Green guru and Cyberhomes contributor James Glave
Have you seen "The Big Guide to Going Green at Home" on Cyberhomes.com? With videos from green guru James Glave, the how-to is packed with information on ways to consume less and conserve more, from using energy-conserving appliances to introducing fewer toxic materials in your home and backyard. Here's a Q&A with Glave:
CH: "It seems that more consumers are going "green" these days. Why is that?"
JG: "It's happened because many of us are finally waking up to the fact that the 'American way of life' that we have enjoyed and worked for is in fact not very good for us or our homes.
It's great to get toxics out of the ecosystems, but I have mixed feelings about green consumerism -- so much of it is greenwash. The last thing we need is another plant-based toilet-bowl cleaner. These are baby steps and what's needed is a degree of change and action that is drastically bigger than hemp throw rugs.
The message from my Cyberhomes videos is that we need to consume less, and when we do buy something new, shop either used or with quality and longevity in mind instead of price. If you are buying something like paint or wood products, look for a certification approval -- one with real teeth to it.
In the meantime, we need to conserve energy and embrace low-carbon living: walk and cycle, learn to grow food and buy it from local suppliers, talk to the neighbors, get organized, pick up antiquated skills. The fact is, for many of us, green home stuff is just another excuse to toss out all the stuff you have and redecorate. This attitude needs to change.
It's all about carbon emissions. If we don't dial them back, we're toast. Really."
CH: "What's the next step for homeowners who truly want to go green?"
JG: "Get an energy audit, and get to work addressing its findings. Seal the building envelope, upgrade your windows and doors to Energy Star-rated products, pump insulation into the walls and attic, spring for a heat-recovery ventilation system, or a new ultra-high efficiency furnace. (The Trane XV95 has 96.7 percent efficiency.)
Even better: Add an air to air heat exchanger on that furnace and make sure it's running on a programmable thermostat. Wrap your hot water heater in a blanket of insulation and when it dies, replace it with an on-demand hot water heater.
Unplug all the crap you're not using, including the garage fridge with a case of beer in it, hang your clothes to dry on a line outside, and then, and only then, consider renewables...starting with a solar-thermal system to preheat your hot water. Don't let anyone tell you not to bother, because China builds a new coal plant every two weeks."
Glave is the author of "Amost Green: How I Saved 1/6th of a Billionth of the Planet."—Lauren Baier Kim