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Home builders need to save money, particularly those buying their home for the first time. Building green homes once was considered to be a luxury but now is affordable. Green home construction has some costs, but many of the green systems put in place save money in home maintenance. Communicating with Suppliers By working with suppliers, home builders will determine the best products obtainable from the manufacturers. This step will get the homes certified by the National Green Building Standards. Builders might find floor choices that use carpet that had recycled material and padding, h

Megan Bonetti | Australia: Brisbane Recently I had a conversation with a close friend on climate change. The discussion captivated me with the multilayered tensions of the global north and capitalist ideologies that doggedly influence the very present concern of global warming and relating social policy. Amongst a general catch-up I queried my friend’s thoughts on climate change issues. His stark and unexpected response, “we evolve, we move on.” …Excuse me? I admired the honesty. His was a real-world response of neo-liberal thought. It was brutal and it was heartless. At least he had t

Today, a month and two days after Spring Equinox, is the Earth Day. A few days ago we celebrated the Earth Hour and now we dedicate an entire day to environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970 and now it's organized by the Earth Day Network and takes place in more than 192 countries each year. Over the years milions of people all over the world take action to make the Earth greener and safer and today everybody can act to contribute the Earth Day. But what is the sense? Will something really change? Will climate change end today? Of course not but what we do today should be r

By J. Matthew Roney At the end of 2013, the wind farms installed in more than 85 countries had a combined generating capacity of 318,000 megawatts, which would be enough to meet the residential electricity needs of the European Union’s 506 million people. New data from the Global Wind Energy Council show that wind developers built 35,000 megawatts of new generating capacity worldwide in 2013. This was down from 45,000 megawatts installed in 2012—marking only the second time in 25 years that installed capacity increased by less than it did the year before. The principal reaso

It is time for humanity to bid farewell to one of its oldest friends -- petroleum based energy. Surely, it has served us well over the course of centuries, but it has become too great a source of political turmoil and adverse environmental effects. It is high-time that humanity found a suitable alternative. But of course it’s all easier said than done -- the break-up is going to be anything but pretty. Oil has been used by humans since ancient times, with one of the earliest documented references to it made by ancient Greek historian Herodotus. In the olden days, oil was primarily used in

Most probably you know that global warming is a huge problem not only for mankind but for other species as well, right? But how far has it already damaged the world around us? Well, we already write about but this theme is too broad to be understood by one article. To start with, our planet's climate is defined by different and distinct climate zones such as Tropics, the Arctic, Antarctic, etc. But in recent years, climate zones are becoming more and more miscellaneous. Some scientists say that Global Warming and Climate Change are natural and will happen ultimately, no matter how hu

Old electrical equipment can still have several different uses for you. The raw materials contained within the equipment may prove to be valuable in some form or another. Here are some options that are available for reusing your old electrical equipment. Donation Options Electronics are always in demand when it comes to donation centers and other types of charity organizations. This is because they can still be used for their intended purposes for the most part. The charity may also be able to use parts of the equipment in order to build something new that will prove to be useful

Transforming your home into a green home is a lofty and admirable goal. By achieving this goal, you may decrease your carbon footprint on a regular basis, and you may save a tremendous amount of money on energy costs. The good news is that this goal is attainable, and you can walk through these tips at your own pace to gradually improve your home’s impact on the environment. Upgrade Your Appliances It makes sense to use your outdated appliances for as long as possible. After all, there is some waste associated with making an upgrade before it is necessary. All of your appliances,

Every generation has its own defining issue, and unfortunately, ours is climate change. Climate change is affecting people and communities all over the world. Apart from being a major threat to humankind, climate change has far-reaching impacts on the entire ecosystem. For over a quarter of a century, activists and concerned citizens have been discussing climate change through public broadcasting. Back in the In the 80's, the main focus was on recognizing and discussing the potential threats. In the past 30 years, we have thoroughly examined the actual impacts and yet failed to effectively add

Some people don't see the value of conserving water unless they live in a desert or drought zone. They fail to recognize that fresh water resources can dry up at any time or become polluted by nearby agricultural and industrial processes. No matter where you live, reducing water waste when landscaping is critical to protecting this life-saving resource and the environment. You can decrease the amount of fresh water used for your landscaping by following these three simple tips: Build a Patio Since grass is the primary feature of many landscape designs and requires a lot o

As much as we’re all concerned with ensuring younger generations inherit a planet that isn’t on the brink of collapse, shouldn’t we also be concerned with teaching them to care about the planet? While the choice to adopt renewable energy sources might seem out of our control, the decision to teach young people about the environment is very much within our reach. If you have children in your life, why wouldn’t you spend a little time teaching them about how rainforests are the lungs of the earth? Or how a coral reef grows and gives life to so many marine animals. When I was growing up, on

You don’t have to invest in a hybrid or electric car to make your vehicle greener. Certain driving habits, proper vehicle maintenance and a few small changes or accessories can go a long way to improving a car’s efficiency and reducing its overall carbon footprint. The best news of all is that these green car tips are likely to save you money in the long run by reducing your need for fuel or expensive repairs. Control Speed About 75 percent of a vehicle’s carbon emissions are due to the fuel they burn. There are many ways to reduce a car’s fuel consumption. Two of the eas

Green homes help reduce environmental damage and waste commonly caused by standard home construction and life habits. They also offer homeowners many additional benefits. They can lower utility and grocery bills, improve your home's value and make your overall life better. To reap these benefits and more, consider the following green home additions: Composting Room Composting bins turn plant-based waste materials from cooking and gardening into nutrient-rich fertilizer. A composting room is an extension of this idea designed to replace the traditional detached "garden shed" with a more eff

Making your home eco-friendly doesn't need to be an expensive or time-consuming chore. In fact, most families only need to make a few small changes around their house in order to cut down on their carbon footprint. Here is a look at five simple steps that you can take today to lower energy bills and potentially remove some toxins within your own home. Switch to Plant-Based Cleaners There is a long list of unhealthy chemicals sitting under the kitchen sink in most homes. Some of these common cleaners are effective when it comes to removing grime, but they are often quite toxic and can be repla

Businesses utilizing strategies to help with the environment are always worth looking up to. There is no need, however, to downright change your entire lifestyle and how you work too much in the world of business. Just a few small changes to how you do business can make a big difference to the Earth. Implement these environmentally techniques to make a small change to the world. Organic Office Furniture Not many people realize the power in the world of simply buying organic furniture. Your tables, chairs, and everything in an office can be bought through the power of furniture. Just a

There has never been a better time to go green with marketing than right now. Long gone are the days of bulky newsletters and flyers. Once you choose the right online marketing platform, your presence will be instantly accessible to whoever owns a computer or a smartphone. Here are 5 of the most effective green marketing models that can help you reach all of your business goals. Social Media Let’s start with the easiest and most common platform. Social media. Social media is a huge deal and is a really great way to draw attention to your business. You want to be sure tha

Doing your regular laundry task through the washing machine and tumbler, literary devour electricity. It has been estimated that in average household laundry consumes nearly 5 percent of the overall electricity bill. By bringing small changes to the regular procedure of washing clothes, one can cut down the energy bill to a significant level. Nearly 90% of the electricity used in a washing machine goes behind heating up the water and the rest of the energy is needed to run the motor of the machine. There are effective ways to reduce your carbon footprint to the environment and make the burden

Although there are many ways to go green, it can be difficult to know how to take the first step. Luckily, there are many small and large scale ways to join the movement for a cleaner environment. Read on for some inspiring ideas about how to take initiative and make the world a greener, cleaner place. Read and Recycle Reading is an appealing past time, but buying books can become expensive and there is also the issue of what to do with them post reading. Why not practice recycling and support your local community at the same time? Donate gently used books to your local library and shop fo

According to the UN News Center, one of the world's most pressing issues is meeting water needs. Without changes in water consumption and conservation, the world will find it challenging to meet the water needs of the world's 2050 projected population of 9.6 billion. With extreme drought threatening areas including metropolitan California and southern Somalia, conserving water and reusing water will make what we have go further. Try these tips to make a difference. Use a Shower Bucket Collect the water that flows before the water heater gets the shower spray ready. You'll end up with

Driving can have a hugely negative impact on your carbon footprint, and while we all strive to reduce our personal drain on the environment, there are some things we struggle to do without. While you work toward a world that lives in harmony with earth, there are some things you can do to reduce your car’s carbon footprint. Share a Car Most families have more than one car, and more often than not, each car is intended for the transportation of one person at a time. Getting rid of one car and sharing the other can greatly reduce your carbon footprint and save you money. If life with on

Student life typically doesn’t give financial stability, so you can’t afford solar panels or driving a hybrid car. But there are still environmentally friendly options you can use, while being on a budget. Implement the next everyday habits to change your attitude to environment and become a green student. Recycle Studying requires you to use a lot of paper. Whether you are writing your lectures, making notes or homework, printing out necessary material, you need a lot of paper. So, if you want to save the environment, make electronic notes when it’s possible. Today it’s really easy ev

If you are a home owner or are looking to buy a home, you should consider the importance of having an energy efficient and family friendly home. A green home will keep your energy bills down and will be helpful for the environment. There are many green communities like the ones found at Princeton Classic Homes in Texas. Below, you can find out what they are doing to accomplish this with these seven tips. Fluorescent lighting Switching to fluorescent lighting in your home will cut down on your energy usage drastically. Florescent bulbs use less than 1/4th of the amount of energy that normal b

Vertical walls are one of the latest trends of gardening in the recent days. The concept of using the vertical green walls arises due to the increased pollution in the urban cities. The forest areas are reducing significantly. Most of the people are living in apartments where there is not enough place to make gardens. In such situations, vertical walls create a huge difference. Architects are using the vertical green facades and walls on the living rooms, balconies and cabinets to make the homes green and airy. Have you ever waken up in the morning and realized that you are staying in the worl

The adults pride themselves with mature thinking and behavior, but if you take a closer look at some pattern of behavior of some adults, even the ones in charge of leading the society, you will find a lot of childlike decisions and acts. What would a responsible adult tell a child if he insists on throwing all the garbage on the floor of his room, and never cleaning it? Moreover, the child also likes to smoke in his room, and spray the bugs with toxic sprays, without ever opening his window to get some air in. Naturally, an adult person would dramatically react, and demand that the child stops

Energy efficiency is probably the most important thing that can be done to improve life, now and in the future. Efficiently using energy not only saves money for each household, but improves the country, the world and the quality of life for everyone. There are many simple ways to conserve energy in homes and businesses with far-reaching benefits. Save Money in Homes and Businesses Saving money could be the most motivating reason to conserve energy. Homes and businesses alike benefit from simple changes, such as replacing light bulbs with LED, CFLs or halogen bulbs. Proper insulation, seal

The list of benefits presented by renewable energy is long. There are numerous ways it helps make the world a cleaner and healthier place to live in. Renewable or alternative energy is a kind of sustainable energy that is produced from infinite natural sources. Some of the most common types of renewable energy sources include solar energy (power obtained from the sun), wind energy, tidal energy (power obtained from the sea) and geothermal energy (power obtained in the form of heat from within the earth). The more the world is becoming a victim of global warming, the more people are getting

With all the research, nowadays, revealing that the air in our homes is about 200% more polluted than the air outside, people increasingly turned to more natural cleaning agents such as vinegar and baking soda. And it is a fact that many of the commercial cleaners nowadays are not only more expensive and cause pollution, but are actually damaging, and could even trigger asthma if someone is genetically predisposed.There are many benefits from cleaning with natural products only. Vinegar is so popular because it is cheap, efficient and perfectly safe to use at home. You, probably knew all that,

Corporations that alter their business practices to be more environmentally friendly have a lot to gain. Besides the many benefits to the environment, going green can provide an excellent boost to a company’s public image and reduce its energy costs. Employee Shuttles/Car Pool Benefits By offering car pool benefits, a business can encourage their employees to reduce the company's carbon footprint. Some businesses offer as little as a prime parking space, while others pad employees’ checks with a bonus when they agree to carpool. There are some large businesses that are able to provide empl

There are many green ideas that will improve your home. There are several ways to make your home more eco-friendly and these can be done without breaking your bank too. There are some affordable and simple project ideas that may be of interest to you. If you are just choosing to make home improvements that will help the overall environment or if you simply have a desire to cut down on fuel costs and make your home more efficient there are definitely some ways that you can upgrade your home and make it eco-friendly. Where to Start? You can start by determining what your home improvement bud

When it comes to the whole problem with the global warming, sooner or later everyone will realize that we have to do a lot more, even individually, to prevent a major catastrophe that is about to happen. But when it comes down to it, we are a particularly lazy species, and even though we are faced with inevitable threat, we are not so quick to make all the needed adjustments. For example, even switching from simple increscent light bulbs to a fluorescent kind has not happened everywhere around the world, which means that somewhere, people are spending energy inefficiently. It might sound funn

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many private homes have reduced their carbon emissions, thereby eliminating the equivalent of emissions from more than 30 million cars each year. With a few home renovations, your home can be more comfortable as well as environmentally friendly and have lower utility bills. Find a Green Architect It is recommended to ask an architect who has green building credentials to help you renovate your home. They will have ideas and knowledge to take your plan forward in the most environmentally responsible way possible. You can find green arc

In a culture that recycles over 150 million metric tons of metallic materials each year in the US alone, one cannot honestly say that there is no recycling effort taking place. Yet, many people are not aware of the many benefits that can be derived from a comprehensive effort to clean up the environment. Our article below covers several direct benefits produced today by scrap metal recycling operations across the US. Economic Reasons The US scrap metal recycling industry in 2008 resulted in the creation of more than 85,000 jobs and $86 billion being generated in revenue. That same year,

Green technology is becoming more on the forefront of everyone's minds as the worry of global warming increases. The many positive impacts of green technology are numerous and can be measured by the attention that green tech has garnered in the past decade. Below we will explore some of the specifics of why some types of tech are better than others. Solar Power Unlike non-renewable energy sources like fossil fuels, the sun is a renewable energy source that should stick around another 6 billion years according to NASA. Also, the surface of earth receives more sunlight then the power neede

The refrigerator is the most energy consuming appliance in the kitchen. It works night and day, 24/7/365 and without it in optimum condition your food and beverages would spoil. It is an essential part of staying alive and making sure your hard earned money isn't wasted on spoiled food. That being said, to keep the refrigerator going calls for lots of energy but there are ways to conserve on energy usage with your refrigerator. All it really calls for is some simple common sense and light maintenance. First of all, keep the coils clean. Use a vacuum cleaner to keep dust and debris from

Today’s media is filled with conversations about corporations and communities going green and reducing their carbon footprint. As well as trying to reduce our carbon footprint, another large reason for people jumping on the “going green” bandwagon is that our non-renewable resources are becoming too expensive. As a homeowner, here are five simple ways that you can help reduce your home’s environmental impact, all the while lowering your living costs. Unplug When Not in Use Believe it or not, you can save a lot of money on your electric bill just by simply unplugging your electronics. Acco

The trend of owning Green homes is nothing new, but there is this general misconception on how to achieve this. While it is true that most approach it as a decorative technique, it is also true that, when something is marked by the word Green, we are referring to its environmental friendliness. People have tendency of forgetting this, and it is a big decorative and environmental transgression to arrange your home with environmental issues in mind but then fail to recycle. If you truly want to go Green then you have to go for the whole package. Still, there are plenty of things you can do to

Because just about everything is made in China these days, it's no surprise that solar panels are too. Westerners have enjoyed many great deals on solar panels made in China. In fact, in recent years, China has manufactured more solar panels than any other nation--though they have been notoriously slow to adopt solar energy themselves. Changes are afoot, however. Reports suggest that China has plans to retain some of that solar power business and install a stunning increase in solar at home. It's a good thing, too, because countries like the U.S. have plans to impose tariffs on Chinese-made so

While here in Northern Italy there are 18º and a lot of rain, storms and a Autumn climate California is a little bit hotter. Here's a news for the people who believe climate change doesn't exist: California’s three-year drought just went from bad to dreadful. In the course of the last week, the crimson expanse of “exceptional drought” grew to engulf the northern part of the state. The following chart , showing the drought's progession since 2011, speaks for itself: All of California is in "severe drought" (shown in orange), and 82 percent is rated “extreme drought” (in red). The agen

Sahara desert climate is hot and arid, everybody knows it. So how can this simple and well-known fact become the idea to power a continent like Europe? Let’s start from the principle: renewable energy is the future of energy; we assume that this sentence is true since all facts gets to this point. Second principle: European territory is restricted and allows the construction of a few plants that could use renewable energy. Paradoxically, countries like Africa have renewable sources, particularly solar, in abundance but scarce funds to make the best of these resources. Now find the connection.

In a nutshell, a landfill or a dump is the most common method used for waste disposal. In this article, a group of junk removal specialists from Melbourne has decided to put a list of the top 5 largest landfills in the world. You might find number 1 quite surprising... 5. Olusosun Landfill, Lagos, Nigeria - This is the largest dump in Africa and among the largest in the world. The 100-acre landfill receives more than 10 000 tons of waste daily and a significant amount of e-waste dumped in over 500 containers around the site. Because of the chemicals used to extract precious metals in the e-

Growing concerns for the environment has caused many to seek out green solutions, but some of the approaches to being more eco-friendly, such as urinals that pipe pee into the garden for use as fertilizer, simply aren’t all that appealing. What’s really needed is innovative ideas that meet or exceed LEED standards while creating a beautiful 'wow’ factor. For those working on an apartment building renovation project, the benefits of truly innovative green design include lower project costs, an increased ease of attracting potential tenants, and even the ability to charge higher rents. Read o

Where did the wildlife go? That's a scary question, but one that scientists and observers are posing in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The solution deployed to clean up the 210 million gallons of Louisiana crude spilled was the oil dispersant Corexit. Three years later, the evidence suggests that this wasn't the right way. Those who've come in contact with the substance are reporting disturbing symptoms - nose bleeds, diarrhea, dizziness, nausea, and others. Wildlife in the area is also suffering; fish eggs and coral larvae are reportedly dying as a result. The long-term imp

The Growth of the Green Movement infographic created by Fast Haul, highlights the roots and development of the green movement in the United States, popular environmental ordinances that have been enacted in certain regions and are now spreading across the nation, and the top ranked "greenest" cities in the U.S. today. Happy Earth Day everyone!

Vi står inför en global klimatkris som kräver ofattbart stora investeringar för att vi ska kunna ställa om till ett mer hållbart samhälle som samtidigt klarar av påfrestningarna som kommer att komma av ett förändrat klimat. Samtidigt är arbetslösheten i Sverige fortfarande alldeles för stor, det finns alltså hundratusentals människor som saknar ett jobb. Enligt statistiska centralbyrån ligger arbetslösheten i Sverige idag på 8,5 procent - och fortsätter att stiga. Trots klimatförän

While the third IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report explains that fossil fuels use must end to avoid the dramatic consequences of climate change, 202 millions barrel of oil are stocked in Houston, Texas ready to entering the energy market. Let's proceed in order: IPCC is an international organization, part of UN and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Its reports are precise, accurate and sadly true. Refute the results of reports would be stupid and useless since I don't think the IPCC is part of a secret lobby with the only intent to destroy the dominance of fossil

Our members regularly publish good and interesting blog posts here in our community. And we often feature some of the best posts. Featured blog posts gets highly visible on both the Green Blog frontpage and the Community Blogs page, as well as next to all our regular environment news. Simply put: if your blog post gets featured it will be seen by a lot of people. We tend to feature posts that are topical, interesting and thought-provoking. Here are some friendly tips on how you can make your post even better, and more likely to get featured: We cannot stress this enough. References are i

Our growing reliance on excessive use of technology has resulted in some adverse effects on the ecological system. While there is no denying that the evolution of modern technology has greatly contributed in improving the quality of human life, it is equally hard to overlook the fact that the same technological developments have thrown the ecological system off balance. Green Technologies One of the most imposing threats to the world’s ecology stems from an incessant increase in energy consumption. The threat perception emerging from current state of ecology has led to the genesis and

Keep Queensland beautiful has been working to lead, challenge and inspire all Australians to strike for sustainable and litter free environment. One of the oldest campaign of this KQK is “No junk mail” that encourage Queenslanders to follow easy ways to reduce the distribution of this unsolicited mail. How many resources are wasted to produce that unsolicited mail? Globally, it is estimated that 100 million trees are harvested to produce junk mail each year. In Australia, Junk Mail constitutes a staggering 6 per cent of all paper used across the country representing 240,000 tonnes of pa

Professor of physics, Robert Richardson from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, won the 1996 Nobel prize for his work on superfluidity in helium, and has issued a warning the supplies of helium are being used at an unprecedented rate and could be depleted within a generation. Professor Richardson warned the gas is not cheap because the supply is inexhaustible, but because of the Helium Privatisation Act passed in 1996 by the US Congress. The Act required the helium stores held underground near Amarillo in Texas to be sold off at a fixed rate by 2015 regardless of the market value, to pay

Keep Australia Beautiful is committed to the development of activities and targeted campaigns to educate different sectors of the community to create sustainable communities adopting a wide range of strategies and plans to promote the waste minimization. We have set up an on-line petition calling for the prohibition of the helium balloons in the state of Queensland because of the threat to wildlife and source of litter forced in waterways. Helium is considered a non-renewable gas that is used mostly in hospitals.It is used in MRI scanners and is usually mixed with oxygen to make breathing