THINK GREEN


VOL.6, NO.1

The latest ecological trend is the "greening of America." Many people believe being ecologically responsible means they must trade their physical comfort for energy savings. And that conserving natural resources cost more. However, with careful planning, any facility can become functional as well as comfortable and environmentally sensitive. The design of Wal-Mart in Lawrence, Kansas is a good example. Planners have designed the first EcoMart which reduces energy use by 40%. They do this by using skylights and dimmable fluorescent lights. They also recycle stormwater for use in landscaping. And the wood roof trusses are made from sustainable harvested lumber. Even the air conditioning system is free from harmful CFC's. This measure eliminates continued destruction of the ozone layer. In certain geographical areas, a properly designed "green" house can get 95% of its heat from passive solar sources. It will use less than half the water and a tenth of the electricity of a conventional home. The net cost of these energy saving features will average about $10,000 or roughly 1% extra. It has been proved that these features can be paid back in 3 to 5 years. By introducing some of these
ideas listed below you will be well on your way to creating an environmentally conscious home or office. Saving Water: Install water saving toilets and faucet aerators. Recycle stormwater for landscaping. Saving on Energy Bills: Install efficient fluorescent lights with electronic ballasts, high efficiency low-wattage incandescent light bulbs, argon-filled heat mirror windows (they have twice the efficiency of triple glazed windows), your home plan to utilize those existing trees. This will save on your energy bills. Inside your home use light colors on walls, floors and ceilings to increase illumination. Locate your home or office close to conveniences to reduce the use of automobiles which emit ozone damaging fumes. Use recycled building materials and refurbish old furniture whenever possible. Be aggressive in the internal operations of your home and office. Incorporate recycling measures by using a three-bin system, one for white paper a second for mixed paper and the third for garbage. This practice alone will save trees, fossil fuels and landfills. A group of Baltimore Attorneys proved these ideas work. The firm needed a new office building. Rather than build new they purchased an older building. They cleaned it up, splashed on a fresh coat of paint and re-stained existing hardwood floors. They estimated, during regular office use, they generated 61/2 tons of paper annually. So they incorporated the three-bin system. As a result that small firm was able to save 111 trees, 2700 gallons of oil and 130 cubic yards of land space annually. A little planning will save you money and allow you to be ecologically responsible. All it takes is a commitment to THINK GREEN!
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solar/photovoltaic panels, high efficient energy-miser appliances. You can also save on energy bills by increasing your wall and ceiling insulation value. On your next home or office building you might install movement sensors that automatically turn off lights when not in use. The installation of solar hot water storage tanks, which harness free heat, is also a good energy saver. Save by using nature: Trees are a natural source of shading and keep your home cool in the summer. When you build

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