National Post Does Green

Here is an excerpt from an article that was recently in the National Post:

"We've sussed out a handful of small changes that anyone can make in each room of the house, to start making the green dream a reality.

KITCHEN - Waste not. Organize your fridge to ensure you use veggies, cheese and yogurt, etc. before they go bad, says Ashley Lubyk of Healthy Homes Calgary. Meal planning ensures each food has a purpose. - Use reusable shopping bags - Recycle. Curbside recycling makes it easy to recycle everything from milk cartons to cereal boxes. - Compost. Instead of dumping leftovers in the trash, put them in green bins or turn them into food for your own garden. - Look at the big picture. Only run the dishwasher when it's full. Cover pots with lids when cooking to conserve heat and energy. Use a toaster oven (instead of the big gun) to cook or heat small items.

BATHROOM - Switch to recycled toilet paper. - Check for leaks in toilets, sinks, tubs. "One drip per second can add up to 165 gallons a month," says CMHC's Anand Mishra. That's a lot of wasted H2O. - Install a low-flow shower head and take shorter showers. - Install tap aerators. These small screens restrict water flow without sacrificing water pressure. - Take a close look at your personal care products, says Mr. Lubyk. Many shampoos, soaps and lotions contain chemicals linked to cancer and other health problems. Go to cosmeticsdatabase.com to see how yours rate, then think about switching to natural, plant-based products.

LIVING ROOM - Beware the phantom load. "A lot of electronics still draw electricity when they're presumably off," says Mr. Lubyk. Plug TVs, stereos and computers into a power bar, then turn off the power bar when they aren't in use. - Green up the space -- literally. Houseplants act as "sinks" for in-home air pollutants. Go to cleanairgardening.com/houseplants.html for a list of the 15 best.

- Replace burnt-out incandescent bulbs with CFLs or LEDs, which are more energy efficient. Install dimmers. - Install a programmable thermostat. It costs less than $50, and will pay for itself in a year through energy savings, says Mr. Mishra. Set it lower at night, during working hours and when you're on holidays.

GREENBACKS

Still not motivated to make changes? Do it for your bottom line: - Take advantage of the Home Renovation Tax Credit. Under the new legislation, taxpayers can claim 15% of their renos on their 2009 tax returns on costs of more than $1,000 but not exceeding $10,000, until Feb. 1, 2010, to receive a tax credit worth up to $1,350. - Upgrade your toilet: Some municipalities are offering rebates for replacing an older toilet with a new, water-efficient one. - Trade in your gas-guzzling lawn mower and get a rebate on an eco-friendly lawn alternative.

LAUNDRY ROOM - Only do laundry when you have enough for a full load. Always wash in cold water. - Go for unscented detergents and skip the dryer sheets, Mr. Lubyk suggests. Fragrance can be a skin irritant. "Clean does not have a smell," he says. - Consider air drying clothes, especially in summer. - As for clothes: Recycle old items by donating them, hosting a clothing exchange with friends or selling them on consignment.

GENERAL - Replace the furnace filter every month or two during high-use times (fall and winter), or buy a permanent one that can be rinsed in water. - Set your water heater lower. No one takes 60 C baths, and water that hot could scald a child. - Weatherstrip doors and windows, where the majority of heat escapes a home. - Have insulation blown into your attic, to slow heat loss in winter and deter heat absorption in summer.

YARD - Water: Collect rain water to use on plants, trees, garden. Turn off your irrigation system if rain is forecast. - Lawn: Trade in your gas mower for a more efficient electric or push mower. Use clippings as mulch. - Fertilizer: Use your compost to fertilize (or choose an eco-friendly brand), and hand-pull dandelions (there are special gardening tools to make this easier). - Garden: Plant some herbs or veggies. Organic, and rewarding.

RESOURCES: - cleancalgary.ca: provides a wealth of information on ways to green up the home, from tips on food choices to downloadable guides on composting and recycling. - cmhc-schl.gc.ca: The CMHC site includes a section on renovating for energy savings. - Fresh Living: The Essential Room-by-Room Guide to a Greener, Healthier Family and Home, by Sara Snow, is a new book with tons of easy, green-it-up ideas (Random House of Canada, $19)."