Home & Green Living

Green living makes us to live healthily. It saves money and also environment. It is essential to live Green in order to save the earth from global warming. It is our responsibility to save our earth and it is in our hands to save the earth. But we don’t know what are the ideas are to follow for green living. There are some ideas to follow for living green.

The main ideas for living green is reduce the dust that we discard from our home. Now, so many companies are also taking many steps for reducing their packages. This is a good idea to follow for living green. The other idea we have to follow is Reuse durable containers and products. It is a good way to use these products. If we are not having any necessary with those products at least we have to give to the others who are in need of it. Recycle is also one of the best ideas for living green.

The other major ideas for living green are

1. Firstly loving the planet is one of the major ideas for living green. Using organic products and cosmetics is also a major idea to lead a life green. Use hormone free dairy products and try to buy these products in glass bottles. Because these are reusable.

2.Try to grow a plants or trees which give more oxygen. Avoid the plastic covers because these are not reusable. And these take 1000 years to dissolve in earth.

3. There are also some easy ways to live green. Easy green living is nothing but living green without making much effort. There are some easy ways or ideas to live green. Make a small difference to live green.

4. Water conservation is one of the easy ways to live green. It is an important resource because we can’t live with out it. Water conservation also saves money. But we generally waste so much water in so many ways. Try to reduce using water level makes the life green. The simple ways to conserve water are using low flowed shower heads, using less water when washing clothes or dishes, see there is no leakage in taps and try to use sprinklers for the land. These are some of the ways to conserve water.

5. Another way of living green is eating local food. The farmer market is a best one to get a local food. It not only gives energy but also saves money. The food that is obtained from a farmer market is cultivated by hand not by using fuel. And try to grow the vegetables and leafy vegetables in house. Because farmers may use the pesticides but we never use this in our home. We use water to cultivate the plants which is one of the green substances.

6. Coming to another way of living green that is recycling. Recycling is coming from several number of years. Now there are so many recycling centers to drop our goods in it. We may not use the goods so we can give the at least for the people who are in need of it.

It is our responsibility to live green and make the globe green.

Interior Design is the single best experience in my life that has allowed me to experience fantastic creative energy each and every day. I must admit, however, that the move towards “Green Living Design” sometimes has me pulling my hair out.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve written many an article about the coming boon in Green Living Design and how we, as Designers, must be at the forefront of the movement. With that being said, I find that many of my clients often look at me with that “Deer in the headlight” look when I even casually mention the Green aspect of a Design element for their new home or addition.

It is not that most folks don’t care; They do. It is that most feel that they are being handed a bill of goods because something is trendy or fashionable at the moment and can not have any direct implications on their lives in the present. “Going Green” is something that the Hollywood crowd does, not the average consumer.

That used to be true and, yes, in some quarters of “Green Design, ” it still is. However, I have found that there are common elements that, if mentioned correctly, everybody can get behind from a Green standpoint.

So, what are the basic elements of some solid Green Living Design that most can see using in their lives? I will touch on four that if you are remodeling or building, can be done in that part of the design; Heating/Air units, HVAC, Wall design, Insulation elements and, finally, Door and Window design elements.

There has been an emergence of systems that use a “Forced Air” feature known as radiant space heaters. Many builders like the aspect of forced heating in that it eliminates a huge chunk of the duct work that must be used in a home design. Some builders, and many fire departments, like the aspect of a lower amount of duct work as it sometimes can aid in the spread of fires in a home.

Wall design has become something of interest, as of late, with the rising cost in energy prices. A lot of builders are liking the idea of walls that are a bit thicker in an exterior build. Many are looking at 12-inch-thick exterior walls with a high R value, which is the rating given a substance’s thermal resistance. That gives you better energy values, and combined with better Green materials that go inside the walls, this could save a homeowner substantial money in overall energy cost.

Insulation elements continue to increase in the “Green” factor with some great cellulose insulation options available to consumers. Some of these ratings are as high as R-60, in some cases, and can greatly reduce the cost of running your home when it comes to energy.

Finally, doors and windows. This category is the one that seems to get the lease resistance from homeowners looking at new design elements. It seems that the industry has really taken the lead in this category by just explaining to the consumer, in terms that make total sense, that these design features can and will save them money. It seems that most homeowners have had a face-to-face confrontation with the dastardly windows and doors in their homes and immediately “Get it” when it comes to dealing with them. Still, some of the better energy saving features come at a price and can make many a home owner grimace when handed the bill.

So, there you are. Four design elements that are loaded with “Green Value,” as I like to call it. Excellent ways to be a little more conscious about the environment in any Interior Design elements that you are considering and will help you move towards that ever elusive Green Living Design.

In today’s marketplace, Green Living Homes have taken on a different connotation and seem to inspire different emotions as well. In these economic times, it seems that you can’t do Green Living Homes without some sort of a major overhaul of your home, or so it seems. When a new administration enters the White House, somebody or some group seems to think they may have a voice. In America, the Green lovers are of the mindset that the next President will be so for them.

Granted, I am not coming at you from an environmentalist mindset. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. I am of the mindset that a lot of the Green thinking borders on the “Guilt” aspect that characterizes you as bad if you aren’t Green for some reason.

Quite honestly, the Green movement can be a bit radical in its propagation of their overall message and, from a design standpoint, the lens that I often gage things, the materials have not been there to justify a Green Living Home. That has begun to change with some great new design materials that has started to spark the interest of the design community, and, more importantly, become more reasonable from a price standpoint.

Now, here are some things you can do to be more Green just by making changes in the things you do everyday and in future design changes that you may be making in your home.

First, if you are about to do an Interior Design change, look at your electrical systems. There can be a tremendous waste in your electrical output systems. Even if you are not doing Interior Design changes , walk around your home and see it there are ways you can reduce some of you electrical waste. If you just did some minor changes in the way you used your electricity by making sure appliances are turned off when not in use, etc, you could probably realize a 6% to 20 % difference in you bill each month a recent study showed.

From a Design standpoint, it goes without saying to spend the extra money for the energy efficient appliances. An option that is not as difficult to do these days, but still needs to be thoughtfully considered.

There are some simple changes from a lighting standpoint by changing out some of the bulbs that are claiming to be more efficient. I am not talking about going crazy and just start changing them out, but when you need to make a change, do so then.

Also look at you filters in heating and air conditioning units. My Dad was a heating and air guy for years and was always shocked as to how people just wouldn’t take the time to change the filters which would cause countless dollars in repair bills yearly. There are some pretty decent filtration systems, but are still a little pricey compared to regular ole filters.

Finally, from a Kitchen Design standpoint, Bamboo and cork flooring should be considered in Interior Design, as they are dynamic looking. Kitchen cabinets can also be redone with similar alternatives to wood which can like just like exotic woods.

There are some great looking Metal and Stone alternatives which are also good for Kitchen counters and cabinets and a great product, IceStone, one brand of recycled glass used to create countertops for kitchens and bathrooms that generally ranges between $100 and $150 a square foot.

The point is that there is finally coming into the market place a great plethora of products that are Green focused to design and live in your Green house. With the changes you can make from a Design standpoint and just the changes you do by walking around the house, you can be Green. Just don’t let it be out of guilt.

It’s kind of like when I used to eat Twinkies that I loved so much and said that sooner or later there would be a low-fat version, and I was right.

Its the same with going Green. They’ll catch up.

Green Living

Going green is included in just about everything these days. There is green food, green clothing, green homes, green energy, green gadgets, and just about anything in existence being classified as green. What this means is that the products are sustainable and make a small imprint on the earth. For example, you might use less oil based products and more plant products because it is sustainable and healthier for humans. This is a great trend that has caught on because of the growth in high educational attainment and in the recent trend of huge price increases in poor quality commodities.  Additionally, the recent gas spike, alone, helped a ton of people decide to go green.

The trend is heavily product focused. You need the right green food because you will live longer and be healthier. You need some hemp fabric because it is so much better for your skin. The list goes on and on. It is great that we have green products, but you can get lost in all the details. We need to remember that being green is more than just buying the right things. It is a way of life that brings solidarity and harmony to one’s life and society.

All Living Things Connected

Can you see the happiness of a child compared to that of an adult? How can you feel the joy of a baby or a puppy? The joy of each living thing comes from being connected in a spiritual way. It doesn’t always make sense. For example, babies and children have little control over their surroundings and yet they are so happy. What makes sense is that we are learning through our culture that happiness comes from a certain way of life. We might call it the good life. It usually has something to do with a house, an education, a nice car, and family vacations.

Fortunately, there are true green enthusiasts that understand connection to the earth in a different way. In the movie, Into the Wild the main character says that life was the most exciting when he was penniless. This is a true story of a man who gave up all his possessions and burned his money on a quest to connect with God.

Native Americans have long understood the relationship between connectedness to earth and joy in life. The earth gives to each of us and in return we should give back. Many cultures believe that God rewards Good for Good and Evil for Evil. You do something good and it comes back to you. Hence, do a lot of good things to and for people.

How Does Green Living Connect Us?

First and foremost green living gets you to think about how we all interact in society. It is more altruistic because you main focus is not maximizing every dollar. You focus changes from consuming as much as possible to consuming what you need responsibly and giving of yourself. Many people in this trend will say that one day it just hit them that the only thing they will leave on the earth when they pass on is their legacy. And, how do you leave a legacy? You need to connect with people and make a difference to those around you. You’re not going to do that sipping cokes, and watching 35 hours of television a week.

Living Simple and Green

It all starts with little changes. One good thing to do is to sit down and make a list of all the items your regularly purchase and put a w (want) or n (need) by the item. If you are truly honest, the needs are not really all that high. Many of us are struggling because of our wants without realizing it. It’s still fine to plan for wants and to have them. The important thing is where your focus lies. Does your focus help you connect (happiness) or disconnect (unhappiness)? At some point, many in the green movement will actually feel a sense of relief from not purchasing items. There is that rush and good feeling from shopping that a lot of people get. However, the more connected you feel, the less your desire will be for shopping. And, in fact, many will eventually feel a sense of true peace without longing for any one thing. Some people in the green movement actually feel sorry for these obsessive materialists. They don’t do it mockingly, but sincerely want everyone around them to feel the same connectedness.

Some Green Steps

The first thing for many of us is that we start to recycle things. We find a certain joy in knowing that we are being good stewards of what we have. Then, the big jump might come from purchasing a green car or a green wardrobe. Some of us might just think it’s a cool thing to do.

The biggest step, perhaps, is when you start to simplify your life. It’s different for everyone. You might want to drink out of one cup instead of using several every day. You may go through your home and eliminate items not being used. In fact, you may start finding joy in getting rid of things because you realize that the less stuff you have the more easily you can be connected. You begin to feel a sense of freedom in spirit that goes beyond the norm. Your style becomes minimalist and purchases are based on holistic ideals that increase connectiveness. You will no longer crave, but will instead find intense joy in just being alive.  How do you find that joy?

Know Thyself

Some spiritual teachers believe that the greatest knowledge of happiness is to know thyself. As William Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true”. How can you be true to yourself unless you know who you are? This is a hard question, but on the face of it, there are some certain things I am sure of. I can connect with living things. I can connect with people much better in person than through television. I can connect to natural products much better than man made products. The concept of knowing me comes through serving others.

Consumerism and materialism tend to drive much of our culture. The focus, for many, is on self. This inward focus blinds the true self. In some cases, self concept is stripped away and the void is filled with countless hours of television, food, and shopping. The bigger the void the stronger the feeling of getting more grows because people unconsciously think that the void can be filled with things. It is logical because that is what the culture has taught them from birth. Corporations spend billions of dollars reinforcing the idea that things will make us happy and defining our needs for us.  Many of us erroneously believe that we are immune to all the clever advertising.

Wouldn’t it make more sense that we determine our own needs? It is vital that we listen to our own hearts. Don’t ignore the little voice inside you! Pay attention to it, follow it, and the voice will get louder.  In time, you will become more connected.

We haven’t focused much on product here, but going green is about a lot more than buying the most fuel efficient car, wearing bamboo clothing, or eating organic foods. Green living is ultimately about solidarity and inner peace.

The campaign for living an eco-friendly lifestyle has never been so intense compared to how it was in the previous years. One definite reason for this is because we can now obviously see the earth’s deterioration and feel its impact on our lives. Where else could there be the best place to start green living but right in our own homes.

For the exterior of the house there are eco-friendly construction or building materials that can alternatively used to create an eco-friendly home. As for the interior, there are of course some green alternative such as eco-friendly home furniture and decorations. Going green for furniture could be done in three possible means. First is to buy used home pieces. Second is to create your own pieces and choose organic and green materials. Third is to buy brand new sets which are guaranteed to be made from eco-friendly materials.

Whichever of the three is chosen, there are some guidelines to keep in mind so as to ensure that that the furniture will really be a contribution for a greener earth. Thrift stores are generally selling low cost items for the home, some are pre-used home furniture and furnishings. Other places where second hand home furniture may be bought are garage sales and antique shops.

Most furniture for the home is made of wood. However, look for a kind of wood that is quick to grow compared to other trees like mango or bamboo or other kinds of woods which comes with certification from the Forest Stewardship Council or FSC. This FSC is a nonprofit group that promotes preservation of all forests worldwide and sets healthy wood standard for use in the industry. Recycling is always a good alternative when it comes to greener living at home or in any other areas. When it comes to home furniture, there are times when a new furniture is not at all needed. Sometimes all the furniture needs is repainting and refurbishing and it will again look like new.

Choose a paint or varnish that is non-toxic, add a few pieces of new and highlighting hardware like knobs. Upholstering is also another means to make the furniture look brand new. Use seat covers that are made or organic cloth and fiber instead of leather. Vintage cloths would be nice to cast a classic interior home style. Leather seem like a good option when it comes to durability for it will definitely last long. However, various elements in the environment are affected with the processing of leather. Leather comes from animals pastured and allowed to graze in cleared forests. The raw material needs to be processed in factories thereby consuming energy and fuel. So leather is not a good option for eco-friendly home furniture.

Buying local produces is also a helpful way in living a green lifestyle. There are stores nearby that produces, creates and makes their own furniture pieces out of locally grown materials like bamboo. Buying local product also lessens the cost and the need for shipping fees and fuel costs.

Who died and made Al Gore your landlord anyhow? That’s one way of looking at it. If you hold out long enough, you may yet win everyone back to sanity. Besides, what’s in it for you? You may see no benefit in doing anything differently. Are your half dozen 28 cent light bulbs really hurting anyone? And isn’t it a lot of bother to conserve, recycle, and de-chemical your household? You’ve seen all those people lined up at the funny colored dumpsters in your supermarket parking lot, hefting big bags of who knows what out of their little hybrid cars. What the heck are they doing?

Good question. Maybe they’re saving their grandchildren (and yours) a lot of suffering and hardship. Maybe you could ask yourself for a moment, what’s in it for them?

Can one house make a difference for the whole planet? No, going green in your home would not affect anything much outside your four walls. However, when millions of people do it (and they do) a true impact is being made. Use less, pollute less, recycle raw materials, reduce health risks from chemicals – it all adds up. By doing so we’re blessing ourselves, as well as the future citizens of spaceship Earth.

It’s a big deal but you can bring your part down to size. Here are some “small steps for a man that can become a giant leap for mankind”. Take your own leap. Start with these few easy steps on how to go green in your home.

Things You’ll Need:

* A desire to become a part of the solution.

* A general awareness of what’s nasty & wasteful and what isn’t.

* Four tubs or medium trash bins somewhere out of the way.

* A shopping routine that helps you to gradually go green in your home.

Go green at home by REDUCING WASTE. Check your habits and your home for little ways in which you may be wasteful. Is the tap leaking? Would my toilet still flush okay if I put a couple of bricks in the tank? Are my windows really snug and draft-free? Could I lower the thermostat if I got a space heater for the room I’m in the most? Could I try a cold water detergent? Could I air dry my clothes instead of using the dryer every time? Do I really fill the dishwasher before running it? You get the idea.

Another way to go green at home is to REDUCE CHEMICAL USAGE and its pollution of your body, your house, your city. Use natural hygiene products and cleaning agents as much as possible. Why? Imagine your body as a big sponge, full of water. A lot of water. In fact, about thirteen gallons. Your water (and blood) travels around inside you on a mission, making billions of pickups and deliveries. “Bad things” (impurities & waste) are picked up for disposal outside the body, and “good things” (nutrients & anti-bodies) are delivered to feed and protect your individual cells. However, sometimes our water system delivers more impurities than it picks up for disposal. The result is that nasty, harmful things get stored in our cells and fat. Impurities that ought to go out stay in. They burden our cells, organs, and blood, endangering us far more than we may realize. Often the body is ill-equipped to dispose of the hazards.

Our body’s water system – all 13 gallons of it – becomes poisonous instead of empowering, and well able to damage our blood vessels along its travels. Infection and disease park in our cells from man-made chemicals ingested from food, air, and water. In this age we live in, there is no complete escape, but living wisely helps turn it around.

Pretty much everything is dirty with something or other. Air, water, food, and everyday products threaten to bring your blood into imbalance. Impurities may have a hard time getting picked up for disposal. And whatever does not stay in your insides polluting YOU runs out the drain and into the world at large. And out there, it re-enters the food chain to take another run at you.

One of the best and simplest ways to go green at home is to START RECYCLING. All it takes is a little set-up and the rest is a habit hardly even noticeable in your daily routine. Basically, you need four tubs or kitchen-size trash cans. You can color code them or just write on each one as follows:
PAPER
PLASTICS ( #2 Clear and separate bag for #2 colored. Throw away other plastics.)
GLASS
METAL /ALUMINUM

What you do is simply chuck your trash into the corresponding bin, either as-you-go or just before you toss your general trash in the main dumpster or regular trash can. And if you want to go all the way, you can further subdivide your recyclables into various kinds of glass and other types of plastics (see Resources below for some handy guides for that). Drop off your sorts now and then at any neighborhood recycling center. (Call your city help desk if you don’t know where one is located).

You can also reduce trash at the front end of your consumption. When they ask you, “Paper or plastic?” say neither. Bring your own reusable canvas bags when you go shopping. Canvas bags are a whole lot better ecologically than plastic bags, and 39 times less damaging than paper. What a simple, powerful way to change the world thirty times a week. Even small purchases and take-out food can be carried in your own washable canvas bag.

These guidelines are more or less a starter kit of ideas and actions you can perform to reduce your personal dirty-trail in your body, home, and planet. Read labels when you buy things. Buy organic when possible. Avoid dyes wherever possible. That being said, note that all-natural deodorants and mouthwashes may not cut the mustard! But give them a try anyway.

Now see? That wasn’t nearly as hard as you thought it would be. To go green at home is to join the the solution-revolution. Welcome!

Healthy living is generally considered as one of the most philosophical ways to live our life. Most of us who simply tend to adapt this way of living consider our actions in the well being of our planet. Every time we adapt ourselves to this decision, we tend to think of our consequences towards the planet and mankind and its effect. Green living simply means a way of caring for our environment along with is substances like plants, animals and humans. By being conscious towards our ecosystem, we generally can take wise decisions in maintaining our planet and making sure that our kind will continue to live here for ages to come.

The main key to green living is reducing the deposit of carbon on our planet. We need to remember that if any of our actions are simply creating any negative impacts then we have to manage and change our actions. Green living is simply one of the best ways to do things. If we take care of our planet we can at least be sure that our earth will preserve most of the life forms for the future generations.

We need to understand that each and every person living in this planet simply leaves his footprints on our ecological system with each of the steps that they take during their living in this planet. It is the scale and measure of these foot prints that simply decides the amount of damage we did to our planet at the time of our existence. So the more damage we create being an individual, the more footprints we leave behind us. So when most of these footprints start piling up we simply pass away without facing the consequences and the future generations on this planet are the ones who have to face it. So, we simply can say that we are very selfish when we study this.

We are one of the prime reasons for threatening our environment and causing a change in its climate. We have forced our bio diversity to change for us. So, the green living movement is a result of all these changes. The basic idea is simply to try and conserve with what we are left and promote sustainability. Once we have understood these problems we can start to educate ourselves to repair these damages in a much productive fashion.

So we basically need to choose an organic way of living by eating organic food, and using organic products. We need to cut down the harmful chemicals. We need to recycle more of our house hold rubbish instead of throwing it away. In this way we can certainly reduce landfills and reduce the amount of carbon we give to the planet.

Today most of the people realize the importance of this act, but learning how to live the green living lifestyle can in fact be very much rewarding. We need to be more environmental friendly. We have to understand that this is our home. The earth may continue to live even if we are not there but we may not be there to see it. This is our home and we cannot live anywhere else.