TIP #1: Tax Rebates For Energy Improvements
Going green earns you some green
Homeowners who make certain energy-efficiency home improvements by December 31 can cut their 2007 federal income taxes by up to $500. These improvements include but are not limited to windows, doors, skylights, water heaters and HVAC systems. Get even more tax savings by wrapping in funds for energy-efficiency home improvements when refinancing your home mortgage. Most likely the interest you pay will be tax deductible. See a list of measures you can take to qualify for this rebate by clicking here: http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm
TIP #2: Save Water
Conserve Water -- Make a Clean Break from Liquid Detergents
Save water with powdered detergents. Laundry liquids are up to 80 percent water. Additionally, it costs energy and packaging to bring this water to the consumer. So conserve three ways -- water, energy and packaging -- by using powdered detergents to wash clothes. The same holds for dishwashing detergents, so when there's a choice, choose dry powders.
TIP #3: Buy Local
Buy Locally Grown Produce -- and Go Organic
Purchase locally grown produce -- you'll save the energy it takes to ship cherries from Chile in December. You should also try to buy organically grown produce whenever possible -- it saves on the toxins entering the environment and promotes a healthier lifestyle for you and your family. Pesticide pollution has been linked to cancer in humans - do your part to cut back on the amount of these carcinogenic toxins by buying and eating organic.
TIP #4: Buy Green Materials
Use a green product checklist to make sure what you're buying isn't "greenwashed"
Do you know if the bamboo you're buying has a non-toxic finish? Where is drywall manufactured? There are many questions you can ask before purchasing materials that will help you evaluate if this purchase will be a good choice for your home's indoor air quality and the environment. Take a look at this green product checklist and directory made by ASID and USGBC that makes sourcing green materials easier than ever!
http://www.regreenprogram.org/docs/product_checklist.pdf
TIP #5: Cloth Diapers
Use Cloth Diapers
Instead of swaddling your little sweetheart in disposable diapers, consider using cloth diapers instead. Our landfills are stretched to capacity and disposable diapers are part of the problem -- nearly 30 billion of them were sold last year -- and it takes anywhere from 250-500 years for them to decompose. Click here: http://www.realdiaperassociation.org to read more about it.
TIP #6: Six Benefits of Eco-Friendly Building
Know the Benefits of Eco-Friendly Building
Going green isn't just about saving the planet. It's about enjoying healthy air and water now, and for decades to come. For a quick read on six key benefits of going green click here and enjoy Global Green's article on why going green now matters.
