Things which can be done to green your home:

Reduce energy consumption by insulating water heater and exposed hot and cold water lines.

Replace inefficient water heaters, furnaces, and appliances with Energy Star units. 95% efficient furnace reduces energy costs and greenhouse gas emission. Energy cost savings pays back in 7 –10 years.

Replace old leaky windows with insulated double or triple pane, low E glass windows. Energy cost savings pays back in 5 – 8 years. Argon filled windows decrease energy consumption even more.

Plug leaks in the exterior of your house by caulking

Turn down the thermostat two degrees in the winter and up two degrees in the summer.

Use a programmable thermostat to reduce heating and cooling when it is not needed. (sleeping, at work, on vacation)

Change filters frequently

Insulate the attic. Considerations must be made so that a mold problem is not created.

Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Recycle bulbs when they burn out. Changing five bulbs could save $100 per year on you electric bill. Dimmable CFL are now available.

Install occupancy sensors on light switches in children’s bedrooms so that the light turns off automatically when the child is no longer in the room.

Unplug devices when not in use as many consume electricity even when shut off.

Turn off lights, TV, computers, radios, video games, etc. when not in use.

Use solar powered exterior landscaping lighting as much as possible.

Install solar panels on your roof.

Buy electricity from wind farms.

Plant deciduous trees on the south side of your home to shade the interior and reduce cooling costs. Plant coniferous trees on the north side for a windbreak to reduce heating costs. The added benefit is cleaner air for all.

Install low water usage plumbing fixtures

Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.

Hand wash dishes occasionally. Do we really need to use a dishwasher to clean a plate that a child used for a sandwich?

Teach children to fold clean clothes for reuse later rather than throwing clean clothes into the hamper because it is easier. Use earth friendly laundry detergents. Minimize bleach use.

Irrigate landscaping responsibly:

Sprinklers used during the day increase evaporation and less water gets to the roots of the plants than when the sprinkler is run at dusk or during the evening. The best time to water is pre-dawn.

Collect rain water for irrigation as it is free, contains no chlorine (which is not beneficial to plants) and helps with community wide storm water management which reduces water pollution (sewage being dumped into Lake Michigan during heavy storms) and reduces the actual cost to process rain water.

Use drought resistant and native plants that require no watering. These will also attract butterflies.

Install an electronic air cleaner on furnace

Select materials that do not off gas poisonous gasses into the room.

Install dehumidifiers for summer use and humidifiers for winter use. A properly humidified home can reduce the thermostat two degrees and feel the same comfort. Dehumidifiers reduce mold potential.

Check to see if attic space is properly vented to assure that mold is not given a proper environment.

Open the windows to let in natural breezes.

Use a rake to move leaves in fall. Use leaves as mulch. Throw away your leaf blower. The exercise is good for you.

Maximize natural lighting.

Never throw toxins such as used oil into the sewers.

Recycle batteries.

Reduce or eliminate the exterior lights that burn after midnight until dawn.

Turn off exterior lights that are not in use. Use the minimal light required. A yard does not need to light up like a Home Depot parking lot. Use motion sensors where sensible.

Use earth friendly cleaning products. If you love your children why do you poison them?

Use a water filtering system in the home. This drastically reduces water bottles in landfills.

Remodel environmentally sensible and sensitive by using products that are grown by sustainable practices. Bamboo flooring is an example.

Install carpets and paints which do not off gas poisons into the home environment. With less air infiltration due to energy conservation methods in construction, off gassing has become an ever-increasing problem.

Consider the recycled content wherever possible.

Never use redwood. What a shame to lose such majestic trees when cedar is an adequate substitution. Children should not play on pressure treated woods.

Collect organic scraps from the kitchen for a composting bin. Proper composting and mulching can completely eliminate the need for pesticides and insecticides.

Use natural fertilizers and insecticides. The poisons used to kill off the weeds and insect pests cannot be healthy for the children.

Eliminate grass area and replace with vegetable or flower gardens. This reduces the pollution caused by cutting grass while encouraging the growth of butterflies. Flowers smell better than gas fumes and birds singing sound better than gas law mowers.

If you have to mow, consider a push mower or battery powered electric mower.

Allow the grass clipping to remain on the lawn for natural fertilizer. Worms love the dead grass. Worm casting is superb fertilizer and also the tunneling worms do under the grass assists in aerating the soil.

Fertilizers and pesticides kill off the bacteria and fungus that is detrimental to the health of plants. Remember that no one ever fertilizes a forest.

Organic Miracle Grow can be made with 2 tablespoons of molasses and two tablespoons of household ammonia in a gallon of dechlorinated water. (Tap water left out for a day will allow the chlorine to escape from the water, or use rain water)

Alfalfa (rabbit food) is a good organic fertilizer.

Calcium applied to the lawn will minimize dandelion and crab grass growth. Salt used for snow decreases calcium and fosters crab grass and dandelion growth.

Roses love the magnesium sulfate found in Epsom salts.

Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen.

For composting, green (weeds and lawn clippings) benefits annuals while brown (dried leaves and mulch) benefit trees and perennials.

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Things which can be done to green your office:

Turn off the lights when no one is in the office.

Turn off computers and printers when not in use. It is best if computer and peripherals are plugged into a surge protector and all are turned off at the surge protector.

Maximize the use of task lighting and limit the use of overhead fixtures.

Provide a water cooler with biodegradable cups. Place a recycling container nearby for the used cups.

Enact a recycling mentally throughout the office.

Use the unused back sheets for draft copies and the fax machine. This will reduce overall paper costs.

Communicate electronically as much as possible and limit the amount of communications that are needlessly printed out.

Use soy based inks for printers.

Take used printer cartridges to place that recycle them. Office Depot will give a ream of recycled paper in exchange for an empty cartridge.

Use paper with a high-recycled content.

Use natural light and ventilation to the greatest extent possible.

If a person within the office gardens organically, create a policy of collecting compostable material for them to take home for use in their garden.

Have plants growing in the office. Either located at individuals desks or throughout the office. Have a service come in which will care for the plants. Enhanced air quality has been shown to improve the work environment and increases productivity. It will also give a more pleasant overall look to the office.

Encourage carpooling, rail transit and bicycle riding.

Proofread before printing.

Install occupancy sensors in bathrooms and rooms with incidental use such as Conference Rooms, Copy Rooms, Storage areas, Kitchen areas.

Use reusable coffee filters. Usually these are gold colored metal. If unavailable, use filters made of unbleached paper. This will also improve the taste.

Store coffee in thermos and turn off the hot plate. This will also improve the taste of the coffee while reducing costs associated with keeping the coffee warm.

Provide washable glasses and mugs for the employees, to eliminate the need for polystyrene cups.

Stop the use of polystyrene cups and change to cups made from biodegradable materials.

Purchase forks, knives, spoons made of bio-degradable materials and eliminate the use of plastic silverware.

Purchase unbleached paper towels and products. There are now available paper towels with perforations at the half size location. Although a bit more expensive, much less paper can be used each time and the roll lasts longer and therefore, in the end, will save money.

Encourage the consumption of tea instead of soda.

Engage in corporate sponsorships of reputable environmental organizations like Sierra Club and Ocean’s Conservancy.

Walk to lunch or a meeting whenever possible.

Video conference equipment will dramatically reduce travel expenses and cut down on pollution caused by air travel.

Ask the car rental about the availability of hybrid cars.

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