Reason #1: Going green costing more is only a myth. There are lots of green products that can make your home or office greener with out adding more costs to your project. Replacing old floor or cabinets with a new bamboo product costs the same as other options and is made from a quickly renewable natural resource. You can also shop Craig’s list or antique shops for good used products, refurbish them and make them part of your new design. This is a great idea for those of you who enjoy the eclectic look. Reusing items is great for the environment and can save you money!
Reason #2: Think about your kids and their kids and future generations. If we all continue to want everything we own to be new and never recycle, we will we eventually run out of space in our landfills, contaminating water, soil, and air with the byproducts of what we dispose. Also, none of us want to live near a land fill due to the smell and risk of what it might be doing to our ground water supply. We risk running out of land for recreation such as hiking, camping, and hunting as our land fills continue to grow out of control.
Reason #3: Being more energy efficient actually saves you money. If you use less you spend less. If you buy energy efficient lighting and appliances you will save money on your electric bill. With the money you save, you can add new energy technologies such as solar panels for electricity or hot water, which increases your long term savings. A house is a long term investment; the more you put into the energy efficiencies of the building, the more you save in energy costs and increase the resale value for your property. It is a win-win situation.
Reason #4: Upfront cost versus long term cost: We all want to save money today, but so often when we do it costs us more money in the long run. Some green products do cost slightly more than other products, but if you have allergies, lung or heart disease, the pennies you save on a gallon of paint are less than what you will be paying in co-payments at the doctors office. Products that admit high levels of VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) put you at higher risk for illnesses. See Wikipedia for addition information on VOC’s: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compound#Environmental_effects
Reason #5: The bottom line is it’s just good for your health! Eliminating VOCs from businesses and homes lowers our risk of becoming ill. There just isn’t anything better in life than good heath. Schools have been slowly going green for years as studies have shown that children learn better, have less absenteeism and reduced lawsuits from parents for cases of sick building syndrome.
Check out the Top 5 Environmentally Friendly Innovations for the Modern Homes by Popular Mechanic’s Magazine. (http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4212727.html)
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