Living and Learning Green

Come along with us as we discover living well by design. We feature interesting statistics and information on building green, and provide you with valuable links you can use to learn more.

• Building Green, Chapter-by-Chapter
• CharityWorks GreenHouse from A to Z
• Washington Spaces Blog
• The Carbon Neutral Story
• Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
• Links to Living Well

Building Green, Chapter-by-Chapter

The following chapters highlight the green-building story by Mark Turner of GreenSpur, Inc.

CharityWorks GreenHouse from A to Z

Learn more about the CharityWorks GreenHouse from A to Z, by viewing and downloading this informative and fun Powerpoint presentation. There's something for everyone in it. You'll learn more about what you can do to make your home more green while saving green and more importantly our planet.
View the Presentation (Powerpoint - ~5MB)

Washington Spaces Blog

Find out what's happening at the GreenHouse by following the Washington Spaces blog. You'll get the latest updates on
construction, interior design, events, and more.

The Carbon Neutral Story

Carbon Footprint Statistics:

• 84% of green house gas (GHG) is made up of carbon dioxide. Source: EPA.
• The building industry accounts for the most CO2 emissions by industry at approximately 43%. The next closest industry is transportation at 27%. Source: US GHG Emissions Flow Chart EPA.
• So how and where we build becomes the most important factor in curbing US carbon emissions.
• The average American home produces 22,830 lbs of CO2 per year. Source: DOE
• There are approximately 126 million homes in the US which equates to annual emissions from homes alone at approximately 1.3 billion metric tons of carbon. Source: US Census Bureau 2006
• Some of the most immediate and cost effective ways to curb carbon resides through good building technologies (i.e. better insulation, lighting, air conditioning, water heating. Source: McKinsey Consulting GHG Cost Abatement Curve
• Washington DC is ranked as the worst (100 out 100) for per capita carbon footprint of the 100 largest metro areas in the US. Source: Brooking Institute May 2008

In December 2007, the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC was published, summing up the views of more than 600 scientists, concluding that global warming is unequivocal and that there is a 90% certainty that manmade emissions are causing or contributing to climate change. The actions we take over the next 3-5 years become increasingly important.

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Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gives us some ideas of eight easy things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint:

• Change 5 Lights
• Look for ENERGY STAR Qualified Products
• Heat and Cool Smartly
• Seal and Insulate Your Home
• Use Green Power
• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
• Be Green in Your Yard
• Use Water Efficiently

Change 5 Lights

Change a light, and you help change the world. Replace the conventional bulbs in your 5 most frequently used light fixtures with bulbs that have the ENERGY STAR and you will help the environment while saving money on energy bills. If every household in the U.S. took this one simple action we would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars.

Look for ENERGY STAR Qualified Products

When buying new products, such as appliances for your home, get the features and performance you want AND help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Look for ENERGY STAR qualified products in more than 50 product categories, including lighting, home electronics, heating and cooling equipment and appliances.

Heat and Cool Smartly

Simple steps like cleaning air filters regularly and having your heating and cooling equipment tuned annually by a licensed contractor can save energy and increase comfort at home, and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When it's time to replace your old equipment, choose a high efficiency model, and make sure it is properly sized and installed.

Seal and Insulate Your Home

Sealing air leaks and adding more insulation to your home is a great do-it-yourself project. The biggest leaks are usually found in the attic and basement. If you are planning to replace windows, choose ENERGY STAR qualified windows for better performance. Forced air ducts that run through unconditioned spaces are often big energy wasters. Seal and insulate any ducts in attics and crawlspaces to improve the efficiency of your home. Not sure where to begin? A home energy auditor can also help you find air leaks, areas with poor insulation, and evaluate the over-all energy efficiency of your home. By taking these steps, you can eliminate drafts, keep your home more comfortable year round, save energy that would otherwise be wasted, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Use Green Power

Green power is environmentally friendly electricity that is generated from renewable energy sources such as wind and the sun. There are two ways to use green power: you can buy green power or you can modify your house to generate your own green power. Buying green power is easy, it offers a number of environmental and economic benefits over conventional electricity, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, and it helps increase clean energy supply. If you are interested, there are a number of steps you can take to create a greener home , including installing solar panels and researching incentives for renewable energy in your state.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

If there is a recycling program in your community, recycle your newspapers, beverage containers, paper and other goods. Use products in containers that can be recycled and items that can be repaired or reused. In addition, support recycling markets by buying products made from recycled materials. Reducing, reusing, and recycling in your home helps conserve energy and reduces pollution and greenhouse gases from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal.

Be Green in Your Yard

Use a push mower, which, unlike a gas or electric mower, consumes no fossil fuels and emits no greenhouse gases. If you do use a power mower, make sure it is a mulching mower to reduce grass clippings. Composting your food and yard waste reduces the amount of garbage that you send to landfills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. See EPA’s GreenScapes program for tips on how to improve your lawn or garden while also benefiting the environment. Smart Landscaping can save energy, save you money and reduce your household’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Use Water Efficiently

Saving water around the home is simple. Municipal water systems require a lot of energy to purify and distribute water to households, and saving water, especially hot water, can lower greenhouse gas emissions. Look for products with EPA's WaterSense label; these products save water and perform as well or better than their less efficient counterparts. There are also simple actions you can take to save water: Be smart when irrigating your lawn or landscape; only water when needed and do it during the coolest part of the day, early morning is best. Turn the water off while shaving or brushing teeth. Do not use your toilet as a waste basket — water is wasted with each flush. And did you know a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day? Repair all toilet and faucet leaks right away.

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