Green Tips-Simple Things We Can Do

• If you are buying charcoal, make sure it's made from a sustainable source. Enormous areas of tropical rain forest are destroyed every year to produce the 400,000 tons of charcoal burned annually in the U.S.
  

• Create a workable system to always have your cloth bags with you for purchases. Re-use paper and plastic bags, and when they wear out, recycle them.

• Place your air conditioner or thermostat away from lamps, TVs, or any heat-generating appliance. Outdoors, if you shade your air conditioning unit, you could save 10%-15% a year on energy use and costs.

• Cover pans with lids to save 2/3 of the energy used in cooking. Use your microwave rather than the stove and save as much as $50 a year

• CD cases are often made with polyvinyl chloride, which doesn’t recycle easily. By downloading new music you reduce production costs, packaging and CDs that eventually end up in the landfill.

• By watering less, you can make your grass grow roots that are deeper and healthier.Daily watering produces shallow roots.

Reduce waste and Save environment

The majority of the waste ends up in landfill or as litter. Either way, household waste is an environmental problem. Here are tips for you to reduce waste and promote green living.

• Food scraps and garden waste can be composted:The easiest way to deal with food waste is to set up a worm farm and/or a compost heap at your home. And you don't necessarily need a big garden to do this. Apartment dwellers can set up small worm farms on a balcony or a communal compost heap on the ground somewhere.Most food scraps (but not meat or dairy) and garden waste can be composted.

• Reusable products or packaging: Try to only buy products that are reusable or come in reusable packaging - and actually reuse them. Take your own cup when buying a coffee or drink.The best solution to waste is to avoid it in the first place.Avoid altogether items that are designed to be used once only

• Avoid an air-based holiday: Aeroplanes are one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse pollution. In particular, they emit high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and water vapor. For your next vacation discover the secrets of your own state rather than taking an air-based holiday, or travel overland by train or bus.

• Think about what you need: Throwing food away costs more than just the money you paid for it, you're also wasting all the water, energy and other resources that went in to producing the food in the first place.Think about what you need and use what's in the fridge, freezer or pantry before you eat out or get take away.

• Switching to Green Power: Switching to Green Power is the best way to cut your greenhouse pollution in the home. When you switch, you'll see no change in the way electricity comes to your house and there is no supply disruption. The only difference is that for a small extra charge, some or all of the electricity that you use will come from a renewable energy source and directly reduce greenhouse pollution.

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.

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.