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Easy Ways to Paint Your Home Green:


Small Energy Efficiency Changes Made Around the Home Add Up in the Long Run

© 2009 by Elizabeth Johnson all rights reserved; content may not be copied, rewritten, or republished without author’s written permission.

Work towards a greener, environmentally friendly earth

It’s not just the in thing to do these days, it’s also one way of doing your bit to save the environment from all the changes that it is going through because of the way we abuse energy and our natural resources.

While going entirely green in the way we live is not possible, there are many things that we can do to prevent causing even more damage to the earth and its environment. You could start with your home and adopt these easy methods to “go green”:

  • Reduce your use of energy: To do this, all you have to do is replace your incandescent lights with compact florescent lights, replace your old appliances with those that are branded with the Energy Star label and that use the minimum energy, invest in a solar water heater and other renewable and sustainable forms of energy, and switch off all lights and other electrical appliances when they are not in use. Even chargers that are left on drain away more electricity than you would imagine. Shut down your computer instead of letting it hibernate through the night, and use natural lighting and ways to cool and heat your home instead of relying on electricity to do so.


  • Reduce your use of water: More than reducing water usage, we need to minimize its wastage. Water is wasted through taps and faucets left running as we do other work, through dripping taps and flushes that are not closed properly or that leak because of inefficient plumbing, and people callously pouring water down the drain like it was an infinite resource. Use shower heads that save water and don’t turn your faucets fully on. Water is precious, and the sooner we understand this, the cleaner and safer our world will be.


  • Don’t use scarce resources for your furnishing and furniture: Yes, wood does look good, but the more trees you cut, the less rainfall our planet gets. And when there is no rain, that is the end of life as we know it. Use look-alike substitutes or material that is harvested through sustainable methods. Minimize your use of paper; say no to your daily newspaper and read the news online instead. Wasting paper is the same as cutting down trees indiscriminately.


  • Avoid plastic: Plastic causes immense damage to the environment because it is not degradable. So avoid using it at all costs. Also, when you have to dispose of your old and unwanted electronic gadgets because they no longer work, remember to do so responsibly instead of filling dumpsters with them.

It does take a little effort from you, but the rewards you reap are great when you try to live a greener life.

About the Author:

This guest article was written by Elizabeth Johnson, who regularly writes on the topic of online construction management degrees. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: elizabeth.johnson1@rediffmail.com.


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