Support green living and teach your kids to support green living

Supporting green living is not just healthier for the environment - it's healthier for people, too.

• Stop using Lysol or air fresheners of any kind - Whether it's diaper duty or stinky gym shoes, moms use a lot of air freshening sprays to make their homes livable. Think about the harsh chemicals and the aerosol cans used for conventional air fresheners.

• Use biodegradable, concentrated, plant-based cleaners - You have probably seen some concentrated cleaning products and detergents, in grocery stores, but very few of them are made from plant derived products or are biodegradable. So, concentrated versions of harmful or harsh solvents are still not truly green, although they are a bit better because you use less of them.

• Dress appropriately for the weather:The bulk of your energy bill is NOT going to lighting, but to heating and cooling.You use less heating power in the winter and less cooling power in the summer if you simply teach your children to dress appropriately for the weather.

• Spend more time at home - The less gas you burn driving around town when you spend more time in home.spending more time at home is healthier for mind, body, soul, and planet. It gives you more control over what influences your children, and it saves you money.

• Say no to plastic bag: Say "No bag, thank you." Whether you're buying toys, snacks, or clothes, tell the checkout person you don't need a bag.

• Eat more raw foods - Simply put, if you cook less, you'll use less energy. You will also retain more vitamins and nutrients in the food you and your children eat.

Eco-friendly lifestyle for safe environment

Environment and living beings depends each other for its existence. Eco-friendly lifestyle enables you to reduce carbon foot print and minimize damage caused to environment. Here are some tips for you.

• Avoid transportation that uses air-polluting fuel whenever possible. Walking to the store can provide exercise while saving money and being better for the environment.

• Check out manufacturers that use rapidly renewable resources when building furniture, mattresses, flooring and more.

• When it's time to add a little color to your walls, know that some companies produce low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint

• Work with your local waste management company to properly dispose of these materials.

• Avoid the waste of materials and fuel involved in shipping by purchasing locally.

• The use of compact-fluorescent lamps (CFL) is encouraged as they reduce power consumption by as much as 70 per cent.

• Depend less on your electricity company and use self-generated electricity using biogas as fuel.

• Use no geysers and air-conditioners. Use solar water heater water heater.

• Harvest rain water for recharging ground water and storing rainwater for future use.

Make green living a part of your daily life

Green Living helps to minimize wastage and reduce carbon foot print. Green living must be part of your daily life and educate others on need of green living or support green living.

Quiet the photocopier: Instead of leaving the photocopier on all day, keep it on during a specified time, maybe three hours during which you and your colleagues can copy what you need.

Make it a habit: Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you can.

Carpeting from natural fibers: Choose carpeting, rugs, window treatments and other textiles made from natural fibers, such as cotton or wool, which are untreated and free of toxins, such as pesticides or chemical cleaners.

Dinner together: have food - breakfast ,lunch , dinner together all at the same time to reduce reheating / cooking time , saves fuel and u also invest quality time together, and remember to switch off the TV.

Green office for minimizing waste and saving environment

Whether it is home, school, college or office, green living is important for minimizing wastage and saving environment. Green living helps you to save money and minimize wastage. Here are some simple tips that you can follow in your daily life.

Bring your own plates and cutlery to work:Paper plates, paper napkins, and plastic forks, spoons, and knives have been a mainstay in the office for a long time, so it might be difficult at first to make the switch. Reusable dishes and cutlery can significantly cut down on paper waste and pollution.

Quiet the photocopier: Instead of leaving the photocopier on all day, keep it on during a specified time, maybe three hours during which you and your colleagues can copy what you need.

Buy used furniture: Before buying any new office furniture, investigate buying quality used furniture, which is much cheaper and keeps another desk or chair out of the landfill.

Recycle: Think of the money you and your company can save by recycling paper. And you don't have to wait until it comes back to you in the form of a ream of paper to help the environment. Any sheet of paper that does not contain proprietary information can be turned into scraps that can be used for notes or memos.

Quit smoking: Second-hand smoke is a major indoor air pollutant and health hazard. If you have to smoke and continue to harm your own health, at least do it outside so you don’t force your visitors to be exposed to this pollution you choose to be around.

Make your business environmental friendly

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle is secret of green living and conserving resource. Adopting green living in your business or office helps you to save energy and cutting down waste. Here are some tips for you to adopt in your office or business to make your business environmental friendly.

• Encourage communications by email, and read email messages onscreen to determine whether it's necessary to print them.

• Save Paper:Reduce fax-related paper waste by using a fax-modem and by using a fax cover sheet only when necessary.

• Switch off monitors:Save power by switching off computer/laptop monitors whenever you are away from your desk.

• Turn off lights and fans: Turn off lights and fans when not in use or you leave your office.

• Use natural light to save on electricity bill: In daytime, don't make the room dark.Instead, use the Sunlight in the daytime. One can reduce the electricity bill to a great extent.

Green Homes create healthy environments

A green building is one which is energy efficient, uses natural and renewable energy and causes the least amount of damage to the environment. In India, Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Green Homes is the first rating program developed exclusively for the residential sector.

The biggest advantage is, the well designed green building may accrue life-long benefits at small make-up costs and reduction in water and operating energy costs. Climate sensitive building envelope includes better solar shading and insulation, solar water heaters.

Energy efficient lights in the common areas save energy and lower electricity bills. Layouts of green projects ensure adequate natural light and cross-ventilation in all. In addition, use of high performance glass will cut down heat gain and translate to direct energy savings for the residents.

It is always preferable to use native, drought-resistant species which require minimal water. Waste water can be treated on-site and re-used for irrigation and flushing translating to water savings for residents, possibly reducing the purchase of water from outside sources.


In India, there are two mechanisms for evaluating the energy efficiency of a building. The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), that was formed in 2001, set up the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) India committee that rates buildings based on five environmental criteria. The second system is that devised by the Energy Resource Institution. The Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) has been endorsed by the government as the national rating system for buildings, based on their predicted performance over their life span.

Green homes create healthy environments by using interior paints that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). High levels of VOCs as found in oil-based paints can emit vapors for a long time after application causing adverse impact.

These green homes are built on the principle of waste segregation and organic waste composting.