To Save Green Go Green

125 Ways to Go Green... Green... Save Green at the Same Time By Richard Boettner RichardBoettner.com

Copyright 2009 © - Richard Boettner, All Rights Reserved

125 Ways To Go Green . . . Save Green at the Same Time - © 2009

YOUR RIGHTS: RIGHTS: YOU YOU MAY MAY NOT RS!! THIS "RO#U$T "RO#U$T % A!! RIGHTS RIGHTS RSR&# RSR&# ALL RIGHTS RIGHTS RESERVED: RESERVED: NO PART PART OF THIS THIS REPORT MAY MAY BE REPRODUCED REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY ANY FORM WHATSOEVER, ELECTRONIC, OR MECHANICAL,INCLUDING PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING, OR BY ANY INFORMATIONAL STORAGE OR RETRIEVAL SYSTEM WITHOUT EXPRESS WRITTEN, DATED AND SIGNED PERMISSION PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR.

#IS$!AIMR AN#'OR !GA! NOTI$S . THE INFORMATION PRESENTED HEREIN REPRESENTS THE VIEW OF THE AUTHOR AS OF THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. BECAUSE OF THE RATE WITH WHICH CONDITIONS CHANGE, THE AUTHOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ALTER AND UPDATE HIS OPINION BASED ON THE NEW CONDITIONS. THE REPORT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. WHILE EVERY ATTEMPT HAS BEEN MADE TO VERIFY THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS REPORT/EBOOK, NEITHER THE AUTHOR NOR HIS AFFILIATES/PARTNERS ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ERRORS, INACCURACIES OR OMISSIONS. ANY SLIGHTS OF PEOPLE OR ORGANIZATIONS ARE UNINTENTIONAL. IF ADVICE CONCERNING LEGAL OR RELATED MATTERS IS NEEDED, THE SERVICES OF A FULLY QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL SHOULD BE SOUGHT. THIS REPORT IS NOT INTENDED FOR USE AS A SOURCE OF LEGAL OR ACCOUNTING ADVICE. YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF ANY LAWS WHICH GOVERN BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS OR OTHER BUSINESS PRACTICES IN YOUR COUNTRY AND STATE. ANY REFERENCE TO ANY PERSON OR BUSINESS WHETHER LIVING OR DEAD IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.

Earnings & Income Disclaimer ANY EARNINGS EARNINGS OR INCOME INCOME STA STATEMENTS, OR EARNINGS EARNINGS OR INCOME EXAMPLES, ARE ONLY ESTIMATES OF WHAT I THINK YOU COULD EARN. THERE IS NO ASSURANCE YOU'LL DO AS WELL. IF YOU RELY UPON MY FIGURES, YOU MUST ACCEPT THE RISK OF NOT DOING AS WELL. WHERE SPECIFIC INCOME FIGURES ARE USED, AND ATTRIBUTED TO AN INDIVIDUAL OR BUSINESS, THOSE PERSONS OR BUSINESSES HAVE EARNED THAT AMOUNT. THERE IS NO ASSURANCE YOU'LL DO AS WELL. IF YOU RELY UPON OUR FIGURES YOU MUST ACCEPT THE RISK OF NOT DOING AS WELL. ANY AND ALL CLAIMS CLAIMS OR REPRESENT REPRESENTATION ATIONS, S, AS AS TO INCOME INCOME EARNINGS IN THE EBOOK, EBOOK, ARE NOT TO BE CONSIDERED AS AVERAGE EARNINGS. THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THAT ANY PRIOR SUCCESSES, OR PAST RESULTS, AS TO INCOME EARNINGS, CAN BE USED AS AN INDICATION OF YOUR FUTURE SUCCESS OR RESULTS. MONETARY AND INCOME RESULTS ARE BASED ON MANY FACTORS. I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW WELL YOU WILL DO, AS WE DO NOT NOT KNOW YOU, YOU, YOUR BACKGROUND, BACKGROUND, YOUR WORK ETHIC, ETHIC, OR YOUR BUSINESS SKILLS SKILLS OR PRACTICES. THEREFORE I DO NOT GUARANTEE OR IMPLY THAT YOU WILL GET RICH, THAT YOU WILL DO AS WELL, OR MAKE ANY MONEY AT ALL. THERE IS NO ASSURANCE YOU'LL DO AS WELL. IF YOU RELY UPON MY FIGURES YOU MUST ACCEPT THE RISK OF NOT DOING AS WELL. INTERNET BUSINESSES AND EARNINGS DERIVED THERE FROM, HAVE UNKNOWN RISKS INVOLVED, AND ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE. MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON ANY INFORMATION PRESENTED IN MY PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OR WEB SITE, SHOULD BE DONE ONLY WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU COULD EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT LOSSES, OR MAKE NO MONEY AT ALL. ALL PRODUCTS PRODUCTS AND AND SERVICES SERVICES IN THIS THIS EBOOK ARE FOR EDUCATIO EDUCATIONAL NAL AND INFORMATIONAL INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES PURPOSES ONLY. USE CAUTION AND SEEK THE ADVICE OF QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS. CHECK WITH YOUR ACCOUNTANT ACCOUNTANT,, LAWYER LAWYER OR PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR, BEFORE BEFORE ACTING ACTING ON THIS THIS OR ANY ANY INFORMATION. INFORMATION. USERS OF MY PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND WEB SITE ARE ADVISED TO DO THEIR OWN DUE DILIGENCE WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING BUSINESS DECISIONS AND ALL INFORMATION, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED SHOULD BE INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS. MY INFORMATION, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES MENTIONDED WITHIN THE EBOOK SHOULD BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND EVALUATED, BEFORE REACHING A BUSINESS DECISION, ON WHETHER TO RELY ON THEM.

YOU AGR AGR THAT THAT I AM NOT NOT RS"ONSI(! )OR TH SU$$SS SU$$SS OR )AI!UR )AI!UR O) YOUR YOUR (USINSS #$ISIONS R!ATING TO ANY IN)ORMATION "RSNT# (Y THIS (OO*+ OR ANY O) MY $OM"ANY "RO#U$TS OR SR&I$S.

For more information visit Richard's Green Ideas

Richard's Green Green Ideas

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Ta,-e o $ontents 125 Ways Ways to Go Green... Save Green at the Same Time................................ 1 By Ed Chiasson & John Coutts ....................... ................................................... .......................................... .............. 1 Introduction............................... ................................................................... .................................... ............................ ................................................... ....................... 7 The ome ........................................................................... .................................... .......... ! The ome ........................................................................... .................................... .......... " The #itchen .............................................. .................................... ................................ " Green Strate$y %1 ................................. .................................... ............................... " Green Strate$y %2 ................................. .................................... ............................... " Green Strate$y % ................................. .................................... ............................... " Green Strate$y %' ................................. .................................... ............................. 1( Green Strate$y %5 ................................. .................................... ............................. 1( Green Strate$y %)................................. ............................ ...................................................... ..................................... ........... 11 Green Strate$y %7................................. ............................ ...................................................... ..................................... ........... 11 Green Strate$y %!................................. ............................ ...................................................... ..................................... ........... 11 Green Strate$y %" ................................. .................................... ............................. 12 Green Strate$y %1( ................................. .................................... ........................... 12 Green Strate$y %11............................ ........................................................ ...................................................... ........................................ .............. 1 Green Strate$y %12 ................................. .................................... ........................... 1 Green Strate$y %1 ................................. .................................... ........................... 1 Green Strate$y %1' ................................. .................................... ........................... 1' Green Strate$y %15 ................................. .................................... ........................... 1' Green Strate$y %1) ................................. .................................... ........................... 15 Green Strate$y %17 ................................. .................................... ........................... 15 Green Strate$y %1! ................................. .................................... ........................... 1) Green Strate$y %1" ................................. .................................... ........................... 1) The ome ............................................... ................................... ................................... 1! .. ome *++,iances....................... ................................................. ...................................................... .................................................... .......................... 1! .. Green Strate$y %2( ................................. .................................... ........................... 1! Green Strate$y %21 ................................. .................................... ........................... 1! Green Strate$y %22 ................................. .................................... ........................... 1" Green Strate$y %2 ................................. .................................... ........................... 1" Green Strate$y %2' ................................. .................................... ........................... 2( Green Strate$y %25 ................................. .................................... ........................... 2( Green Strate$y %2) ................................. .................................... ........................... 2( Green Strate$y %27 ................................. .................................... ........................... 21 Green Strate$y %2! ................................. .................................... ........................... 21 Green Strate$y %2" ................................. .................................... ........................... 22 Green Strate$y %( ................................. .................................... ........................... 22 Green Strate$y %1 ................................. .................................... ........................... 22 Green Strate$y %2 ................................. .................................... ........................... 2 Green Strate$y % ................................. .................................... ........................... 2 Green Strate$y %' ................................. .................................... ........................... 2' Richard's Green Green Ideas

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Green Strate$y %5 ................................. .................................... ........................... 2' Green Strate$y %) ................................. .................................... ........................... 2' Green Strate$y %7 ................................. .................................... ........................... 25 Green Strate$y %! ................................. .................................... ........................... 25 Green Strate$y %" ................................. .................................... ........................... 25 The ome ............................................... ................................... ................................... 2) .. eatin$ & Insu,ation ............................ ............................................................... ................................... ............................ ................................... ....... 2) Green Strate$y %'( ................................. .................................... ........................... 2) Green Strate$y %'1 ................................. .................................... ........................... 2) Green Strate$y %'2 ................................. .................................... ........................... 2) Green Strate$y %' ................................. .................................... ........................... 27 Green Strate$y %'' ................................. .................................... ........................... 27 Green Strate$y %'5 ................................. .................................... ........................... 27 Green Strate$y %') ................................. .................................... ........................... 27 Green Strate$y %'7 ................................. .................................... ........................... 2! Green Strate$y %'! ................................. .................................... ........................... 2! Green Strate$y %'" ................................. .................................... ........................... 2! Green Strate$y %5( ................................. .................................... ........................... 2" Green Strate$y %51 ................................. .................................... ........................... 2" The Garden & -ard -ard....................... .................................................. ................................................. .......................................... ................................ ............ 1 The Garden & -ard -ard....................... .................................................. ................................................. .......................................... ................................ ............ 2 Green Strate$y %52 ................................. .................................... ........................... 2 Green Strate$y %5 ................................. .................................... ........................... 2 Green Strate$y %5' ................................. .................................... ........................... 2 Green Strate$y %55 ................................. .................................... ...........................  Green Strate$y %5) ................................. .................................... ...........................  Green Strate$y %57 ................................. .................................... ...........................  Green Strate$y %5! ................................. .................................... ...........................  Green Strate$y %5" ................................. .................................... ...........................  Com+uters & rinters.................................................... ....................................................................................... ................................... .............. ' Com+uters & rinters.................................................... ....................................................................................... ................................... .............. 5 Green Strate$y %)( ................................. .................................... ........................... 5 Green Strate$y %)1 ................................. .................................... ........................... 5 Green Strate$y %)2 ................................. .................................... ........................... 5 Green Strate$y %) ................................. .................................... ........................... 5 Green Strate$y %)' ................................. .................................... ........................... 5 Green Strate$y %)5 ................................. .................................... ........................... ) Car & /ue, .............................................. ................................... ................................... 7 .. Car & /ue, .............................................. ................................... ................................... ! .. Green Strate$y %)) ................................. .................................... ........................... ! Green Strate$y %)7 ................................. .................................... ........................... ! Green Strate$y %)! ................................. .................................... ........................... ! Green Strate$y %)" ................................. .................................... ........................... ! Green Strate$y %7( ................................. .................................... ........................... " Green Strate$y %71 ................................. .................................... ........................... " Richard's Green Green Ideas

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Green Strate$y %72 ................................. .................................... ........................... " Green Strate$y %7 ................................. .................................... ........................... " Green Strate$y %7' ................................. .................................... ........................... " Green Strate$y %75 ................................. .................................... ........................... '( Green Strate$y %7) ................................. .................................... ........................... '( Green Strate$y %77 ................................. .................................... ........................... '( Green Strate$y %7! ................................. .................................... ........................... '( Green Strate$y %7" ................................. .................................... ........................... '1 Green Strate$y %!( ................................. .................................... ........................... '1 Green Strate$y %!1 ................................. .................................... ........................... '1 Green Strate$y %!2 ................................. .................................... ........................... '1 Green Strate$y %! ................................. .................................... ........................... '1 0ice & Wor+,ace Wor+,ace................... ....................................... ........................................ ........................................ .......................................... ........................ '2 .. 0ice & Wor+,ace Wor+,ace................... ....................................... ........................................ ........................................ .......................................... ........................ ' .. Green Strate$y %!' ................................. .................................... ........................... ' Green Strate$y %!5 ................................. .................................... ........................... ' Green Strate$y %!) ................................. .................................... ........................... ' Green Strate$y %!7 ................................. .................................... ........................... ' Green Strate$y %!! ................................. .................................... ........................... '' Green Strate$y %!" ................................. .................................... ........................... '' Green Strate$y %"( ................................. .................................... ........................... '' Green Strate$y %"1 ................................. .................................... ........................... '' Green Strate$y %"2 ................................. .................................... ........................... '5 Green Strate$y %" ................................. .................................... ........................... '5 3eisure Trave, & 4acation....................................................... .............................................................................................. ....................................... ') 3eisure Trave, & 4acation....................................................... .............................................................................................. ....................................... '7 Green Strate$y %"' ................................. .................................... ........................... '7 Green Strate$y %"5 ................................. .................................... ........................... '7 Green Strate$y %") ................................. .................................... ........................... '! Green Strate$y %"7 ................................. .................................... ........................... '! Green Strate$y %"! ................................. .................................... ........................... '! Green Strate$y %"" ................................. .................................... ........................... '! Green Strate$y %1(( ................................. .................................... ......................... '" Green Strate$y %1(1 ................................. .................................... ......................... '" Green Strate$y %1(2 ................................. .................................... ......................... '" Green Strate$y %1( ................................. .................................... ......................... '" Green Strate$y %1(' ................................. .................................... ......................... '" Green Strate$y %1(5 ................................. .................................... ......................... 5( Green Strate$y %1() ................................. .................................... ......................... 5( Sho++in$......................... .............................................. ........................................... .......................................... ........................................ ................................ ............ 51 Sho++in$......................... .............................................. ........................................... .......................................... ........................................ ................................ ............ 52 Green Strate$y %1(7 ................................. .................................... ......................... 52 Green Strate$y %1(! ................................. .................................... ......................... 52 Green Strate$y %1(" ................................. .................................... ......................... 52 Green Strate$y %11(................................ ........................ ..................................................... ...................................... ......... 5 Richard's Green Green Ideas

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Green Strate$y %111.......................... .................................................. .................................................. ............................................ .................. 5 Green Strate$y %112................................ ........................ ..................................................... ...................................... ......... 5 Green Strate$y %11................................ ........................ ..................................................... ...................................... ......... 5' Christmas................................................... ....................................................... ..................................................................... .............. 55 Christmas................................................... ....................................................... ..................................................................... .............. 5) Green Strate$y %11'................................ ........................ ..................................................... ...................................... ......... 5) Green Strate$y %115................................ ........................ ..................................................... ...................................... ......... 5) Green Strate$y %11)................................ ........................ ..................................................... ...................................... ......... 57 Green Strate$y %117................................ ........................ ..................................................... ...................................... ......... 57 ersona, y$iene................... ....................................... ........................................ ........................................ ......................................... ............................ ....... 5! ersona, y$iene................... ....................................... ........................................ ........................................ ......................................... ............................ ....... 5" Green Strate$y %11!................................ ........................ ..................................................... ...................................... ......... 5" Green Strate$y %11"................................ ........................ ..................................................... ...................................... ......... 5" Green Strate$y %12( ................................. .................................... ......................... 5" isce,,aneous....................................................... ........................................................................................... .................................... ...................... )1 isce,,aneous....................................................... ........................................................................................... .................................... ...................... )2 Green Strate$y %121 ................................. .................................... ......................... )2 Green Strate$y %122 ................................. .................................... ......................... )2 Green Strate$y %12 ................................. .................................... ......................... )2 Green Strate$y %12' ................................. .................................... ......................... )2 Green Strate$y %125 ................................. .................................... ......................... ) Conc,usion................................................. ....................................................... ..................................................................... .............. )'


!


Introduction

W

e are all increasingly feeling the need to help the environment in the face of global warming. Most people would like to "go green," but think that it would be more expensive to change their ways than just carrying on as always.

Well, the good news is that you can save money while staying green. You can adopt all kinds of environmentally friendly habits that will keep a siable portion of your hard earned money firmly in your pocket. !snt that the best of both worlds# You get to do your bit for the good of mankind, spending less in the process. $f course, you need to know all the best strategies. %ome of them are obvious and touted by everyone who preaches the green g reen life. &owever, there are lots of little known ways to make a huge difference that very few people talk about. !t is mainly those kinds of strategies that this ebook concentrates on. 'ven if the worst predictions p redictions of our planets fate from man(made global warming fails to actually come about, we can all benefit greatly by adopting green measures. 'arths resources are for all to enjoy and we should not be wasting them, even when there appears to be plenty to go round. %ome of the statistics stated in this ebook may shock you. !t shocked me too. !t soon becomes obvious that we humans are a wasteful lot, or at least we have been. )ut there will never be a better time than now to change your ways, go green and save green at the same time. 'ven if you only take up one single tip from this ebook, that will be worth it. *here are +- green strategies in this ebook to help you save your money and still be green, so you have little excuse not to start doing several of them ( or all of them 


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The Home

*

he home is one of the places where you can make the most savings and also the biggest environmental impact. *here are so many things that can be improved or changed in any home.

*hese measures typically dont cost the earth / sometimes nothing at all, and the savings gained can be considerable over time. 'ven if you are not in i n a position to invest in greener ways, you can still make a tremendous difference at little or no cost. You just have to know how. *his section, dealing with the &ome, is the largest, so it has been divided up into three basic sub(sections0 

*he 1itchen

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&ome 2ppliances



&eating 3 !nsulation

'ach of these sections is dealt with in depth. *he tips offered are the best in terms of overall savings for you, as well as in terms of positive overall environmental impact. ! realie that not all of the green strategies will suit everyone, but there are plenty to go round, so expect to find some that can fit into your lifestyle perfectly. 


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The Home The Kitchen Green Strate/y 01 Want to save the environment from one ton of carbon every year# %tart today by only filling your tea kettle4coffee maker with the amount of water you actually need every time. Most people fill their kettles to the brim. *hey waste water, electricity / and their money / in the process. 5ersuade another +6 families 7+- all together8 to only fill fil l their kettles with what they actually need and a whole ton of carbon will be prevented from floating into the atmosphere to do its irreparable damage. !f only your family did this for one week it would save enough energy to light up your house for a day, day, or run your *9 set every evening for a week.

Green Strate/y 02 :ooking re;uires heat, so conserve it to save money. money. 1eep a lid on all the pots and pans being used in cooking. Water Water will boil around <= faster in pans with a lid on, thereby saving time, electricity and your money, as well as giving the environment a break.

Green Strate/y 0 !f you are cooking in the oven, keep the door closed. Most modern ovens have a see(through door that let you see whats happening inside. >se it 2round ?= of oven heat is lost every time the door is opened. !f youre trying to bake a cake, for example, and you keep opening the door to see how its getting on, then you are cooking at @?= of the correct temperature, while wasting energy and money


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Green Strate/y 0 !f you use commercial cleaning products in your kitchen, STOP! *hey are expensive expensive to buy and expensive to produce. )esides, they are not good for your or the environments health. You can make your own cleaner from a mixture of vinegar, salt and baking soda. !t will clean perfectly, perfectly, and it will contain no toxic chemicals, thereby helping the environment. !t will cost a great deal less too. Aot convinced# *hink about this... We dump some B million pounds of damaging toxins down our drains every year, just from household and kitchen cleaning products alone. What kind of damage do you think that is doing to the environment# Well, Well, you dont have to do it anymore. &eres another simple recipe for an all(purpose cleaner, cleaner, courtesy of Creenpeace0 

D cup pure li;uid soap



+ gallon hot water



E cup lemon juice

!ts safe and effective, and costs very little.

Green Strate/y 05 !ll bet you use one of those hard plastic scrub pads to get the baked on grime off your pots and pans. *hen after a week or so you throw it away and start using a new one. )ad idea. :onsider using something more permanent that will last a very long time, and will get the dirt off too. 2 good old(fashioned scrubbing brush will do that. Yes, !m serious. !t will last for months, if not years, and it can be recycled over and over again.

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You You save money and the environment doesnt get clogged up with old plastic scrub pads. !snt that a great idea#

Green Strate/y 03 Fo you follow cookbooks to the letter# You You shouldnt always take their advice as being good advice. !t often is, but not always. You You dont have to pre(heat an oven for every dish, unless baking bread and pastries. Gust shove the dish in the oven and switch on, setting it at the right temperature. 2nd re(read Green Strategy ! in case youve forgotten. You You can even turn the oven off before serving and leave the meal in the oven to stay warm or finish cooking without wasting any extra energy.

Green Strate/y 04 'at at home more often. 2mericans eat out on average around five times a week Meals that are prepared commercially are costly and may contain chemicals and ingredients that are less than really good for you. Co for the healthier option and save your money. money. *he environment will benefit from a little li ttle less commercial cooker activity too. You You could find yourself saving around H+?? a month from eating more modest meals at home. You wont go hungry either, and youll know what all the ingredients are.

Green Strate/y 0 :ook once and eat twice. *his is a great way to save all round. !f your oven can hold two chickens, and !ll bet it can, then why not roast two instead of one every time# *wo chickens will cook in about the same amount of time that one will. Aow, do the math... You will cut your cooking time in half, half, saving electricity or propane cooking gas / and guess what happens to all the money saved Yep, it stays right in your pocket.


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You You also save a lot of time when you come to prepare your next meal. Iemember, it doesnt have to be just chickens. *his will work with turkeys, roast beef, stews, casseroles, etc. 2nd ! surely dont have to mention the environmental benefits...

Green Strate/y 06 2n interesting statistic from )icycling Magaine tells us that you can save around H,??? a year on health costs on average by simply eating enough fruit and vegetables. *he average weighted price of fresh vegetables is around <6 cents per pound and the average average weighted price of fresh fruit is around J+ cents per pound. *he average price of a pound of beef is around H6.+-. 75rices will vary from region and even from store(to(store.8 $1, so you save money, money, but does it help the environment# $h yes 2 lot of the costs are in bringing the end product to the market. 9egetables 9egetables and fruit are cheaper to produce. *heir production is less harmful to the environment too. *o do a little better, buy things grown locally as often as possible. *he less distance it has to travel from farm to your plate the less energy is being used, which reduces :$ emissions. :onsider also that vegetables are plants and most fruits grow on trees, which both absorb :$ and give out oxygen. :attle, pigs and sheep dont do that. !n fact, they do the opposite. :attle especially produce a lot of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. *hey breathe it out and expel millions of tons of it in other ways that are best left unmentioned. %o, when you breed a lot of cattle for food... You figure it out.


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Green Strate/y 017 &ow many times do you or your children eat a bowl of cereal and end up with all the cereal gone, but a ;uarter cup of milk left at the bottom of the bowl, which gets drunk on its own# You You could save around six gallons of milk a year if the cereal and the milk both ended at the same time. Ao, ! dont mean put in i n more cereal, ! mean put in less milk Youll save money and ease up a little on the need for milk production too. Aow, imagine if every single person who eats cereal every morning did the same...

Green Strate/y 011 2nd sticking with milk, if you find it on sale at a bargain, buy a lot at the cheaper price and freee it. Milk will freee just fine. !t takes a little while to thaw out, so you do need to plan ahead a bit. *he fat can separate from the milk, so it needs a good shake after thawing too. 2part from that though, it will taste exactly the same after thawing out as fresh milk will.

Green Strate/y 012 You You can consolidate your cooking and save both in money and energy. !ts perfectly possible to cook for a whole week in one go. !t will wi ll take a little planning and probably p robably a whole afternoon 7%unday afternoon perhaps#8, but after youve cooked for the week, all you have to do is freee or chill the individual meals, ready for heating up when you need them. *his idea was popular during World War War !! when resources were more scarce or rationed. !t still makes sense though. You You dont have to cook the whole meal, of course. !f you plan to have pasta with a meat dish, just cook the meat beforehand as pasta cooks fast and is best fresh. Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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>se your common sense and make a plan, and youll be amaed at how easy it is and how much you can save for yourself and the planet.

Green Strate/y 01 Whatever happened to the idea of pot roasts# *hey dont seem to be so popular these days, which is a pity when you consider that cooking a chicken in a slow cooker for seven or eight hours uses one of the energy that cooking it in an oven does. third of *he same applies to any meat you might want to cook, as well as vegetables and whatever else you can think of. !f you have cheap electricity at night, which is common in some places, then make use of it to slowly cook something overnight !t can be that simple.

Green Strate/y 01 !ll bet youve been wondering when ! was going to mention organic food. Well, here it is, and more importantly, importantly, heres why you should eat organic food. !t probably is better for you, but if youre serious about going green, then organic food is the way to go. :arbon dioxide 7:$8 is captured and stored in organic soils much better and more effectively than in ordinary soils. *his makes organic foods much more friendly to the planet. &eres an example of how good organic growing could be0 !f we grew all our corn and all our soybeans in organic conditions, some 580 BILLION tons of CO2 would no longer be pumped out into the atmosphere.

Green Strate/y 015 %erve up less food on the familys plates. 2mericans have a wasteful habit of serving up too much food. *his leads to an amaing amount of waste. Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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$n average, B?= to -?= of the food we buy gets dumped 2nd thats whether we eat at home or eat out. 2mericans throw away a mind(numbing +6 million tons of food a year *hat works out at about +?? pounds a year for each of us just dumped in the garbage can. *ry explaining that to people in third world countries who spend their days starving, just wondering where their next meal is coming from. *rain your family to reach a point of ero food waste. !t simply makes sense from every possible angle. &ow much could your family save in a year of practicing ero food waste# &ow much would the environment benefit from it#

Green Strate/y 013 Foes your home use bottled water# Yes# You You could be throwing away a whopping H+,6??, on average, every year 2lso, the water you are buying is no better than what comes from the tap in most cases. Worse than that, only around -= of the empty plastic bottles ever get recycled. *hat means K-= of them end up in landfills. You You could invest around H+?? for a multi(stage water filter to fit to your existing water supply and refill your own bottle7s8. !ts already safe to drink, but this will make it taste great / even better than bottled water, and youll save around H+,B?? a year on average. *he environment will feel better too without all that plastic being dumped in landfills. !f you still need to carry water in bottles, consider using reusable bottles. You can get stainless steel water bottles, for example, that will last a lifetime. :onsider this0 2mericans burn some 1.5 million arrels of oil every year just to produce all the plastic bottles of water we use. &ow many cars would that power for a year# 2round +??,??? *hats the number of cars in a fair(sied city. city. Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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Green Strate/y 014 Iemember science classes# *he boiling point of water at sea level is + degrees Lahrenheit. !t changes though with increased pressure. *his is the basis of the pressure cooker. cooker. Lood will cook three to four times faster in a pressure cooker. !t often tastes better too. You use less energy in cooking, so you save money and help the environment. $ne other benefit is cooking on hot days. )ecause cooking times are drastically reduced, the kitchen doesnt heat up so much, so theres less need for increased air conditioning, and less energy used all round 2nd if your grandmother tells you horror stories of the old days when pressure cookers occasionally exploded, that was then. *echnology has moved on a lot, and pressure cookers are completely safe to use these days. *here are other major benefits to cooking in a pressure cooker... cooker... You You know how some foods seem to taste better the second time round as leftovers# *hey taste great the first time round, but there seems to be more flavor when the food has lain for a time. *his is especially true of stews and sauces, and its because the flavors bind together and mature better given a little lit tle time. *hats what a pressure cooker does first time, every time *he higher heat and the increased pressure s;ueees, combines and melds the flavors together faster. *he proof is in the taste 5ressure cookers use less li;uid for cooking, so the nutritional value is increased. *his means that the food you cook is actually better for you. 5hew :onvinced yet# ! hope you are... *hermal cookers cookers from Gapan are also a great great option. *hey consist of a pot in which you heat the food and is then pl aced in an insulated outer pot and sealed sealed until the food is cooked. *he initial heat is retained which slowly cooks the food without any additional heat being applied. 7*hese are not the electric ones ones you find currently on the market.8


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Green Strate/y 01 Lit a sink faucet aerator to the kitchen sink. *his will reduce the amount of water you use. %ome +-= of the average households water consumption goes on faucet use. 2 faucet aerator provides water under increased pressure, but less of it, so it does a similar job. !t gives g ives you a needle spray pattern pattern thats actually more efficient too. :ost to buy# Minimal. )enefit to t o your pocket and the environment# !mmense

Green Strate/y 016 Where would a bunch of kitchen Nbe green and save moneyO tips be without the mention of recycling# You You can and should sort out all your kitchen waste that can be recycled. 2ll the glass, bottles and containers can be sorted and saved from the landfills and from being clogged up any more than necessary. Lor example, how long do you think it i t takes a glass bottle to decompose and become a natural part of the environment again# Pet me tell you0 6,??? years. *hat means that the glass bottles you throw out that get dumped in landfills will not blend back into nature until the <+st century !s that what you want to have happen to your glass waste# *ake a drinks can that gets recycled. !t can often be back on a supermarket shelf in another form in about two months time. *hats just one good reason for recycling recycling used cans. !ncredibly, !ncredibly, the average average child in 2merica goes through some -?? drinks cans a year. year. :onsider that you can often redeem cans and bottles for rebates. *hat just has to be worth doing. *en years ago we threw BJ,??? bottles and cans into landfills l andfills / every minute &ow many do you think we are throwing away into landfills today#


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You You may also be eligible for a reduced garbage collection charge ch arge if you sort out the different items for recycling, and of course the environment benefits too. 



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The Home Home Appliances Green Strate/y 027 >se your dishwasher *his is one appliance that actually uses less energy than the manual alternative. Fishwashers are efficient devices. *hey use less water than someone standing over a sink usually does, and they usually clean dishes better too. *here are a few things to keep in mind though0 

2lways use the dishwasher with a full load 7but not overloaded8. *hat way it works at its most efficient level and provides the greatest savings.

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Font rinse off food wasteQ scrape it off to save on water.

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%et the dishwasher to the lowest heat level you safely can. :heck the manual for this.

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Font use the automatic air(dry function. %imply let the dishes air dry naturally. !t takes a little longer, but costs nothing

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Font use the rinse function on your dishwasher. dishwasher. !t can use up to seven gallons of hot water You You normally dont need it.

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)uy an 'nergy %tar Iated dishwasher if you dont already have one. You can save BB= off your old dishwasher bill. 2n 'nergy %tar Iated dishwasher uses at least 6?= less energy than an old dishwasher will.

Green Strate/y 021 Your water heater is probably set to +6? degrees Lahrenheit. You can reset it lower to +? degrees and still have all the benefits. &owever, your water heating costs will drop by up to +?= and the environment will benefit from lower energy consumption.


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Green Strate/y 022 You You could consider the benefits of installing a tankless water heater. heater. *ank(based water heating systems suffer from standby heat loss. *his is due to the fact that your water tank needs to have hot water in it at all times, but most of the time it simply waits for you to need it. When you dont need hot water, water, the system cycles between heating the water and waiting for it to cool to the level where it needs re(heating again. When you do use hot water in any ;uantity, ;uantity, cold water flows back b ack into the tank to keep it full. *his has the effect of actually lowering the temperature of the water, re;uiring even more energy to heat it up again 2 tankless water heater simply si mply heats the water on demand. Water pipes are heated directly when the hot water tap is turned on and the water keeps being heated until it is switched off. *his is extremely efficient and minimies waste, saving you money and minimiing the negative impact on the environment at the same time 2 tankless water heater will cost a bit more to install, but you will make your money back within a year or so. 2fter that you can expect to save up to -?= on all your water heating bills every year.

Green Strate/y 02 !nsulate your water heater tank with an insulating blanket bl anket if you still use that system. You can save half a ton of carbon dioxide emissions escaping every year by simply doing this. Youll save money big time too. Font stop with the tank though, insulate the pipes leaving the tank as well. >sually the hot water has to heat the cold pipes before it is able to provide hot water at the sink faucet, which may be some distance from the tank. *he better insulated the whole system is, the more you save both in cash and reduced :$ emissions.


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Green Strate/y 02 Your Your washing machine puts K?= of its energy consumption into heating up the water. You can save considerably on this by using a cold(water detergent and switching to a cold, or at best, warm water setting. !f all washing machines in the country ran on cold water, water, clothes would get just as clean cl ean as they do now, and wed save += on :$ emissions nationally as some B? million tons of :$ would no longer be poured into the atmosphere. Makes sense, doesnt it. You You may be able to get discounted rates if you run your washing machine and other appliances during off(peak hours, typically during the night. :heck with the utility company for this.

Green Strate/y 025 %top using fabric softener in your washing machine. You dont need it, but theres a more compelling argument against it0 fabric softeners contain damaging toxins that will be released into the environment. *here are eco(friendly softeners available that will soften, but do not contain toxins. >se them instead if you still feel the need for softening your clothes.

Green Strate/y 023 Font use a dryer *hese are the greatest energy guling appliances there are. Your Your grandmother used a clothes line and air(dried her clothes. *he amaing fact about this method is that it works 2nd its free 2nd it doesnt hurt the environment / not one single drop of :$ or any other greenhouse gas escapes from clothes freely drying on a line !magine that... &owever, if you "ST use use a dryer you can lessen the negative Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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impact by taking a few simple common sense measures0 

>se a large super absorbent towel in the drier. drier. *his will cut down the drying time by up to +?=, saving money and energy.

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1eep the lint filter super clean. :heck it after every drying cycle.

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Make use of the cool(down cycle. *his lets the clothes finish off drying with the residual heat in the drier as it cools down.

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:heck the drier vent regularly and clean it out if necessary. necessary.

1eeping your drier in tip(top condition will lessen its negative impact on the environment and cost you less. *hough it will always be better to stop using the drier altogether. altogether.

Green Strate/y 024 Your Your refrigerator should not be kept too cold. *his appliance is for keeping food cool and it should do this at a temperature of between BJ and 6? degrees Lahrenheit. Lahrenheit. Many refrigerators have a freeer compartment compartment too. *his should be kept at - degrees Lahrenheit. Lahrenheit. *o check these temperatures you will need a good thermometer. 5lace it in a glass of water in the middle of the fresh food storage area of your fridge and leave it for 6 hours. !f it reads outside of BJ to 6? degrees d egrees Lahrenheit, Lahrenheit, adjust the setting and check again until you get it just right. You You can check the freeer compartment of your refrigerator by placing a thermometer between two froen packages. 5acks of froen peas are ideal for this.

Green Strate/y 02 Fefrost your refrigerator on a regular basis. !ve seen fridges with two inches of solid ice at the back of the freeer compartment. compartment. Fo you have any idea how much extra energy is wasted by this# Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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!ce build up in a fridge f ridge should never exceed one ;uarter of an inch, and even that is too much. Youll save a surprising amount of money by keeping ice build up down, and youll use less energy too.

Green Strate/y 026 !s your refrigerator door seal working properly# You You can test it with a one dollar bill, or even a hundred dollar bill if you prefer. !ts not the value, but the paper that makes the test effective. $pen your fridge door and close it again on the dollar bill. With the bill half in and half out of the fridge, try gently pulling the bill free of the door. !f you can do this easily, you may need to re(seal the door. !f there is a fair lot of resistance, then the seal should sh ould be fine.

Green Strate/y 07 Aever leave food or li;uids uncovered in the fridge. 2part from a burning effect a fridge may have on uncovered foods, they may also release moisture. *his will have the effect of making the compressor work harder, using more energy and costing you more.

Green Strate/y 01 Most of your appliances can become vampires, sucking the power from sockets even when switched off. *his is especially true when an appliance is placed pl aced in standby, standby, such as with a *9 or modern sound system. Font be layQ get up off your backside and actually switch off the *9 at the set *hen unplug it from the socket when you have finished watching it for the evening. $r, $r, put it on a power strip that t hat you can turn off when the item is not in use. You You should do this with every appliance you have, regardless of what the manual may tell you. &ow long can it take to plug in and switch back on again anyway# !ts easy and ;uick to do. 2ccording to :AA, while each appliance, *9, 9:I, F9F, computer, printer, blender, etc., etc., may only drain a very small amount, all Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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together they can account for up to -= of your electricity bill. *hats H- for every H+?? you pay. !t adds up %o, unplug every time, or invest in a power strip that can be completely switched off. *his is the easiest way to do it, and the laiest too. )ut it will save you money, and help the environment too.

Green Strate/y 02 !ll bet you have the heating turned up in winter higher than you really need it to be. b e. *ry *ry lowering the thermostat just two degrees. You wont notice the slightest sli ghtest difference. )elieve me. )ut you will notice a difference on your electricity bill. Power it two degrees. Youll still be warm. %ay you start off at J degrees Lahrenheit, a common room temperature, and you lower it to J? degrees. *hats still comfortable, very comfortable !m willing to bet you could survive in a room temperature of a mere <@ degrees. *ry it for a few days and see. Youll save a lot of money over the winter, and youll help the environment too. )esides, buying and wearing a sweater is much cheaper than turning the heat up. up. %o, if you really want to save some money and and  pump less :$ into the atmosphere, turn the heat down to <- or << degrees while wearing you sweater sweater.. 2lso, at night, you sleep much better if the heat is turned down to to
Green Strate/y 0 !t gets hot in summer. 2mericans especially have been so conditioned their lives that they virtually live from air conditioned room to air conditioned room. We leave leave the air conditioned house, step into the air conditioned car, car, drive down to the air conditioned office or mall and shop for whatever we want / probably an air conditioning unit or two... *ry turning the temperature control up on your air conditioning unit this summer. *hink of it this way. !f the outside temperature is a ;uite hot, K? degrees or more, then an indoors temperature of @degrees will feel relatively cool. Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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You You dont need to have your house / every single room / set to J? degrees in summer. summer. !t will still feel cooler at a much higher temperature. *ry slowing increasing the temperature a degree at a time until it feels uncomfortable, then set it down a degree or so and leave it at that. Youll Youll be amaed at how much heat you can comfortably stand, and how much you save too. *ry it 2 bad habit people have in the >.%. is turn the air conditioner on in the morning as they leave for work allowing it to run all day long and no one is home. home. !nstead, turn turn it on only when someone someone is home. !f someone is home all day, day, try alternating between it being b eing on for a hour or so and then turn it off for the same amount amount of time. !t really doesnt need to be on all day and night.

Green Strate/y 0 You can save water in your shower in several ways. *he obvious one is to take shorter showers, but by fitting some low(flow attachments to your shower, you can save an amaing amount of water, saving money and energy is a bargain. You You want figures# $1, a low(flow shower head will save around B,??? gallons of water for each person every year. year. *hats a lot *his is water that didnt need to be heated either. Iemember, you can 7and should8 fit low(flow attachments to all your sink taps. You can add a low(flow toilet too. *his will save even more water for you and your family. $r, $r, if this isnt an expense you can afford, try this rhyme0 R!f its yellow, yellow, let it mellow. mellow. !f its brown, flush it down. down. You You can end up using about half as much water water for flushing the toilet by not flushing as often.

Green Strate/y 05 :hange your lighting. You may not think of your house lights as appliances, but they are. !f you use incandescent bulbs, the old standard light bulbs, then you will benefit all round from changing to :LP bulbs, or compact fluorescent light bulbs. *hey use around J-= less energy and will last around +? times Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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longer. longer. *hey also produce
Green Strate/y 03 Your Your entire water system can be costing you money if there are leaks. 2 single steady drip can account for up to -? gallons a month *hats B,??? gallons a year, and you will be charged for it / water you didnt use or even see. :heck your toilet system for leaks by adding a few drops of bright food coloring to the toilet water tank. Font flush for at least B? minutes and see if the color appears in the toilet bowl. !f it does, then you have a leak and it will need to be repaired. !f the color doesnt appear within B? minutes, then everything is fine. &owever, &owever, youd better flush the food coloring away or the next person to use the toilet may wonder whats going on.

Green Strate/y 04 !f you dont have a low(flow toilet, then you can improvise by filling a half gallon plastic bottle with a few rocks for weight and water, securing the cap on firmly, firmly, and placing it in the toilet water tank. *his can reduce the toilet flush by up to 6?=, but still leave enough water to flush everything away efficiently. efficiently.


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Green Strate/y 0 !n summer, use the dishwasher, washing machine and any other large appliances in the morning or later afternoon when its cooler. cooler. *hese appliances give off heat, which will only make your air conditioner work harder if you use them at the middle of the day and height of energy consumption during the day. day. :onversely, :onversely, in winter you should use them at the cooler times of the day to help heat up the house and take some of the burden off the heaters

Green Strate/y 06 Font use a hair dryer *his appliance is among the top three of power(guling appliances. )esides, its better for your hair to be gently dried with a soft so ft towel before being left lef t to air dry. Whats that# You You dont have time to wait for your hair to air dry# $f course you do Make time. You You are saving money and helping the environment here. Make time. time. )esides, how long does it really take for hair to dry that you cant can t wait the +- to B? minutes# 



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The Home Heating & Insulation Green Strate/y 07 >se your heating thermostats wisely. wisely. !f you lower the house temperature overnight overnight by - or @ degrees and turn it up again in the morning, you will save a lot of money and use a lot less resources. !f you turn the heat down to
Green Strate/y 01 !f you are having a party, save save a bit on your heating bill by turning the thermostats way down. 2 human body in an enclosed room gives out heat roughly e;uivalent to +J- watts of power. *hats a very bright light bulb !f you have ? people in a room, thats the e;uivalent of a B.kilowatt heater !t will get pretty warm if you leave the room heating at its normal setting, so turn it down for the evening and save all round

Green Strate/y 02 >se programmable thermostats to control your heating if possible. !f they are properly programmed, they can reduce close to ,??? pounds of greenhouse emissions a year in an average home, according to the 'nvironmental 5rotection 2gency.


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*hey also state that if every home in the >% adopted these measures and ensured that leaks were minimied or even sealed, then the country could prevent +
Green Strate/y 0 :onsider installing solar panels. *here are two kinds0 for collecting heat and 5hotovoltaic panels which produce electricity. electricity. *hey can be expensive to install, but they work well in places where there is plenty of light. *hey dont need hot sunshine to operate, just light, so bright winter days are good enough. You You may not be able to completely run your home on solar photovoltaic power, power, but you can do ;uite a lot with a little bit of careful planning.

Green Strate/y 0 &ave your furnace serviced once a year and change the air filter whenever it needs changing, every month to three months depending on the type of filters you use. *his can greatly reduce your heating bill as the furnace will run more efficiently, costing much less to run in the process.

Green Strate/y 05 2ir returns and heating vents should be kept clear of all obstructions. 1eep furniture or rugs and carpets clear and let the air flow go unhindered. *his will increase the efficiency of the system, saving you money and keeping down on resource usage.

Green Strate/y 03 :onserve heat. !nsulate every part of the house that can be insulated if you have not already done so. *he loft or attic is a very important place to insulate. &eat rises, Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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and if your loft is not properly insulated, the heat will just keep rising ( straight out of the roof $f course, your hard(earned money will effectively pour out of the roof with it. You You can also insulate your wall cavities. &eat will go wherever it can, not just up, so insulate the sides as well. %ome 6?= of heat loss is often attributed to the lack of cavity wall insulation. !f you already have home insulation, you might benefit from upgrading it. %ix or seven inches of insulation is common, but an extra three or four inches wont cost that much more, and the savings gained will be immense over the years.

Green Strate/y 04 :onsider using eco(friendly insulation materials if you are insulating from scratch, or upgrading your existing insulation. :ellulose insulation, using shredded old newspapers and magaines, or insulation made from formaldehyde(free fiberglass, is much more friendly to the environment than traditional materials are. *hese new eco(friendly materials will insulate every bit as good as the older materials will, and youll save money through efficient insulation and the environment will benefit too.

Green Strate/y 0 Frafts can seriously lower a room temperature. Make sure that all possible areas of drafts are closed off. Weather Weather stripping is cheap to buy and it can seal loose doors and windows, making them more effective at keeping the heat in and the cold out. $f course, the reverse is true for the summer months. 5roper seals will help to make your air conditioning more effective and will save you money.

Green Strate/y 06 *his may seem obvious, but !ll say it anyway0 replace any single glaed windows with double, or even triple, glaing. %ingle glaed windows were common in the old days, but they are not very good at


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insulationQ the heat will escape as easily as if there is nothing there. Fouble glaing is very efficient at trapping heat in a room, or keeping it out on hot summer days. 2nd triple glaing is even better still. *he cost of upgrading can be ;uite steep, but you will save considerably in the long term. :onsider it as a sensible investment in your future.

Green Strate/y 057 !f you have single glaed windows, and you simply cant afford to upgrade to double glaed windows, then heres a simple and inexpensive tip that can help0 cover your windows with bubble wrap. $1, it sounds silly, but it really does work. !t lets light in, though you cannot see through the windows properly, properly, but it will reduce heat loss through the window by about 6-=. *hats a very significant amount *he idea is simple0 cut a sheet of bubble bubbl e wrap to fit the window exactly, spray it gently with plain water, and stick it on to the window. !t should stay there. 2nd when you remove it there isnt any difficult mess to clean up. You You save money by retaining r etaining heat and the environment saves by having less demand on its resources

Green Strate/y 051 !nsulate any open fireplaces you may have. )efore ! go any further, let me make it perfectly clear that this applies ONL% to to fireplaces that are not actually being used ! heard recently of someone who read of this idea, liked it and blocked up his chimney chimney, then lit a fire. *he house burned down. down. !f the house doesnt burn down, the people inside insid e could suffocate from all the smoke and carbon monoxide. &owever, &owever, if there are open fireplaces f ireplaces that are not being used, they are acting as vents for all the heat you are producing. Youd be as well off throwing a fistful of dollars out of the window every morning


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!nsulating your open fireplaces that you are not using is easy. easy. 2 large sheet of cardboard from a large box cut to sie can usually do the trick. *his will prevent the heat from escaping up the chimney, chimney, and prevent drafts from entering down the chimney. You You can get more fancy if you like, but its best to make the insulating material removable so that you can use the fireplace again whenever you want to. "#$%0 $ne word of warning about insulating and sealing your home0 you do need fresh air to enter the house. !f your heating system does not introduce fresh air, air, then make sure that you do at some point throughout each day.

!f you have sealed the house tight and insulated well, you should consider installing carbon monoxide detectors in addition to your smoke detectors. *his will tell you if there is a build up of carbon monoxide, which will mean that not enough fresh air is entering the building. 



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The Garden & Yard

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he garden and yard are green areas where people can enjoy nature. *his is where you can have flower and plants of your choosing.

You may have a fountain, or just a plain lawn. You may have a deck patio, garden accents, a lawn statue, solar powered lighting, or any number of things to make the area attractive. attractive. Your Your garden and yard will generate waste. !ts what you do with the waste thats important. *he overall space also needs careful consideration. Your Your little bit of green can be a haven of savings and can be greener than just its color. color. 2ll it needs is a little bit of planning and thought... 



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The Garden & Yard Green Strate/y 052 Pets start with the most obvious one0 compost You You should start a composting bin for all the vegetable matter you might ordinarily throw away. away. Peaves from trees in i n autumn, as well as anything pruned or cut off can all be composted. Pets not forget kitchen waste. 2ny vegetable matter you normally throw out should go into the compost. 2 good compost pile or unit will provide excellent soil material for nourishing young plants. !ts a clever way of recycling, really. really. Pook to the kitchen as well for decomposable materials. Lood waste will compost easily and its an ideal way to dispose of it. :omposting food and vegetable matter turns it into nutrient(rich soil. You can buy this sort of thing of course, but its i ts much more satisfying and cheaper to make it yourself. Pive in an apartment# apartment# Ao problem. problem. >se a worm bin or other indoor composter using what you you need for your houseplants. houseplants. *he rest you can either sell or make it a gift to someone that may need it. :ommunity gardens gardens could always always benefit from such a gift and may just turn around and share some of what they product.

Green Strate/y 05 :onsider planting drought(tolerant tree species in your garden. *hese include crepe myrtle, ash, or ginkgo, and shrubs from rosemary to barberry and juniper. Why# Clobal warming could create drier conditions. !f you have plants competing for increasingly drier soil, you will have problems. Frought(tolerant Frought(tolerant tree and shrub species will survive better and not demand as much water. Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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Green Strate/y 05 Fo you really need all the large lawn space you have# !t costs money to mow and maintain the lawn regularly during the summer months. !f you can cut down on your lawn space and replace it with an area where grass doesnt grow, you will save money and time and use less resources.

Green Strate/y 055 Water Water the lawn in the early morning when there is more moisture in the air, air, and when the water will be retained in the soil for a longer period. 2t the heat of the day any water you introduce onto the lawn will evaporate much faster. !t will not have time to penetrate down as far as it needs to go either. *his will waste water, your time and your money, as well as earths resources.

Green Strate/y 053 :onsider upgrading your lawn irrigation system. !f it is ;uite old, then it almost certainly wastes water. Modern irrigation systems are much more efficient at distributing water. You can save B?= to
Green Strate/y 054 !f you live in a hot dry place, you can help your gardens soil by adding polymers and organic matter after aeration. *hese help by retaining moisture for longer periods, thereby helping plants and flowers to grow more efficiently.

Green Strate/y 05 !nstall a rain barrel to catch rainfall from the roof. *his is an old idea, but a good one. *he rain is free after all, and it is excellent for watering plants and flowers as it doesnt contain unnecessary chemicals. You You can save on water bills by utiliing this simple idea !n some places this is actually illegal, like where ! live in :olorado.


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%o, if you are going to catch rain water, without a barrel, use it very ;uickly so you wont owe a fine. Creywater systems are also illegal in many places. )ut, if you catch the water, save it in buckets using it in a day or two to water parts of your garden, you are less likely to get caught, as you are not storing it for later use. Gust dont tell tell anyone. anyone.

Green Strate/y 056 Fo you enjoy driving your lawn mower up and down the lawn on a %unday afternoon# Cet some exercise and stop unnecessary pollution by getting rid of your motoried lawn mower Cet an old(fashioned, but sensible lawn mower that needs to be pushed in order to work. !t isnt hard work and it gets the job done just fine. f ine. You You get good exercise, you save money, the environment benefits too and you never have to worry about the price of gasoline or oil. 



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Computers & Printers

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ost homes now have a computer and printer. *hey are very common, and they are now so much more powerful than their early cousins were a mere - years ago.

2s with all electric machines, they consume power. *odays computers are much more efficient at doing so, but improvements can still be made if you know what to do. 5rinters are wasteful by their very nature. 5aper comes from wood, which is the material of trees, and we print far too many sheets of paper that we really dont need most of the time. )y adopting a few simple principles, everyone could seriously reduce their wasteful nature with their computers and printers. *his would not reduce the effectiveness of the appliances / just make them less wasteful, more environmentally friendly, friendly, saving money for everyone 



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Computers & Printers Green Strate/y 037 *urn off your computer when you stop using it. Peaving a computer on all the time is i s extremely wasteful. 2nd if you use a monitor, monitor, it is more wasteful still. !f you feel you must leave them on, make sure they go on standby or sleep mode as soon as possible when not in use. Peaving the screen saver on actually wastes energy and your money. *urn the screen off first within +- minutes , then the hard drive after B? minutes and finally the whole system should go into sleep mode after 6- minutes if it is not used for an extended period.

Green Strate/y 031 >pgrade your :I* monitor, if you still use one. *he older cathode ray tube monitors are not very efficient in terms t erms of energy use. Most of the energy they use is wasted as heat. *he newer P:F monitors are much more efficient and use much less energy. energy. *hey also take up less space too.

Green Strate/y 032 5rint less. $r, $r, not at all, if possible. 5aper doesnt grow on trees / it is trees !f you really have to print, then consider using duplex, or double(sided printing to save half your paper needs. Youll also save a tree or three.

Green Strate/y 03 Iecycle your printer ink cartridges wherever possible. %ome printer manufacturers have schemes to help with this. >se them $ver ?? million used printer ink cartridges end up in landfills in the >% alone. When you consider 'urope, :anada, 2ustralia, Gapan, :hina, and any number of other countries, then you can see why recycling %O"& used printer ink i nk cartridges makes sense.


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Green Strate/y 03 !f you are upgrading your computer anyway, anyway, consider upgrading a desktop and monitor unit to a laptop. Paptops typically use less than ?= of the energy that a dual computer4monitor system uses. 2 laptop uses about -? watts to a dual system using about J? watts.

Green Strate/y 035 5lug your computer and printer, printer, and any other device you use with them, into a power strip. When the e;uipment is not in use, switch it off *his will prevent vampire energy use where electricity is i s still consumed because appliances are left plugged into the sockets. 



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Car & Fuel

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e have a love affair with the car. !t started well over +?? years ago and it has continued unabated ever since. We are always looking for ways to go faster with more power and panache, ignoring the cost to ourselves and the environment. !t cant go on forever... We eagerly await await the day when a clean, cheap and reliable source of energy powers our cars. *here are exciting developments with electricity and hydrogen, as well as other technologies, but so far the internal combustion engine powered by gasoline or diesel fuel accounts for the majority of cars on the roads worldwide. !n the meantime we owe it to ourselves, and everyone else, to adopt driving habits that minimie the harmful impact that the motor car has on the environment. *he really good news is that when we start driving in such a way that the negative footprint of our cars is minimied, we usually pay less at the same time *hat obviously makes a lot of sense. %o why are not more of us doing it# You can make a start now and hope that others follow *he >%2 has only some = of the crude oil reserves in the world. &owever the >%2 consumes around -= of all the oil production in any one year. Yes, the math doesnt ;uite add up, and we have to import
2 good ;uestion... 2ll the cars, buses and trucks, etc in the >%2 consume a whopping great 20.& million 'arrels o( oil a '(%! *hats what it takes to keep the country mobile. !snt it time you did something to help / and save yourself some money at the same time#  For more information visit Richard's Green Ideas


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Car & Fuel Green Strate/y 033 Font drive Fo you have to drive# !f you live in a rural part of the country you may have little choice when you need to trave t ravell a long distance. )ut if you live in a town or city theres most likely a bus service you could use, or you could walk. You You could also consider getting a bicycle, which will provide you with transport and good exercise / and lots of savings in your pocket

Green Strate/y 034 )ecome a smooth driver. ! dont mean someone who poses and tries to look cool behind the wheel. ! mean someone who brakes gently and accelerates gently. Friving smoothly will put less l ess stress on your car. car. !t will consume less gas too. *he car parts will last longer and the gas will get you further. You save and the environment saves too.

Green Strate/y 03 :onsolidate your driving trips. Font drive d rive to the local store every day. Co once a week and stock up properly. Fo you have to drive your kids to school every day# 5erhaps a neighbor and you could get together and share the driving. *hink of ways to reduce your driving. You You will save fuel and save on resources too.

Green Strate/y 036 Ieduce your speed. Friving at J? miles per hour is expensive. 2 much more efficient speed for the average car is around -- miles per Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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hour. hour. You will still get to where you are going at that speed, and you will burn less fuel too.

Green Strate/y 047 Fump all the excess weight in your car. You car will burn more gas with every pound of increased weight. Co through the trunk and see if there is anything you can leave out. !n some cases you can probably dump up to +?? pounds of unnecessary stuff. *hat will increase you car mileage considerably over time and save you money too. 1eeping down the amount of stuff you haul around in your car can actually add two, two, or more, miles per gallon. You can end up saving saving more than a hundred dollars a year.

Green Strate/y 041 Cive your car a tune up. Pike so many other things, a car works at its most efficient when everything is working at its best possible. Your car will consume less gas, go further and save you money all at the same time. !t will also lessen its drain on the environment too.

Green Strate/y 042 :arpool to work as much as possible. You dont have to work at the same place in order to do this. You just all have to be going in roughly the same direction. *here are close to +B? million workers in the >%. :lose to @?= of them drive to work alone. :arpooling can save a lot l ot of money for everyone.

Green Strate/y 04 :heck what your cars recommended fuel octane level is. Font get a higher fuel octane if you dont need it. &igher fuel octane levels are usually more expensive.


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Green Strate/y 04 *ire roll resistance accounts for ?= of your cars fuel consumption. *hats the energy needed to get the tires rolling and keep them rolling. *ires, like most other things, work best when they are in peak condition. 1eep your tires properly inflated. *ire roll resistance increases with under(inflated and older worn tires. :heck the pressure regularly and keep it at the t he recommended pressure. 2lso check wheel alignment. )adly aligned wheels )ILL cost you a lot of money

Green Strate/y 045 Aever sit with the engine idling for more than one minute. Ie( starting the engine consumes about the same amount of gas that an idling engine consumes in about one minute. You You will save gas and money if your wait is going to be b e more than a minute by switching the engine off

Green Strate/y 043 2round +< million gallons of gas is wasted every year from cars sitting in line at places like )urger 1ing, toll booths and so forth. :ars waste a lot of gasoline just idling. You You can eat healthier and save gas by cooking at home and staying home *his way your meal will cost less / you cook it / so you dont have to drive anywhere to get it

Green Strate/y 044 2nticipate ahead. *his will help to prevent those last minute hard braking events that scare everyone and consume unnecessary gas, putting added strain on your cars parts at the same time. 1eep thinking ahead and anticipate bends, braking gently in plenty of time. %ee the red light up ahead so that you dont have to screech to a halt because you werent ready. ready. 2nticipate and keep your blood pressure down too. Pearn to coast coast to the red light and brake brake less. Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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Green Strate/y 04 Ieplace an old and worn gas cap. :heck your gas cap for wear, especially the seal. !f you find any wear, replace it. 2 worn gas cap with a faulty seal will let fuel evaporate out of the tank. Youd Youd be better pouring the gas down the drain. 2t least youd have some control that way.

Green Strate/y 046 Fo you have an overhead luggage rack that you dont actually use all the time# Iemove it. 2n overhead luggage rack adds drag, which in turn means more gas used. %ave some money and only put in in place when you need it.

Green Strate/y 07 5ut on your seat belt efore you start your cars engine. !f you are like most people, you start the engine, then put on the seat belt. *his can waste several hundred dollars in wasted fuel every year. !t all adds up

Green Strate/y 01 Ieverse into a parking space instead of driving straight in. *he reason is that you can drive straight out on a cold engine instead of maneuvering on a cold engine. !ts more efficient and greener. greener. You You could save around -= better fuel economy doing this. !f everyone in a medium sied city also did it, they could collectively save a much more interesting total of H+- million every year

Green Strate/y 02 When the time comes to replace your car, car, consider getting a fuel( efficient car. car. %maller cars are generally much more efficient that huge gas(guling %>9s. Aew hybrid cars can offer a good solution. :heck them out.


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'very thought of an electric car# Maybe you you should. *hat way way you never have have to worry about about the price of gas gas or oil. !f you have have 5hotovoltaic panels on your roof you will actually do much better.

Green Strate/y 0 :hange your cars air filter regularly. Foing this will improve gas mileage by as much as +?= and save up to @ cents per gallon. 



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Office & Worplace

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he office and workplace are traditionally places of unnecessary wastage. 'mployees seem to think that because it belongs to the company they work for, it doesnt matter if they are wasteful. Aot so Waste is waste whoever owns whats being wasted. !t costs money, a lot of money in the case of offices and places of work. We We all need to be a lot more responsible and try to limit the drain on resources.

!t is down to the management really. Workers will do what they are told to do, by and large. *hey will take the lead from a good boss who is also a good g ood leader. leader. 2ll too often though, it is the boss who shows the workers how to be wasteful. Iegardless of who sets the example, we can all do better in the workplace. We We can all take positive steps to reduce or even eliminate wasteful habits. !t only makes sense after all. 



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Office & Worplace Green Strate/y 0 *he biggest single cost in many offices and workplaces is the electricity bill. You can overcome this to some extent by installing :LP bulbs, or compact florescent lights. *hey are much more efficient and use less energy. 5ut all electric devices at each desk on a power strip that can switch off. :omputers and printers that are left plugged in drain power and cost money, money, costing the environment even more.

Green Strate/y 05 When you are replacing r eplacing a printer, printer, consider getting g etting an all(in(one device that combines printer, scanner, copier and fax. 'ach component in an all(in(one device works as good as a dedicated one, and having a four(in(one machine is much more cost(effective than having four separate ones.

Green Strate/y 03 *elecommute if possible. !ncreasingly, companies are seeing the advantages advantages of having their workforce working from home. *here are distinct advantages advantages for the workers too. You dont have to commute for a start. !n most cases you just need a good high( speed !nternet connection, a computer and perhaps a printer and fax.

Green Strate/y 04 Cive customers the option of receiving their bills by email instead of sending out paper bills. 'veryone saves this way and it works just as effectively too.


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Green Strate/y 0 Ieduce the need for business meetings by conferencing on line. *odays computers are fast and efficient. *hey can easily cope with a web cam for virtual face to face meetings. 2lso, there are plenty of software choices for on line conferencing that come free to use. )usiness travel is an expense that is not always needed. %ome workers may view it as a perk, but its costly and often unnecessary. unnecessary.

Green Strate/y 06 5rint double sided 7duplex printing8 and recycle all used paper. paper. %ome +million tons of paper / no, ! dont know how many trees that e;uate to / gets thrown away by businesses every year. *hat works out at around +J- pounds for every office worker in the country *hink whether or not you actually need a physical printed copy of a document. You could save paper, money and trees by printing to 5FL instead

Green Strate/y 067 When you replace office e;uipment such as printers and computers, find a good home for them. Fonate them to a charity. Most old office e;uipment is still in fine working condition and is just being upgraded. *here are are plenty of charities or low income families who will gladly accept your old e;uipment and give them a second life.

Green Strate/y 061 :onsider changing over to an environmentally(friendly web host. *hey are as competitively priced as the ones who dont care, and they usually take steps to reduce their ecological footprint by buying carbon offsets, as well as other measures.


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Green Strate/y 062 !f business travel is essential 7and it usually isnt8, then consider putting employees on trains instead of planes. !t may take a little longer to reach the destination, but trains are much more ecologically friendly than planes ever will be. You will save money and carbon emissions

Green Strate/y 06 !f you are advertising a job, allow applicants appli cants to submit their applications on line. Your business may not advertise for jobs very often, but consider a large employer like a city administration who advertises for say, four jobs a month. Pets say that around +-? people apply for each job and around -?= of the applicants are ;ualified. *he usual way is to have Jprinted applications for review by the )oard. 'ach application is on average five pages long. *hats BJ- sheets of paper. $nly five of them, one application, will be kept on file, the rest is thrown away. away. !f you have an online application, on the other hand, you will save BJ- sheets of paper for every job advertised 7in this example8. *hat would be +,-?? sheets of paper a month 7four job postings a month8. *hats +@,??? sheets of paper a year. Pets say that the average sheet of paper measures .??6 inches thick. *hats a paper stack standing six feet tall 2nd every year it i t gets thrown away. away. Why# %ave money, money, save trees and provide online job applications 



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!eisure Tra"el & #acation

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e all love to travel, preferably to far away places where life is exotic and exciting. *his usually means flying on gas( guling jets / a very unfriendly way to vacation as far as the environment is concerned. *his doesnt mean we are doomed to stay home forever, though. Lar from it. We can enjoy traveling and vacationing as much as we want, but we should do it in a much more eco(friendly manner.

*hink about it. 2 vacation is only really a break from the monotony and drudgery of every day work and living. You can do that without wi thout consuming vast amounts of energy by staying closer to home. *hats one way. !f you do go far away, there are other ways to reduce the negative impact too. You You just have to be willing wi lling to discover them. 



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!eisure Tra"el & #acation Green Strate/y 06 !nstead of planning a vacation, plan a staycation. *he idea is not to travel far away with all the associated cost, gas( guling jets, expensive hotels, etc, etc. *he idea is to stay closer to home. 2 vacation doesnt have to be exotic. !t needs to be a break from boring work and chores. You can travel travel -? miles, or even +?? miles from where you live and !ll bet youll find something / or even a lot of things / that will make it really worthwhile. Youll Youll save a ton of money, money, you wont be responsible for f or tons of carbon emissions, and youll thoroughly enjoy yourself at the same time. %tatistics tell us that on major break weekend, such as Pabor Fay weekend, at least B- million 2mericans will travel more than -? miles from home. You dont have to be one of them. *ry it

Green Strate/y 065 !f you do travel travel further away, away, then you can reduce your ecological footprint considerably in many ways. !nstead of getting glossy brochures and maps of the area you plan to visit, find all the information on the !nternet and print it off from there. You dont really need color, color, so print in black and white for greater savings. You You dont really need pictures, pi ctures, so dont print them. You You get the idea... i dea... You You can almost certainly get all the information you need from travel web sites instead of buying expensive guide books.


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Green Strate/y 063 *ravel light. Most people pack twice as much as they actually need. $nce you have packed your case, remove half of it and see if you can get by with that. You will probably find that t hat you can. You can most likely save by not having extra baggage charges, or if you are traveling traveling by car, car, the lighter load will save fuel. Pighter is better all round.

Green Strate/y 064 5urchase a solar charger for your phone, i5od, camera, etc. >nless you plan going to the 2rctic in winter, winter, there will most likely be plenty of light where you are going g oing and enough to power a solar charger. charger. You will save on electricity 7$1, not yours, but saving is saving, after all8, save on carbon emissions and feel good about being green

Green Strate/y 06 *ry to plan vacation trips so that you can stay with friends and family if possible. You will save on hotel bills and enjoy seeing old friends and family again. $f course, they will probably expect to reciprocate the visit, but why not, after all. *here are saving to be made for everyone / and the environment too.

Green Strate/y 066 &ome exchange offers a viable way of enjoying a far away vacation without the expense of hotels, etc. *he idea is very popular and relies on families exchanging homes with each other. You You will get to know the other familys neighbors, youll shop at their local shops and markets, and see life in their part of the world in a way that you never would otherwise. 'cologically, 'cologically, home exchange is a great idea. You You simply NbecomeO the other family for a couple of weeks, and they NbecomeO you. *he savings to be made are considerable, and the experience of local immersion in the culture and way of life is invaluable.


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Green Strate/y 0177 *ravel by train whenever possible instead of plane. *rains are among the most environmentally(friendly means of transport available. available. Modern trains are comfortable and relaxing. $f course, they do take longer on the journey than a plane, but the journey can be considered a part of the vacation, so enjoy it. Aeed ! say that traveling by train is cheaper than trave t raveling ling by plane# Youll Youll be responsible for less carbon emissions too

Green Strate/y 0171 !f you rent out a car at your vacation destination, rent out a small economical car. car. %ure, its fun to rent out a big car that looks cool, but think first. !f you dont need a big car, car, dont rent one &eres a better idea / rent r ent a bicycle, or one for every member of the family

Green Strate/y 0172 9isit protected areas such as parks and nature reserves. *his will help to ensure that they stay maintained. *here is often a charge to help with maintenance, but its usually very reasonable, and after all, its for a sensible cause.

Green Strate/y 017 )uy local souvenirs and hand crafts to help support local craftsmen and artists. &owever, &owever, watch out for souvenirs that exploit the environment and wildlife. Pocal hand crafts are often less expensive than commercially produced ones, which generally use more resources as well.

Green Strate/y 017 )ring your own refillable water bottle. Co back and check out Green Strategy )* if you need convincing. With your own refillable water bottle you can drink all the water


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you want, refilling it from the local water supply. You save money and the environment saves from not having a few doen extra empty plastic bottle to struggle with.

Green Strate/y 0175 *horoughly explore one place, rather than country hopping and trying to cram in half the world in just two weeks. *he idea is sometimes known as slow travel. !t means that you simply slow down and s;ueee every last bit out of the place you go to. You start exploring the immediate area around where you are staying, then you widen the circle a little bit at a time. !n this way you can spend two weeks in an area of say, say, ? miles in radius, and have a really great time in the process. 2nd of course, you will save money and keep your negative ecological footprint to an absolute minimum.

Green Strate/y 0173 !n case you missed Green Strategy !), remember to physically unplug *+*&% electric electric appliance in your home before leaving on your vacation. You will save money if you do. 



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$hopping

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hopping is a necessary evil, or a most enjoyable pastime, depending on your point of view. 2 woman out shopping for a new dress will view it ;uite differently from a husband dragged along to the local mall for the weeks grocery shopping. We all have an unparalleled opportunity to be greener and save money too when it comes to shopping. :uriously, :uriously, we usually dont exercise our opportunities in this respect. We cannot really blame merchants for their wasteful habits. *hey will sell you anything you are prepared to t o buy. buy. )ut if you insist on being green and eco(friendly, then they will sell you products that conform to that too. *his is where one of the the greatest g reatest opportunity lies. We all have a power to determine what we are offered when we go out shopping, so insist on goods that are nice to the planet, and that offer great value at the same time. 



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$hopping Green Strate/y 0174 )uy locally produced food as much as possible. You will be helping the local economy, economy, and you will be helping to reduce the hidden costs involved in food production, transportation and distribution. *he average 2merican meal travels some +,-?? miles before a knife or fork touches it. *hat means increased freight charges and fuel costs. You can help to save on these, and save your own money too, by seeking out local produce. Larmers Larmers Markets are ideal for this. *he ;uality is great and the price is great too. 2nd because its local, it doesnt travel halfway across the country to reach you !n fact, you can reduce the amount of traveling your food has to do by an impressive @?= at least

Green Strate/y 017 )uy in bulk as much as possible to help avoid unnecessary packaging and smaller containers. 2ccording to the 'nvironmental 5rotection 2gency, 2gency, 2mericans generate some @? million tons of waste from packaging, labeling and empty containers. *hats about one third of the countrys overall total for solid waste When you buy in bulk b ulk you save considerable in packaging, labeling and containers. 2nd guess what / you save money too

Green Strate/y 0176 >se coupons wisely. Yes, they can be a nuisance and they might make you look like a penny pincher, but they make sense, even if you do earn a good wage. &eres the wise bit though0 only cut out coupons for goods you Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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would be buying anyway. anyway. Why bother cutting out a coupon because it seems like a bargain if you hadnt intended to buy the item in the first place#

Green Strate/y 0117 )efore going to the supermarket or local store, make a list. $1, so most of us do that, but heres the bit that makes the list work0 stick to the list rigidly Font go impulse buying once you get inside the doors of the store. Yes, the advertising is clever and persuasive, but you are smarter, so stick to the list. *he only exception is if you suddenly remember something you really need that you forgot to put on the list, but be honest with yourself. yourself. *his tip will save you money and save valuable resources too.

Green Strate/y Stra te/y 011 0111 1 Peave the kids at home when you go shopping. Why# )ecause they use strong emotional and persuasive messages that can turn even the most determined d etermined parent into a whimpering, complying idiot. Make your list, stick to it without your kids grinding you down with their pleas. Youll save even more money...

Green Strate/y 0112 *ake your own shopping bag with you to the store. Fo you know how many of the ubi;uitous plastic shopping carrier bags end up in landfill tips every year# :lose to 6 trillion %ome KK= of all plastic shopping bags produced. *hats a sad statistic that you dont have to add to. :onsider this0 just +6 plastic shopping bags contains enough gasoline to power an average car for one mile. Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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Green Strate/y 011 Font buy water in plastic bottles. *his has been said before a couple of times, but it bears saying again. *he water in your tap at home is potable, which means it is safe to drink. Cet a filter unit fitted if you dont like the taste of it. it . 2 charcoal filter will get rid of chlorine, heavy metals and various other impurities. You should also get a reusable water container. Youll save money and the environment will ;uietly say, N*hank you.O :onsider this0 2mericans buy .- million plastic bottles of water every hour $nly around -,??? of them will be recycled. *he other ,6J-,??? empty plastic bottles will end their days in landfills. 2nd during the next hour the very same thing will happen. *here are 6 hours in every day, so the good news is that
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5#


Christmas

:

hristmas can be an incredibly wasteful time. *hink of all the wrapping paper torn off presents and thrown into landfills. Why# *here are alternatives, so lets make use of them.

:hristmas is essentially a :hristian event. &owever, &owever, it has become so commercialied that it is now difficult to know what it is anymore. Pets bring back the joy and sheer fun of :hristmas. !f we bring the environment into the picture and consider how to minimie the negative things we do over the :hristmas festivities, then that is a start in the right direction. We can, of course, save money too... 



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Christmas Green Strate/y 011 We all exchange gifts at :hristmas with friends and family. family. !ts a great tradition and one we all look forwards to. Fo you buy :hristmas gifts in a store, and have them gift wrap# !t seems such an easy way to do it, and many of us just let the store gift wrap. *hey usually have such nice looking paper, paper, and the t he finished gift looks so professionally made up. 2nd unnecessarily expensive and usually non(recyclable too You You can gift wrap cheaper using recyclable paper that makes the whole process much more eco(friendly. !t will be personal too, and not wrapped by someone who couldnt care less about who receives the gift. *hen the gift wrapping paper is usually thrown away immediately to end up in a landfill / expensive and non eco(friendly. eco(friendly. You can do better. *hink about it...

Green Strate/y 0115 %taying on the subject of gift wrapping, why not re(use something that has already served a good purpose, and that will be appreciated by th person who receives the gift. Your Your childrens artwork / their drawings and paintings 7you do keep them, dont you#8 will make excellent gift wrapping paper for close relatives. !magine the surprise of a grandparent on receiving a gift wrapped in little Gohnnies best picture of a house and garden. *he paper can be recycled and you save money / and someone gets to appreciate a special personal touch Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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!f you dont have any of your childrens artwork, or if you dont want to part with the precious memories, you could use the comic section of old newspapers as a colorful and bright alternative. *he %ierra :lub is 2mericas oldest and largest environmental organiation. *hey have calculated that if every family in the country gift wrapped just three of their gifts by recycling existing paper, paper, childrens artwork or old newspaper sections, the amount of paper saved would be great enough to cover a very impressive 6-,??? football pitches

Green Strate/y 0113 Fo you hang a wreath on your front door at :hristmas time# Many people do. You can make your own totally eco(friendly one, saving money too. !f theres a nearby park, or if you live near woods, evergreen branches and dried twigs can easily be shaped into a circle of green, and strung cranberries can add some contrasting color. color. *he end product will look great. !t will be completely biodegradable and will cost you no more than a little pleasantly spent time.

Green Strate/y 0114 2re your :hristmas lights P'Fs this year# *he light emitting diode lights 7P'F8 are much more efficient than the old type, and they are much more reliable and greener too. 



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Personal H%giene

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ts important to maintain good personal hygiene. 2nd of course, there is a whole industry built on this concept. We are bombarded by images of beautiful bodies, beautiful because they used some product or other, and we are told that we need the product too in order to become beautiful. !t isnt really so.

We can maintain perfectly good personal hygiene without spending a small fortune on products, some of which actually harm the environment. We can take more control of our lives and start to develop habits that are more in keeping with a healthy planet, as well as a healthy body. Well save save money and ease the negative burden our planet has to suffer. suffer. *hats worth doing, isnt it# 



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Personal H%giene Green Strate/y 011 >se old coffee grounds to exfoliate dead skin off your hands and feet. *ake the used coffee grounds and mix in some li;uid li ;uid hand soap. %crub your hands together, together, or scrub your feet with the mixture. *he coffee grounds will get rid of anything excess and the soap will keep it clean. *hey also make make a good fertilier for many many plants. Poosen some dirt, mix in the grounds and let them rot in place pl ace adding their nutrients to the soil.

Green Strate/y 0116 Co back to using the Nold(fashionedO safety raor. raor. !t isnt all that old(fashioned in any case, and it i t will save a lot on unnecessary waste. *he ubi;uitous plastic disposable raors just fill up landfill sites, while the small steel safety raor blades are much more earth friendly. You You will also save moneyQ raor blades are not expensive. 2lso, they are not called NsafetyO raors for nothing. *hey are perfectly safe, so dont worry about injuring yourself You You could go one step further and start using a really old(fashioned cut(throat raor. Why not# Your grandfather managed just fine *hat raor will get rid of any stubble, leaving your face as smooth as a babys bottom, and there are no disposable di sposable parts. 5erfect

Green Strate/y 0127 Lor women traveling traveling on the road less traveled, there can be a Richard's R ichard's Green Ideas

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problem finding tampons. 'co(friendly alternatives exist. $ne alternative allows you to take it with you wherever your travels may take you. !ts a reusable menstrual cup. &owever, &owever, you should try it out in the comfort of your home before setting off to the ends of the earth where you may have few, if any, alternatives. *he idea is not new. Peona :halmers may not be a household name, but she is the person who first received a patent for a menstrual cup. *hat was back in the +KB?s. *he internally worn reusable menstrual cups are made of either natural gum rubber, rubber, or medical grade silicon making them perfectly safe. *he idea works, its extremely green, and it certainly saves money. 2nother alternative is washable sanitary pads. *his is pretty much how your grandmothers lived, so again, its not a new idea. )ut it saves money and its eco(friendly. 



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iscellaneous

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his section holds all the little bits and pieces that didnt ;uite fit in anywhere else. *hey probably do belong in one or other of the previous categories, but somehow they seem to fit best in that catch(all category / Miscellaneous. !t doesnt seem to matter how well anyone organies a list, there is always a few items that just dont seem to fit in anywhere properly. properly.

&ere then is a short, but important, collection of the Miscellaneous items on our list. 



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iscellaneous Green Strate/y 0121 Make better use of your local library. *hey have more than books these days. You can borrow music, magaines and movies too, and most libraries have !nternet connections available should you need one.

Green Strate/y 0122 Fo you pick up a cup of coffee on your way to work# $ne that comes in a little plastic or paper container# 2nd you dump the container in a trash can when youve finished drinking it# Most people do this, but you dont have to. :onsider taking a reusable mug with you and asking the person serving you coffee to fill it up. *hey will most likely agree, and you can feel good about saving the environment a little. $1, you wont save much money on this one, but you will feel really good and totally superior to everyone else who chucks their used coffee container in the trash &onest.

Green Strate/y 012 Iegister with the Firect Marketing 2ssociations mail preference service and opt out of receiving junk mail. *hey will then add you to the Fo Aot Mail database, and you should receive no more junk mail. Most people dont know they can do this, but if you are fed up with receiving several trees of paper each week, begging you to buy something or other that you dont need, register now

Green Strate/y 012 Font throw away old clothes. *here are many charity and thrift shops that will gladly take them from you. *his is simply a way of recycling your cast(off clothes, and if they are not badly worn,


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someone else will value them.

Green Strate/y 0125 Aatural, or green burials are becoming popular. While a death in the family is never an easy time, it can also be a very expensive time, costing around H<,-?? on average. You You can reduce that cost and help the environment a lot too by having a green burial. !t will cost around H+,-?? and the savings are made by not using expensive chemicals that embalm and interfere with the natural decaying process, and are therefore ;uite unnecessary. $ver @??,??? gallons of formaldehyde is used in funerals every year in the >%. !ts not really needed. 2nother K?,??? tons of steel is is also used in caskets, again unnecessary. unnecessary. *hen theres the special wood that looks great on the funeral day, day, but immediately gets dumped in a hole in the ground Creen funerals make a lot of sense from every angle. 



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Conclusion

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hope you have enjoyed enjoyed this book of tips helping you to go green and save green at the same time. !m sure you have probably come across some of the tips before, and others you may consider to be just commonsense. &owever, &owever, ! feel sure some of them surprised you, and pleasantly, pleasantly, ! hope. Aow you can clearly see that 1ermit the Lrog had it all wrong when he said, N!t aint easy being green.O green.O !t is easy if you have the will and determination. !t will save you money too if you approach things the right way, and you will make a difference to the environment / ;uite a big difference over time. $ur planet is facing an uncertain future. !t is our only home, and we have an obligation to ourselves and to future generations yet unborn to do whatever we can to ensure that life, not only goes on, but is able to go on for as long l ong as possible. ! wish you the very best in your endeavors to Go Green + Save Green at the Same $ime 

6o you have any $reat su$$estions or ideas Share them 8y sendin$ sendin$ an emai, to9 richard.8oettner:$mai,.com Than -ou; Ri8har9(oettner.8om

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