With more and more consumers beginning to take climate change and pollution seriously, the reasons to go green continue to mount. If you’re someone looking to reduce your carbon footprint and do your part in helping the environment, there are countless options to consider.
That being said, reducing your consumption of beef is one personal choice you can make to live a more green lifestyle. Some of the most important choices you can make go even deeper and impact your actual living space as much as your lifestyle. The sorts of changes you make inside and around your house can have a major impact on reducing your carbon footprint and fighting global warming—as long as you make the right decisions.
Going green can take a lot of different shapes and forms, even if you know that the changes you’re focusing on in order to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions are specifically tailored to your house. The best way to do your part as a citizen of the U.S. is to really give thought to the sorts of green products and services you use each day, as well as how you can find big wins to create a more green home. Read on to learn more about the different options you have as a homeowner when it comes to creating a more green home.
Move to a new plot of land and create your own green home.
If you’re truly serious about the amount of waste your house generates, it might be worth looking into purchasing or constructing a new home. Getting into real estate is no doubt expensive; however, when it comes to having complete control over your electric or water bill, the best way to create a green home is to build it yourself. Especially when you consider the costs associated with retrofitting older homes with more environmentally friendly materials or solar panels, the cost is such that it makes just as much sense to purchase your own plot of land and build a new home from scratch.
When it comes to handling the real estate transaction itself, you’ll want to work with a real estate agent with knowledge of new construction as well as a team of home builders that you trust. As far as finding the right land goes, websites like AcreBin make it easier than ever for buyers to find sellers interested in selling land.
A major advantage of looking for land with a website like AcreBin is that you get more information about the land you’re looking at before committing to a real estate transaction. For example, AcreBin offers a few different ways for you to get a feel for the land, providing topographical and aerial views in addition to lot lines so that you have a much fuller picture of the plot of land you’re purchasing.
Be conscious of what you’re putting in your home.
Of course, building your own green home has just as much to do with what you put inside the house as it does the land you pick, solar power you select, or recycled materials you use during construction. Your interior decor‚Äîfrom the paint you choose to the ability to harness indirect sunlight from windows to reduce your reliance on electricity‚Äîall has an important role to play in the sustainability of your home. Even selecting a houseplant can help increase oxygen production and fight carbon dioxide emissions, so don’t overlook the table plant you choose for your living room or any other indoor plants you consider purchasing. Sustainable products, whether they’re decorating your home or helping you clean it, can make a big difference, too.
If your appliances have good Energy Star ratings, repair them instead of replacing them.
The habits you practice in your home are just as important as the construction and decor. This is because many people don’t do their due diligence when it comes time to replace an appliance like a refrigerator, dishwasher, washer, or dryer. It’s worth noting that if you toss these products in the trash, you’re contributing to unprecedented amounts of electrical waste in landfills, which is a good reason to think twice before throwing any appliance away.
If you know that your appliance already has a good energy efficiency rating from Energy Star, it makes much more sense to reach out to an appliance repair company to see if appliance repair is an option prior to replacing the item completely. From washer and dryer repair to refrigerator maintenance, there are plenty of companies and technicians who can walk you through the entire process and get your appliances back in working order in a timely manner.
Simply head to your favorite search engine and look up “appliance repair in Bend OR” (or wherever it is that you live) and you’ll be able to find a reliable local business capable of doing the job in your area. Choosing appliance repair over purchasing a new washer or dryer can have a really positive impact on the environment and will likely cost you a lot less than finding a complete replacement, too. This means that you can put your money to work upgrading other aspects of your home with sustainable materials and natural products.
If it’s your first time reading about how you can create a green home and do your part in reducing your carbon footprint, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. It’s also worth noting that not all of these options are the most affordable depending on your budget. While it’s admirable to put your best foot forward and work to eliminate greenhouse gases by the choices you make, in order to truly be sustainable you need to be able to maintain your new lifestyle choices‚Äîand that includes paying for them.
As such, it’s a good idea to weigh both sides of each of the suggestions above as you work to craft a gameplan that allows you to know that you’re contributing to a healthier planet without breaking the bank. Once you get the ball rolling, you may decide that with the money you’re saving by switching to natural pesticides or repairing your appliances instead of buying a brand-new dryer you can start saving up for some of the more expensive options on this list.
