PlanMyGreen.com

The United Nations has warned that within two decades, the majority of the earth’s population could face serious water shortages. If we all become more aware of the amount of water we each consume and make conserving water a part of our daily practices, we will be part of the solution to this looming problem.

In our homes, the bathroom is where most water is consumed. For the average family approximately 18 percent of their total water usage is from bathing and showering. Our toilets account for as much as 28% of our water consumption. What can you do to reduce water consumption in the bathroom?

* Use a bucket or watering can to catch water that would normally go down the drain as you wait for your shower water to warm.

* Replace shower heads with low flow fixtures. Prior to 1992 the flow from shower heads was 5 gallons of water per minute. After that date the flow was cut in half to 2.5 gallons per minute.

*Take shorter showers. Shortening your shower by just one minute can save as much as 912 gallons of water a year. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Environmentally friendly products and practices are becoming the way of the world and they are also a major part of life today. With the environment worsening under the weight of problems like pollution, global warming and deforestation, it has become essential that everyone do their best to save the earth from further destruction. Switching to green alternatives, utilizing eco-friendly products and using environmentally friendly practices are a few ways of doing this. To further the impact, businesses around the globe are starting to employ greener business practices, and you can too.

According to a survey conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, even during these times of economic instability, many Americans are willing to pay extra for eco-friendly products. Half of the respondents said they would “definitely” or “probably” pay 15 percent more for eco-friendly clothes detergents (51percent) or for an automobile (50 percent). Forty percent said they would spend 15 percent more on “green” computer printer paper and 39 percent would do the same for “green” wood furniture.

As these statistics show, consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and, therefore, it has become necessary for businesses to follow suit too. The selection of environmentally friendly products and green alternatives has grown exponentially in the last few years. This makes it easy to integrate eco-friendly products and practices into advertising goals and business routines. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Despite the enormous advances in energy efficient materials, insulation continues to provide the most substantial return on dollars invested. Since the 1970′s, the cost of adding additional attic insulation has proven to be the single most cost effective structural upgrade when compared to competing technologies.

The Materials
Fiberglass may be the most recognized blown-in system. In the manufacturing process, molten glass is drawn through tubes from a spinning cylinder to create extremely thin strands. The fibers are interwoven to produce a pliable material that is comprised of millions of energy-trapping air pockets.

Cellulose is a loose fill material that is manufactured from paper products, including recycled newspaper. It is fibrous in nature and therefore exhibits excellent properties as a thermal barrier. The material is treated with fire retardant chemicals such as borax and boric acid which ensures its safe application when sprayed into an attic.

R-Values
Heat is transferred through three methods, including conduction, convection and radiation. Cellulose and fiberglass are most effective against conductive heat transfer and therefore are evaluated by a derivative measurement called “R-value.”

Cellulose has an R-value per inch of 3.6-3.8, while fiberglass rates at 2.2-2.6. It is important to recognize that the R-value of an installation is far more relevant than the number of inches applied. Since cellulose has a higher density than fiberglass it may require less inches, but the overall job could actually cost more. [Read the rest of this entry...]