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Apr 22, 2008 4:25 pm US/Eastern
Fast Facts: 10 Tips For Going Green
Tips To Make Your Home Green With Spending A Lot
(CBS4)
1) Turn down the thermostat. Lowering it by just one degree can reduce heating energy costs by about four percent.
2) Use ceiling fans in the summer AND winter. By reversing the
direction of the blades, warm air is pushed down, helping to keep rooms
warm in winter.
3) Conserve energy by purchasing major appliances with an Energy
Star rating. Compared to a 1990 model, an Energy Star-qualified
refrigerator would save enough electricity to light a home for more
than four and a half months.
4) Repair leaky fixtures: one drop per second from a leaky faucet can waste as mush as 10 gallons of water each week.
5) Install low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets. Low-flow
faucets reduce water consumption and the cost of heating water by as
much as 50 percent; using a low-flow toilet can save Americans 2.1
trillion gallons of water and $11.3 million nationwide every day.
6) Choose carpeting, rugs, window treatments and other textiles made
from natural fibers, such as cotton or wool, which are untreated and
free of toxins, such as pesticides or chemical cleaners.
7) Ask for flooring products made from rapidly renewable resources,
such as bamboo. Bamboo is one of the fasted growing plants in the
world, requiring no replanting and little fertilization or pesticides.
8) Select solid woods harvested from sustainably-managed forests,
when possible, for furniture or cabinetry, rather than pressed woods or
composites that may contain formaldehyde or other chemicals that may be
toxic and hazardous to your health.
9) Eliminate waste by choosing products that are biodegradable or
recyclable. Consider the "lifecycle" of furnishings and accessories
before purchasing: Are they made of materials that can be reused or
recycled when the item eventually wears out or is no longer needed?
10) Recycle packing and shipping materials from any newly purchased
items, and safely dispose of paint cans and other containers with
contents that could potentially contaminate the ground or water supply.
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