pAssAgE onE
CrEAtE A grEEn zonE
gEt this: your homE is AlrEADy An ECologiCAl wonDEr. ovEr thE lAst 25 yEArs thE Amount oF EnErgy usED By thE typiCAl rEFrigErAtor DroppED By two-thirDs; wAshingmAChinE EnErgy nEEDs hAvE BEEn rEDuCED By nEArly hAlF; thE usE oF rEDwooD DECking hAs FAllEn By two-thirDs; AnD toilEts usE lEss thAn hAlF thE wAtEr thAt thEy DiD in thE 1970s.
you hAD no iDEA how gooD you wErE BEing, DiD you mAking ChoiCEs thAt hElp thE EnvironmEnt DoEsn’t mEAn sACriFiCing ComFort AnD, in FACt, mAny grEEn-homE proDuCts ArE ExtrEmEly luxurious. unFortunAtEly, this ContriButEs to thE pErCEption thAt thE proDuCts ArE BuDgEt BustErs-A myth, sAysAlEx wilson, ExECutivE EDitor oFEnvironmEntAlBuilDing nEws. "CErtAinly thErE ArE high-EnD grEEn homEs thAt DEmonstrAtE whAt’s FEAsiBlE, But thE AvErAgE homEownEr CAn usE mAny grEEn strAtEgiEs-AnD somE ACtuAlly rEDuCE thE Cost oF A homE."
ArChitECtAngElADEAn, Author oF thE Book grEEn ByDEsign, sAys EvEn smAll ChAngEs CAn hAvE A Big impACt. "EvEry timE you ChAngE A light BulB, rEplACE it with A FluorEsCEnt (荧光的) lAmp," shE sAys.ACCorDing to govEmmEnt ExpErts, iF EvEry homE inAmEriCA rEplACED just onE light BulB with A FluorEsCEnt lAmp, thE rEDuCtion in pollution woulD BE EquAl to rEmoving onE million CArs From thE roAD、
hErE you’ll FinD our piCks For thE BEst AnD thE BrightEst iDEAs in grEEn BuilDing. mAny oF thE proDuCts you CAn ADD to your housE Fight AwAy; othErs you CAn sAvE For, AnD inCorporAtE thE nExt timE you nEED A nEw rooF or DECk.EithEr wAy, BEing gooD hAs nEvEr BEEn EAsiEr.
BAmBoo Flooring
wooD Floors ArE gorgEous, But hArDwooDs trADitionAlly usED in Flooring tAkE DECADEs to grow, AnD CAn BE hArvEstED irrEsponsiBly in rAin ForEsts. thE solution is BAmBoo Flooring.Although BAmBoo is tEChniCAlly A kinD oF grAss, it grows likE A trEEonly FAstEr. sinCE it mAturEs in thrEE yEArs AnD rEgEnErAtEs itsElF, BAmBoo DoEsn’t ContriButE to gloBAl DEstruCtion oF ForEsts. whEn prEssED into BoArDs, BAmBoo is As tough As othEr hArDwooDs, AnD hAs A riChly pAttErnED linEs EnlivEnED By tiny "noDEs"-thE BAmBoo EquivAlEnt oF knotholEs. it instAlls muCh likE hArDwooD Flooring AnD Costs ABout thE sAmE. solAr rooFing
onE DrAwBACk to solAr-gEnErAtED ElECtriCity is thE Bulky pAnEls, whiCh look out oF plACE on A trADitionAl homE. now you CAn hArnEss thE sun’s powEr right through rooF shinglEs (木瓦), thAnks to An ADvAnCED tEChnology. thEsE spACE-AgE solAr CElls ArE shApED likE ConvEntionAl shinglEs AnD CAn BE instAllED just likE rEgulAr shinglEs, thEn wirED into your homE’s ElECtriC systEm. wilson sAys thEy’rE not As EFFiCiEnt As FrEEstAnDing solAr pAnEls, But DEpEnDing on wEAthEr ConDitions, thEy CAn gEnErAtE virtuAlly All thE powEr For your homE. inAugust, whEn thE shinglEs ArE proDuCing morE ElECtriCity thAn you nEED, thE CurrEnt gEts FED into thE powEr griD, running your mEtEr BACkwArD AnD thErEBy rEDuCing your ElECtriC Bill-whiCh mAkEs up For rAiny DAys, whEn output is rEDuCED、solAr shinglEs Cost $40 to $50 A squArE Foot instAllED, vErsus ABout $8 Fur rEgulAr shinglEs, But you mAy only nEED thEm on thE DArk siDE oF thE housE.AnD mAny stAtEs ArE now oFFEring gEnErous supplEmEnt.
on-DEmAnD wAtEr hEAtErs
most housEs hAvE A hot-wAtEr tAnk thAt is ConstAntly FirED up, kEEping 40 to 80 gAllons rEADy For thE nExt showEr or lAunDry loAD、By ContrAst, on-DEmAnD wAtEr hEAtErs Don’t usE A tAnk. instEAD thEy Employ A powErFul BurnEr to hEAt wAtEr only whEn nEEDED、As A rEsult, thErE is up to 34 pErCEnt grEAtEr EFFiCiEnCy, ACCorDing to A rEport By thE nAtionAlAssoCiAtion oF homEBuilDErs rEsEArChCEntEr. on-DEmAnD hEAtErs Also sAvE spACE BECAusE thEy ArE smAll AnD wAll-mountED、it’s importAnt to gEt thE right sizE hEAtEr For your homE AnD liFEstylE. this is A joB For A hEAting proFEssionAl, or your gAs CompAny.
DECking
trADitionAl DECking mAy usE prEssurE-trEAtED pinE, whiCh wAs u