the instant-on feature, which become so much a part of our modern world but which costs us in so-called “vampire power.” Why? Because in order to deliver the immediate gratification of instant-on, the device (television, radio, computer, etc.) must stay in a constantly warmed-up mode, and it must continually draw a little bit of power to accomplish this. Electronics have become so pervasive that this vampire energy draw is estimated to account for around 10 percent of residential energy use in the United States. By plugging your electronics into a power strip that can be switched on and off, you can cut the power completely, saving all that energy drain. In addition to televisions and VCRs, computers and printers should be switched off at night or whenever you are not using them for an extended period of time.
3) Reduce hot water use by taking showers instead of baths. A bathtub will require 40-70 gallons of water to fill, and all of that water is heated. In contrast, a shower uses about 2 to 3 gallons of water per minute (less if you use a low-flow showerhead). A 7 minute shower, therefore, uses only 14 to 21 gallons of water. You get a double benefit, saving not just on water, but also on the energy required to heat that water.
These three simple steps are guaranteed to make your greener lifestyle cost you less, not more.
Living Green and Saving Money: 3 Green Living Tips That Will Save You Money
Organic pest control – Build your clean, pest free home environment – Society
Singapore Sustainable Environment: Organic pest control – Build your clean, pest free home environment
Using pesticide or chemicals to protect your home is very bad to environment. More and more people are avoiding using chemicals. They can effectively protect their family and home from unwanted pests and the diseases they carry by using organic pest control programs, these organic pest control programs are environment friendly, safe methods, which should be adopted widely.
Organic pest control programs were designed with constant effort to reserve our natural resources on earth, reduce environment pollution and damages. Some pest control companies have introduced organic programs. These Organic pest control programs can reduce harms to the environment by using natural materials that are recyclable and have the least amount of risks to the environment, no matter using or disposing. These natural organic materials ensure the health and safety of human and environment by practicing safe work practices, reducing body exposure, adopting safe technologies, and executing effective emergency aid and preventing programs. People are also trained in any kinds of ways through environment safety training to work smart.
These natural organic products are made with botanical oils from plants. Plant oil was blended to use as active ingredients is recyclable by environment. These methods are also derivative of Chinese Traditional Medicine, the material are from nature, cheap, effective, eco-friendly, biodegradable and help maintain a sustainable environment and healthy nature. Especially, Eco-friendly products have no adverse impact on other creatures like birds or fish and will not contaminate natural resources.Building sustainable environment becomes worldwide priority, organic pest control will utilize pest control methods that are both effective and environment friendly.
Organic materials are environment friendly. We can use Organic Material by referring to Chinese Traditional Medicines. If you want to learn more about sustainable environment projects, please visit: http://sustainable-environment.blogspot.com/
Should People be Forced to Use Public Transportation?
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The catastrophe is already upon us. Most scientific predictions give us less than 50 years, before we will become witness to some of the worst environmental disasters the world over. Even countries like the United States are not going to be immune from them. In fact they could be some of the worst sufferers if ‘Katrina’ and the orange harvest losses over last few years are any indication. Global warming is the direct result of fuel use (or rather misuse), and it is time that we, each one of us, do something substantial to protect ourselves (not others or the world) from the impending doom. Saving fuel and thereby reducing fossil fuel emission is definitely one of the most important strategies that we need to adopt without a second thought.
Countries, which are less privileged than the United States, like Japan, have already undertaken the transition to mass rapid transport. Not only it provides a healthy environment, it also saves time in transit, as public transport is usually faster. In addition it leads people to have more healthier habits like walking and cycling, that are so essential in maintaining health and preventing modern life style diseases like obesity, heart diseases, strokes and diabetes, which are some of the biggest killers in the United States today, and actually account most for its rising healthcare costs. It is hardly surprising then that the Japanese, who spend less than half of their American counterparts on health, live half a decade more than them. Having more public transport will not only improve environment, but also improve health status and reduce healthcare costs, which are one of the most important reasons for making the US industry uncompetitive today.
In economic terms, reducing oil consumption is a necessity that is even more immediate than the health effects. Oil imports are the primary reason of burgeoning trade imbalances of US. Almost half of the US trade deficit that is worth billions of dollars is with oil exporting countries, and it would be very foolish if authorities fail to see the root cause of the trade deficit problem, which is threatening the dollar and the very resilience of US economy.
Lastly, reducing the outflow of petro-dollars is also a strategic necessity if we really want to won the war on terror, because most of the terrorists are directly or indirectly financed by these petro dollars. It will be very naive for the Americans to first pay trillions in buying oil and then spend trillions again in defense to contain the terror that their own dollars bring to them. For the sake of their country as much as for the sake of global peace and the survival of the world, we need to shift en masse to public transport.
Green Living Homes That You Create
In today’s marketplace, Green Living Homes have taken on a different connotation and seem to inspire different emotions as well. In these economic times, it seems that you can’t do Green Living Homes without some sort of a major overhaul of your home , or so it seems. When a new administration enters the White House, somebody or some group seems to think they may have a voice. In America, the Green lovers are of the mindset that the next President will be so for them.
Granted, I am not coming at you from an environmentalist mindset. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. I am of the mindset that a lot of the Green thinking borders on the “Guilt” aspect that characterizes you as bad if you aren’t Green for some reason.
Quite honestly, the Green movement can be a bit radical in its propagation of their overall message and, from a design standpoint, the lens that I often gage things, the materials have not been there to justify a Green Living Home. That has begun to change with some great new design materials that has started to spark the interest of the design community, and, more importantly, become more reasonable from a price standpoint.
Now, here are some things you can do to be more Green just by making changes in the things you do everyday and in future design changes that you may be making in your home.
First, if you are about to do an Interior Design change, look at your electrical systems. There can be a tremendous waste in your electrical output systems. Even if you are not doing Interior Design changes , walk around your home and see it there are ways you can reduce some of you electrical waste. If you just did some minor changes in the way you used your electricity by making sure appliances are turned off when not in use, etc, you could probably realize a 6% to 20 % difference in you bill each month a recent study showed.
From a Design standpoint, it goes without saying to spend the extra money for the energy efficient appliances. An option that is not as difficult to do these days, but still needs to be thoughtfully considered.
There are some simple changes from a lighting standpoint by changing out some of the bulbs that are claiming to be more efficient. I am not talking about going crazy and just start changing them out, but when you need to make a change, do so then.
Also look at you filters in heating and air conditioning units. My Dad was a heating and air guy for years and was always shocked as to how people just wouldn’t take the time to change the filters which would cause countless dollars in repair bills yearly. There are some pretty decent filtration systems, but are still a little pricey compared to regular ole filters.
Finally, from a Kitchen Design standpoint, Bamboo and cork flooring should be considered in Interior Design, as they are dynamic looking. Kitchen cabinets can also be redone with similar alternatives to wood which can like just like exotic woods.
There are some great looking Metal and Stone alternatives which are also good for Kitchen counters and cabinets and a great product, IceStone, one brand of recycled glass used to create countertops for kitchens and bathrooms that generally ranges between $100 and $150 a square foot.
The point is that there is finally coming into the market place a great plethora of products that are Green focused to design and live in your Green house. With the changes you can make from a Design standpoint and just the changes you do by walking around the house, you can be Green. Just don’t let it be out of guilt.
It’s kind of like when I used to eat Twinkies that I loved so much and said that sooner or later there would be a low-fat version, and I was right.
Its the same with going Green. They’ll catch up.
How Developing Countries Are Adapting or Preparing to Adapt to The Impacts of Global Climate Change
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Ironically, the worst culprits of global climate change are the larger countries, while the worst affected are the smallest ones who hardly have a say in determining their own fate!
While the world fights and fumes over the question of sharing responsibility and cost, and while the politicians display their usual grit in creating noise and blocking action, there are several initiatives being taken by the people, within and outside the governments in developing countries that try to improve things.
Ongoing Efforts by Large Developing Countries to Prevent Emissions
The larger countries contribute the maximum to the climate change, but they also have the best opportunities to prevent it. Many of them have taken initiatives to slow down green house gas emissions. Brazil has successfully developed a bio-fuel economy that has replaced gas with ethanol to a large extent. China, the greatest offender in terms of emission has been the first to introduce the concept of ‘green GDP.’
While the GDP of China grew by around four times during the last two decades, its energy consumption has only doubled, thanks mainly to increasing energy efficiency. The concept of ‘Green GDP’ prevents its overzealous regional governments from sacrificing environment for the sake of economy. In India, some of the best results have come as a result of pro-active judiciary, which, with an iron hand, has enforced energy efficiency standards for vehicles in large cities and single-handedly enforced better technology that prevents carbon emissions. India has also made great strides in developing wind as a major source of renewable energy. Mexico, the first oil producing country to accept Kyoto Protocol, has shifted to natural gas as a cleaner energy. All these initiatives are helping but a lot more needs to be done.
Preparations by Small Countries to Deal with Impending Impact of Climate Change
It is the smaller countries, typically with large coastal territories, and islands, that face the brunt of climate change, in the form of more frequent cyclones, heavy rainfalls and floods, submergence of their territories in rising sea water levels, and destruction of crops leading to famines and food shortages.
Even though we are far from prepared as yet, but thankfully, several beginnings have been made to make people and communities prepared for situations they are likely to face sooner or later. The major initiatives include soil conservation, crop rotation and diversification with introduction of new saline tolerant crops, overall better water management including water harvesting, agro-forestry and coastal zone management including coral monitoring and restoration and vegetation buffers.
The most important step in improving the preparedness of people in these countries consists of improved forecasting about extreme events, and improved communication systems to spread warning about impending events along with suggested remedial actions among the communities to mitigate loss of life during major natural disasters.
Examples of Preparations made by Small Countries
Kiribati, spread over 33 low lying atolls in the Pacific Ocean, is perhaps the most vulnerable country from impacts of climate change. However, it is also the place where a lot of planning and preparedness has been made, including protection and management of mangroves and coral reefs, improving capacity building of people and integrating climate change impact into economic planning.
In Jamaica, concrete blocks are now placed over zinc roofs to prevent them from blowing during hurricanes, while in Philippines, emphasis is placed on building typhoon resistant housing that can withstand strong winds. In Peru, the ancient irrigation and drainage practice of “waru-waru” or raised field irrigation has been re-adopted, while in Bolivia, small dams or “qhutanas” are constructed to store rainwater and manage water-cycle.
Some of the initiatives are both innovative and very interesting. The “Zai technique” adopted by farmers in Burkina Faso is one such example, in which the farmers dig pits in the soil and fill it with organic material and add some animal matter in the rainy season, which attracts termites, and result in termite tunnels that can store substantial amount of water during the rains.
The Larger Questions
The human community continues to try and avert the worst ever environmental disaster it is faced with today. The adaptation and prevention will need to intensify and grow, but there are some questions which we must ask ourselves, preferably right now.
Is the luxury of modern lifestyle, with all its energy guzzling and emission spreading gadgets and facilities, worth placing the fruits of thousands of years of civilization in danger of extinction?
Are we not contributing to our own death along with the death of all unborn generations, by failing to understand the gravity of the situation and not being able to act in time ?
Or, is this whole prophecy just a blown up hype ?
If it is not just a hype, then people like you and me, sitting right now in our air-conditioned homes, and consuming loads of energy to make our life just fractionally more comfortable, need to do some serious introspection …. before it is too late!
References:1. Chandler, W et al; Climate change mitigation in developing countries; Pew Center on global climate change, 2002.2. United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change; Climate change: Impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptation in developing countries; 2007.
Eco Friendly Cleaning Products
Eco friendly cleaning products should not pollute the environment in any way and also help keep your home clean as a whistle. Our homes are overloaded with toxic chemicals. There are many more then we would like to believe. So why add more to our home when there are perfectly good eco friendly cleaning supplies that have proven to be as effective as any commercial, toxin based products? For one I think it’s just easier to buy them off the shelves. They are also more convenient and a lot of times we don’t have time to make our own.
Eco friendly cleaning products can be found if you do the research and they also can be “homemade”. You can’t make from scratch baking soda but you understand what I mean. Making your own natural supplies takes no more effort then shopping for the name brands at the store. We don’t need a specific cleaner for every item of our house and for every different type of surface.
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Eco Friendly Cleaning – Less is More
Whether you use harsh conventional cleaning products or all natural Eco cleaners one way to make more cleaning Eco friendly is to use less of any product. In these frugal times actually reducing the amount of bought product we use makes sense and it will help the planet too. Eco Friendly Fashions
Keeping the demand of the hour in mind, the apparel industry is also leaning towards manufacturing the environmentally sound clothing with the goal of gaining more exposure and a wider acceptance. You could say they are trying to create a frenzy around “green ” fashion among the masses. How to Find Green Car Cleaning Products
Green is all the rage today. Advertisers are telling us about their green products. Local and federal governments are pushing for greener technologies and clean energy. Organic food choices are becoming more readily available and more cost-effective. You name it, if it can be greened, it is being greened. Eco Friendly Cleaning
Housework it seems is never done and often it is all too easy to resort to harsh chemicals and energy guzzling appliances to get our chores done. These shortcuts can save us bags of time but quite often they have a negative effect on the environment.If you have white vinegar, baking soda, regular liquid soap, lemon juice and peels, cornstarch, borax, and washing soad you can clean 99% of your home already.
Think of the time and money saved if you use these simple products instead of buying commercial products all the time for all the different surfaces in your home. Money is tight all around and high priced cleaning products are unnecessary to clean your home. Eco friendly cleaning products should be on your shopping list next time you go to the store.
WHY ECO-FRIENDLY FURNITURE IS AN OPTION WORTH CONSIDERING?
Well, what do you understand when you hear the word “Eco-friendly” for the first time? No doubt, the image that comes to the mind is of something that does not have any negative impact on the environment. The disastrous after effects of modern day evils like pollution, deforestation and overpopulation are augmenting grave concerns about environment. It is high time that we realize the need to save our planet. In such a situation, Eco-friendly furniture is the ideal choice as your perfect home furniture and that too in an Eco-friendly ambiance. You might be surprised to know that all this can be easily done without changing your lifestyle.
All of us acknowledge that furniture is the basic necessity of any house. Therefore, it is extremely important to plan your furniture carefully since it is an indicator of your personal style.
Environment-friendly furniture is no doubt one-of-its-kind furniture.
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The furniture at your home or office plays a vital part in making that particular space the elegant and superb. Before going into depth about wood furniture, we should definitely rule out the possibility of buying furniture that fabricate out anything else but wood. You may also use custom made wood furnitures at your home or office which is known as a versatile companion to any decor. Eco-Friendly Digital Photography
In the past few years, there has been an explosion of amateur, digital photographers snapping pictures of family, friends, the environment and more. With this deluge of photos, there has been concerns raised about keeping the environment in the best shape possible. What this means is that with the increase sales, digital cameras could possibly hurt the environment if people aren’t careful. Eco-friendly toys: A Lifetime Christmas Gift
CHRISTMAS is just around the corner and all of us are in a hunt for a special and unique gift for our darling dotes. A gift surely plays an important role in imparting feelings for one another. Though, one can come across a number of choices but gifting an eco-friendly toy would be the healthiest option. An eco-friendly product poses minimum threat to our environment and to our loved ones too. So, giving an eco-friendly product as a gift means a healthy and a beautiful life! A large variety of s Reasons To Change To Eco Friendly Furnit
Apart from the truth that Eco friendly furniture and residential merchandise similar to Ecologically friendly contemporary clocks protect our surroundings, there’re some other explanations why it’s best to think about buying such products. The merchandise are superior for well being, cost efficient, and are available a big diversity.Therefore, you can choose this furniture over many other types. Moreover, the available variety ranges from Eco-friendly desks, chairs, cabinets, space dividers and other furniture types. The environment-friendly furniture is present in different varieties made from harvested and recycled wood, non-toxic as well as bio-based materials that cause less pollution as compared to the regular furniture. In addition, several varieties of biodegradable furniture are economically priced as well as fashionable. Depending on your requirements, you can select products that are well suited to the interiors of your house.
Biodegradable furniture is made from natural resources. Moreover, the furniture is processed in such a manner that the final product maintains the essence of nature. In addition, the use of harmful chemicals is also avoided. The most harmful aspect of the normal home furniture is the use of toxic substances that offers protection against insects and help them last a longtime. The toxic materials break down slowly and amalgamate with the air in the environment. As a result, the air also becomes toxic. Environment-friendly furniture avoids the use of such substances but still lasts longer, is safe and durable.
There are many benefits of using Eco-friendly furniture. The use of biodegradable furniture reduces the carbon footprint. Above all, it is a sincere effort to save the atmosphere and reduce environmental waste.
Eco Kitchen – eco friendly appliances
The kitchen is a very busy part of the home, especially at this time of year with all the dinners that need to be prepared, not to mention the clothes washing and other chores that can only be done in the kitchen.
There is a multitude of appliances and tools in the average kitchen that can make daily household tasks a lot easier, but not all of them work efficiently, which means that the kitchen can be one of the most energy wasteful areas of the home.
The kettle, is a good example. Many of us may turn out kettles on four or five times an evening, often boiling far more water than is necessary. All the extra power required to boil this unnecessary water is being wasted. And while this does not amount to very much, the accumulative effect of millions of kettles being over-filled produces tonnes of extra CO2 into the atmosphere each year.
An eco kettle gets over these problems by only boiling the required water.
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Housework it seems is never done and often it is all too easy to resort to harsh chemicals and energy guzzling appliances to get our chores done. These shortcuts can save us bags of time but quite often they have a negative effect on the environment. Eco Friendly Vehicles From Tesla Motors
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Eco Friendly Furniture A Natural and Beautiful Choice
Shopping for home furnishings today is very different than it was centuries ago. In Europe in the 1700s, furniture was made primarily in family-owned shops. Everyone bought furniture from the same shop, because that was the only place in town to buy it. As immigrants came over to the U.S. from Europe and started to colonize, family carpentry shops once again reigned. In the 1800s, many people packed their worldly belongings into a covered wagon and trekked across the country to find a new place to settle. Once the homestead was located, these hardy pioneers set about building their houses and furniture from whatever supplies they could find: primarily mud and sticks. While this certainly led to innovative designs and carpentry methods, it was a lot of hard work.
Thank goodness times have changed. Many furniture companies today realize that they can play a part in managing our natural resources by adding eco-friendly (also called
Eco Friendly Wood Furniture
Bringing the natural world inside is possible by using the beauty of wood furniture that is eco-friendly. Manage the wood correctly and you will have a wonderful resource that will live on throughout generations in your family. As well, the world’s forests are met if fifteen percent of the earth’s forests can be managed correctly.
There are some environmental considerations to keep in mind, when looking for wood furniture such as, environmental problems, and solutions. The United States leads the way for wood consumption. The World Wildlife Fund states that close to half of the world’s original forests have already been cut down. With forty million acres, this adds to more loss each year.
With that information, there are ways to make sure you have eco-friendly furniture. To insure that the furniture you have does not contribute to deforestation, look for the wood the Forest Stewardship Council, known as FSC, certifies that.
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Eco-Friendly patio furniture comes in many shapes, sizes and materials. Plastic patio furniture can be one of the most eco-friendly furniture around. Learn the different ways plastic patio furniture is made. The next time you are shopping you know what to look for. How to Find Eco-Friendly Furniture
With so much emphasis on going green and preserving the earth’s natural resources, everyone is trying to do their part. Did you know that there is even furniture that is considered eco-friendly? Eco-Friendly Engineered Wood Flooring – A Revolution
Engineered wood flooring is a new and innovative product that combines beautiful wood flooring with eco friendly ethics. If you, like so many others, are concerned about climate change yet feel that a wonderful home is equally important then you won’t have to compromise when it comes to engineered wood flooring. Not only will you feel that you are doing your bit for the environment but you will also be able to choose from a multitude of colours, designs and finishes too.This is a non-profit organization whose beliefs cover environmental, social, and they have requirements to the specific needs of each regional ecosystem. This eco-friendly wood is stamped with a FSC logo. When you see this logo, you know that the eco-friendly wood furniture is sustainable. Meaning it did not take away from the regions in need for the wood.
Another option is finding wood that is from demolition landfills, or even underwater. By recycling this wood, you have kept the forests standing, and you give a second life to some wood that has served a previous function. This does not require any new wood and may even free up the space in the landfills. Smart Wood Rediscovered is a company that certifies the wood is recycled and is not harming any forests.
Sweetgum, madrone, and California oak are readily available, without knowledge of this wood.
If you use these types, they are equal to even better than some of the most popular wood. This wood is known as secondary species, because they are harvested more. Therefore, the other species, such as mahogany, can continue to regenerate naturally. Buying these products with the secondary species, takes a lot of pressure from the overused wood, and the diverse forest wood.
Eco-friendly furniture offers beautiful home furnishing. The eco-friendly wood is longstanding, and used for years to come. Most people will own some type of wood furniture, rather in their home or in their offices at any given time. Now that you know the right wood to look for to use for the eco-friendly furniture, now it is time to care for this wood correctly.
Wood furniture needs to be cared for and treated. This will help to lengthen the life of your furniture. Wood cleaners and polishers sold on the market today are full of chemicals. This is not good for the wood. Once you did all your research on getting the eco-friendly wood, and which wood is the best, you certainly do not want hazardous cleaning agents in your home or on your wood furniture.
Any woodworker asked on what to use on the new eco-friendly wood furniture. All that they can tell you is that you need to care for the wood. Cleaning and caring for it will help your furniture to look great for years ahead. Wood furniture loves moisture, but this does not mean it is a good idea to clean the wood with water. Through the studies, the best way to clean and polish your eco-friendly wood is beeswax, giving the wood a beautiful shine.