IT'S MONDAY . . . ARE YOU THINKING LONG-TERM? | Kelley ...

by Julie Webb Kelley

Green Design . . . Sustainability . . . Energy Savings . . . Environmentally Friendly . . . Renewable . . . it?s everywhere! Forget about thinking long-term, it?s too complicated right? Well, let?s see . . .

Let?s throw out the history of the green movement for now. Who wants to wade through the sludge of the Arab oil embargo or utility deregulation one more time? That?s the stuff that makes green complicated. Besides, we?ve come so far since the establishment of the EPA in the 1970?s. Even though many of the energy problems of the 1970?s remain, we have advanced to LED lighting and energy efficient appliances!

So, what more do you really need to know to think long-term? Actually, even when we throw out the history of green, there?s still a lot to know.

The world of green, especially in the construction industry, is deep and wide. And the truth is, you probably don?t know enough about green to sift through the myriad of choices when it comes to attending to every area of your home. These days, even the smallest of home improvement projects demand our attention to green. Just making purchases for your home is challenging. Manufacturers of construction products are head to head insisting their products are greener than their competitor?s goods. So, although the concept of green is quite mainstream, it remains complicated and overwhelming.

The solution? If you?re going to be a homeowner, you should seriously consider returning to school to pursue a Green Technology Degree. Okay, not really. You can if you want to, but formal education isn?t the only option. There are already thousands of people with green degrees working in green careers ? so, it makes sense to utilize their knowledge.

Raising your awareness of green has never been easier, just take it one step at a time.

Start where you are right now:

• Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Wash more loads of laundry in cold water.
• Replace purchased bottled water with a reusable BPA-free bottle.

As the days climb the 2013 calendar, remember who you are: you?re a consumer with a new goal. You?re no longer simply searching for an online coupon or the best price ? now you search and consume with green in mind:

• Research competing manufacturers of home improvement products before you decide what products to buy. Is the company simply making a green claim? Or is there information on their website to substantiate their green product? Sure this takes time; consider it an investment in your personal green education.
• Ask . . . is this product/service toxic? Does it reduce energy consumption? Is it local?

(Slowly?) Expand your knowledge of green:

• Subscribe to the EPA?s Go Green monthly newsletter. (It?s free!) Implementing just one green change into your life each month for the next 12 months has the potential to make a huge impact on the environment.
• Visit www.earth911.org to discover all the items that can be recycled and where to recycle them.

Even though learning all there is to know about green is like taming a huge, complicated beast, investing the time to raise your knowledge and awareness of all things green doesn?t have to be. If you begin where you are and commit to making small changes you alone may be the one to solve all the energy problems that still plague us from the 1970?s. Okay, not really. But you can ? and certainly will ? make a difference. And that?s all it takes to think long-term.

Source: http://www.kelleyconstructioninc.com/2012/12/its-monday-are-you-thinking-long-term/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=its-monday-are-you-thinking-long-term

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