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Easy Ideas To Make Your House More Eco Friendly |
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With the current discussions relating to all the threats to the planet, such as planetary warming and limited supplies of fossil fuels, more people are trying to do what they can to protect and save the environment. If you haven't yet jumped on the band wagon, there are many things you can do to start participating.
by IslaHitchcock
With the current conversations regarding all the threats to the planet, such as planetary warming and reduced supplies of fossil fuels, more people are endeavoring to do what they are able to to protect and save the environment. If you haven't yet jumped on the band wagon, there are a number of things you can do to begin participating.
One of the best places to start is your own home. It just takes a few days of work to help make your house environmentally sound, and the benefits can last for years - it can even increase the value of your home. Here are five tips to start:
Look into alternate ways to produce electricity. This is one of the more expensive and demanding tips, but you can get a return on your investment. Installing cheap solar panels|Installing acheap solar panel or windmills will take naturally occuring energy (sunlight, wind) and convert it to electricity. You can then either use the electricity for your house or sell it back to the power company to offset your utilities bill.
Another great way to improve your energy efficiency is to use rain barrels. They can be as basic as recycled trash cans made into a water container. What a rain barrel does is collect the water running off a roof. You simply put the barrel beneath the rain spout, attach a water valve, and use the collected water for watering your garden or cleaning your car, for example.
Make your house more air-tight. You want to make sure that cold air stays in the house during summer and outside during the winter. Make sure your insulation is thick enough and installed in walls and the attic. Fill all cracks and gaps around doors and windows with caulk and weatherstripping.
Finally, replacing standard incandescent light bulbs with flourescent ones, at least where they are most used, can save energy because they use less electricity to create the same amount of light with gas-filled tubes rather than heated filaments.
Make it a habit to conserve energy and be conscious of those times when you do use energy. Turn off the lights if you leave the room. Don't leave the water running when brushing your teeth. And don't leave the refrigerator door open for a long period of time.
Remember to check resources like your local library and conservation and governmental internet sites to find many more eco-friendly tips. When it comes to making changes and personal choices to help lessen the environmental impact on the planet, there is something for all of us, and everyone benefits from them.
About the Author:
Isla Hitchcock is one of the in-house writers at the RemodelingIdeasEtc internet site. Some of the topics recently covered include water filters and pool winterizing. |
