ProjectLiveGreen

There is a new wave of sensibility rolling across our nation. The new green, has come to include earth; our sweet, often clay-laden, under-our-feet earth in many of the new designs that can transform our living legacy as a “modern” era.
There are a number of earth-house construction companies who taut the ability to build no mortgage homes, constructed from totally natural and re-cycled materials. People in the middle east and from south America have had this information and used it, while here we turned to toxic landscape-erasing processes to generate a nation of neighborhoods that no longer host anything truly “natural” for scores of miles.
Today home owners can simply turn to the internet and find articles that tell exactly how to take your back yard dirt and transform it into a beautifully sculpted earthen fireplace. Earthen homes and buildings are simple to connect to electricity providers.
Internet users can learn how to build a life-like earthen playhouse or even a home for and with your children that literally can last decades with little maintenance. Dog houses, chicken coops and storage sheds are all structures that can use this free material to create rock-solid walls. Artful sculpting, and solid long-lasting completely natural houses, apartment buildings and temples; this is our new, emerging world of living green.

The phrase “be green” is being tossed around by everyone these days, but what does it really mean? Being green really encompasses a mindset and way of living. It is not about fitting in with a certain social group or helping the environment only to improve your social status. The fact of the matter is that we, as people, have spent far too long harming our environment and now it is the time to “be green.”

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Let’s Go Living Green for America

While much of what happens to Mother Nature is beyond our control, such as the recent Earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, there is still much within our control when it comes to our environment. What we do now to decrease our impact on the environment is instrumental in our survival as a country and as a planet. While you may have heard it before going green can be as simple as, ” (more…)

You’ve more than likely heard of the Sierra Club, one of the country’s oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organizations started by the naturalist and conservationist John Muir (in 1892), but you may have never thought about joining. If that’s the case and you are truly committed to getting involved in some capacity to evoke change for a greener planet, then there’s no time like the present to join either at a national or regional level (with clubs available in all 50 states and Puerto Rico). And you can bet there’s an initiative on the club’s radar that you might be passionate about since their goals in regard to climate recovery include looking at limiting greenhouse emissions, clean energy solutions, creating and preserving resilient habitats, and safeguarding communities to name a few. Local branches look at local issues such as California’s campaign for clean water North Carolina’s focus on the affects of coal ash. If you’re one to take action instead of being one to just sit around and complain without offering any type of solution then the Sierra Club might be a great resource to align yourself. Check them out. There’s a reason they’ve been around for so long.

It’s never too late to learn about the many ways living green can save on your taxes. Well, technically it is for your 2009 tax return, but these credits listed on Pays to Live Green should give you a heads-up for next year. Either way, when living green often means paying more for still-alternative energies, it’s refreshing to know that the government is giving money back to the people. If you’re one of those who took advantage of these on this year’s tax return, bravo, and thanks for helping keep the environment safe for the rest of us.The government offered an outstanding tax credit to those who upgraded their heating and air conditioning system to an Energy Star-rated system. The credit was equal to 30 of the system’s price (with a 1,500 cap). Upgrading your system will also save money in the long run when you see your monthly energy bills go down. Energy Star air conditioners are generally 14 more efficient than normal, while ES heating pumps are anywhere from 8-20 more efficient than what you may already have. (more…)

You can save gallons of water by showering togetherjust kidding. You can save even more water by only showering once a weekjust kidding againplease don’t. Okay, let’s be serious now. Water conservation isn’t something to joke about (whoops).Water conservation has become a serious issue in the past few years. Sadly, the issue is often overshadowed by more pressing concerns such as the burning of valuable fossil fuels and high costs of energy consumption. For the people and animals in the areas that depend on the water provided by lakes and groundwater which are quickly drying up, the issue is very much real.There are two ways to go about conserving water. You can choose to work with what you have and change your habits, or buy water-saving products to replace your traditional equipment. If you opt to stick with the familiar, you’ll need to make a few minor adjustments in your daily routine. For example, only run the washer and dishwasher when they’re full; keep a pitcher of water in the fridge instead of waiting for tap water to get cold; water your lawn and garden in the morning when its cooler out to minimize evaporation, collect water from your drainpipes to water the garden, insulate your hot water pipes for more immediate hot water, wash your face and brush your teeth while in the shower, and wash dishes by hand by filling one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water so the faucet isn’t constantly running. (more…)

There is really no downside to going green. You protect the environment, you save money, and you make a difference in the world. Today, ‘green’ products work just as wellif not betterthan their original counterparts. Take the Tide Coldwater line for instance. The next time you run out of your usual laundry detergent, buy Tide Coldwater instead. You’ll save loads of money on your energy bill by not using hot water every time you do laundry and you’ll cut energy consumption up to 30. While you’re still in the laundry room, you might want to think about switching to an Energy Star qualified washing machine. These clothes washers use 30 less energy and over 50 less water than traditional washers. They hold a greater capacity which means you do fewer loads of laundry. Imagine combining the high efficiency of qualified washers with the power of Tide Coldwateryou’re electric and water bills will thank you for it.While you wait for your eco-friendly laundry to dry, kick back and watch an Energy Star qualified TV. These TV’s use 40 less energy than standard TVsguaranteed. You won’t have to sacrifice size or picture quality because even the best TVs come in energy efficient versions. If all TVs sold in the US met the Energy Star requirements set by the EPA, Americans would be saving 2.5 BILLION annually on energy costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions from 3 million cars. (more…)

Green houses can now refer to more than a garden growing glass house. Modern day green houses are normal houses that have been built to meet the strict guidelines of energy efficiency set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. If you’re planning on building a home anytime in the near future, you should strongly consider a construction plan that will earn the Energy Star label.What’s so different about an Energy Star house? Thanks to required effective insulation systems, high-performance windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling systems and Energy Star qualified lighting/appliances, Energy Star houses are 20-30 more efficient than standard homes. These requirements may decrease energy, but they don’t decrease design appeal.The first thing you’ll need to start construction on your energy efficient home is a contract with a builder in a Partnership Agreement with EPA. Builders must construct at least one Energy Star qualified home every 12 months to maintain the partnership, but many builders will build 100 Energy Star qualified homes. These builders know the guidelines and work directly with a selected Home Energy Rater to ensure the regulations are met with quality and precision. The raters will be checking on your home throughout the building processfrom the architectural plans to the final touches of construction. To find a builder partnered with Energy Star, use this Energy Star Partner Locator. (more…)

For the past 20 years, Seventh Generation has been developing naturally safe and effective ‘green’ household products. Their current line uses natural ingredients instead of hazardous chemicals that are bad for your family and the environment. In addition to creating and selling eco-friendly products, Seventh Generation actively garners support and awareness about the need to restore the environment. They donate 10 of their profits to the ’7 Acts of Seventh Generation’. These acts are organizations include the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families for toxic chemical policy reform; WAGES (Women’s Action to Gain Economic Security); Rainforest Action Network for sustainable palm oil; Project Laundry List to help families rethink laundry; The Breast Cancer Fund which requires household care products disclose all ingredients; Sustainability Institute for education; and Save the Poles which fights against global climate change.If any of these programs interest you or if you simply wish to environmentally revolutionize your household cleaning products, here are some of Seventh Generations favorite products: (more…)

Due to the massive global consumption of valuable fossil fuels for energy, scientists and energy specialists all over the world have been striving to come up with an alternate source of clean usable energy. While no one has found a perfect replacement for fossil fuel consumption, there are many clean energy sources available for everyday use.For example, wind can be converted into useful energy through the use of wind turbines for electricity, wind mills for mechanical power, wind pumps for water draining, and sails for ship transportation. The main problem with using wind as an energy source is people’s “NIMBY” mentality. NIMBY, or ‘Not in my Backyard’, refers to people refusing to allow the construction of wind farms because they are not aesthetically pleasing. There are also geographic limitations on wind energy’s powersit can only be effective in windy areas. (more…)