Top 10 Ways to "Green" Your Home

In honor of Earth day I thought I would prepare a list of the top ten easiest ways to make your home more earth-friendly. Remember every little bit helps; recycling just one glass bottle saves enough electricity to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours! Now, on to the list:

1. Green up your appliances. Appliance use comprises about 18% of a typical home's total energy bill, with a refrigerator being one of the biggest energy hogs! If any of your appliances are more than 10 years old, you should replace them with energy-efficient models that bear the "Energy Star" logo. These appliances use 10-15% less energy and water than standard models.

2. Watch the temp. Almost half a home's energy consumption is due to heating and cooling.
*Turn down your thermostat in cold weather and keep it higher in warm weather.
*Clean your furnace's air filter monthly during heavy usage.
*Consider a new furnace
*Keep cool in warmer weather, shade your east and west windows and delay heat-generating activities such as dishwashing until evening.
*Use ceiling fans instead of air conditioners.

3.Save Water. Check out the website www.wateruseitwisely.com! This amazing website lists 100 simple ways to save water. For instance:
*Install a low-flow toilet which uses only 1.6 gallons per flush, compared to 3.5 gallons per flush for pre-1994 models.
*Put an aerator on all household faucets and cut your annual water consumption by 50%!

4.Clean Green. Stop buying household cleaners that are potentially toxic to both you and the environment.

5.Let there be "energy-efficient" light. Compact Fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use 66% less energy than standard bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with a 32-watt CFL can save $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.

6. Save a tree, use less paper. Buy "tree-free" 100% post-consumer recycled paper for everything from greeting cards to toilet paper!

7. Want hardwood floors? Opt for bamboo. Not only are bamboo floors "exotic" they are considered environmentally friendly due to its high yield and the relatively fast rate at which it replinishes itself.

8. Reduce plastics, reduce global warming. Every year Americans throw away some 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags - grocery, trash, and sandwhich bags - considered one of the main contributors to global warming. Reduce, re-use and recycle your plastics for one of the best ways to combat global warming.

9. Use healthier paint. Convential paints contain solvents, toxic metals, and volatile organic compounds that can cause smog, ozone pollution and indoor air quality problems with negative health effects, according to the EPA. Opt instead for zero- or low-VOC paint, made by most major paint manufacturers today.

10. Garden green. Use compost instead of synthetic fertilizers. Compost provides a full complement of soil organizims and the balance of nutrients needed to maintain the soil's well-being without the chemicals of synthetic fertilizers. Healthy soil also minimizes weeds and is key to producing healthy plants, which can in turn prevent many pest problems from developing!