With monthly energy bills going up each year it makes sense to look into making your home a green energy house. Why ? Well green energy homes are not only safer for the environment but there is a good chance that they will end up saving you money in the process.  Here are a few tips to make a green energy house and save money on your energy bills too.

First Things First

Green energy houses do not need to have fancy energy saving gadgets. There are a lot of new green energy technologies that you can use together with good old common sense to save energy. One of the simplest and easiest ways to turn your home into a green energy house is to simply make your home more energy efficient. How? First, you need to check your home insulation. Poor insulation can affect the amount of energy that we use at home.

During the winter, we spend more money on heating because our home is leaking heat in so many places. During the summer when the heat is at its peak, we spend so much energy trying to cool our place down. Again, the primary culprit for this excessive use of energy is those leaks. To make your home energy efficient and green, you need to invest in good insulation. There are many incentives to replace old insulation or even install it into your home for the first time. Check out in your region for any incentives and take advantage of them.

Second, replace those incandescent lamps with energy saving fluorescent lamps. Those fluorescent lamps will help you save a lot of money. Moreover, fluorescent lamps last longer than incandescent lamps so you need not worry about throwing these things into the landfill after a few weeks or so. Again, check out for state or national government incentives to get energy saving light bulbs to replace the old incandescents.

Third, turn off the lights, open the drapes and let sunlight into your home during the day. Sunlight can turn your home into a green energy house. You will be able to save a lot of money if you use natural sunlight at home during the day. Moreover, sunlight is a proven natural disinfectant so if you want to keep your home relatively free from germs, you should make use of the disinfectant power of the sun. Try to be more conscious of the electricity that you use. Switch things off at the wall. Switch things off that you are not using period. Get more energy efficient appliances and update old appliances like fridges that are not energy efficient.

Fourth, when it is not so hot outside, shut off the air conditioner and open the windows. Let the breeze into your home. Not only will you be able to save money if you open the windows, you can also help keep your family a lot healthier. Studies show that people who breathe fresh air are naturally healthier than those who rely on the air conditioner most of the time.

Eco houses, short for Ecological houses, are the homes of the future given the concern over the environment and government incentives to build more efficient housing. Not only are they sustainable but they are designed to raise the bar of current living conditions in traditional suburban homes.  Eco houses are created in such a manner that it lessens both environmental and health impact, everything from its design through to the construction phase to the final product, an eco house continues to be sustainable throughout its entire lifetime.

Despite misconceptions, eco homes are evolving to look like better, more energy efficient versions of their traditional counterparts where the only thing really distinguishing an eco friendly house from standard housing are the materials it was constructed from and its increased efficiency.  This is the dream for architects and builders to create future homes with all of the benefits of sustainability without sacrificing modern aesthetics or creature comforts and the hope that one day, all homes will be built with an eco purpose in mind.

Eco houses have their own set of criteria, here are just a few of them:

Fully integrated alternative energy system is what makes eco houses truly sustainable.  They usually have their own array of solar panels, solar shingles, wind generators or geothermal systems that are either partially or completely independent from the main power grid.  These forms of alternative energy allow eco houses to minimize their environmental impact lessening their need for dwindling fossil reserves and their reduction of carbon emission output.

Eco houses also take advantage of sustainable materials including ethically harvested wood from non endangered rainforest land and locally made building materials including bricks that contain less energy content and less of a carbon footprint associated with its creation.  The angle eco houses take is that everything both living and non living has an energy fingerprint tied to its creation or to its energy using activity.  When it comes to construction materials, the aim for eco houses is for this energy fingerprint to be as minute as possible.

Another important energy saving eco house feature are its windows.  Approximately one third of a home’s energy is lost through its windows, any home older than 14 years of age will more than likely have heat leaking inefficient windows, luckily modern day homes built from a sustainable stand point understands that homes with efficient windows will generally decrease an average heating bill by up 25%.  For a window to be energy efficient it should be leak proof and double or triple glazed.

Another feature of eco houses are their quietness.  From their design and construction to their double glazed windows eco houses have the ability to reduce the amount of noise pollution which positively impacts on health and standard of living.

Sustainable homes also require less energy usage by using more natural light.  Well positioned windows can lessen the need for artificial light keeping energy expenses to a minimum.

Eco houses also take advantage of the natural landscape and work with the contours of the land requiring minimum excavation and earth moving reducing the amount of soil disturbance and pollution.

Health and living standards will continue to increase as eco house building becomes a permanent fixture of the construction industry. Eco homes may appear unusual and even more expensive than their traditional counterparts but this will soon change and more environmentally friendly housing will become an everyday part of the residential housing market.

Are you building a new house or having someone build it for you ? If so have you considered building a “green home” ? The main premise of a green home is that it is environmentally friendly . This applies to how it uses energy but it also applies to it’s construction. By using sustainable building materials you can make a real difference to the environment and will increasingly be the industry standard for new homes as governments and home builders move forward. This article will give you some context on green construction and sustainable building materials.

The building industry to date has relied very heavily on using
energy-intensive materials that have huge environmental costs.  It can cost
quite a lot to extract, manufacture or produce a building material let alone
transport and install it. Sustainable building materials on the other hand
are those that have the lowest possible environmental cost, having lower
production costs with less impact on the environment over their lifetime.

You can gauge how sustainable a building material is by evaluating the
amount of energy it takes (and the impact on the environment) to produce it.
Other factors that effect how green it is include how efficient it is in the
long-term and what it costs to maintain.

It’s possible to make a material more sustainable by recycling or reusing
it, reducing transportation costs, choosing alternative renewable materials
instead of non-renewable ones or using resources that have low energy
requirements. Using sustainable building materials helps the planet simply
because every aspect, from their creation, to their maintenance and disposal
has been carefully evaluated to have the minimum possible impact on the
environment.

There’s a fantastic array of sustainable building materials available today
for the eco-conscious home builder. Fly-ash bases bricks, baked earth,
bamboo, clay, wood harvested from sustainable forests, calcium sand-stone
etc. are some examples of popular sustainable building materials.

When you opt for choosing these materials you help in reducing the
consumption of non-renewable resources worldwide. Authorities estimate that
around 3 billion tons of raw materials are being used every year by
construction activities worldwide which works out to 40 percent of total
global consumption. (Roodman and Lenssen, 1995).

Aside of the impact on the environment using sustainable building materials
will benefit you as a home owner in many ways. It will help you to:

* Conserve energy in the long run since you will be using energy-efficient
materials in the construction of your home.

* Experience low or reduced costs related to maintenance and replacement of
materials over the building’s lifetime.

* Experience low costs with remodelling or space configurations.

* Feel the benefits in terms of better health since you will be using
renewable non-toxic materials.

* Be more creative with the design of your home.

So what do you need to look at to gauge how green a particular building
material is? Here are a few questions to consider:

1) Are the materials recyclable, non-toxic and safe for the environment?

2) How does this material contribute to the maintenance of the home in the
long run?

3) Is it possible to source this material locally? Is it easily replenished?

If you are working with building suppliers make sure that you specify your
desire to use local sustainable building materials or communicate that fact
clearly to your building contractor. You can also get really creative in the
design of your home when you use sustainable building materials. For
instance, if you live near the ocean, you could use stones and driftwood in
your home’s construction to give it a totally unique touch.

Using sustainable building materials not only contributes to a healthier
environment but also helps you create an earth-friendly home that’s a true
haven to future generations to come.

June 5th wasn’t any old day of the week, rather it commemorated a special occasion known as World Environment Day. World Environment Day is gaining a massive following which is seeing nations the world over joining in with the celebrations. These nations work in unity to plan and create a new environmental inspired theme with a week’s worth of activities to promote the occasion and a different city acting as the host each year.

World Environment Day has been around since 1972 and was the brainchild of the United Nations General Assembly created to raise environmental awareness and to draw political attention and public action on issues surrounding the environment.

In 2008 the theme centered around “CO2 - Kicking the Habit” which was an initiative to wean ourselves from our dependence on fossil fuels. 2009’s World Environment Day theme was “Your Planet Needs You – Unite to Combat Climate Change” with Mexico City as host.

Past events have taken place in different countries from New Zealand to Norway, Spain, China, Italy, Lebanon, Australia etc, with each country uniting for the common goal of preserving our planet for a better future through the actions that we take today.

The organization has done much to raise global awareness and stimulate local governments to follow suit and make new laws protecting the environment.

World Environment Day has become an important part of the United Nations and the lives of citizens around the world. This is because it serves as a reminder that no act is too small and that everyone can make a difference to make the world a better place. World Environment Day is not just about gathering in the host city, small and large organizations around the world form their own events to add to the global awareness, for example, the 2009 theme focuses on climate change issues and has prompted many to join up with local tree planting campaigns. Local schools are involved as well as large media organizations.

World Environment Day is also a great time to get kids involved with the knowledge of how to protect our planet. Student meetings are also formed worldwide as a reminder that age is not a factor either and that children can be involved with tree planting, recycling, energy and water conservation to name a few.

In order to celebrate and promote World Environment Day in your own home there are certain small changes you can make to your daily routine. Pay attention to the small amounts of water that you can save by taking shorter showers or running the tap for shorter amounts of time. Use towels instead of paper products and eat foods such as yogurt out of recyclable containers. Also, pay attention to how much light you use and remember to turn off the lights when you leave the room or leave the house.

Remember that trees can be planted in June on all continents so why not start your World Environment Day efforts today?, because World Environment Day can be everyday, it just has to start with you and what better time than the present?

Children are far more aware of the environment these days than you might think. It is a theme that is mentioned frequently at school and this is good for the future of the planet. If you are keen to help your kids get more information, involve them in the recycling process or explain the idea of carbon footprints to them, then there is plenty of help. There are many excellent books available now aimed at children of various ages that can help them to figure out what they can do to save the environment.

Here’s a look at some of the best books currently available in the market starting from infants through to teenagers.

“Why Should I Recycle?” by Jen Green helps kids ranging from 4-8 years to understand the value of recycling through simple lessons given by Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones is a teacher who takes kids in the story on class trips, teaches them to recycle trash and generally sets a good example. Filled with lovely illustrations and an entertaining story this cute book teaches very young kids the importance of protecting their planet. With crisp text that’s easy to read, this book sets the tone for the four part series that follows which teaches kids to save energy, save water etc. Notes at the back of the book recommend ways for parents or teachers to make the most of the book.

For children aged 9-12 years there’s “The Three R’s: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle” by Nuria Roca. This cute little book teaches kids to reduce pollution by reusing old hand-me downs and other products that they would ordinarily throw away. It teaches them to also reduce the number of things they throw away along with more information on how to recycle cans, bottles etc.

“A Child’s Introduction to the Environment: The Air, Earth, and Sea Around Us- Plus Experiments, Projects, and Activities YOU Can Do to Help Our Planet” by Michael Driscoll offers a more comprehensive view for kids in the same age group. Printed on recycled material it explores the world around us with beautiful watercolor illustrations. There are lots of ideas for experiments that kids can do along with project ideas and interesting facts. Peel-off stickers with environmental messages like ‘recycle’ and ‘unplug’ can be found in a special packet inside the book and are a terrific hit with kids which makes for a great daily reminder on how they can do their part for the environment .

Teenagers will benefit from “Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life” by Linda Sivertsen. This is a great little book that teaches teens to make a difference in the world by making small changes in their lifestyle. Not only does it give teenagers a good overview of the most serious issues threatening our planet but it also offers them lots of practical tips on traveling, shopping and eating green. There are interesting interviews with responsible teenagers who are involved in environmental causes along with explanations on how young adults can really turn things around with their efforts. It’s an inspirational book that empowers teenagers to create a better future in ways both big and small.

These are just a few of the books out there that teach kids to be responsible regarding the environment. There are many online resources to help kids go green and a general search should give you some great information. Good luck!

People are more concerned about wanton energy usage and the diminishing supply of fossil fuels that it has caused many to take action. Individuals are now taking responsibility for their own actions and hoping that this will make a collective difference in the long term.

If you are one of these people and are looking for a way to help out with the environment and reduce your energy usage, there are five simple steps to helping you to cut back on the amount of traditional energy you use and we are going to cover them here.

One of the first things that people trying to cut down on energy consumption do is to make sure that they turn off all of the unnecessary lights in their home. You may think this is a no brainer but next time look at your power bill and think how much it could be reduced by just by making that little bit of extra effort. Try being more vigilant in this task for the next month by making a real commitment to stick to it and compare your current power bill with next month’s one to measure how much money you actually can save over the long term just by doing this simple thing.

In fact your mother probably taught you to turn off the lights when you are not in a room, and there is some truth to this. Even with low voltage bulbs, it can help to make a difference to keep them switched off when they are not in use.

Get a digital programmable thermostat for your home. This way, you can set the thermostat to run the heat or air conditioning less when you are out, and then set the temperature to go back to comfortable levels just before you return. If the system is not running all day it will cut back significantly on the amount of energy you use.

Rely on solar power whenever you can. If you use outdoor lights, then switch these over to run on solar energy. You can also get a portable solar charger that can charge up small appliances like cell phones and laptops. While people mainly use these devices on the go, you can also routinely use them in the home as well.

Reduce your water consumption. You can accomplish this by cutting back on the amount you water your lawn, making sure that none of your faucets are dripping, and turning off the water when you are not using it.

Make sure that all of the bulbs in your home have been switched over to the low voltage compact fluorescents. Incandescent bulbs can almost triple your energy usage. Also, if you do have any outside bulbs that are not operated by solar power you need to make sure that they have the capability to turn themselves off during the daylight hours. This way even if you forget to turn the light off it will not be operating all day.

Just follow these five simple steps and you will be able to cut back on your energy consumption. Not only will you be working to save the environment, but you will also be reducing your utility bills as well.

The depletion of energy reserves has been highlighted once again as people throughout the world have been affected in some way. It might be that car gas priced might be at an all time high in developed nations or a lack or absence of energy in developing or third world countries. Gas prices recently reach an unprecedented $6 a gallon. Is this just the tip of the iceberg ?

Are we are rapidly exhausting our earth’s non-renewable resources like coal, uranium and natural gas and doing great harm to the environment as a result ? Have you been wondering about what you can do as a single individual to reduce global warming and the drain on the world’s resources?

Often as individuals we feel powerless to do anything, thinking that nothing we do could ever possibly make a difference. If you believe that then remember that we as a collective, together have all contributed in some way to our global crisis which means that we can also by our collective efforts make significant changes for the positive. There is plenty you can do to make a positive impact on reducing climate aberrations, food shortages, forest destruction, pollution etc. in the long term, by making just a few lifestyle changes.

Let’s take a look at what you can do today.

1). Check the news online: Think about the millions of trees that die everyday for you to get your morning newspaper. You can reduce this wanton destruction of trees by canceling all your newspaper subscriptions and going for an online subscription. You get your daily dose of news and a few trees are spared.

2). Transportation: Think about all the gas-guzzlers that we drive every day belching out carbon dioxide while consuming insane amounts of fuel. Consider adopting healthier and more environment-friendly alternatives. Carpooling has really caught on in some places. Use your most fuel-efficient vehicle to carpool several times a week or just use buses to get around sometimes. Walking or cycling even once a week has a big impact.

3). Reduce AC usage: Only use air conditioning in your car if you absolutely must. At speeds of under 40 mph you burn less fuel if you have the windows down. At speeds exceeding 45 mph the AC burns less fuel as windows down tend to create extra drag burning more fuel. Please don’t refrain from using the AC if the weather requires it, you are the best judge of your situation, drive to the conditions.

4). Drive happy: Believe it or not but being aggravated or stressed can cause you to suffer from heavy footedness and burn up to a whopping 50% more fuel than driving in a calm state of mind. This is an example of when driving angry can penalize you financially not to mention affect your health. I know this can be a big ask especially with our stressful lifestyles but try listening to relaxing music while you drive. Be aware of your moods, try to catch yourself before your stress levels get too elevated and focus on your breathing by taking deep breaths.

5). Recycle, Recycle: Recycling has become the slogan of our times and with good reason. Most plastics are non-biodegradable, which basically means that you are throwing out junk everyday that the environment simply cannot cope with. Try to avoid using plastics on a daily basis and use paper bags when you go shopping. If you can’t avoid using plastics then recycle and reuse as much as you can.

6). Plant trees: Did you know that a single tree can breathe in around one ton of carbon dioxide throughout its lifetime? Try planting at least one tree in your lifetime. It’s amazing how few of us do something that significant even though it’s so easy.

7). Boycott harmful products: Use more ‘green’ products and ‘green’ technologies. Don’t support the guys who are wreaking havoc on our planet by continuing to buy their environmentally harmful products.

8). Teach your kids: You can help your kids inherit a cleaner, healthier planet by educating them from the start. Begin by teaching your kids to conserve power and resources and also let them know the dire consequences of not taking care of the environment.

Everyone seems to be conscious about trying to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle but many fail to really do anything about it. Either they don’t really know what to do on a simple day to day basis or they just become lazy and fall back into old and environmentally bad habits. With a bit of knowledge and perseverance, you can integrate new green actions into your daily routine without a second thought. So here a 5 things you can do that will show you how to live a greener life.

1. This is an easy one which you can put into practice the next time you go shopping.  Opt to use cloth bags at the grocery store instead of paper or plastic.  These cloth bags can be purchased for as little as a few dollars each and they’re strong enough to carry just about anything in them.

These bags help reduce waste since most people throw away the plastic and paper bags.  The hardest part of using cloth bags is remembering to take them to the store, but once you get in the habit of using them, it becomes unconscious habit.

2. Replace your standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.  These bulbs use less energy and last for four to five years, almost 15 times longer than traditional bulbs.  While the cost of a compact fluorescent bulb is more than your standard bulb, they easily pay for themselves over time requiring less frequent replacement and reduced energy consumption.  In fact, studies show that a CF bulb can actually pay for itself within one to two months.  One CF bulb also saves about five pounds of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide a month.  Replacing every bulb in your home can have a huge impact on the environment and on your wallet.

3. Another way of living a greener life is to use public transportation.  By car pooling, taking the bus, or taking the subway you can cut down on the amount of gas you use and the amount of exhaust your car emits.  While it may be an inconvenience in some ways, it is one of the best ways of helping the environment.  Even better, walk or ride your bike to work if possible.  This not only saves you money and helps the environment but it also keeps you fit and healthy!

4. Adjust your thermostat by a few degrees.  By turning your thermostat down by just two degrees in the winter, you can save over 50 pounds of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide per month.  Turning it up a few degrees in the summer can likewise save you money and save the environment.

5. Finally, only wash your clothes or run your dish washer when you have a full load.  It wastes water and electricity to wash and dry only a few pieces of clothing.  In fact, if you can, try to wash your clothes using the cold water cycle as uses up to 50% less energy than a warm water one.

By just doing these basics not only you can save some serious money but you can rest assured that you’re doing your part for a cleaner, brighter future.

So there you have it. Remember that when you first start doing these things it might be a pain or you simply might forget to do them. But if you can continue to do these actions for 30 days straight they will become a part of your regular routine such that you hardly have to think about it. Thus these five little things will become second-nature to you.