Practically Green

Practically Green Review

Simple steps for sustainable living

Creating a green and healthy home might seem like an overwhelming task at times. Practically Green takes the practical approach to mindful living: Start small and go from there. Auth

The Carbon-Free Home: 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil-Fuel Habit

The Carbon-Free Home: 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil-Fuel Habit Review

You've read the stories and watched the documentaries. So you're convinced--burning fossil fuels leads to global climate change; supplies of fossil fuels are diminishing in quantity and increasing in price. You've fretted and worried, but still go through your day consuming some quantity of non-renewable fossil fuels to accomplish nearly every task (and you may not even realize it). You want to do something besides worry but you are unsure where to begin.

Read this book--then grab your handsaw, tape measure, and drill, and get started! A life powered by the sun is waiting for you. Meant as a guide for renovating existing homes, this book gives you the hands-on knowledge necessary to kick the fossil fuel habit, with projects small and large listed by skill, time, cost, and energy saved. For every aspect of your life currently powered by fossil fuels, we offer alternatives you can accomplish yourself to get started using renewable and sustainable sources of power.

Inspired by their own determination to wean themselves completely from fossil fuels, Rebekah and Stephen Hren provide a map for others interested in the path to producing all their own energy and living a fossil fuel-free life. It shows first how to reduce energy consumption as much as possible, then how to retrofit an existing home in order to obtain all heating and cooling, all cooking and refrigeration, and all hot water and electricity from renewable sources. The Hrens also provide advice on renewable methods of transportation and home gardening, as poor choices about food and mobility often negate hard-won gains in the home. Like many today, the Hrens felt they had a moral obligation to mitigate humankind's contribution to the ravages of pollution, including global warming as a result of fossil fuel addiction. In this book, the Hrens offer practical approaches that fit into anyone's budget, and can be done over time as a way to wean oneself from fossil fuel dependency.

Wind Energy Basics: A Guide to Small and Micro Wind Systems

Wind Energy Basics: A Guide to Small and Micro Wind Systems Review

Wind Energy Basics is an excellent introduction to wind power for educational programs concerned with state-of-the-art renewable energy options, and will be indispensable for those considering today's generation of quiet, efficient, and reliable "micro" wind turbines.

In addition to Chelsea Green's Wind Power for Home & Business, Paul Gipe is the author of the landmark Wind Energy Comes of Age, which was selected by the American Library Association as one of the outstanding academic books of 1995. In 1998, the World Renewable Energy Conference hailed him as a "pioneer in renewable energy, " awarding Gipe one of the organization's highest honors for his two decades of writing and lecturing about wind energy. Gipe lives in Bakersfield, California.

The Straw Bale House (Real Goods Independent Living Book)

The Straw Bale House (Real Goods Independent Living Book) Review

Imagine building a house with superior seismic stability, fire resistance, and thermal insulation, using an annually renewable resource, for half the cost of a comparable conventional home. Welcome to the straw bale house! Whether you build an entire house or something more modest-a home office or studio, a retreat cabin or guest cottage-plastered straw bale construction is an exceptionally durable and inexpensive option. What's more, it's fun, because the technique is easy to learn and easy to do yourself. And the resulting living spaces are unusually quiet and comfortable.

The Straw Bale House describes the many benefits of building with straw bales:

• super insulation, with R-values as high as R-50
• good indoor air quality and noise reduction
• a speedy construction process
• construction costs as low as -per-square-foot
• use of natural and abundant renewable resources
• a better solution than burning agricultural waste straw, which creates tons of air pollutants

Passive Solar House: The Complete Guide to Heating and Cooling Your Home

Passive Solar House: The Complete Guide to Heating and Cooling Your Home Review

Revised and Expanded Edition-Includes CD-ROM with Custom Design Software

For the past ten years The Passive Solar House has offered proven techniques for building homes that heat and cool themselves, using readily available materials and methods familiar to all building contractors and many do-it-yourself homeowners.

True to this innovative, straightforward approach, the new edition of this best-selling guide includes CSOL passive solar design software, making it easier than ever to heat your home with the power of the sun. Since The Passive Solar House was first published, passive solar construction expert James Kachadorian has perfected user-friendly, Windows-compatible software to supplement the design process explained in the book by allowing homeowners/designers to enter the specifications of their design and see how changing a variable will affect its energy efficiency.

This is the building book for a world of climbing energy costs. Applicable to diverse regions, climates, budgets, and styles of architecture, Kachadorian's techniques translate the essentials of timeless solar design into practical wisdom for today's solar builders. Profiles of successful passive solar design, construction, and retrofit projects from readers of the first edition provide inspiration to first-time homebuilders and renovators alike.

Picture Yourself Going Green: Step-by-Step Instruction for Living a Budget-Conscious, Earth-Friendly Lifestyle in Eight Weeks or Less (Environmental Issues)

Picture Yourself Going Green: Step-by-Step Instruction for Living a Budget-Conscious, Earth-Friendly Lifestyle in Eight Weeks or Less (Environmental Issues) Review

Are you looking for simple, budget-friendly ways to help you and your family live a healthier, more planet-friendly lifestyle? Picture Yourself Going Green: Step-by-Step Instruction for Living a Budget-Conscious, Earth-Friendly Lifestyle in Eight Weeks or Less provides you with uncomplicated solutions to help you conserve, reduce, reuse, recycle, and, thus, minimize our impact on the planet. You'll discover that even small changes make a difference and that going green is good for our health, the planet, and even our budgets. This book starts off with ten quick and simple changes that will green your lifestyle immediately; you can then follow an eight-week plan that will green everything from your energy use, transportation, and food choices to your wardrobe, beauty supplies, and travel. As you work through the suggestions and changes in the book, you'll find that simple efforts like turning off lights that aren't in use, carpooling to work, notching the thermostat down one degree, and taking a shorter shower can be beneficial to your family and the planet. Featuring simple instructions and a colorful layout full of pictures and illustrations, Picture Yourself Going Green is packed with helpful eco facts, tips, and ideas to help you along in your journey to become green.

Joey Green's Kitchen Magic

Joey Green's Kitchen Magic Review

From the guru of brand-new uses for brand-name products come ideas and tips for culinary fun, cleaning shortcuts, and kitchen cabinet remedies

Joey Green has fascinated readers for more than a decade with his quirky and innovative tips to make domestic engineering a lot more fun. Now fans will be completely intrigued and entertained by Joey’s kitchen- and pantry-focused ideas, like using Canada Dry Club Soda to buff stainless steel appliances and flexible fabric Band-Aids as labels for frozen foods.

Filled with time- and money-saving ideas, Joey Green’s Kitchen Magic offers clever ways to make household items do double duty, like using ReaLemon for revitalizing wilted asparagus, L’eggs Panty Hose (clean, of course) for removing corn silk, and Oral-B Dental Floss for slicing layer cake. He shares unusual ideas for kitchen troubles, like stirring in Jif Peanut Butter to save burnt gravy and using Efferdent to clean the coffeepot. Joey even tosses in home remedies from the kitchen (soothe a blister with Carnation Nonfat Dry Milk) and simple recipes (try Slow-Cooker Brisket with a Coca-Cola marinade).

Whether it’s a quick fix (Eggo Waffles for hot dog buns, anyone?) or an emergency substitution (Bounty Paper Towel for a coffee filter), there are loads of useful and entertaining tips for making the most of brand-name purchases.

New Remodeling Book: Your complete guide to planning a dream project

New Remodeling Book: Your complete guide to planning a dream project Review

The new cornerstone of Meredith’s remodeling and home improvement category.

Two books in one: A dream book filled with lush photos of remodelings big and small and a workbook that leads readers through the process of planning their own beautiful home improvement projects.

Provides an inspirational starting point for readers who may hire a contractor, but want to do the dreaming and design work themselves.

Tips for increasing the beauty, livability, and even the resale value of any home.

Helps readers assess their own personal needs and evaluate their home and its market potential.

Leads readers through the process of planning major room additions, as well as smaller improvements, such as opening up existing spaces by removing walls.

Tips on financing.

Illustrations show readers some common remodeling mistakes to avoid.

Advice from some of the top remodeling experts in the country.

Approximately 450 full-color photos show whole-house redos, single-room makeovers, and dramatic exterior facelifts.

Serious Straw Bale: A Home Construction Guide for All Climates (Real Goods Solar Living Book)

Serious Straw Bale: A Home Construction Guide for All Climates (Real Goods Solar Living Book) Review

Bergeron and Lacinski's new book Serious Straw Bale is the first to look carefully at the specific design considerations critical to success with a straw bale building in more extreme climates-where seasonal changes in temperature, precipitation, and humidity create special stresses that builders must understand and address. The authors draw upon years of experience with natural materials and experimental techniques, and present a compelling rationale for building with straw-one of nature's most resilient, available, and affordable byproducts.

The Independent Home: Living Well with Power from the Sun, Wind, and Water (Real Goods Independent Living Book)

The Independent Home: Living Well with Power from the Sun, Wind, and Water (Real Goods Independent Living Book) Review

The Independent Home: Living Well with Power from the Sun, Wind, and Water (Real Goods Independent Living Book) Feature

• Living Well With Power from the Sun, Wind, and Water

Whether you already own a home or plan to build one, The Independent Home will show you how to transform it into an energy-efficient, comfortable, self-sustainable home of the future-- right now. Michael Potts's home has been featured on the ABC evening news as an example of the sane approach to simple living; he demonstrates how one can live well, save money, save resources, and still retain modern conveniences and comfort. The Independent Home proves that it is not necessary to live in mud-floored huts and cook brown rice over a campfire to go back to the land. Mr. Potts's home has been featured on the ABC evening news as an example of a sane approach to simple living.

Water: Use Less-Save More: 100 Water-Saving Tips for the Home (Chelsea Green Guides)

Water: Use Less-Save More: 100 Water-Saving Tips for the Home (Chelsea Green Guides) Review

WATER: USE LESS--SAVE MORE
THE CHELSEA GREEN GUIDES--A NEW SERIES OF POCKET-SIZED BOOKS TO HELP SAVE THE EARTH!
Did you know that Americans now use 127 percent more water than we did in 1950? Or that about 95 percent of the water entering our homes goes down the drain? Our population is growing, our climate changing, and our lifestyles demand more and more water. This book includes one hundred tips for conserving water in the home and garden. Following just a few will reduce your consumption of water, save money, and save the environment. Also available:
ENERGY: USE LESS--SAVE MORE
COMPOSTING: AN EASY HOUSEHOLD GUIDE
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE: AN EASY HOUSEHOLD GUIDE

Practical Green Remodeling: Down-to-Earth Solutions for Everyday Homes

Practical Green Remodeling: Down-to-Earth Solutions for Everyday Homes Review

Practical Green Remodeling: Down-to-Earth Solutions for Everyday Homes Feature

• ISBN13: 9781600850882
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Going green at home can seem like an all-or-nothing proposition. Do you sell everything (including the house) and start over, building and buying only eco-friendly, renewable goods? Or do you take the advice offered up in this smart and sensible book — and remodel instead? Green building expert Barry Katz makes a compelling argument for remodeling, as he guides readers through what can be a perplexing and daunting process. Too many decisions? No worries. Katz explains how different choices impact a home’s overall green quotient, as well as its bottom line. Emphasizing off-the-shelf materials, the book shows how homeowners of ordinary means can “green up” a remodel, resulting in less waste, more energy-efficient homes, lower maintenance costs, and more comfortable, healthful environments. This is an essential guide for anyone who has ever wanted to go green but wasn’t exactly sure where to begin.

Green Lighting (Tab Green Guru Guides)

Green Lighting (Tab Green Guru Guides) Review

Green Lighting (Tab Green Guru Guides) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780071630160
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Flip the switch to energy-efficient lighting

This do-it-yourself guide makes it easy to upgrade residential and commercial lighting to reduce costs and environmental impact while maintaining or even improving the quality of the lighting. Filled with step-by-step instructions, Green Lighting shows you how to save money and energy with light-emitting diodes (LEDs), compact fluorescent lighting (CFL), solar lights, windows, skylights, fixtures, controls, and other bright ideas. Methods for calculating return on investment, plus recommended sources for energy-efficient products, are included in this practical resource. Green Lighting covers:

• Color temperature measurements
• In-depth details on the differences between LEDs and CFLs
• How utilities bill for electricity usage
• Comparing wattage and determining energy savings
• ENERGY STAR® ratings
• Purchasing appropriate bulbs, fixtures, and sensors
• Developing a comprehensive green lighting plan for your entire home, office, or commercial environment
• Incandescent, halogen, and gas-discharge lighting
• Solar and next-generation lighting

Building Green in a Black and White World

Building Green in a Black and White World Review

Building Green in a Black and White World transforms the rising interest in living in green homes into practical ways to satisfy the environmentally conscious homebuyer. Drawing on over 30 years in the building industry, the author provides a guide for both builders and buyers to everything from the home design process through to green substitutes for products ranging from foundations to roofs, along with case studies of successful green companies and useful resources.

David R. Johnston was named one of the top 50 remodelers in the U.S. by Remodeling Magazine in 1990, developed the first green remodeling program in the country in Boulder, Colorado, and is creating a national green certification program for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

Green: home improvement guide: use this blueprint to save money with eco-friendly renovations.(CONSUMER LIFE): An article from: Black Enterprise

Green: home improvement guide: use this blueprint to save money with eco-friendly renovations.(CONSUMER LIFE): An article from: Black Enterprise Review

This digital document is an article from Black Enterprise, published by Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc. on April 1, 2011. The length of the article is 1428 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Green: home improvement guide: use this blueprint to save money with eco-friendly renovations.(CONSUMER LIFE)
Author: Tamara E. Holmes
Publication:Black Enterprise (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2011
Publisher: Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc.
Volume: 41 Issue: 9 Page: 78(4)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning

The Energy Efficient Home: A Complete Guide

The Energy Efficient Home: A Complete Guide Review

Reducing energy consumption and costs is an issue of ever-increasing importance, and European as well as international legislation aimed at reducing carbon emissions is tightening up minimum energy standards for new buildings and those being extended or renovated. Energy-saving measures in the home will, therefore, become ever more cost-effective throughout our lifetimes. Find a comprehensive outline of them here.

Sell Your Home Fast in a Buyer's Market: Secrets from an Expert Green Feng Shui Staging Designer

Sell Your Home Fast in a Buyer's Market: Secrets from an Expert Green Feng Shui Staging Designer Review

Discover the secrets to creating a home that buyers desire, in 9 easy steps! The steps include what it takes to make your home look and feel great, creating a memorable impression. The book also provides information on selling your home for the best price and on the hot new sought-after green home improvements and features to sell your home fast.