Savon Perkins

Greening Your
Home
Reduce your personal greenhouse gas emissions
 Greening Your Home

Sources: www.epa.gov and www.thegreenguide.com.

 Greening Your Home

Greening Your Home

Reducing your personal greenhouse gas emissions

Did you know that by our everyday habits and choices, the average American puts
out 22 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year? Experts studying the recent climate
history of the earth agree now that global warming is occurring at a precipitous rate,
and human activities are the dominant force driving the trend. Our smokestacks,
tailpipes, and burning forests emit CO2 and other gasses that add to the planets
natural greenhouse effect, allowing sunlight in, but preventing some of the resulting
heat from radiating back to space. Many climate experts say that without big curbs
in greenhouse gas emissions, the 21st century could see temperatures rise 3 to 8
degrees, weather patterns sharply shift, ice sheets shrink, and seas rise several
feet. The problem of global warming seems overwhelming, but there is a lot you can
do to help. Reducing your personal share of global warming emissions is easier than
you think.

Small Steps to Take in Your Home and Yard

All of us are capable of making a few small changes in our home and yard that can
lead to big reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, increase the nation's energy
independence, and save money on energy bills.

Change your light bulbs

Replace the conventional bulbs in your most frequently used light fixtures with bulbs
that have the Energy star label, such as CFL bulbs. If every household in the U.S. took
this one simple action we would prevent more than 1 trillion pounds of greenhouse gas
emissions.

Sources: www.epa.gov and www.thegreenguide.com.

 Greening Your Home

Sources: www.epa.gov and www.thegreenguide.com.

 Greening Your Home

Composting Use Energy Star labeled products and maintain appliances

Energy Star products are available in more than 50 product
categories, including lighting, appliances, and home
electronics. If your fridge door can't hold a dollar, you're
leaking CO2 and money, as well as cold air, so get it fixed. You
also save by cleaning your refrigerator's coils, defrosting
regularly, and keeping the top shelf clear of clutter.

Heat and cool your home efficiently

Yard trimmings and food waste
together constitute 24% of the waste
sent to U.S. landfills -- a lot to waste
when it could become useful and
environmentally beneficial organic
compost instead. Composting is also
easy to do.
What to Compost
Animal manure
Cardboard rolls and clean paper
Coffee grounds and filters
Cotton and wool rags
Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
Eggshells and nut shells
Fireplace ashes
Fruits and vegetables
Grass clippings and leaves
Hair and fur
Hay and straw
Houseplants
Shredded newspaper
Tea bags
Wood chips and sawdust
Yard trimmings
What Not to Compost
Black walnut leaves or trimmings
Coal or charcoal ash
Dairy products
Diseased or insect-ridden plants
Fats, grease, lard, or oils
Meat or fish bones and scraps
Pet wastes
Yard trimmings treated with
pesticides
Use a programmable thermostat, which will automatically
adjust your home's temperature while you're asleep or away.
Also, clean your air filters regularly, especially during winter
and summer months, and have your heating and cooling
equipment tuned regularly by a licensed contractor. Install
adequate insulation, seal the cracks and gaps in your house,
and replace old windows with windows that qualify for the
Energy Star. If all this seems too overwhelming, a home
energy auditor can help to identify areas with poor insulation
and evaluate the energy efficiency of your home.
Reduce, reuse, and recycle
If there is a recycling program in your community, recycle
your newspapers, beverage containers, paper, and other
goods. Buy products made from recycled materials or in
containers that can be recycled, and use items that can be
repaired or reused.
Be green in your yard
Opt for a push mower, which, unlike a gas or electric mower,
consumes no fossil fuels and emits no greenhouse gases. If
you must use a power mower, make sure it is a mulching
mower to reduce grass clippings and add natural compost to
your lawn. Composting your food and yard waste reduces the
amount of garbage that you send to landfills and reduces
greenhouse gas emissions.
Use water efficiently
Municipal water systems require a lot of energy to purify and
distribute water to households, and saving water, especially
hot water, can lower greenhouse gas emissions. Dont let the
water run while shaving or brushing your teeth, dont flush the
toilet unless necessary, and repair leaky toilets and faucets
right away.

Sources: www.epa.gov and www.thegreenguide.com.

 Greening Your Home

Use Green Power

Green power is
Measure Your Impact environmentally friendly
electricity that is generated
from renewable energy
sources, such as wind and the
sun. There are two ways to
use green power: you can buy
green power for your home, or
you can modify your house to
generate your own green power, for
example, by installing solar panels.
Shorten your shower by two
What are renewable energy
minutes and save 342 lbs. in
resources?
CO2 emissions.
Renewable energy resources are
continuously Replace one incandescent bulb replenished and include wind,
with a compact fluorescent
solar, geothermal, low impact
light bulb (CFL) and save
(small) hydropower, biomass (wood,
approximately 55 lbs.
straw, manure), and biogas. All of
these Use an Energy Star refrigerator resources reduce the
and save 500 lbs.
environmental impact
associated Recycle paper, plastic, and with traditional power
generation. glass and save over 1,000 lbs. Currently, the majority of
electricity in Replace red meat in your diet the U.S. is generated from
fossil fuels, with fish, eggs, and poultry to with less that 2% generated
from non- save over 950 lbs. hydro or biomass renewable
resources. Wash at least half your laundry
in cold water and save 72 lbs.
Hang half your laundry to dry
and save 723 lbs.
Plug your home entertainment
devices into a power strip and
turn it off when not in use to
save 240 lbs.
Lower your thermostat one
degree below 70 to save 320
lbs. for natural gas heat and
236 lbs. for electrical heat.
Raise your air conditioning
thermostat one degree above
72 to save 121 lbs.

Sources: www.epa.gov and www.thegreenguide.com.