The good news is that you do not even need to go far to look for these eco-friendly ways. Just go out into your backyard, look at your garden and the answer will come leaping right at you – compost! That is, if you have not adopted the methods of compost gardening yet.

As can be expected, there are many benefits to be had from making compost as your family’s next eco-friendly project. It will definitely make for a good time in terms of bonding with your children and educating them on eco-friendly issues in a more relaxed setting.

For one thing, you need not spend money on artificial fertilizers and pesticides as compost itself acts in these manners, one more than the other. Your household waste from your vegetable and fruit peelings to your own human waste – yes, we are talking about your poop – can be transformed into nutrient-rich compost.

For another thing, you are doing yourself and Mother Nature a favor by using compost in your garden. Your plants will not be exposed to chemical fertilizers and, hence, become organic produce. We all know by now the benefits of organic food.

Your soil, too, will benefit in the sense that its nutrient composition, resistance to pests, droughts and diseases as well as structure improves to significant degrees. Plus, there is also the fact that compost can hold as much as six times its own weight on water, which means that there is lesser need for irrigation.

So, how does one start making compost as a family project? Well, you have to make it a conscious decision amongst all the family members that composting will become a family activity from now on. In this way, everybody will make the conscious effort to segregate their wastes into ready-for-the-compost and ready-for-the-recycling-bin.

It will help your cause if you have already researched into the steps, tips and guidelines for making compost. Generally speaking, you should not place dairy products and meat of any kind into the rotting compost as these items will attract pests like flies and rodents.

Instead, newspaper print paper, wood shavings and plant clippings, fruit and vegetable peelings are the best materials to start on your compost heap. You may purchase a compost bin for the purpose although it is also advisable to make your own compost heap out of scrap materials like wood and chicken wire.

You must also educate yourself about the things like turning time, temperature and other matters related to making good compost. And if you do, you will always have a source of fertilizers and mulch for your garden without spending money on them. Think of it as saving the planet while saving your pocket.

Indeed, compost may seem yucky to your kids. It is up to you to educate them about the black gold that Mother Nature is giving us with to nourish ourselves and protect our planet from further harm.

Large companies and corporations often set standards in society. When they start making changes they can influence individuals to change, too. This is true too of the government. When the government starts making changes, people take notice. They are more likely to make those same changes in their own home.

Changes on the Federal Level

One move that the federal government is making is a switch to federal buildings that are more environmentally friendly. Kevin Kampschroer, from the General Services Administration, is the person who is leading this change. He is hoping to help the environment and also those people who work in the federal buildings.

Kampschroer is the director for the Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings. This division of the General Services Administration is newly formed and aimed at helping Kampschroer with his green buildings mission. In 2007 Congress passed requirements for sustainable design and energy reduction for buildings. With the General Services Administration being the largest public real estate agency, it is Kampschroer’s mission to get them compliant with the regulations and to set an example for other real estate owners.

What Is Being Done

Through this new office many changes are being made. There is a project to transform the GSA’s headquarters into an environmentally friendly building. This building was built in 1918 and the renovations will be major to get it up to green standards.

The building will have extensive changes made to it. This includes an atrium that is lit with all natural light. There will also be a system installed to produce renewable energy right on site. To help reduce water consumption there will be a rain water collection system installed. New windows will also be installed that will help save energy and that include a special feature that turns off the air conditioning when the windows are opened.

In addition to all those renovations and additions there will also be vegetation planted on all rooms to help save energy. Vegetation of roofs can help to save on energy usage by keeping
buildings cooler. It also helps to reduce run off which contributes to water pollution.

Influencing Others

The hope with the GSA’s project is to influence others and start a movement in the private sector. By setting a good example about how going green can be beneficial in a variety of ways and that it is not that difficult to implement changes that allow you to convert buildings to be more environmentally friendly, Kampschroer hopes that all real estate owners will take the cue and start making changes in their buildings.

DIY or Professional

And speaking of dollars, you may want to install the windows yourself so as to save on the costs. This is all well and good if and when you have the necessary skills, techniques and tools to undertake the job on your own.

However, if you are not in any way qualified to make the window installation project on a do-it-yourself manner, just refrain from doing so. You will only be bringing grief unto yourself – jagged walls, broken windows and personal accidents, all of which will boil down to greater costs when you have aimed to lower your electricity bills.

Instead, you should contact a skilled professional to do the job for you. Keep in mind that improper installation can allow cold air to pass into the rooms, insects to enter and pester the occupants and the windows to be damaged from the added moisture.

Energy and Non-Energy Benefits

Energy-efficient windows provide for both energy and non-energy benefits as discussed below.

Your indoor climate   will be stabilized. As a result,   your energy bills will be lower, your dependence on the main grid will be   lesser and your carbon footprint on this planet is reduced. This is because these windows allow heat   to stay in winter and the cold to stay in summer, thanks to their special insulation   properties. As such, you can spend   winter or summer in more comfort with very little, if any, additions to   your heating or air-conditioning bills, respectively.
You can   avail of rebates and tax credits on the installation of these   windows. Ask your state and local energy   authorities for said benefits.
Your sun-exposed   furniture and drapes are better protected from the fading effects of   sunlight as these windows filter out the ultraviolet rays. Of course, such a filtering action also   means that your skin is protected from these harmful cancer-causing rays   of the sun while you are relaxing inside your eco-friendly home.
Your home   will be better protected from the noise coming in from outside   sources. This is because of the   inherent sound insulation of these energy efficient windows.
Your house   will have extra protection against burglars and other intruders. These windows are made of multiple   panes, which make them harder to break.   Such a feature also means lesser glass breakage during windstorms,   fires and earthquakes.

You can purchase energy efficient windows from retailers and building contractors. Be sure to ask for warranty on the windows as well as professional installation service, both of which are very important in enjoying the benefits of these eco-friendly windows.

Let’s start with the taxes – the thorn in the side of so many income earners, home owners and prize winners. Did you know that you can actually save on your taxes come April 15 by adopting a greener lifestyle? You may think of it as getting one over the IRS while doing your share for the environment. You can decide which gives the most personal satisfaction.

First, you can undertake basic home improvements. The trick is using products with the Energy Star label. For the uninitiated, the Energy Star is the international standard adopted by countries in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union countries for rating energy efficient consumer products. Said products can range from computer items and kitchen appliances to insulation and other materials for home improvements.

Products with Energy Star labels save 20 to 30 percent on energy costs. The best thing, however, about the products is that you can avail of tax credits of up to 30 percent on their costs but not more than $1,500. For example, if you purchased water heaters and storm doors with the Energy Star label for $5,000 in cash, you will be able to refund $1,500 in tax credits, if you qualify, that is.

Second, you can get a step up in these tax credits by undertaking major home renovations. Sure, you will be spending a greater amount of money but you will also be able to avail of higher tax refunds when the time comes for them.

There are a few criteria before you can be eligible for the tax refund. The most important of these criteria is that your major renovation should be able to generate electricity, which means that only the installation of wind turbines, solar panels and geothermal heat pumps will qualify as tax refundable.

The good news is that there is no ceiling to the amount of the refund in terms of the dollar amounts. The cap is on the percentage rate of the refund, which is set at 30 percent of the total cost of installation. For example, if your newly-installed solar panels cost $10,000 total, then you may be eligible for a $3,000 tax credit on your tax returns.

Third, you can purchase a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Yes, the federal or the state government provide for a tax credit if and when you lose your old clunker, sentimental value or none. For example, the Chevrolet Volt will cost $40,000 on the tag. This price will go down once the maximum tax credit of $7,500 for green cars is put into the equation.

Indeed, it is not necessary to demolish your home and then build a new one to make it more energy efficient. It is, however, one of the ways to go green and save on taxes but not everybody can do it especially in the housing bust. Often, all you need to do is start with the small things and build your green lifestyle from that point.

Explaining the Concept

To go green means to do things that are more environmentally friendly. The reason why it has become a major concept these days is directly related to the fact that we are becoming more aware of the problems we face by continuing to do things without regards to the environment.

There are many examples of how our way of living has started to damage the environment. There is the fact that natural resources are starting to deplete and one day, possibly in our lifetime, we will run out of the resources that we are so dependent upon. By going green we are able to learn to live without being dependent, wasteful and without causing further damage to the environment.

Simple Green Moves

Going green is not even that difficult. Many manufacturers have made greener versions of their best selling products. For example, there are a nice range of environmentally friendly cleaning products on the market. There are also organic foods on the market that are grown and made using environmentally friendly production procedures. It isn’t even just small product changes, though. Going green can be done on a larger scale, too.

The new hybrid vehicles on the market that use a combination of electric and gas to cut down on the amount of gasoline used and the pollution produced from operating the vehicle. There are also new forms of gasoline on the market that are made from renewable sources, like corn. These things have a very large impact on the environment. They reduce pollution and also make us less relent on oil.

There are also ways to make your home greener. There are companies that will come to your home and convert it to hybrid power. Most common, is solar power, which uses the sun as energy. It allows you to run your home off of solar power and use your electric in limited amounts. Again, this helps to reduce pollution and the use of oil.

Benefits of Going Green

Going green is wonderful for the environment, but that is not the only benefit. The biggest benefits to you is that going green can save you money and help you keep your family healthier.
Using green products in your home to clean or buying organic vegetables is great for the environment, reducing pollution and other benefits, but it also is safer for your family. Your family is not being exposed to chemicals and other agents in products and foods that have been proven to be harmful. You are reducing your family’s risk of getting sick with just small changes.

Going green can also save you a lot of money. Using solar energy, for example, can really cut your electric expenses. Solar power is free. Once you have the equipment in place to capture that energy you never pay an energy bill.

Going green is something that is right for everyone. It is becoming the new way of life. We have come to a point where we have to start taking better care of our environment so that it is still around for our children, their children and so on.

Really, it just depends on who you ask.  Different people want different things out of their vehicles, and there are many different shades of green.  That means that automakers can’t please everyone with one design.  They’re going to need to think about the vehicles they’re producing and the demographic they want to target.

For some of us, a higher miles per gallon rating on a vehicle is enough to make it qualify as green.  If you’re in this camp, a hybrid gasoline-electric vehicle or a car that’s simple small and light.  Some are big fans of the newer diesel cars and trucks, which get higher mileage rating and produce much less in the way of emissions.

Others of us feel that these vehicles are too much like the run of the mill polluter to really qualify as green, though of course more efficiency is better.  An alternative power source based on non petroleum sources are required for you to believe a car is green if you’re in this group.  Possible guel sources include hydrogen, ethanol, electric cars and biodiesel, with some people also considering propane, natural gas, and other non-renewable, non-gasoline vehicles to qualify. 

Drivers of this sort are more willing to try new technology out than drivers in the first camp, and have a real commitment to green driving.  They’re often willing to spend more and deal with a more limited selection of fuels and vehicles in order to get a car they feel really is green.

Of course, driving isn’t the only way to get green transportation.  If you prefer to park when you can and take the bus instead, or you’re looking at the materials and production impact of the vehicle, you’re part of the group of Americans who are looking even deeper into the greenness of their transport.  Some manufacturers are using less toxic raw materials, or they’re using recyclable, reusable ones.  This can be a big consideration as to whether or not a vehicle or mode of transport is really green.

Green really is in the eye of the beholder, and it’s something that automakers are going to have to understand when they market their new green vehicles.  It’s important for them to know what they’re producing, who’s going to think it’s green, and what the likely outcome is.  That’s the only way that these types of vehicles are really going to take off.

Type one is polyethylene terephtalate, also known as PETE or PET.  This is what most disposable soda and water bottles are made of, and is usually clear.  Plastic type two is high density polyethylene, or HDPE.  Many milk jugs, detergent bottles, and toiletries bottles are made of this.  It is often opaque.

Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is used to make meat wrap, bottles for cooking oil, and plumbing pipes, as well as garments.  It’s numbers as type three.  Type four is low density polyethylene, LDPE, which is used to make grocery bags, cling wrap sandwich bags and other films.  Plastic type five is polypropylene.  Yogurt tubes and cups are often made from it, as well as water bottles that seem to have a cloudy finish.

Type six is polystyrene, or Styrofoam, which disposable containers and packaging are made from.  Group seven is a mixed bag, composed of plastics which were invented after 1987.  Polycarbonate falls into this category, as does polylactide and plastics made from renewable resources.  Some reusable water bottles are made from this, as well as baby bottles and food storage containers which resist staining.

Of these plastics, types two, four, and five – HDPE, LDPE, and polypropylene – are the best choices.  They’re not known to leach chemicals into food, and they’re relatively easy to recycle.  Type two is accepted by most recycling programs.  Types four and five may need to be taken to a special location.

There are a couple of plastics that are okay for some uses, but are harder to reuse or recycle.  PET, for instance, while widely accepted by recyclers, should not be reused.  The porous plastic tends to absorb flavors and bacteria.  Plastics marked PLA are made from vegetable sources, and cannot be recycled.  If your area has a municipal composting program, however, they may be accepted.

Other plastics have real problems, such as PVC – type three.  There are phthalates in this material – softening chemicals that interfere with hormonal development, and making PVC releases hormone disrupters and carcinogens.  Polystyrene can leach chemicals into food and is hard to recycle, and polycarbonate contains a chemical called bisphenol A which can have real health consequences.

If you’re going to reuse containers, avoid storing fatty foods in them, and handwash all containers carefully.  Remember that microwave safe containers aren’t necessarily healthy – they just won’t melt, and never microwave a container that’s not marked for that use.  In general, it’s better to avoid microwaving plastic entirely and stick to glass.

In some states, it’s illegal to throw out a cell phone.  In others, these phones can be tossed without legal repercussions.  However, that doesn’t mean throwing away a cell phone is a good idea.  The batteries and electronic components in these phones are likely to leach toxins into landfills and even into ground water. 

Phones can contain heavy metals and other elements like arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and selenium.  They can also contain PVC, which is among the least stable of the plastics, and brominated compounds that can cause other problems.  Many of these compounds are bioaccumulative, building up in the bodies of animals and people, and persistent in the environment, too.

So, what can you do instead of throwing out an old phone?  The first thing is to keep your phone a lot longer, and replace only when you need to.  However, if you do need to get rid of an old phone, recycling it is a good bet.  Phones which are recycled can be repurposed if they work.  Many are given to charities. 

If they have an easily fixed problem, they’ll be refurbished and sold again at a lower price – often to people in poorer countries.  Phones which are completely broken will be broken down for their useful materials, with the unusable ones disposed of properly.

You can find a cell phone recycling option just by searching online.  Type your location and either “cell phone recycling” or “mobile phone recycling” into the search bar and see what comes up.  You can even get prepaid envelopes you can put your phone in to send it to companies that aren’t nearby, and some refurbishing companies will even pay a little for your old phone. 

Cell phone drives make good fundraising exercises for schools, charities, and clubs, as well.  That’s because cell phones have a remarkable amount of gold in them – 230 grams per ton.  Versus other substances we extract gold from, including mine waste, that’s a lot more.  A ton of phones has about six thousand dollars worth of gold in it, which can be removed using the right commercial processes.

Recycling a cell phone is a smart choice that keeps the environment healthier and allows people who couldn’t otherwise afford a phone to have one.  If you’re thinking about upgrading, or you need to buy a new phone because yours is broken, don’t toss it in the trash.  Recycle your cell phone – you’ll feel better about it.

Most of us are used to turning on the ceiling fan to cool things down in the summer, but it can also be used during the winter.  Turning the switch to make the ceiling fan run clockwise will pull warm air down from around the ceiling to lower levels.  That means less energy spend heating.  If you’re going to be buying a new ceiling fan, make sure it’s one that can be reversed.  These very efficient fans can cut your costs by as much as ten percent.

During the summer, ceiling fans are an excellent way to cool, too.  They work extremely well in areas where the climate is dry – by moving hot air around, they encourage sweat to evaporate.  That has a cooling effect, and you’ll feel significantly cooler.  Ceiling fans can be used to make areas of over a hundred degress Fahrenheit feel a lot more bearable.  They can also be used along with evaporative air conditioning to improve the effectiveness of those devices.  That’ll let you set the thermostat lower than you would be able to otherwise.

Roof turbines are overlooked, but are just as helpful as ceiling fans, if not more.  Also called spinaways or whirligigs, these light spinning vents pull hot air out of the roof cavity.  They’re waterproof, need no power, and spin in even a little bit of wind.  However, any well built roof turbine will be able to withstand even high speed winds and hurricanes.

They’re useful because the area between the ceiling and roof can get very hot during the summer, even when insulated.  Some of this heat is going to get into your living space unless you remove it, and that’s what roof turbines do.  They’re easy to install, and you don’t need to be an experty to do it.  Just measure with care and do some research before you start. 

Roof turbines can also be a big help in the winter.  They prevent the buildup of moisture in the roof area, keeping your wood from decaying.  They also keep your insulation dry.  Since wet insulation is a lot less effective than dry insulation, that’s a big bonus.  A roof turbine is yet another inexpensive, easy to install device that can make a big difference in your energy costs all year round.  You’ll pay less, and you’ll use less, reducing your carbon footprint easily.

Surprisingly, compact fluorescent lamps are not a new invention. There were originally developed in response to the 1973 Oil Crisis. Since these new bulbs were far more energy efficient than the traditional light bulbs, there were high hopes for their success. However, the compact fluorescent lamps were far from cost effective and could not compete in the marketplace.

For the past several years, the prices for compact fluorescent lamp bulbs were quite stratospheric. As recently as only a few years ago, the cost of the bulbs was around $20. That put them well out of the range of affordability for most people. Recently, the bulbs have dropped significantly in price and can be purchased for around $5.

Yes, it is true that that $5 is more than the cost of an incandescent light bulb. However, there is a significant benefit to purchasing compact fluorescent lamp bulbs. Namely, they last upwards of ten times longer than a traditional light bulb. That means for every ten incandescent bulbs you purchase, you will only need one fluorescent lamp bulb. Over time, that can be a significant savings!

Speaking of savings, compact fluorescent lamps use significantly less energy than a traditional bulb while delivering the same results. For example, a 25 watt compact fluorescent lamp bulb provides the same amount of light of as a 100 watt incandescent bulb. This leads to an enormous amount of savings on your electricity bill. Again, this is a bulb that truly pays for itself.

Of course, the compact fluorescent lamp bulb low use of electricity also aids in conservation. Electricity is mostly derived from coal. When you overuse electricity, you contribute to the further depletion of coal resources. You are also contributing to all the environmental problems burning coal is known to cause. Through using a compact fluorescent lamp bulb you significantly cut back on energy expenditures which, in turn, reduce many threats to the environment.

Some concerns about the presence of mercury have been raised. This is understandable as mercury can be a hazardous substance. However, the amount of mercury present in a single bulb is rather minimal. If a large volume of bulbs were broken and placed in trash bins, for example, the collection of mercury could prove very dangerous. So, a little common sense needs to be employed with the disposal and storage of the bulbs. But, once again, a single bulb will not yield enough mercury to present a serious, dangerous hazard.

Currently, compact fluorescent lamps are slated to be the primary light bulbs used in Great Britain. Simultaneously, the usage of the lamps in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere is experiencing great expansions. Perhaps, in only a matter of a few years, the compact fluorescent light bulb will completely replace the traditional bulb. Then again, why shouldn’t it? It has a lot of value.