Going Green: Environment Friendly Window Ideas

Window coverings help to reduce the costs of heating and cooling a home and fortunately many affordable and eco-friendly window treatments are available.
One way to go green with your window treatments is by creating draperies or curtains from natural hemp or linen. These materials are easily recycled and harmless to the environment. Choosing fabrics that are made from recycled materials like plastic bottles reduces non-biodegradable waste. For years, harmful fumes wreaked havoc on allergy sufferers, creating the demand for materials that were chemical free and environmentally safe. In fact, a vast majority of traditional fabrics contained herbicides, pesticides or carcinogens in the finishing process. But today the options for dye-free fabrics or those that use eco-safe dyes are endless. And many allergy sufferers are choosing non-toxic fabrics with anti-microbial and anti-fungal traits woven into the yarn as well as those that are stain-resistant, mildew and mold-resistant.
Today's ever increasing energy costs are a constant reminder to all of us to reduce our electricity and natural gas consumption as much as possible. One way to reduce energy consumption is through window coverings. When windows are uncovered, they are not energy efficient and increase the need to raise or lower thermostat settings. An uncovered window in the hottest weather can increase an air conditioner's workload by 50%.
Installing high-performance windows is one way to combat this problem. High performance windows help reduce energy costs, condensation and color fading due to sunlight. Another option is light-controlled motorized shades. Controlled by a hand-held remote control or through wall electrical switches, light-controlled motorized shades are ideal for large windows or skylights because the homeowner can open or close the window treatments by simply pushing a button.
If you're considering energy-efficient window shades, you'll want to consider the "shading coefficient," a measure of the window treatment's ability to reduce solar heat gain. The lower the number, the less solar heat entering your home and the lower your cooling and heating bills will be. Honeycomb cell shades, wood and faux wood blinds are better at energy conservation than aluminum blinds or roller shades.
Made of natural materials, bamboo blinds and shades are an eco-friendly option that gives rooms an Asian look and feel while controlling the light and heat in a home. Wood and faux wood blinds, shades and shutters also insulate windows, preventing heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.
When it comes to designing home interiors, more and more homeowners today are interested in going green. Many accomplish this by choosing window coverings made out of environmentally sustainable raw materials like bamboo, linen, silk and other natural fibers that haven't been treated with chemicals harmful to the environment.
Installing high-performance windows, light-controlled motorized shades or energy-efficient window treatments or shutters are ways homeowners can conserve energy and save money on their energy bills in addition to protecting furniture, framed photographs, flooring and other belongings from the sun's harmful rays.

Tips For Going Green

Being very passionate about my planet I chose to Go Green. I will list some tips here for you that can make a huge difference in your health, your electric bills and most of all your planet. I know that many of you are concerned with Global Warming and would love to do your part, I am going to help you with that today.

Paper Or Plastic?

The answer to that is neither. Most people answer this question saying paper, that is a wrong answer. Use re-usable bags that you can buy online or from stores in your area. Keep your bags in your vehicle so that if you make an unexpected stop to purchase something you have your own bag with you. You can Google cloth bags and find a choice for yourself.

Cleaning Products

Not only do cleaning products put toxins in your home for you, your children and your pets to breathe they are also not environmentally friendly. I use products that are natural and organic, have no warning labels so I know if my toddlers get them I am not going to have to rush them to the emergency room to have their stomachs pumped or call the poison control center. Women that work at home run a higher risk of cancer than women that work away from home. The risk is 54% higher. As I work from home and have children and pets I switched to all natural products. Shaklee not only has all natural products they are also the first company in the world to be certified Climate Neutral meaning they leave no footprint on the planet.

Packaging

When you are buying look at the packaging, things that are packaged inside of packaging cause too much waste. Buy things that are minimally packaged.

Paper Plates Or Plastic Plates?

Of course it is best not to use either but there are times when we must. When you are faced with this situation buy plastic plates that are 100% recycled. You can wash these, in an all natural dish detergent and use them over and over. Once done they are recyclable.

Organic Produce:

Buy produce that is organic. This means that it was grown with no pesticides which makes it healthier for you and for the planet. It costs a little more but is well worth the price. You can find a place near you where you can purchase organic produce online. Local Harvest is a great place to look, type in your zip code to find a farmer near you.

Reusable Water Bottles:

Instead of buying bottled water buy reusable water bottles. With the money you save from buying bottled water you can afford to buy a water filtration system for your home. Or you can buy reusable water bottles with a filter built in to them.

Look at your local landfill:

If you go take a look at a landfill in your area it will give you a wake up call. Most of the things there are not bio degradable and the ones that are will not be gone in your lifetime or the lifetime of your children and grand children.

Light Bulbs:

Buy energy efficient light bulbs. They are higher than the regular light bulbs you have been purchasing but they last for 5-10 years so the cost is minimal in reality. G E makes some great CFL bulbs. You will not only be helping the planet you will also find that you save on your electric bill. If everyone changed just one light bulb it would be equivalent to saving the carbon emissions on 800,000 cars. I switched all light bulbs in my home so I know this has made a huge difference to the planet.

Re-Cycle

The average person creates 4.5 pounds of trash per day. Think how much is going into the landfills if you are not re-cycling. You can re-cycle aluminum cans and foil, glass, but please rinse all containers before re-cycling, paper, a 4ft stack of recycled newspaper is equivalent to a 40 ft. fir tree, cardboard, such as cardboard boxes but if you have a cardboard container that pizza came in it can not be recycled as they can not use it if it is dirty, take your packing peanuts to your local shipping store, most will take them from you happily. I re-use my aluminum foil over and over before recycling it. I also buy foods packaged in containers that I can use to put left overs in when possible.

Water Consumption:

When showering or taking a bath spend less time in the shower and do not fill your tub to capacity when taking a bath. This will save a lot of water and if we all did this we could save enough water to ensure that everyone in the world could have water. Also fill up your sink when shaving instead of running the water for the duration of the time it takes you to shave.

Re-cycled Products:

Use re-cycled toilet paper and paper towels. I know it is not as easy to shop when you have to check packaging but think of the good you are doing for the environment.

Napkins:

The average person uses 6 paper napkins a day. That is a lot of waste going into our landfills. I switched to cloth napkins and then I just wash them in my environmentally friendly laundry product and re use them. I love the feel of the cloth napkin as opposed to paper also, it adds a nice touch to the meal.

Smart Power Strips:

Plug your small appliances, tv's and clocks into smart power strips. When not in use turn them off from the strip, this will save you a lot of money on your electric bill and is very healthy for the environment.

Candles:

Most of us love candles. Use an all natural candle made from soy, they burn clean and clean up with soap and water. I know I love the smell of candles in my home.

Printer Ink:

Instead of buying a new cartridge each time you need ink take your cartridge to a store where they re-fill them. I get mine done at CVS Pharmacies.

Gift Wrap:

Buy gift wrap that is made of 100% recycled paper.

Computers:

Instead of throwing your old computer away donate it. You can also find people that buy them to re-build them.

If each of you will incorporate one of these tips into your daily life the difference you make will be huge. I do all the things I have listed, as I said I am very passionate about my planet and especially the health of my family. It is difficult in the beginning to make all these changes but it becomes routine before long as anything you practice all the time does. How passionate are you about the planet? Thank you for being here and I hope I have given you some great tips you have not thought of before.

Cheryl C McNeil

1-05-08

Cheryl C McNeil is a life coach who enjoys helping people create changes in all areas of their life.

Trained at the beginning of her career by Ellie Drake, Cheryl has much to offer. Receive a free 30 minute consultation by contacting Cheryl at 817-902-2580.

Visit [http://cherylcmcneil.com] for all natural products

How A Roofing Company Going Green Saves Energy Consumption

A roofing company that uses green products not only saves energy but their leftover materials can be used in other industries. Summer starts the busy season for roofing companies in Florida. But did you know that the materials used by most roofers are not environmentally friendly? The leftover roofing materials usually are taken to the local landfill. In fact, it is reported each year hundreds of thousands of tons of leftover roofing materials are poured into landfills putting a strain on our environment. One roofing company is helping to lead an initiative to go green by using green products in both their commercial and residential roofing projects. There our some practical benefits to adopting green roofing methods on top of helping the environment. Let us take a closer look at the impact the environmentally friendly materials have not only on the tops of homes but in surrounding industries.

One of the benefits is fuel efficiency. What does fuel efficiency have to do with roofing materials? The roofing materials are first ordered by the roofing companies. Then the materials are hauled in on semi-the trucks to the companies from roofing materials manufacturers all over the country into different states. The heavier the roofing materials are the more fuel that is consumed during the haul across the country. Green roofing products such as vents are especially light weight, top loaded onto a pallet and save gas consumption.

Another significant benefit green roofing products boast is energy efficiency or electric costs. When the attic in your home has sufficient ventilation the life of your roof will be extended. The roof becomes protected from the natural elements that can harm the roof's structure and further reduce the life of the, which eliminates the energy waste. A third important benefit to using green materials concerns the manufacturing processes. Plastic overage from green roofing materials is ground up and made into floor sweep and underground corrugated piping, minimizing plastic waste during the manufacturing process. Later, the excess plastic grind product is sold off to other industries such as lawn care, drainage pipe and plumbing businesses. In addition, 30% of the grind plastic is used in the new roofing products.

When we view the big picture of using green roofing products it indeed has a significant impact on not only helping the environment but saving on energy in several different ways. In summary, using green roofing products seems a wise move for all roofing companies.

St. Petersburg Roofing Company American Professional Roofing can be contacted for more information at http://www.roofingclearwater.org/

Potential Benefits to Going Green

The environment needs just a bit of assistance these days. We are not currently being too familiar with various ways we can reduce our amount of use and we are utilising so many resources. "Going Green" won't just benefit the natural world, it ought to also benefit you.

You could possibly switch your current devices with ones that have been Energy Star rated. Quite a lot of house appliances and electronic devices now hold this kind of rating. You might be reluctant to put that amount of money into new things when your other appliances continue to be operating fine. Sadly eventually you'll pay even more because at some point they will break-down and employ progressively more electrical power to keep working. Over the lifetime of Energy Star home appliances, they will regain the investment. Also you can get yourself a rebate that can be used following your purchase. You might be eligible for a tax credit as well. Look into changing your machine if it is greater than twenty years old. In cases where your current washer is old, swapping it with an Energy Star ranked type is often advocated since it could reduce both your water and electrical payments.

Solar panels are only getting more economical lately. Research options and rates to discover if you're able to obtain a good package on solar energy panels for your own home. You might just track down discounts. Also a brief online search could very well help. In the end solar energy panels could save you a lot of money on electricity, it is therefore definitely worth the expense.

However, if solar panel products are not an option for your needs then you're likely to want to change many of the appliance and lighting inside the house. Obtain energy saving products, and consider utilizing items like re-chargeable batteries. To make sure you do not have to waste so much electrical energy within your home you could add dimmer light fixtures to every room of your home.

Changing conventional roofing with a green roof will assist an individual together with the environment. A extensive green roof is going to reflect more of the sun's radiation from the property. It in addition provides shade as well as heat insulation that keeps the premises below it much cooler in Summer months but warmer in The winter months, which signifies reduced energy bills. Producing your own fruits and vegetables on your living rooftop might end up being advantageous to our own bank accounts and our own carbon footprints.

Going green could help save you a great deal of money on your current electricity charges and fuel expenses in the long run along with helping our world. We could make a genuine difference with a little bit of effort.

Going Green With a Cat Back System

The poisonous emissions from car exhausts are increasing by the day and the government is ever so keen on the issue. Catalytic converters are becoming a necessity and with them cat back systems all in the interest of our environment. This article illustrates the working of this exhaust components and how they can be used to improve the quality of our atmosphere.

Catalytic converter

This is part of a vehicle exhaust system and its function is to convert the byproducts of combustion into less toxic substances that can be emitted into the environment. This is done through various chemical processes that include oxidation carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water and reduction of oxides of nitrogen into nitrogen and water. There are two types of catalytic converters, two-way and three-way.

The two-way converter was the earlier model produced between 1975 and 1980 and its name was derived from its function. It had the capability of oxidizing carbon monoxide and partially burnt carbons (hydrocarbons) into water and carbon dioxide. This model had one shortcoming, that it could not deal with the toxic nitrogen oxides that gasoline produces hence the invention of the three-way converter. This is a newer model that cannot only convert carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons but also nitrogen oxides through reduction into nitrogen and water.

From the discussion, you can understand why the law in some states is so keen on the presence of a catalytic converter. The absence of these would result to very harmful emissions into the atmosphere causing numerous health hazards. The catalytic converters go hand in hand with cat back systems discussed below.

Cat back system

The 'cat' stands for catalytic converter and was created to make use of legally required catalytic converters. It is the part of the exhaust system from the catalytic converter to the tip. It consists of the pipe from the converter to the muffler, the muffler and the exhaust tip. Its Function is to guide the gases safely out as well as to muffle the noise made by the high pressure gases.

There are two reasons that you should get a vehicle that has these components. The first and most important reason is for our environment. Modern life is consistently adding hazards and more so to the environment. Needless to say, fresh air is life and we need to preserve it. Two, the law in various states requires it. Due to excessive emission of smog, various states are making it a requirement for all the vehicle owners and soon this will most likely be the case in all states. Save yourself the trouble and get one.

The good news is that if you can get a cat back system in various outlets such as MagnaFlow for Acura, Audi, BMW, Ford, Land Rover, Jeep you name it. Just check out their products and help keep the environment clean.

The author is an expert writer on vehicle accessories with a keen interest on exhaust systems. For more information check out magnaflow exhaust products.

Going Green With Modular Homes

There are more products in the marketplace that allow consumers to be environmentally responsible than ever before. These products range from cleaning products to modular homes. Homes can actually be constructed with a green initiative in mind. This includes everything from the construction of the panels to the energy efficiency of the finished home.

Many of the modern modular homes are built to use less energy. There may be solar panels on the roof or thicker layers of insulation on the sides of the home. When there is less heat being absorbed into the home, the AC doesn't have to work as hard. As a result, the electricity bills are considerably less. This has a direct result on the environment in a positive way.

Builders are creating green modular homes that use sustainable materials. In a standard construction home, a lot of materials are being taken directly from natural resources. This includes lumber and many other items. It's not good for the planet, yet they are used anyway. The use of sustainable materials in construction is much more environmentally friendly. When these products are used, it creates a smaller environmental impact than traditional building materials. For example, a roof may be constructed of metal, slate shingles, or some other sustainable product instead of traditional asphalt shingles.

With modular homes, a homeowner often has more control over certain aspects of the home. There are endless floor plans available. Adjustments can be made to the floor plan based on individual preferences. Once the panels are constructed off site, they are then brought to where the home will reside. As the construction crew assembles the panels, other decisions and changes can be made.

The piping, hardware, and appliances will need to be selected. Many homes going green are built specifically to be energy efficient. There are faucets and shower heads that will reduce water flow. In addition, energy efficient appliances can be selected that will use less energy in their operation throughout the home.

Modern modular homes are being decorated with the green initiative in mind as well. Instead of carpet or tile, the flooring may be bamboo or cork. The walls will be painted with organic paints. Even the curtains on the windows may be made of organically-produced fabrics.

A standard construction home is expensive to build. Add green initiatives to it and it may be cost prohibitive for the average homeowner to build. Green modular homes are typically more affordable for home buyers because in general, they are less expensive to build. Those who are looking to embrace the green initiative in every way now have an affordable way to own an environmentally friendly home.

There are many companies that offer modular home specs. Choosing one should be based on the available floor plans, the materials used in construction, as well as the cost. Every company has a different way of doing business and a different set of offerings. Do your research and speak to a variety of companies before making your final decision on which company to purchase your new home from.