Eco Friendly Living - Tips For A Family On Living An Eco Friendly Lifestyle

Climate change is something that affects us all. As a simple example, homes and transport are responsible for about 40% of carbon emissions in the United Kingdom and this is even higher in the USA. Taking the steps towards an eco-friendly lifestyle that reduces your "footprint" on the earth can be a difficult thing to understand in our highly interconnected world. What may at first appear to be energy efficient may have an ecological cost somewhere else. However, there are simple things that with a little awareness of our daily activities where we can make a difference. If you throw in some DIY Eco Projects and Recycling, you can be well on the way to making a positive impact. If you are interested in a more eco-friendly way of living, here are some tips to get you started.

• Fit energy-efficient light bulbs and save $US15 a year per bulb
• When buying new appliances choose the most energy efficient
• Switch to an electricity provider that produces all or some power from renewable sources
• Remember to turn off your appliances when not in use, average savings $US60 a year
• Insulate your home for a warmer, cheaper winter. Double glaze windows, and consider cavity-wall insulation. Use draft excluders, put silver foil behind radiators, cover up keyholes and close doors
• Turn your heating down (one degree saves ten per cent on your bill) and use the timer
• Save money and provide up to half your total water consumption by installing a simple rainwater tank. It not only saves water but also the energy to store & pump it to your home
• Remember to turn the tap off when brushing your teeth and have a shower instead of a bath (showering uses less heating energy)
• Save food miles and aeroplane emissions by buying locally produced food when available
• Plant your own fruit and veg, even if you have a balcony, cherry tomatoes are perfect
• Make the most of your kitchen waste by turning it into compost
• Try to by unpackaged and unprocessed foodstuffs, this cuts out the packaging you have find a way to recycle
• Where possible, use public transport, bike or walk
• Check out "eco-friendly" cars, you may be exempt from road tax, some congestion charges and parking fees
• If using your car, keep it properly tuned, correctly inflate tires and drive slower
• Combine car trips for multiple chores
• Recycle, recycle, recycle! Landfill sites are a big producer of methane – a greenhouse gas.
• Rediscover the pleasures of local holidays or look into responsible tourism
• Have an eco-work holiday, help with a community or eco project, plant trees, meet great people
• Buy an eco-friendly Christmas presents
• Buy Fair Trade gifts and in so doing help a community in the developing world to build a better, more sustainable future
• By secondhand and recycled goods and cut out the extra manufacturing energy cost.

When you look down the list, nothing here is really that difficult. If everyone were to cut back and go green, the difference in out ecological impact would be immense, even in our western busy lifestyles.

About the Author:
Providing information to online users interested in living, lifestyle and marketing. Helping people find DIY and Eco-Friendly solutions to everyday living. Visit SolarDIYTips for information solar DIY solutions.

Saving The World With Scarves Through Sustainable Development

More and more people are being concerned towards sustainable development, which basically refers to fulfilling the needs of people and at the same time, keeping the environment in mind. A lot of products have been applying sustainable development techniques to be able to contribute to saving the environment. The process of making a scarf is no exception.

Since scarves are usually made out of organic raw materials, a lot of manufacturers have been exploring the different alternatives to be able to apply recycling techniques. For instance, processed paper and plastic could actually be converted into usable thread. It is all simply a matter of having the industrial and man power to be able to turn waste into something usable.

One concrete example would be the Gap: Product Red which aims to start a new wave of business instead of simply doing charity. Bono, the lead singer of U2 was one of the pioneers of the venture. It started off by launching the "INSPI(RED)" Gap t-shirt which was modeled by Hollywood superstars and music celebrities such as Don Cheadle, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Garner and Anne Hathaway.

Basically, all the products are made from a hundred percent African cotton and half of all the profits are given to The Global Fund, which is centered in helping women and children with AIDS in Africa. This new kind of business is a good example of sustainable development at its best.

Not only does it create opportunities for those in need but it gets influential people to reach out and inspire others to go and make a difference. To this very day, Product Red has branched out to several other brands such American Express, Converse, Giorgio Armani, Motorola, The Independent Newspaper, Apple Inc, Hallmark, Microsoft, Dell, Windows Vista, Girl Skateboard Company and Starbucks.

The bottom line is that if prominent brands such as Armani and Gap can create scarves made out of African indigenous materials, why can't local manufacturers do the same thing as well? As citizens of the world, it is our responsibility to keep the environment in mind and the best way to approach this pressing issue is by applying sustainable development into our lives.

In Kathmandu, a group called "Manushi" which stands for "energetic woman" used sustainable development to create scarves that could help disadvantaged and poverty-stricken Nepali women. They used recycled loom-end silk to be able to create beautiful crocheted silk ones.

Meryl Rougeaux has been in the fashion industry for many years. She know what looks good, is in style at reasonable prices. She sells all kinds of shawls, scarves in silk, and many, many fashion accessories. Visit her top ranked online store at: http://www.fashionscarvesandshawls.com. You'll be glad you did.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meryl_Rougeaux

Going Green This Christmas With Eco Friendly Gifts

Gifts and dinners play an important role in Christmas celebration. People start planning for buying different gifts for their loved ones. Christmas is the time of joy and this joy doubles by giving Christmas greetings and gifts. On this wonderful occasion, everyone wants to do something creative and special for their family and friends.

This Christmas, why not go green by going for some exclusive handmade paper gifts in your gifting spree for your friends and family. These handmade gifts are unique in many ways. They are environment friendly being made of recycled paper and have a unique look. Also they are made of most of the waste materials like cotton cloth rags, waste cotton, jute, husk, waste wool and waste biomass like grass. Not just that but these handmade paper products are also biodegradable and free of any harmful chemicals. Each of these Handmade paper Gifts will fulfill your day to day requirements.

Some of the exclusive gifts are handmade paper dairies, handmade greeting cards, handmade paper food tray, letter pads, paper jewelry box etc. All of these items come in varied colors, designs, shapes and sizes. Surely, these gift items will give your loved ones a special feeling.

Handmade Dairies
Dairies are the perfect gift for Christmas because new year is just in a few days. And diaries help you maintain your daily plans, schedules and keep your cherished memories of life. They are made of non toxic, natural strong paper which does not degenerates with time. Dairies are evergreen dairies like your beautiful memories and come in unique designs and ranges, making them a perfect gift.

Letter Pads
Handmade paper Letter Pads can be used as stationary for office as well as home. These letter Pads are elegant and come in stylish shapes and designs. They are made of different types of colored paper like plain white off paper, jute, white cream colored. These letter pads are manufactured using natural materials with the combination of real flowers and leaves, making them more appealing and attractive.

Greeting Cards
Greeting cards help you in expressing your emotions and sentiments with the touch of natural elegance. The handmade paper greeting cards are more natural than any other greeting cards as they they are made of eco friendly handmade paper. After making these greeting cards, they are decorated with dry flowers and leaves. Each card is exclusively embedded with multi colored silky fibers, leaves and some of the real floral magic.

Paper Jewelery Box
This is one of the best gifts on the occasion of Christmas for women. These jewelery boxes are beautiful and hold many of the valuable items. Various types of jewelery boxes are available depending on shape and size. These paper jewelery boxes are also embroidered with alluring beads, to keep your jewelery collection look beautiful.

These boxes are made using exotic and domestic wooden recycled fabric. They are soft, divided in compartments with velvety interior and beautiful inlays. Jewelery boxes look stylish, gracefulness and eloquent with handmade papers.

Paper Food Tray
Using handmade paper products help you in conserving the environment because of their recyclable nature. They have many environmental and economic benefits. Among these products, handmade paper trays are also one special gift for women. Some of the handmade paper trays are casual, some elegant and few of them more sturdy than others for serving food. These paper trays can be custom made as per your requirements.

For the occasion of Christmas different types of gifts are available in the stores. But you need to be careful while selecting them. On this Christmas go for handmade paper gifts and play your role in protecting the environment.

About the Author
For more handmade paper products like paper jewelry box, handmade dairies, letter pads, paper food trays.

Art And Design For Sustainable Living - Video

Rebecca Brayton: Sustainable living is a dream that many people strive for but you shouldn't have to sacrifice style and design to get there. Hi! I am Rebecca Brayton and welcome to watchmojo.com and today we'll be speaking with Sarah Richardson, the brains behind CO. So first tell us about the idea behind CO.

Sarah Richardson: CO has been something I've been thinking about for a number of years now. It comes from my own experience working in trade and sustainability and my travels around the world where I have discovered amazing communities, making incredible things at very little. Two years ago, I was working in South Africa quite a bit and I would say that was really the tipping point for me when I decided that these products really were something that would be interesting to people in the West. They are contemporary, they are cool, they are funky and they are sustainable. That's fit in well with my own personal philosophy that we should be using globalization to enhance sustainability as oppose to allowing it to erode.

Rebecca Brayton: What can we consider sustainable and what is sustainability mean?

Sarah Richardson: There are three aspects: There is Social Equity, Environmental Protection and Economic Well-Being. Here, when we talk to people about sustainability, generally, the environmental issues are at top of their minds. When you go to other countries and talk about sustainability, you'll get quite a different answer. I mean the environmental issues are important but they are not as important as the issues of equity and the guarantee that workers have safe working environment and they are paid at decent wage.

Rebecca Brayton: What qualify something as sustainable?

Sarah Richardson: What we've done is we've developed a list of eight indicators of sustainability that we use here at CO. They range from energy efficiency to organic to recycled. When we consider a piece, we go through our indicators, we see which ones match up, now no one hits all eight indicators, but what we are trying to do is have at least three or four that are relevant for the products that we carry.

Rebecca Brayton: Would you say that sustainability is something that's attainable for everyone?

Sarah Richardson: I think sustainability is attainable to a certain degree in the choices we make. That means the choices we make as people in terms of what we are going to buy and it seems the choices we make in terms of what kind of businesses we're going to support. At the same time, we also think about where the things that we consume come from and who is making them under what conditions they have been made and we're trying to bring in things that will support that angle of sustainability.

As consumers that's interesting, we have a lot of power and often we can move faster than governments in terms of promoting sustainability. And what I am hoping is that this gallery offers people just another choice.

Transcription by: Scribe4you Transcription Services

Can You Live A Green Life Without Breaking The Bank?

Going green isn't always cheap - at least in the short run. Whether you're shopping for organic beef, an energy efficient washing machine, or a bamboo sweater, the price of green living can be a little higher. Here are some ideas that will make going green a little easier on your pocketbook.

What's the difference between "organic meat" and "natural meat"? What's a carbon footprint? Why is everyone suddenly using the word "sustainable" to describe everything from food to furniture? There are lots of great resources out there that explain the labels, the terms, and the impact of various choices. You might begin with some basic books such as:

Green Living for Dummies

The Everything Green Living Book

It's Easy Being Green

These books not only explain important concepts, but also provide tips on making small changes and investments that can actually save you money in the long run.

Do your homework

Green is more mainstream now than ever before. There are more and more recycled products, organic food, energy-saving appliances and other green choices on the market. You can search on the Internet and compare prices. You can find wholesale or bulk options that reduce cost over time. You can learn more about exactly what you're paying for, so that you know, for example, whether the price of your organic steak reflects a commitment to quality and taste as well as organic certification.

Prioritize your values

Price is important, especially in these lean times. But remember to consider different aspects of your choices: lifestyle, taste and aesthetics, convenience, sourcing (where does it come from?) and philosophy (what kind of producer or company do you want to support?) Also decide what parts of your life you feel most passionate about "greening up." For some people, choosing organic food is essential, since it impacts individual health as well as the environment. If you commute long distances for work, you may want to spend more on a hybrid or fuel-efficient vehicle. If you're energy bills are sky high, you may want to focus on lowering them through savvy investments.

Vote with your wallet

If you haven't seen the movie Food Inc. yet, you can now watch it on DVD. The film makes many compelling arguments about the problems with our current food industry. One thing that stands out: every time you make a food purchase, you're telling producers what you want to eat. So if you really prefer organic beef, make a vote with your wallet! When enough people demand organic food and other green products, they will be more available and affordable.

Invest in a green lifestyle

Spend money to save it. Consider buying an extra freezer to stock up on bulk or wholesale quantities of organic beef and other organic foods. Calculate how much you'll save over time if you buy that energy efficient washing machine, or a programmable thermostat, or new windows for your older home. Eat out at restaurants less, cook meals at home more, take public transportation, get an energy audit, calculate your carbon footprint... If you're willing to take the time and spend the money to make changes now, you may find that green living is much less expensive than you thought.

About the Author:
Donna Jefferson has been an advocate living healthy. Organic Beef is her specialty and would like to share facts with the public.

How To Go Green With An Eco Friendly Diet

Our western diets have a negative impact on the environment due to the manufacturing, processing, packaging and transporting of our foods.

Many diet products come in fancy packaging which increases our overall wastage that goes into landfills. Recycling is great to do and something we all know about. Would it not be better, even greener when buying foods to choose those with little or no packaging. This will actually reduce the need for recycling.

Opting for a more eco friendly diet that is 70% more fruits and vegetables can not only help you lose those unwanted pounds but can help you do your part to help save our planet.

An eco friendly diet does not mean you have to eat only fruit and vegetables nor do you have to spend loads of money. You can start with simple things like having a plan before you go shopping and sticking to a list and a budget that you have set out.

Choosing Organic: It can be more expensive so choosing your fruit and vegetables that are in season will work out to be cheaper. Organic guarantees against the use of pesticides and chemicals. As a result there is no negative leaching and contamination into our water sources providing a cleaner drinking water and protecting vulnerable marine life. Organic foods taste better and are filled with more nutrients. The farming methods prevent soil erosion and help to build healthy soil also organic farming is labour intensive so uses less energy.

Reduce Packaging: Start by cutting down on processed foods, fast foods and snacks as these products mostly come excessively packaged. You will also be doing your health a favor as these foods tend to be high in negative saturated fats. This applies also to vegetarians, because just being vegetarian does not mean you have a eco friendly diet.

Eating Meat: We have been educated to have meat at every meal. We do not need to. Try introducing tasty vegetarian meals as part of your diet. They are high in fibre which helps to eliminate waste and maintain the health of your colon. By reducing the number of times you consume meat you can probably afford to buy a higher quality of meat. Meat that has been raised more humanely with less impact on the environment. You can also taste the difference. Meat production effects the environment, from pollution to the excess use of resources such as land, water and fossil fuel use. Animals are also given antibiotics and hormones to meet standards based on consumer demand.

Growing Your Own Food: This a great way to have an Earth friendly diet. Even if you live in an apartment you can grow sprouts that are filled with essential vitamins, minerals and live enzymes which help to provide more energy, improve your immune system and improve your complexion. Growing food at home is very easy. Get the kids involved and make it a family project. 
 Start Cooking: Stop going out for meals and start cooking more at home. Do it from scratch with fresh ingredients. There are many meals you can cook that will take very little time and taste absolutely delicious. They will be a lot healthier and better for the environment. There will be no packaging and you will have control over what goes into your meal.

We have covered a few simple tips on how to go green with an environmentally friendly diet. You can lose weight, improve your wellbeing and do your part to protect the planet.

About the Author:
G W Mason promotes a healthy green lifestyle. Discover how to go green and help save the environment without going broke by visiting www.howtogogreentips.com. Check out the many tips and ideas on how to go green and learn how to create a greener lifestyle by visiting www.howtogogreentips.com

Make Your Cars Environment Friendly

According to experts, you can make your cars environment friendly and fuel efficient by changing a few driving habits and taking care of little things. You do not have to buy a new hybrid car or a vehicle running with alternate fuel to save the environment or reduce expenses on purchasing fuel.

The two major keys towards making your cars environment friendly and fuel efficient are - regular car maintenance and improving driving habits. Given below are few easy tips which will help you to do your part towards the environment and make savings on fuel bill too.

• Ensure that your engine is always performing its best. Replace its fluids and filters at regular intervals and check if the spark plugs are misfiring. An engine that is well tuned pollutes less, as well as, consumes less fuel.
• After repairing your cars by yourself, always dispose batteries and engine fluids in the right place as these can pollute and harm the environment to a great extent.
• To improve the fuel efficiency of your vehicles and prevent wastage, ensure that the tires are in correct alignment and properly inflated.
• Getting the repair or maintenance work done by a reputed and qualified technician, helps improve your vehicle's performance.
• Get the air conditioners of your cars serviced by a certified technician who is well aware about proper handling and recycling of refrigerants.
• Avoid over speeding and using accelerators suddenly as these habits not only cause great wear and tear to the vehicle, but also increase fuel consumption.
• While waiting to pick up someone, do not leave the engine running.
• Use your car only when necessary. Prefer walking over driving as it is good for the environment, as well as, your health.
• Never keep your car's truck filled with excess and unnecessary items as they add on weight to the vehicle, which increases fuel consumption. By reducing weight on the vehicle, you can improve its mileage. Also remove the roof top carrier, when not needed, in order to reduce air drag.

The above mentioned tips will not only help to make your cars fuel efficient and environment friendly, but also increase its longevity through better maintenance. Also, you can make savings on your fuel and car repair bills.

For more information regarding carsales, please visit the Carlin & Gazzard website.

About the Author:
I have been employed as a full time as a content editor, webmaster and SEO since 2001. As of late, the majority of my time has been spent writing articles for my employers blog page.

Some of my interests include animals, martial arts, motorbikes, travel and adventure, music, movies and everything Gold Coast (warm weather, gorgeous beaches and friendly people)

Green Gifts For Baby - 6 Green Gift Giving Ideas For Any Baby

Babies are such precious gifts, but deciding on a gift to give can be daunting. The gift needs to be safe, beautiful, useful, and eco-friendly. Are you stumped about gifts that fit all those requirements? Not to worry. Whatever the age of the baby you're gifting, here are 6 green baby gift ideas to help.

• Food Basket--Give a collection of organic baby food from a store located close to the baby's family. This provides or sometimes introduces a convenient resource for organic products. Line the basket with a colorful organic blanket.
• Organic Bath Products--Have fun creating a collection of non-allergenic organic lotion, soap, matching wash cloth and towel, and soft toy for bed time (organic of course). Decorate basket with colorful strips of recycled paper from your paper shredder.
• Safe Containers--Give glass bottles, or BPA-free plastic bottles, pacifiers and sippy cups.
• Diaper Service--Go easy on the environment and pay for diaper service for a month or two. Many companies differ on what they offer, but a search on the web lets you choose a company that provides service in the baby's area, and surprisingly, diaper service is often not any more expensive than buying disposal diapers.
• Living Trees and Bulbs--Give a tree such as a Dogwood, or azaleas with the same name (Nancy Robin has beautiful soft pink blossoms when it blooms, Bob Hill has stunning red blossoms,), or bulbs such as Daffodils, Hyacinths, Tulips that bloom during the same season as the baby's birthday
• Giving the bulbs when they are in bloom would be a lovely addition and could even be used for a centerpiece until they are planted. Whichever you choose will continue to live and bloom year after year and be a beautiful reminder of the baby's birthday.
• Air Purifier for the Nursery--Since babies spend most of the first year of life sleeping, cleaning the air where they sleep is one of the greenest gifts you can give to baby and the family.

About the Author:
An excellent resource for a HEPA air purifier for the nursery is offered by PurerAir.com-- the Baby's Breath Purifier at http://purerair.com/babys_breath.html

How To Shop For Green, Eco-Conscious Household Products

No home's interior design is complete without the proper bedding and bath accessories to pull the look together. You can find bed and bathroom products in a number of places and there are many different products available through the sustainable resources found across the Internet.

The following article highlights some places to find bedding and bath products for your home and also exposes a few environmentally-friendly choices you can make.

Bed, Bath and Beyond is a Large Retail Store

Bed, Bath and Beyond is one of the most popular stores that offers a vast selection of items for the home. Although this retail store specializes in bedroom or bathroom products, there are many products hight-lighted for many other areas of your home. You can dress your interior landscape from top to bottom at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Linens and Things is a Well Known Brand

Another fantastic option is a store like Linens and Things. This store is great for finding unique interior design products for bedding and bath. Linens and Things is organized much like Bed, Bath and Beyond and you can find plenty of other things aside from products for the bedroom and bathroom.

Trying Buying Organic, Recycled, or Sustainable Products

If you really want something different that is in line with your environmentally conscious shopping needs, you may want to opt for an organic retailer like Gaiam. This shopping site is pretty good. It offers not so common bedding and bath items manufactured from hemp or recycled materials. I love to browse through these kinds of stores. A person may experience a slightly higher cost for green, Earth-friendly items in the current shopping sites but this little extra cost is worth investment.

Buying Your Household Items on the Cheap

There are some who prefer something thrifty. There are plenty of places to find great deals on bedding and bath products. Outlet stores are ideal stopping points for finding some frugal deals for the home. These retailers often showcase high-end items at a fraction of the price.

Another great place to find a deal on bedding and bath products is the closeout store. Retailers like Big Lots offer discontinued items for the home. There are many great savings offered on odd shaped, or repackaged products as well. Many of the irregularities are not detectable and you can score big with a visit to one of these retailers.

Of course, there are the department store chains that boast everyday low prices and outstanding sales. You can locate many environmentally friendly bedding and bath products at local retail stores. There are more option emerging everyday. You can find just about all of the household items that you may need. One stop shopping is a wonderful option for busy people who want to find affordable products for their home in little time.

Shopping for Bedding and Bath Products is Best Online

My personal favorite place to shop is the Internet. There is a boatload of options related to bedding and bath products that can be sent right to your doorstep. I love that I can shop from the comfort of home with the selection of organic, recycled, or sustainable manufacturing practices that I appreciate.

I find it really useful to lookup items online in one place. A number of Eco-friendly search engine can assist a person in researching many of the sustainable bedding and bath products for your home.

About the Author:
At Solargies, we plan to make the right Eco-friendly, green solutions available to the American homeowners. My role involves the leadership, communication, and the education related to the adoption solar energy system rentals. We provide homeowners the option to rent a solar electric system and avoid the huge, upfront investment in solar technology. Learn more at http://www.Solargies.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How to Shop for Green, Eco-conscious Household Products

Eco Friendly Reusable Bags And Saving The Earth

Eco-friendly bags are very fashionable today. In fact, some stores are selling them. Some are even giving them all for every one to use. Eco-friendly bags are the craze. And it is pleasing to see that a lot of shoppers are backing up the move. Maybe in due time, a greener Earth would arise at us.

How can a bag save the world? It's simple. These are reusable bags. It is the superb alternative to the plastic bags that are utilised whenever a individual shop from stores. With the low plastic trash count, you are going to prevent a lot of solid wastes in the long run.

Just imagine it. How many number of times do you shop in a month? Two? 4? Multiply that in twelve months. That's how many disposable bags you can save within that phase of time. Remember that plastic bags are non-biodegradable materials. Eventually, they would end up in the trash. Envision the waste pile they would create over the century if every individual in the globe uses them. Half of the world's lands would be filled with plastic trash!

The reusable bags can also be used as an alternative to paper bags. Paper-based bags are prefabricated from trees. Eventhough they are biodegradable, it is also necessary to take down woods in order to create them. How many trees need to be cut in order to provide the demands of shoppers? Even paper bags contribute to the decline of the world's natural generosity.

So make the change. Use reusable shopping bags instead. What's more, there are eco-friendly bags accessible in the shops today too. These bags are created out of 100% recycled materials. Now, it is easy to be classy and eco-friendly. Add a recyclable bag in your collection. These bags never go out of style. It serves as your mark that says you care for the globe too.

So instead of purchasing expensive items, focus your attention to eco-friendly bags. It's a great thing that many designers are making an eco-friendly edition of their products. It's high time that we support these designers who do demonstrate to the word that they are concerned for the environment.

One of the most fashionable eco-friendly bags today is the ones made out of tractor innermost tubes. The interior tubes are the discarded tubes from tire centers. To create them into bags, the tubes are meticulously cleaned in an environmentally friendly way. The cleansing process takes days and that's because no harmful chemicals are utilized.

The central tubes are then created, stitched, and designed to create beautiful bags that every female would love. Manufacturers also say that the internal tubes utilised for the bags are similar to fingerprints - that means that no two bags are the identical, disregarding if they looked alike. It's like a handcrafted, unique bag ending up in your hands. Isn't that the better choice to the overly pricey designer brands in the shops today?

Look smart and trendy and yet help save the earth. Every girl who has appreciation for trends and should take hold of these bags and use them everyday. In fact, this should be the exclusive bag of all women around the world to use.

About the Author:
Reese Reeves is a professional writer and a budding internet marketer. Right now, she's pursuing causes that are relevant to the environment and the ecosystem. Check out her advocate at Ecokings.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Eco-Friendly Reusable Bags and Saving the Earth

What Makes A Home Eco-Friendly?

What comes to mind when you hear the term "eco-friendly homes"? Energy efficiency is something that people most often equate with this term and that is certainly an important part of eco-friendly homes, but there is more to being eco-friendly than just saving energy, a whole lot more. True eco-friendly homes should be created from materials that are either recycled or at least are not made from fossil fuels. Eco-friendly homes are about reducing waste, making better use of space and keeping things clean. Reduce, re-use, recycle is the mantra of the eco-friendly home builder.

Green Building Techniques

In fact, even the building techniques used to make a home can be easier on the environment. Builders are starting to think about building homes on fewer square feet of land (more earth left for plants to grow) and even including roof top gardens that help to insulate the home, while making more room for carbon monoxide-loving oxygen-producing plants, to grow. That is an example of what it truly means to "go green" with eco-friendly homes. Even small things like building the home in a south facing position can help to make better use of natural sunlight which can help the home to be more energy efficient.

Eco-friendly Building Materials

Building materials that do not result in deforestation of the earth, especially the delicate rain forests also help make eco-friendly homes. This can be anything from reclaimed wood that comes from river beds, standing dead wood or even from buildings or homes that are being torn down. So long as no living tree was cut down to build a home, that home is more eco-friendly. Mud, stones and even straw are natural building materials that are commonly being used in eco-friendly homes along with renewable resources like bamboo. Nowadays many types of products are being made from bamboo, a member of the grass family, from flooring to cabinets, to wall coverings.

Energy Efficiency

Of course, energy efficiency is an important part of eco-friendly homes. A well-insulated home with low E glass, double glazed windows, will help save energy and adding solar panels can help you create energy. Some eco-friendly homes even add power into the power grid and make money back from the electric companies by using solar or wind power. And adding solar panels to a home isn't nearly as expensive as it used to be, you can even make your own solar panels with simple instructions and a kit that you can purchase. Some choose to heat their water with solar panel, thereby reducing their need for gas or electricity.

Making the Earth a Better Place

More and more people are realizing the importance and benefits of creating eco-friendly homes to better manage the earth's natural resources so it can be a better place for future generations. More homes are being built with green building materials and techniques and people are even taking steps to make their current homes more environmentally sound. As building eco-friendly homes becomes more popular, these techniques will likely become more commonplace and actually become the standard for the home building industry. Meanwhile, a people who are looking to purchase or build a new homes should seriously consider "going green" with eco-friendly homes.

If you want to search for Santa Cruz eco-friendly homes or find out where the most energy efficient homes in Santa Cruz are, go to PropertyInSantaCruz.com and find yourself a great home by the beach.

About the Author:
Gregg Camp is an experienced Santa Cruz real estate agent who has spent more than 20 years working in the beautiful Santa Cruz real estate market. Find homes for sale in the area by visiting http://www.propertyinsantacruz.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - What Makes A Home Eco-Friendly?