[hoosierman78]

LONG POST WARNING!!!

Mermaid-
Anytime, glad to help.

As for greening the home, if it isn't newly constructed, most of the carpet, paint, etc. has off-gassed the chemicals that are harmful already, so replacing those with green, while a great idea, is probably not the best place to start.

First things you can do are replace all of your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. They use much less electricity for the same amount of lighting, plus they give off less heat (less a/c running).

Another quick and inexpensive fix is to replace weather stripping on doors and caulking any areas that air could enter the house (cable penetration through walls, pipe penetrations through floor if you have a crawlspace, etc) and around all windows. Use low VOC caulking of course:-)

Next in line would be to replace attic insulation with a cellulose blow-in. If your light fixtures protrude into the attic, don't cover them with insulation unless they are rated for it. 8-12 inches of new insulation will do a world of good. Seal and insulate all ductwork in the attic, basement and crawlspace. Insulate all piping in the basement or crawl space (attic too, but there shouldn't be any water piping up there).

Now to the more expensive, more labor intensive fixes.

Next in line would be to replace windows if you don't already have double pane thermal windows. If you're handy, they can be had fairly inexpensive. If you have someone install them, don't go to Sears or any other national chain, you'll pay out the nose. Find a local contractor that does it, much better pricing.

Install an attic fan and louvers/soffit vents. Lowers the attic temperature in the summer saving a/c usage.

Replace furnace & air conditioner with a high efficiency heat pump. If you have gas heat, you can get a dual fuel that uses the heat pump for heat until the outside temp gets lower than 35 deg F where heat pumps are not efficient to use at all. If all electric, it'll have a back-up electric strip. Do this after all insulation changes have been made, and request the contractor provide actual heat load calculations rather than basing the unit size on the square footage of your house. Get as many heating and cooling stages as you can, and if you have multiple floors, get two smaller systems rather than one large one. Be sure all new ductwork is rated for SMACNA 2" w.g. pressure class and sealed per SMACNA class B. It won't be cheap, but it will be sealed up tight. Insist on at least 2" of insulation around ductwork, more if space and $$ permit. (be sure to contact local electric company, many are giving rebates for high efficiency heat pump installs). If you have the money, go geothermal, but it'll set you back at least $15 grand. Otherwise, at least a 15 SEER unit with 95%+ efficient gas furnace is great. Always go variable speed blower on the air handler as well.

I don't know of any residential furniture makers using certified or green materials since what I work with is almost exclusively commercial. I'm sure they're out there though. Sherwin Williams has a green line of paint, and many carpets are made with low VOC adhesives now as well. Just look for the ratings that I posted earlier and you'll be good to go. You can spend as much or little as you want, but it all makes a big difference when added up.

Happy House Greening!!

[mermaidgirl13]

Thanks for the info, Hoosierman. I have another question based on what you said: If someone wanted to start "greening" their home, where would you reccommend they start? What room/area/material is the worst and would be the best for people to get rid of as soon as possible?

[hoosierman78]

Well, I've lurked around here for a bit, and every now and then when I feel I can contribute to the discussion, I do. Don't want to overstep or anything, you know.

I will definitely hang around though, and thanks for the invite:-)

The whole sustainable building concepts fascinate me. I'll admit, in the grand scheme of things there is a lot I don't know about being green, but when it comes to building materials, I'm all over it (trying to be anyway). It really does amaze me how much is available to make your home more environmentally friendly, and unlike solar panels and wind mills, they are not always more expensive. As these items grow in popularity (the number of LEED buildings seems to indicate that, at least commercially, the trend is catching on) they will begin to drop in price, so please, if you have the means, buy them now!!

[pepper]

oh, um, excuse me? a Man with a plan in the house?!?
we were just lamenting the lack of well spoken, interesting, charmsters. if you are such please, please stick around. you're a rare breed around here and we really appreciate the misters who jive in the house of lady love.

[hoosierman78]

Reading through here, I've noticed a lot of discussion on general household items, carpet, etc. I just thought I'd post my two cents on the topic of 'green'. I recently became a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED is a green rating system by the US Green Building Council) and in the process of studying for the test, found a host of friendly products that I thought I'd share with you all.

One of the biggest problems with doing any work to the house is the awful stench that comes from carpet, paint, etc. Same with new cars - that new car smell is actually the release of toxins by the plastic & carpet in your new ride. If you need to put down new carpet (or other flooring) or paint the walls, look for the following certifications:
Adhesives/sealants: South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)
Paints & Coatings: Green Seal's GS-11 requirements
Carpet: Carpet & Rug Institute's Green Label Indoor Air Quality Test Program
Composite Wood: no added urea-formaldehyde (this is for furniture, cabinets, etc)

Also, when possible, buy products manufactured locally. An organic product shipped 2000 miles most likely has a more negative environmental impact than a standard product produced 10 miles down the road.

[pepper]

meh, mermaidgirl, it's every little bit accumulated that counts i think. one step at a time.
it's every step in the process too. organic cotton didn't get sprayed while it was growing = less toxic waste in the environment + supporting that process. it's all good.

mattresses and carpets are just toxic, nasty, ugh. new clothes aren't that great either. all kinds of crap gets used in fabric and clothing manufacture. it's dreadful.

[mermaidgirl13]

Pepper, Awesome mop idea! I usually use any old shirts, cotton undies, etc., for oil rags for my car. I wish the organic laundry and dishwasher detergents weren't so expensive! I want to buy some organic cotton shirts and undies but I feel like there's no point if I can't wash them every time in organic detergent.

Sunshine, what's the dirt on conventional mattresses? I can only imagine. That's another thing I won't be able to afford to replace for a while. Starting with a set of sheets for now (although same thing applies - is there a point to having organic sheets when you don't have an organic mattress or mattress pad?)

I've been looking at a billion websites for organic cotton sheets. Seems to me that Amazon has the best price for what appears to be the best quality.

[pepper]

baking soda, castile soap, vinegar, lemon and salt work great for cleaning. that's all i've used for years except for laundry and dish soap. i buy those green/organic when i can afford it.

check this out. my sister was whinging about her old ratty panties the other day (she has a hard time tossing Anything in the trash) so i stole the pair she had on (actually i sacrificed Two pairs of my cute ones in exchange) and tossed them out. well, i guess she got a great reaction from the boy with the new gitch cause she decided to get rid of her old ones. she still couldn't throw them out though so she cut them into strips and wired them onto an old mop handle and now she has a panty mop. gitch strip mop, who ever woulda thunk it eh?

[sunshine]

For years purchasing certified organic sheets and linens have been available on the internet. Prices vary depending on the line as with all things retail. However, just the other day, I was in Bed Bath and Beyond and they offered a line that was only $10 or so more than the non-organic sheets and offered a high thread count. I can't remember the name of the line off the top of my head.

Oh and the things in those conventional mattresses...

[mermaidgirl13]

Not sure if this fits here, but I was just reading about how terrible most house cleaning products are for the environment and for the body. The article made mention of how bad bed and bath linens can be too - because of the many chemicals used on cotton.

Has anyone ever seen organic sheets/towels? Who sells them? Are they much more expensive?

I'm really interested in the idea of a green, or organic house. I guess lost of clothes are going green now too (for the same chemicals-on-cotton reason).

[nohope]

Barbara Becnel Switches to Green Party in Run for Governor
July 24, 2006

Democratic Party leadership accused of 'race and class bias' by black gubernatorial candidate Barbara Becnel; She re-registers with Green Party

SAN FRANCISCO -- Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate and death penalty foe Barbara Becnel - the first black woman to run for governor in California - announced this week that she has left the Democratic Party because the "Democratic leadership is allowing race and class bias to dishonor the Democratic Party."

With Green Party candidate for Governor Peter Miguel Camejo by her side, Becnel signed a voter registration form switching to the Green Party Tuesday night. She is second high-profile person of color to switch to the Green Party of late - Nativo Lopez, state and national president of the influential Mexican American Political Association, has also re-registered Green, the failure of the Democratic Party to address the concerns of Latinos."

In a letter to Democratic Party chairman Art Torres (available upon request), Becnel said the Democratic Party "has transformed itself from Dixiecrats to Richiecrats - money counts, equality of treatment does not. This is shameful. The message to us everyday folks from today's Democratic Party is that the votes of black, brown, poor and middle class people matter to the Democratic Party leadership only because the Party needs those votes. But...ordinary, non-millionaire members of the electorate do not (really) matter."

She said the party refused to invite her to events, and when asked to speak by the Progressive Democrats of America at the State Democratic Convention, she was later "uninvited" by the state party leadership..

"I can no longer support a party that doesn't fundamentally support...issues that are important to people like me: ending the death penalty (and) three-strikes and the participation of California's National Guard in the Iraq war. I plan to tell my story of discrimination and bias to every person of color with whom I come in contact, encouraging them to leave this out-of-step Democratic Party and become a Green," she said.

"Barbara Becnel is a breath of fresh air in the Green Party. As a fellow activist and 'sister,' I welcome her with open arms, knowing that with her know-how and commitment, the Green Party is better equipped to fight for justice in the black community," said Donna Warren, who is black and the Green Party's Lt. Governor candidate.

http://gp.org/press/states/ca_2006_07_24.shtml

[nohope]

Greens to G8 leaders: Global warming requires a Green strategy, not a 'Katrina' response; Green summit in Tucson follows G8 summit in St. Petersburg

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green leaders and candidates, preparing for the party's national meeting in Tucson, Arizona, July 27-30, called on the leaders of G8 nations to adopt far-reaching measures to curb global warming, in the wake of the G8 meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Greens emphasized that Kyoto plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must be adjusted in accord with scientists' recommendations of a 70% reduction.

"The choice is between a Green response to global warming and a 'Katrina' response, in which the Bush Administration's negligence and failure to heed basic science are repeated on a global scale," said Dave Berger, Green candidate for Minnesota State Auditor <http://www.daveberger.org>.

"The U.S., currently the world's largest energy consumer, must rejoin Kyoto immediately and take the lead on a 70% reduction of CO2 emissions," added Mr. Berger. "If not, President Bush will be remembered as one of the most murderously reckless heads of state in world history."

Greens support rapid transition to clean and secure alternative energy sources, energy conservation, and reduced reliance on cars, and praised Germany's goal of phasing out nuclear energy as well as fossil fuel dependence. The U.S., Russia, and France remain committed to nuclear energy, which Greens warn presents numerous environmental and security risks.

"In the middle of the 20th century, nations united to defeat the fascist menace. In the 21st century, we need a similar focused global campaign, with peaceful, not military strategies, to defeat climate change," said Ken Pentel, Green candidate for Governor of Minnesota <http://www.www.kenpentel.org>.

"The campaign must include a restructuring of local, national, and global economies, with investment and creation of new jobs in conservation and conversion to renewable solar and wind power, taxes on fossil fuel consumption, and bans on new drilling in the ANWR [Arctic National Wildlife Refuge] and other wilderness areas. We also need national health insurance and measures for public health and safety as we begin to experience the effects of warming, such as killer storms like Katrina and Rita."

Greens called the reluctance of most Republicans and Democrats to address global warming adequately, a result of bipartisan addiction to corporate campaign money, an indication that the emergence of the Green Party has become a historical imperative for the 21st century.

[nohope]

Green Women running in NY

Alison Duncan for Lt. Governor
http://www.alisonduncan.org/blog/

Rachel Treichler for Attorney General
http://www.voterachel.org/

Julia Willebrand for Comptroller
http://www.gpny.org/?page_id=281
video
http://thirdplanetvideo.com/GPNYCandidates/GPNY10.html

[nohope]

Rae Vogeler For US Senate

"Hello, and thanks for visiting my website. My name is Rae Vogeler, and I have been a social and community activist for years. Now, as my children are growing older, I'm deeply concerned for their future. Our society is not valuing education, healthcare, or the environment. Greed has twisted the priorities of our government. Profits have become more important than human needs. Ongoing war threatens the opportunities and very lives of our children.

"Making the decision to run for office was not easy since I have never much trusted politicians. I'm also a working mom and my kids are very important to me. But something has to be done. The millionaires in the Senate are not looking out for the needs of everyday people. Far too often those people who say they will be different, end up working for corporate interests once they get elected.

"I ask you to join with me - Washington is too big for just one person to change. Progressives need a voice in Washington that will help them organize for change. I can't do it alone, but we can do it together. Please join me."

http://www.voterae.org/

[nohope]

Sarah Knopp received the most votes ever of any Green running for Statewide Office (569,000). She ran for Superintendent of Public Instruction in California on June 6, and finished second out of a field of five.

http://gp.org/2006elections/index.shtml

[nohope]

Sarah Knopp http://www.cagreens.org/ received the most votes ever of any Green running for Statewide Office (569,000). She ran for Superintendent of Public Instruction in California on June 6, and finished second out of a field of five. [2006 Candidate Spotlight]

http://gp.org/2006elections/index.shtml

[nohope]

Anita Rios is running for Lieutenant Governor in Ohio

http://www.bobforohio.com/about/anita.php

[nohope]

"Progressives need a voice in Washington that will help them organize for change."

Rae Vogeler, Green candidate for US Senate (WI)

http://www.voterae.org/


For U.S. Congress, 7th Congressional District: Katey Culver.

Culver, 49, is a Permaculture designer and a long-time Green Party organizer living in Linden. Her campaign will focus on national security through a strong, healthy environment..

She can be reached at 931-589-6513.

http://tn.greens.org/

[nohope]

"I will support a long term vision that strengthens our neighborhoods and restores our environment."

Cara Jennings, newly elected to the Lake Worth, FL Board of Commissioners.

http://www.carajennings.com/

[greengals]

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