Green Your Home

When I needed to find a place to move very quickly last year, the number one thing on my list of needs for a new home was garden space.  I could not afford to rent/buy a house, so my only real choice if I wanted to live alone was to rent an apartment.

What sort of an apartment complex would allow me to have a garden, much less even have the space?  During one phone call to the apartments where I am now living (surprise surprise), I mentioned the desire to garden and sort of threw it out there, saying, "Look, I really like to garden and it is at the top of my list of what makes a good home.  I know it's pretty hard to garden while living in an apartment - is there something we could work out?"  The manager suggested I start a community garden AT the apartment complex.  He even showed me where he thought would be a good spot for it when I went to look at the apartments. 

Fantastic! All I wanted was a spot for some veggies, but it turns out a community garden is such a better idea.  I'm in the process of organizing it now.  I am attending a community gardening workshop next Saturday, which popped up out of nowhere and is perfect timing!

I have done my research - the hardest two things I foresee: getting donations (either from stores or from people in the community who want to be a part of the garden) to get started on the garden and gathering people to join in the effort.  You see, the apartment community is not actually a community (which makes the community garden such a wonderful opportunity to create a much needed community!), so it has been hard thus far to reach out.

 

My plan at the moment is to get all the paperwork done, basically creating and signing an agreement with the complex so all our legal bases are covered (even though it was their idea to do this), and then just get started on the garden!  I have it mapped out.  I know of a good bamboo grove half a mile away which will make for a great fence and raised beds.  I think once people see me out there working working working, they will become interested and I can garner their support.

 

It's in the works.

Instead of using fluorescent lights we are switching to the new LED lights.  More expensive but uses less energy. Cost is about $20 each and provides equivalent of 45 watts.

The future is not somewhere we are going. It is something we are creating. Every day we do things that make some futures more probable and others less likely.

Global warming already disrupts millions of lives daily in the forms of destructive weather patterns and loss of habitat. What is already happening is only the tip of the melting iceberg, for it is our children and grandchildren who may suffer most from the effects of global warming. Hundreds of millions of people may be exposed to famine, water shortages, extreme weather conditions and a 20 - 30% loss of animal and plant species if we do not reduce the rate of global warming and reduce GHG emissions.On the other hand, having warmer winters means longer growing seasons in temperate and subarctic climes, sometimes allowing an additional crop to be planted and harvested each year, or simply making the existing crops more productive. This article outlines some ways that you can act to help prevent the Earth from warming further. While humankind has the ability to destroy the planet, we can also help protect and sustain it.

Reducing your carbon and greenhouse gas emissions will not only make your personal living space more sustainable but it will also save you money in both the short- and long-term. Global warming is occurring more rapidly than it was originally expected to. Only forty years ago, the big worry was global cooling. Even if you remain a cynic, however, and disagree with the consensus of scientists, you will benefit from reduced pollution, a more healthful lifestyle and increased savings from enacting these simple activities that will not reduce the quality of your life.

It's all the little things... Nothing makes me feel better than giving my hard earned money to local farmers and/or organizations, buying green items that help our beautiful planet, and eating healthier foods so that I am treating myself well... Try it, I bet you'll feel great about it too!!! Melanie =)

We have developed a vegetable and herb garden. 

We are also cooking some meals on top of the woodstove rather than using the gas hob in the kitchen. 

We car pool with family members when we can.

We pick and bottle local fruits for jam.

We bake our own bread.

I am currently in the process of making my own wind generator from spare parts around my house. i have most of the parts all i need to do is to  start building it. i have also grown my own garden this year and i had started a compost pile last year. I plan to expand my garden next year to support more plants. So far i am growing Okra, carrots, various tomatoes, bell peppers, Chile peppers, squash, radishes, beets, and some gourds have come up wild because i used compost to fertilize the garden. i also grew strawberries, cherries, apricots, plumbs, black raspberries, and grapes in my yard this year. I have also changed most of the light bulbs in my house to florescent light bulbs.

i am now going to start college soon here so soon i will have a new home to make green.

Here is a paper I've written after I finished my first solar and wind power installation. It was the time I had a clearer point of view of all the benefits of home-built green power systems.

In these days of recession and rising energy prices, there is a lot of talk about renewable, or "green" energy.  Incredibly, more and more people seem to reducing their power bills by building their own wind turbines and solar panels from scratch.  Is this a viable solution to the energy crisis, or a waste of time?  This article will explain the many benefits of home-built green power systems.

Financial

Money talks, and many people find the financial argument to be the most convincing for home energy systems. Depending on how much energy your home uses, and the type and number of renewable power systems you install; you could significantly reduce your power bill or eliminate it completely. If you generate more electricity than your home uses, you can sell it to your local power company and make a little extra income.

Unfortunately, having a green power system installed can be prohibitively expensive. By building it yourself at home, however, you can reduce the cost by at least 30%. Better yet, a home power system is an investment that pays for itself. In just a few years, the money saved on your power bill will pay for the cost of the materials used to build the green energy system.

Finally, there are a few other hidden financial benefits of installing a green power system in your home. You may qualify for tax deductions for installing an eco-friendly power system in your home. It also increases the property value of your house.

Practical

You gain several benefits by building your own green power system at home. First, you can build at your own pace, additional solar panels and wind turbines as time and money allow. Moreover, by building your own home power system, you'll learn how it works. This allows you to perform your own maintenance and repairs, saving you even more money in the future.

Ethical

Finally, installing renewable power systems in your home protects the environment and preserves the earth for our children and grandchildren. In the USA, over half of all electricity is produced by coal-burning power plants that release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere that are causing global warming. Wind turbines and solar panels produce no pollution or chemical byproducts.

Why Wind & Solar Power?

There are many different forms of renewable energy, including wind turbines, solar panels, ethanol engines, hydroelectric dams, and geothermal heat pumps. Of all these technologies, however, wind power and solar power in particular have emerged and the most popular for garage handymen to build themselves. Why is this?

Partly, it is due to convenience. Some renewable power systems are limited by geography, such as hydroelectric or geothermal energy. Wind turbines and solar panels, however, can be built anywhere that the wind blows and the sun shines.

It is also partly because the technology is relatively simple to build, requiring only a basic knowledge of carpentry, mechanics, and electronics. Furthermore, all the materials required to build these power systems can be found in local hardware and electronics stores, or easily ordered off the internet.

It may require an investment of effort, time, and treasure, but in the end it will cost less, save you money in the long run, and help the environment. With so many good reasons to install a renewable power system in your home, what are you waiting for?

I am going to be converting my garden into a mini farm by inserting raised beds to grow crops. This will mean that I can to a degree become self sustainable when it comes to certain vegetables if all goes according to plan. it will also mean spending less money on gm food. At least I know how my fruit and veg have grown.

Nous sommes la Patrouille Environnementale de la ville de Terrebonne. Notre mission   Notre missio est de sensibiliser, d'informer et d'inciter les citoyens de Terrebonne au recyclage, à l'herbicyclage, au compostage ainsi qu'à la cause environnementale en générale. Notre rôle est aussi de leur faire prendre conscience du problème environnemental et que c'est aussi le souci de chaque individu vivant sur cette planète. Il y a tant à faire.

Completely replaced all lightbulbs in the house with energy efficient SmartBulbs. I have also been keeping a watchful eye for things plugged in around the house that dont need to be. I have been doing small things like turning off my pc speakers and unplugging the coffee pot or even opening the blinds instead of turning on the lights. My efforts have been rewarded with a lower electricity bill and peace of mind.