The 10 resolutions below are for people hoping to make their home more eco friendly in 2012!

So the question you should be asking yourself is how green are you willing to go in 2012?

1. Finish every project you start!

The most common thing about New Year’s resolutions is that they are forgotten. Yes that’s right! Unfortunately it’s not uncommon for people to drop out of their projects. Usually it gets very difficult at some stage depending what you’re doing. The mistake is people give up on all the hard work they’ve already achieved!-Don’t be one of those people this year. If you decide to take something on commit to finishing it.



2. Stop buying water bottles!

Just so you know I have made it my mission this year to make my family stop using water bottles. You can find a much safer, healthier and eco friendly alternative to using water bottles.

Personally I hate water bottles mostly because i find them to be quite unhealthy. Quick tip: smell the inside of your plastic bottle and tell me if you like what you smell. Personally I found it unhealthy for me to drink out of a bottle that smells of toxic plastic. Oh and by the way watch out for BPA and that’s only the tip of the iceberg!



Plastic bottles take up around 2 million tons a year in our land fills

Please make the right choice and stop buying water bottles!

3. Be the master of recycling!

If you are new to recycling START NOW! You could start by donating unwanted clothes and if you’re brave enough recycle those ice cream containers, cans and paper materials. You need to start 2012 by adopting an eco friendly lifestyle that way you can ease into it throughout the year.

4. Improve your homes efficiency(duh):

By now after reading this blog I’m sure home efficiency is the one subject you’ve definitely looked at. I hope you have made an investment to get some CFL light bulbs. You should start by checking your house for any heat loss by doing it the DIY way (kudos to you!), or you could just get a professional…

What you can do at the moment is to lower your thermostat during the night. I recommend the ideal temperature should be lowered at least by 1.5 degrees Celsius a month, until you reach at least 15.5 degrees Celsius. Trust me your going to love your sleep especially after looking at your heating bill!-I know I did!

5. Quite all the toxic cleaners:

This is a point I really believe in. Start by discarding every single part of your cleaning kit you suspect may be toxic. The first thing I did was purchase some trusted natural cleaners . Luckily I was introduced to some zero chemical cleaners . To be honest I was very skeptical, until I noticed that the best thing to do was to try it out myself, after all if I didn’t like it I would simply return it. You’re in for a pleasant surprise.

6. Make use of a reusable bag:

Everyone loves the person that shops with their own eco friendly shopping bag, the shop wins, the environment wins and you win. You can even win by being offered a discount just for using your own shopping bag. Some shops are even charging customers for using the stores shopping bags! Luckily some environmentally aware retailers are selling eco friendly shopping bags.

7. Convince your friends to join your efforts:

This is most probably one of the hardest steps to take. A good number of friends to recommend would be at least 4. Four is a good number because if those four good friends of yours recommend our cause to another 4 or more people, it can lead to a chain reaction and hopefully a community of GREEN ACTIVITS who care! This will be a great thing because it all adds up to the joint efforts of people trying to make our planet healthier.

8. Make use of Public Transport:

Its acceptable if you’re not a fan of public transport, but at least use it a few times a month. The best alternative is to get together with your friends and to form a “lift club”. This is widely used, but is mainly suited for those that live in the same neighborhood.

9. Make use of your bicycle:

People always tell me how great it is cycling to work because they get a refreshing workout and view of their surroundings. Unless you live in a place with interesting terrain, this could be the most relaxing eco friendly step you could ever take. Imagine how having a relaxing cycle to your job could help brighten your day.

10. GROW YOUR OWN!:

That’s right; I left my favorite for last! If you’ve read “Top Green Tips for a healthier diet” you’ll know that this is by far my favorite green activity. All you have to do is head to the back of your garden and grow your own vegetables . for more on this tip just go to my post “Top Green Tips for a healthier diet”.

Recommended resources: Zero Chemicals for Chemical Free Living

I hope you found this helpful

:D

To really understand the importance and perks that come from green solar energy, you have to understand how solar energy is used. Basically you can find two types of green solar energy-thermal and light. Thermal energy is known as passive solar. This type of green solar energy is harnessed through the design and materials used to build structures. This can be done by integrating south facing windows and materials that store heat, like brick and stone, you can decrease your energy needs and build an energy efficient home.The thermal energy created by green solar energy is also used to heat water for solar hot water systems. The rays of the sun also make light and radiation that can be stored by solar panels to create free electricity! (Good bye electricity bills!)

The most popular use of green solar energy is for saving money (who wouldn’t).

Bottom-line, green solar energy systems can usually cost a kidney; they generally pay for themselves in a couple of years by creating either supplemental electricity or all of the electricity to your home or business. Making your own solar panels, taking part in government refunds and net metering, in which you sell unused electricity back to the government or power company, can greatly reduce the cost of implementing a green solar energy system. In addition, green solar energy systems require little to no maintenance after installation, as most have no moving parts.

The best benefit of using green solar energy panels is that they are completely environmental.

With polar ice caps dwindling away and climate changes creating tragic storms worldwide, it is really obvious that one must find efficient alternatives (hopefully some profit). Green solar energy provides a clean energy alternative as it creates little pollution and does not contribute to global warming or bad credit.

Green solar energy systems can be used by homes and businesses alike. If going solar cannot meet all of your energy needs, it can certainly reduce them. Utilizing solar energy can save you money, but it’s greatest benefit is to the environment and our future.

If You like what you read go to http://www.greensolutionsathome.com for more!

Heres to you going green!
Al Tanaka

I have made a VERY do-able quick and easy list on how to be eco friendly starting from today!

1: Use a basin to hand-wash your dishes, then use the remaining dish water for your plants outside.

2: Replace burned-out light bulbs with some eco friendly compact fluorescent bulbs another option may be LED bulbs (my personal choice).

3: Recycle ice-cream plastic boxes for those hugely anticipated leftovers.

4: Make use of the rotting leaves from your garden instead of the peat moss. It’s a better option to leave the peat in bogs, there it can do its eco friendly job.

5: If you are ever about to pull over for a while turn the engine off! Trust me it’s worth it, plus you save a bit of fuel (a bit).

6: I also strongly recommend that you have regular maintenance on your car, because cars in a poor condition are known to be sworn enemies with the environment. Avoid this by scheduling regular oil checks, this will lead to a smoother engine and a lot less emissions.

7: Have your own eco friendly grocery bags for shopping instead of those anti eco friendly plastic bags at the till.

8: In addition to eco friendly tip #7, you can purchase goods in less packaging. You can also check that the packaging can be recycled.

9: You must plug your TV and other entertainment appliances into a power bar so that you can switch off the power bar when you switch off the TV. These devices are known for drawing power even when turned off.

Great you made it to eco friendly tip #10 read on!

10: Ride your bike or walk to work at least once a month (story of my life). I try to do this at least once a week or more when I wake up early enough.

11: Don’t eat seafood if it’s not from a sustainable source.

12: Use ceiling fans instead of air conditioning. To keep cool, for humidity use a dehumidifier, close your drapes during the day and open windows at during the night.

13: Use a trusted water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. This is because it can generate large amounts of container waste, which definitely isn’t eco friendly.

14: Keep your tires inflated. Nobody likes driving with a flat tyre! But if your tire is not inflated enough it can cause really cause some drag on your car which will cost you more in fuel and cost you more in tire bills!.
Note: over inflated tires can be dangerous, be sure to check the recommended PSI.

15: I saved this one for eco friendly tip 15.
Ask the office manager at work about making some green changes at the office, this can be shutting off unused computers and unnecessary switched on lights; keeping office temperatures consistent and hospitable(it should be the same season inside as it is outside). Also advise him or her to purchase eco friendly office supplies from a trusty eco friendly supplier.

Don’t forget to visit for more on how to be eco friendly.

Al Tanaka