Going Green at Home

Looking for ways to go green? - Here's Help.

Tips for going green at home and reducing the size and impact of your carbon footprint. From renewable home energy options to organic gardening to raising urban chickens... It's all here!

How to live green no matter where you live. Whether home is a tiny condo or an expansive acreage there are options you can use to leave a greener footprint while you save money and enjoy a deeper connection with Mother Nature.

Going green at home shares information on how to compost your kitchen and yard scraps, harvesting rainwater for use in your home and garden, renewable home energy options, building greener, growing food and so much more.

Below, find ideas to get you started and links to informative pages on each subject.

We'll pass on all we've learned while operating an organic echinacea farm on our small acreage in Western Canada.

More and more, people are answering the environmental wake up call by going green at home. Remember, we're driving this bus, the marketplace responds to the decisions we make - Of course they spend a considerable amount of money and resources to convince us that we want, what they have, but we still have the power. If they can't sell it to us, they won't make it.

Have a look at the resources around you then check below to find options for going green at home that suit your location, your budget and your lifestyle.

Start Going Green at Home Today - Here's How

• Reduce

  Use less... of everything. Water, cleaning products (vinegar makes a top notch cleaning product), fossil fuels, disposables and plastic bags are just a few things we should be using in moderation...if at all.

• Reuse

  Whenever you can... reuse, packaging, glass containers, plastic bags, building materials, the list goes on. Buy reuseable containers for lunches, water, coffee, refrigerator & freezer storage. Avoid the use of disposable products that are non-biodegradable.

• Recycle

  Recycling facilities exist for bottles, cans, tetra packs, glass, paper, cardboard, batteries, tires, clothing, furniture and more. Some things can be reused as is, and some are transformed into entirely new products. (Did you know that plastic bottles are turned into snuggly polar fleece clothing?) Check out our worm composter page for a cool way to recycle kitchen scraps and junk mail.

• Home Composting

  Not only does composting keep millions of tons of bio degradable materials out of landfill sites, it nourishes the soil and repays us by producing vitamin rich vegetables and breathtaking flower gardens and trees.

• Water

  The average American person uses 80 - 100 gallons of water... every day. Any "going green at home" plan will include water in one way or another. Using less, collecting rainwater and water filtration systems are good places to begin. Have a look at some of our water conservation suggestions.

• Harvest Rainwater

  
  Ahhh - rainwater. Water that falls from the heavens to nourish the earth. Here are some valuable tips on making the most of the rainwater that falls on your property.

• Barter

  It's true. One man's trash is another man's treasure. Rather than throwing out items you no longer have a use for, trade them for "new to you" items that someone else is no longer using. Try organizing a neighborhood swap meet where no money changes hands, strictly barter (one or more items being traded for another).

• Energy Conservation

  Incorporate some of our energy conservation tips and save thousands of dollars per year while reducing the size of your carbon footprint

• Solar

  Solar energy can be used in different ways to reduce your energy expense and your footprint. If you're going green at home and in the garden, solar lighting, garden fountains and pond pumps are a good start. And that's just the beginning. Solar energy is fast becoming a mainstream power source. More solar power info.

• Wind

  Household wind generators produce clean energy. If you live in a fairly high wind area, consider putting that wind to good use. Here's what else you need.



• Geothermal & Earth Energy

  Right underfoot is a valuable home heating and cooling resource. Use earth energy and geothermal heat and leave a greener treadmark behind.

• Plant Trees

  Breathe in, breathe out. Trees are the lungs of the earth, taking in carbon dioxide with every breath and exhaling oxygen back into our atmosphere. Also, trees are super efficient air conditioners, make great privacy screens, are a source of food, fuel and building resources, prevent soil erosion and are an eco environment for many beneficial species like birds, bees and bugs. Need I say more? There's a little bit of tree hugger in every one of us who takes steps toward going green at home.

• Car Pool or Use Public Transport

  Not only does car pooling keep tons of harmful emissions out of our atmosphere, it saves scads of money on fuel, parking and other vehicle expenses. Using public transport gives you an opportunity for a little exercise too.

• Use More People Power

  We've somehow become convinced that the less we have to move, the better it is... what? So now that we've made life so easy on ourselves that we don't even have to move to change the channel on the TV... we're spending millions of our hard earned money at the gym so we can... move.
  
  Walk, cycle, rollerblade, use a push mower, take the stairs, there are thousands of ways to get exercise every day and keep your money in your pocket.

• Renewable Building Materials

  Building doesn't have to be a drain on valuable resources. Choose bambo for flooring and countertops, recycle wood floors, doors and cupboards and choose building materials such as rammed earth and straw bales for the actual construction of your building. More green building materials

• Renewable Textiles

  Clothing, shopping bags, bedding, towels, if it's made of fabric, consider the source of the material. Environmentally benign fabrics include organic cotton, bamboo and hemp. Not only friendly but durable and soft.

• Organic Gardening Tips

  
  The best and cheapest way to get the tastiest organic vegetables imaginable is to grow them yourself. Not only does "growing your own" ensure cheap, pesticide free food for your family, the food doesn't have to be transported to you via a truck that uses non renewable energy.

It's easy to get started going green at home and even easier to keep going. By making small changes that often cost nothing, we can make a huge difference and once the snowball starts rolling, it takes on a life of it's own. We have the power!

I once heard a story that began to impact the choices I make about going green.

A couple was walking along the shoreline at low tide. The beach was littered with tens of thousands of starfish that had been left behind on the sand when the tide went out and lay dying in the hot sun. The man picked up a starfish and hurled it into the sea, then another, then another.

His companion laughed at his efforts saying that he could hardly make a difference given that there were so many stranded starfish scattered along the shoreline.

Undaunted, the man picked up another starfish and as he hurled it into the surf he said "made a difference to that one".

That's how I feel about choices that help us go green. It may seem like an overwhelming task to put the earth right but it will be achieved by millions of people, each making a small difference.

Every choice we make counts... one way or the other.

Around the world, going green is becoming a good habit. Recognized as the responsible choice, small changes are adding up to huge benefits for mother earth and her inhabitants.



How do you it? Share your ideas for going green with our visitors.