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Earthday 2007 - Some things you can do at home
By robertearl | April 20, 2007
Let me start off by saying that I am not political in any way, shape or form with regards to the issue of “global warming” or the cause of the environment. What I do know is this. There is nothing better in Northern Virginia than to be able to take an afternoon or early morning and go to Great Falls Park and be able to watch the waterfall, see the blue heron crane (or cranes if you are lucky) standing still on the banks or if you are extremely fortunate, to catch a rare glimpse of a circling bald eagle in the air. This scene is peaceful and the best that this area has to offer and as such we owe it to ourselves, our children and our grandchildren to preserve this area and the environment as mush as we possibly can.
My profession is in the field of real estate, and as such, I can not help but think of the number of houses and residents in the Northern Virginia and surrounding DC and Maryland areas that are dependent, I repeat, dependent upon the Potomac River and the surrounding tributaries for all of the water supply.
As we approach EarthDay 2007, to be remembered / celebrated on April 22, 2007, I wanted to take a few moments and look at what is being done, and frankly, what is not being done to reduce our carbon footprint with regards to the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market. These items appear to me to be common sense steps that all of us could and should take, if nothing more that for next generation.
Here are some steps that you can take in your house right now to make a difference.
Use Compact fluorescent light bulbs: These energy-efficient bulbs cost less than $4 and are produced by major corporations like GE & Sylvania. If every household in America switched five regular light bulbs for five fluorescent bulbs, it would be the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the highways for a full year.
Outdoor solar lighting: These yard or patio lights cost less than $20, and they don’t burn any electricity or produce any CO2.
Programmable thermostats: Though these thermostats cost from $50 to $100, they can actually cut your heating and cooling costs. Set the setting so it’s a little bit cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer when you’re not in the house. A difference of 2 degrees can reduce a home’s CO2 emissions by up to 9 percent over the course of a year.
Air filters: Changing the air filters in your heating and cooling systems regularly can knock 2 percent off of your CO2 output each year.
Electric hot water heater blanket: Hot water heaters use a lot of energy and generate a lot of CO2. A blanket costs less than $18 and can cut your home’s CO2 emissions by almost 4 1/2 percent.
Upgrade your Appliances: Look for the Energy Star label. This is a signal that you’re getting an environmentally efficient appliance that’s going to save you money at the same time.
Plant some trees: Trees are like natural air filters: They absorb the carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the air. The average person is responsible for emitting 94 pounds of carbon dioxide every day. It takes at least four trees to offset the carbon dioxide you personally generate in a one-month period. If you want to do something about that, log onto www.americanforests.org. There, you can buy a tree and they will plant it for you.
While these steps are things that we can do in our own home, I also want to challenge new home builders to do the same. In my experience, I have seen new home builders embracing the use of Energy Star Appliances and in most cases they are installing programmable thermostats, but out side of this I would say that few new homes would get a passing grade. What a great opportunity to help the environment and Think of the Great Marketing Opportunity that they are missing out on. (Doing some of these or all of these things in todays market may just be a differentiator that causes your home to sell vs. another, non green, home.)
Some other big picture ideas and questions for some food for thought. Could large condo complexes and building install some sort of energy producing items, solar or otherwise, onto the roofs and common areas and use the energy or sell the excess back to the power companies? What products and materials are going into the original building of the property? Could tax credits be given for the implementation of these ideas? I just finished my 2006 tax return and the Commonwealth of Virginia forms had 3 pages of “credits” for every other cause, what about for buying or selling a “Green” home?
I would love to hear your ideas. If we can assist you with a referral from our Red Carpet Service Partners, we would love to help you and help the environment.
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