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Green Living
News Flash!
News Flash!
GREEN....it's not just the color of money anymore!
It's a whole new way of living....a revolution that will affect everything you do.
From the clothes you wear to the food you buy, to the dishes and table you serve it on, and the containers and appliances you store it in...green is becoming a way of living, from the cars we drive to the buildings we work in and... Yes...to the homes we live in!
I know what you're thinking...I'm not going to live in some cold glass box house with large solar panels and looks like it's from outer-space. Well if that's the vision you conjure up in your head when you think of a "green home then I have a lot to teach you !
The fact of it is that most "green", sustainable homes these days look just like any other home in the neighborhood. The "Green" industry has come a long way in ensuring the consumer attractive, affordable, sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly homes.
Did you know that there are many homes across this country that have been built to look like a 100 + year old homes, built with recycled, natural products!
Like wood from certified sustainable growth forests, reclaimed timbers, and natural stone from local quarries... all built with beautiful old world craftsmanship that cleverly conceals the technology of an energy efficient, healthy home...or as I like to call them...new-old homes.
Imagine the beauty and durability of an old slate roof, except on a "Green" Home it looks just like the real thing, but guess what Virginia ? That slate roof is actually made out of recycled tires ! That's right, the same car tires millions of Americans discard every year....and these tiles are only a fraction of the weight of the real thing, easier and cheaper to install, and most come with a 50-year warranty for half the price of real slate. Think about how much space that saves in a land fill.
Speaking of landfills...did you know that in the United States, construction materials alone make-up almost 60% of our landfill burden? Did you also know that many building materials could be reused or recycled to make into new building products... like reclaimed wood, or glass and porcelain that can be remade into new tile, and other building product...like cabinets and fixtures could be recycled, sold, or donated for a tax deduction?
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 allows for $2,000 in tax credits for green home improvements. Plus you can earn another $2,000 in tax credits just for putting in some sort of solar power...even a solar water heater counts. In addition to these, you can add in the numerous savings that some state and local governments, along with public and private utilities, are offering in the way rebates, discounts, grants and tax breaks. If you generate your own power by, say... solar or wind, (we've got a lot of wind in NEPA) you can actually watch your electric meter turn backwards and sell back excess power to the power plant. Image making your electric company PAY YOU !!!!!
