Living Green

A recent plan proposed by specialists at the University of Colorado would have the next President making some essential changes towards halting global climate change. The proposal’s objective is to have the U.S. decrease its fossil fuel consumption by 30% by 2020 and 90% by 2050. If this plan is instigated by the next president, and even if it isn’t, what can homeowners do to decrease their carbon footprint?

Being energy efficient is a enormous way to reduce excess fuel consumption. This means blocking all those drafts and having a home that is correctly insulated. Installing weather stripping around doors can eliminate drafts. Installing double-paned windows reduces heat loss and condensation. When this is impossible, there are kits for sale that permit 1 to put up sheets of plastic over windows. These are a fantastic way to do it, as the plastic used is totally see-by means of and the instructions describe how to get a great tight fit, so there are no unsightly wrinkles. These are installed inside, with a double sided adhesive strip, so there are no staples ruining your paint job. They are very affective at keeping homes warmer and dryer.

If you have the opportunity to develop a new property, you can incorporate “green” concepts into both your design and materials. Planning the layout of your house to take advantage of the natural heat and light of the sun can be fairly affective. Install significant windows along the south and west sides of the property, and also a lot of skylights. Have blinds to close in summer, when the heat will be too intense. In winter, you will appreciate the additional heat coming in, not to mention the cheery natural light. If you have stone tiles underneath these windows, they will absorb the heat and radiate it back in the evening.

This concept is being taken advantage of in some much more alternative approaches of building, such as adobe. Cob is truly seeing a revival as a a building material in the north western states. Cob is what all those old homes in England are made of, a mixture of clay, sand and straw. It has exceptional “passive solar” abilities, which means it absorbs heat all day, keeping the interior cool, then radiates that heat inward all night. A well built cob home doesn’t will need quite much supplemental heating at all in some climates. Regrettably, extremely few regions have licensing for cob homes, even though as more and much more builders work with engineers to develop safe cob building methods, this could change in the future.

If cob’s a little radical for your requirements, you can still go eco by making use of recycled styrofoam block for insulation. Also, there are plywood options that use less chemicals than others. Similarly, choose paint with low “volatile organic compounds”. The air in your property will be healthier as a result. Finally, pick porch and fence posts that are untreated.

Going green not only helps the environment, it helps your family stay warmer and healthier.